Netflix Original: Korean Drama TV Series: The King's Affection (2021 - )

Recommending a Korean historical period drama: “The King's Affection” (2021-). It is set during the Joseon Dynasty and this series started on a very serious note. Twins were born to the royal princess: a boy and a girl. The king wanted to kill the baby girl and ordered a massacre. All of those who knew about the birth of the twins had to be killed, and the twin girl who was born had to die!

Like any loving mother would, the royal princess hatched a plan to save her child's life. The mother faked the death of her daughter and had her taken away to grow up elsewhere. But there was a fire, and the child lost the home that she grew up in an her caretaker also died. Consequently, she took to begging on the streets. A woman took her into the palace and she became a maid.

Image credit: Netflix

She was outside doing her chores and her brother, the crown prince was outside doing whatever princes do. Accidentally, she, a lowly maid, crossed paths with her twin brother, the crown prince, and that's where the story begins.

It's a Netflix series; 20 episodes for Season 1. 

I am already in love with the main characters.

The first episode was dynamite!! I can't wait to finish it!!

I did my review after the first episode, because I am always afraid I might give away the ending and spoil it for those who have not watched this series.

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If You Liked This, You Might Also Like:

• Korean Peninsula (2012)

• Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)

• Mr. Sunshine (2018)

• Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)

Netflix Original: Korean Dramedy TV Series: My Only Love Song (2017)

Rewatched “My Only Love Song” (2017). It's a Korean drama, a Netflix Original Series. It's silly, cute, adorable, and totally unbelievable! And yes, I did say “rewatched”. I watched it a few years back and wanted to watch something that wasn't really serious, so I watched it again.

It's one of those time-travel series. An actress who was starring in a fictional historical Korean drama, gets into a van named “Boong Boong” and the van sets the GPS destination and takes her through the time portal where she ends up in a real life historical Korean drama

What I like about the main character, On Dal (played by Lee Jong-hyun), is that he looks like Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean when he puts on his fake moustache. LOL.

I also like the two guys who are support actors.

(1) Byun Sam-yong (played by Lee Jae-jin) who looks like such a sweet baby boy. You want everything to work out for him in the end.

(2) Moo-myung (played by Ahn Bo-hyun). He is the humble and loyal bodyguard for the princess but he is also in love with her. He never talks, yet everybody knows what he's saying. LOL. To best decribe him, I borrowed a line from Byun Sam-yong: “He looks cool without even trying.”

The leading ladies and the support female cast? Song Soo-jung (played by Gong Seung-yeon) and Princess Pyunggang (played by Jin Ye-ju). Eh! They were OK. But it's the guys who actually carried the series through from start to finish.

It's 20 episodes and lots of fun!

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Korean Drama TV Series: The King Loves (2017)

This Viki Original series is binge-worthy: “The King Loves” (or “The King in Love”) (2017). This series is based on the novel of the same name and is set during the Goryeo Dynasty historical period.

• What's the major theme of this series? Simply put, IF you have to choose between power, friendship and love, which would you choose?

There are very intricate relationships that were developed in this series: between parents and their child, between BFFs (best friends forever), and between people who fall in love. You know what? It doesn't matter if you're a seriously wicked and evil scheming conniving person, or a ruthless murderous assassin, you still have a heart and there can still be room for somebody in your life that you truly love who can reach your “tender spot”.

The 3 main characters are:

~ Wang Won (played by Im Siwan), the Crown Prince, heir to thr throne and future king;

~ Wang Rin (played by Hong Jong Hyun), his BFF since childhood, who is also of royal blood which means he could be chosen as king, instead of the Crown Prince, if the conniving power-monering people who plot and scheme behind the scenes have it their way; and

~ So Ha also known as Lady San (played by Yoona), the woman who completes the love triangle.

Of course, Wang Won and Wang Rin are both fall in love with her.

