"Tunnel - Drama" Episode 13 recap

Gwang-ho has returned to his life, but there is a lot of work to be done in the past and present of "Tunnel - Drama". As our time traveling hero struggles to create a case against Mok Jin-woo at a time where technology is still underdeveloped, our team in the present start a search for their partner and look into the reason for his disappearance. Despite Gwang-ho's return, the present is not changing and we soon find out the why.
Gwang-ho's (Choi Jin-hyuk) return is an emotional one, but it is also sweet and simple. This is very characteristic of the couple's life and I feel Yeon-sook's (Lee Si-ah) reaction to the truth is one which adds to this endearing relationship. She trusts Gwang-ho and his words and he in turn relies on her for support. Jae-i's (Lee Yoo-young) trip down memory lane, on the other hand, is an unnerving part of the episode only somewhat clarified by its ending.

Before getting to the ending, however, I have to say that Jae-i is not the only one having an odd reaction to this situation. The way in which all the characters in the future who know the truth think about Gwang-ho's return is very distracting. Nobody is considering that the present should have changed or have been changing due to his travel. They talk about him as if he has gone to another world without contemplating his influence on the now.
Unrealistic reactions from Team Present aside, the episode ends with a possible explanation for this lack of influence. If past and present are on the same timeline, there are two ways in which the present could remain the same after Gwang-ho's brief trip back. One would be if the present only changes after key points in the past do. Since time flows at the same speed, Gwang-ho not having reached such a point in the past would explain the lack of changes in the present.

However, this would make things too complicated for the final episodes and Gwang-ho would still change the present we know eventually. What happens at the end of episode thirteen is a more reasonable explanation. I find it highly possible that Gwang-ho's final stop will be the present. As sad as this will be for several characters, it is the only way to leave the present and everyone we know in it unchanged for good.
Of course the ending could be a combination of both. Gwang-ho could return again and slowly change the present we know. Whichever the case, I am dying to see what happens and I hope the series will not disappoint with its resolution for the murders and Gwang-ho's travels. For now, the challenge will probably be to keep young Yeong-ja (Kim Hye-yoon) and Jae-i safe from our killer.
"Tunnel - Drama" is directed by Sin Yong-hwi and Kim Seong-min-I, written by Lee Eun-mi-III and features Choi Jin-hyuk, Yoon Hyun-min and Lee Yoo-young.
Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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