NOOOOOO!

that ending literally ruined me :(

i know some of you are satisfied with that ending, but i am definitely not one of them. i'll explain.

first of all, i feel like there was so much thrill in the chase for the manicure serial killer, either in 2018 or in 1988 (that also involves the brother duo, Kim Min Seok and Kim Hyun Seok, as well as some mysteries surrounding the ML's traumatic childhood, or his father).

however, around ep. 14 to conclusion when Captain Dong Cheol was suddenly entangled in a murder case, and the real culprit turned out to be Chief of Seoul Police Station who got transferred to Insung, Ahn Min Sik, i feel like the story became slightly disconnected. Ahn Min Sik is a murderer cum corrupt police officer in 1988, but in 2018 he's actually the head neurosurgeon that operated on Han Tae Joo.

(of course by 1988, i mean his dream/hallucination in a state of comatose)

so i feel like that part about him was so random and didn't connect well to the rest of the story that preceded it.

also, instead of creating a lingering feeling after that conclusion, the ending actually wrecked me like crazy. it reminds me of IU's song Eight (ft. SUGA) that has a cheerful tone with very sad undertone (about her friends that passed away).

in this case, we seemed to enjoy a glimpse of Han Tae Joo reuniting with his teammates in 1988, but actually before that he jumped off a rooftop to give up the 2018 life.

of course i read comments speculating that he has never indeed woke up from his comatose state in 2018, therefore the last two episodes (ep. 15-16) of him successfully catching the serial killer brother duo were insinuating that it was a dream inside a dream, and that he's actually still unconscious.

plus, the fact that we were told that his teammates in 1988 actually died in the gang members attack, so i felt like the conclusion has only declined even more, or become sadder than it should be.

WHAT WOULD HAVE MADE THE PERFECT DRAMA for me would be if his present/reality is even more blurred than it is being presented. for instance, we started the first episode with Han Tae Joo waking up from his nap after reading case files of cold cases in 2018, and then waking up suddenly in the year 1988 after being shot in the head.

alternatively, the story could have also been written in the opposite way. he and his prosecutor/detective ex-girlfriend lost the criminal in 1988 and he was shot/badly injured, thus dreams of traveling (or actually tele-transported physically) into the future of 2018 where he meets his team members in that era. although the ending would be such that they may not stay together, at least all of them need not die during a mission.

welpppp! THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT TUNNEL IS, HAHAHAHA. no wonder i liked that drama so much, the chase was very intense from start to end.

//

basically my point is, i tried to imagine a different way of telling the story in a way that would arrive at a happier ending that i would have liked more, but yes it's difficult as i realise it'd lose its unique retro charm and flavour, and would be more/exactly like Tunnel.

i'd better stop complaining LOL, as the more i write would probably make me look like i am making a fool of myself, lmao.

some people say they would have loved a more concrete show of romance in this, as Yoon Na Yeong is such a catch. i agree. i love the team's camaraderie and i understand that what Han Tae Joo is dealing with constantly is too chaotic for him to return her love interest, but i feel like the scriptwriters could have at least given them more sweet moments for us to look back and cherish.

because the romance factor is almost completely lacking, and the serial killer chase is like a one-off suspense-type thrill, i feel like this drama does not have very high rewatchable value, at least in my book.

i am glad for the journey this was, BUT THAT ENDING RUINED ME.