Image credit: Soompi

Crown Prince Wang Won's parents are King Chungnyeol, 25th king of Goryeo (played by Jung Bo-Suk) and Princess/Queen Wonsung (played by Jang Young-Nam). The mother is Chinese and she is the daughter of the Chinese emperor, Kublai Khan. The royal marriage was clearly arranged to form a strong political alliance between the kingdoms of Goryeo and Yuan.

• (REAL HISTORY NOTE: I had to do research to understand the significance of the royal marriage. Kublai Khan (Born  1215 – Died 1294), was also known by his temple name as Emperor Shizu of Yuan. He was the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire, reigning from 1260 to 1294. He founded the Yuan dynasty of China in 1271, and ruled as the first Yuan emperor until his death in 1294. From 1231 - 1273, Goryeo (Koryo) was invaded six times by the Mongols. Goryeo became a tributary of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty ( 元朝) in China. Goryeo was under Mongol Rule but this ended in the 1350s when the Yuan Dynasty itself began to disintegrate and King Gongmin of Goryeo seized the opportunity to begin to reform the Goryeo government by removing pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers.)

The Crown Prince's parents make the mistake that most royal parents make. Instead of loving and nurturing their son like any parent should, they use their child as a pawn in a power play. It does not make for a loving parent-child relationship and the very objective they want to accomplish, i.e. raise their child to one day become a great ruler who cares for and protects the people, gets lost in all the vicious palace intrigue and infighting. Interactions between either parent and the child were always INTENSE!!

So! Here's the PLOT. The Crown Prince is a HALF-BREED!! A child born from the union of a Goryeo king and a Chinese queen. Some of the folks in Goryeo don't like that! There is a clear divide. Those who will be loyal to the monarchy no matter who reigns as long as it's a good person who cares for and protects the people AND those who want a “pure-blood” Goryeo person to be the leader of the nation, as if only a person born without mixed heritage would possibly be the best person to rule the kingdom. Their excuse is that they fear the land of Goryeo will be taken over by a strong foreign power, Yuan, and they will cease to exist as “the true people of Goryeo”. That means they need to get rid of Wang Won, the half-breed. But how do they do that? Can it be done using:

~ Plan A: Place a pure-blood king on the throne without incurring the wrath of the Chinese Emperor and causing a bloodbath ... OR ...

~ Plan B: If they do make the Emperor angry, can they stand against him with their own military might? There will still be blood … but it will be worth it in The End because it will result in a Goryeo nation free from Chinese domination.

The series is 20 episodes. Definitely binge-worthy. I agree with the rating of 8.8 out of 10 stars reported by Viki.com viewers. To be honest, even though the king is the main person, if it were not for the character, Wang Rin, the king's BFF (best friend forever), I would not have been interested. From the moment of being introduced to this character, I wanted him to be my best friend forever! I liked him that much! So I had to follow this series through to The End because I needed to know what was going to become of him. Was he going to be killed OR would he survive the power struggle?

OFFICIAL TRAILER

What others have to say about “The King Loves”.

((WARNING! Some of these content links contain “spoilers”.)

• The King Loves (Series) - TV Tropes

• The King Loves Review: When Loyalty to Friends and Family is Put to the Test - The Silver Petticoat Review

• The King Loves Korean Drama Review | Kdrama Kisses

• Final Review: What “The King Loves” Did Right And Where It Missed The Mark | Soompi

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TV Series: Binge Watch Star Trek and Beyond!

Binge-watching is bad for your brain. Well, there are some out there who say that binge-watching is unhealthy. That might be true and I suppose if you’re a youngster you might do some extra research to be sure that you’re not damaging your brain. (How binge-watching is hazardous to your health.)

But I am already beyond the half a century mark (50+). Video streaming is a new form of entertainment, that wasn’t around when I was growing up. So I am going to take advantage of video streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Viki, etc. In particular, I plan to enjoy all of those old TV shows that I remember watching on television when I was younger and also TV series that I never got a chance to watch when they were being aired.

Binge-watching is necessary because there are so many seasons/episodes. If I view one a week or one episode a day, it might take 100 years! LOL. Sometimes I also enjoy binge-watching movies in certain genres, like sci-fi. 

