The Do or Die logo appears on screen the camera focuses on Yeonhee, taking things up where we left off last week. She's standing on stage, and the three teams have joined her. It is time for the elimination.

"Welcome back, ladies gentlemen, to Do or Die," she says. The camera pans over the three groups who are in various states of nerves. 

"We left off last week with our teams and their 3 original songs. Now the elimination today depends on how many votes each team got. The team with the least amount of overall votes will be the one to lose the member," Yeonhee explains. "Now the question is, which team will that be?"

"Will it be team Butterfly?" The scene shifted to a short clip of the performance, the butterfly point choreography clearly visible. The camera catches the shimmer of some mysterious sparkles on Inho and Hanjin.

"Team Love Me Do?" The clip showed the song's very sensual choreography. James and Yoonshik stand on opposite ends of the lineup, James looks confident while Yoonshik looks like he's doing his best to hide the nerves.

"Or will it be team Fireworks?" The clip showed the team's youthful charms. This team looks the most nervous. Alex is trying to keep it together but he's visibly nervous. Bomseok is also keeping a brave face while Inshik is clinging to Jaemin. Seowoo was standing a little to the side but even he looked nervous. After all, he'd almost been elminated himself last episode.

"Without further ado, It is time to find out." Yeonhee opens the envelope she'd been carrying. "I will announce who of you scored the lowest in their groups before revealing which group got the lowest votes," she announces. 

"The person who got the fewest votes in team Butterfly is Daebak," she says. "Please step forward Park Daebak."

It takes Daebak a moment to figure out what's going on, but with a gentle nudge and smile from Hyuk he steps forwards, nervously glancing back at the others. Haneul gives him a small nod, not looking worried in the slightest.

"Next up team Love Me Do. The contestant with the fewest votes in your team is," she frowns. "Ah, Han Kyungtaek again. I'm sorry but please step forward."

Kyungtaek nods and takes step forward. He doesn't look happy but there's no hint of panic. As before he takes it in stride.

"Lastly team Fireworks, Hong Changui, you got the fewest votes in your team, please step forward."

Changui looks startled, he was obviously not expecting this. Inshik and Alex both look relieved. Only Jaemin looks distraught for Changui's sake.

"Now as you know," Yeonhee continues. "Whoever gets eliminated doesn't depend on who got the fewest votes, but which team got the fewest votes overall."

"The team with the most votes," Yeonhee says, pausing a little for dramatic effect. "Is team Butterfly, Daebak you can rejoin your teammates."

For a second Daebak isn't sure if he's eliminated or not. As he deciphers the words in his head he breaths out a sigh of relief and rejoins his group where Jeongha happily pats him on the back and Hyuk smiles brightly.

"That leaves team Love Me Do and team Fireworks," Yeonhee continues. "And the votes were very close on this one."

Alex and Bomseok share a surprised look at that.

The camera cuts to an interview segment with Alex. "I thought we would be the losers by a landslide," Alex admits.
"The other teams have Haneul and James and Yoonshik, but none of us are already famous.
I'm just surprised we stood a chance at all."

"I'll be okay if I'm eliminated," Changui says in his own interview segment.
"I tried and that's what matters, and I've really enjoyed the experience so far. But I'd like to keep going if I can."

 

Back on stage Yeonhee gets to her next cue card. "Changui," she starts off. "Your team got the seconds most votes so you are safe. That means Kyungtaek, I'm sorry, this is the end of the line for you."

There are gasps among the contestants, but Kyungtaek just nods and bows to the judges. He looks back at the groups and sends them a tired smile before heading off stage.

 

"I'm disappointed," Kyungtaek admits in his interview. "But I'm glad that I took this risk and tried to follow my dream. I never thought I'd get to stand on stage, all I've ever done is work behind the scenes. I wish the other contestants luck and I will be keeping my eye on them." He bows deeply to the camera and staff off-screen. 

 

Cutting back to the stage most of the contestants are visibly distraught. Bomseok looks downright angry but manages to contain himself, while Alex can't help but glare at Changui and even Jaemin can't muster his usual politeness for Changui at this moment. Changui manages to look a little guilty for being the one who stayed.

"I won't hold you any longer," Yeonhee says to the remaining contestants. "You can all go back to the dorm soon and rest, I know this was an exhausting week for you. We will see you here again next week," she says brightly.

