I-Land, Episode 9: Underdogs

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(Written October 25, 2024)

Welcome back to the I-Land, where dreams, hope, sunlight, fresh air, and emotional stability all go to die.  We are down to eleven finalists.  Seven of them will make up the group Enhypen.  The remaining four will be sent home and given the chance to re-evaluate their life choices.  Let’s do this!

Our finalists return to the giant egg timer room after meeting Geonu outside to say goodbye.  Ta-Ki is still a numbed mess.  Daniel is still shaken after nearly getting eliminated.  Everyone does a big group hug and decides to do well on the next test for Geonu.

The announcer voice jump-scares them all as it congratulates them and unfurls the new banners with the current rankings.  The finalists put their nameplates on their chairs, and the Top 7 get their badges.  Then they’re told the second test will be revealed in twelve hours.  Good.  Please let these boys sleep.

Our Top 3-ranked finalists go to their swanky room and find something new.  It’s a sign on the wall saying that these three get to have a day of freedom.  All the finalists try to guess what it could be, like a movie or a day of video games.  You know, activities done indoors with no sunlight or fresh air.  One of them does suggest an amusement park, so maybe there’s hope for deprogramming after all. 

Night passes.  The next day, everyone gathers for breakfast and talks about how much they miss Geonu and wonder what he’s doing right now.  Guys, he didn’t die.  The show gave you those brand-new cell phones when you first got here.  Just text him.  

Never mind – there’s no time.  The twelve hours are up.  Our boys report to the giant egg timer to find out their next test.  In the big practice room, they’re surprised to find props – risers, curtain screens, and large tubes.  These props are for their Chemistry Test.  This is where the I-Landers and global fans will try to connect.  They will split into two groups and each learn a new song written for the show, “Flicker” and “Dive Into You.” 

The test begins in six days.  The top-ranked finalist, Heeseung, will be given priority to select his song and team members.

Heeseung chooses the song “Flicker.”  His teammates will be Sunghoon, Jake, Jungwon, and K.  Oooh, so close!  It was almost a team of all Enhypen members!

Jay is not happy about being overlooked by Heeseung.  He keeps getting underestimated on this show, and he’s desperate for a chance to get out of the rut of the Number 6 slot.  He tells us he feels betrayed, like Heeseung abandoned him.  In looking over my notes, I completely understand.  He’s spent this entire series trying so hard to shine.

Ta-Ki is also frustrated because Heeseung has taken all the top members. I checked, and yep, Heeseung has the 1-4 members and 7^th-ranked Jake.  That’s okay.  One thing I’ve learned from these shows is that the top-ranked finalists can get complacent and fall in the ranks.  It’s happened in every show I’ve recapped.

The two teams play Rock Paper Scissors to decide which team gets the big practice room.  Heeseung and Jay play for their respective teams, and of course, Heeseung wins.  Jay looks even more bummed, and I just want to remind him that there’s still a big practice room available at the Ground, right downstairs.  I miss that place already.

But Jay has a bit of a breakdown here, feeling the resentment and embarrassment of the past several weeks building up.  I know he’s a finalist and in the Top 7, but it’s hard to have a sense of perspective when you’ve been through it the way Jay has.  Maybe the natural light of the Ground’s practice room would help.  IT’S RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS.

Jay’s Dive Into You Team is fueled by being the underdogs and is determined to win this.  They run upstairs to another practice room.  I am so pulling for them.  Both Jay and Ta-Ki are on the same team, and these two really need a win.

Team Flicker gathers in the big practice room and goofs around with the props.  Meanwhile, Jay’s team is downbeat and gloomy.  But then Jay decides to change his attitude and tells his team not to be resentful.  “Let’s show them how good we are!” he says.  Go Seattle!

Jay’s not done.  “Let’s just take all from first to sixth place,” he says.  He’s dreaming big.  Daniel agrees, saying, “Let’s use this upset feeling to work hard.”

Jay steps up as the group’s leader, and they start deciding on parts.  It’s amazing to watch Jay at work here, galvanizing his team and putting each member in the right part.  This team is on fire.

Now we cut to Team Flicker.  Heeseung tells his team he knows exactly what parts everyone should do.  Right away, K speaks up.  “I think we should share which part we want to do,” he says.  K, I knew I could count on you to sabotage your own team. 

Most of Team Flicker thinks Heeseung should do Part 2, which is the part he wants anyway.  However, K also wants Part 2.  The whole vibe gets awkward.  To keep the peace, Heeseung agrees to take a different part.  The others ask him if he’s sure, and he insists.  “Yes, Part One is good.  I like it.”  The others don’t look convinced.  “Why, I’m really fine!”  Heeseung says.  Anyone who has used the word “fine” like that knows how he really feels. 

Heeseung tells us in a confessional that K has said hurtful things to him before, so he’s trying to avoid another conflict.  He’s a little intimidated by K.  I hope this is the test that results in K getting kicked to the curb.  