Star Trek and Beyond!

(NOTE:  Do not confuse the subheading above with the 2016 movie "Star Trek Beyond").  I simply meant to say I started with the original 1960s series and then went beyond to all of the spinoffs.)

The TV series that I decided to binge-watch is “Star Trek” and all of the other “Star Trek spinoffs”. Why? Because Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock made quite an impression on me as a child. The program had a talented and diverse cast. People from various backgrounds and ethnicities were represented “equally” and back in the 60s in America that was considered ground-breaking. I never watched the Star Trek spinoffs like “The Next Generation”, “Deep Space Nine”, etc. when they were on TV. But we have a Netflix subscription and it has all of the Star Trek episodes, except for “Star Trek: Discovery”. Here is a recap of what I have binge-watched thus far. No spoilers just a few “hints”.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

In 1966, I was 11 years old. Rewatching this series was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, and all of the others I remembered so vividly. I honestly can’t say that I have a favorite episode. But I can say that I was disappointed with the last episode. That TV series should not have ended like that.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

This series was an excellent follow-up to the original series. My two favorite characters were Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Data. The Starfleet crew was even more diverse. They had a Klingon on board who was in charge of security. If you watched the original series you will recall that the Klingons were The Enemy. This series introduced Another Enemy far worse the Klingons. The Borg. If they don’t scare you, it’s because you’ve already been “assimilated”. (Hint.) Like the original series, I don’t have a favorite episode in this series either.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

The crew/cast is “even more diverse”. In addition to humans, there are Klingons, Ferengis, Cardassians, Bajorans, and a species who were even scarier than The Borg. They were called The Dominion. My two favorite characters were Commander Benjamin Sisko and Odo, the Changeling. Incorporating the character Vic Fontaine, played by James Darren in the holodeck was a very creative piece of scriptwriting. My favorite episode in this series is “Badda-Bing Badda-Bang”. Commander Sisko is very talented. (Hint.)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001)

A starship lost in space trying to get back home. My favorite characters are not the stars of this show. They are a part of the supporting cast. I love Mr. Neelix and Seven of Nine. In my opinion, this series is not as interesting and engaging as the other series. But it is imperative that I watch it to The End. I have to know how they get home. What a hook!

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— National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) September 8, 2020

#StarTrekDay

been boldly going for 55 years 💛
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Korean Drama TV Series: Queen Insoo (or Insu — The Queen Mother) (2011)

“Queen Insoo” is a Joseon Dynasty historical period drama. During the various episodes, the narrator explains who the people are and where they fit on the historical timeline. This series has major character development. It starts when the main characters are young and then takes you through their life at various stages.

You know how when you’re watching a TV series and there is a really bad character and they are so wicked that you watch each minute of each episode HOPING that they finally get what’s coming to them?

Well this series has more than one bad character and with each episode these characters get worse and worse. The only reason you keep watching is because you keep thinking: ‘OK! This is the episode where they are going to get PAYBACK!’

Of course, the episode finishes and that evil person is still going strong!

So! You watch the next episode thinking: ‘OK! This time for sure, they’re gonna get it!”

All I can think is that if this was an accurate historical depiction of these real people, then the only person I felt truly sorry for was Prince Dowon (played by Baek Sung-Hyun), who was the young husband of the woman who would become Queen Insoo. That poor guy was a meek, humble, warm and kind-hearted person. But he was stuck between:

• his ambitious father ~ Prince Sooyang (played by Kim Young-Ho) who eventually becomes king AFTER he shed a lot of blood to get to the throne;
• his mother, who becomes Queen Junghee (played by Kim Mi-Sook) once her husband is crowned king, and she fully supported and justified everything her husband did; and
• his wife, Han Jung (played by Ham Eun-Jung), who — even though she loved him — she was hellbent on becoming a queen! So she financially supported her father-in-law’s murderous efforts and she also gave him advice on how he could achieve his goals, when he couldn’t think of what to do! If he had to do something questionable or absolutely wicked, she would help him out. She eventually became Queen Insoo (the part of the older queen was played by Chae Shi-Ra).

