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"Tunnel" -2017
- Network: OCN
- Aire Date: March 25-May 21 2017
- Episodes: 16
- Where can you watch it? Netflix or Viki
Cast:
Choi Jin Hyuk as Park Gwang Ho
It is the year 1985 and Park Gwang Ho is a police stations' criminal sergeant detective who was investigating cases of women who were murdered. The murders take place over a few years and no major leads. Until one night Park Gwang Ho finds a lead and tracks down the suspect. While chasing the suspect through a tunnel (after a struggle with the suspect) he reappears in present-day 2017 after exiting the tunnel. He finds out the case he was working on was never solved; his wife has past away, and his daughter was adopted. Park Gwang Ho is reunited with one of his juniors from the police force to embark on a new but similar case to the murders that happen in 1985. Can he get back home, catch the killer, find his daughter, while keeping his secret?
Yoon Hyun Min as Kim Seon Jae
Kim Seon Jae is working at the same police station as Gwang ho but it is 30 years later. He is currently the station's elite criminal detective (lieutenant). He became a detective to find his mother's killer. At first Gwang Ho and Seon Jae clash but eventually, start to work together once they learn of their connection to an event that happens 30 years ago. Seon Jae does learn of who or what Gwang Ho is and starts to build trust to solve the current murders and help close the cold cases from 30 years ago. Seon Jae is amazing at his job and has a 100% arrest record. However, he is distant from his father and stepmother due to his obsession with finding the killer of his mother.
Lee Yoo Young as Shin Jae Yi
Shin Jae Yi is a little bit cold but has reasons behind it. She is currently a criminal psychological counselor (Forensic Psychologist) who works at a University as a professor. Jae Yi is obsessed with the murders that happen 30 years ago as well. She teams up with Gwang Ho and Seon Jae to help them but to also help herself. Her past is tragic; she lost her mother around the age of 5 or 6 and did not know her father. She was adopted and lost her adoptive parents by fire. Jae Yi is a great profiler and forensic psychologist but has poor interpersonal skills. Again, just like Seon Jae, Jae Yi is somehow connected to Gwang Ho.
Jo Hee Bong as Jeon Sung Sik
Jeon Sung Sik was present in the years of 1985 when the first set of murders began. At that time he was a rookie detective who was on Gwang Ho's team. He was the youngest and Gwang Ho was his senior and training officer. 30 years later, Sung Sik is still at the same police station, assign to the same department but he is the leader of the team. Sung Sik is the first one to recognize Gwang Ho and starts to help Gwang Ho unravel the mystery of his time travel. The funny part about this, their relationship as senior/junior resumes as if nothing has changed. Except Gwang Ho is still a 30 something (he did not age at all) while Sung Sik is in his 50s. The team finds this odd but doesn't catch on. Well except for Seon Jae. Regardless Sung Sik is determined to help both Gwang Ho and Seon Jae solve the mystery surrounding the murders.
Synopsis and Review: This contains some SPOILERS!
Here we have a crime/suspense drama for you. Before I get into the synopsis/review, the bases of the plot for this drama came from a real-life murder case. The Hwaseong serial murders occurred between 1986-1991(15 killed). Eventually, the police did find the killer, Lee Choo Jae in the fall of 2019. Here are the details of his capture: He arrested and convicted for the killing of his sister-in-law in 1994. So while behind bars (serving 20 years) his DNA was linked to the 4 of the unsolved serial murders. Eventually, Lee Choo Jae confessed to killing a total of 15 people and out of those 10 were linked to the Hwaseong serial murders. While the other 5 the police thought were copy cat crimes. The sad news was Lee Choo Jae would not be prosecuted for the other murders because the statute of limitations had expired.
Ok, now that is out of the way we can get into the drama.
In 1986 a series of killings began to which Gwang Ho and Sung Sik were in charge of along with their team from Criminal Unit 1 in Hwaseong. Gwang Ho was known to be a harsh and very direct person especially when he goes after a criminal. Gwang Ho tends to get himself hurt or puts his life at risk with his passion for the job. Because of this, his wife gave him a whistle and tells him to use it when he is in trouble and she will come to save him.
Over time, 6 women were killed including a young mother who Gwang Ho promised the husband he will do his best to solve the case. He made that promise to the couple's young toddler son. Gwang Ho decides to but his life on the line one night, when he tracked down a suspect who he not only felt, was the killer but also fit the clues from the case.
