IM YourOnlyOne

Updated: corrected the year 2049 to 2091 (also corrected Section 6). I remembered incorrectly the year the Ghost came from. Thank you @Mariam for the heads-up!

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Episode 7: analyses

1. The Ghost:
a. The captured Ghost said Sae Ha's mother was already dead. This means the captured Ghost is the "latest" (or most recent) version. She also said there is only one way to save her -- to time travel.
b. The Ghost seen in episode 6, who injected something to Sae Ha's mother, appears to be one of her previous travels. Not necessarily the "past" since "time does not flow".


2. Su Keun (Sae Ha's father) always dying when creating the Grid.
a. This seems to be trade-off. If they want to create the Grid, Su Keun will die no matter what. If Su Keun is saved, the Grid won't exist.
b. There is something about Su Keun why this point in time is an important moment.
c. The 1997 Ghost said that "your father …" but Sae ha cut her off with his emotional crying. The Ghost knew about Su Keun, just that, it was only at that moment when she made the connection who Sae Ha is and _when_ he came from.
c1: The Ghost knows something.
d. This is my guess: since Su Keun was the one who created the radiation antidote, it is possible that in the original time period of the Ghost, Su Keun's antidote was well known. This is probably what she was about to say when Sae Ha cut her off.
e. Sae Ha did realise that the Ghost was not killing anyone, and whenever someone dies, it was unintentional.
e1. This makes sense if she knew who Su Keun is. Why would she kill him?
e2. The Ghost probably does not have full control of the device when she arrived in 1997 to install the Grid. As Sae Ha said, unintentional.
e3. The Ghost probably have no idea either that Su Keun will always die whenever the Grid is setup.

3. The Original reality
a. When the Grid failed, we saw what the original reality was.
b. This is the reality of the Ghost's 2091 -- without the Grid.

4. The Ghost disappeared when she failed to create the Grid.
a. As far as time-travel rules in the show is concerned--at least up to episode 7--the Ghost should not disappear at all. If her 2091 was a reality where the Grid did not exist, then it is guaranteed she will always travel back to 1997 -- cause-and-effect.

But she disappeared. This means that:

b. The 2091 of the Ghost was not a reality where the Grid did not exist.
b1. My guess here is, the 2091 of the Ghost is a reality where the Grid existed (past tense). Sometime from 2021 and 2091, the Grid failed and they never fixed it. So they invented time travel, sent the Ghost back in 1997 to create a better version of the Grid.
c. However, the question is, she should still disappear if the new Grid is better. My guess here is that, no matter what Grid is created, it fails sometime between 2021 and 2091. This is why the Ghost from 2091 always travel back in 1997 to install the Grid.
d. This explains why she disappeared when she failed to install the Grid, because her reality was erased.

5. Time travel rules
a. Changing something, like installing the Grid, is very time sensitive. When the Ghost was distracted by Sae Ha in 1997, the slight delay in finishing her code resulted in her disappearing.
a1. This tells us that there is some sort of "time bubble". As long as the Grid is installed within that time bubble, it will work.
a2. This explains why the Ghost installed the code at the exact same time in different locations (I think this was episode 5?) She practically appeared in multiple places at exactly the same time to install the Grid. It is the only window in time she can install the Grid, otherwise, her reality will disappear. -- Which was what happened in episode 7.
b. If the same time traveler appears at the same location (using the device), the events at that location is reset. However, if the same time traveler appears at the exact same period in time but different locations, things stay intact (like when the Ghost was caught in CCTVs installing the Grid).
b1. This is why Sae Ha can not stop the moment when he distracted the Ghost. The Ghost is gone, and the only way to bring her back is to recreate the condition which led to 2091 sending a time traveler back in 1997.

6. Who is the murder suspect?
a. One of my early guess is he is her father. If the character is 40 years old (same age as the actress), then it means she was born in 2051. The murder suspect probably got married or got someone pregnant.
b. Or, the murder suspect is her grandfather, either way, it is why she is protecting him. Notice how she also prevented him stealing cash from a random guy … she even repeatedly tried various scenarios before she intervened directly (by teleporting the cash from the murder suspect's hands back to the pocket of the owner).
c. In the reality without the Grid, the murder suspect is living a good life. Probably did not get married which resulted in the Ghost not being born.

