The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Do Ghosts Really Exist?

The 10th episode of The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 or The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 explored the plight of girls selected by the past emperor. Let us see how this episode turned out.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 9 Recap

Once again, Maomao is summoned to investigate the supposed curse that Lady Anshi placed on the late emperor. Despite the passage of time, his body has not decomposed as expected. Believing herself to be responsible, Lady Anshi asks Maomao to uncover the truth behind this mystery.

As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that the reality is far removed from any supernatural curse. The late emperor had a passion for painting, but he was a weak-willed man who ascended the throne solely due to his mother’s ambitions. Aware that her son lacked the qualities of a true ruler, she kept him as a mere figurehead while she wielded real power. Additionally, he harbored a deep fear of women to the extent that he could only interact with young girls.

This fear led to his predatory tendencies, and Lady Anshi took advantage of this when she was still a child. Though she later became pregnant, she was soon cast aside and forgotten as she grew older. Resentful of her treatment, she ultimately exacted her revenge on him.

This episode shed light on the palace’s grim and unsettling realities. The emperor was undoubtedly a monster, exploiting young girls to satisfy his perversions. Yet, he was also a pitiful figure, stripped of autonomy, unable to even pursue his own artistic passions.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 10 Review

The episode starts with the addition of new attendants for Lady Gyokuyou as she is pregnant with her second child. All the ladies come from her hometown because, that way, it is much more possible for them to counter an assassination attempt. Hilariously, Maomao is told to return to her original bedroom, but she refuses to do so as she is much more comfortable with her stay arrangement in the store room. That way, she can conduct experiments without any issues.

However, in this episode, Maomao is in a different kind of predicament. She gets forced to tag along with one of Gyokuyou’s attendants at a gathering. Anyway, this is not a normal gathering as here, some old and new attendants come together to share horror stories as a form of entertainment. One by one, everyone would tell a story and extinguish their candles.

Finally, it is Maomao’s turn to recite her story. But her horror story is completely different from ghost horror. She starts to nonchalantly talk about grave robbers, who would completely cut open corpses without any qualms. Needless to say, she was readily stopped and they moved to the next story.

But what happens afterwards is the highlight of this episode, as we get to know a lot more about what happened at the time of the previous emperor. Apparently, the girls he used to choose were not allowed to ever venture outside once taken by him. Perhaps ghosts truly exist here who are still trying to find a way to seek vengeance against that emperor.

Verdict

I really liked today’s episode as it diverted from the usual course and did something new. We also did not see many of the recurring characters and only focused on Maomao and other maids of Gyokuyou. It was really interesting and entertaining, and it definitely added more to the overall plot.

Must Read: The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Was The Emperor Really Cursed?