Signal Chat Part Seven & Eight: Our Minds Are Blown

Blown I tell you, blown! This set up episodes, I had the episodes set up on my projector and with my headphones on, and their moody scenes and music, I felt like I was watching a flipping movie. These episodes were so good I literally sang a song to Jacqueline that went something like this:

I love this show! I love this show! I want to make out with this show almost as much as I want to make out with Junsu–wickety woo, wickety woo!! And by the end of episode my lyrics had changed to I love this show I want to make out with it more than I want to make out with Junsu. And that’s saying something.

*Just don’t tell Junsu*

Jacqueline: Hey, Junsu can go sit in a corner because he may be awesome, BUT HE DIDN’T BAD-ASSEDLY BRING A DEAD GIRL BACK TO NOT-DEAD STATUS! I love how last week we were all, “Yeah, this is totally gonna be the drama’s ‘thing’ for a bit and—” NOPE! And, girl, dare I say it? I’m actually hella impressed, surprised, and pleased as kittens about that! How about you?!

Stephanie: It’s not like I didn’t like this last weeks episodes. Last week’s episodes were awesome. But you know what? This week’s episodes were so much better. They were moody and suspenseful, dude—I even had to take my headphones off because I couldn’t stand the suspense of the episode. Now that is exceptional tv.

Jacqueline: SO MUCH YASSSSS! I think number 37 on the Cool As All Hell Reasons Signal Kicks Ass list is because last week WAS lots of exposition and setup. This week the writer proved not only can they go yanky-yank with the expectation rug, but they can craft a story that doesn’t fall into a rut. This week’s eps were FAN-DAMN-TASTIC because, yeah, we got a complex connect-the-dots story about rape, theft, murder, and identity switcharoo that was interesting like WHOA. But! This week also proved this writer can get my ass invested in subplots that would typically bore me, ALL WHILE TYING TOGETHER ALL OF THE THINGS!

Stephanie: Sometimes I wonder, what is a more boring read, when you hate a drama or when you love it? Us watching Village was so different than us watching Signal. There are still nitpicky things that I’m sure I want to talk about, but the craft that went into this story is incredible. I will officially put this writer onto the MUST watch list.

Jacqueline: SO MUCH TRUTH! Because my soul desperately just wants to fangirl flail with wild gesticulations, proclaiming “JUST GO WATCH IT!” to all the humans. And they double-so should, because this drama is so much bigger than just a “dead-body-figure-it-out mystery of the week.” Like the previous two episodes, ep 7 and 8 focus on a single case that has hella big ripple effects. But THIS time? We got some actual damn answers along the way to the overarching drama plots, like who killed Past Police guy, why was he in trouble, how did he draw fire on his ass…All that, set up and BAM,  delivered. AND I WAS NOT EXPECTING THOSE REVEALS!

Stephanie: Holy Fudge. When I realized this was the episode where the two pasts meet up at first? I was knocked over. And then when I realized how everything was connected? How he was murdered because of the disk, which connected him to the corruption, that connected him to the evil policeman, which got him implicated, which got him shot, dude. It was a lot to take in. This is why he knew about the walkie talkie, knew why he was going to have to convince the profiler to convince him, and how he knew everything was connected. Mind. Blown. With all of that reveal I wonder if there is going to be a way for him to come out of this alive? Just what the next step is for him in this drama. Or will he not be in it anymore and the rest of the story will just be them solving his death? Stupid fucking time for you to throw out the walkie talkie dumb ass. *irritation you don’t throw away a magical walkie talkie, no matter how much trouble it causes!!!!!*

Jacqueline: EXACTLY! There were so many dominoes perfectly set up hours ago in the drama that fell like diamonds this go-round. I don’t think I can even manage to theorize where this drama is going next, or what those question answers will be, and that rocks! When you can’t one hundred percent predict where a story is going, that’s how you know damn good and well you’ve got a great writer on your hands. But not only the writing, man..the acting! There were so many powerful moments of intensity that went next-level impressive this week, my favorite in particular? That showdown between Mr. Rapey Murder Guy and She-Dead-Nope-She-Just-In-Hiding chick. Everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY brought their A game to that scene, the guest actors, the leads, the supporting cast…that police interrogation room was bursting with energy and awesome!

