The August 24 episode dives into the backstory of Lee Heon (played by Lee), revealing the hidden reasons behind his iron-fisted rule while hinting at a growing curiosity about Yeon Ji-young (Yoona). Lee grounds the character with choices that make sense―and critics and viewers alike are taking notice.
Rushing in at the exact moment Ji-young faces danger, Heon tastes her food once more―and the so-called monarch with an infallible palate can’t hide his awe. Her crisis seems averted, until it’s revealed the chaos stems from Heon’s own arranged selection of a royal consort. When court elder Hong Gyeong-dal challenges him, Heon orders Hong into exile―less a punishment than a calculated strike meant to leave him powerless, signaling revenge is in motion.
A conversation with Im Song-jae (Oh Eui-sik) sheds more light: Heon embraced tyranny to take down those who drove his mother, the deposed Queen Yeon, to her death―painting him as far more complicated than a one-note despot. By episode’s end, Heon brings Ji-young into the palace and pointedly places her before Kang Mok-ju (Kang Han-na), a move that raises the stakes and questions in equal measure.
Lee’s performance sells every shift. When Heon tastes Ji-young’s cooking, his micro-expressions make the flavor feel transcendent. Confronting Hong Gyeong-dal, he burns with icy rage while letting a shard of grief slip through. Blocking Ji-young’s escape, he’s cool, a little maddening―and unexpectedly funny. And in the final beat, quietly watching her in the palace, he turns down the volume and lets a swoony, slow-bloom romance hum underneath.
Balancing a ruler’s gravitas with a tangle of bruised emotions, Lee Chae-min elevates the show’s stakes and deepens its world-building. Add in a striking hanbok presence and a wide emotional range, and "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" suddenly feels like the project that could redefine his career. Consider anticipation officially raised for what comes next.
Photo: tvN
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)