THE DEVIL'S PLAN: DEATH ROOM | SEASON REVIEW
- Syd Salazar
- 14 hours ago
- 10 min read
I just finished watching the second season of The Devil’s Plan, and bar none, it’s better than Season 1. It still has its flaws—mainly in the political undercurrents and how overly righteous and self-sacrificing some of the players are—but overall, it felt more refined. At least they managed to move past the hack that ORBIT exploited in the first season.
Honestly, if Jeong Hyun-gyu had competed in Season 1, he probably would’ve shared the same fate as Kim Dong-jae. But this time around, the addition of the prison system and the stark contrast between the rich getting all the opportunities was the missing link connecting The Devil’s Plan to Jung Jong-yeon’s other survival show, The Society Game.
While the games still carry that The Genius vibe, adding the twist that pieces also function as life tokens raises the stakes—it makes sense why players would go to extreme lengths just to stay out of prison. Even with the looming threat of revenge from the prison group, mansion players still played cutthroat.
Sure, Hyun-gyu ended up in prison right before the finals, but was his experience really the same as the others? Tinno, Park Sang-yeon, and Chuu had to deal with politics and survival. Hyun-gyu’s stint felt more like a delay than a setback.
The show has now moved away from the typical survival show casting, but imagine what it could be like if we had players in the mold of Hong Jin Ho, Jang Dong Min, or Dex?
Let’s rank the players.
*** WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD ***
*** WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD ***
*** WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD ***
CHUU
ELIMINATED | PRISON DEATH MATCH 1
I first discovered Chuu through The Iron Squad Season 3, and since then, I’ve noticed her popping up in other variety shows, proving she’s far more than just a K-pop idol. With a mix of charm, intelligence, and undeniable screen presence, she brought a unique energy to The Devil’s Plan. Unfortunately, every season needs a first casualty, and Chuu ended up as this round’s early sacrificial lamb. Her elimination was largely a byproduct of Kyuhyun’s strategic maneuvering, and it didn’t help that, as one of the youngest participants, she was expected to play into her “cute” image while under heavy scrutiny.
LEE SEUNG-HYUN
ELIMINATED | HIDDEN PRISON STAGE
More than just a former Miss Korea, Lee Seung-hyun came into The Devil’s Plan and immediately proved she had serious brainpower to match her looks. She poured everything into cracking the Knight’s Tour puzzle, working all night and successfully solving it, earning early comparisons to Season 1 standout Seo Dong-joo. For a while, it seemed like she might be the cerebral breakout star of Season 2. Unfortunately, her decision to enter the Secret Chamber—believing it was tied to the Knight’s Tour—backfired spectacularly. Her hesitation (basically, she was persuaded by her Prison Gang mates) and the timing of the move (so early in the game) echoed the downfall of Season 1’s Lee Si-won, ultimately cutting short what could have been a deep and strategic run.
PARK SANG-YEON
ELIMINATED | PRISON DEATH MATCH 2
The youngest contestant of the season, Park Sang-yeon came in with high expectations, especially as a physics champion with a sharp, analytical mind. Unfortunately, he never quite got the chance to showcase those smarts in full—he would’ve been a natural fit for the Treasure Chest game, had he lasted longer. He did make waves during the Unknown game, not for brilliance but for playing aggressively and celebrating prematurely, a misstep that sent him straight to prison. There, he tried to spin his downfall by claiming he was merely a mansion sacrifice, but the damage was already done—he walked into the lion’s den of the very players he had just antagonized. The death match felt like a coordinated takedown by the Prison Gang (even if they had their own agendas), and under pressure, his nerves faltered, cutting his journey shorter than it could have been.
LEE SE-DOL
ELIMINATED | PRIZE MATCH 3
Coming into the show, I didn’t know much about Lee Se-dol beyond his legendary status in the world of Go, but like Justin Min, he quickly became one of the more fascinating players to watch. Unlike Season 1’s Go player Cheo Yeon-woo, who felt out of place among intellectual giants, Lee Se-dol brought a charming mix of genius and goofiness that made his every move entertaining. He played with sincerity rather than strategy, rarely resorting to deceit or manipulation, which unfortunately cost him in both the opening and final games he played. His decision to trust Kyuhyun in the first game, while understandable, proved costly, and his solo play in the Halloween monster game didn’t help his case either. Skipping the special prison incentive may have also sealed his fate, but it's clear he had more to offer had he stayed longer in the game.
