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1. BTS “Bring the Soul” poster

Thanks, Janey, for doing the research. You wrote:

“Bring the Soul the movie”, a documentary on BTS, was released in august 7, 2019 and SH was playing “Spring Day”. Uploader was created in 2021, after which there was a war and a lot of people perished.

This info goes well with my theory…no, my character analysis of TaeSul as Sisyphus.

He reminded me of Sisyphus for his tenacity and obstinacy. Yes, he’s tenacious. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to correct mistakes. But he’s also stubborn to a fault. He doesn’t see when he’s stuck in a self-defeating cycle. He doesn’t know when to stop. He’ll end up inventing a time machine so he can be reunited with his loved ones and won’t care if his time machine will have disastrous consequences.

He’s been consistent that he’ll do anything to anything to fix the past. For instance, aboard the plane, he demonstrated that was Mr. Fixit.

To his therapist, he said, “Had I known that would be the last time, if I knew, I’d do anything to go back to that day, even just once.”

To Mr. Park’s question, “Let’s say there’s something you regret doing in the past, and you want to change it. How much would you be willing to pay for it?” he answered, “Everything I got.”

After hearing the facts from Mr. Park that success rate of returning is only about 5 percent, he didn’t want his brother taking the uploader to return to the year 2020.

Taesul: Then if my brother got into that accident after arriving here on an uploader, he really is alive right now.
SeoHae: That’s right.
Taesul: He won’t die if he doesn’t come back. (He and SH exchanged looks.) Then I should find him and tell him to never come.

The alien Hyunki looked away. I thought he looked away because he was hiding a secret.

Aug 7 2019: BTS concert; everything looks upbeat
Aug 12, 2020: SeoHae eats at restaurant, Taesul released from hospital
Aug 13, 2020: Seohae opens suitcase; Taesul opens hyung’s suitcase
Aug 15, 2020: Train to Busan; Taesul’s kidnapping
Aug 19, 2020: TV reporting that 72 hours have passed since Taesul’s kidnapping
Aug 20, 2020: Alien Hyunki arrives for his mother’s death; shoot-out
Aug 27, 2020: Party at Chairman’s house

Sometime in 2020, TS and SH marry each other, she’s shot on her wedding day.
-we don’t know whether she survives the shot or not

Sometime in 2020, on or before Seohae’s birthday, she dies.
-it’s written so in her diary

Sometime in 2021, Taesul creates uploader…probably to get her back.
-it’s interesting that he created the code for the downloader in 2001

but it took him 20 years to finish the uploader.

Note: During his opening speech, Eddie Kim quoted a science-fiction writer. “Writer William Gibson once said, the future is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed yet.” What Mr. Gibson meant was that the advanced technology, scientific innovations, and medical discoveries of the future were already available to those who could afford them. They’re unevenly distributed because not everybody can acquire or utilize them.

Now, Mr. Park also quoted the same line when he was watching the download of HyunKi. I think what he meant was, despite the fact that quantum teleportation is available to everybody, not all would have access to the same kind of quality service that would guarantee that all their limbs would arrive intact at their final destination. There were risks to quantum teleportation.

2. SeoHae’s birthday mystery

Thanks, GB, for writing her diary entry down. It saved me the trouble.

Dear Seo Hae, Happy Birthday.
By the time you read this, I’ll be dead. Don’t be surprised. What you’re looking at is from yourself.
Listen carefully. There is something we must do. Take the uploader and go to the past. Save Han Tae Sul. If he lives, the war can be stopped. Only you can do this.

My notes:

First, she didn’t want Mr. Park to read it out loud. She didn’t want TaeSul to know that:

a. she was on a suicide mission to save him, and
b. she died and failed her mission.

The fact that war occurred meant that Taesul died despite Seohae’s efforts.

However, just like what I said in my First Impressions, she’s also Sisyphus because she won’t accept defeat. Her father made her promise not to meet Han Taesul, but she contacted him about the suitcase and went to Busan. If he had been shot and killed back then, then the uploader wouldn’t have been created. When the Assassin told her, “there’s no point running, you know how it’s going to end,” she got mad.

Like Mr. Park, she believed that the future was the mirror of the present and couldn’t be changed. But by keeping Taesul ignorant of the inevitable doom, I think she was holding on to hope that they could somehow change their fate.

Second, when’s her birthday? Some theories:

A. She was born before the uploader was created.

For instance, she could have been born on Sept 30, 2012. That’s the passcode on her suitcase, 120930. I agree with nrllee, however. That would make her 8 years old in 2020, so why doesn’t she know that bananas needed to be peeled before eating?