Heeseung now asks Sunghoon and Jake what parts they want.  Before either can answer, K says he thinks Sunghoon should take Part 5, and Jungwon should take Part 3.  It looks like he’s bullying his way into calling the shots.  Everyone quickly says it’s fine, even though it clearly isn’t.  The parts are now assigned, whether they like it or not.  K has hijacked the group.

Back to Jay’s team, and I think it’s the next day, because Ni-Ki enters the practice room and says the other team is sleeping in.  Jay’s team decides to take advantage of the additional rehearsal time.  Jay is working like a demon, planning out the choreo even during breaks.  He’s not the only one.  Team Flicker’s Jake, self-conscious about the fact that he ranks lower than his teammates, practices alone while the others sleep, determined to get his part right.

We get an interesting scene with Jay’s team.  The lyrics to “Dive Into You” are mostly in English, and Jay translates them for the other members.  When they get to the word “marvelous,” which they have trouble pronouncing, Sunoo asks if it’s a reference to Marvel movies.  They also learn the terms for a ship deck, ocean, and sky.  I’m always fascinated when K-pop artists learn English.  It makes my own native language sound new to me.

Back to the Flicker Team, which is finally rehearsing together.  Heeseung is trying to lead the team, but K keeps talking over him and taking over.  Heeseung wants to keep everyone in sync.  This is a standard, basic rule of  K-pop choreo.  But K thinks that doesn’t matter and that everyone can be different.  Now I’m starting to wonder if K really is trying to sabotage the team.  They’re also going by K’s memory of the choreo instead of watching the original moves on their tablets, so they’re getting some of the moves wrong.

At his team’s insistence, K finally does check the tablet and is not happy to see that he misremembered a key move.  Heeseung tries to be diplomatic and suggests they work on another part of the choreo.  But K is now sulking.  At 24 years old, he’s the oldest one on the show, but he’s behaving like a child.

Possibly trying to save face, K still insists they don’t have to be in perfect sync.  Again, this is breaking a fundamental rule of K-pop choreo.  During a break, Heeseung tells Jungwon and Sunghoon that he thinks this is a bad idea, but he doesn’t know how to talk to K about it.  Heeseung may be the team leader, but K is the oldest, so the others have to show respect.  Even if he isn’t showing any back.

I’ve never been so happy to cut to a midpoint evaluation.  Maybe one of the coaches can intervene.  Son Sung Deuk is here, and we can always count on him to be bluntly honest.

Both teams are here, and a fired-up Jay volunteers his team to go first.  please be good please be good please be good ….

They’re not just good.  They kick ass.  They are determined and fierce in their expressions, and they dance in perfect sync with furious energy. 

Son Sung Deuk is more reserved in his feedback.  He tells them they need more practice, but the song suits them well.  He asks about their process, and Jay explains how they divided up the parts, wanting to emphasize the talents of each member.  The coaches commend him.  I love this.  After being literally ignored in a previous midpoint check and struggling to be seen this entire series, Jay is finally able to shine.  

Son Sung Deuk does have constructive criticism for Team Dive Into You.  They need to dial it back a bit.  The energy is so aggressive, it’s a bit draining to watch.  I see his point, although the furious energy is what I really like about it.  The judges won’t know their motivation and will instead wonder why everyone is so angry.

Team Flicker’s turn.  Right off, Jake is out of sync with the others.  He’s also off the beat.  The coaches clock it right away.  I don’t like that Jake is getting the full brunt of the criticism, especially since he’s been working so hard, and there are deeper problems with this team that need to be addressed.

We cut to early morning the next day.  Everyone wakes up to find bags of gifts next to their beds.  They all get clothes – hoodies, jogging pants, golf shirts.  Was BTS here again?  No, it turns out the Top 3 finalists got these gifts for everyone else yesterday on their day of freedom, which I’d completely forgotten about.

We then get the survival reality show equivalent of a side quest as we follow Heeseung, Jungwon, and Sunghoon on their day of freedom.  They go to a pet café and play with dogs.  Then it’s off to a VR arcade and ice skating.  It looks exhausting.  If I had a day of freedom, I would just stay in bed all day and watch Netflix.  They end the day with clothes shopping for the other I-Landers.  It’s all very cute and fan service-y.  Now back to the real show.

The Flicker Team is practicing again, and K is being a jerk again.  When is someone going to call him out?  Then vocal trainer Kim Sung Eun arrives to hear them sing.  She’s famous for being the former vocal coach for three members of BTS before their debut, because everyone on this show has to be connected to Big Hit Entertainment in some way.

They run through the song, but Heeseung doesn’t know his part yet.  Kim Sung Eun wants to know why, and no one wants to tell her it’s because K’s been making everyone prioritize dance rehearsal over singing.  K finally speaks up and tells her he’s been setting the priorities.  She tells them they’re being irresponsible.  The scene cuts here.

