The Haunted Palace – K-drama Episode 8 Recap & Review
Episode 8
Episode 8 of The Haunted Palace begins with Yeo-ri and the eunuchs working on breaking the curse. Head Eunuch Kim lets it slip that Gangcheori has been worried about Yeo-ri and she is surprised.
At the riverbank, the drowned ghost goes after the King as ordered by Pung-san. Next, he curses Gangcheori. But together, Gangcheori and the King trap the ghost.
Yeo-ri arrives in time as Gangcheori faints. She breaks the curse and hugs him when he finally wakes up.
Pung-san learns of the curse breaking and blames it on Yeo-ri being from Yongdam village. Something happened there and a flashback shows Pung-san watching while Neop-deok dies.
Back at the riverbank, Bibi watches the hug and has a bad feeling. However, the King and the inner circle are amused by Gangcheori's confusion at Yeo-ri's hug. The King and Gangcheori agree to a truce and the former rushes to his wife who has recovered.
Meanwhile, Gangcheori and Yeo-ri question the male drowned ghost. It is his skull that was put in the pillow so he would target the Queen. He agrees to speak when Yeo-ri offers to return his remains to his daughter. When she updates the King, he is overly affectionate with her. Gangcheori is jealous and we learn that the King did it to mess with him.
As for the family reunion, the ghost possesses Yeo-ri and comforts his daughter. He finally reveals that a blind yapper has been using him. Yeo-ri recalls the 8-foot ghost mentioning a blind yapper as well.
Said yapper is with one of Kwak's ministers, making him a talisman to ward off Bibi. We learn that the nobles go to him for talismans, hexes and shamanic cures for their enemies and lovers and family members. Kwak doesn't believe in all this but begrudgingly takes one talisman.
In the market, Choi Won-u frantically searches for a book that some scoundrel touched. He is pretty vague but pays handsomely to the seller to look for it. The one-legged ghost attacks again. Ga-seop and Noh are nearby, searching for Gangcheori and save Choi. Ga-seop ends up advising a confused Choi to repent for the sin against the one-legged ghost.
Elsewhere, Gangcheori frets over Yeo-ri, who is tired after the possession. He calls the drowned ghost foolish for worrying about his daughter who will barely live a couple of decades. Yeo-ri calls him out for being heartless.
As for Pung-san, he burns all evidence, guessing that the ghost must have blabbed. He is right as royal guards barge into the Association of the Blind Fortune Tellers and arrest everyone. The King questions Pung-san as he is known to visit the Queen Mother. The shaman claims that he has been consoling her after her husband died in the Year of the Water Rabbit.
That night, Yeo-ri and Gangcheori stop by an inn for dinner. They bicker as he wants to eat more while she wants to leave. He surreptitiously makes it rain so they are stuck at the inn. He watches her doze off and she catches him. She has noticed his affection for her and he blames it on Yoon Gap's body. In a moment of weakness, he adds that he isn't sure. He then asks if her smiles at him are meant for Yoon Gap or Gangcheori. She is flustered and changes the topic.
In prison, the blind shamans scold Pung-san for getting involved with the wrong people. But he is cocky that things go his way as he has dirt on the nobles.
Right on cue, all his clients vouch for him. Even Kwak points out the absurdity of the Queen Mother using a blind man to curse the Queen. Even Minister Kim agrees with Kwak. He explains that if the Queen Mother is involved, the King has to be careful so as not to rile her people. The King gives in and frees all the shamans. However, he orders his inner circle to secretly look for the Blind Yapper.
While discussing with Yeo-ri, the King is sad to learn that Neop-deok died in the Year of the Water Rabbit. As for Yeo-ri, she realises that she has been cosying up to her grandmother's killer and feels guilty. She is suddenly cold to Gangcheori who is confused by her mood swing. Having taken a liking to Yeo-ri, the kid ghost reveals the truth. He was there when Neop-deok was hired to exorcise the 8-foot ghost 13 years ago. Did the 8-foot ghost kill Neop-deok as revenge? Shocked, Yeo-ri runs out.
Gangcheori is busy ranting about Yeo-ri's sudden coldness to Bibi. Bibi asks if he regrets lying that he killed Neop-deok.
It cuts to Yeo-ri asking the King what happened 13 years ago, in the Year of the Water Rabbit. The 8-foot ghost possessed his father. Neop-deok was brought in to exorcise him. He died. Lee Sung married and became the King. Neop-deok died a month later by accidentally being set on fire and falling into the sea. They realise that the 8-foot ghost's master is behind the deaths of the previous king and Neop-deok.
At the end of The Haunted Palace Episode 8, Minister Kim kills the 8-foot ghost's fire and beats up Pung-san, calling him a yapper. He is the one who hired the shaman to kill the Crown Prince. Pung-san promises to keep the deal and also reveals that Yeo-ri is related to Neop-deok. The 8-foot ghost has a plan and his fire burns brighter.
