Ratings Held No Surprises But Kdrama Plots Had Their Share

There was not much difference in the ratings for this week's Monday night kdramas but there were plenty of revelations in each of the contending shows.

"Empress Ki," the historical drama about the Korean-born concubine who became a Yuan empress, remained on top with a rating of 14.5 percent, which is the same as last week. And it's not surprising since it has all the elements of a successful drama: top-notch writing and acting, action scenes, a love triangle and a plucky heroine wearing boys clothes.

"The Suspicious Housekeeper" had only one percent less than its last week's ratings, earning 9.3 percent of the viewers. "Future's Choice" meanwhile increased slightly with 0.5 percent more of the ratings to reach 5.9 percent.

While there were no surprises in the ratings, each episode had a few surprises for its characters and viewers. There are spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen the episodes, don't read any further.

On "Empress Ki," Ha Ji Won's disguise as a boy was imperiled by her efforts to save Ji Chang Wook. They both jumped off a cliff while being chased. She fished him out of the icy water and he was unconscious. To keep him warm, she stripped off her outer clothes and held on to him, wearing only the chest binding part of her disguise.

 "The Suspicious Housekeeper" is a clever puzzle of a drama already known for its intriguing twists and turns. This week in perhaps the most interesting plot twist yet Choi Ji Woo went on a date with Song Jong Ho. He plays the man who viewers believe murdered her family and continues to stalk her. What is she up to? While the ratings for this show have been respectable, it has not achieved the popularity of "Kaseifu No Mita," the Japanese drama on which it was based.

On "Future's Choice," Yoon Eun Hye has grown closer to Jung Yong Hwa, the man her future self thinks she ought to marry. In the past Lee Dong Gun has been unkind to Jung Yong Hwa, who he considers his subordinate. But in this episode he finds out that Jung Yong Hwa is not merely a cameraman with the broadcasting company but the heir to the company and thus his superior. It's not a complete surprise as he suspected something was up but it does change things a little. How will it affect his choices? Only the future can tell.