Being stuck between these 3 people who were determined to gain power at any cost, with personalities that are so contrary to his; trying to be a dutiful obedient son and a loving devoted husband and father … it’s no wonder he was ill and would have blackouts. It was too much for his heart to take.

I didn’t really feel sorry for the father, the mother, or the wife. But there was also another character who was just horrible! She was Song-Yi / Queen Yoon (played by Jeon Hye-Bin). She married one of the sons of Queen Soo; and although she became queen, she was deposed. If that was a true depiction of the real life character, sorry to say but they should have gotten rid of her and her son! But who could have predicted the son would be even worse than his mother. They had to get rid of the mother but they tried to save the child. After all, he was a legitimate prince and he was a young child when his mother was deposed. Oh if only … if only they could have predicted the child was going to turn out worse than his mother!

“Queen Insoo has 60 episodes and honestly? By the time I finished this series, I felt like going to a psychiatrist and laying down on the couch.

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Korean Drama TV Series: Cruel Palace — War of Flowers (2013)

I wanted to watch this historical period drama series because it starred Kim Hyun Joo. The first time I saw this actress was in “Boys Over Flowers” (2009) . She was a supporting actress and she played the part of the big sister of one of the boys who were known as the “F4”. Her character was so sweet and generous. By contrast, in “Cruel Palace — War of Flowers”, she is the main character who plays royal concubine Soyong Jo / Yam Jun, and she is anything but sweet and generous. Although, her character started out as a nice girl; once she is adopted as a nobleman’s daughter, she changes completely.

Kim Ja-Jeom (played by Jung Sung-Mo) is the nobleman who adopts her. He has his own political/revenge agenda. The king had exiled him and when he came back, he was out for blood! The king’s blood! He planned to use his adopted daughter to take control of the throne and when she has a son for the king, that son will be his grandson, and he will hold the power. However, his adopted daughter, Soyong Jo, has her own plans to achieve her dreams of power. She wants to be queen AND make her son king!

Even though the rule is NOT to be envious and jealous, life for the women in the palace ~ mainly the queen and the concubines who constantly compete to receive the favor of the king ~ is motivated by envy and jealousy. This series is set during the Joseon dynasty after the Manchu invasion. The Qing are fighting against the Ming and Joseon is stuck in the middle. As if it’s not bad enough that the entire country is stuck in the middle of a power struggle between two Chinese warring groups, the “flowers”, i.e. the women in the palace are engaged in their own ruthless power struggle.

What will these women do to gain the king’s favor which gives them certain “power”?

To say that these ladies, were sleazy, caddy, and cruel would be paying them a compliment! It’s a good thing the queen and crown princess are sensible and seem to know how to navigate through the dark palace intrigue. Even so, the royal concubine Jo So Yong is willing DO ANYTHING to maintain her dominant position and control over the king. She even gets King Injo addicted to opium in order to be able to manipulate and control him better. The ruthlessness, the viciousness, the cruelty … the acts she committed just to keep her power and hold over the king … were SAVAGE!

Thank goodness for the loyal eunuch who was always by the king’s side.

Eunuch Kim In (played by Woo Hyeon) was physically short in stature but he was not a person you wanted to mess with. Out of all of the people in the palace, he was the only one who put that cruel concubine in her place. In one of the episodes he told her plainly “You know you’re not all that much.” In other words, you think you’re all that and you think you can become queen, but it wouldn’t be that hard to get rid of you.

The series is 50 episodes and honestly? I had to take breaks and rest. But I finished the series because I just had to know what was going to happen to royal concubine Jo So Yong in The End.

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TV Series: Supernatural Drama: Sleepy Hollow (2013 - 2017)

Sleepy Hollow is an American supernatural drama TV series. It ran from 2013 to 2017. It is a "modern-day retelling" of the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" written by American author Washington Irving. The short story was published in 1819.

I enjoyed this show right up until they killed off one of the main characters.