The Episode Review
The Haunted Palace Episode 8 finally connects everything that seemed random and ends the first half of the K-drama on a high and satisfying note. Most of the mystery is resolved, allowing viewers some sense of satisfaction as the questions kept piling up. Yeo-ri is no ordinary shaman and being related to Neop-deok adds to her power. Neop-deok was brought in to exorcise the 8-foot ghost possessing the late king. And in retaliation, Pung-san used the ghost to kill her.
Minister Kim is the big bad baddie despite being the King's maternal grandfather. We can probably guess that he wants revenge on the previous King for replacing his daughter with the Queen Mother. Meanwhile, Choi Won-u just seems to be a red herring. He comes off cranky and spiteful but it looks like whatever his storyline is, it belongs to the slave reform conflict.
As for Gangcheori, he gets a huge redemption arc, which honestly was needed. As evident with Yeo-ri's reality check, we doubt she would have ever been able to get together with her grandmother's killer. It also felt out of character for Gangcheori to kill Neop-deok when he feels protective of her granddaughter. All in all, a strong mid-season finale that sets up for an exciting second half as well.
Previous Episode
Next Episode
Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
David Beckham 'to be knighted' in King's Birthday Honours list
David Beckham is reportedly set to receive a knighthood in the King's upcoming Birthday Honours list. The former England football captain was awarded an OBE in 2003, but is now set to receive further recognition. It has been a long-held ambition of Beckham and rumours abounded last year he may finally get the honour after he was announced as ambassador to the King's Foundation. Speculation then hit fever pitch in December last year when he attended the state banquet for the first time, alongside his wife, Victoria Beckham. Sir David, as he will be known, met the King last week at the Chelsea Flower show. The monarch was heard asking David, "You got it, didn't you?" Beckham's 'hacked' honours emails In 2017, details of the footballer's leaked emails were printed in the national press, in which he appeared to criticise the honours system and committee. A spokesperson for the footballer said at the time his emails were "hacked" and "doctored". Please refresh the page for the latest version.
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Rise, at last, Sir David Beckham? The footballer may finally be knighted
David Beckham is reported to be in line for a knighthood. He will become a Sir in the King's birthday honours list next week and his wife, Victoria, will be known as Lady Beckham, The Sun reported. The former England footballer has become increasingly close to the royals since becoming an ambassador for the King's Foundation last year. It will bring to an end years of speculation about whether and when Beckham will be knighted, and is also expected to provide some relief amid an ongoing rift with his eldest son Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz-Beckham. He was first nominated for a knighthood in 2011 but his nomination was blocked by the honours committee after he was caught up in a tax avoidance scheme which led to him being rejected by the inland revenue. Tax authorities cleared Beckham in 2021, opening the door to him getting the honour. He narrowly missed out on a knighthood in December's New Years Honours List which instead went to former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, according to The Sun. Last year, Beckham revealed he had swapped beekeeping tips with the King before being given an ambassadorial role with the monarch's charity. The pair are both keen horticulturalists. Beckham said at the time: 'It was inspiring to hear from the King about the work of His Majesty's Foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens – and compare beekeeping tips!' He has repeatedly rubbed shoulders with the King and Queen, and wore a new rose named in the King's Honour when he met them at the Chelsea Flower Show last month. Beckham pinned a new pink and white bloom called The King's Rose to his lapel during his first ever visit to the show. He also appeared to thank the King and Queen for a thoughtful 50th birthday gift after celebrating the milestone earlier in May. 'You got it, didn't you?' the King asked him. 'It was incredible, thank you,' Beckham replied. 'It was very kind.' The Queen was heard to say: 'Nice to see you again, glad you got the roses.' Beckham celebrated his 50th birthday this month with a lavish party which was shut down at 3am over a noise complaint. His eldest son and his wife were absent, with a source telling The Telegraph that he and his wife, who is the daughter of US billionaire Nelson Peltz, feel that they have no meaningful private connection with the family and that he has been made to feel like an 'idiot' and 'stupid'. The younger Beckhams were instead recent guests at a Montecito party attended by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Peltz, 30, and Meghan, 43, were said to have found 'common ground' over their casting as meddling American wives breaking up Britain's most famous families. Meanwhile his second son Romeo Beckham has split with his girlfriend Kim Turnbull, according to the Daily Mail.
