“Moon River” refuses to let viewers catch their breath and has once again thrown us into emotional whiplash. After lighthearted and comedic moments, last week delivered gut wrenching and soul crushing scenes that left fans reeling. From the crown princess (Kim Se Jeong) accepting death yet refusing to part with her engagement ring to the tragic fate of the Zhen Bird at the hands of Prince Lee Gang (Kang Tae Oh), here are three moments from episodes 7 and 8 of “Moon River” that completely shattered our hearts.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
Dal I’s dream
Throughout the entire drama, viewers have only known Dal I as the woman she became after waking up from drowning. This Dal I has no memories, carries the scars of her trauma, and has grown into a completely different person. We have watched her struggle to navigate palace life, fall deeply in love with him while being willing to sacrifice everything for his sake. But what about the crown princess whom the prince once loved and married? Until now, the audience has barely been allowed to see her.
In the recent episodes, after Dal I and the prince return to their original bodies, the prince awakens immediately. Dal I, however, is unconscious, feverish, and severely weakened after being whipped and losing so much blood. During her fevered sleep, she dreams of her past life, the life she lived before losing her memories. It is the moment right before her death sentence for a crime she never committed.
Palace staff strip away every item bestowed upon her as princess, undoing her luxurious clothes and removing her jewelry. When they try to take the ring the prince gave her as a proposal gift, she finally resists. She tells them it is the one thing that truly belongs to her. The scene is devastating to watch. She is not afraid of dying. What pains her is being separated from the symbol of the prince’s love. Even facing death, she chooses to hold onto the one memory that ties her to him.
The crown prince finally proposes
Since the beginning of “Moon River,” Lee Gang and Dal I have been locked in a constant push and pull. Even in earlier episodes, Lee Gang assured her that the gifts he gave were meant only for her and not because she resembled his late wife. But things changed. Lee Gang became terrified of what could happen if the Left Minister discovered his feelings. The Left Minister had already vowed that anyone the crown prince loved would be killed. So throughout episodes 7 and 8, Lee Gang keeps his distance even when he knows Dal I is hurting from it.
By the end of episode 8, the dam holding back his emotions finally breaks. He can no longer hide what he feels and confesses his love to her.
After the prince kills the Zhen Bird, Dal I worried he might be angry at her for disrupting his revenge plan. Sitting alone, she agonized over whether her choices had pushed him away for good. But when Lee Gang approaches her, he is not angry at all. He looks at her as if her safety matters more than any revenge he had ever dreamed of. She cries as she admits how terrified she was that he might never want to see her again. And he confesses with the line, “You are the exception to all my wrath.”
It’s a confession that’s as beautiful as it is overwhelming.
The fate of the zhen bird
One of the most heartbreaking scenes in episode 8 is the inevitable death of the Zhen Bird. Her death makes sense within the plot because she poses a danger to the main leads, yet that does not lessen the pain of watching her die. In truth, it even felt like the story could have resolved without forcing our male lead to kill her.
What did the bird really do wrong? She was captured and kept in a dark cave for years so that her poison could be harvested. When she finally escapes, the only thing she does is rush toward her child. If she had attacked people without provocation, her death might have felt more justified. Instead, all she wanted was to protect her baby. Her pure and instinctive motherly love makes the scene even more painful and unforgettable.
Meanwhile, the storyline between Kim U Hui (Hong Su Zu) and Lee Eun (Lee Shin Young) is beginning to gain momentum. Their growing determination to escape their oppressive circumstances and build a new life together adds another layer of tension and hope to the narrative. It will be exciting to see how they navigate their dangerous path forward while the Left Minister does everything in his power to pull them back into his grasp.
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Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of clichés are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
Currently Watching: “Moon River“ and “Typhoon Family”