Stephanie: That was the part for me that I had to take my headphones off, because I thought, with the asshat police commissioner colluding with the evil rapist/druggie/murdering/bad lawyer, that this was not going to go well for our team. That they were going to be tripped up by my least favorite part of the show, the asshat. But, no, the reveal that they KNEW they had to be working with him and they only turned in part of the evidence? That was a brain busting moment. My ‘I want to make out with this show’ song really kicked into high gear then. It makes you question. Did their direct bosshe one with the wavering loyalties? Did he know they were tricking the suspect? Was he in on it? Hmm….

Jacqueline: It was another example of a fantastic plot twist reveal giving a GREAT emotional punch the story in that episode! This writer KNOWS how to craft suspense and believable twists in a way that makes me wanna give her all the cookies in the cookie jar. I found it so cool that we’re now getting Second In Command more screen-time, because he’s been a question since day one. Personally I don’t quite think he knew the team were holding back, but I definitely get the sense he wants to break his chain from Boss Man. Poor guy just seems to lack the means or wherewithal to do it. My best guess is that after him having seen it’s possible to one-up Mr. Boss, his loyalties are shifting to the Cold Case team. Guess that’s why he kept mum about the magic walkie talkie. And speaking of…OH MY GOD IT’S THE SAME WALKIE TALKIE! I know you said you knew that already, but that was a big reveal this week and it brings up a lot of answers.

Stephanie: First off, before I get into what you said, you didn’t realize it was the same walkie talkie? Did you think there were multiple magical walkie talkies out there? If so, I want one. 🙂 From the start I always thought he wants to be good, but I don’t know, wasn’t strong enough? Which is interesting when you look at the past detective, who, through story, only became a stronger detective. He’s strong enough now to stand up to his boss, then the new boss, who was clearly out for him. He is what all the other policemen should want to be—of course that did get him murdered but I guess you can’t always be a winner.

Jacqueline: Actually I thought the walkie talkie was part of a set, much like how many walkie talkies frequently are which was why they were matching. Because of that, I wasn’t thinking the walkie talkie itself was “magic,” but that the frequency the walkie operated on was the key. Either way, it’s still cool because with the walkie talkie originally being Past Cop’s, it points the story even more in his corner. It really is! Our Second In Command guy is/was in a similar situation as the Past Cop, though I’m betting Boss Man has more dirt on him than our now dead detective, hence his wishy-washy attitude.

Stephanie: Yeah, I’m pretty sure they put him up to murdering him, though  I’m not sure what they had on him in the first place to put him in that situation, unless it was one of those things that he got deeper and deeper before he realized it. Part of me hopes he didn’t actually shoot him, but something tells me that past detective wouldn’t have been able to stay hidden like the actress did. One thing I love is the fact that episode 8 was completely told and solved in the present. It was an interesting switch and added something to the tone of the story. Turns out magical walkie talkies or not, I’d watch the crap out of this show.

Jacqueline: Exactly! This writer has proved that they don’t need to reply on tropes or cliches, and that one storyline and timeline is just as capable of holding our attention as the other! I love that we’re almost half way (okay that’s a lie, DON’T LET IT EVER END!) and we’re still being given small snippets of character interaction scenes. They’re small, but they add so much realism to the drama. Like in the restaurant when one of the team members was comically reenacting the interrogation? So many small moments like that…oh, OH! AND THE FEMALE LEAD CAN WE PLEASE FANGIRL ABOUT THE FEMALE LEAD NOW BECAUSE I WANNA MARRY HER AND HAVE HER BABIES!

Stephanie: First off, we’re half way through but it really feels like we’re heading into the home stretch, doesn’t it? Makes you wonder what surprises are left to go. With the big plot reveal, I was very surprised with her part in it. How she wanted to be a good detective right from the start, but more importantly, I was so surprised when the past caught up with the past and realized that the only relationship she actually had with past policeman was a brief mentor mentee relationship. But it’s stuck with her all of these years.

Jacqueline: Now see, I wasn’t a bit surprised by that because it had already been hinted at earlier, with his “We’ll work this out ASAP” and then that day, or the following night he’s dead/MIA. I always interpreted that dialogue that they hadn’t started a relationship, but both wanted to and had talked but not touched. But honestly, I think that gives even MORE of an emotional power-punch to the story, and, more importantly; to her character. This chick has grown so much from her past incarnation, to her present. Yes, she’s a bit hardened, but she can both take an ass kicking, and give one. She’s smart, as evident by her investigation skills, and she’s everything I want to be when I grow up. THANK YOU SIGNAL FOR GIVING ME A GREAT DAMN FEMALE LEAD!