Telegraph
20 hours ago
- Telegraph
Royal Ascot 2025, explained: Dates, race times, course guide and how to watch
Royal Ascot is British flat racing's most prestigious event and one of the highlights of the summer social season, with 35 races run over five days at the Berkshire racecourse. Aside from the sport, which features eight Group One races such as the Gold Cup, St James's Palace Stakes and Commonwealth Cup, it is a festival of fashion, hospitality and royal patronage. Last year, the King attended all five days bar Wednesday while the Queen was there for the entire showpiece. Royal Ascot is one of racing's most lucrative meetings with more than £10 million in prize money up for grabs. The two biggest prize pots of the week come in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. When is Royal Ascot? The first day of Royal Ascot is Tuesday, June 17 with the final day of racing on Saturday, June 21. The first race of each day should start at 2.30pm with the last race at 6.15pm, before racegoers shuffle back to Ascot train station or wrestle their way out of one of many car parks. How do I watch it in the UK? Every race of the meeting is being broadcast live on ITV1, with coverage also available on Sky Sports Racing for subscribers. How do I watch in the US? Assisted by racing anchor Nick Luck, NBC's streaming service Peacock offers full coverage of the meeting, as will betting-orientated channel FanDuelTV. How can I buy tickets? Tickets can be booked via the Royal Ascot website. If you want access to the more exclusive Royal Enclosure though, you will need to be a member or a member's guest. Applicants for membership need to be sponsored by two current members as well as pay a £100 joining fee. Members can apply for Royal Enclosure badges from January each year. There are still tickets on general sale though, ranging from £35 for Tuesday access to the Windsor Enclosure to £99 in the Queen Anne Enclosure. Prices rise slightly on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On those final three days, there is also the middle-tier option of the Village Enclosure, where attendees can enjoy a post-racing concert until 9pm. Racegoers can also choose to purchase a 'party package' for up to six people, with £116 per person for the Queen Anne Enclosure on Tuesday including two drinks tokens and a race programme. For those who want to take the weight off their feet, there are also a range of 'ticket enhancements' available, such as booking picnic tables in the Queen Anne or access to the Terrace Club. Demand is high for the extra comfort. Course guide Horses have run at Ascot since 1711, when Queen Anne decided the heathland was ideal for 'horses to gallop at full stretch' while out riding. That August, 100 guineas were on offer for the winner of Her Majesty's Plate, open to any horse over the age of six. Remarkably, the race consisted of three heats of four miles, so it is fair to say it was not a test of speed. Today, races at the Royal meeting are run on a mixture of the round course and the straight. The round course is a 14-furlong right-handed track, with a relatively short run-in of just two-and-a-half furlongs meaning it can be difficult to win from off the pace. The shorter races, such as the six-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, are run along the straight in front of the grandstand. For races of a mile, some are straight while others are a round mile from the old starting point near Swinley Bottom. What are the racecards for the week? (Group/class, distance, age, prize money) Tuesday, June 17 2.30pm: Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1, straight 1m, four-year-olds and older, £750,000) 3.05pm: Coventry Stakes (Group 2, 6f, two-year-olds, £175,000) 3.40pm: King Charles III Stakes (Group 1, 5f, three-year-olds and older, £650,000) 4.20pm: St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1, round 1m, three-year-old colts, £650,000) 5pm: Ascot Stakes (Handicap Class 2, 2m, four-year-olds and older, £110,000) 5.35pm: Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f, four-year-olds and older, £120,000) 6.10pm: Copper Horse Stakes (Handicap Class 2, 1m 6f, four-year-olds and older, £110,000) Wednesday, June 18 2.30pm: Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2, 5f, two-year-old fillies, 5f, £150,000) 3.05pm: Queen's Vase (Group 2, 1m 6f, three-year-olds, £265,000) 3.40pm: Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2, round 1m, four-year-old and older fillies and mares, £225,000) 4.20pm: Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Group 1, 1m 2f, four-year-olds and older, £1,000,000) 5pm: Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap Class 2, straight 1m, three-year-old and older, £175,000) 5.35pm: Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap Class 2, straight 1m, four-year-olds and older fillies and mares, £110,000) 6.10pm: Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f, two-year-olds, £110,000) Thursday, June 19 2.30pm: Norfolk Stakes (Group 2, 5f, two-year-olds, £150,000) 3.05pm: King George V Stakes (Handicap Class 2, 1m 4f, three-year-olds, £110,000) 3.40pm: Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2, 1m 4f, three-year-old fillies, £250,000) 4.20pm: Ascot Gold Cup (Group 1, 2m 4f, four-year-olds and older, £650,000) 5pm: Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap Class 2, straight 1m, three-year=old colts and geldings, £120,000) 5.35pm: Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3, 1m 2f, three-year-olds, £150,000) 6.10pm: Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap Class 2, 7f, three-year-olds and older, £110,000) Friday, June 20 2.30pm: Albany Stakes (Group 3, 6f, two-year-old fillies, £125,000) 3.05pm: Commonwealth Cup (Group 1, 6f, three-year-old colts and fillies, £650,000) 3.40pm: Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap Class 2, 1m 4f, three-year-olds and older, £110,000) 4.20pm: Coronation Stakes (Group 1, round 1m, three-year-old fillies, £650,000) 5pm: Sandringham Stakes (Handicap Class 2, straight 1m, three-year-old fillies, £110,000) 5.35pm: King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2, 1m 4f, three-year-old colts and geldings, £250,000) 6.10pm: Palace Of Holyroodhouse (Handicap Class 2, 5f, three-year-olds, £110,000) Saturday, June 21 2.30pm: Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f, two-year-olds, £110,000) 3.05pm: Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2, 1m 4f, four-year-olds and older, £250,000) 3.40pm: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1, 6f, four-year-olds and older, £1,000,000) 4.20pm: Jersey Stakes (Group 3, 7f, three-year-olds, £150,000) 5pm: Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap Class 2, 6f, three-year-olds and older, £175,000) 5.35pm: Golden Gates Stakes (Handicap Class 2, 1m 2f, three-year-olds, £110,000) 6.10pm: Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditional Class 2, 2m 6f, four-year-olds and older £110,000)