KIM HA-RIN
ELIMINATED | PRISON DEATH MATCH 3
Don’t let her petite frame or doll-like red dress fool you—Kim Ha-rin brought a quiet intensity to The Devil’s Plan that made her an early standout. With the focus and drive of someone who clearly has her life and career charted out, she approached each match with bookish precision and quiet confidence. Crowned the “queen of prison” early on, she held her own through multiple death matches, clawing her way forward with a cool, calculating style. Even as a poker novice, she nearly went the distance in the poker death match, proving that underestimating her would be a fatal mistake. In the end, the back-to-back battles wore her down, but her resilience and potential made her one of the season’s most compelling players.
JUSTIN H. MIN
ELIMINATED | PRIZE MATCH 4
Best known to the world as Ben from The Umbrella Academy, Justin entered The Devil’s Plan as the wildcard. Famous on Netflix, yes, but virtually unknown to the Korean players and unfamiliar with Korean social dynamics. Despite this cultural and social disconnect, he quickly proved himself as one of the most cerebral and fearless players in the game. A calculated risk-taker, Justin thrived in high-pressure scenarios like the Hidden Hand and Prediction Poker death matches. He held firm moral ground, too, openly calling out his fellow prison mates for fraternizing with mansion players, which added depth to his gameplay. He also has a devil-may-care personality in prison, which makes him an endearing character. Unfortunately, the one time he placed his trust in a group ultimately became his downfall.
TINO
ELIMINATED | PRISON DEATH MATCH 4
In many ways, Tino felt like Season 2’s more easygoing, “bro” version of ORBIT—approachable, selfless, and always willing to lend a hand. He carried a quiet mentor vibe, forming solid relationships across both the mansion and the prison camps without drawing too much heat. However, this same laid-back nature became his Achilles' heel, especially when it came to reining in aggressive players like 7HIGH and Jeong Hyun-gyu. 7HIGH had a point when he questioned why Tino voluntarily went to prison—after all, the core strategy is to avoid death matches, not invite them. Unfortunately, that choice proved costly, as Tino’s first trip to a death match also became his last.
KYUHYUN
ELIMINATED | PRIZE MATCH 5
As a familiar face from countless Korean variety shows, Super Junior's Kyuhyun entered The Devil’s Plan with a mix of sharp wit and lovable goofiness. While his early-game presence echoed the calm leadership of a Ha Seok-jin, his later moves—especially his emotional reactions and missteps—felt more like Seungkwan in survival-mode chaos. Despite his intelligence, he often found himself in moral crossfires: lying to Ji-yeong as a corrupt cop, acting as a follower for the sake of the mansion players, and ultimately making heartbreaking decisions like not defending Tino when he was chosen to go to prison or standing firm in Hyun-gyu’s defense despite the repercussions. He may have exited the game for being too selfless in a cutthroat environment, but he left with somewhat his integrity and likeability intact. Still, you can’t help but wonder—if he had leaned more into leadership beyond the first game, would things have turned out differently?
KANG JI-YOUNG
ELIMINATED | PRISON DEATH MATCH 5
A seasoned presenter with a sharp tongue and sharper instincts, Ji-young brought strong The Genius vibes, drawing early comparisons to the iconic Kim Kyung-ran. Like her predecessor, she wasn’t afraid to butt heads—her fiery confrontations with Kyuhyun and 7HIGH proved that she wasn’t one to back down. While not the top dog in her alliance, she still made her mark in games like the triple dice match, showing that she could hold her own when the spotlight was on. However, being in the prison group came with a brutal cost: fewer pieces, daily death matches, and mounting pressure. Ultimately, she bowed out in the fifth death match, but not before leaving her fierce presence etched into the season’s chaos.
SON EUN-YOO
ELIMINATED | PRIZE MATCH 6
A lawyer by profession and a survivor by nature, Eun-yoo made her mark as the death match queen, racking up an impressive 5-0 record in the underground. She consistently outshone her peers with smart plays, disruptive tactics, and a knack for reading the room, especially in high-pressure situations. Her emotions occasionally bubbled to the surface, but she never let them cloud her judgment when it truly mattered. A crucial misstep in the sixth prize match spelled her end, though by then, her dwindling game pieces had already placed her on borrowed time. Still, she proved to be a breakout star—one who played valiantly even when the odds were stacked unfairly against her.
7HIGH
ELIMINATED | PRIZE MATCH 6
If you've ever imagined a version of The Devil's Plan with Running Man's Kim Jong-kook as a player, 7HIGH might be the closest we’ll get. Though only a couple of years younger than Go legend Lee Se-dol, he exuded an intimidating alpha presence that often let him navigate seniority-driven social dynamics with ease. Initially pegged as a villain, he instead emerged as a principled player—one who wore his betrayals like battle scars, never hiding them and often announcing them with flair. His unpredictable energy—whether forming unlikely bromances with Tino and Park Sang-yeon or striking random model-like poses—added levity to his otherwise intense gameplay. A beast in poker-style matches, 7HIGH ultimately ran out of game pieces, but not before leaving a lasting impression as one of the season's boldest and most entertaining players.
