Train: Episode 3

by TeriYaki

After a devastating loss, our hero is hanging by the most delicate of threads. Unable to deal with his pain, he goes about his investigation like a wounded animal, causing concern not only for his safety, but that of others. Without his anchor, our hero reaches the brink of despair just when a mysterious train offers a sliver of hope and leads him to an alternative world.

 
EPISODE 3: A reversible death

2008

A train heads for Mukyeong Station as Do-won walks along the tracks, clutching the necklace that killed Seo-kyung’s father. At the sound of the warning bells, Do-won steps onto the tracks and closes his eyes and when he opens them, he sees that he’s not alone.

Just ahead of him stands Seo-kyung, still wearing a white mourning ribbon in her hair. Seo-kyung ignores Do-won to face the oncoming train but as it swiftly approaches, he has a change of heart and takes Seo-kyung with him when he jumps to safety.

Sometime later, Do-won follows Seo-kyung after school and beats up Sung-wook when he assaults her. Do-won stretches out his hand to Seo-kyung and she takes it, even though her hand is bleeding.

While outside of Section Chief Oh’s place with Seo-kyung’s suitcases, Do-won brings out a first aid kit to clean the cut on her hand. He’s surprised when Seo-kyung tells him, “Thank you for…saving me,” and she’s just as surprised when he replies, “I want to thank you too. I found a reason. To live.” Do-won then promises her, “You won’t ever get hurt again.”

In the present, a desperate Do-won calls out Seo-kyung’s name repeatedly as he holds her tightly. Realizing that she’s gone, Do-won’s cries turn into shrieks as tears flood his face.

At the Mukyeong Station in the other world, alternate Do-won gets off the train with bloodshot eyes and a scar above one eyebrow. As he leaves the station, we see that he’s wearing black sneakers.

In this world, Jung-min’s car comes to a screeching halt in front of the hospital and when she finds Do-won sitting outside the Chapel of Rest, she begs him to tell her that there’s been a mistake. Just as Jae-hyuk, Jin-woo and Section Chief Oh join them, Do-won turns his tear-streaked face towards Jung-min and quietly asks, “Wake me up. Please.”

Alt Do-won runs out of a building just before police run inside and find a man dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Alt Do-won escapes into a bathroom stall and after injecting himself with drugs, he pulls his phone from a pocket and his ID falls out, identifying him as “Senior Inspector Seo Do-won, National Police Agency”.

At the abandoned Mukyeong Station, Jae-hyuk finds a flyer for Mukyeong Church inside the suitcase that held the latest victim. News of Seo-kyung’s murder is made public along with the fact that the Mukyeong Station Serial Killer left behind a sixth victim. In the police lab, partial fingerprints are lifted from the church flyer while Section Chief Oh is swarmed by reporters when she returns to the station.

At the funeral hall, after Jae-hyuk and Jin-woo pay their respects, Jae-hyuk informs Do-won that Seo-kyung called his number before she died. As soon as he’s alone, Do-won pulls out his phone and when he listens to an unheard voice message, he hears Seo-kyung’s voice.

Do-won returns to the station because Seo-kyung told him, “It wasn’t your father.” In a flashback, we see that Seo-kyung used the final minute of her life to make sure that Do-won knew, “It was the culprit of the Mukyeong Station Case. He killed my father.” At his desk, Do-won pulls out the file on Seo-kyung’s father while remembering his confession that he was indebted to her because of his father’s crime.

Looking at the case photos, Do-won confirms what Seo-kyung said in her message, “All of my mother’s jewelry disappeared 12 years ago. The victims of the Mukyeong Station Case were wearing them. All five of them.” From the spot where her body was found, Seo-kyung told Do-won, “You don’t have to feel guilty now…You must have had a hard time because of me. I am sorry that I liked you.” Clutching his broken watch, Do-won breaks down.

After packing up Seo-kyung’s office, Jung-min returns her belongings to her friend’s place and finds Do-won there. When Jung-min confesses that she overheard everything that Do-won told Seo-kyung about his father, he hands her the photos from Seo-kyung’s father’s case.

Do-won explains that the jewelry that disappeared that night has been appearing on the bodies of the victims dumped at Mukyeong Station and Jung-min sees that he’s right when she checks her crime scene photos on her phone. Giving Do-won the bullet that came from Seo-kyung’s body, Jung-min points out that it’s the same caliber used by the police and sobs, “Catch the culprit that killed Seo-kyung no matter what.”

Section Chief Oh meets with her boss and takes responsibility for failing to solve Seo-kyung’s father’s murder, which led to more killings. Section Chief Oh promises that once the serial killer is caught, she’ll step down from her position.

