Tunnel: Episode 6

by TeriYaki

Kwang-ho tries to solve the mystery as to why he’s ended up in the future, but he may not get the answers that he so desperately wants. Until he figures out how to go home, Kwang-ho tries to be friendly to his new colleagues, but rudeness runs rampant all around him. One thing is certain: Kwang-ho has heart, but will it be enough to to overcome the challenges in his new timeline?

 
EPISODE 6 RECAP

Kwang-ho visits the intersection where the other Park Kwang-ho almost hit him. He peers at the traffic camera and remembers that the car was chased from the scene by another vehicle. Cut to: some hikers walking along a trail above a damaged white car covered by dry tree branches.

Kwang-ho asks Sung-shik for an update on the missing Park Kwang-ho and learns that traffic cameras recorded his car. Sung-shik explains that the traffic control center will help with their search, and Kwang-ho is anxious to go there right away.

On the way out, Sung-shik asks Kwang-ho if he’s all right after learning that he’s been unable to find Yeon-sook yet. Kwang-ho answers that he needs to find the other Kwang-ho.

They run into Sun-jae and, in a show of concern, Kwang-ho asks if he’s eaten breakfast. Sun-jae responds rudely and walks away, but is surprised when Sung-shik runs after Kwang-ho and calls him “sunbae.” Sun-jae gets a call from Dr. Mok and meets with him to review the autopsy results for victim YANG HYO-JIN, who was killed two years earlier.

Sun-jae believes her murder is linked to other cases with a similar pattern — the use of pantyhose to strangle, then bind, the victims. He’s convinced that the killer (who he believes is Jung Ho-young) selects his victims and follows them. Dr. Mok reminds Sun-jae about the lack of clues and suggests that an investigation into the time before the murders could help identify the killer.

At Hwayang University, the dean urges Jae-yi to quit her consulting job, but she escapes to her class. Sun-jae packs up an evidence board at home, with the exception of one photo – his mother holding him as a baby. When he passes the dean on his way to Jae-yi’s office, she asks to speak with him.

The dean reminds Sun-jae that he once asked her to describe Jae-yi, and she now asks him to do the same. When he answers that Jae-yi doesn’t know how to express her pain, the dean requests that he keep her away from crime scenes in order to protect her.

Sun-jae readily agrees and then asks how Jae-yi’s parents died, because he heard something about a fire. The dean shares that Jae-yi came home from school to discover her house in flames and that the cause was never determined. Her mother, with a history of mental problems, was the main suspect.

The dean believes that Jae-yi’s mother is the reason for her interest in female murderers. Sun-jae wonders why Jae-yi is dogged by rumors that she caused the fire, and the dean explains that her adoption was responsible for the suspicion.

Jae-yi returns to her office to find Sun-jae waiting with a box of files connected to Jung Ho-young and an explanation that he needs to know how to catch the suspect. He moves closer to ask Jae-yi about her hand, but she gets flustered and turns away.

Sung-shik and Kwang-ho visit the traffic control center and view footage that proves that the other Park Kwang-ho was chased. Because it was too dark, it’s impossible to see the other vehicle’s license number, but an employee promises to contact Sung-shik when he finds more footage.

As Sung-shik drives, Kwang-ho wonders if the other Park Kwang-ho is alive. Sung-shik has found no activity on his phone or accounts for the past four months, and a check on the hospitals turned up nothing. He points out that they can’t openly search for the man since Kwang-ho has assumed his identity.

Sung-shik asks Kwang-ho about the speeding ticket, worried to hear it was written by the Soojung patrol. They drive by a building with a police car out front, and Kwang-ho tells Sung-shik to turn around.

Inside, a woman holds a pair of scissors and threatens to kill herself if the uniformed officers come closer. She claims to be a victim of identity theft, but the officers explain to Sung-shik and Kwang-ho that all of the disputed transactions were traced to her laptop. Kwang-ho picks up an ID card from her dropped purse and learns that her name is YOON YUNG-JOO.

The woman, now in handcuffs, sits in Hwayang station and details the mysterious charges and loans that were made in her name. Yoon Yung-joo was harassed so much at work over an unpaid loan that she eventually paid the debt, but later lost her job.

She describes how a man pounded on her apartment door and claimed that he was the fiance of Yoon Yung-joo. Kwang-ho asks how he can find the man, and Yoon Yung-joo turns over a business card for JO DONG-IK.

Sung-shik takes Kwang-ho aside to remind him that he’s also guilty of identity theft, and they bicker before Kwang-ho slaps Sung-shik on the back of the head. Tae-hee and Min-ha turn around, but decide that they don’t want to know what’s going on when Kwang-ho pretends to give Sung-shik a shoulder massage.

