Summary
The finale brings an emotional closure to the first season, leaving the future uncertain despite more questions answered.
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series The Silent Sea season 1, episode 8 — the ending and finale explained — contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
It was blatantly evident that the final episode would be a race for survival, but there’s an emotional, human angle to it that works. The finale also leaves many questions unanswered regarding the future of Luna, Lunar water, and Earth, which may fit into a second season. Time will tell.
The Silent Sea season 1, episode 8 recap – the finale and ending explained
The finale opens with a flashback on the station; gate closures were activated, and everyone panicked. Many people were trapped by the closed gates and were forced to remain on the station and die. Director Choi asks Mr. Kim if there’s any chance any of the crew members will survive.
In the present day, the water is destroying the research station. Song Jian talks about human experimentation using clones and how the result is Luna. Doc Hong is frustrated, knowing the higher-ups will not believe them. Song Jian thinks this is why Director Choi chose her to be on this mission, thinking she will not disclose the atrocities.
Song Jian looks at her frail hands — the drop of water that landed on her is starting to impact her. She locks herself in a room, not wanting to contaminate her crew members. She begins to vomit water endlessly, and Luna looks at her through the window. Like the previous characters, there’s a montage showing the character falling into an abyss of water, but this time, she can hear her sister’s voice, and she wakes up — her symptoms are improving. According to Doc Hong, Lunar acts as an antibody and suppresses multiplication.
Han Yunjae learns that Ryu Taesuk was working with RX mercenaries. Two ships are heading their way; one is RX, the other is their escape ship. They need a plan. Mr. Kim tells the crew that Luna will be sent to a military-grade facility when they arrive on Earth. Song Jian raises how Lunar will be the only one that will be a tool for their experiments on lunar water, so it will not work in their favor imprisoning her. Mr. Kim’s response does not inspire Song Jian, and she states she will take Lunar to the IISB, a neutral place where she can study and away from danger. Han Yunjae believes she’ll be in danger regardless of where she goes due to the need for Lunar water — he wants to complete the mission for his daughter’s sake.
Suddenly, Luna puts her ears to the ground. She can hear the water; Song Jian thinks they should follow her, believing she’s behaving this way on purpose. Suddenly water bursts at the end of the corridor, and the remaining crew has to run. When they reach gate 7, they are faced with Ryu Taesuk, who is struggling with the infection. Han Yunjae tries to calm him down with the water slowly coming behind them. Ryu Taesuk asks Han Yunjae why he pretends he didn’t know what they did. He believes they don’t deserve Lunar water.
Ryu Taesuk apologizes to Song Jian and states their rescue ship isn’t coming. Flashbacks showed Ryu Taesuk on the station before the tragedy five years ago; he closes the gates on all the crew members, leaving them destined to die. One of the members was Song Wonkyung. He’s been riddled with guilt since.
Running out of time, Chief Gong shoots Ryu Taesuk so they can keep advancing — he was shot in return too. Ryu Taesuk vomits water — when Luna tries to act as an antibody, Song Jian stops her. Ryu Taesuk is dead. When they get closer to safety, Chief Gong collapses from the gun wound and dies. Once again, another casualty.
The ending
In an emotional moment, Han Yunjae decides to leave the room and pull the lever on the air depressurization to sacrifice himself and save the others, thus preventing the water from getting to them. Song Jian tries to persuade him not to do this because he has a child on Earth, but he tells her that she goes wherever Luna goes. Doc Hong and Song Jian then head out onto the moon to look for Luna, and as they do, the de-air pressurized water hits them. It’s turned solid. Han Yunjae’s actions saved them.
Both women continue walking the moon’s surface, looking for Luna, but there’s no sign of her at first. Eventually, they find her, standing on a mound, looking at Earth in awe. She turns around, and there’s a slight smile on her face — the young girl wants to go there. Luna then walks the moon’s surface and finds a dying Han Yunjae. We finally see the humanity shown to the young cloned girl, who was treated as a monster all series.
And then, a ship arrives, and they are rescued along with the water samples. The camera pans up to show Earth, half in a shadow. The future is still uncertain.
The finale brings an emotional closure to the first season, leaving the future uncertain despite more questions answered.
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