B. She was born after the uploader was created.

For example, August 11, 2025. That’s the number tattooed on her, 250811.

C. All I say is that when her father (here, I’m assuming HyunKi’s police partner was her father) was filling out the lotto ticket, he wasn’t married yet to her mother. He had no wedding ring. 😊

No rings, not even a wedding band.

3. The suitcases

Thanks, nrllee, for writing this conversation down.

TS: What is that (the guy is about to inject a hypodermic into the neck of the new guy who was just downloaded)
Henchman1: Atropine. They are taught to run as soon as they arrive.
TS: Why do they come only in their underwear?
H1: They need to transfer the least amount of information to prevent errors.
TS: What’s in that suitcase?
H1: Stuff they want to bring. Stuff like money.
TS: You said they need the least bit of information…
H1: They can’t come emptyhanded. They need to survive.
TS: Right…but what if someone’s future self comes here? Won’t there be issues if there’s a same identity and information?
H1: Time paradox. Their bodies and memories get mixed. And eventually one side disappears.

Aside from the suitcases of the assassins which contained rifles, the other four suitcases we’ve seen contained nothing that was worth a lot of money to the brokers. Instead, the suitcases of Taesan, Seohae, the one with the baseball book 2020, and HyunKi, contained something that they regretted.

Taesan: the key and a camera with the undeveloped film of significant events in Taesul’s which he missed.
Seohae: her diary containing instructions about TaeSul: she regrets not being to save Taesul.
Anonymous Alien: baseball 2020 and a tool set for picking a lock
HyunKi: different ramen to satisfy his mom’s taste: he regrets not being kinder to his mom, getting mad because she ate ramen, and avoiding her call.

4. The lotto

For Janey, lol. 🙂

At the restaurant, she guessed the last five numbers:

5, 21… (she guessed the following) 22, 8, 18, 38, 10

At the train station, she picked these numbers:

1, 7, 16, 21, 27, ?

Her dad was going to write in the same numbers on ten tickets because that was how his friend won the lottery.

These were his lucky numbers:

2, 5, 9, 18, 23, 24

However, please note that, shortly before they received a dispatch call, he totally CHANGED the numbers he was writing down. That’s very peculiar. He must have had a brain freeze or a “glitch” that coincided with the arrival of the alien with the incomplete arm.

These were the numbers he filled out on that one ticket.

First Column: 7, 8, 18, 23, 26, 31
Second Column: 4, 16, 26, 29, 39, 44
Third Column: 3, 9, 18, 23, 24

As I said previously, I doubt that she memorized the winning numbers. If she had to write in her diary a reminder to “call Han Taesul” on August 13, 2020 – and that was an important date — then she would NOT remember some random numbers on the off-chance that she was going to encounter Jaesun.

5. Gaslighting of Eddie Kim

It’s disconcerting when the Control Bureau chief paid a visit to Eddie, and insisted that Taesul’s phone call never happened. He made Eddie doubt what really happened that morning, and question his sanity. The chief must have ordered the record of the call deleted from Eddie’s phone.

Chief: I heard Mr. Han contacted you this morning.
Eddie: Yes.
Chief: Did you report it to the police.
Eddie: No, I can’t trust them.
Chief: Good thinking. And you spoke to him on the phone?
Eddie: No, just a text. He sent his location.
Chief: If you didn’t talk to himself, how can you be sure that it was him who sent it?
Eddie: No one except Taesul can turn on that phone. (the chairman and the chief looked at each other) Whether I talked to him or got a text from him, it doesn’t change the fact that he was there. We have to send someone —
Chief: Mr. Kim. I know that you’re feeling impatient right now. I’m sure you’re anxious. Could you show me that text?
Eddie: Of course, just a minute. (Message couldn’t be found) Wait. But I got a message. I definitely got —
Chief: When you’re feeling anxious, you may believe you got a message when you didn’t.
Eddie: No, that’s impossible.
Chief: (takes his leave)

And since Eddie wasn’t the type to be defiant and confrontational, it didn’t take him long to accept this version of reality, even though he knew something was wrong. Inasmuch I’d like to accuse him of disloyalty, Eddie’s major flaw is that he’s spineless.

I think the Chairman is also in cahoots with the CB chief on this.

