Episode 2 of Best of Idol aired. It picked up where it left off. In other words, it began with Sujin giving up Part 1 of the Signal Song.
If the previous episode had been where viewers barely knew anyone besides the producers and guests, Episode 2 was where prominent contestants began to gain followers and fans. Even the lesser-skilled ones with top-notch appearances were starting to gain recognition, and supporters rallied people to vote for them.
The official forum thread for BOI's second episode was bustling, flooded with replies and comments.
A netizen posted, "LOLOLOLOL, when one gave up, the others followed. It was so much fun. Sujin gave up so easily, though."
A forum member called Sasha-Is-Pretty replied, "No, that was them being smart and recognizing the best."
Then others began to comment, "COWARDS! There should be a fight! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
"I agree. This world revolves around the sun and orbits around chaos. We need competition and rivalry to progress. Folly is the future of humankind, the driving force behind progress, the spark needed for learning and change, and I am the messiah speaking the ultimate truth," replied a user called Yuan.
Mr. KIND1 said, "Translation: fight for that spot because Part 1 is the best."
Then somebody reacted, "Are you stupid? How do you challenge and win against somebody like Jun? In my opinion, giving up is the wisest thing to do."
The original poster commented, "SHUT UP! COWARDS!"
The various chat groups discussing Best of Idol were also lively. Some trolls spoke nonsense ninety-nine percent of the time. There were also people asking for updates after missing a few minutes of the broadcast, viewers kindly answering queries, and others sharing real-time analysis.
In some live broadcasts and watch parties, emoticons rained down, alongside comments filled with names and phrases like "I love you," "You are the best," and "Marry me."
Regardless of the chaos among viewers, the broadcast went on.
Faithful to the message of the Signal Song mission, some contestants got more screen time, and some got less. Both camps poured effort and sweat into the mission. The Inhabitants, in particular, were pushed to the brink by Jun. Some viewers thought Jun was ruthless, but when the mid-check happened, they gasped and wondered if the boy had some prediction ability or had studied survival shows extensively.
[WifeofDrew: Look at my husband, Drew. He is so handsome, talented, skilled, wonderful, awesome, manly, amazing, and cute as always!]
Drew was shown smiling softly before transitioning into an expressionless face as he made the Inhabitants switch from dancing to singing, dancing and singing simultaneously, and then back to singing before dancing again. Just watching it on the monitor was exhausting.
In an interview, Juwon said, "If not for Jun's method of training, we would really be rendered helpless. The first time we went dancing in formation and then singing right away, we felt out of breath even though we were just standing in a straight line. We found it harder. Logically, singing and dancing at the same time should be harder, but somehow singing in line after dancing was more difficult. I don't know why."
[Werewolf90: What is he saying?][Lupus: Definitely a stamina problem.][Juwon-Spouse: He is not making sense. But my baby looks awesome anyway. Look at that silly princely smile! Only he could pull it off while still looking divinely cute!][Juwon'sRealWife: I couldn't agree more!][SharkBaby: You women are insane.][Juwon-Spouse: He's got the face and talent. Are you jealous?][SharkBaby: So what if I am?][Juwon'sRealWife: Bad news for you. Jealousy means you're ugly. For people like you, plastic surgery is the only answer, haha.]
Fights ensued in the comment section.
The scenes on the screen shifted to check the progress of the Landers, who were completing the mission solo. Highlighted were trainees like Hyeon-ju, who sang well but struggled to follow the choreo, or those who nearly got into the Greenhouse but were voted off.
Soon, the moment for the Inhabitants' performance arrived. Of course, due to "timing," only three seconds played at first before commercial ads cut in. The curses from viewers did not need imagining, as many expressed them in forums or left violent memes.
Soon, the ads finished. The contestants appeared again, dressed in proper stage attire in black and blue, wearing fancy silver accessories on their necks, ears, and wrists.
The director appeased annoyed viewers using a proven method: zooming in on the handsome faces of the Inhabitants.
Then, finally, the music began. The lights converged into one spot.
"Fate compelled me to step forwardTo stand in front of the door of my long-awaited dream…"
The voice of the center echoed, revealing a charismatic boy leaning on another's back.
Jun's intro involved little movement, yet through gestures and eye expressions that seemed to say something, he made sure nobody could look away. That was the center's job: to hold everything and everyone together.
Sujin, who followed, was weaker in expression but impressed with his beautiful voice.