 

 "Thank you so much for the amazing opportunity." Kyungtaek says in his interview and bows again deeply.
"I will never forget it."

 

The scene cuts to what is labelled as 7 in the morning. Everyone is gathered in the practice room and most are looking various stages of exhausted. Seowoo is actually sleeping, leaning against the wall, and Hyuk cautiously pokes him when the door opens and the three judges come in. 

"Good morning, sunshines!" Cipher says brightly. "It's ranking time!"

As before the judges go through the rankings one by one. Cipher starts of this time, tossing the #5 pin at Inho, who just manages to catch it. "Your old friend," Cipher says cheerfuly. "I'm sure you missed it."

Inho just shrugs and pins it to his shirt.

The #5 glints in the light as Inho sits for his interview segment. "I don't care about my ranking," Inho says. "Cipher can give me the lowest ranks the entire way through if he wants but that's not going to stop me from staying true to myself."

Jeongha got second to last for singing more than rapping while Bomseok got third for not managing to help Changui.

There is a dark cloud over Bomseok as he sits for his interview. "Yeah, it that I got a lower rank because I didn't help someone who refused to be helped," he says. "I should be judged on what I do not what someone else does."
 

When Kangho awards the dance ranks, nobody is more surprised than James when he hands over the #1 pin to Daebak. "Then James, you get #2. I enjoyed your dance, you certainly made it memorable, but Daebak's Butterfly was a work of art and that must be rewarded. Daebak you did a fantastic job, come get your top rank."

Daebak looks surprised and it takes a nudge from Haneul to get him in motion and he goes up and accepted the pin from Kangho with a deep bow.

"Before I give the floor to Carver hyung," Kango starts. "I want to say that I'm very impressed with your choreographies. Seona wanted to give set choreographies but as soon as I saw the dancers at your auditions I knew I wanted to test your mettle before any of you could get eliminated and it was a gamble that paid off. I've only gotten more excited for what you'll show us in the upcoming episodes."

The dancers beam while the others applaud them.

Next up Carver awards the vocal ranks. Haneul looks extremely surprised when Carver calls him up for the #5 rank. "Now Haneul, while your singing was good this week, I don't only look at everyone's technical skill and performance but also how they work in a team, and you disappointed me. For that you are ranked #6, and I expect better of you next time," Carver says.

Yoonshik absolutely beams when he gets the top ranks this time. "You suited the concept like a glove," Carver says appreciatively. "We were watching a man doing what he does best, I can't do anything but acknowledge that."

Vocal ranks:

#1 -Yoonshik
#2 - Inshik
#3 - Yeonin
#4 - Seowoo
#5 - Haneul
#6 - Jaemin
#7 - Changui

Dance ranks:

#1 - Daebak
#2 - James
#3 - Alex
#4 - Hyuk
#5 - Hugo

Rap ranks:

#1 - Hanjin
#2 - Ted
#3 - Bomseok
#4 - Jeongha
#5 - Inho

"Now as for your next challenge," Carver says when everyone had sat back down. "Your next challenge will pit the vocalists, dancers, and rappers against each other. Each group will create a performance that they think showcases their skills to the best of their abilities."

Surprised and excited looks are exchanged at this information. Jeongha gasps audibly before Carver is even finished speaking.

"Now since this is a specialty challenge we expect great things from you," Kangho continues where Carver left off. "The group who is voted the best will have immunity from elimination, so the stakes are high to impress the audience with your teamwork."

The scene returns to the live stage where Yeonhee standing with the ever present smile on her face. 

​"Welcome back to Do or Die, this is already our contestants third performance on the show, time is going so fast! Are you all excited?" Yeonhee asks the audience, who responds with a defeaning cheer.

The camera pans over the audience. Every contestants is now represented with signs or names displayed on phones, there's even someone with Cipher displayed on her phone, and when he finds out Cipher jumps up from his chair and runs up to the audience to high five her. 

The camera returns to Yeonhee. "As you just saw we've got an exciting challenge for the contestants today. We asked them to show off their teamwork and skill creating a position specific performance. However, nothing can be as straight forward as it seems, can it? This episode is about the weakest link, after all.

"With all that said," Yeonhee continues. "Let's see how the vocalists managed this week."

The seven remaining vocalists are sitting in a practice room. The timestap in the corner informs us it's the first day of the challenge at 10AM. 

"I think we should choose something that really matters to us," Yeonin says. "We have to figure out our common ground."

