Some Things I Learned from The Three Musketeers

It's drama review time again! And what better way to really kick off the new year than with The Three Musketeers, which got its start in late summer of last year. Based on a unique blend of the turbulent history of the Joseon dynasty and the classic adventure story by Alexandre Dumas, this drama is packed with sword action and political and personal intrigue. I have to say this was one rollercoaster of a drama, but I enjoyed every downhill plunge and hairpin turn that it had to offer. As usual, spoilers abound in these reviews, so be extra careful!

On to the things I learned!

1) Love grows.

Something drama fans have become accustomed to is the idea of love at first sight. Granted, the guy doesn't show it as much in the beginning, but generally we know he's in love and that eventually it will all work out. That concept is different in Three Musketeers, evidenced by the relationship between the Prince and the Princess. From the start it is clear that while the Prince harbors no ill feelings towards his wife, he simply does not love her - he isn't sure if his heart is still with Mi Ryung. This is extremely unhelpful for the Princess, since she is receiving pressure from the royal family to produce an heir to the throne. But as the Prince begins to trust her after she acts brilliantly during that hairpin snafu, he realizes that maybe he has, indeed, moved on after all.

They were so stiff to each other in the beginning... (Image via Google)

The progression of this relationship was something beautiful to watch, as it not only brought the Prince and Princess closer together but allowed them to develop individually as characters. The Prince became more certain of himself and his feelings (finally realizing that he really does love his wife, which TOOK HIM A WHILE, HONESTLY), and at the same time the Princess grew more confident in herself and purposeful in her actions. I'll admit I was a little annoyed by the Princess' desperation at first, and may or may not have been rooting for her to go back to Dal Hyang (you see how cliché I am already?). But once I saw how she relinquished her past relationship with Dal Hyang and gave herself over to a situation that seemed entirely hopeless, I admired her persistence and genuinely hoped things worked out for her - which, for the moment, it appears that they did.

2) Do not trust happy moments. Ever.

Another occurrence that drama fans have gotten used to is the buildup to heartbreaking moments. Those fiendishly clever beings otherwise known as writers dose their audiences with moments of happiness - the main couple enjoys some downtime together, families reunite, a tough situation works out for the lead character. And then they bring the entire world of the drama crashing down upon the heads of their dedicated fans with devastating twists, leaving the protagonists in an even worse situation than before and leaving the fans yelling at their screens with the urge to break something. Three Musketeers is no stranger to this pattern, evident to me in three bewildering moments - the injury of the Princess, the death of Dal Hyang's father, and the return of Mi Ryung.

I thought everything was butterflies and rainbows when the Princess got that summons to meet outside her mother's house in the middle of the night - never mind that alarm bell about Mi Ryung clanging in the back of my mind. It grows a little louder as the Princess steps outside, and I am suddenly feeling very nervous - and then, he arrives.

He's so happy! X3 (Image via Google)

YES! FINALLY! EXCELLENT! I was so excited when the Prince arrived, because I knew my new OTP was going to get some happy romantic time. And they did, for a little bit (hehe). But when the Prince's hunting gear turned up missing, I just knew something horrible was about to happen (which, in retrospect, is what the writers intended all along - but that's beside the point). And then the sound of the arrow, the whoosh as it flies past the Prince, and the thud as it lands in the Princess.

NOPE. (Image via Google)

Oh, but that's not all! As if dealing with the Princess' injury isn't enough for audiences, the Prince runs out to confront Mi Ryung (we all know she did it by then), and like a fool deliberately gets HIMSELF shot! By that time I was tearing at my hair and muttering more than a few choice curses - all silently of course, since the rest of my family was asleep when I was watching. Why, writers? WHY?!

When Dal Hyang's father came to visit him at the capital, I was surprised but happy for Dal Hyang. I mean, we haven't seen much of his father after the first couple episodes, but his reaction to Dal Hyang's status in the military was priceless.

One of my favorite scenes, haha. (Image via Google)

Everything's happy now, right? And, of course, father and son must celebrate over a meal with all kinds of delicious banchan! As they are talking and eating, Dal Hyang's servant arrives with a bottle of liquor, courtesy of Heo Seung Po. What a good friend! Just then, however, Dal Hyang gets news about the Princess and has to run off and be a hero as usual, leaving his increasingly proud father behind. However, that's the last time Dal Hyang will ever see his father alive.

My heart... (Image via Google)

It turns out the liquor was not, in fact, from Seung Po but that vengeance-crazy Mi Ryung, who had intended it for Dal Hyang's consumption and subsequent demise. Just watching Dal Hyang cry over his father hurt immensely. I'm surprised I didn't immediately rage-quit and fling my phone at the wall. (Well, not that surprised - my phone is precious to me...) I honestly have no other words for this scene, other than it was beautifully acted and it flung my heart out the window and onto a pile of broken glass.

This lady... (Image via Google)

By this time my admiration for Mi Ryung had shriveled. Before, I thought that the backstory of her upbringing and her constant struggle to get where she wanted to be today somewhat justified her character - yeah, she's evil, but does she have a right to be?

And then she went and destroyed my ship and hurt one of my favorite characters.

100% done.

Or, so I thought. When they showed Mi Ryung (FINALLY) getting shot by the guards and falling into the stream, I breathed a sigh of relief much too soon.

AND SHE'S BACK. (Image via Google)

I finished the last episode and decided to watch through the credits, hoping for some behind-the-scenes shots or, if I was lucky, some outtakes. What I got was yet another moment that made me quietly rage and throw my pillow into the wall. Against all odds, Mi Ryung is alive and ready to scheme once more, leaving the audience with suspense until the next season (because there MUST be a next season). To summarize, never trust happy moments - they are only buffers for the terrible events to come.

3) Hats are distracting. REALLY distracting.

I had to get used to the costumes in Three Musketeers since it was my first period drama, but altogether I love the colors and the comfortable-looking hanbok and the cool hats...well, most of the time. An exception to this would be Dal Hyang's military initiation ceremony.

I can't stop looking at the hat. (Image via Google)

This was a very solemn, proud scene. Dal Hyang is finally entering the military, Sohyeon and the guys are (silently) cheering him on, and even the Princess makes an invisible appearance. Lots of good feelings happening. And then...that hat. I cannot give this scene the dignity it so rightfully deserves because of That Hat. While I completely understand that this is traditional and sacred dress for the occasion and I fully respect and admire the costume department's attention to detail, how did anyone not burst into laughter after seeing that hat? I know I did.

4) It might be a drama, but it's also historical.

(Image via Google)

As drama fans, we are often criticized for our infatuations with fictional characters (what do you mean, "Eye Candy isn't a real band"?!). The unique part about dramas derived from history is that often the characters were real people, with their own struggles and successes. Granted, we don't know if this is how they actually behaved, but it makes me feel closer to the events in the drama when it's something that I've learned about beforehand. For this particular drama, I took it one step further and looked up many of the main characters that were based off of real people (such as Prince Sohyeon), and I learned enough to understand and appreciate their characterization. In short, when watching a historical drama, doing a little research doesn't hurt - in fact, it might clear up a few things and enhance your experience.

As usual, these are only a few things one can learn from watching this drama. The best way to learn the rest of them? Watch it yourself. ;)

Until the next drama!

~BeanSprout