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(Written March 13, 2025)
Welcome back to the finale of the most frustrating and exhausting show I have ever recapped, and we haven’t even begun to discuss what happens to the final group. K-pop is a crazy business, but Treasure has really been through the wringer. This finale is 90 minutes, so we’ve got a lot to cover. Let’s do this.
We have another auditorium
packed with 600 excited fans, our largest audience yet. I swear, our ice castle stage keeps getting
bigger.
The fans are waving their signs and shrieking with excitement. A single spotlight shines on our announcer. He tells us our final group will have seven members (no. it. fucking. won’t.) and we’re going to find out who they are tonight. (no we fucking won’t. more on that later.) Our 600 fans are going to be voting, and now it’s time for the voting rules.
Out of a total of 1,000 points, CEO Yang will have 50%. The pre-show online votes will take up 20%, and the live audience will have 30%. I have so many questions, but since they involve math, I won’t understand the answers. Let’s just get started!
We open with a performance by all … thirteen finalists. We ended the last episode with eleven. Why are there now thirteen? They’re going to perform the signal song. The announcer gives no explanation for the new number, but it looks like we’re getting a flashback.
The Dumb and Dumber Team is out clothes shopping. We’re told new clothes add to their charm. I would argue so do the two new members. Who are they and when do we get to see them?
Now we go to the training center, where the eleven finalists are gathered, just sitting on the floor and waiting. A YG producer walks in and tells them the final mission will be a genre competition – rap, vocal, and dance. The finalists who come in first in each genre will be in the final debut group.
Now we’re finally getting the news. It won’t be eleven trainees who compete. We get a flashback within a flashback, and let’s just cut to the chase. Our ever-decisive CEO has decided to bring back two trainees who were cut. I hope they stopped those two before they flew all the way home and had to fly back. I’d be PISSED.
First to walk through the
door is Seung Hun. You have got to be
kidding me. Everyone cheers and hugs him
and yeah okay either Yoshi or Jaehyuk had better be walking through that door
next.
We won’t get to find out until the Signal Song performance who the second addition is because this show clearly hates us.
As the song begins, our finalists step into the spotlight, one by one. But it’s only the first five, and not the new one. Finally, he comes out. It’s Jaehyuk. He’s finally catching a break. And as the thirteen trainees dance onstage, we finally see Yoshi. In the audience. Sitting with the other eliminated trainees. I feel so sad seeing him there. And why are the eliminated trainees wearing military uniforms?
Now the audience votes for their favorite trainees from the Signal Song performance. As they vote, the CEO launches into a little speech about how initially he thought seven members would be too many, and okay just shut up. Let’s move this along so we can fix this final group you’re throwing together.
I can already see why this episode is so long. They are REALLY dragging out the vote reveal. Junkyu comes in first place, but that’s only the online and audience member vote, so we don’t know who CEO Yang chose. Everyone carries on like he’s already been chosen to debut, and then the announcer clears the stage. It’s time for the performances by genre. First up are the rappers.
We get a flashback in which
we see the finalists choose their genre groups.
This also drags on, and I’m starting to think this episode could easily
be cut down to thirty minutes. But I’ve
learned from doing these recaps that almost all finales are like this.
This is every bit as exciting as it looks.
After several loooong
minutes, we finally get our teams.
Treasure members are highlighted.
Seriously, this takes forever, and I started fast-forwarding. Some of us have other shows to recap. Let’s pick up the pace. Also, you’ll notice we have ten highlighted names, and only seven will be in the final group. Welcome to the chaos that will be Treasure!
The rap team starts
rehearsing. Their song is “Hit Me” by
MOBB. We suddenly see that the audience
at the finale is is also watching all these
recaps on giant screens. If I were in
the audience, no matter how much I love these trainees, I’d be desperately
searching my voting device for a fast-forward button during these flashbacks. Even the parents look bored.
Wake up, everyone! Flashback is over, time for the rap performance!
I love this. It’s wild and fun, and our boys are having the time of their lives up there. The cameras can barely keep up with them. I don’t know how anyone could choose a favorite. All four absolutely kill it.
Our Style King Hyun Suk wins the online vote. We still don’t have the CEO’s input, but I’m just happy seeing Hyun Suk happy. Haruto wins the audience vote, which now puts him at the top. But we won’t get CEO Yang’s votes yet, so I’m not sure why we’re doing this.
Now we get a surprisingly undignified moment, even for this show. Each rapper has to tell the CEO why they deserve his vote. This can’t possibly serve any purpose other than to inflate CEO Yang’s ego. I really, REALLY do not like him.
Thankfully, the groveling is kept short. The boys use humor, and I’m wondering if the CEO is actually using this as an opportunity to show charm. Okay, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. The rappers bow and leave the stage.
Next up: Dance.
