Season 3, Episode 2, titled “The Starry Night,” directed and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, begins the fourth game, Hide and Seek. The Blue Team must either escape the labyrinth using their keys within 30 minutes or survive undetected. The Red Team, armed with knives, must find and kill them within the same time limit. If a Red Team member fails to eliminate an opponent or kills a teammate, they will be executed. This is a game in which teamwork is essential.

The central theme of this episode is survival. Hide and Seek is a game of murder, one that compels players to abandon their humanity and commit horrifying acts in order to endure. Even those who cling to their moral principles are not spared from this brutality. Taking a human life is terrifying at first, but what becomes even more terrifying is how easy it gets after the first time. This descent is exemplified through Myung-gi, who fully embraces the killing of Blue Team members to increase the survivors’ share of the prize money. The labyrinth itself represents the complexity of the world. Its doors scattered throughout the maze symbolize the role of luck, risk, and determination in reaching a goal such as the exit. Success for one often means failure for others. For example, when one person is hired for a coveted job, the remaining candidates are left without options to support their families. This leads to desperation and, eventually, the erosion of human dignity. In such a world, people begin to do anything just to survive.

Blue Team vs. Red Team

The Blue Team includes Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), Jeong-dae (Song Young-chang), Seon-nyeo (Chae Kook-hee), and many others. Hyun-ju and Geum-ja decide to protect Jun-hee throughout the game, as she is pregnant and increasingly vulnerable. Dae-ho does not join them, still burdened by guilt and trauma from his perceived failure during the rebellion in the Season 2 finale. Meanwhile, the greedy Jeong-dae and the unhinged shaman Seon-nyeo betray the very Blue Team players they collaborate with in order to improve their chances of survival. Each Blue Team player is given a key, marked with a square, triangle, or circle. Only certain keys can open certain doors, and all three types are required to access the exits, which are hidden in rooms painted with rainbows.

The Red Team consists of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Myung-gi (Im Si-wan), Min-su (Lee David), Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won), Yeong-sam (Lee Sung-woo), and several others. Gi-hun has become deranged following Jung-bae’s death and the rebellion’s failure, fully consumed by his desire to kill Dae-ho. It is important to note, however, that Dae-ho is not to blame. Subtle hints have shown that he suffers from trauma rooted in childhood abuse, especially a fear of violence and loud noises, which stems from being raised by an abusive father. People’s trauma often resurfaces during moments of extreme stress, and it is unfair to blame them for the scars left by such experiences. As for the other Red Team players, Myung-gi teams up with the despicable drug addict Nam-gyu to hunt down as many Blue Team members as possible, believing that more deaths will mean a larger reward. Min-su and Yeong-sam hunt alone through the maze.

Jun-hee’s Child is Born in the Games

Protagonist Storyline (1): Jun-hee accidentally twists her ankle during the game, slowing her group’s pace as they attempt to avoid the Red Team. Hyun-ju is forced to kill Yeong-sam in self-defense and takes his knife to continue protecting his teammates. Their survival strategy works for most of the game’s 30-minute duration, until Jun-hee goes into labor and gives birth to a daughter. The noise draws the attention of two Red Team players. One is eliminated by Hyun-ju after she finds the exit through sheer luck, but she is soon killed by Myung-gi. Jun-hee is horrified to see her ex-boyfriend murder her friend. Overcome with guilt, Myung-gi spares Jun-hee and Geum-ja, leaving them and the newborn behind. They reach the exit but are stopped by Geum-ja’s son, Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), who is also a Red Team member. He has not yet killed anyone and chooses Jun-hee as his target. In an agonizing moment, Geum-ja kills her own son to protect Jun-hee. As time expires, the Pink Soldiers storm the maze and execute Yong-sik before his grieving mother. Geum-ja collapses, screaming in horror at her son’s execution.

Protagonist Storyline (2): Gi-hun continues to stalk Dae-ho through the maze with terrifying intensity. He encounters Seon-nyeo, who, fearing for her life, gives up Dae-ho’s location. Gi-hun leaves her alone. Seon-nyeo later reunites with Jeong-dae, and the two work together to locate the exit. However, Jeong-dae betrays her, blocking the exit from the other side and leaving her to die. In a cruel twist, Min-su, under the effects of Nam-gyu’s hallucinogenic drugs, mistakes Seon-nyeo for Nam-gyu and kills her. Eventually, Gi-hun corners Dae-ho and strangles him after Dae-ho confesses that he is a coward who faked his military record to earn the approval of his abusive father. After the game ends, the Pink Soldiers prevent Gi-hun from committing suicide.

The Survivors: Gi-hun, Geum-ja, Jun-hee, Myung-gi, Jeong-dae, Min-su, Nam-gyu, and etc. 

The Deceased: Dae-ho, Hyun-ju, Yong-sik, Yeong-sam, Seon-nyeo, etc. 

Rating: 9/10