Carol Dilse

The dynamics that developed between the contestants were both fascinating and frustrating. I really grew to resent Orbit and Seo Dong-joo’s personas. No matter how their big alliance began, it evolved into the sheep (who were repeatedly told they were weak and poor players) being bossed around by the arrogant and condescending Orbit and Dong- joo. Orbit always described his intentions as those of a savior protecting the less fortunate/ weak players, wanting to get all or most to the finals. What a disingenuous sentiment. It also was apparent from the very beginning that Orbit craved being center stage. I can’t say that I was a huge fan of Lee Si-won’s, but she was the catalyst for Seok-jin’s ultimate success. Her tenacity and ability to recognize strong allies were her strong suits. She and Seok-jin developed the perfect symbiotic relationship, as she was instrumental in Soek-jin’s solving the code. However, she was not gifted enough to go the rest of the way on her own. That took Soek-jin’s level of problem solving ability. Unlike some of the other contestants, Seok-jin was low key about his skills. That set the stage for his stunning endgame. When he recognized what was developing in the grass-laying game and then was able to execute his strategy, that was phenomenal! Even then, the other players didn’t realize that Seok-jin was playing chess while they had been playing checkers, as the saying goes. It wasn’t until Si-won was unexpectedly eliminated that the magnitude of Seok-jin’s accomplishments began to dawn on the other players. The prison sequence of events was shocking and suspenseful. I’m not sure how many of the other contestants would’ve been able to solve that game under those conditions, but Seok-jin did in emotional fashion. All I will say about the semifinal game was that I feel Orbit intentionally made the mistake that knocked out his steadfast ally, Dong-joo. For such an emotional player, he was surprisingly laid back when acknowledging his ‘mistake.’ That was suspicious, in my opinion. Finally, the single most satisfying part of the finale…. When Orbit won the first game of Nine Men’s Morris after starting second, one of the players watching commented on his unlikely victory. Park Kyung-lim commented in adoring tones, ‘That’s Orbit.’ Seok-jin proceeded to crush the mighty Orbit in the second and third games of Nine Men’s Morris. That was wonderful! He had adapted his play after observing Orbit in the first game, a superior talent to possess. That ability, combined with his impressive composure, made Ha Seok-jin a formidable opponent who was underestimated by the majority of the players.