During a meeting to review the evidence on the serial killer’s latest victim, Jae-hyuk reports that the fingerprints have been chemically erased but the fingers themselves are stained with a dye used on car seats. What makes victim 6 unique is the fact that she wasn’t wearing any of the jewelry that was stolen 12 years ago. After Jae-hyuk reports that three right hand fingerprints were lifted from the church flyer, he’s asked for an update on victim 5, Lee Ji-young, but he can’t answer that question.

Following the meeting, Do-won meets Lee Ji-young in the morgue and shows her the body of her identical match. Because the hospital where Lee Ji-young was born burned down, along with all its records, Do-won explains that there’s no way to verify that she had a twin.

After Lee Ji-young offers to take responsibility for the body, Do-won asks about the scar on her neck. Lee Ji-young explains that she was burned by hot coffee when she was five years old and as soon as she leaves, Do-won pulls down the sheet covering the body to reveal an identical scar. Wincing when he experiences another flash of a train, Do-won recovers in time to answer a call from Jin-woo who reports that the fingerprint results are in.

At the police station, Do-won learns from Jae-hyuk and Jin-woo that the fingerprints match those of a man involved in a huge drug scandal three years ago, Lee Jin-sung. Do-won was his arresting officer and since no one knows where Jin-sung went after he left prison, Do-won suggests looking up his girlfriend.

Do-won questions the manager at a hostess club and when she insists that she doesn’t know a Park Min-kyung, Do-won takes her phone and calls a number. He’s rewarded when Park Min-kyung walks out and recognizes him.

Min-kyung tells Do-won that she’s no longer dating Jin-sung. In a flashback, we see that during his interrogation of Jin-sung, Do-won pressed him for the ledger of his VIP clients. Jin-sung denied it existed but later,Min-kyung handed Do-won a USB with the information he wanted. All she asked for was a lighter sentence for her boyfriend.

Do-won recognizes the clip in Min-kyung’s hair and guesses that it was a gift from Jin-sung. When Min-kyung removes it and shoves it into her purse, Do-won notices some passports and demands, “Where are you going? And whom are you going with?”

Jin-sung walks into the club with a water delivery and runs out when he sees Jae-hyuk. Do-won chases after him and fires a warning shot into the air, quickly followed by a shot aimed right at Jin-sung. Jin-sung thinks that he’s gotten away but Do-won surprises him with a flying kick that knocks him to the ground.

Pointing his gun at Jin-sung’s head (he looks like the dead drug dealer in the other world), Do-won demands to know where he was four days ago and he stammers that he was at work. Jin-wook and Jae-hyuk arrive and report that according to surveillance footage, Jin-sung is telling the truth.

After Jae-hyuk disarms him, Do-won demands to know why Jin-sung is fleeing the country. Jin-sung explains that he’s returning to Canada where he lived until he was twenty years old and that Min-kyung is going with him. Jae-hyuk realizes the Jin-sung wasn’t in the country when Seo-kyung’s father was killed. Min-kyung runs up just as Jin-woo reminds Jae-hyuk about the fingerprints and he demands to know how Jin-sung’s right fingerprints ended up on the church flyer.

Min-kyung pulls off the glove on her boyfriend’s right hand and reveals that his index and middle fingers have been cut off. She tells Do-won, “Some men came to see him as soon as he got out. I bet they were sent by the people on that ledger,” complaining, “Is this the price of cooperating with the police?” Jin-woo mumbles, “What is going on here,” as Do-won takes his gun and the flyer and walks away.

At the station, Section Chief Oh tells Jin-woo and Jae-hyuk that she wants to see Do-won as soon as he returns. Once they leave her office, she compares the photos of the jewelry found on the victims with the jewelry that was stolen from Seo-kyung’s house. Section Chief Oh finally understands why Seo-kyung insisted that her father’s murder was connected to the Mukyeong Station Case.

Do-won is confused when he finds that Mukyeong Church is deserted because the flyer lists a current schedule of events. The dark building is replaced by its brightly lit counterpart in the other world and Alt Do-won pulls on a black baseball cap as he walks by.

Ducking into a convenience store, Alt Do-won overhears the news report on the clerk’s tablet, identifying him as the suspect in the shooting death of a drug dealer. When the clerk looks up, Alt Do-won is gone.

Do-won enters the empty Mukyeong Church and finds a pamphlet from 2015 that lists the church’s new name and location. Do-won immediately visits that location and rings the doorbell until a man comes outside.

