The 8 Show Ending Explained: What Happened To The Contestants

After finally being released on Netflix on Friday, The 8 Show’s ending suggests that there is a lot more to come from this strange concept. After tuning into the new South Korean thriller series, Netflix viewers have been left ‘traumatized.’

This new Netflix dark comedy is based on the webtoons Money Game and Pie Game, written by Bae Jin-soo and directed by Han Jae-rim, who previously directed the movies The King and Emergency Declaration.

1. How the contestants escaped The 8 Show?

In the first episode of The 8 Show, the game’s rules were simple but clear. As long as the hosts were entertained, the game could last unlimited time, and therefore, the prize money was infinite. Yet, if anybody died, the game would end immediately.

This enigmatic rule and the endless pursuit for money foreshadowed The 8 Show’s conclusion through the character of “1”, whose greed ultimately ended the show. However, the contestants’ attitudes towards the game significantly changed as they chose to end the show to prevent 1’s death, regardless of the consequences.

The contestants can only sit by and watch as 1 is seriously injured during his performance before risking their own lives to save him from the flames. “2” and “3” then take it upon themselves to destroy every camera in the facility to bore the hosts, who continually added time to the show due to the devastatingly entertaining result of 1’s performance.

Though they succeed and ended the show, 1 dies shortly after. 3 faces a penalty, with half his prize deducted for shooting the cameras. It is unclear if other contestants faced the same penalty, too.

2. What happened to the contestants after The 8 Show ended?

Except for 1, all the contestants of the K-drama thriller returned to reality. Flashbacks revealed a brief look into their past lives and what kind of jobs each contestant had, but it is unclear whether the contestants’ lives remained the same as before the show. The only character known to have returned to his career is “7”, who works in the entertainment industry.

However, the glimpse of life in the real world is focused mainly on 3 and his quest for a funeral for 1.

At the funeral for 1, only those who lived on floors 2-5 attended. They still never exchanged names or contact information.

However, those who lived on the upper floors do not re-appear on-screen, which makes their return to the real world even more mysterious, as their lives are only recounted by those who came to 1’s funeral.

“5” reveals that the authoritarian “8” remained true to her artistic spirit and was arrested and lost all her prize money. 3 describes how 7 was most likely the mysterious man who compensated 1’s family with some of his prize money after his death. However, the real intentions of the character “6′” appear through his actions.

The usually violent 6 sends a floral wreath to 1’s funeral, suggesting that he has maintained some of his wealth. However, this sincere act shows that 6 shows remorse for his actions in The 8 Show.

3. What is the real meaning behind 1’s final performance?

In The 8 Show episode 3’s talent show, excluding 8’s sexual talents, 1 earns the most time with his circus expertise. This, in theory, should make 1 the most valuable contestant, yet in the system that The 8 Show has designed, he is nothing but a pawn to be exploited.

While 8 lives life in luxury, 1 lives surrounded by waste. It’s a stark commentary on social class and how the working classes may be more skilled than those above them yet are at the mercy of those who hold the money and, therefore, the power.

1’s final performance perfectly encapsulates this. His tightrope performance provides more time than ever, making 1’s earning potential seem unlimited. However, despite this, the contestants he has tied up and forced to watch will always earn more than him, no matter how hard he tries.

His desperation makes him increasingly reckless, knowing that social mobility is possible with the right amount of time. However, his final act ends in disaster, with his death being the trigger that breaks the contestants out of the game.

Though the other contestants get to return to their lives with a life-saving amount of money, 1 remains the biggest victim of both the game and reality. He never got the money he worked so hard to earn back, and instead sacrificed his life chasing a dream that was made to be impossible to achieve.

As a result, 1 represents a bleak reality. Even though everyone is born the same, those at the bottom of the ladder will always be disadvantaged and exploited by those above them, no matter how valuable their talents are.

4. Why 4 was the most pivotal player in The 8 Show?

Despite her seemingly shy and innocent exterior, 4’s talent is reading people. She knows how to talk to people to get them to do what she wants.

If she can’t do that, 4 knows how to remain on their good side, so they disregard her. In episode 7, she reveals to 1 that she does not consider herself human but a player in a game. This mentality makes her a crucial member of The 8 Show, as she is involved in its rise and fall.

As one of the middle floors, 4 can side with the lower and upper floors.

Therefore, she uses her people skills to convince the contestants to do things that benefit her game and is unafraid to switch sides to reap the greatest rewards.

Her gameplay also catalyzes the end of The 8 Show, as she sets in motion the plan to revolt over 8’s rule. This plan to switch rooms would see her take the coveted 8th floor, but their plans are misguided and lead to the final climax of The 8 Show.

What is the real meaning behind 5’s Crude Revenge On 6?

Even before The 8 Show, 5’s kind nature had been taken advantage of. In Episode 8, 5 reveals to 4 that her relationship with a con artist had left her penniless and divorced, forcing her to participate in the show.

This scarred 5, yet history repeated itself as 6 used the deterioration of 5’s mental health and her desire for affection to convince her to remove his restraints in episode 7.

Though it isn’t directly stated, it is implied that 6 slept with 5 before discarding her as all the other men in her life had.

Though 5’s revenge seems very out of character for the soft-natured woman, her history with men makes it make sense. In castrating 6, she emasculates him and the traditional male values that had made existing in the game such a violent one.

However, 6 also acts as a replacement for all the men who had taken advantage of her and her kindness throughout her life in one very calculated but gruesome act of revenge.

5. Is The 8 Show real, or is it fiction?

The meta direction of The 8 Show’s epilogue raises the question of what The 8 Show was and if it was reality or fiction. A post-credit scene appears featuring 7, who had since only appeared in the real world through mentions from the other contestants.

The change in aspect ratio and the discussion with his colleague, however, imply that not only is there more to The 8 Show than it initially seems, but the lines between fiction and reality are not as clear-cut.

The big play in The 8 Show has been aspect ratio: the real world is shot in a 1:1 ratio, while the game’s world is 16:9. Most social media uses 1:1 ratios.

Therefore, this is a critique of perception vs. reality on social media and probably a nod towards old silent movies. Conversely, 16:9 aspect ratios are the worldwide standard for TV and film broadcasting, making the transition from the real world and The 8 Show highly pronounced.

However, in the last moments of The 8 Show, the lower floor contestants leave 1’s funeral, and the aspect ratio is changed back to 16:9.

This may imply that the game never ended as CCTV will always be watching them in a Big Brother sort of way. It could also imply that this ending is a part of 7’s script, and maybe what happened in the arena is 7’s perception of the game or even literature about the game that is highly different from reality.

6. How The 8 Show Sets up Season 2?

The most direct hint at season 2 of The 8 Show came during the finale’s post-credits scene, where 7 and his colleague speak about a script he had written over his experience in the game.

Compared to other content in the real world, this scene is in a 16:9 aspect ratio. It could suggest that The 8 Show is still on the air and being watched by someone who has taken the game out of the area and into the real world. It could also suggest that this scene is part of 7’s script.

These theories are further backed by 7’s colleague, who jokes about there being more versions of the show. Even if 7’s game was real, it could suggest that either the version he had written about in his script was a different game or that there are other versions out there. 7’s colleague says, “There might even be a season 2.” 

As the last words spoken on screen, The 8 Show clearly states its wishes for a second season and the expansion of its world, which has only just begun.