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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The Royal Gambler" Episode 23

The Musin rebellion is underway and In-jwa is desperate to make it happen - desperate enough to sacrifice people in order to achieve his endgoal of saving those very same people. King Yeongjo faces the same dilemma. Does he listen to Dae-gil's pleas and trust in the faithfulness of his people and in Dae-gil's master plan or does he use his troops to cut down the rebels and restore peace?

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In-jwa has, finally, gone off the deep end. Those who follow him begin to see it, but it is so late in the game, it seems a silly revelation. Did they not see him using and killing people before this? In any case, as In-jwa spirals downward, Dae-gil rises to take his place as the new pillar of omniscience. His plan is the one that weaves through the episode, convincing the good people of Joseon to lay down arms and put faith in their king. His is the plan that convinces Yeongjo to believe in its outcome. What happened to the Dae-gil of yore? There is not one trace of him left. He is more like the Mr. Miagi of the Joseon era than his original, goofy personality that has seen horrors in his life.

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The same is true for Yeongjo, formerly Yeoning. He is all defense and little thought. It is like he can't do anything kind for his people without Dae-gil's help, which is far from true. There is no gray area in "The Royal Gambler", no place for character growth and plot intricacies. Even the previews for the morrow show more ill-planned plot intrigues rather than a focus on wrapping up the story. Hopefully the show proves me wrong.

Also, they brought back gambling after dropping it for quite some time. For a show called "The Royal Gambler" that is a bit of a gross oversight. But Dae-gil gambled for the future of Joseon and won. Hooray.

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Written by: Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"The Royal Gambler" is directed by Nam Geon, written by Kwon Soon-gyoo, and features Jang Keun-suk, Yeo Jin-goo, Jeon Kwan-ryeol, Choi Min-soo, Lim Ji-yeon, and Yoon Jin-seo.

 

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