Inside the new church, the man explains that it’s been in that location for five years and when asked about the flyer, he can’t explain it. Upon closer inspection, the man points to the photo of Pastor Park Young-tae and informs Do-won that it’s been three years since he passed away. Do-won winces during another vision of a train, but this time it’s raining and a man walks away wearing black sneakers.

Jung-min can’t believe it when Jin-woo informs her that Do-won shot at Jin-sung. When she’s asked to double check the fingerprints, Jung-min shows Jin-woo that the partials found on the flyer match the ones in the database for Jin-sung. Thanks to the confusion surrounding Lee Ji-young’s identification, Jin-woo isn’t convinced.

In his car, Do-won thinks about the two Lee Ji-youngs with identical scars, Jin-sung’s missing fingers that somehow left fingerprints on the church flyer and a dead pastor whose photo appears on the flyer for a church that’s been closed for years. Do-won answers a call from Jung-min and when she demands, “Are you out of your mind,” he reminds her about the victim’s clothes that were recently produced by a company that went bankrupt eight years ago.

Do-won is back at the train tracks and while he can avoid Section Chief Oh’s calls, he can’t escape Jung-min when she finds him. Do-won looks at the spot where Seo-kyung was shot and explains that the shooter was slightly higher than her even though the terrain is flat.

Do-won shares what he knows about a ghost train that vanished into thin air in Europe a hundred years ago. It’s been sighted throughout Europe since then and Do-won asks Jung-min, “If I told you that I saw the train here, would you believe me?”

Jung-min is alarmed by Do-won’s suggestion that Seo-kyung was shot by someone on a train and when he asks, “Do you think I’m going mad,” she replies, “You were joking, right?” Undeterred, Do-won reminds Jung-min that there’s someone else who’s seen the train.

In the morning, Do-won visits the prison where Sung-wook is being held but only family members can visit him. On the prison’s security feed, Do-won sees that Sung-wook is in art class just as he picks up a crayon and scribbles on his paper.

Running through the prison, Do-won catches up to Sung-wook and tackles him to the ground. Do-won reminds Sung-wook that he said, “A train comes. Chug-chug, puff-puff. Chug-chug, puff-puff,” but he insists that he’s the killer.
 As guards drag Do-won away, he argues that Sung-wook can’t be Seo-kyung’s killer because he was already locked up. When an attendant picks up Sung-wook’s drawings from the floor, there’s a sketch of Train 8210 in the rain.

At Mukyeong Station, Alt Do-won boards the train when someone recognizes him and calls 911. Two detectives conduct a search of the train and just as they’re about to investigate an occupied bathroom, a young girl runs up and shouts, “Mom, are you not done yet?” Just when the detectives move on, the girl’s mother walks up while inside the bathroom, Do-won holds up a ruby ring.

At the police station, Jung-min brings her concerns about Do-won to Section Chief Oh. Section Chief Oh marches over to Do-won’s desk and when she finds his medication, she has Jin-woo look it up. She’s not pleased to learn that Jin-woo has been taking a stimulant and she demands to see Do-won right away just at he walks into the station.

Section Chief Oh has Jin-woo take away Do-won’s ID, gun and handcuffs. Do-won protests when she takes him off the case, so she questions Jin-woo and Jae-hyuk about his use of live ammunition. Jae-hyuk reluctantly admits that Do-won’s use of firepower was unnecessary.

Section Chief Oh suspends Do-won and when he tells her, “I refuse,” Jae-hyuk and Jin-woo make a hasty exit. Holding up his medication, Section Chief Oh warns Do-won, “You’re so addicted to these drugs that you can’t even tell what’s real and what’s fake.”

Section Chief Oh reminds Do-won that even if he were to catch and kill Seo-kyung’s killer, it won’t bring her back. When Do-won asks, “Then, what am I supposed to do now,” Section Chief Oh gently urges him to try accepting reality.

In the hallway, Jin-woo reminds Jae-hyuk that Do-won’s medication isn’t an illegal drug and that lots of detectives need something to get by. Jae-hyuk argues that the medication isn’t the problem, it’s that Do-won goes over the line too easily, which is what he’s always liked about him. Back at their desks, Jin-woo notices that something is missing and he has to inform Jae-hyuk that Do-won’s gun is gone.

Back at the train station, Do-won recalls Section Chief Oh’s reminder that nothing will bring Seo-kyung back. In his mind, Do-won wonders, “Seo-kyung. Do you really think I’m crazy,” before telling himself, “But what’s the use? You’re no longer here.”

In the other world, the detectives continue to search the train for Alt Do-won but report that they can’t find him. The detectives consider the possibility that Alt Do-won isn’t on the train anymore but when they see that the bathroom is still occupied, they pound on the door, “Police. Open up.” Trapped, Alt Do-won opens the door and punches his way out of the bathroom and then hurries away through the cars.