I was like: WHAT???

Don't you just hate that?

Don't you hate when you become attached to the characters and they kill them??!!

They tried to keep this show going but it was cancelled. What did they expect from the fans? (SleepyHollow’ Canceled at Fox After Four Seasons ~variety.com)

The leading couple in this series was Ichabod Crane played by Tom Mison; and Lieutenant Abbie Mills played by Nicole Beharie. They had great onscreen chemistry. When they killed Abbie, that was it for me! I didn't watch the show any more!

SLEEPY HOLLOW | Official Trailer 

Sleepy Hollow (The Complete Seasons 1-4)
20th Century Fox #HomeEntertainment
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— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 19, 2021

TV Series: Murdoch Mysteries is Perfect for Mystery Lovers

I am grateful to Netflix for introducing me to Canadian TV series. One of those series which I thoroughly enjoyed was “Murdoch Mysteries”. The program is about Detective William Murdoch. He's a genius; a Sherlock-Holmes-type who not only has a brilliant mind but also comes up with brilliant inventions to help him solves crimes. The setting is Toronto, Canada, at the turn of the 20th century, when Canada was still under or linked to the British and Westerners were just learning how useful electricity is and how to drive motor cars.

Unfortunately the series is no longer available on Netflix. So I hunt for sites that have free online video streaming of this show and that way I can continue watching. I got attached to Detective Murdoch, his wife, Doctor Julia Ogden, and the entire cast.

It's rated PG. It's good family entertainment.

You can find a lot of the episodes on YouTube for free or for rent.

Murdoch Mysteries (2008 ~ ) : Award-Winning
Canadian TV Detective Series

Korean Drama TV Series: Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019)

Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019) is streaming on Netflix.

I watched the American version of this TV series, Designated Survivor (2016–2019); also on Netflix. So I was curious to watch the Korean version. Another reason for this series being added to my watch list is that the main character, Park Mu-jin, the South Korean Minister of Environment, is played by Ji Jin-hee. The first time I saw this actor, he was the king in the series “Dong Yi”. I have been a loyal fan ever since. I knew he would not disappoint. 

We know that in a monarchy there's a line of succession for who will become the next king or queen when the current monarch is no longer with us. In a democracy, there is also a line of succession for who will step into the shoes of the president should the nation's leader become unable to fulfill his or her duties. In episode 1 of this political thriller, the president and ALL of the people in the line of succession, are killed in a massive explosion. Park Mu-jin (Ji Jin-hee) had done something earlier during the day which resulted in him being terminated. Because he had lost his job, he was not at work when the explosion occurred. Also, even though the president had fired him, the “official walking papers” had not been processed by the personnel office. That means that … “technically” … he was still employed. That also meant that … “technically” … he was the “designated survivor”, i.e. the person who had to step into the shoes of the president and take charge.

He is officially sworn in as Acting President for 60 days, and … after excusing himself from the meeting to go throw up in the bathroom … he returns and starts performing his official duties, which includes finding out who was responsible for the bombing.

16 episodes.
Most viewers gave this series a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars. I agree.

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR: 60 DAYS (2019) - TRAILER

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Korean Drama TV Series: The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) is streaming on Netflix.

This series is a romantic-fantasy with an interesting twist. The fictional place is the Kingdom of Corea. Parallel worlds exist and the king from one world ~ his world (let's call the Kingdom of Corea, World #1) ~ finds the portal that takes him to the other world, the Republic of Korea (let's call it World #2) where he finds the same people that exists in his world (World #1), only their lives are completely different in the other world (World #2). Why did he need to go into the parallel world? Because he has a rotten uncle who is a ruthless murderer. In World #1, that uncle killed his own brother, who was the king's father, because he wanted to be The King! The uncle went over to the “other world” (World #2) for the purpose of finding “the twin” of the people who are having a hard knock life. He shows them how the person who looks exactly like them is living a wonderful life. He tells them: “You can have their life. Just go kill them and take their place.” You can't have two of the same people living in the same world. One of them has to be eliminated. Otherwise, the balance of both worlds will be thrown into chaos. Basically, what the uncle is doing is recruiting loyal subjects who will serve him in his eternal kingdom, once he gains power.

