To Observe The Planets
Episode 15 of “Lovers of the Red Sky” begins with Ha-Ram meeting the King. Seongjo stands tall, fully recovered, as Yangmyung quickly returns from exile to join them. They both know Ha-Ram is desperate for revenge but reveal the devastating truth that the demon is responsible for killing his father all those years ago. ..
Since the King’s coronation, he has been working tirelessly to help Ha-Ram and keep him safe. Specifically, he needs to try and get rid of the evil energy that is stirring inside of him. Seongjo knows his pain and promises to do everything he can to make up for this and to do right by Ha-Ram’s father. ..
Meanwhile, Cheon-Ki races off to save her Painter Society brethren. With the executor swinging his sword around mockingly, ready to strike, she shows up just in time to stop this. Prince Juhyang is drunk on power though, and he prepares to execute all the men and women… until the King appears and stops this madness.
The King orders that the Painter’s Society members be released but Cheon-Ki is still overcome with sadness given her father has passed away. In order to try and help her, Ha-Ram suggests they bury her father and honour his memory, not to mention visiting his father’s grave.
It’s a beautiful place too, right on the cliff-face overlooking the sun. After paying their respects, Ha-Ram and Cheon-Ki head down to the docks together, as an orange sun pierces the sky. Descending to sunset, Ha-Ram gives her the sacred ring.
That evening, the demon’s will becomes too much for Ha-Ram to bear and his hand turns black; wisps of smoke curl menacingly into the air. Ha-Ram manages to hold off from his urges, as the demon rasps for his eyes back from Cheon-Ki. All this time though Cheon-Ki happens to be asleep, unaware about Ha-Ram’s struggles as he distances himself from her.
Juhyang is sobbing and struggling to control his emotion in the wake of King Seongjo berating him. Juhyang soon shows off a scar that’s on his waist and slowly spreading. It turns out he wanted to be possessed by the demon because he’s slowly dying and believed that may have been a way to preserve his own life. The scar he has is completely incurable and if he doesn’t follow through with accepting the demon inside of him, he will die.
The King dismisses his troublesome son, who passes Yangmyung in the hallway and promises to return later on. Despite Yangmyung’s desire to see his royal brother apologize, Joohyung will do no such thing. With him gone, Yangmyung and Seongjo contemplate just what to do for the upcoming Sealing Ceremony. Seongjo warns that Juhyang still has followers, and they’re growing more numerous by the day so he needs to prepare in secret.
Meanwhile, Cheon-Ki is approached by another strange ghost, this one of Hwacha. Bathed in green smoke, he claims that the only way to make this painting divine is by striking a deal with him. And flashbacks to the past, showing her father painting the King’s portrait, prove as much.
Given that time is of the essence, Cheon-Ki is now going to team up with Dae-Yu, the talented painter from the painting competition, to get this done in time. And according to Hwacha’s oracle, Cheon-Ki’s injured wrist means she needs to begin and complete the portrait on the ceremony day. Cheon-Ki’s deal with Hwacha coincides with this, with Hwacha vowing that she won’t be able to hold a paintbrush until that day.
Ha-Ram is called upon to destroy the sacred ring at the Sealing Ceremony, which will end the world. However, his Grandfather suddenly appears and helps him out. This old man from the dungeons is a powerful demon who can help Ha-Ram take down the ring.
Breaking the ring means that the protection Ha-Ram had against the demon’s power will be gone. After doing the deed, the demon immediately starts to take control. Ha-Ram does well to hold it back, but for how long? ..
King Seongjo has enlisted the help of Mi-Soo, a shaman who is turned away from Juhyang and hoping to use her powers to complete this sealing ceremony once and for all. The king hopes that by enlisting her help, he can finally end the war between the two kingdoms.
Mae-Hyang shows up to see Juhyang in his cell and tells him he needs to take the throne. She even promises to help Juhyang achieve this no matter what. ..
With the full red moon in the sky and Ha-Ram’s water power gone, Mi-Soo worries that everything may go wrong at the most crucial moment. Seongjo comes down with a blinding headache in the wake of this, while Cheon-Ki and Dae-Yu appear at the ceremony with the portrait. Will they be successful? Will they manage to stop the demon? We’ll have to wait for the final episode!
The Episode Review
The Red Sky bows out its penultimate episode with another good dose of drama, ramping up the tension ready for tomorrow’s finale. This historical drama has been quite the wild ride over the weeks and to be honest, it’s surprising this one isn’t at least 20 episodes.
The story feels like there could be more depth and exploration with the supernatural powers and spirits that are mentioned.
The show has been enjoyable to watch throughout, with the characters being well-drawn and the added inclusion of Yangmyung and the mid-season love triangle adding a nice bit of tension.
Red Sky has been a solid drama series though, and the ending leaves lots of possibilities for the finale to come. ..