Sung-shik warns Kwang-ho to make sure Sun-jae doesn’t get suspicious, because he never lets anything slide. When Sung-shik gets annoyed that Sun-jae is working on his own again, Kwang-ho encourages him to be nice to his team members.

On the way to Jo Dong-ik’s apartment, Kwang-ho pats Sun-jae on the back and inquires if he was able to go home, only to be warned, “Don’t cross the line.” Kwang-ho decides that Sun-jae’s rude answers are worse than being ignored.

The pair visit Jo Dong-ik’s office only to learn that he died suddenly the week before. When Kwang-ho and Sun-jae hear that he is scheduled to be cremated, they rush to interrupt the funeral.

They meet with a relative, who explains that a woman called in the middle of the night to tell him to go to Jo Dong-ik’s apartment right away, but he discovered him already dead. The relative thought the woman must be Jo Dong-ik’s girlfriend, but he found no contact information on his phone or anyone who ever saw her.

Sun-jae gets permission for an autopsy. He and Kwang-ho realize that Jo Dong-ik died the day that he went to see Yoon Yung-joo, so Sun-jae calls Sung-shik to ask about her whereabouts that day.

As the mourners follow Jo Dong-ik’s body to the coroner’s van, Kwang-ho remembers the funeral for Sun-jae’s mother and asks himself, “I wonder if the father and son are doing well,” unaware that the son is sitting next to him.

Sun-jae asks Kwang-ho what he’s talking about, so he tells the story of a husband who visited the station every day with his young son to check on his wife’s murder case. Kwang-ho admits that he was never able to catch the killer, but Sun-jae only comments that he thought this was his first assignment in homicide. Oops.

Sung-shik learns that Yoon Yung-joo mostly stays home since she lost her job, so he sends the Tae-Min duo to her apartment to check the CCTV footage.

Sun-jae and Kwang-ho (now sporting crime scene appropriate gloves and booties) visit Jo Dong-ik’s apartment and notice that someone cleaned it. Sun-jae observes that Jo Dong-ik’s laptop is missing while Kwang-ho looks for a photo album.

Sun-jae doubts anyone has a photo album anymore just as Kwang-ho’s search produces one. All the photos show just Jo Dong-ik, but one provides a reflected image of the mystery woman.

Tae-hee calls Sung-shik to report that the CCTV footage at the apartment backs Yoon Yung-joo’s story, but he discovered a back exit that wasn’t monitored. He agrees to check the black boxes of the surrounding cars first thing in the morning.

Sun-jae reports that the phone number used by Jo Dong-ik’s girlfriend was traced to an illegal phone. Sung-shik realizes that the culprit is very skilled and suggests a search for similar cases before he sends Sun-jae and Kwang-ho home for the night.

As Sung-shik drives Kwang-ho home, he admits that the control center has yet to contact him. Kwang-ho sees Jae-yi as she walks home with a large box in her arms and asks to be dropped off. He runs after her, but she ignores him even when he asks about her injured hand.

Out of concern, Kwang-ho carries the box into Jae-yi’s apartment. He looks at the contents, curious why she would have information on the Jung Ho-young case before he realizes that Sun-jae asked for her help.

Jae-yi guesses that Kwang-ho wants her help as well, and he begins to explain that a cop disappeared, but balks when she asks for his name. Jae-yi asks Kwang-ho to leave, but he insists that he’s genuinely worried about her before he goes.

The next day, Kwang-ho realizes that Sun-jae worked through the night, because he hands over a report on another victim first thing in the morning. The case matches Yoon Yung-joo’s in every way, and Sun-jae thinks it likely that her claims are true. Kwang-ho reads that the victim committed suicide and thinks that it may be another suspicious death.

Dr. Mok calls Sun-jae to inform him that the results of Jo Dong-ik’s autopsy are ready. They visit the doctor and learn that Jo Dong-ik was sedated and injected with a lethal dose of nicotine.

Back at the station, the Serious Crimes Unit realizes that they have a murder case. Sung-shik dispatches Tae-hee and Min-ha to check if Yoon Yung-joo filled a sleeping pill prescription or purchased nicotine. Sun-jae and Kwang-ho decide to interview the family of the other victim, Go Ah-ra.

As the team disperses, Sun-jae overhears Kwang-ho reminding Sung-shik that thirty years ago, they could get information with a few phone calls. Once Sun-jae leaves, Sung-shik grabs Kwang-ho to chastise him over another reference to the past, worried that Sun-jae will figure out that Kwang-ho is a fraud.

Kwang-ho insists that Sun-jae has warmed up to him, but Sung-shik knows how focused he can be with a case. Sun-jae returns and barks at him, prompting Kwang-ho to tell Sung-shik, “You see? He talks to me now.”

Sun-jae and Kwang-ho interview Go Ah-ra’s mother, who is surprised that they finally believe her daughter was a victim of identity theft. Sun-jae starts to explain that their investigation has to do with another victim, but Kwang-ho steps in to interview the mother.

