Won Bin...because why not? Hee!

Kidding aside, I love your imagined epilogue. If this drama decides to have a second season like some other dramas (Signal, Forest of Secrets) are currently considering, your ideas could very well be the springboard for the season 2 plot.

Congrats on a well-written article @peridot !

Congrats @peridot!!!!

Personally I think that clone Woo Jin was one of the best things about Circle, because he pushed the drama's central question into the foreground and illuminated it beautifully: what is it that makes us who we are? I also don't think I could have emotionally connected with a different actor who suddenly appeared in the last episode or two. I did really enjoy reading your alternative scenario though, and I completely agree that it would have been great to find out more about Human B rather than bundling the whole organization behind Minister Park. Thanks for writing!

Another great write-up! I thought Circle was very well-done and even the ending would have been satisfying, if we were guaranteed another season. But, we are not, so just leaving it felt incomplete, somehow. I'm one of those that loved the fact Yeo Jin Gu ended up in the 2nd time line, because HELLO! he's amazing and I totally cried when the brothers held each other in the future. I also think that was the strongest indicator that people are people because of their memories, and even though Woo-jin's original body had long passed away, his memories were still living, and therefore, his core, his being, and all that he is was still alive as well. That's my interpretation of why the story ended up this way.

Thanks for a nice new ending @peridot.

I like your epilogue and the rationale of keeping the original Woo Jin for as long as possible. I'd also like to have my cake 🍰 and eat it *Heh*. I'd like for the original Woo Jin to be old and dying and no amount of future knowhow can keep him alive.... therefore the clone Woo Jin is created.

Bum Gyun and Byul rescue both of them. It's a bittersweet ending as the brothers get reunited only to be torn apart by death. It's also painful yet hopeful for Bum Gyun to be constantly reminded of what had been and what can still be by the clone's continued existence.

The question of identity then is not longer tied to just having the memories, but includes recognising that besides the physical and mental, there is another aspect of personhood - call it 'the soul' or what you will - that still determines the uniqueness of every individual person. 😃

I definitely like your take on the epilogue and on getting more closure on Human B and how aliens are hanging about earth, and if there's only Byul or lots others. I'd go for the latter alternative and open up the doorway to a whole series of seasons for the show, with a different alien in each one. 😆 😊

Right in the Circle feels, I love it so much

Congratulation on your Won Bin's casting @peridot~
hehehe

Aww Won Bin as Kim Woojin! I just watched the movie Taegukgi a few days ago and had so much feels from Won Bin. If one's gonna write their own alternate ending why not cast Won Bin! I think he would've made a great grown up Woojin.

Personally, I've always rooted for Yeo Jingoo to somehow appear in the 2037 timeline... (aside from my obvious bias hehehe) but also, it's just what always made sense to me from the get go. I think it's because my mind has been set to that resolution the moment I saw the main poster where half of Bumgyun shows in 2017 timeline without his face (since he's Ahn Wooyeon in that timeline) but shows in 2037 as Kim Kangwoo... while Yeo Jingoo appears divided for both timelines, looking normal in 2017, and his other half looking like a glitch in 2037. Also like what @myheartisomg said, cloning Woojin just makes so much sense for the message that the writers were trying to send. What makes a person, is it his physical body or his memories? It makes such great parallel to Kim Joonhyuk who doesn't have his memories but has his own body, while Kim Woojin no longer has his original physical body but has his memories completely in tact.

If anything... the thing I missed from Circle's ending is some proper closure for the old Woojin. Like finding where he's buried or a tribute of some sort... Just a proper acknowledgement that while Clone!Woojin is also a real Woojin, the Woojin who died still really died.. If that makes sense. xD Also maybe aside from being a clone, I think it would also be interesting to make him into some AI or half android with the real brain of Woojin or something (no idea how possible that is though hahaha).

Thanks for your amazing write up! I've always enjoyed reading your theories previously in Circle recaps.

I also wanted to see a different actor as Woo Jin in the future, so I'm glad you proposed this alternate ending! Thanks!!

*applause*

Your ending is much better. It was a let-down for me that the alien subplot was never addressed. I am certain to be among the minority here but I thought the show could have toned down the comedy and picked a few sci-fi elements to run with instead of throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. I felt because of that the drama didn't have time to answer all the questions it posed and therefore we were left, well, hanging.

I LOVE that you picked Circle.
Circle was amazing. I was so emotional during this series but there were plenty of moments where I had to shush my brain because no show that doesn't make sense. There were lots of lost opportunities to grow different story lines and explain a bit more that were ignored.
Thanks again for giving a different ending!
I definitely wanted a nefarious Human B shadowy masters with captured alien scene. It would have made wayyy more sense to have a project like Smart Earth got up and running.
It was really inspiring to read your post I'm going to think about the alternative ending I would have wanted now. :)

This is one of my favourite dramas but I too felt the final episode lacked something and I hated that final scene.

I personally had no problem with the cloning, since this show was ultimately about identity. The clone was the perfect vehicle for exploring that. My problem was with the alien thing.

I've said it before but Byul was not an alien. Oh yes, the writers say she was an alien but they also say she had human DNA and human brain waves. That makes her a human being, by definition. I still believe Byul is best explained by time travel.

Either way, I live in hope of a season 2 even though I know that's very unlikely.

i actually just finished Circle a few minutes ago and i open this page so i can read another ending.
this actually answer me about almost everything except one. in Brave New World, i thought they build smart earth not because the 'memory' things where all people will be happy, but also because the air population was so worrying. half of total episode when we enter the BNW they always give us the weather prediction, how the wind brings the dust, particle, dirt, etc. but somehow it slowly getting clearer and vanished in the last episode. where are they? i mean.. the dust...

I'm currently digging YJG's thriller dramas. Impressed with Beyond Evil. Do you know where can I watch Circle with English subtitles? It's not on Netflix or IQIYI at the moment.

Circle was a superbly under-rated drama for me. It deserved much better response and I’m happy to find my family here!!!
I felt we were robbed of a season 2 because obviously the ending eluded to it.
Honestly both brothers were great in this. And the idea of won bin (hahahaha why not) had my Vote of love 💕