Stephanie: When she took out that hit man? That fight was awesome. Love that she is the brain AND the brawn.

Jacqueline: EXACTLY! I also am loving the LOVE out of the male lead. It’s so fun seeing his character growth over the course of the story, too, because at the start he was very closed off and by-the-book analytical, but now as the story has unfolded he’s grown more accepting of his emotional, cop-instinct. He’s not only becoming emotionally invested in his coworkers, but his investigation skills are ALSO becoming more well rounded. This drama writers character AND plot equally well, and that is do damn rare I don’t even know what to do with myself, dammit!

Stephanie: He was adorable when he found out she was not dead. That he had to go and see her for himself, and then kept smiling? This was legit the lightest (emotionally) and happiest we’ve seen him in the entire drama.

That he had to go and see her for himself, and then kept smiling? This was legit the lightest (emotionally) and happiest we’ve seen him in the entire drama. It was nice to see that he could still feel that way. I also liked the way he tried to feel her out, almost try to convince her to not be a detective anymore, but she is much stronger than both him and past detective. (But then again, it’s not like she knew she died and came back to life.)

Jacqueline: It’s not the first time he’s been, “But you got a Vjayjay, so ummm…maybe…don’t detective?” Bless his idiot heart, and I love him for that. He’s protective without being overbearing, and knows when to shut his trap. I especially love that we get small, emotional moments like that peppered in with the complex cases the drama unfolds. Granted, it WAS a bit eye-rolley that Mr. Joe Blow On The Street randomly comes in and is like, “So, um, I found my girl, maybe see if she’s not dead?” I can buy the connect-the-dots between the past and present, but I feel like the writer could have done a better job at moving the squad’s attention to that case, rather than just having it literally fall into their lap.

Stephanie: ME TOO! It was a bit of an eye roll for me that this guy just happens to come in with a case with a woman who just happens to reappear, who happens to be connected to the case that happens to have to do with the bridge collapse, which just happens to have to do with the robberies, which just all happen to have to do with the disappearance with the past detective. I like a well put together story, but I dislike convenience coincidences.

Jacqueline: Now see, I wasn’t bothered with all those dots connecting, because it harkens a magical realism element in that things are fated/destiny/all that jazz, which this show definitely has going for in its themes. It just irked me that he had to literally walk in the door to jump start that plot. Was there really no reason that couldn’t have just been a case file in their queue? They ARE a cold case squad, all the writer would have had to do is switch it to an accidental death rather than suicide and BAM, they would have had a reason to investigate and subsequently discover she was alive on their own without needing Mr. Fiance to point them down the road.

Stephanie: Can I talk about one thing? Last week, and I guess part of this week, the theme was the consequences of changing the past to the point where the profiler threw away the walkie talkie rather than risk changing the future again. But we had an interesting point made this week. The father from the last episode, gets out of jail and murders the other father he holds responsible for the death of his daughter. It may have changed the timeline, but his future remained the same. The lady detective may have gotten in the way of the murder plot in the new present, but he was always gunning for that guy. You see little things like that. The past detectives possible girlfriend was murdered when they saved the other girl. But the same amount of people still died. It is interesting how the details will change, but the main truths will stay the same. SO DON”T THROW AWAY THE WALKIE TALKIE AGAIN!

Jacqueline: AWESOME observation! There are going to be consequences no matter how you screw with the past, but I like that the story is okay with changing timelines. I grow tired of time travel-ish stories being like EVERYTHING IS SET IN STONE NO CHANGEY NO TAKE-BACKSIES! Ugh on that. This drama lets things remain in flux, which I’m pretty interested to see how the story is going to progress since we’re ostensibly caught u p with Mr. Past Cop’s timeline. Is there another time jump in store for us? Methinks it be possible!
 

Stephanie: Can there be another time jump? How can that work? We’ve never gone back to the renewed past before. I’m wondering where they are going with this, but I love, love, love the fact that I have no freaking idea.

Jacqueline: Well, I think so, simply because what was the cause of the first time jump…His death, right? Why did the timeline go back to that specific day when we went back? I see it entirely within the realms of possibility, but really, we’ll just have to see where the plot goes. SO DAMMIT DRAMA GET ALL UP IN MY FACE WITH ALL THE EPISODES PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

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