Signal's past and present cops converge via radio » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

37 December 8, 2015December 8, 2015

Signal’s past and present cops converge via radio

by girlfriday

Here’s our first look at tvN’s Signal, the paranormal police drama from the PD of Misaeng and the writer of Ghost and Sign. It’s about cops both past and present who can communicate with one another via two-way radio, and how they use this unique situation to crack long-unsolved cases. The teaser introduces us to our main cast — Lee Je-hoon (Secret Door), Kim Hye-soo (God of the Workplace), and Jo Jin-woong (Full Sun) — and gives us glimpses of their past and present in bits and pieces.

Lee Je-hoon stars as a bad boy cop in the present-day timeline. He was a rebellious teen who had such terrible experiences with authority figures that he hated any and all cops (the flashes to his childhood in the teaser have him wreaking havoc in a police station and getting into fights). It’s a wonder that he became a cop himself then, but I suppose that’ll be the interesting thing about his character. He’s still got that rebel streak in him, and in order to make ends meet, he sells tips to celebrity news outlets. He’s greatly wasting his talents, until one day an old radio that was in storage starts to ring.

Kim Hye-soo is a dogged detective with 15 years’ experience in homicide, whose one real weakness is her terrible temper. She’s famous for losing her cool and constantly gets into trouble because of it, eventually landing herself on the long-term unsolved cases task force alongside Lee Je-hoon. Meanwhile, Jo Jin-woong is a cop from the past who’s missing in his own timeline and exists only inside the two-way radio.

Weeeeird. Is he a ghost? Still alive and desperate to be found? How’d he get trapped in there? The show sounds so normal until you get to his character, and suddenly it’s so supernatural. Jo Jin-woong is the one who calls Lee Je-hoon through this mystical radio, sending all three characters after unsolved cases. The teaser’s tagline is: “A signal sent through desperation.” Where’s MY two-way radio that calls Lee Je-hoon when I need him?

Signal follows Answer Me 1988 on Fridays and Saturdays in late January.

Via Movie Joy

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1 Lia

December 8, 2015 at 8:09 AM

Wow this looks good! But I'm having too much fun with Reply 1988 I don't want to to end ever..

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Lia

December 8, 2015 at 8:10 AM

it to end*

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tej

December 8, 2015 at 8:52 PM

LOL I was just thinking the same thing. Why couldn't they have made Reply a weekend drama?! And how am I going to survive that one week where they won't air episodes?

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2 Orion

December 8, 2015 at 8:16 AM

I wonder if solving things in the present will somehow enable the trapped detective to return to his own timeline. It sounds like a tough deal to achieve, given things will change now, not back then.

The movie 'Frequency' managed to show the connection and influence by having things in the past affect the present, but if he is lost in the past and stuck in the radio, I don't see how they can help him.

Why he got in there, how, what happened to him and most of all, can it be changed are topics which I'd love to see explored. I hope this will be more than just a crime show with a twist, and actually focus on the paranormal element. I mean, it would be boring to just see police case solving when an anomaly of the universe, time and space is right in front of us.

TvN has been quite disappointing for a while, with all types of shows, so I hope this is a return to focusing more on the quality of the writing and to taking stories more seriously.

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dkaoru

December 8, 2015 at 8:31 AM

I thought of Frequency too when I saw this drama's description :) this sounds interesting, hope it's good writing and good acting

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museofmanymasks

December 8, 2015 at 10:01 AM

" I hope this will be more than just a crime show with a twist, and actually focus on the paranormal element."

Same. Jo Jin Woong always makes a killing in movies so my feelings would be hurt if he was wasted or his trajectory makes no sense here. Paranormal elements aren't usually fleshed out in dramas well, but I hope they get it right this time, especially with this cast. TVN, please don't scare them off to Chungmuro forever!

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3 Kiara

December 8, 2015 at 8:27 AM

Wut? Jo Jin-woong a ghost detective? Thank goodness it's not the drama version of "Memories of Murder."
I hope it's good, for the sake of this great cast at least.

