Like any other network, Netflix too has commissioned multiple reality TV shows, with their South Korean survival-based shows really hitting it out of the park. Last year’s The Devil’s Plan seems to have found a global audience who were super impressed with the strategies and chemistry of the cast.
The show began airing last September, with the finale being aired on October 10. Produced by Jeong Jong-yon, The Devil’s Plan quickly became a fan favorite for its genius mix of celebrities and civilians in a seven-day survival show format. So, who is the winner of the show? How much did they get paid? And, will there be a second season?
What Is The Format Of Netflix’s The Devil’s Plan?
Netflix’s The Devil’s Plan became a global hit immediately after its release. The South Korean game show was produced by Jeong Jong-yon, who had previously worked on the game The Genius. The strategy game show included twelve participants who were a mix of celebrities and civilians from various walks of life.
The game is divided into two categories, namely the Main Match and the Prize Match. The Main Match is a game played by all participants to win more number of pieces. Two players with the least number of pieces per day will be sent to ‘prison’ till the next Main Match. These matches usually have individual participants and people with more pieces have more power.
The Prize Match, on the other hand, is used to increase the prize money that a winner would get at the end of The Devil’s Plan. The prize money can go up to ₩500,000,000 with each Prize Match having the capacity to add either ₩50,00,000 or ₩100,000,000 to the pot. The games range from puzzles and board games to abstract strategy games.
Who Are The Participants?
Unlike other celebrity game shows like Dancing with the Stars, Netflix’s The Devil’s Plan included a mix of both civilians and celebrities. The professions of these players ranged from actors and YouTubers to astronomers and surgeons. Many viewers expressed that having normal citizens be a part of the show kept them guessing who the winner could be till the last moment (via Yahoo!).
Celebrity participants included the YouTuber Kwak Joon-Bin, known for his travel vlogs and other videos, Kwedo a.k.a Orbit, the astronomer and science content creator, E-sports player Guillaume Patry, TV personality Park Kyeong-rim, singer Boo Seung-Kwan, actress Lee Si-won, announcer Lee Hye-sung, and actor Ha Seok-jin.
Apart from these celebrities, normal citizens also participated in the games. A surgeon named Seo Yoo-min, a Go player named Cheo Yeon-woo, and a lawyer named Seo Dong-joo also participated in The Devil’s Plan. The salaries of the individuals have not been disclosed yet.
Who Won The Devil’s Plan And What Was The Prize Money?
The Netflix reality game series The Devil’s Plan had an incredible twelve-episode run with twelve participants. Each episode seemed to be more nerve-wracking than the last. Alliances were made and broken, betrayals were abundant, and each participant came up with great strategies to win the varying prize money at the end of seven days.
However, in the battle of wits, actor Ha Seok-Jin emerged victorious at the end of the show. The actor figured out the code ‘NEXT YEAR’ and won eleven pieces, making his winnings a total of 22 pieces. Seok-Jin reportedly won the grand prize money, which totaled up to ₩250,000,000. When converted, the money amounted to close to $190,000.
According to Korea Boo, Ha Seok-Jin initially was unsure of how he would spend his prize money. But, a few weeks later, the actor put out a vlog showing him buying a gift for each of the participants, with a gold coin made of 99.9% pure gold being part of the hamper.
Will There Be A Second Season Of The Devil’s Plan?
After achieving global success, Netflix announced in November 2023 that the reality game show The Devil’s Plan had been renewed for a second season. The streaming giant announced it on their X (formerly Twitter) page, with the caption, “The devil will return, more devious and cunning than ever. #TheDevilsPlan Season 2 is in the works!”.
When talking about the creation of the show, creator and producer Jeong Jong-yeon mentioned that he placed special emphasis on the character’s growth throughout the episodes. He said that the concept of a psychological game show relied heavily on their growth (via Korea Times),
Psychological thriller survival shows create their genre by putting together the fun of unpredictability and the narratives of the participants’ growth and development that come from their attempt to resolve the uncertainty. As the participants immerse themselves in their surrounding situations and eventually express their intense emotions, the viewers also come to empathize with them.
He especially lauded contestant Orbit for adopting a different strategy for the show, where he reportedly helped other participants instead of turning against them.
The Devil’s Plan is available to stream on Netflix.
