Summary
Episode 3 continues to deepen the sci-fi mystery with creative action set-pieces and slowly peeling away at the unknown.
This recap of Netflix K-Drama series Sisyphus: The Myth episode 3 contains significant spoilers.
The opening two episodes were brilliant, and after our preview for this week’s continuation, episode 3 was always going to be about bringing both lead characters together.
Episode 3 begins at a Quantum & Conference, and strange things are happening around the building, with a life form that looks slightly human teleporting to the venue. Lights are flickering, and security men seem concerned. One of the security officials sees a long green case, but the teleported person knocks him out — “The Myth” shows up on the screen. The teleported life form that has appeared situates itself at the top of the conference with a sniper.
Han Tae-sul turns up at the conference
Episode 3 gives the audience a conference environment with tension; this scene keeps you on edge, making you feel the lead character is in grave danger.
Edward Kim, the Vice President of Quantum & Time, starts his keynote speech. He explains how Tae-sul cannot deliver his speech today. The life form withdraws his weapon. But suddenly, Han Tae-sul turns up to do his speech, and the audience goes wild. The life form focuses his sniper on him — Edward Kim warns him of death threats before Tae-sul begins his speech.
Meanwhile, Gang Seo-hae fights through the conference security. She’s on a mission. Tae-sul presents his latest project on stage, where he teleports a polymer compound via quantum teleportation. Ironically, it looks the same as how the life form teleported at the conference. The crowd is impressed. Suddenly, Tae-sul believes he sees his brother Tae-san and starts to freak out. Edward Kim comes on stage to try to calm him down. At this point, it’s difficult to understand if he is hallucinating or not.
The assault and the escape
It’s clear that Sisyphus: The Myth is going to treat audiences with well-drawn action scenes, and episode 3 delivers another one.
Gang Seo-hae enters the room and shouts for Tae-sul to get down. As she does, the sniper shoots the CEO, and everyone is in panic and leaves the conference. Bong-seon tries to find the sniper, but he’s also shot. Gang Seo-hae gets on stage to help Tae-sul and throws a smoke grenade, so there’s no visibility. The lifeform heads on to stage with a pistol to find them, but Gang Seo-hae and Tae-sul have already fled. As the attacker gets close to them again, Gang Seo-hae keeps on fighting it off. Some incredibly choreographed action scenes follow as Gang Seo-hae fights the unknown life form.
The police turn up, and Gang Seo-hae points a gun at Tae-sul’s head so she can use him to get away. The police now think it’s a hostage situation. Gang Seo-hae slides down the edge of the glass building with Tae-sul to get out. Their escape becomes more elaborate as Gang Seo-hae creates a paraglide to cross to another building. Tae-sul faints during the fall.
Mr Park turns up
More characters involved in previous episodes start to merge their world with the lead characters.
Tae-sul wakes up, and he understandably doesn’t trust Gang Seo-hae, who mentions The Control Bureau. Suddenly, two men with shotguns surround them, and Mr Park, who Tae-sul spoke to on the phone in the last episode, shows up. His men knock Tae-sul and Gang Seo-hae out and throw them in his van. Meanwhile, the news reports an attack on the conference, but the kidnapping has been kept as a secret from the company — they are saying Tae-sul is in critical condition at the hospital. Hwang Hyun-seung arrives on the scene to investigate. Meanwhile, Edward Kim is told to see this as an opportunity to take over Quantum & Time — board politics has already begun.
An unofficial embassy
Tae-sul and Gang Seo-hae wake up, and they are tied together. They have no idea where they are. Gang Seo-hae is angry that her plan didn’t work out, but Tae-sul is wondering why they have a wedding photo together. Gang Seo-hae tells him she is saving him. They are in a shop, and there’s a casualness about the place, and they are eventually freed from being tied to chairs. They are shown around with shotguns pointing at them. Tae-sul learns that Bong-seon is in critical condition on the news, and he wells up a little.
Here’s the moment Gang Seo-hae proves she’s from the future with winning lottery numbers:
The future is a mirror of the present
Sisyphus: The Myth episode 3 starts to open Tae-sul up to another part of the world that he’s not accustomed to — what’s surprising is that he has the brain to understand what might be happening, but he seems shellshocked by the situation.
Mr Park tells Tae-sul and Gang Seo-hae that this is an unofficial embassy and they look after people who came here from “the other side”. He tells Tae-sul that the Control Bureau people tried to kill them and that they are safe with him. Tae-sul is asking many questions, but Mr Park wants the key to the safe. He asks how much would he be willing to change a mistake in the past, and Gang Seo-hae says the future is the mirror of the present. Mr Park agrees to show Tae-sul what they do in return for the key.
Showing Tae-sul what they do in exchange for the key
Park’s people rev up some systems, and Gang Seo-hae calls it the “downloader”. They are given jackets to put on. Tae-sul keeps asking questions, but none come. Everything is given vaguely to him. Mr Park then takes them on a ride. He sees Gang Seo-hae’s weaponry and what looks like a diary, and she gets defensive and ends up fighting him. Tae-sul manages to ease tensions. Mr Park says everything that Gang Seo-hae brought is his, so Tae-sul offers to buy the diary that is obviously precious to Gang Seo-hae. He asks for 150 million won. Tae-sul sends the money to end negotiations, and Mr Park gives over the diary. What an expensive transaction, but it’s clear that Tae-sul felt the sentimental value for his new companion.
The ending
Gang Seo-hae whispers to Tae-sul that as soon as he ends over the key, Mr Park will kill him, but Tae-sul is already aware of that fact. While driving in a broken area of the town, the Control Bureau turn up and breaks up a commotion and scans the area. Mr Park tells them how the Control Bureau are jerks.
Mr Park takes them to a warehouse, and he asks Tae-sul if he’s ever seen a photo of something that hasn’t happened yet — Tae-sul remembers the photos of him at the conference, but two days earlier. Tae-sul says, “what is important is when”. Suddenly, objects float in the warehouse, and a suitcase materialises in front of them. A naked person also appears next to the suitcase, and Tae-sul in shock. Mr Park says, “welcome to the future”.
Sisyphus: The Myth episode 3 continues to deepen the sci-fi mystery with creative action sets and slowly unpeeling away at the unknown.
Additional points
- As Gang Seo-hae enters Busan, she seems surprised by the water — it’s almost like she hasn’t seen an ocean before, and the taxi driver tells her about the city.