The parts that followed were also executed successfully. When the bridge paired Kato and Min, Jun once again came to the center, powerfully dancing to the chorus.
Everyone danced the same moves as the chorus. All showed mastery, five flavored the choreo with their own style, but only two truly stood out. Neo had innate talent, and Jun showcased extreme precision, grace, and nuances honed through hundreds of live stages.
"The doors of the future have openedAnd I can see the days that were promised to usYou and I, We can fly."
Jun sang directly to the camera without losing momentum.
"You're another me, I'm another youLet's push the door to the other side…" Sujin sang the high notes with ease.
It was a two-and-a-half-minute performance that seemed five minutes longer through magical editing. Sometimes, it showed judges' comments. Sometimes, the reactions of the Barren Landers. Slow-mos, replays of iconic high notes or dance moves—name it, it was done.
"...Ah. It was so good." When it ended, despite the midway accident, Drew and the others at the judges' table clapped generously.
PD Keys' voice, however, was laced with pity. "It would have been better if Daeho and Xavi had not missed their lines."
The judges complimented those who deserved praise and did not shy from criticizing those who lacked.
"So about the score…"
After the performance, the judges exchanged opinions, the Inhabitants returned to the lounge, and the Landers had mixed reactions. They were glad spots would open up, but also uneasy—they could only ascend because the Inhabitants messed up.
"The Greenhouse is full of monsters," commented Hyeon-ju, still a Lander at the time.
"If we don't want to get left behind, we have to work harder than them," said another Lander.
A fairly long wait passed before the emcee's voice rang again. The average flashed on the screen. The scene changed to the Inhabitants painfully struggling to vote. They did well, but because of dead air, the overall score suffered.
Daeho looked pitiful, crying. Xavi was shown biting his lower lip.
When the unseen emcee announced Jun as first place, gaining a special privilege, the editors shifted camera focus from contestant to contestant.
Then, the third person to leave the Greenhouse was announced: Juwon. Countless whys and question marks filled the forums and watch parties, as nobody expected it. The majority thought Juwon had performed well. His personal score, revealed privately, was also high.
Another shock followed when Jun used his privilege on Juwon… only to later realize it was a dirty trap.
"As Greenhouse Inhabitant, Jun saved Inhabitant Juwon. Now, in Juwon's stead, Jun will go to the Barren Lands…"
It was a privilege in name only, as real privileges rarely carried a punishment.
The moment aired, viewers were utterly shocked.
The episode ended right there. By the time people recovered, it was too late.
No2Harem wailed in the comments, "NO!!! HOW DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO SEND THE BEST TO THE BARREN LAND??? SOMEBODY EXPLAIN!"
KatolefttheChatroom4me said, "Greenhouse Ranking as of Episode 2: 1st Jun (used privilege, got sent away, lol), 2nd Sujin, 3rd Min, 4th Kato, 5th Juwon (voted off, then saved), 6th Neo, 7th Chul-moo… 11th Xavi, 12th Daeho."
JampyeongLvl.900 commented, "This program is weird, so nobody's sanity is safe."
Kookie0 replied, "Ooooh! Plot twist! I like it! They're scared of rigging the votes now, so they choose to play with the rules!"
Juwon's Real Wife randomly posted, "I'm shocked that my baby nearly dropped off the Greenhouse? I swear, the other Inhabitants must be jealous of his impossibly good-looking face."
JunFan4Life angrily commented, "Ahhhhhh! Damn, producers! You will see! I will visit every temple and church in Korea to pray bad luck upon you for the rest of your life!"
To vent anger or confusion, people flocked to the BOI forums and official social media. The reactions to KNET's cliff-hanging exploded, and others were baited into watching the drama. Everything snowballed until BOI trended.
The production team and director did not care if ratings increased by only 4%. They knew that in the next episode, they could expect much higher ratings.
Popular trainees became even more popular. Contestants without a following gained a few. Judges also became topics of articles and threads.
Jun, once again, became the most trending contestant, with fans raising pitchforks on official pages.
Throughout the night, they made noise and questioned the show's rules. When no proper response came, they poured effort into editing videos to inform the nation about the injustice their idol endured from KNET. Many of Jun's fans were highly skilled video editors.
The PD and director merely grinned and toasted each other over dinner. For them, nothing was sweeter than seeing high BOI views and growing public awareness of the program they had poured their work into.