We get a flashback to rehearsals.
This is the largest group, with six people, so there’s more competition. They want to throw in as many new techniques
as they can, and – oh no. Mashiho wants
to try the backflip again.
Instead of launching from a standing position, he wants to run and leap over a kneeling finalist and flip in the air. The fact that he’ll make the final group is how I know he’s not going to be killed doing this.
Doyoung practices a back somersault. They’re all practicing gymnastic moves, and I’m wondering if this is going to look more like a circus act than a dance mission. They’re starting to get injuries during rehearsals. Please, someone stop them.
No one stops them. It’s showtime. I can’t look.
Wow. It’s amazing. It’s not just gymnastics. It’s intense interpretive dance. The song ends with a series of gunshots, and one by one, they fall as if dead. My jaw is on the floor. These finalists have seriously stepped up their game.
CEO Yang says he didn’t know
YG was capable of producing a performance like that, which is one of the
highest compliments I’ve heard on any of these shows. The audience and online votes come in. For now, Mashihi is in the lead.
Finally, the vocal performance. We only have three finalists in this group: Yedam, Jeongwoo, and Junkyu. All future treasure members. But I’m pretty sure Favorite Son Yedam is going to win this category. It’s pretty much a done deal. I love Yedam and am a fan of his work, but I really would like to see someone do better than him for once.
They choose the song “Last Dance” by BigBang, a group I’ve been learning more about ever since I saw T.O.P on Season 2 of Squid Game. This is a beautiful song. Jeongwoo feels outclassed by the way Yedam and Junkyu sing it so beautifully. Now I’m pulling for Jeongwoo to win.
We may be headed in that direction if the Flashback Formula is working. At the midpoint eval, the vocal coach praises Yedam and Junkyu but tells Jeongwoo he still needs work. He does say that Jeongwoo has improved a lot from being on this show. I’m hoping he’s improved enough to win the vocal category. Let’s find out.
I’m definitely adding this song to my playlist. It moved me to tears, and I didn’t even understand the words because the lyrics weren’t translated. I’m not the only one. When the song ends, all three vocalists are fighting back tears.
The online and audience votes are counted. The one currently in first place is … wow, it’s Junkyu. It’s not the final vote, but still. It’s nice to see someone else get recognized. Well done, Junkyu.
We now get a montage of all
the trainees from the very beginning when they first started with YG. We see the bad times and the good times and
it’s very heartwarming and can we please get on with the show? No, wait – we get video messages from the
eliminated trainees. Hello, Asahi. Hang in there!
Finally, it’s time to choose the debut group. Let’s do this. We see our finalists on the stage.
Are those also military uniforms? Why are they dressed like that? Whatever the reason, we’re going to have the top three from the vocal, rap, and dance categories. As for the remaining four spots, they will be chosen by the highest number of votes. And, I’m sure, CEO Yang’s thumb on the scale.
First we get the winner from
the rap group. Our first member of
Treasure will be: Haruto! He is overwhelmed. We see his family, including his little
sister, laughing and crying.
Now for the vocal group. There’s no way it won’t be Yedam.
It’s Yedam.
Now for the dance group. The winner is our Treasure maknae
Junghwan. He was definitely not
expecting to win.
This next part is frustrating and confusing. They say they will announce the rankings from the audience and online votes for the remaining four members, but CEO Yang hasn’t weighed in yet. So for right now, Junkyu is ranked Number One and Hyun Suk is Number Four, but it’s not the final vote, so I don’t know why they’re telling us this. Junkyu is asked to say a few words. What is he supposed to say? All he can say is, “I want to debut,” and the announcer thanks him for his honesty.
I really, really hate this series.
Junkyu is finally announced
as the fourth debut member. He sinks to
his knees. This finale has put him
through hell.
Okay. Let’s find out the rest of the group!
CEO Yang picks up a mic. I’m ready for this.
He says that these four will be the only final members to be announced tonight. The remaining three will be announced over the next several days on VLIVE.
What. The absolute. Fuck?
The family members of the finalists have come all this way. We’ve sat through this finale and all its endless flashbacks. The fans have invested over ten hours of their lives on this series. And you’re not going to finish naming the group members?
Even the announcer looks pissed. I keep waiting for CEO Yang to say, “Nah, I’m just kidding.” But no. The show actually ends here.
I am FURIOUS. This has been the most undecisive, poorly-structured survival show I have ever seen. I never want to stop punching everyone at YG Entertainment in the face.
Honestly, once I cool down, I realize this is kind of appropriate. Treasure’s debut and lineup changes will be a total mess, so it makes sense the finale would kick off the process with the worst ending to a finale possible.
Join me for the wrap-up essay, coming up next. These kids deserved so much better.
Have fun in jail, Mr. Yang.
Let’s talk about YG Treasure Box.
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