CHOI HYUN-JOON
ELIMINATED | PRISON DEATH MATCH 6
A model with a math degree from one of Korea’s top universities, Choi Hyun-joon proved to be one of the season’s most layered and unpredictable players. He carried a constant inner battle—his anxious, uncertain side would sometimes cause him to waver on decisions or alliances, but when pushed, his darker instincts took over. His betrayal of Jeong Hyun-gyu was a game-defining move that revealed his capacity for cold strategy beneath the nerves. From trembling through a buzzer death match to conquering the daunting secret prison challenge, Hyun-joon showed surprising resilience. While his actions in the fifth prize match eventually made him a target, he didn't go down quietly, fighting with grit and fire until the very end.
YOON SO-HEE
ELIMINATED | FINALS
Known from variety shows like Running Man and Master Key, Yoon So-hee brought her science smarts to The Devil’s Plan and nearly ran the table.
From Day 1, she felt like a well-oiled machine—always calm, always calculating, and almost always right. Whether it was the Treasure Chest game, or helping Hyun-gyu both unlock and navigate the equation-heavy Hidden Mansion mission, she consistently cracked codes and backed it all up with airtight logic. But for all her brainpower, her biggest mistake came from a moment of heart: choosing to aid Hyun-gyu out of empathy, a move that eventually came back to haunt her. Had it not been for her crucial missteps during the first game and the third round of the final, we might have easily seen Yoon So-hee crowned as the Season 2 winner. Because when it came to brains, composure, and sheer consistency, she was in a league of her own.
JEONG HYUN-GYU
WINNER OF THE DEVIL'S PLAN SEASON 2
His victory almost felt unfair—not because he didn’t earn it, but because it seemed like he had both intelligence and luck working in perfect sync. From the very beginning, the shy student/influencer played his cards with care and precision. He worked relentlessly to unlock the Hidden Mansion mission, and when faced with the grueling Knight’s Tour challenge, he powered through with grit and focus. But Hyun-gyu didn’t just rely on brains and perseverance—he had a cold edge. His wins weren’t squeakers; they were overwhelming routs, designed to break the other players’ morale.
In many ways, he was the “evil robot” to Yoon So-hee’s “good robot,” with Kyuhyun and Tino acting as his moral compass. What set him apart was his ability to manipulate the dynamics, letting others volunteer to take the fall while keeping his hands clean. It’s wild to think So-hee could have had a stronger shot in the finals if she had let Hyun-gyu face that 1-vs-6 gauntlet instead of protecting him.
In the end, the finals between Hyun-gyu and So-hee could have gone either way, but Hyun-gyu capitalized on her mistakes with robotic precision. He played a near-flawless game—brilliant, brutal, and eerily efficient. That’s why he fully deserved to be crowned the Season 2 winner of The Devil’s Plan.
Now, as for the backlash surrounding Jeong Hyun-gyu’s win… I honestly don’t get the disappointment. From the very start—even back in Season 1—it was clear: The Devil’s Plan is a game built on betrayal. The moment you step into that mansion, trust is a currency, and everyone’s ready to spend it.
People are acting like this was some unprecedented turn of events, but let’s not forget what ORBIT did in the first season. I didn’t agree with his methods either, but he played the cards he was dealt—and he played them well. The alliance of Hyun-gyu, So-hee, Tino, and Kyuhyun wasn’t even that different from ORBIT’s group. The key difference? The prison setup limited how big alliances could get. And let’s be real—while Hyun-gyu and Tino technically spent time in prison, can we really say they were "part" of the prison crew? Tino wore the uniform and ate the food, sure, but he was there for a day, and the only real politics he got involved in was 7HIGH scolding him for sacrificing himself.
If anything, this season felt cleaner than other strategic shows. Season 2 of The Genius had messier alliances. The Bloody Game Season 3 was even more chaotic. And don’t even get me started on The Time Hotel, where Hong Jin-ho, John Park, and Hwang Je-sung steamrolled everyone with almost no resistance.
All in all, I’d say Season 2 of The Devil’s Plan was better than Season 1. That said, my personal tier list still stands: Ha Seok-jin is the best all-around player, ORBIT takes the crown in politics, and Hyun-gyu and So-hee are just equation-solving robots from the future.
Honestly, I don’t see anyone beating those two unless someone like Season 1's Kim Dong-jae gets a real shot to show what he’s made of.
Comments