It feels like just yesterday we started watching the premiere episodes of ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,’ and now here we are at the final episodes. It’s hard to believe that we’ll no longer have something to look forward to on weekends. Saying goodbye to the tyrant-chef couple and their period romance is tough, but it’s even harder to imagine bidding farewell to those tantalizing culinary creations. Can you believe it? No more sizzling steaks or spicy, perfectly plated seafood that made us drool in front of the screen.
The mix of romance, fantasy, palace politics, and culinary artistry in the show kept fans hooked on weekends. Every character felt alive, and the refreshing chemistry between the two main leads seemed surreal. Honestly, I’m not an avid follower of ‘saeguks,’ yet I found myself counting the days until the next episode dropped.
The early episodes focused heavily on Ji Young’s skills and edible masterpieces, as well as the complex interplay between love and hate. Even with palace conspiracies and the arrival of the Ming chefs, the show kept us glued to the screen. In fact, the changes in Yi Heon’s character and his growing emotions for Ji Young drew us in, holding our hearts and giving us hope that Ji Young and Yi Heon would have their happy ending.
But what left me slightly disappointed was the way they decided to end the drama. Compared to other romantic-historical dramas, the show’s pacing was excellent. With the right balance of humor, drama, fantasy, and romance, it soon became one of the biggest hits of the year. However, the ending felt rushed, leaving some loose ends. People often claim that a happy ending makes a story perfect… but does it really?
I’m sure many of you are already aware of the happy ending of the couple (come on, you must have seen the pics and reels). But personally, I think this type of ending was added as a convenient element and somehow ruined the authenticity of the plot.
Episode 11
The episode opens with Yi Heon asking Ji Young not to leave him. As he makes her promise that she will come back to him, Ji Young also makes him swear not to become a tyrant. This is perhaps one of the most heartwarming moments in the entire show.
The next day is Queen Dowager’s birthday, and Ji Young decides to use soy meat to prepare the banquet feast in her honor. While Consort Kang goes to greet and congratulate the Queen, Prince Jesan is setting a trap for the king. As the event begins, the king and Gong-gil present a fiery dance performance for the Queen, who is genuinely delighted.
However, an eerie silence falls when the drafter, who is being threatened by Jesan, arrives at the palace and informs Yi Heon about the historical records of his mother’s death. Upon hearing this, the king asks Song Jae to read the records in front of everyone. As secrets are unraveled and the truth comes out about how the King’s concubines, some ministers, and the Queen Dowager herself conspired to have the queen poisoned, Yi Heon’s anger spirals. With his grandmother present and upon seeing his mother’s blood-stained cloth, he is reminded of his ultimate life goal: revenge for his mother’s death.
As he raises his sword and advances toward the Queen Dowager, Ji Young steps in. She tries to stop the king from spilling blood and becoming a tyrant. How? She confesses her feelings, which initially makes Yi Heon pause. However, as his control slips further, he becomes determined to avenge his mother. Just then, Ji Young gives the chocolates she made for the king to his grandmother, who comes to her senses and reminds him that the late queen wanted Yi Heon to become a sage king. Hearing this, he drops his sword and walks away.
Furious that his plan didn’t work, Prince Jesan kidnaps Song Jae to lure the king to Salgoji Forest and have him killed there.
In this episode, we see Song Jae, the Queen Dowager, the king’s eunuch, and many other court ladies fall to the swords of the conspirators.
Episode 12
While the king is believed to be dead, Gong Gil manages to save Ji Young.
Back at the palace, Consort Kang and Prince Jesan manage to influence the king’s stepmother, claiming that Yi Heon is behind the killing spree. Consequently, they try to coronate Prince Jin Myeong, knowing they would be able to easily influence him and his mother now that Yi Heon has been removed.
Luckily, Yi Heon survived and returned to the palace, asking to speak with Jesan. During their discussion, Yi Heon agrees to be dethroned only if Jesan promises to support his little brother’s reign. When Gong Gil sees the king alive and gives him Ji Young’s butterfly charm—the last element needed for the Mangunrok—Ji Young hatches a plan to save the king from being exiled.
Now, I know this is meant to be a very tough and intense fight sequence, but seeing everyone standing together felt really magical—almost like an Avengers moment. When the kitchen staff and the inventor arrived, the lineup was electric and looked like an unstoppable alliance. Despite their victory in the battle, Jesan managed to kidnap Ji Young and forced the king to come alone to meet him.
Every flicker of light dimmed as Jesan attacked Yi Heon with his sword, and Ji Young ran to cover and protect the king. With Ji Young dying in his hand, Yi Heon starts sobbing like a little kid—which was brilliant acting, by the way. Then, the pages in the Mangunrok opened and started glowing. Soon, Ji Young disappeared, and Yi Heon killed Jesan. (Oh, and did I mention how grateful I am to Gong Gil for taking out Consort Kang too?)
The Happy, But Rushed Ending
So, Ji Young wakes up in a hospital, and as she starts working at a restaurant for a month, she sees the lookalikes of her kitchen colleagues as well as Song Jae. During a heated discussion with the latter, Yi Heon makes his appearance. Of course, they hug and kiss too!
We then have an epilogue where Yi Heon makes bibimbap for Ji Young, keeping his promise.
So, what went wrong with the ending?
Pulling off the lookalike concept is fine, but instead of having Yi Heon come from the past, why didn’t they use this lookalike concept for him too?
While a redemption arc for the king might have been a bit complicated (since he did kill thousands of innocent people), the writers should have provided an explanation for how Yi Heon left the Joseon era and ended up in modern Korea. Although it is a fantasy genre, every fantasy plot can still have its own internal logic—just like how Marvel and DC keep their universes running.
So overall, while the story, the chemistry, and the culinary adventures were unforgettable, the ending was a bit disappointing and felt too rushed. What about you? What do you think about the show’s ending?
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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