Summary
Episode 3 continues to appeal to the audience with a growing casualty list and a terror layering over the characters.
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series The Silent Sea season 1, episode 3, “Cause of Death,” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
What is transparent is that this is not a normal space mission (whatever a routine space mission is, but context is necessary). Episode 3 sees that realization hit the crew as the casualties pile up.
The Silent Sea season 1, episode 3 recap
Episode 3 opens with a flashback; Mr. Kim tells Song Jian that the data storage is “on the floor.” The episode returns to the present, and Song Jian is in a rush, scouring the station. Han Yunjae asks her if she knows where Lee Gisu is as he isn’t responding to his radio — he wants her to rejoin him immediately and warns her not to act independently. Meanwhile, Lee Gisu finds a capsule with the sample inside. As for Gong Soochan — the infection that is troubling him appears to worsen.
When Song Jian finds Lee Gisu, something appears to attack him, so she enters the storage area to see what happened to him. He is in the air against the wall, and something is choking him. He falls, and Lee Gisu is dead on impact. Song Jian is utterly shocked at what she saw, but she looks closer. She sees a creature behind Lee Gisu, holding the sample, but she does not seem to compute what she has seen. Her other team member finds her, and he is alarmed that Lee Gisu is dead. Another tragedy for the crew. Doc Hong explains that Lee Gisu died from an immediate spine fracture — she does not believe the impact from the fall would have been enough to kill him, which puts Song Jian’s story under suspicion for the captain.
Han Yunjae asks Song Jian why Lee Gisu was on his own in the storage area and wonders if she deviated from the mission. Song Jian explains she was looking around the area, but the captain does not enjoy her excuse and asks for the body cam footage. When they look at the footage, it confirms her story — they see that some unknown creature takes the sample. Han Yunjae wants to capture whatever it is.
Eventually, Gong Soochan’s infection comes to light as he begins to throw up an abundance of clear liquid. Han Yunjae is alerted that Gong Soochan has collapsed — he is still throwing up what feels like an infinite volume of liquid. The crew put on hazmat suits as a precaution, and Doc Hong investigates Gong Soocha to try and understand his symptoms. She knives an incision in his neck and places a tube down it so the liquid leaves from a different area. Spurts of liquid keep leaving him as Doc Hong tries to treat him. There’s a montage of Gong Soochan floating underneath the sea — no treatment works, and he dies. Another one bites the dust. He drowned within himself.
Doc Hong prepares an autopsy to determine the “cause of death.” Song Jian also wants to investigate and asks Han Yunjae for permission. Yunjae and others form a team to find the creature.
Song Jian wants to check the tissues on the dead, believing they will be able to find answers while Doc Hong continues with the autopsy. While collecting samples, Doc Hong asks for Song Jian to see her. Alarmed, Song Jian runs down the corridors — she seems panicked, but we are not sure why. She continues collecting samples from dead bodies. When she returns to Doc Hong, she gives her autopsy results — Gong Soochan’s body was filled with water. Song Jian notes the others died of the same thing.
Song Jian examines the samples, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary — the crew members were in good health. Doc Hong gives Song Jian Gong Soochan’s blood in a vial — there appears to be another layer within the blood.
The ending
Yunjae and his team head down the ventilation routes to find the creature. A biosignal heads toward them on the radio, but they cannot see it. It’s a failed mission to find it. They need to head down to the digital unit to track the creature, which will involve anchoring down — the elevator will be no use. When Han Yunjae reunites with Song Jian, she notes that the intruder that killed Lee Gisu did not go near her. She tells him it’s essential to keep a distance. Han Yunjae wonders if the creature is a survivor, and Song Jian does not think it is entirely impossible. It suddenly hits Han Yunjae that their mission does not make sense whatsoever.
As the episode ends, Yunjae looks down at the dark valley below the station, uncertain of what the future holds for him and his crew. The full weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
Episode 3 continues to appeal to the audience with a growing casualty list and a terror layering over the characters.
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