In an episode titled Heroines, the show stealer turned out to be someone else entirely. We would even say that there was no purpose to Episode 11 of Arthdal Chronicles. A lot of developments happened, and they were all dashed to the ground in the final few moments, making us wonder what the point of them was. It was then that we understood that it must be the groundwork for Arthdal Chronicles season 3, because why would anyone stop making money from a hit show just because there have already been two seasons of it? Hopefully, this won’t take four years to materialize. Episode 11 felt incomplete in a sense, as if the explanation of many things was not clear and had to be inferred indirectly from the events. We would have simply liked things to be a little more spelled out.
Spoiler Alert
What is Saya doing?
As soon as Saya comes to his senses, he goes to meet Tanya. He has seen the drawings all over the place, and he understands what she is trying to do. Saya is heartbroken that, despite everything, Tanya will never reciprocate his feelings, and no matter what Saya does, he won’t be able to receive the love that he wants. Saya is given the advice of the Neanthal to not let his past shape his future and to create what he wants for himself. Tanya also tells him that it was Saya’s choice to love her and to keep on loving her through the years instead of moving on in life. Saya had always wondered whether he was capable of love, and probably, he had never received a positive answer to that question. That is why he tried to steal the love that he could not get. However, it only ended up hurting him more in the process. After Tanya’s rejection, Saya goes to meet the Neanthals, who will take him to the West. These were the ones who had originally separated from the Neanthals, and they now wanted to attack Arthdal and kill the Igutus and the humans. Saya was willing to join hands with them, though it is not clear whether he realizes the full extent of their mission. We must also consider that he is probably looking for a place to belong. Saya had never cared for the prophecy as much as he did about being with Tanya. With that out of the picture, he is seeking his destiny with the Ikomahis.
How do Taelha and Tanya end up rallying support for themselves?
Tanya senses that Tagon is dead, which means that it is time for her to lay the foundation for welcoming Eunseom to Arthdal. Meanwhile, Taelha comes to know that Arthdal has lost the war, and nobody knows where Tagon is. He is presumed dead, so Taelha has to step in to take over the reins of the kingdom. Tanya tries to have Taelha sent to White Mountain Peak to keep her out of the way, but Taelha is not so easy. She escapes captivity and, together with Minister Chojaha, incites the general public to rebel against Tanya.
As for Tanya, she has been telling the people that Tagon was the fake Aramun, and for their better future, they must all get ready to welcome the Inaishingi as Aramun Haesulla. There is a stark difference between the messages of Taelha and Tanya. While one is telling the people to fight for Arthdal, the other is telling the people to fight for their own bright future. This is the message that Tanya has been giving since the very beginning, and it has won her the support of the people. The smoke that is released is a signal for Tanya’s supporters to finally come out in the open. All this time, these were the people she had fought for and who she wanted to be the first citizens of her new world. Taelha was not expecting Tanya to have this much support, and even her soldiers bent their knees to her when Tanya spoke to them in their minds. Tanya would have taken over Arthdal, but at that exact moment, Tagon comes back, and the war is once again on his side.
What is Tagon going to do?
Tagon being alive is something we simply cannot explain. We can accept that he may have escaped the whirlwind of fire in some way, but there is still something missing in his story. When he comes back to Arthdal, the first thing he does is show Eunsoem, who is waiting at the gate, who is in charge. Two people of the Wahan tribe are killed, and Tanya is threatened. If Eunseom doesn’t back off, she will also be killed. Tanya talks to Eunseom through their connection, and she tells him to act as the Inaishingi. It is probably a clue for Eunseom, and she is telling him not to worry about being Aramun Haesulla. Or perhaps she is telling him that it wouldn’t be wrong if he only thought about the Ago tribe and left her behind. We are unable to decipher the code, but we may get the answer in the finale. Elsewhere, Saya has a dream, and he realizes what is going on in Arthdal. The Neanthals he is with tell him that they can leave for their hometown in a few days, but if Saya makes the decision to go back, that might not happen. Or it could be that he will go to Arthdal, do his job, and return to fulfill his destiny.
In Arthdal, Taelha tells Tagon that she is glad that he is alive. Taelha has essentially proved herself useful by trying to resist Tanya and Eunseom. However, she is still in a delicate situation, as the moment Tagon gains back all the power, he may still want to confine her. In the meantime, he asks for some Bichiswan (poison) to be made without letting the queen know about it.
At the end of Arthdal Chronicles Season 2, Episode 11, Eunseom is distraught at the situation and is wondering how to move forward as the Inaishingi while trying to protect Tanya. It is an impossible situation for him. As for Tanya, she hears the crying child inside Tagon as he comes to meet her. Tagon has some sinister plans in the works, and they don’t involve ruling Arthdal. Instead, we think he is going to destroy the kingdom and then kill himself with the Bichiswan. That is the vision he shows Tanya as she stares at him in horror.
Final Thoughts
This is not how the second-last episode of the season should have been. We expected a lot more thrills and some extremely dire circumstances for the protagonists. In the absence of that, we should have had a gradual tying together of all the loose ends. But we get neither. However, the finale may still surprise us, so let us wait for that.
