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The Haunted Palace – K-drama Episode 14 Recap & Review

Episode 14 Episode 14 of The Haunted Palace begins with Yoon Gap reuniting with a delighted Mrs. Yoon and a wary Yeo-ri. On their way to work, Yeo-ri accepts Gap's apology as he confesses to tricking her. However, she flinches when he reaches for her and he gives her back Gangcheori's bracelet. The palace is pleasantly surprised by Gap's return. The King hugs him but the ghostbane stone hurts Yoon Gap. Yeo-ri and the King deduce that the stone is reacting to Gap's corpse. Pung-san is eavesdropping via Yoon Gap's soul and realises that the ghostbane stone is their secret weapon. The inner circle gets back to work on the anti-slave reforms. The King finds Gap's enthusiasm refreshing but he also recalls how Gangcheori had cheered him when he had doubted his role as a benevolent king. Gap realises that the King misses Gangcheori. Surprisingly, even Head Eunuch Kim misses Gangcheori's impudence. Suddenly, Gap is in pain and Pung-san 'helps' him. The shaman needs Gap to destroy the King's ghostbane stone, and then the body will be permanently his. All he needs to do is pour 'alcohol' over the stone. However, the loyal Gap refuses. Meanwhile, Yeo-ri and Ga-seop search for Gangcheori. She prays for him, upset that he broke his promise of not letting her go. Surprisingly, he wakes up in Gap's body as well. Chaos ensues as Gap and Gangcheori tussle over the body's dominance. Soon, we see that it is Pung-san helping Gap suppress Gangcheori. He keeps reminding Gap of all the things Gangcheori has taken from him. The next morning, Gap is gone early and Yeo-ri has a vision of him eyeing the ghostbane stone. She rushes after him. In the palace, the King constantly praises Gap and works on the reforms. The ghostbane stone is on his table and Gap decides to pour the 'alcohol' over it. Gangcheori screams no and he throws the liquor and slips. Gap is ejected and he runs off. Both Gangcheori and Yeo-ri find him and he is disappointed in himself. Gangcheori points out that it was Gap who threw away the liquor in the end. However, Gap is afraid of what he might become and begs Yeo-ri to help him cross over to the afterlife. They arrive home and Mrs. Yoon realises that Gangcheori has returned. She cries for Gap and is in shock when she learns that he is dead. The shamans perform the last rites and Gap bids farewell to his mother and Yeo-ri. The King cries as he holds his own ritual for Gap in the palace. Gangcheori knows Gap has feelings for Yeo-ri and wonders why he never confessed. Gap refuses to hurt her as she would never be able to accept his feelings. Gangcheori is impressed and as farewell, agrees to take care of Mrs. Yoon and Yeo-ri. With Gap gone, Pung-san convinces Minister Ahn to destroy the ghostbane stones by tempting him with the Chief State Councillor position. Gangcheori and Yeo-ri move out while Mrs. Yoon mourns Gap. They head to a tavern and are forced to share the only available room. Ah, the classic only-one-bed trope! As they turn in for the night, Yeo-ri is still determined to resolve the ghost conflict for the sake of the ghost, the villagers and her grandmother. She also teases Gangcheori who is awkward about sharing a room. He 'jokingly' makes a proposition but Mrs. Yoon interrupts. She has been searching for them all night and takes them home. It cuts to D-Day as the inner circle gets ready for the ghost's 100th death anniversary. Kwak's officer/assassin, Jung worms his way into the security detail. The King gives his ghostbane stone to his pregnant Queen. Yeo-ri remembers her grandmother mentioning how a shaman can die if the reaper method fails. The caragana finally blooms and Gangcheori drinks its tea as he realises it may be time to sacrifice himself. The ritual begins but the ghost possesses Assassin Jung. He easily fends everyone off, including Gangcheori, and smiles at the King. At the end of The Haunted Palace Episode 14, he stabs the Queen in the stomach. The Episode Review The penultimate week ends with a shocking cliffhanger and while we are surprised by the route they took with Yoon Gap's storyline, The Haunted Palace Episode 14 is still pretty satisfactory. We almost wish the K-drama hadn't included the teaser for the finale since it explains how the possessed Assassin Jung is able to stab the Queen, who has the ghostbane stone. Mrs. Yoon shines as she quickly understands the situation surrounding Gangcheori and accepts him back after mourning her son. And while we'd expected the typical love triangle trope where Yoon Gap goes evil to make Yeo-ri his, his sacrifice fits his backstory as the kind-hearted little boy who stood up for her when she was an outcast. However, the King is a confusing little fellow with the writers taking way too much liberty with his character. The beginning of the show barely gives him any screentime before they make it up by having him work with Yeo-ri and Gangcheori. But his overaffection and PDA for Yoon Gap feel odd, especially when he and his court constantly insist on decorum with Gangcheori. Sure, the hug is a plot device to reveal the ghostbane stone but the King has not shown his own wife or son that much affection as he does to a loyal and like-minded but mere court examiner. The K-drama does highlight that the King is an emotional person with the way he mourns his evil grandfather and cries for the wronged Yongdam villagers. But it is not enough to fall in line for his character to break hierarchy and decorum with the way he does with Yoon Gap. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!