At the deserted train station, Do-won walks along the train tracks in his white sneakers and stops at the spot where he found Seo-kyung’s body. As he listens again to her final message, we see Seo-kyung and hear what else she had to say, “I am sorry that I liked you. But Do-won…You made me happy.”

Do-won smiles as if he can see Seo-kyung and he sits down next to her as she finishes her message, ” Even if I were to experience all of this again, I’d still want to meet you again.” Her message delivered, Seo-kyung’s arm falls and her phone slips from her fingers. In reality, Do-won is alone when he raises his gun to his head.

Before he can pull the trigger, Do-won hears an oncoming train and his broken watch spins forward to 9:35. As the train races by, Do-won sees Seo-kyung sitting in one of the cars at the same time that the detectives pursue Alt Do-won with guns drawn.

Outside, Do-won manages to pull himself onto the speeding train and after smashing a door’s window with his gun, he gets inside. Still holding his gun, Do-won searches for Seo-kyung and when the train stops, he approaches someone who looks like her.

The woman isn’t Seo-kyung and when she sees Do-won’s gun, she screams and the passengers scramble to get off the train. The detectives point their guns at Do-won and shout, “Drop your gun! You’re under arrest for killing Lee Jin-sung!”

When Do-won asks, “What do you mean Lee Jin-sung is dead,” one of the detectives fires a warning shot overhead. In the ensuing panic, Do-won gets away but he drops his case photos. Do-won exits the train and finds himself at a bustling station and when another pain causes him to double over, he’s surprised to see a sign for Mukyeong Station.

As the detectives close in, Do-won runs from the station into streets filled with people. He stops in front of Mukyeong Church which looks nothing like its deserted counterpart in Do-won’s world. Do-won is handed a familiar looking church flyer by Pastor Park Young-tae but he’s forced to run when a police van arrives on the scene.

Do-won heads for the train tracks and after the police van follows him, someone gets out. When Do-won stops to catch his breath, a warning shot is fired behind him. Do-wan pulls out his gun and points it at the female detective who’s aiming a gun at him. Do-won lowers his gun when he’s able to see the detective–she looks exactly like Seo-kyung.

 
COMMENTS

Wow. After Seo-kyung’s death, the already edgy Do-won goes completely off the rails but it’s nothing compared to Alt Do-won in the other world. While Do-won may be undisciplined and reckless, as well as addicted to his medication, Alt Do-won is a serious drug user who may or may not be a cold-blooded serial killer. It’s been awhile since I’ve tuned into a drama with Yoon Shi-yoon and I can’t believe how much he’s matured as an actor. This dual role gives Yoon Shi-yoon plenty of room to show off his acting range and so far, I’m impressed.

Train is certainly making it look as if Alt Do-won is responsible for Seo-kyung’s death and possibly others, but I’m going to reserve judgement for now. In spite of Alt Do-won’s black sneakers that clearly identify him as a villain, it’s just possible that like Do-won’s father, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Over and over again. Since Alt Do-won has such a bad reputation, what exactly has Do-won wandered into now that he’s in the other world and and how will he manage to solve the murders when everyone is after him? Including a very badass version of Seo-kyung who doesn’t seem to have any qualms about taking out Do-won.

After saving the teenaged Seo-kyung’s life, Do-won confessed that because of her, he found his reason to live. While that reason was linked to his father’s supposed crime, it was enough to keep Do-won grounded and give him a sense of direction. Do-won became Seo-kyung’s protector but sadly, her death proved that he couldn’t keep the promise that she’d never be hurt again. And with her gone, the only thing that Do-won can cling to is finding Seo-kyung’s killer. When he loses that, it’s no surprise that Do-won decides to end his life, especially when he teeters on the brink of sanity because of a ghost train.

I can’t fault Jung-min and Section Chief Oh for their decisions because Do-won’s behavior is worrisome and they’re only trying to help him. But their actions actually made things worse. Wait until they get a look at Alt Do-won should he cross over into their world at some point. I’m already wondering how Do-won can stay in his world when the one person who matters is gone and her counterpart is in the other world.

It’s likely that when she was shot, Seo-kyung saw her killer on the train but she didn’t mention anything in that heartbreaking voice message. What she did do was remove the burden that Do-won had carried for so many years, that he was the son of the man who killed her father, plus, she set him on the path to catching the real killer. Would Seo-kyung have done that if the man who shot her looked just like Do-won? I can’t see that because then Do-won’s search for her killer would put him in danger and as we saw, Seo-kyung loved him until her last breath.

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