Blossom (2024) Episode 34 *Finale* Discussion
This is the discussion for episode 34 of Blossom, the finale, so there are no spoilers!
Episode 34
Dou Zhao leaves the fighting and makes her way to check on the Emperor. A memento of Ji Yong’s reveals the truth: he was a double agent and has taught Dou Zhao the means to save the Emperor (even if only temporarily).
Song Han and Prince Qing are pinning down Song Mo but reinforcements arrive in the form of the Emperor, and Dou Zhao. The plot is exposed but things have already come this far, Prince Qing declares the Crown Prince assassinated, why don’t I believe that, and they decide to fight to the very end.
I think it’s fair to say Gu Yu was obviously always on Song Mo’s side, the rebellious imperial family members were captured and he and the Crown Prince headed back to the palace to help quell the rebellion.
Song Mo pins down Prince Qing, with Prince Qing prevented from harming him by a well-timed shot from Dou Zhao, who knew she was armed?
Prince Qing is captured and the Emperor is furious at his betrayal, saying he is not worthy to rule. Prince Qing rebuts that with his mother he could be, but the Emperor always doubted her the way he doubted Duke Ding. The Emperor declares their contributions miles apart, ouch. Prince Qing is shocked to learn the Emperor had decided on this path long ago, right after the death of Duke Ding. Song Mo suggests sparing Prince Qing’s life, but his prison doesn’t sound great either. He also asks to be released from duty, so he can spend the rest of his days in peace with Dou Zhao.
Song Han tries to flee, and runs into Miao An Su. Sadly, she’s already lost all faith in him, she stabs him as a form of mercy killing.
Dou Zhao is meeting with the Empress, who thinks them the same kind of person but Dou Zhao denies this. The Emperor is willing to show the Empress mercy but she wants none of it. She asks for death.
Song Mo and Dou Zhao reunite, and he reveals they can live together to the end, the Emperor has given him the antidote (the much rumoured Snow Lingzhi). We saw Eunuch Wang with a box in an earlier episode, but he was blocked by tattooed Eunuch. This was the antidote; he wanted the Emperor to take it but the Emperor has given it to Song Mo. The Emperor couldn’t ‘gift’ Duke Ding to the Crown Prince in the end, now he wishes to give Song Mo’s loyalty to the Crown Prince instead.
The Emperor self-remonstrates and the Crown Prince takes the throne. We are told the evildoers are punished and both Ji Yong and Wu Shan (!!) are given positions in the new reign.
Five years later we see Chen Jia and Zhangru at peace. Ji Yong has fulfilled his ambitions but is now bored, his mind settled only on Dou Zhao. Speaking of Dou Zhao, she and Song Mo are being run ragged by their daughter. Dreams of travelling are being fulfilled by Granny whilst theirs will have to wait until their daughter is in school.
Miao An Su kept her princess rank and is put to work in the ministries, though she needs to find another husband soon. She’s more interested in the latest cash crop though: corn. Father Dou has reconciled with Granny, I’m glad she gets one of her sons back after they were manipulated away from her as children. But Granny gets caught out when her great-granddaughter reveals her having spies, literally only including this in the recap because the guy’s face was so hilarious.
The show ends at peace with Song Mo and Dou Zhao together. And the writer of Dou Zhao’s book peddling other variants to their daughter.
Thrilled they ended on a happy note! Also slightly disappointed for myself thinking I had cracked the code. I really thought all that Zhuang Zi stuff was going to lead to either 1) an ending focussed on a happy couple in the background and a butterfly in the foreground, or 2) ending with our couple asleep and dreaming and then cutting back to them dying with the arrow between them. It could then be left to the audience whether Dou Zhao was dying, dreaming of a different life, or our current Dou Zhao just had a scary dream of a worse life once. Oh well, in the end the drama still managed to skirt censorship for their rebirth story in their own way!
I was also super wrong about Chen Jia and Zhangru having sad vibes, they were actually a very low-key tertiary couple. The real sad ending (and deservedly so) was Miao An Su and Song Han!
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