Princess and I: Episode 01

Dundundun. The pilot wasn't that bad, really. I had actually anticipated watching it, especially after the suspense and the hype thanks to various media channels, haha. So anyway, here we go:

An eagle flies over the Yangdon Kingdom and leads us to Prince Anand (Albert Martinez) flying a kite with Isabel (Precious Lara Quigaman). The Prince suggests that they get more serious in their relationship, but Isabel fears what the Drukpah (the council of advisors) and the people might say, considering she’s a foreigner, an outsider, and he an heir to the throne. Prince Anand nevertheless assures her that only she will be his queen. Amidst their conversation, a messenger arrives; his presence is urgently requested by the sick King (Dante Rivero).

The Prince rides his bike back to the palace and quickly sits beside the sick King’s bed. The King whispers his only last wish-that he be a good and responsible King, bestows Prince Anand the crown and then passes away.

Meanwhile, Dasho Behati (Gretchen Barretto) gets off her car and proceeds to Isabel’s tent. The latter appears to be a volunteer doctor for the World Health Organization. Dasho Behati belittles her in Dzongkha which Isabel successfully deflects in Filipino. (This whole language thing is both confusing and frustrating for me, but we'll get to that later.) Suddenly, a bell echoes throughout the whole Kingdom which signals the King’s death.

Behati, now in her own room, is thankful that the King had finally died. Her own father’s death is shown in a flashback: as his dying wish, she promises that she will retrieve the throne that is rightfully theirs. Honestly, introducing the conflict this early? It's only been how many minutes, 10? Or probably less. A flashback is a very lazy and quite a cliched way of putting something onto the table.

Anyway, people have gathered in the courtyard and Dasho Kencho (Christian Vasquez) officially announces Anand’s Kingship. King Anand requests that his loyal subjects cooperate and promises that he will be a good ruler. Later, the Drukpah convenes regarding the King’s decision to wed Isabel – they are against the fact that, as Isabel has been worrying earlier, she is an outsider. The King argues that he will only wed the one he loves, and even cites Dasho Kencho’s union to Dasho Behati despite the latter’s lack of royal blood. So, does this mean she's changed her name before she got back into it? Sneaky, sneaky.

Anyway, the council agrees and the two finally wed. After the ceremony, the royal couple walks down the isle of people in celebration and Behati steps on Queen Isabel’s wedding gown trail. The latter just smiles it off while Behati pretends to clap for the newly-wed. Very mature move there, Behati.

The Queen bears a cute little daughter and officials come bearing gifts. Behati gives a handkerchief she has sewn herself. Talks among the crowd occur, and an advisor tells the King that giving a handkerchief is bad luck as it brings tears to the receiver. Of course Behati denies and tells the King that this was not her intention, and then leaves the room with an evil smirk.

While the King visits his subjects among the farm lands, the council convenes regarding the King’s achievements as of late. The King reports to his people that besides electricity and telecommunication, he also plans to install computers and internet. A subject suggests that the sudden influx of change and technology is unnecessary. Meanwhile, the council feels that the King’s knack for rule-bending has to be stopped. Behati provokes them to dethrone the King and start a revolution; such will put her husband Dasho Kencho on the throne. However, Dasho Kencho disagrees and believes that the King’s subjects should remain loyal. Kencho volunteers to talk to the liberal King instead.

Apparently, the King has arranged for a trip with the Queen and their daughter. Oh, goodie. One thing I've learned from watching dramas-unnecessary out-of-the-blue excursions always lead to something unpleasant. Then of course, they are made to take separate cars as part of security protocol, which, frankly, I don’t get. Meanwhile, a rendezvous between a hooded lady and a man happens in the forest-a paid assassination of the King’s family. On their way, the royal family encounters bad weather and decides to turn back for safety. Unfortunately it’s too late, the bomb has already been triggered and a landslide occurs obstructing the royal convoy and causing the Queen’s (and the Princess') car to fall off a cliff.

-o-
Okay, hold on a sec while I take a breath. How can so much happen in a 30-minute episode? This feels like real-world one-week all squeezed in half an hour. Exhausting, but still leaves you with enough interest to sit in front of your telly and watch the next episode. Or so I'd like to think.

By neonkim with No comments