Consider you’re forewarned, Sisyphus The Myth felt like the best part of a romantic relationship especially those times when you can’t get enough of each other. But the good times do not equate to a happy-ever-after.
It has been an exciting 16-episode run joining the cast in their virtual time traveling. At the very least Cho Seung Woo, Park Shin Hye and Kim Byung Chul gifted an enthralling adventure all throughout the series – until the last 20 minutes happened.
- Main Cast: Cho Seung Woo | Park Shin Hye | Kim Byung Chul
- Streaming Site: Netflix
- Thrill/Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- K-Dramas of Similar Vibe: Circle | Nine Times Travel
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 & 04 | 05 & 06 | Mid-Series | 09 & 10 | 11 & 12 | 13 & 14 | Finale Week + Review
abbyinhallyuland watched Sisyphus: The Myth on Netflix
Sisyphus: The Myth Finale Week Recap *Spoiler Alert
“Not a single person asked me if I was okay. Not even one person.”
Going for a game of hide-and-seek, Sigma and Tae-sul verbally confront each other over the phone. Tae-sul admonishes the merciless anti-hero in his delusions. On his end, Sigma counters it by reckoning how his atrocious nature was nurtured by the lack of empathy from the humans he encountered previously.
He looks back on how his attempt to kill himself was stopped because of the nuclear war and how his wish for everyone came true. Deducing how Sigma got closer to him, Tae-sul was lured to where he is without a room to escape.
“No matter how many chances are given, the result will still be the same.”
Tae-sul wakes up to the sight of a church chained on a chair. Sigma tells him that the uploader was built beneath the church as it miraculously survived when the country was obliterated.
Finding the bunker, Jae-sun rescued Seo-hae, but they argue when he insists on taking her outside the country. She asserts her mission and leaves him to join Tae-sul. Feeling unsettled, Jae-sun calls his mom and sister with his intention to stay in the country. He goes to where Seo-hae and offers to bring her to beautiful places. However, Hyeon-gi fires gunshots directed at Seo-hae which Jae-sun took with his own body.
Enraged, Seo-hae subdues Hyeon-gi, but can’t make herself to kill him. After Jae-sun draws his last breath, Seo-hae continues her mission with Hyeon-gi arriving at where Hwang Hyun-seung is. Learning the lies he made for him to follow the order of events per Sigma’s instruction, the Control Bureau chief willingly coaxed him to shoot. But Hyeon-gi can’t also make himself kill him.
Resigned to follow the order of events, Hyun-seung insists to be killed and gets his own gun to end his life, but Hyeon-gi shoots the gun to prevent his intention from happening.
“I’m going to save Han Tae-sul and then I’m going to kill you.”
A scene from 2035 revealed that Seo-hae was able to board the uploader with permission from Sigma. It also revealed the tear-jerking goodbye scene between Seo-hae and Dong-gi who tells her to just avoid the war at all cost since it is something that is bound to happen.
Before Seo-hae boarded the uploader, she looks back and tells her father that she will find Han Tae-sul to stop the war and save everyone.
“I saw the future. The future where I would win.”
Back at the church, Tae-sul figures out how Sigma even used the uploader to send nuclear weapons of mass destruction by altering the weight of what the uploader can send. Seo-hae makes her presence known and sneakily entered the church.
Defeating Sigma’s minions, she points her gun at Sigma who was holding Tae-sul also at gunpoint. The villain boasts about how he orchestrated everything for them to be closer by sharing pain and sacrifices. When Sigma’s other men arrive, he pushes Tae-sul to Seo-hae claiming victory.
Meanwhile, Bingbing pleads Mr. Park not to proceed with his plan to kill his present self. When he won’t listen, Bingbing reveals she is his daughter. She tells her that nothing wrong will happen that day based on her recollection. Her young self apparently stopped his father from killing her mom. Affected by his present self’s nearby presence, Mr. Park apologizes to Bingbing for not recognizing her.
It matches what Tae-sul whispered about him when they met previously.
“Is it the girl or the world? You can only choose one.”
Forced to be down on their knees, Sigma taunts Tae-sul’s claim that his plan to beat him is still doing well. Seo-hae urges Tae-sul not to complete the uploader, but he asks her to trust him no matter what.