"This is our common ground," Changui points out. "This show. Do or Die. We should do something centered around it."

Jaemin nods. "This is all our last chance at success isn't it?" He says. "We're all here because we have a dream we desperately want to achieve, and I think that's worth expressing."

Yeonin nods. "I think I know just the song: the Last Match? By Kim Min Gyu?"

"Mingyu from Seventeen?" Seowoo asks, looking highly sceptical..

"Who? What?" Yeonin looks confused.

Yoonshik sighs. "No, not Kim Min Gyu from Seventeen, Kim Min Gyu the singer active in the 80s and 90s."

"You want to do something like Tell Her again?" Haneul said, frowning. "That didn't go well last time, I really think we should stick to recent stuff."

"The subject matter of the song fits us really well though," Jaemin says. "It's all about how this is our last shot but we're going to give it our all." 

"And this time the challenge isn't to make a dance performance but to show off our singing," Inshik chips in. "If we don't have to dance we can show off our singing more, right?"

"I want to rap," Changui says. All eyes turn to him in shock. 

"Hate to break it to you but that didn't go so well last time," Haneul points out. 

Changui shrugs. "I want to try again. I'm not going to improve if I don't keep working on it, right? It'll spice up the soong and make it more current."

"Or it will ruin everything for the rest of us," Seowoo mutters.

 

 "I'm concerned about Changui," Jaemin says. "I'm afraid he's not taking this show seriously, he doesn't seem to care that he's taking big risks that will reflect on all of us."  He looks uncomfortable at being singled out but after a pause he continues."Does he even care about debuting?" He blurts out, then he quickly gathers himself and bows deeply to the camera. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward."

 

Next the scene shifts to the group practicing their harmonies on the chorus. Yeonin is sitting behind the piano leading the practice, it's supposed to be a three part harmony, but what comes out is a disaster. 

"Seowoo you're singing the melody again, you have to get used to singing something different from what you hear." Yeonin sounds exhausted. "And Yoonshik, you're supposed to do the main melody here but you're constantly off, stop getting distracted by the other voices."

They try again but it's not improved. Moreover, Jaemin's voice stands out like a sore thumb. He's singing the proper notes of the lower harmony, but at this point he's louder than the main melody and he keeps stylistically twisting the notes and overshadowing the others.

Yeonin pinches his nose in frustration. "The point of a harmony is to blend in with the others to create a harmonious sound."

"I'm trying," Jaemin says. He looked slightly panicked. "I'll practice more on my own. I can do it."

Yeonin sighs with exhasperation. "You can't practice a harmony on your own-"

"Why don't you just lipsync them?" Seowoo says sharply. "We don't have time for this, just stay out of the harmonies."

"What?" Yeonin says, looking horrified.

Jaemin instantly grabs at the suggestion. "I'm okay with pretending to sing during the harmonies, I don't mind."

"It's just a question of technique," Yeonin argues. "I can teach you-"

"My technique is good," Jaemin interrupts. "I've been training for 9 years. My voice just doesn't work well with others but I can practice more on my own and if it doesn't work then I'll just lipsync, okay?"

Yeonin looks like he wants to argue but Seowoo doesn't give him the chance. "Alright then that's settled, Jaemin hyung is keeping his mouth shut for the harmonies, can we move on now?"

"Guys please stop!" Inshik says.

 

Inshik grimaces at the camera in his interview segment. "There was so much tension in the group,
Honestly Yeonin was the only one who was keeping us together."
 

Back in the practice room things are starting to sound a bit better. Yeonin plays the piano and points out whenever someone makes mistakes, they're managing to work together.

And then the door opens and Carver comes in. "Yeonin, you are no longer a part of this team, come with me please."

There is a moment of shocked silence as nobody knows what to do. "Come on Yeonin, off you go," Carver repeats.

Yeonin is lead out of the practice room, still looking thoroughly confused. Everyone else just looks stunned.

For a few minutes long there is complete silence in the room.

"What's going on? Is he eliminated?!" Inshik all but peeps. "He can't be eliminated. Right?"

"No they just said he's no longer on this team," Yoonshik says. "They wouldn't just eliminate him without telling us why. This must be a part of the challenge."

"Guess we'll have to rearrange the lines," Changui is the first to recover. "Who could do Yeonin hyung's part though? His adlibs?"

Yoonshik shrugs. "I could."