Lee Gon, The King, the Eternal Monarch (played by Lee Mon-Oh) needs to hunt down his uncle and stop him! In the process, of course, he falls in love with Jeong Tae-Eul (played by Kim Go-eun). She's a lieutenant in the police force. Somehow the two worlds got criss-crossed. She ended up in World #1 where she saved the life of Lee Gon, when he was a young prince (who became king after his father's murder). During the scuffle of fighting with the bad guys and saving his life, the young prince grabbed her police identification badge and kept it. When he grew up, he began searching for the woman who had saved his life. He found her in World #2. The murder of the king and the attempted murder of the prince occurred in 1994; however, the police badge which the lieutenant wore was issued in 2019. When they meet, they are both about the same age. Yes. She should have been a much older woman but she wasn't. Hey! It's a romantic-fanasy and age differences can easily be eliminated. In addition to searching for and finding the female lieutenant, he is also chasing after “a rabbit with a clock”. It's complicated.

16 episodes 
Most viewers gave this series a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. I agree.

• 'The King: Eternal Monarch' to 'Start-Up': List of K-dramas popular on Netflix in 2020 | Web Series
• Review: "The King: Eternal Monarch" Stars Lee Min-ho In A Ritzy Cross-Universe Fantasy | Cinema Escapist
• 10 TV Shows Like ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ | TheReviewGeek Recommends

The King : Eternal Monarch Season 1 | Official Trailer | Netflix

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Korean Drama TV Series: My Country: The New Age (2019)

My Country: The New Age (2019) is streaming on Netflix. 

This Korean drama is set in the time during the transitional period between the end of the Goryeo dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon era, which is why it is called “The New Age”. A king, the king's wife, princes (sons of the king), and military leaders, are all engaged in a power struggle to build a new country.

Seo Hwi (played by Yang Se-Jong) and Nam Seon-ho (played by Woo Do-hwan) are two childhood friends who have the power of their friendship “tested”. Various events occur in their lives which result in them getting separated, and they become enemies due to a misunderstanding about "my country." One of them decides his country is “the country of the abandoned”. There is no reason for him to loyal to Goryeo, the old country, or Joseon, the new country. What did the country's leaders ever do for him, his sister or his father? He especially, owes them no loyalty for what they did to his father. He father was falsely accused of treason and unjustly received the death penalty, leaving him and his sister to struggle in the cruel world all by themselves. The wrongful execution of his father was just the beginning of the unfair unjust treatment that he received.

NOTE: I don't want to spoil it for those who have not watched it; but this series made me so sad and not just at The End. There were lots of sad serious solemn moments. Nevertheless, I persevered and watched it all the way through.

16 episodes.
Most viewers gave this series a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. I agree.

• 'My Country: The New Age' Netflix Review: Stream It Or Skip It?
• My Country: The New Age - streaming online | JustWatch
• My Country: The New Age | Netflix Wiki | Fandom

My Country: The New Age - Season 1 (2019) HD Trailer

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The Elysian Kingdom is Cute, Adorable and Very Touching

This post is a quick review of "The Elysian Kingdom".

My son subscribed to Paramount+ streaming service and let me create a profile so I could watch some of the movies and TV shows.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐤: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐) 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭+ 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.

It's kind of cute and adorable.  A Star Trek junkie like me would like it just because it's Star Trek!  So far I like all of the characters.  A lot of the actors and actresses are new to me.  I'm not familiar with any of their other acting credits.

It's in Season 1 and I have made it up to Episode 8 titled "The Elysian Kingdom".  

Image credit

It was "cute and adorable".  I liked it because, even though I am an adult, I still love reading children's fairy tale picture books.  This episode was based on a picture book that Doctor M'Benga (played by Babs Olusanmokun) often read to his daughter Rukiya (played by Sage Arrindell).  

