Streaming on Viki, The Matchmakers has a very amazing fourth episode. The twist in the lives of the Maeng sisters forces them to find a suitable match for themselves. How Shim Jeong Woo manages to save Ha Na from the clutches of the defense minister has also been depicted. The Defence Minister and the Left ministers’ conspiracy against the Royal family has also been brought out here. What is the reason for the conspiracy? Will Jeong Woo and Yeojudaek finally fall for each other? We are yet to find the answers to these questions! The skilled actors Cho Yi-hyun, Rowoon, and others have been doing absolute justice to the series. The Matchmakers Episode 4 includes several subplots that open up a plethora of directions in which the story line can be driven.
Spoilers Ahead
Why is the Maeng Lady punished?
After Ha Na, the eldest daughter, refuses to become the Defense Minister’s mistress, her mother is unlawfully captured. The mayor orders 30 beatings for her mother for being unable to get her daughter married before 24 years of age, as per the law. The incident sheds light on women’s condition in those times. The women were tortured and exploited by men as per their own will in the name of the law. A few days ago, the Defense Minister was seen telling the mayor at a private dinner that he had spread false rumors about the eldest Maeng sister being possessed by a virgin spirit. It was so easy to tarnish the reputation of a woman in the past that a rumor had almost ruined the entire family’s life. He wanted to clear the debt that the Maeng family owed him by taking Ha Na as his mistress. The mayor had therefore come up with the plan to punish the Maeng Lady to ensure that she gave up her daughter willingly to the defense minister. He also wanted to set an example of it in the village so that no one could defy his orders. A sense of terror was meant to be established by the ministers so that the people could be repressed further, which is a parody of the modern-day political scenario in different countries.
What Was Yeojudaek’s Idea to Save Ha Na’s Mother?
Yeojudaek had gone to meet the lady in prison and asked her to buy some time before the punishment. Just before her mother is taken to be punished before the mayor, Ha Na starts beating the shinmungo (drums to express one’s resentment). She told people of the minister’s injustice to her family, his lechery, and the practice of usury. While the Defense Minister is charged with usury by the Royalty, the charges against Ha Na’s mother are dropped until the investigation is complete. The defense minister’s wife, Noomin, advises him to stay calm as there is no proof against his usury practices. The wife’s helplessness is brought out, as she has no choice but to support her husband in all his wrongdoings. The Left State minister, however, advises him to take Gyeongwoonjae’s help. Meanwhile, Yeojudaek has approached Jeong Woo to blame him for all the occurrences. He tells her that he is unaware of the Defense Minister’s intentions and promises her that he will resolve the matter.
What plan was concocted by Jeong Woo?
After the defense minister approaches Jeong Woo for advice in the matter, he receives a befitting solution to his problems. Jeong Woo concocts a script in the minister’s favor and asks him to memorize it and say it before the king. When he is unable to memorize the entire script, he gives him the advice that he should act as if he has lost his voice temporarily due to an extreme case of cough and cold. Then he would make someone read the apology letter to the king instead of memorizing the entire content. On the day of action, a servant reads the minister’s letter to the king, stating that the minister was lending grains to people at low costs because of the drought. He had helped Kim Tae Jin’s family, but when they were unable to pay the debts he had taken in his daughter in exchange, which had made the villagers misunderstand him.
The letter further read that since Ha Na was an old maiden, and with the rumors about her, she had no hopes of marriage. He had then taken pity on her and wanted to marry her. The miserable state of women at the mercy of men is clearly pinpointed in the series. The letter’s contents, until this part was made known to the minister. The letter had more to it, which Jeong Woo did not inform him of. The letter further read that Ha Na would be granted the right to marry on her own will before the age of 24. It also stated that the people who had borrowed grains were only to pay back the principal. The grain that year would have no interest rates, and in order to make up for the government’s interests, the minister would pay out of his own pocket. While the king appreciates the minister’s efforts, the minister in turn curses Jeong Woo in his mind while his riches are taken away from him. The minister was therefore given a taste of his own medicine by Jeong Woo.
What Conspiracy Does the Royal Family Face?
The Left State Minister and the Defense Minister are seen making plans to kill the young crown prince. A Shaman is seen to be telling the Queen that something ominous is about to happen, just like eight years ago. She suggests shifting the prince to a private residence before he gets murdered in the palace. It is later revealed that the Shaman had been serving the ministers and informed them that the prince was to be taken out on the day of Buddha’s birthday. The auspicious day is chosen by the miscreants to harm an innocent soul. However, we are left feeling that there would be a win for good over evil. The ministers had gone to the extent of corrupting a palace maid to consume the poison and fall sick to scare the queen and make her think that the palace premises were not safe for the prince. They succeed, as the queen is seen taking the prince to a secret residence and placing him there. It is possible that both the defense minister and the left-wing minister are on the run for power after killing the prince. A clash for power between the two is imminent! They had not thought twice about taking innocent lives before, targeting the princess, and would not stop till their quest for power was complete.
What Are Yeojudaek’s Matchmaking Plans?
Yeojudaek, the magical matchmaker, meets Jeong Woo and tells him that she will send the Maeng Sisters to Temple Seonhwa. The place conducted a ceremony on Buddha’s birthday where the old bachelors would gather, and some fell for each other at first sight. The rational mind of Jeong Woo tried to negate the idea of love at first sight. He said that for noblemen, marriage is all about taking their generation forward. This brings out the fact that he had never been in love, as he had not been able to understand the true meaning of marriage or the minds of women. The differences in the mindsets of the two are seen: while there is always a belief in miracles in Yeojudaek’s mind, Jeong Woo is more on the logical end and only believes in the pragmatic aspects of life. They prepare to send the three sisters to the temple on Buddha’s birthday. Finally, on that day, both Yeojudaek and Jeong Woo secretly go to the temple, where they crash into each other. They are definitely attracted to each other, as we can tell from the glances that they exchange. The spark is sure to ignite a fire in the next episode!
Final Words
The Matchmakers Episode 4 is quite eventful. The sub-plots that were shown in the 3rd episode make a whole lot of sense after watching the 4th episode. The narrative has been woven beautifully to link all the subplots together. However, we are left anticipating whether the crown prince will be murdered in the next episode. I have also had a feeling that Yeojudaek will not be able to hide her dual life from her in-laws. When she learns of their disloyalty towards the royal family, whose side will she be on? I hope she will always support what is right. By the fourth episode, we have almost been able to build a bond with the characters and expect them to be on the right track and avoid any trouble. Let’s see what happens next!