"No I should do it," Haneul interrupts. "I'm the better singer."

"Says the number 5 to the number 1," Yoonsik points out. 

"Come on you know this ranking was bullcrap," Haneul says, and in the back Inshik gasps at the almost swearword. "I single-handedly carried my group last week, I deserve to be #1."

"That's not what the actual judge thinks," Yoonshik says with a shrug. 

Seowoo rolls his eyes. "Come on hyung, Haneul hyung is better and Yeonin hyung took all the hardest parts, he should get the parts."

Haneul looks surprised at Seowoo's defense but he's not complaining. "So I get it, right?"

"Fine but I get to do Haneul's pre-chorus as well as my original parts," Yoonshik says, obviously not happy. "If you're all so intent on not actually putting on a performance then at least give me lines."

 

Yoonshik is shown in his interview segment, obviously unhappy.
"The judges insist on ranking us every week, but sometimes I feel like it means nothing in practice.
I worked hard to improve and show what I am capable of but in the end I;m still passed over." He sighs.

 

Next up it's evaluation time and the vocal team stands before Carver and Carver alone. A timestamp identifies it as late in the evening of day 3 of the challenge. "Good evening," Carver says. "As you might have noticed it's just me today, each of the judges will be mentoring their own team alone this challenge. Show me what you have."

The vocalists grab brooms to simulate microphone stands and the song starts. They glance at each other a little uncertainly before starting, which isn't a good sign. Notably absent are any kind of harmonies and the performance is incredibly unpolished. Icing on the cake is an epic voice crack from Haneul.  

"Stop, stop-" Carver cuts off the music in the middle of the last chorus, not even letting them finish. "That was awful, what happened to the harmonies you had prepared before?"

The vocalists glance at each other while nobody speaks up.

"Who's your leader now that Yeonin is gone?"

More uncertain glances In the end it's Yoonshik who answers. "We couldn't get the harmonies to sound right," he explains. "So we decided that it was best to just not do them at all."

Carver facepalms. "So you just decide to all belt it out like a herd of rhino? You had the highlight of the performance handed to you and you just let it go. All of you were a mess. There wasn't a single person I'm satisfied with."

They all hang their head in shame.

"I can't even properly judge this," Carver continues. "It feels like you've been practicing this for half an hour, not 3 days. Not only do you not sound good, there is also no teamwork to be found. You're all trying to out-sing each other. Stop trying to all be the star of the performance and work together. You're dismissed, I can't work with this."

"What are we going to do?" Inshik asks, voice shaky and small. He looks like he might burst out crying at any second.

"We're going to work until we have a performance that won't be an embarrassment," Yoonshik says.

Haneul nods. "If we want to have any hope of coming out on top and none of us being eliminated we have to pull it together. I don't think even my popularity can save us if our performance is this much of a disaster."

"Oh your popularity-" Yoonshik bristles.

"I don't know who is the weakest link at this point," Inshik mutters. "We all are."

Jaemin has drawn up his legs, seeming oblivious to the conflict at hand. His eyes are unfocused and he's withdrawn in on himself, slumped and deflated..

Yoonshik, Haneul, and Seowoo look like they're about to fight more when the door opens and Yeonin looks in.

"Hyung!" Inshik perks up a bit at the sight of him.

"Hey," Yeonin says. "How are you doing with your performance?"

Changui grimaces. "We got roasted just now."

"Are you not doing well? How is the harmony?"

Yoonshik shakes his head. "We decided to scrap it since we couldn't pull them off on our own."

Yeonin takes a seat at the piano. "Come on, let's go through them again."

"Shouldn't you be practicing with the dance team now?" Yoonshik asks. "I have a feeling you need it." 

"I was a part of this team first," Yeonin says. "I won't abandon you."

There's a practice montage of the group practicing, sometimes with Yeonin, and sometimes with Jaemin on the piano instead. The group works incredibly hard on their performance throughout the remaining days as the timestamp counts down all the way to the team standing in the wings.

The vocal team is waiting to go on and Yeonin is there as well, curiously wearing a labcoat. "You all remember your harmonies?" He asks. 

"I think we've got this," Haneul grins and puts his hand out. One by one the vocal team put their hand on his, even Seowoo after just one roll of his eye. 

"Wait-" Jaemin says before they can do the cheer, and he disappears into the wings, grabs Yeonin's hand, and adds it to the pile. 

"Fighting!"