Unable to sleep that night, Heeseung and Sungwon stay up late talking, trying to figure out what to do.  They don’t even feel like practicing anymore, and it’s three days until the test.

The next day, the Flicker Team gathers in the practice room, and Heeseung decides to take action.  He tells K, “Since you’re the oldest here, it’s hard to approach you sometimes.”  K says he doesn’t know what Heeseung is talking about, but he has to know.  He’s not dumb.

Jungwon steps in and says that K isn’t leaving enough room for everyone else to share their opinions.  He and Heeseung are being as tactful as possible, but suddenly K pulls his hood over his head and wipes away a tear.  He gets up and walks out.  The camera follows him into a lounge area, where he slumps onto a bench and cries.

I can’t believe I’m feeling bad for him right now.

After giving him a few minutes, the others join him in the lounge.  K apologizes and says he really likes them.  Now they’re all crying and I’m crying and can we please just get to a performance or something?

I want to skip the rest of this, but then Heeseung says something really sweet and compassionate.  He tells K, “We like you so much that we didn’t want to get into a fight, no matter the reason, or say anything bad to you.  I think that’s where we messed up.”

We fade out on this scene of reconciliation while I cry my way through half a box of Kleenex.  Now we’re back to the practice room, where Team Flicker is getting back to work.  We get a montage of both teams practicing while the days tick by.  Finally, thankfully, it’s D-Day.  Both teams are ready.  I’m ready.  Let’s friggin’ do this!

Back to the stage we go, with Namgoong Min on the big screen in his formal K-pop attire.  Our judges are Bang Si Hyuk, Doobu, Pdogg, and Son Sung Deuk.  Looks like Wonderkid won’t make it today.  What a shame.  We’re reminded that the global voters will determine the rankings this time and who has to go home. 

The Top 7 finalists are told to remove their badges and put them back in the glass cabinet before the test begins.  This time, the 11^th-ranked finalist will be cut.  No immunity.  The judges do have a bit of influence here:  After the test, when the global audience starts voting, the judges will pick the top I-Lander, and the votes he gets over the next 24 hours will count double.

First up is Team Flicker, which is Heeseung, K, Jake, Jungwon, and Sunghoon.  They look stylish in matching red suits.  Pdogg asks K directly if there were any conflicts within the group, and of course that’s not an innocent question, or he’d be asking team leader Heeseung.  K glosses over the question by saying he’s still learning as he goes.  Nicely deflected, K.  Now it’s showtime with Team Flicker and their backup dancers.  

It’s sultry, smooth, sexy, and flawlessly in sync.  And again, K kills it with the expressions.  Despite everything,  I find it hard to believe he’s going to be eliminated eventually.  The judges applaud.  They have nothing but praise, especially for Jake, who has improved a lot since the interim check.  This is going to be a tough team to beat.

Now Team Dive Into You takes the stage – Sunoo, Hanbin, Ni-Ki, Daniel, Ta-Ki, and Seattle Jay.  They’ve prepared individual greetings, and I love Jay’s:  “If you want, I’ll lighten the mood with my resentment, anger, and shame.  I’m the brand new leader, Jay!”  The judges love it.  Okay, I might have a bias in this group after all.

Showtime.

This is one of the raciest songs I’ve ever seen performed on these shows.  I’m pretty sure Hanbin and Jay are the only team members legally old enough to do what they’re singing about.  Daniel, the show maknae, is only fifteen, so I’m a bit uncomfortable watching him in this performance, along with Ta-Ki, and Ni-Ki, both sixteen. I feel like all three of them need an adult.

The judges give their feedback.  Bang Si Hyuk is kind overall, but he feels that Ta-Ki and Daniel didn’t do very well, which made the team feel unbalanced.  I can’t help thinking that part of the problem is that they were trying to perform a level of sexual prowess that I sincerely hope neither one has experienced yet.  Bang Si Hyuk is right – they didn’t quite fit with the others.  Ni-Ki, however, gets high praise.

Sunoo gets criticism for not being expressive enough, and the judges feel like Jay did a good job but didn’t really stand out.  I cringe when I hear that.  Jay’s been dealing with that very problem this entire series.  I have to wonder how this feedback from the judges will influence the voters.

Speaking of voters, the judges will now choose the finalist whose votes will count double over the next 24 hours. 

It’s Jake, our future Enhypen member who was struggling during rehearsals.  I’m legit happy for him.  The other finalists  hug and congratulate him.  Ever humble, he says he owes this to his Flicker teammates.

It’s now time for the global viewers to vote.  And with that, the episode comes to an end.

It wasn’t the big underdog triumph I wanted for Jay’s team, but still, our Seattle boy is hanging in there.  I think starting next episode, we need to start saying goodbye to our most underage finalists.  They need a few more years on them before they sing songs like this again.

See you then, and I’ll just keep the number of Korean child welfare services handy.

Episode 10:  Lots of Fans and Tears

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