The Silent Sea

 (Korean: 고요의 바다) is a South Korean mystery sci-fi thriller series created by Park Eun-kyo and Choi Hang-yong. The series is set in a precarious future where Earth is running out of water. It was released on December 24, 2021.

Summary
"During a perilous 24-hour mission on the moon, space explorers try to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility steeped in classified secrets."

- Official Netflix synopsis

Set in a future Earth that has undergone desertification, The Silent Sea is the story of the members of a special team sent to secure a mysterious sample from an abandoned research facility on the moon.

Intro
In a dystopian future, Earth suffers from a planetary wide drought. The world’s rivers and oceans have receded, causing the world to dessertify. As humanity struggles to survive, water quotas were imposed, causing civil unrest. In the backdrop of this, the Song Sisters (Song Ji-An and Song Wong-Kyung) would dream to see the ocean one day.

Prologue
Five years prior, the Republic of Korea’s Space and Aeronautics Division (SAA) built the Balhae Lunar Research Station on the moon for scientific research. Unknown to the world, the scientists of Balhae discovered Lunar Water, an extraterrestrial type of water that multiplies like a virus when exposed to living bio-material. Unfortunately, when exposed to humans, the lunar water can aggressively overwhelm the host and drown them from the inside-out. Viewed as a potential means of saving the world from planetary drought, Chief Scientist Dr. Song Wong-Kyung (Ji-An’s sister) led the research and looked for a means to solve the deadly side effects of lunar water to make it safe for human consumption. Through experimenting with marine life, they realized fish can naturally survive exposure to lunar water. With the privacy of the station and far from other world governments knowing, they began human cloning and genetic experimentation. Using the genetic material of a girl, they created the Lunar clone series, each with different characteristics in hopes one of them will adapt to the water. After 72 failures, Luna 073 was their greatest success as her genetic enhancements allowed her to process lunar water. She has enhanced speed, strength, healing factor (when exposed to lunar water), and fish gills to breathe through water. Unfortunately, the lunar water began infecting the scientists within the station. To contain the situation, Director Choi (of SAA) locked all the scientists within the station; all 117 crew members would die from drowning through lunar water. To cover up this debacle, the public was told that all hands were lost at Balhae due to a fatal radiation leak. It was only after the news reported (the cover story) what happened to Balhae that Ji-An realized her sister died on the moon. This would lead Ji-An to a life-long desire to understand what happened to her sister. Unknown to all, Luna 073 survived on Balhae all this time.

Recovery Mission at Balhae Station
Five years after the demise of the Balhae crew, Director Choi wants to covertly recover the lunar water back to Earth. She recruits Captain Han Yunjae, a man desperate to save his ill daughter. Han Yunjae agreed to the mission in order to increase his water privileges to help heal his daughter. Astrobiologist Dr. Song Jian was recruited for her scientific knowhow and ties with Wong-Kyung. Along with Ryu Tae-Suk, Dr. Hong Ga-Young, Chief Gong Soo-Hyuk, Kim Sun, Song Soo-Chan, Co-Pilot Lee Gi-Su, Hwang, and two other astronauts, they were instructed and informed to simply go recover mysterious sealed canisters for scientific research; only the captain knew about the lunar water and their true mission. Their recovery mission to the silent sea will not be a smooth journey.

Shortly after leaving Earth, the mission’s spacecraft malfunctions enroute and they crash on the moon’s surface. The ship was dangling on a cliff and Hwang suffered internal injuries. The crew quickly exited the ship and watched it fall into the bottom of the moon cliff. They traveled the rest of the way by foot with depleting oxygen. Unfortunately, Hwang’s injuries were severe and he died of his internal injuries before making it to Balhae. The surviving crew just made it within minutes before losing all oxygen and restored their tanks. Inside the research station, they were surprised to find Balhae mostly functional and with no signs of radiation. As they explored the station, they found corpses and were confused how none seemed to have died from radiation but from acute drowning. Once the crew restored life support and overall systems on Balhae, the crew searched the station for viable samples but all were emptied or unsalvageable. It was during their search that Song’s team detected a foreign presence moving around the station (Luna). Crewmember Soochan touched a dead body to recover a canister, which released water droplets that entered Soo-Chan’s eyes. Unknown to him, he’s contaminated and going to die.

