When "Empress Ki" first started viewers may have doubted that the plot could maintain this much tension not quite halfway through its 50-episode run. But it has. And the love triangle between Seungnyang, Wang Yoo and Ta Hwan continues to accelerate in a dangerous fashion, with implications for the fate of two nations.
It can be difficult enough for a k-drama heroine to choose between two men but Ha Ji Won's character has to choose between a king and an emperor. She loves and feels undying loyalty to King Wang Yoo, played by Joo Jin Mo. She agreed to become his queen and spent the night with him. But she also feels sympathy for Ta Hwan, played by Ji Chang Wook, and stayed behind to help him find his father's blood vow. Despite accepting Wang Yoo's royal proposal, in the latest episode she and Ta Hwan kissed under rose-scented water. It happened to save her life, but it was a kiss nevertheless.
That kiss may have helped the drama reach 19.6 percent in the ratings this week, slightly higher than the previous week. Not bad for a drama with an ending people can look up in history books.
Meanwhile the complications that arose from adultery in "One Warm Word" continue to resonate in the lives of all of the drama's characters. Kim Ji Soo's character Song Mi Kyung finds out that her husband loved Han Hye Jin's character and this upsets her even more. The fact that the affair was emotional and not just physical is a bigger blow. Some scenes in the show can be difficult to watch because of the heartbreaking subject matter but the acting continues to be excellent and the writing top notch. This week's first episode earned the show a healthy 9.9 percent of the ratings.
Meanwhile, ratings for "The Prime Minister and I" slipped slightly, falling from 7.3 to 6.9 percent. And that happened during an episode with a kiss and a serenade. The episode also boasted an appearance from Suho, a member of the group EXO. The ratings are not terrible but they do mean the drama starring Lee Beom Soo and Yoona remains in third place. The ratings may say less about this drama than they do about the strength of the competition. After all, this drama only has a prime minister, whereas Empress Ki has a love triangle that involves a king and an emperor.