During his pursuit, he was knocked out by the killer in a tunnel. He woke up and left the tunnel to return back to his job but unknown to Gwang Ho he was in 2017 and not 1986. Gwang Ho is confused but still carries on as if he is still the Park Gwang Ho police officer. Luck was on Gwang Ho's side as he was able to team up with one of his past teammates, Sung Sik, from 30 years ago. Sung Sik happens to be the team leader of his old unit at the same station. Also, Gwang Ho happens to arrive at the same time a new teammate is supposed to be starting work a the station. Again with luck, the new teammate has the exact same name as 1986 Gwang Ho. But Seon Jae becomes suspicious of Gwang Ho and Sung Sik. He finds their relationship weird especially Gwang Ho's behavior. This leads to heated clashes between Gwang Ho and Seon Jae to where the latter is determined to solve the mystery of Gwang Ho.
Gwang Ho still treats Sung Sik as his junior to which confuses the other team members. Gwang Ho tries to go back to his time through the tunnel but no success. Gwang Ho decides to follow the one lead he has that may lead him to the way to get back home. And again as luck would have it, the night he came through the tunnel, he ran into the police officer who was supposed to start work at the station the next day but did not show up. That police officer happens to have the same name as Gwang Ho and Sung Sik decides to give Old Gwang Ho the Young Gwang Ho identification and identity. From that moment on while finding a way back to his time, Gwang Ho's new team is given a murder case that seems very familiar to Gwang Ho. Gwang Ho and Sung Sik realize the new murders of females were killed in the same way as the 6 females 30 years ago. Now Gwang Ho is determined to solve the 2017 murders as well as the 1986 murders.
Choi Jin Hyuk plays his part very well.
He is perfect as Gwang Ho. His character has a strong set of beliefs to which Jin Hyuk conveys on screen very well. Of course, we can't have a suspense crime thriller without some Kdrama spice or aka a twist. Spice one: Seon Jae who is played by Yoon Hyun Min is connected to the last murder that happens in 1987. He is determined to solve his mother's case he neglects his relationships with his dad and stepmom. Seon Jae and Gwang Ho's but heads; however, they are more alike than different. Seon Jae and Gwang Ho make a great team; however, Gwang Ho is very quick to catch on to leads that can get him and the team closer to the answers they need. Gwang Ho is a gut thinker while Seon Jae is more objective. And this leads Seon Jae to figure out who Gwang Ho is or who he thinks he is.
When Seon Jae is told the truth, thanks to unknown help from Seon Jae's father, he stands by Gwang Ho's side to help him solve the mystery of why Gwang Ho is here. Seon Jae knows how it feels to be left with the unknown and doesn't want Gwang Ho to go through that alone.
Spice two. Jae Yi who is played by Lee Yoo Young is who you think she is once you start to watch the show. The show does hide her identity but doesn't make it too hard for the viewers to catch on.
Again, in my opinion, a good handful of Kdramas at times is not too difficult to figure things out. The format wants to keep you engaged but not struggling to guess what is going on. That is changing more due to certain dramas that are beginning to mimic the deep intensity Western dramas or T.V. shows have. "Tunnel" is no exception. The writers added Jae Yi to give it that intensity similar to Western dramas. This intensity keeps the viewers engaged in the show and willing to wait for the next episode. Jae Yi character is the specially added spice that keeps people coming back for episode after episode. Jae Yi is strong but strange to where the viewers will have a hard time figuring out what is going on emotions wise. Jae Yi is amazing at her craft but seems to lack human connection outside of her work.
Yoo Young plays Jae Yi with amazement and acts effortlessly. I began to think Yoo Young is Jae Yi. In my opinion, I think she is the top character of the drama and outshines Choi Jin Hyuk at times. Her acting draws you in and leaves you wanting more. There could be a whole drama just based on Jae Yi's character; that is how powerful Yoo Young acting is and how well the Jae Yi character was written. The way Yoo Young uses body language, expressions, especially her eyes gives you chill but leaves you questioning if Jae Yi has killed before. That how powerful Yoo Young is when it comes to Jae Yi's character. Because of her acting and writing, I feel this drama can give the viewer a better appreciation for those who work in forensics or in criminal justice.
Overall Impressions: This drama is a 9 out of 10. The fact they were able to make a drama based on a real-life cold case without adding too much extra to the details of the crime is a plus. The relationship between Gwang Ho and Seon Jae acts as a break from the tension of the crimes that took place. If you think about it, the crimes are horrible and no one should die like that by the hands of another person. The humor that is added to this drama keeps the drama from venturing out of the Kdrama world. The humor also helps bring out the personalities of the characters to which viewers grow closer to them. Even though this is a crime drama, romance is still placed even though it is just a small side dish. The romance that is shown is sweet and innocent but just enough to make us become more attached to the characters. This drama brings justice to the Hwaseong murders even at the time the real killer was not found. We never know if this drama (plus the other movies or dramas) that based their plot on the real case did not help the authorities of the real case solve the case.
"Tunnel" Trailer
Sung Sik figures out who Gwang Ho is
Gwang Ho identity is revealed
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