Summary
Episode 15 brings the entire story full circle with significant revelations that solidifies the penultimate chapter. The only question left is — will Tae-sul and Gang Seo-hae save the world?
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series Sisyphus: The Myth episode 15 contains significant spoilers.
It’s been a journey. It’s disappointing that the ratings and viewership for this series have dropped because I believe it has been brilliant. I’m sad to see this series go. The production effort, coupled with the storyboarding, has been excellent. Anyway, let’s recap the penultimate episode of Sisyphus: The Myth.
With Tae-sul attempting to put fate in his own hands, he goes looking for Sigma in the Quantum & Time offices. Sigma rings him to tantalise the character, stating the nuclear bomb will go off, but Tae-sul confidently talks back — he feeds into his insecurities to frustrate the man. Sigma lists the times when people were not there for him.
Seo Won-ju felt the world was against him
Episode 15 treats viewers to more of Sigma’s background — he fondly reminds us of the “Joker” but one that manipulates time.
A flashback shows Sigma (Seo Won-ju) heading to the police station after Gang Seo-hae chases him down. He causes a commotion in the police station, but the taxi driver walks in and berates him for not paying the fare. No one believes that Tae-sul tried to kill him. Seo Won-ju is dismayed by his treatment and runs outside of the police station. Sigma narrates and claims that even if Tae-sul shoots him, he’s the “bad guy”. In the future, as he tries to kill himself, his roof collapses as the attack on Korea begins. He survived the nuclear blast as he sealed his home, ready to kill himself — it was all about survival from here.
Delving deeper
In the present day, Tae-sul listens to the story but tells Sigma that he doesn’t care. He reimagines the busy office to see where Sigma could be — he believes Sigma must have had a high position within the company. Sigma continues phoning Tae-sul and taunting him with his personal experiences and riddles, and Tae-sul becomes impatient. Sigma tells him to get used to the darkness.
Seo-jin will not join Edward Kim
Sisyphus: The Myth episode 15 provides a transition point where the characters reach a significant checkpoint in the story.
Eventually, Tae-sul and Sigma end up at a church. Sigma describes how the war started between several countries, but this church survived. He explains how he built the Uploader in the basement of the church. Meanwhile, Edward Kim and Seo-jin look at the Uploader that’s been built. Edward is freaking out that everyone is going to die. Seo-jin tells him that she is going to stay behind as there’s nothing between them now. Edward Kim believes it’s because of Tae-sul and Seo-jin scoffs, stating they don’t go a day without talking about him. Edward Kim slaps her; Seo-jin calls him a loser, gives back her engagement ring and walks off. This is the end of the couple.
Choi Jae-sun’s sacrifice
Sisyphus: The Myth episode 15 does bring a tragedy that many viewers will be upset about…
Choi Jae-sun finds Gang Seo-hae’s bunker after remembering how she described her “home”. Gang Seo-hae tells him that she’s scared of surviving alone in this world and will not make her happy. Despite Choi Jae-sun’s protest, she leaves him in his car — she refuses to give up despite Tae-sul leaving her in the bunker. Choi Jae-sun rings his family and then decides to help Gang Seo-hae. As he meets up with her again on the highway, there’s an attack on Gang Seo-hae, so Choi Jae-sun gets in the way of the bullets. It’s Hyeong-gi shooting at her. Before he can reload, Gang Seo-hae fights him. She disarms Hyeong-gi, but when it comes to killing the man, she hesitates. Gang Seo-hae describes his mother and reiterates how she did not kill her. Gang Seo-hae runs to Choi Jae-sun’s aid, but it’s too late — he dies in her arms.
Hyeong-gi heads to The Control Bureau
Reality hits Hyeong-gi in episode 15, as it dawns on the man that he has been used as a pawn.
Hyeong-gi confronts Hwang Hyun-seung, and he’s dismayed about what The Control Bureau does. He points his gun at the man and states that he wants the truth after Gang Seo-hae stated that she didn’t kill his mother. Hwang Hyun-seung admits to killing his mother and the “future him” that crossed over — he tells him he must shoot him, but Hyeong-gi refuses. As Hwang Hyun-seung tries to kill himself, Hyeong-gi shoots his arm to stop him. Hyeong-gi states that he’s dead inside since his mother died.
Meeting Sigma in the future
Episode 15 gives the audience another snippet of Gang Seo-hae’s future — this part of the story has been delivered perfectly.
In the future, Gang Seo-hae and her father infiltrate the place where the Uploader is and get straight into the action. Eventually, they are surrounded by soldiers. But then Sigma turns up, and he knows Gang Seo-hae. He tells her he’s the owner of the Uploader — he gives her a card, and it says “Sigma”, so she points his rifle at him. Gang Seo-hae vows to save Tae-sul and kill Sigma to save the world. Sigma laughs and asks the soldiers to lower their guns. He calls Gang Seo-hae cute and tells the soldiers to let them go, and states they can cross over in the Uploader.
Suddenly, Gang Seo-hae is injected with a drug by one of the soldiers, and she gets sleepy. When she wakes up, her father, Gang Dong-gi, tells her it is her time to go. The story goes full circle as we are reminded of episode 1. Gang Dong-gi gives her a list of rules of what she must do when she crosses over. He forces her to say to stay away from Tae-sul. Gang Seo-hae arrives in the past.
It was nice to understand the emotion of this pivotal point in the story. We have already seen this, but with extra scenes, it gave the moment weight.
The church
Episode 15 returns to the Church. Tae-sul tells Sigma that he hid Gang Seo-hae because he saw the future. Sigma asks Tae-sul to complete the coding for the Uploader. Tae-sul suddenly realises that Sigma uses the Uploader to explode the nuclear bomb. Sigma explains it would be a waste not to use the Uploader for weapons.
Tae-sul laughs and states he will not do it, but Sigma claims Gang Seo-hae will walk in soon and she will be shot. Sigma reveals that Choi Jae-sun is dead and that Gang Seo-hae will head to the church voluntarily. Gunshots can be heard outside as Gang Seo-hae takes out Sigma’s men. When the Church doors open, Gang Seo-hae isn’t there. She’s dressed up as one of the guards, and she takes them all out one by one. However, Sigma has Tae-sul held at gunpoint.
The ending
Gang Seo-hae tells Sigma that he cannot kill Tae-sul. Sigma asks Gang Seo-hae to kill him as this is her one chance; she aims her at Sigma, but she clearly doesn’t want to risk hurting Tae-sul — she loves him. Sigma reveals that he brought them together and that there were multiple moments where he could have killed them both, but it was all part of his plan for them to develop feelings for each other. Scenes show near misses that were on purpose. Sigma planted everything. He’s controlled everyone’s fate.
Sigma tells Tae-sul that he will make the Uploader because he loves her — “It was all part of my plan”. Tae-sul and Gang Seo-hae have a face that says it all — they’ve been well and truly compromised. Sigma celebrates that he’s won again.
Sisyphus: The Myth episode 15 brings the entire story full circle with significant revelations that solidifies the penultimate chapter. The only question left is — will Tae-sul and Gang Seo-hae save the world?