Without giving too much away, let's just say the episode touched on a very sensitive parenting topic and the difficult decisions parents sometimes have to make concerning their children.  Kudos to the way that the writers handled this sensitive and delicate topic.  It was very touching.

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Vintage Sci-Fi TV Series: The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) ~ Most Memorable Episode

“The Twilight Zone” was a popular TV series that aired from 1959 to 1964. It was hosted/narrated by its creator Rod Serling. The man was a genius!! Sadly, he lived a very short life: 50 years. Rodman Edward Serling (1924 – 1975). Even though this TV program only lasted for 5 years, it left an indelible mark in the history of science fiction entertainment.

Anybody who has watched this classic TV series probably has one particular episode they remember. Some people say that the most popular episode was the one titled “To Serve Man”. I don't know if it was popular because of the content OR because of that creepy looking guy with the funny-shaped head.

🤗If you would, contrary to heart recommendations against too much salt, pour baby pour! The Kanamits are partial to salty delicacies!🎨"To Serve Man" aired on March 5, 1959😳#RodSerling #TheTwilightZone #ToServeMan #Scifi pic.twitter.com/hE0EVdo2PH

— Author🦑John DeLaughter🦑 (@HPL_JDeLaughter) March 10, 2022

But to me the most memorable episode was “The Rip Van Winkle Caper”. The moral of the story was twofold:

(1) One can plan for the future but one can not predict the future; and

(2) Avarice and greed are probably timeless human characteristics.

Here's the plot. These guys get together to steal gold. One of the guys is a scientist. He tells his friends that they can steal the gold, and evade the law enforcement authorities by getting into this time capsule. They will go to sleep for several years, like Rip Van Winkle, and when they wake up in the future, they won't have to worry about going to jail for committing the crime. They reason that, in the future, law enforcement won't be looking for them because it will be assumed that they died many years ago. When they arrive in the future, they reason that they are now free from being fugitives from justice, and THEY'RE RICH! They can go to the secret place where they hid the gold, divide up the gold amongst themselves, and start living the good life! Right?

Uuuummm ... not quite. Because even in the future, there is no honor among thieves. They are still avaricious and greedy. They try to kill each other, and only one of them survives the double-crossing and the betrayal. That one who survived found himself with a lot of gold and in a hot desert. No humans around for miles. And also … no water. By the time he does see human beings, he tries to get help for himself, offering to pay them in gold, however … he drops dead! The humans who had stopped for him were confused by my his words and behavior.

April 21, 1961: Twilight Zone's "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" airs. You steal a shipment of gold, but how do you spend it? Hey, it's the fifth dimension: Hibernate for 100 years. Sounds like a fool-proof plan, right?

Written by Rod Serling. Stars Oscar Beregi and Simon Oakland. pic.twitter.com/EYNtIURUlN

— The Twilight Zone (@TheNightGallery) April 21, 2022

The humans remark to themselves: “He seemed to think that gold was valuable.”

It turns out that in the future, gold was worthless!! Humanity had changed to the point where there was no need for gold. That was a fact that the thieves had not even considered.

This episode aired in April 1961. Out of all of the Twilight Zone episodes I watched, that one made an impression on me and the life lessons learned have stayed with me to this day.

Rod Serling (1924–1975), the creator of the #TwilightZone, was born on #Christmas Day.

He lived for just 50 years, but his gift to all of us is timeless. pic.twitter.com/XsS4h7uyDK

— Sony Movies (@SonyMoviesTV) December 25, 2018

Korean Drama TV Series: Live Up to Your Name (2017)

Hello to all my K-Drama fans out there!

I watched “Live Up to Your Name”, a series is on Netflix, but it is NOT a Netflix Original. So you might be able to find it at other streaming sites. 

Medical dramas seems to be gaining popularity. Time-travel dramas have already become popular. Romantic comedy has always been popular. This TV series is a romantic comedy time-travel medical drama. It's clear that the purpose is to show both Eastern and Western medical practices are good, but combining techniques used in Eastern and Western medicine could be even better. Well! That's my takeaway. Although … I'm still scared of needles. So if someone were to perform acupuncture on me, I would have to be totally passed out or in such a state where my body was paralyzed and I couldn't move. There's no way I would see a needle coming towards me and stay still. To this day, when I have to get shots, I always close my eyes.