6. The Alien Jung HyunKi

I suspect that, since he was working for the Control Bureau, he mistook Seohae to be an enemy. When he was inside the car waiting for Taesul to get the car started, he saw Seohae running towards them and he looked worried. The viewers’ general impression was he was worried for HER because the Control Bureau was ganging up on her.

However, I think he was really worried about his and Taesul’s safety because the Control Bureau couldn’t stop Seohae on her tracks. He was trying to get Taesul’s attention because he feared that Seohae would reach them soon.

HyunKi: Mr. Han.
Taesul: What?
HyunKi: That woman.
Taesul: What?

My impression here was that he was more frightened of SeoHae reaching their vehicle than the Control Bureau. But he soon realized that she was on their side, when Taesul shouted, “Hey, stop fighting and come over here!”

That’s how his apology later made sense to me. He was apologizing for misunderstanding Seohae’s allegiance and motives. She wasn’t an enemy. She wasn’t one of the Sigma assassins.

HyunKi: You won’t like what you’ll see there.
Taesul: Just give me the address.
HyunKi: Promise me one thing. Don’t go to the second floor. The study. And you. (looking at Seohae) Don’t go outside. There’s a sniper. My first mission was to kill you.
Seohae: Who were you working with?
Hyunki: The Control Bureau. I’m really sorry. I did things that I shouldn’t have done to you. I’m sorry. (then looking at Taesul) It was August 27. There was some kind of party. (writing down an address)
Seohae: (looking warily behind her and then at the clock on the wall)

NOTE: I believe she was looking at the clock.

The clock was to her left — as seen here.

Note the time: 9:00 am.

HyunKi: (handing the address to Taesul)
Taesul: That’s the chairman’s house. What happened?

Seohae was still looking at the clock worriedly. Taesul noticed her staring at the wall.

Seohae: Wait!

Then they all looked at the clock.

And then Seohae looked at the door. The men were coming.

Remember: this is MY theory of the two clocks: take it or leave it…or make up your own theory. I think they saw the wall clock speeding up because the Control Bureau was outside. Seohae’s delayed/slower time inside Hyunki’s house was catching up to the Control Bureau’s faster time.

What does the time look up here? 9:00 am? 9:15 am?

After all that shooting was done, HyunKi came out hiding. He showed them the key to his car, and he grabbed Seohae’s hand for his final words.

HyunKi: No matter what I do from now on, forgive me. That’s the only way you can win.

In the end, HyunKi was rooting for Seohae to achieve her mission, too. He probably realized that he’d be manipulated by the Control Bureau to think that Seohae was the biggest enemy.

7. The drones

Seohae: It’s a drone.
Taesul: What? A drone? Here they go again. But how did they know our location?

Seohae: They know everything. This happened in their past.
Taesul: My cellphone! My GPS was on!

lol. I’ll have to side with Taesul on this one. They knew because his GPS was on. To me, Seohae was sounding a bit fatalistic, e.g., “We’re doomed! We’re not going to make it.” On the other hand, Taesul wanted a practical answer.

But I would love to have their faces as a screensaver. lol.

8. Taesul

I think he explains too much, but I get it. It’s the writer’s way of informing the audience what Taesul is about to do. And whether the director planned it or not, their bickering gives the audience an amusing diversion during the never-ending chase scenes.

Taesul: If you just jump, you’ll die. You need to think.
Seohae: Think about what?
Taesul: The water won’t be cold this time of the year, so you have to stretch out your legs and fall vertically. How much do you weigh.
Seohae: Why are you asking?
Taesul: I need to calculate.
Seohae: No way.
Taesul: Okay, let’s say you weight about 55kg.
Seohae: It’s 50kg.
Taesul: What? 50kg? Why are you so skinny? You need to eat more.

Did he say that she wasn’t his type? So what’s it to him if she’s skinny?

Taesul: (continuing) If you drop from this height, you’ll go six to seven meters underwater. The current will be fast, and you won’t see anything. You won’t know which way is up. So what I mean is, (grabbing her hand) don’t let go of my hand.

If this drama was a romcom like “Start-Up,” I’d say that he liked to hold her hands and was looking for an excuse to do so. But since romance in this drama takes a backseat to the mystery of time travel, I don’t think he was flirting with her. It’s more a sign of his letting his guard down around her.

Nevertheless, I see this gesture as a big improvement from when he ordered her to stay away from him in case she exposed him to radiation.

He might still think that getting married to her was a preposterous idea but at least, he didn’t shun taking responsibility for her wellbeing. He certainly came through for her at the most unexpected times.

And here.