Kwang-ho gently asks the mother what happened to her daughter and learns that she overdosed on sleeping pills on what was supposed to be her wedding day. Her wedding was called off because she was supposedly in debt and behind on payments.

Her mother shares that no one believed her daughter, not even the police. Sun-jae shows her photos of Jo Dong-ik and Yoon Yung-joo, but the mother claims to have never seen them.

Go Ah-ra’s mother does recall a mourner who thought that her daughter was a regular at her massage parlor, but she didn’t recognize the girl in the funeral portrait. Kwang-ho remembers that Yoon Yung-joo was accused of borrowing money from a massage parlor.

Sun-jae and Kwang-ho interview the massage parlor mourner who admits that the woman who died was not the same Go Ah-ra who was a regular customer. When she’s called away, Kwang-ho is frustrated that they know nothing about the suspect, but Sun-jae reminds him that they now have witnesses.

Tae-hee and Min-ha find Sung-shik at work on an evidence board after the discovery of three more victims that match the suspect’s pattern. Tae-hee suggests that he add Yoon Yung-joo to the list because she was never prescribed sleeping pills, and Min-ha adds that she didn’t purchase nicotine. Sung-shik orders them to release her from custody and send their data to Jae-yi.

Sung-shik admits that he’s curious to know what the suspect looks like just as Sun-jae and Kwang-ho return with the massage parlor employees who saw her. Sun-jae asks Min-ha to work with them to produce a sketch of the suspect.

Sung-shik explains that Min-ha can picture what he hears and Kwang-ho thinks that he and Tae-hee make a perfect team, based on their talents. Tae-hee retorts that Kwang-ho and Sun-jae are perfect together because they are both maniacs.

In spite of their efforts, the team fails to find a connection between the victims, so Sung-shik asks Sun-jae to call Jae-yi. He jumps up and runs off when he realizes that she was asked to consult on the case.

As Jae-yi studies the cases, Sun-jae calls to ask how the suspect managed to meet her victims. She suggests a cultural activity or coffee with a boyfriend and notes that all of the victims had boyfriends, but that they broke up once their identities were stolen.

Jae-yi believes that the suspect was triggered by a breakup and has money problems. Sun-jae reasons that the team should focus their search on restaurants and look for a woman in her twenties. He then asks Jae-yi where she usually goes and softly admits that he’s surprised that she didn’t hang up on him.

Sun-jae smiles when Jae-yi does hang up, and he turns around, suddenly confronted by a scowling Kwang-ho who asks, “You like her, don’t you?” Sun-jae walks away as Kwang-ho insists that he noticed something between them during the rest stop case.

Sun-jae denies the claim, but Kwang-ho knows he’s right and asks, “Why do you have such poor taste in women?” Kwang-ho tells himself that his Yeon-sook is the best and sadly realizes how much he misses her.

The team searches the victims’ credit card records and finally finds a common thread — Wonderland Restaurant. Equipped with Min-ha’s sketch, Sun-jae and Kwang-ho visit the restaurant and look around. Sun-jae’s attention is caught by a waitress as she walks by, a match to their sketch.

The waitress, KIM MIN-SOO, sits in an interrogation room as the team observes her from behind the mirror. Sun-jae has proof that she bought pure nicotine and filled a prescription for sleeping pills two weeks before Jo Dong-ik died, so everyone is in agreement that she’s their culprit.

Confronted with the sketch, Kim Min-soo cooly asks if she can keep it. Kwang-ho shows her photos of the victims, but she claims that she’s never seen them before asking if they were customers at the restaurant. Sun-jae slaps down a photo of Jo Dong-ik and informs Kim Min-soo that he promised to come when he heard that Yoon Yung-joo was arrested, but she just laughs.

Unable to get a confession, the detectives step out, and Kwang-ho asks about Jae-yi’s analysis of the case. Sun-jae remembers that she suggested that the suspect probably broke up with her boyfriend, and he and Kwang-ho leave to investigate further.

They question Kim Min-soo’s former boyfriend, who admits that they planned to marry but instead broke up because of her excessive spending. He saw her at a restaurant and called her name, but she claimed she was Yoon Yung-joo. Sun-jae confirms that she was with Jo Dong-ik at the time.

Armed with proof of her guilt, Sun-jae tells Kim Min-soo that he understands her jealousy towards the victims who enjoyed expensive meals with their boyfriends. Jo Dong-ik figured out that she had assumed someone else’s identity, which was why she killed him.

We see that Kim Min-soo acquired the victims’ personal information when they entered a promotional event. Sun-jae details how she became more skilled with each victim and was only satisfied when they could no longer dine at the restaurant, certain that their happiness was destroyed too.