OK. Back to the show! The two main characters are Heo Im (played by Kim Nam-Gil) and Choi Yeon-Kyung (played by Kim A-Joong). Even though this series is historical fiction, Heo Im is a real life historical figure. Heo Im is an acupuncturist from Joseon who fell off of a bridge into the water, and when he comes up from the water to breathe, he finds himself in modern day Seoul, South Korea. The first person he crosses paths with is a female doctor who is a skilled surgeon and her speciality is heart surgery. Both medical practictioners are “the best” in their fields. Although when they first meet, Choi Yeon-Kyung thinks Heo Im is a crazy quack pretending to be a doctor of oriental medicine, and Heo Im is shocked to learn that females can actually become doctors.

What makes this series different from other shows that I have watched is that they cross the time barriers several times. First, Heo Im comes to the modern-day Republic of Korea. Then Heo Im and Choi Yeon-Kyung pass through the time portal and they both end up in Joseon. Then they pass through again and end back up in Seoul. This happens a number of times.

During the course of their time-travel adventures together, they fall in love. However, because they are from different time periods, the questions that must be answered are:

~ Are these lovers destined to be together OR must they choose to live separate lives because they are from different time periods?

~ If they choose to be together, will they live in Joseon, 400 years in the past OR in modern-day Seoul South Korea?

The main characters and the supporting cast worked well together and created a very believable unbelievable story.

Additionally, I learned an interesting tidbit about the history of Korea. Usually when I watch historical period dramas, I latch on to an interesting person or place and do a little research to find out more. “More” meaning “did this person really exist” or “is this place for real”? In a few of the episodes, a character was introduced name Sayaka.

For contrast: nobody disputed that Heo Im is a real historical figure. However, regard the man named Sayaka, some say that there is no historical proof that such a man ever existed. There is a story or maybe you would call it a “legend” or “tradition” or “myth” that during the Japanese invasions of Joseon that occurred from 1592 to 1598, there was a Japanese general named Sayaka who defected and served in the Joseon army. It is said that he helped defeat the Japanese forces and was given the name Kim Chung-seon. He continued his miltary service and even fought against the Qing troops during the Manchu invasion of Korea.

One of the reasons given as to why there is a dispute over the existence of this general because they claim there is no name for such a commander in the Japanese historical materials.

To me, there is an easy explanation for that. The Japanese got pissed, considered him a traitor, and erased him from their records. Please! Erasing records happens a lot in various countries. There is no record in Egyptian history that a Jewish man named Joseph served as second in command to Pharoah either! Just sayin'.

As far as Korean historical records, if I were a Korean historian, and I was going to create a hero of the people who fought against foreign invaders, why would I make up a story about the country's military victories and give the credit to one of the foreigners who betrayed his own countrymen and helped us defeat the enemy invaders? If I were going to create mythical hero, I wouldn't write the “history” that way. I'm just thinking, this dude must be real! Why make that story up? That's all I'm sayin'.

Anyway! I give Live Up to Your Name (2017), 5 out of 5 stars.

Star 1: All the characters played their parts well.

Star 2: Heo Im (played by Kim Nam-Gil) and Choi Yeon-Kyung (played by Kim A-Joong) made a perfect couple.

Star 3: The scenery in both Joseon and Seoul was beautiful.

Star 4: Watching acupuncture being performed was very educational.

Star 5: If that guy named Sayaka was not real, you sure wanted him to be! 

Here are a couple of related links to reviews by others of this TV series:

** K-Drama Review: 'Live Up to Your Name' A Medical Melodrama Combine with Romantic Presence by Kim Nam-gil | Channel-K

** K-Drama Review: Live Up To Your Name, Dr. Heo (2017) by Kim Eun-hee

Original Source: Medium.com