Unhappy about Tae-sul’s stubbornness, Sigma threatens to kill Seo-hae, but the former engages to a chat time with his enemy. Thinking he was buying time, Tae-sul denies it and still proudly claims that he will win which made Sigma boringly laughs. It stops when Tae-sul continues his blab and Sigma sees his fading appearance.
Still confident that Tae-sul is just all talk, Sigma points his gun at Seo-hae, but his appearance also goes static. Seo-hae grabs the opportunity to subdue Sigma with Tae-sul but he was able to strangle her after knocking out Tae-sul.
On the brink of losing her consciousness, a shot disrupts Sigma giving Seo-hae a chance to escape. Lamenting on his failure, he looks back on how he experienced a desolate Seoul. He asks if Seo-hae misses it and gets her response of not missing it at all. Another gunshot hits Sigma fatally for good.
“Is everything over now?”
Truly, Tae-sul had everything figure out as he goes to the uploader with Seo-hae and returns to the day before she attempts to rescue him at a church. He also saved Jae-sun’s life by giving him a vest and it turns out that they are the ones who mysteriously triggered the shots to defeat Sigma.
Dong-gi also captured Gil-bok and his act of kindness changes something in him.
However, their victory is short-lived as the raging Eddy Kim overwhelmed with nonsensical jealousy demands Tae-sul to bring the uploader back to life and shot Seo-hae. At a point where he has to choose the world and the girl again, Tae-sul makes a sacrifice and kills himself. It ripples to saving the present time and making the future entrants vanished.
Sisyphus The Myth Peak Points
Consistently Engrossing Plot
Narrated in two timeline perspectives, Sisyphus The Myth powered an intoxicating story that would make you think a lot. Blending its relatively big cast in a high amount of energy and you get a series you can look forward to each week.
The unveiling of plot twists is explained through the cause-effect pattern making the two timelines merge into one whole picture.
Almost perfect to its episode closures, the series vaunts mind-blowing scenarios that would reel in viewers who particularly like deciphering labyrinthine narrative.
Main Lead’s Chemistry
In the imaginary world that Seo-hae and Tae-sul traversed, their individual growth to accept personal setbacks and push forward to make things right is commendable. Them working together is as equally rewarding.
Taking the bulk of the story, it is easy to wish them success in their intended plans. While the story gave some romantic mood, it also readied us not to dwell much on it because their ultimate goal is to save the world.
Assuming role reversal with the female lead saving the hero, also helped in establishing the charm of the storytelling.
Hero-Villain Showdown
The phone call scene in episode 17 is probably the longest phone call in my history of watching K-Dramas. A lot is to be credited to Kim Byung Chul for presenting an interesting anti-hero equally engrossing as the main leads. His banters with Tae-sul are always layered with wit and an enjoyable showcase of sarcasm which makes the plot addicting.
His arguments are even sometimes convincing. As the focal villain, he has shining moments matching the heroics of the hero who ultimately defeated him with his smarts and compassion.
Impeccable Supporting Cast
Serving their purpose well Teams Control Bureau and Asia Mart provided unparalleled effort to solidify the action and emotional scenes of the narrative. Their stories entangled with Seo-hae and Tae-sul’s fate made the story even more robust.
Sisyphus The Myth Series Musings *Spoiler Alert
I was honestly nervous the whole time I was watching the finale episodes of Sisyphus The Myth. That, I really want to blame it as part of occupational hazard as a K-Drama reviewer. *chuckles
My heart is still breaking remembering how the series just gave me a fading-out closure. Something I can’t complain about because I can’t still process that ending.
I’ll be blunt to say that the series’ closure does not match the promise of the story. That decoding is futile because it defeats the beginning purpose of saving Tae-sul to save the world. And no amount of science-based rationalization can make us feel better.
Staying faithful to all those time-traveling sessions really warrants a perceivable finish. So, I really can’t comprehend why Eddy Kim suddenly went crazy. I know the love story is impossible to happen, but killing the hero defeats the purpose of its initial pitch to me.
You see I rooted for Seo-hae’s mission to save Tae-sul and the world. I know at the end of the day once the world is saved the future and present times that are forced to converge will have separate endings.