7. Then how did the Grid get created in the first place?
a. Sae Ha, as was shown in the ending of episode 7.
b. Since he has a time travel device and he exists in any reality, there will always be someone to install the Grid.
c. I am suspecting in episode 8 we will see the Ghost back after Sae Ha installs the first version of the Grid. And the cycle begins anew.
d. If this turns out to be the case, then it means the reality of the Ghost was indeed a reality where the Grid existed, then failed between 2021 and 2091.

8. Then how did Sae ha come across time travel device from the original reality where time travel did not exist?
a. We will never know.
b. In some time travel fiction, it is explained that the original reality ceases to exist and is replaced by the loop/paradox.
c. The way I explain it is: time bubble. Within a time bubble, anything and everything is happening simultaneously. All possible versions are happening at the same time in that time bubble. Depending on which actions the time travelers do, once they reach the edge of the time bubble, it will be the new reality.
c1. This is explains why the Ghost disappeared. She has not finished installing the Grid by the time they reached the end of the time bubble. That inaction, that delay, became the new reality.
c2. Yes, that 1997 moment is critical. It is the only time period where/when the Grid can be installed. They can not do it earlier, they can not do it later.
c3. In some time travel fiction, it is called "fixed time". It should never be changed.

9. What happens to "time doesn't flow"?
a. In episode 6, our guess is the story is using the original "block universe theory". But in episode 7, with the Ghost disappearing, it appears they are using something else. (The Ghost should not disappear in the block universe theory.)

a1. At this point, it is hard to tell. I am suspecting either the "growing block universe theory" (scientific) or "presentism" (philosophy). There are also other possible explanations but I'd rather avoid and just wait what the show will reveal, since these are philosophies already, no longer scientific theories -- the different philosophies of space and time are very hard to explain. So yeah, let's wait.

(You can search online for these topics, you can read the ones in Wikipedia but those aren't explained well either. Much better to go join serious circles or search sciencedirect.com for papers. TIP: do not try to understand it if you can't; come back to it after a few months or years if you are really interested; often than not, we tend to understand something much later in life.)

10. I hope they don't mess this up.
- I haven't been this challenged with a time travel show. I literally can not figure this one out. The lack of clues. The lack of rules about their time travel. And then now, in episode 7, it seems to contradict the revelations in episode 6.
- It makes sense but it is so hard to pinpoint. If you know that feeling that you can grasp it but something is not fitting well … yeah that.
- The time travel rules are there. But it's so hard to pinpoint what those are.
- The key is in "time doesn't flow" but we are not sure what exactly do they mean by that. The Ghost disappearing in episode 7 threw everything off. It created a paradox that should not exist at all.
- Oh, another thing, when the Ghost was holding the murder suspect, they both disappeared. She used the same with the two men who tried to assault her on the train station scene and brought them somewhere cold. BUT when Sae Ha was holding his parents … at least based on the scene in Episode 7, he was the only one who went back to 1997.
- Lastly, while some will probably say "plot hole" or "writer error" or anything similar, we should avoid it and try to see it from the writer's perspective -- especially when it comes to time travel because any writer attempting time travel do a lot research. If we are having a hard time with it, imagine what the writer had to go through to get his/her story straight and logical.
- Yes, plot holes and writer error are possible, it does happen, but until they admit it, we should assume that the writer had everything laid out. We just have to unlock, or figure out, what that is.

^_^

Episode 7 analysis (UPDATED)

Oooh, that's a good alternative. I haven't tried this method before … I guess this is a good time as any. ^_^

Thank you for the suggestion!

True, it is unfair. But the truth is, it is not about being "unfair", it is about slowly killing their current relationship.

Because if one still have feelings with their ex (be it love, anger, missing them, or hatred--it doesn't matter it's all feelings), then it means they haven't let go or moved on. These feelings will always crop up in them as a person and in their current relationship--without them knowing it.

While it is unfair for their current partner, it is a total pity and dangerous for the person who haven't moved on (because they are not aware of it, or they are refusing to admit it, telling themselves they've moved on when they really did not). Every relationship they enter in will almost always end up in disaster. If they already got married and there's no divorce in their country, the more problematic it will be … and their kids.

