Star Creators have been waiting so long for this episode that the ‘Whiplash’ still hasn’t worn off!
The wait for this week’s episode has been killing all viewers. There’s always worry and restlessness when it comes to our favorite team. We all got hyped over Lee Sang Won’s team’s little dance preview, but last week’s teaser showed an entirely different story — leaving us wondering what went wrong.
Watching this week’s broadcast, I’d say the battles were quite tough, but in almost every match, you could tell the winner from the start. The outcomes were quite predictable, except for one match. Which two groups do you think were neck-and-neck? Let’s take a closer look!
The Performances
TWS’ ‘Plot Twist’
The All-Star team’s performance was nice, but my pick is the One-Star team — who, by the way, are the winners. The team was led by Jun Lee Jeong and included Arctic, Chuei Li Yu, Chung Sang Hyeon, Jang Han Eum, Kang Woo Jin, Kim Dong Hyun, and Yi Chen. Compared to the first team, this crew seemed more connected. As I mentioned in my previous article, with their refreshing and boyish visuals, they perfectly nailed TWS’ youthful charm vibe.
Also, despite receiving fewer points, I believe Chuei Li Yu aced the killing part better than Jung Hyun Jun. With this victory, the One-Star team defeated the All-Star team.
TVXQ’s ‘Rising Sun’
Initially, I wasn’t a fan of this song, but watching these two performances changed my mind. Among all the teams, these two crews had the least drama. While Aoshi’s team’s performance was fairly average, it is commendable that none of the members were strong vocalists, and yet they were able to give a decent show. Additionally, I appreciated how the team’s leader tried to give more lines and screen time to the rest of the team.
However, it was clear that the first team would come out on top, especially with the impactful intro, Andrew’s opening line, and Han Harry June’s dancing. Despite considerable anticipation for Sun Heng Yu to nail the high notes, his vocal performance fell short of expectations. But can we really blame him? All those intense vocal training sessions might have strained his vocal cords.
ZEROBASEONE’s ‘Kill the Romeo’
Let’s start with Sho’s team — where do I even begin? Having watched my fair share of K-pop survival shows before, I truly didn’t expect to see this level of drama and rebellion from a contestant. No amount of ‘evil editing’ could have disguised He Zhong Xing’s uncooperative behavior — after all, what was said was indeed said by the trainee.
If you’ve been a K-pop fan for long, you’d know that many of today’s most famous groups, like BTS and TWICE, have trained and worked tirelessly for hours and days. So, He Zhong Xing’s attitude, from refusing to listen to advice from the judges to being outright lazy, was unbelievable. As judge Onestar said, you can’t think about being creative (like when he used the rose and lipstick) and act like an idol if you can’t even handle the basics of singing and dancing. Unfortunately, this performance was well below average.
On the other hand, Team 1 delivered a powerful performance with confidence. The group’s success may have stemmed from Yang Heui Chan’s reliable leadership and strong opening, as well as the team’s harmony. Even though Sen had fewer lines, each member stood out, and I must categorize it as the best performance so far.
aespa’s ‘Whiplash’
The most anticipated song…the most expected win…the Avengers’ team.
Having watched Sang Won’s now-iconic “One look, give ’em whiplash” killing part, it’s clear that he should debut. He commands all the stage and attention when he’s in the center. Zhou Anxin is also captivating, and his vocals deserve more recognition. Lee Leo had 23 seconds, and he decided to use every second to shine. These three members didn’t just perform — they ate, slayed, and gave us, viewers, a whiplash.
However, as Judge Kany observed, the performance lacked team spirit and looked quite fragmented. The performance came across like some trainees performing a series of solo acts rather than a united group stage. Maybe we expected too much from the Avengers’ team.
The opposing team was not as strong as the first team, and Kim Daniel’s killing part wasn’t particularly impressive compared to Sang Won’s, yet each trainee seemed to complement one another, and the group dynamic was clearly present. It was a shared stage, and there were no individual spotlights. With strong vocals, good dancing, and Kim Daniel’s rendition of aespa’s original move in the chorus, it was clear why the competition between these two groups was so tight.
While the Avengers’ team won, their scoring was quite shocking. With Sang Won, Anxin, Leo, Jun Seo, and Ching Yu in the team, you’d expect the public to vote overwhelmingly. However, no one was ready to see the small gap in points awarded to both teams.
Surprisingly, despite the narrow margin and the lowest overall score among the winning groups, the public chose to send the Avengers’ team to M COUNTDOWN and shoot their performance in Studio Choom.
Next Week’s Showdown
Speculation about the songs for the second mission is already circulating online. But seeing the next episode’s preview, where trainees are playing games and having fun, brings an exciting twist to the shot.
However, the first survival announcement will take place this week. So, guys, it’s time to get ready mentally, as we all know how heartbreaking these moments can be. If you need a little motivation, I strongly suggest rewatching Lee Sang Won’s performance fancam. His ‘Whiplash’ move is so addictive that I keep replaying it.
What about you? What was your favorite performance for this mission?
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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