Strongly curious about the station, Ji-An wanted to learn more about the cause of death from the drowned station crew. However, Captain Han Yun-Jae denied her from further investigation. It was while exploring the corridors of the station that Gi-Su found a single viable capsule. Just as he left the door, he was dragged back into the laboratory by Luna. Ji-An found him dragged and hung to the ceiling of the station and dropped, killing him from physical trauma. Captain Han investigates Gi-Su’s death and confirms that the intruder travels in the vents and can access an area that is not in the station’s plans. Song theorizes that the intruder is a human survivor of the original Balhae crew. Soochan soon falls ill and vomits unnatural amounts of water from his body until he dies from drowning.

The crew struggled to restore communications, but managed to regain communication with Earth, and Director Choi orders them to get the capsule from the intruder before they can be rescued. Song and medical officer Hong analyzed the water in Soo-Chan’s blood and realized that it multiplied (in volume) rapidly when in contact with living tissue. They confronted Han and he admits that he knew that the sample they are collecting is lunar water. Their fortunes would change after Han and Song discover a deep hollow basement full of plants.

The crew finds a hidden laboratory that is not in the station’s blueprints, which contains hundreds of capsule samples in good condition. The crew obtained a few samples before being attacked by Luna. Choi insists they kill the child to prevent others from finding other capsules. Song searches for the station’s research data, but it has been erased. Tae-Suk is revealed to be a corporate spy who plans to take the lunar water himself and eliminate all opposition for his escape.

In a confrontation between the girl and the crew, Luna held a canister of luna water and it exploded after a bullet destroyed the sample. To their surprise, the water healed her wounds and allowed her to escape. Song theorizes that the girl has a condition that makes her compatible with the water and that she may be the key to making lunar water viable for consumption. The crew set a trap for Luna and Song manages to interact with Luna. She bites Dr. Song but allows Song to follow her to her room. While examining her room, she realizes it was Wong-Kyung’s quarters. Tae-Suk takes the crew’s remaining capsules, kills another crewmember to cover his tracks, and seals all doors to trap the remaining crewmembers.

Song finds the station’s research data in her sister’s room, which includes details of SAA’s experiments of lunar water and the origins of Luna 073. In between, Tae-Suk confronts Kim Sun for the samples’ whereabouts. He would expose Kim Sun to lunar water and kill him from drowning. Tae-Suk programs the station to be flooded with lunar water to kill the others, but his escape is delayed when Han catches him. Tae-Suk manages to flee, but is exposed to lunar water. Song is also exposed to lunar water and begins to vomit water. The crew thought she was done for but her body managed to survive the experience. Dr. Song theorizes that Luna’s bite transferred antibodies to her to help Song survive the multiplication process.

The remaining crew agree that though lunar water is dangerous, it could be the salvation of humanity, but if they take Luna to Earth she will be treated as an experiment forever. Song suggests that they take her to the International Institute of Space Biology, an international space station and neutral territory, to ensure Luna's safety and that the benefits of lunar water will be shared with everyone. The station starts to collapse from lunar water flooding. Several decks are overwhelmed with water and the environmental systems have all frozen. Han and Gong sacrificed themselves so that Song, Luna and Hong can make it out safely. Once outside the station, it is revealed that Luna can survive exposure to the moon’s atmosphere without a space suit. A rescue team successfully picks up the surviving crew and samples.

Cast and Characters

 * Bae Doona as Dr. Song Ji-an
 * Gong Yoo as Captain Han Yun-jae
 * Lee Joon as Ryu Tae-suk
 * Kim Sun-young as Dr. Hong Ga-young
 * Lee Mu-saeng as Chief Gong Soo-hyuk
 * Lee Sung-wook as Kim Sun
 * Jung Soon-won as Gong Soo-chan
 * Choi Young-woo as Co-Pilot Lee Gi-su
 * Kang Mal-geum as Song Won-kyung
 * Heo Sung-tae as Section Chief Kim
 * Gil Hae-yeon as Director Choi

Episodes

 * Season One


 * Balhae Lunar Research Station
 * Three Storages
 * Cause of Death
 * The Truth Comes Out
 * Secret Storage
 * Key to Salvation
 * Luna
 * The Silent Sea