For their current partner, they only have two choices: [1] end the relationship while they still can; or [2] help them realize that they haven't moved on so they can finally let go -- a.k.a. healing.

If you choose Option 2, be very careful. Almost every relationship where the partner is in the healing process, end up going their separate ways. The reason for this is that the partner who is healing, once they heal, they no longer need you (the healer). The couple doesn't realise that their relationship is a healer-healee type of relationship. I've just been in that one recently (for 15 years at that) -- it was my fault in the first place since I knew it already, I took a risk, I thought it can turn out good in the end … but nope, still ended up that way like every other healer-healee type of relationships.

Yep, relationships like that do exist. My first ex, we're like that. We were together for three years before we broke up. While the reasons for our break up was painful and mainly my fault for being a fool and taken her for granted, we broke up properly.

22 years later, we're still friends, probably what others would call "best friends" too. However, we know our boundaries _and_ there is absolutely nothing between us anymore (since 11 years ago).

We rarely intentionally meet outside of work (our fields have an overlap so, there are times when we do have to meet for work/business). If we do meet, intentionally or not, work related or not, we tell our better halves respectively. It is our way of telling our partners that "hey, there's nothing between us", "do you want to come with me", and "this is where we will meet, you come later when you have the time, let's bond together".

So, yeah, it is possible. but it is not easy at first. I mentioned "since 11 years ago" because the first 11 years was when both can't let go of our feelings. It was only in 2011 that we finally did, permanently.

Ouch. It's too much with that many episodes for 70 minutes each. T_T

I'm picky these days when it comes to anything more than 25-30 episodes, especially if it is at least 50 minutes long per episode. Times changed, lot of things to do, and the world is too 'sad' and 'evil' these days.

It would've been fine if it's more comedic overall. But I guess I'll skip this one.

Thank you for the honest feedback! Much appreciated!

Hahaha yeah. This style is uncommom in TV shows, it's usually seen in novels.

As most are thinking by now, the title is probably a hint to the best and worst period of their lives. That part wherein one has to make the biggest decision of their life, break or make.

It isn't so much about them, the characters and their relationship, but about life, growing up, and learning to live in a harsh world. Taken in a Korean context, that would also mean, how the Korean public tries to dictate and control the lives of celebrities and public personalities.

I see where you're coming from.

But the episode 14 "2019 broadcast" reveal points the other way.

They are both sad in that broadcast. They want each other but they know they can never cross the chasm separating them, ever again. Something big and serious happened.

Also, Hee Do's last words in that 2009 interview: "I will take care of everything. See you when I see you."

"I will take care of everything" is ominous. It means there is something that they're supposed to do together, or is obligated to do together, but for whatever reason Yi Jin can not, so Hee Do "will take care of everything".

"See you when I see you" means they have no idea when they will see each other again.

Together, "I will take care of everything. See you when I see you", means because of a wedge between them, a certain responsibility falls on Hee Do's shoulders alone, and they might never see each other.

I am suspecting Kim Min Chae was born a year earlier and the father is Yi Jin. But because of a wedge between them, they can not be together again, so in the end, to save face, she married a Kim.

If Kim Min Chae is the same age as the actress, then the character was also born in 2008. Yet Hee Do was married in sometime 2009 or possibly late 2008.

Yes, Yi Jin slightly smiled … but that's him trying to be happy for her even though it is too painful for him.

Yes, Hee Do obviously smiled but not how she usually do it, because she needs to show a happy emotion on national television … even though deep inside she isn't happy about it.

If Yi Jin is supposed to be "Kim Yi Jin":
1. Kim Min Chae doesn't know him. From episode 1 to 14, Min Chae never once said something in the line of "oh, it's dad, so this is how they met".

2. Hee Do wouldn't say "I will take care of everything. See you when I see you."

I see what you mean. The characters are on the extreme edge of the spectrum.

KJ is a simpleton. He is slow to learn. And he always need confirmation if what he has in mind is a good thing. He also likes to sulk in the corner first before doing anything.

HK is too "high and mighty". She always want to portray a perfect image. She thinks that the people around her should not see how frail she is like everybody else.