Sung-shik presents Kwang-ho with a smartphone, and he sends his first text to Sun-jae, “Kim Sun-jae is an idiot and Park Kwang-ho is a genius.” (I think these two belong in middle school.) Sun-jae’s reply is an emoji that makes Sung-shik laugh, but he becomes serious after a call from the traffic center.

Sun-jae stops outside of Jae-yi’s office with two coffees and changes her status to “On Vacation” before he walks in. She tells him, “It’s nice to see you. I mean, the coffee.” Sun-jae reminds her to use her uninjured left hand to take the coffee.

Sung-shik and Kwang-ho review the last recorded footage of the car owned by the other Park Kwang-ho, chased by the same vehicle, but this time the license number is visible. They drive out to the location near Youngil Fishing Site.

Sun-jae visits Dr. Mok for another game of chess and is complimented for the discovery of a criminal who was hidden. Sun-jae believes that it’s hard to live without leaving a trace, but Dr. Mok claims that he has managed it so far.

Dr. Mok notes that he and Kwang-ho share a similar disconnectedness, but Sun-jae informs him that Kwang-ho now has a cell phone. The doctor comments that people who have something to hide live like that, and Sun-jae recalls that Kim Min-soo suggested to Kwang-ho that he was living as someone else.

Sun-jae suddenly excuses himself. Alone, Dr. Mok moves a white chess piece and observes, “Some people… hide in the light instead of darkness.” Hmmm.

Sun-jae returns to the station and runs into Driver Oh, who explains that Kwang-ho called him all the time because he didn’t know his way around and always talked about what it was like thirty years ago, but he hasn’t seen him lately.

Sun-jae searches Kwang-ho’s desk, but it’s empty. He realizes that like Kim Min-soo, there are no photos of Kwang-ho. He recalls how Sung-shik addresses Kwang-ho formally before moving to his desk.

He checks his computer and sees the traffic footage near the fishing site and then answers Sung-shik’s phone to hear that the missing vehicle was located and belongs to Corporal Park.

Sun-jae visits the site where the car was discovered and investigates the surrounding area. He discovers the dead body of the missing Park Kwang-ho and wonders about the real identity of the Park Kwang-ho that he thought he knew.

 
COMMENTS

Things just suddenly got very interesting with Sun-jae’s discovery about the other Park Kwang-ho. As hard as Kwang-ho and Sung-shik have worked to find him, Sun-jae intercepted the pass and discovered exactly what Sung-shik was afraid of: that there are two Park Kwang-ho’s. How he will handle that information is anyone’s guess, but I’m sure it will be a setback to his budding relationship with his partner, just when he had progressed from ignoring him to actually using words. As if Sung-shik doesn’t have enough headaches.

Speaking of Sung-shik, I really enjoy this character and his interactions with Kwang-ho. He’s happy to be with his old mentor again, but he’s burdened by his secret, which Kwang-ho refuses to be careful about. It was actually a blessing when Sun-jae ignored him, because he’s become aware that some interesting tidbits that are starting to add up. Now that Sun-jae knows that Kwang-ho isn’t that Park Kwang-ho, how will Sung-shik react to protect his old partner? He’s sure to have a big mess to deal with, because as he knows, Sun-jae doesn’t let anything slide. Except for Dr. Mok — Sun-jae seems to have a huge blind spot when it comes to his friend.

Dr. Mok is developing into an interesting character who protects himself with a smile and a nudge towards someone else, such as Kwang-ho. His comment that people who avoid modern technology have something to hide placed Kwang-ho on Sun-jae’s radar, but curiously, not the doctor himself. What is he hiding? By his own admission, he’s chosen to hide in the light rather than in the darkness, but, who is he? That’s the question that Sun-jae should ask himself, but all in due time, I’m sure.

Sun-jae’s interest in Jae-yi becomes more apparent with each episode, and I find his attentiveness attractive, yet puzzling, because she is hardly encouraging. I guess she’s not discouraging either, so for Sun-jae, that’s enough. She certainly discourages any interaction with Kwang-ho, even though he saved her life and has tried to be neighborly. She’s just plain rude to him even though she’s a police consultant for the whole team, not just Sun-jae. No wonder Kwang-ho thinks that Sun-jae has bad taste in women.

The death of the other Park Kwang-ho is sure to be a blow to our Kwang-ho and a setback in his crusade to find his way back to 1986. So far, Kwang-ho has been hopeful and optimistic, but how will his demeanor be affected when the one person that he thought could help him has been dead all along? Now, to get any answers, Kwang-ho will have to solve the mystery of who killed the man whose identity he assumed and why, while Sun-jae investigates him. Fortunately for Kwang-ho, even though he doesn’t know it yet, Sun-jae’s dad can vouch for the detective who worked on his wife’s murder case over thirty years ago, and Sun-jae may want to catch her killer more that he’ll want to expose the one man who can help him do just that.

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