The Manipulated Episode 3: Tae-Joong’s Escape Plan

December 3, 2025

The Manipulated Episode 3: Tae-Joong’s Escape Plan

The Manipulated Episode 3 opens inside a glamorous art auction where a sculpture by the mysterious artist Arleli becomes the centre of attention. An Yo-han participates as an anonymous online bidder, pushing the price higher against Chairman Shin Myung-ho. During the intermission, Yo-han receives a phone call from Shin, revealing their unusual arrangement: Shin is bidding on Yo-han’s behalf as repayment for keeping his son out of legal trouble. But Yo-han isn’t interested in the sculpture — he simply wants to watch how far Shin is willing to go. The chairman ultimately agrees to pay 6 billion won, securing the piece.

Yo-han adds the sculpture to his private gallery filled with Arleli works, then calls Shin again to inform him that the scapegoat who served time for his son’s crime has died in prison — the same inmate who suffocated himself in the previous episode. The next day, during a major company meeting, Yo-han receives a call from Kim Sang-rak requesting a “clean up,” hinting that another cover-up is already in motion.

Inside the prison, Tae-joong faces another assault from Yeo Deok-su’s men, only this time he overpowers all of them and warns Deok-su to stay away. Outside, Noh Yong-sik struggles to run his small electronics repair shop. His daughter Eun-bi walks in, pockets his small stash of cash, and leaves without a word, revealing how strained their relationship has become. The prison priest soon visits Yong-sik and tells him Tae-joong has returned the Bible.

Back inside, Deok-su vents his frustration by beating an inmate who insulted him. Another thug, Do Gang-jae, enters the yard and joins him — the two clearly share a history. Soon after, the warden summons Deok-su, cautioning him to keep things quiet due to scrutiny from the recent inmate suicide. To compensate, he assigns two white-collar criminals to Deok-su’s cell. Deok-su pretends to accept the order but privately instructs his subordinate Jin-yong to attack Tae-joong anyway.

Yong-sik visits Tae-joong and senses something is off. Tae-joong finally confides that he is planning to escape. He has already mapped out the prison’s routines and intends to break out during the guard shift change at 3:30 PM — a narrow 30-minute window. But to pull it off, he needs to secure a cleaning assignment in Zone B.

That night, Jin-yong is moved into Tae-joong’s cell and attempts to kill him, but Tae-joong defeats him with ease. The next morning, Tae-joong sits across from Deok-su and warns him to stop. Deok-su, refusing to give up his status, attacks him. The guards intervene, tase Deok-su, and send him to solitary confinement — exactly what Tae-joong needed.

Officer Yang, the kind guard, later brings Tae-joong the green floral sponge he requested for church decorations. Tae-joong hides part of it inside a flower pot stored in the supply closet. After that, he assaults one of the inmates assigned to Zone B and takes his place. Once he gets the cell keys, Tae-joong makes an impression of them using the green sponge and fills the imprint with glue to create a makeshift mold. He hides it inside his rooftop garden.

Meanwhile, one of Yo-han’s operatives infiltrates the prison disguised as the doctor administering vaccines. While the inmates line up at the infirmary, Tae-joong stays behind in the mechanical workshop, fixing a guard’s car. Once the guard leaves for lunch, Tae-joong uses the tools to carve a full key from his mold.

But on his way back, he is cornered by Do Gang-jae and his men. Gang-jae offers him an alliance to take down Deok-su. Tae-joong refuses, and Gang-jae warns him to think it over.

When Tae-joong returns to his cell, a guard is waiting. He informs Tae-joong that a massive fight has been arranged for the next day and insists that Tae-joong must participate since he has placed a large bet on him — meaning the guard had someone else receive the vaccine on Tae-joong’s behalf.

The next day, Tae-joong is brought to the arena where dozens of inmates fight under the warden’s watchful eyes. But Tae-joong isn’t interested — it’s almost 3:00 PM. He defeats a man quickly and bolts, angering Gang-jae.

Just when he thinks he can move forward, Officer Yang interrupts him. Noticing Tae-joong never got the vaccine, Yang drags him back to the doctor. The doctor — Yo-han’s man — injects him with a strange pink liquid, different from what he gave every other inmate. As the injection sinks in, Tae-joong’s escape window continues to narrow, and the tension spikes.

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