It's rare to see these extremes of character in real life. There are but its rare.

Yes, at least as far as "seeking" is concerned. On HK's part, she did not look for advice but found it indirectly through him and his experiences.

Remember that scene in their office rest area? KJ kept talking and touched on how HK is this and that. Exactly the same thing SW told her a few minutes earlier.

So, at first, HK dismissed what SW said, probably got a bit angry too. But when she heard the same from KJ that gave her pause and she started to look inside. "Am I really like that?"

HK won't ask for advice, literally, but she looks at other people's experiences and take it as an advice quietly. She thinks that letting people see her asking for advice and help is like showing them how weak and powerless she is, an image she can not afford--especially after their nasty break up.

While KJ, a fool that he is, actively seeks advice because he understands his own limitations.

People can be a fool but it doesn't mean they are a fool for the rest of their lives.

Shi Woo obviously was about to make a huge mistake in his life and Ki Joon noticed it, so he gave him advise so he could avoid the same mistake that he did--a fool.

You can listen to someone with more experience even if you hate the person. Shutting them them and telling to f*ck off is a recipe for disaster.

If Shi Woo told him to "get lost", like what the OP said, then he'll definitely make the biggest mistake of his life. If Ki Joon stayed quiet like what the OP wanted, then Shi Woo would've had make the biggest mistake of his life.

I hope it does not happen to you. ^_^

There, very short.

Are you just looking for a happy ending? Or, are you looking for a _romantic_ happy ending?

The answer is in Episode 1 and Episode 14. It's a story about life; of growing up; of relationships between parents and children; of relationships between friends.

Will it be a happy ending, generally speaking? It depends how you understand the story about life, about growing up.

Will it be a _romantic_ happy ending? Wrong show. :p

Since you want to know the ending, then the following is not a spoiler for you:

Episode 1: Hee Do's daughter is "KIM Min Chae".
Episode 1: Yi Jin is BAEK Yi Jin.
Episode 14: year 2009, Baek Yi Jin congratulated Na Hee Do on her marriage.
Episode 14: year 2009, they were very sad and talked as if they have regrets, that if they can only turn back time they'll make a different decision

Haha… watch episode 1 again :p

It will be on episode 15.

Umm… Kim Min Chae is the obvious clue. If Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee Do got married, Min Chae would be "Baek Min Chae".

Unless there is an unknown tradition in Korea where parents can choose a different family name, like what they do in some African countries.

^_^

* 2000
-- Na Hee Do 20 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 24 years old

* 2001
-- Na Hee Do 21 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 25 years old
-- Show title: Twenty-Five Twenty-One
-- Madrid, Spain competition - Na Hee Do won Gold

* 2005
-- Na Hee Do 25 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 29 years old
-- Prague, Czech Republic competition - Na Hee Do won Gold -- this is just a guess

* 2007
-- Na Hee Do 27 years old
-- sometime 2007 or early 2008 Na Hee Do was pregnant (assuming the character for Kim Min Chae is the same age as the actress)

* 2008
-- Na Hee Do 28 years old
-- Kim Min Chae was born (1 year old Korean age) (assuming the character is the same age as the actress)

* 2009
-- Na Hee Do 29 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 33 years old
-- Na Hee Do got married to a Kim
-- July 10, 2009: San Francisco, USA competition - Na Hee Do won Gold
-- UBS broadcast by Baek Yi Jin. Online video upload entitled: "Special relationship between Na Hee Do and Reporter Baek Yi Jin"

* 2016
-- Na Hee Do 36 years old
-- Kim Min Chae started ballet; and recital

* 2021
-- Present time
-- Na Hee Do 41 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 45 years old (if he's still alive)
-- Kim Min Chae had been doing ballet for 5 years (ep 1)
-- Kim Min Chae is 13 years old (assuming the character is the same age as the actress)

What we know so far as of Episode 14:

Note #1: All ages are in Korean age
Note #2: The competitions depicted are not real (fencing, ballet)

For real? 52 episodes 70 minutes each in 2021/2022?! That's like releasing Jumong in 2021/2022 - 81 episodes 70 minutes each.

So how light and comedic is this series?

Episode 14 was so hard to watch. T_T