As we are left with only four more episodes to go, without any talk of extending (thanks for that!), the ending is still open. As I mentioned it earlier, I will accept any scenario, tragic or filled with hope. I don't think death of the character equals bad ending.
TPM hasn't lost its pace, but it slightly turned the table now. In episode 19 Seryeong cut her hair in front of her father saying heavy words that "she is unable to carry the blood relationship with him". Suyang's retaliation was merciless, at the end of episode 20 he called her Myeon's slave.
But Seryeong is at this stage that threats no longer works on her. Gyeonghye and Seung-yu opened her eyes on her father's doings and she has chosen the path there is no going back from. She burned too many bridges now.
But, as heavy as this is, it's not the most interesting part of it. Few things clenched my throat during those two episodes only. The most gripping is the evolution of the characters. They are changing with the flow of the story. They are not just transcending the script, behaving the same as at the very beginning. If they did, that would be illogical, because of the amount of tragedy each and every one of them experienced. The biggest change, of course, belongs to Seung-yu who turned into a completely different man, but not only.
And I will say few words on this matter. He was almost Śiva the Destroyer in his rage, he saw nothing blinded by the violence and revenge except for his prey. He was lost in this bloody mist clouding his vision and claiming all senses. He came to his senses, eventually, thanks to, no no, not only Seryeong, but first and foremost - his sister-in-law, then Jo Seokju, Seryeong and Jong. He started to see people around him again, and he finally accepted his feelings and those of Seryeong. His resolution is steady as it should be.
Yet, his beastly nature that Suyang has awoken in him is not gone, and it will never be. He can suppress it, but he will never get rid of it. The proof? The perfect beginning of the episode 19 and the talk between Myeon and Seung-yu. The hatred both men shared for each other probably killed every dog in the neighbourhood. And for a short moment Seung-yu's face had this animal snarl/smile(?) that indicated he's not fully normal. He can jump into berserk mode anytime still.
Myeon... and this is where the interesting part unfolds now. In the same time when Seung-yu is regaining his human side and senses, Myeon seems to losing those. His jealousy-based hatred for Seung-yu is boiling now, bringing him on the cliff. Myeon is on the verge of madness. The similarity with Seung-yu's case ends here. Our dark man went through killer madness, but had those who helped him survive this and shake it. Myeon is alone. Seryeong despises him and she's not even pretending. His father pushed him to blodstaining his hands. As Seung-yu is slowly pacifying his own demons, Myeon feeds his more.
And in the middle of this, there is Seryeong, the main reason why Myeon was ready to bury his friend under the sea. Probably he has some feelings for her, it's quite obvious but they may be those of "forbidden fruit" feelings. He knew from the start who she was and that she was that mysterious woman Seung-yu was imprisoned for. He knew about their relationship, so the thought of winning girl's heart over his friend must have triggered something dark in his nature. What follows? The desire to get rid of the rival with all the means possible. When the carnage started, Myeon was Suyang's blade. Yet he's not bad to the core. Once, only once, as he said that himself, he gave up on killing Seung-yu - when he was informed that Seryeong came with men probably to rescue the prisoners.
Partially his pitiful now existence is understandable. The woman he was promised to get married to not only doesn't love him, but hates him. And not with the burning hatred, he could have bear with that, but with that of the iceberg. He helped to behead his teacher and Jong was spared just because Gyeonghye begged Suyang promising him to go to exile. On top of that, Seung-yu is still alive shattering into pieces this human nature that Myeon has left.
And the preview of episode 21:
See you tomorrow, the same time, the same place! With cardiac drops, can't be otherwise...