In the end, the villain survives and his face looks intent to create another havoc. Altering his direction towards evil implicated his future as Sigma. So, I’m also not happy about the confusing picture left about him.
Sisyphus The Myth reminds us to always be kind because creating a human monster like Sigma is also part of all unkind things we chose not to give to someone.
At some point in our lives, we might not be aware of it, but we could have extended a sliver of hope to someone who badly needed it. It all boils down to how kindness is an easy thing to do, but we often neglect doing it.
Tae-sul’s Sacrifice
I had gone through a lot of analysis in Sisyphus The Myth. That’s probably why I felt disappointed for the loose ends not being tied neatly. Seo-hae’s goal is clear-cut. She even inadvertently sets the motion to break the order of events by making Hyeon-gi realize his mistake through her genuine chiding. Therefore, Tae-sul’s sacrifice is deemed unnecessary especially since his best friend’s rage came out of nowhere and definitely unreasonable.
I would have accepted it if Tae-sul just opted to board the uploader and spent his days with Seo-hae in the future. But why drama, why did you make me fall for you so hard and then leave like a thief? *chuckles Before the finale week, I marked Eddy Kim to have a key moment, but now I regret expecting much from him.
Tae-san waking up somewhere did not even make me smile because his happy reunion to Tae-sul is my primary wish in the story, apart from saving the world. Nonetheless, the brothers’ relationship left a message of how we should never let success consume our lives. Having a happy relationship with your family trumps any life victory.
Seo-hae’s Mission
True that Seo-hae’s fervent yearning to grow up not being alone was achieved but was there any other way but a disheartening one to get it? Was it also too much to expect a fading scene of Seo-hae’s happy future than Gil-bok’s menacing face after Tae-sul’s sacrifice?
Seo-hae represents a woman of fortitude who perseveres on her goal. If there’s a takeaway from what happened to her in the series, that would be expecting bitterness is expected when accomplishing triumphs.
I won’t go through the disappointing details since the series has merits of its own. It could have been perfect if the ending was well explained as its “time paradox” plot element.
Sisyphus The Myth is still a good watch especially if you like mind-stimulating stories and you’re a fan of the main leads.
Photos: JTBC
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Narshifa
May 7, 2021 at 3:56 amI think I know…
Remember why and when the aeroplane about to crash in the first episode..? It was because Tae Han time-travelled and accidentally hit the aeroplane.
All the story-lines we saw up until Tae-Sul revived (again) in the aeroplane, was happened because of Tae-Sul in “that” (erased) timeline was supposed to choose the girl again over the world. But, surprisingly to all including the original story-line writer (paradox intended here), he didn’t..in that final moment of the erased timeline, he chose both.
So, wallah…the future Tae Han time-travelling and falling on the aeroplane incident never happened, and Tae Han never knew about future people including Sigma, thus was never “been killed” (although actually held captive by Sigma) and put Tae Sul in tormented hallucination. Tae Han, in this new timeline, is alive and well, however the rewritten of the timeline perhaps taking a toll on Tae Sul instead. Because..remember when Seo Hae was injected by the drug to make her disappear? Remember when Mr. Park told Tae Sul that even if he managed to bring her back to present, she might be different, since a part of her could be lost or changed, for example her memories, because that’s what happen when people do something to time? (Or something like that, I forgot what was his exact words).
So Tae Sul seeing Seo Hae in his hallucination, replacing his previous (erased) timeline hallucination which was his brother, could be the effect of the rewritten timeline on him. He lost sense of timeline and his memories got mixed up from the erased timeline with new timeline..and he chose to let the hallucination stay this time because maybe somehow he knows that’s the only way he could be with grown up Seo Hae..in previous (erased) timeline he took the medication because hallucination of his brother tortured him with regrets, but this timeline the hallucination of Seo Hae brings happiness to him.
However I still has one question unanswered…
Why, however I looked at it, the photo of Tae Sul on the magazine that Seo Hae saw in the previous (erased) timeline’s future (while she was “hunting” at a deserted mart with her father), was different from the Tae Sul that we know from all the episodes…? Anyone know about this?