I had to look up that song "Sealed with a kiss." I wasn't even born when it came out lol.

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juniper

December 8, 2015 at 6:18 PM

Yay, that means I can get excited for this cast and stop raging every time I see an article about this show lol. I agree, I hope it's good for the sake of the cast. Kim Won-seok isn't the most exciting director, but he's very solid. The question is the writing, really.

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4 Lyna

December 8, 2015 at 8:29 AM

The summary sound very much like the US movie Frequency which for a moment made me wonder if Lee Je-hoon and Jo Jin-woong plays father and son and if this device would allow them to alter an event that affected them both in past and present.

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5 ayay

December 8, 2015 at 8:30 AM

Am I the only one who doesn't like the Reply series and just want it to be over?

Excited for Kim Hye Soo

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voyeur

December 8, 2015 at 10:10 AM

You're not the only one then

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earthna

December 8, 2015 at 11:55 AM

I kinda like it but wish it was shorter. I can't wait for Signal.

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iamdeb

December 8, 2015 at 12:37 PM

You're never the only one! ;)

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jinsolfan

December 8, 2015 at 5:12 PM

It's impossible for everyone to like a series.

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juniper

December 8, 2015 at 6:22 PM

I loved the others to death (against my better judgment sometimes), but I'm starting to dislike 88. So you're kinda not alone?

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Anu

December 8, 2015 at 11:32 PM

Me too..Cheers:-))

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changhyun

December 10, 2015 at 9:05 AM

You're crazy!! But this looks really good as well. I'm super high on Lee Jehoon from his performance in Secret Door, he's an astounding actor

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6 Miky

December 8, 2015 at 8:47 AM

this sounds so good and i'm already expecting to be sad if the one from the past,maybe a partner of our cop lady(because in drama no one isin't unconnected)might be dead..really hope the story will be good,the cast is amazing

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7 bajing

December 8, 2015 at 9:01 AM

LEE JE-HOON! 'nuff said! Hopefully third time is a charm. I need Lee je-hoon in a drama that I can and want to watch. Make it happen drama!

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8 erwinia

December 8, 2015 at 9:17 AM

Any one also got a pop-up video showing a curvaceous woman walking in a nude bikini? Strange ad.

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9 Sailor Mars

December 8, 2015 at 10:08 AM

Comment was deleted

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10 goodytwoshoes

December 8, 2015 at 10:23 AM

Yaaaay. Going to looooooove this. I love time travel/paradox stories, tho they make me get my paper and pen with calculator and sometimes pull out my hair when I try to figure out the logistics. Thanks to Faith, Inception, The time traveller's wife, Fringe, Back to the future etc. I think I almost lost "it" when I saw fringe then. Hahaha

So 'Signal' I am ready, bring it on. Please spare me any romance. I am only here for the time-travel

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11 rinoak

December 8, 2015 at 10:35 AM

I'm really looking forward to this one! Come on Signal, be good!!!

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12 lili_ij

December 8, 2015 at 11:13 AM

At least we can be reasonably certain that *this* paranormal policeman will get to talk...

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13 earthna

December 8, 2015 at 11:54 AM

YES! YES! YES! I NEED JO JIN WOONG IN MY LIFE! Can't wait!

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14 iamdeb

December 8, 2015 at 12:38 PM

Yes, I'm so ready for that fine face!

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15 Franbergh II

December 8, 2015 at 2:00 PM

i guess we need to prepare another romance-less drama. and make sure not to drawn for a pairing ^^

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16 Chris

December 8, 2015 at 3:14 PM

This one looks really interesting.. and I love the writer previous works too.

Now I'm torn because I don't want Reply 1988 to be over.

Before, I thought Signal will be replacing Bubblegum. Anyone know what Bubblegum replacement is?

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coffea

December 8, 2015 at 3:38 PM

Cheese In The Trap

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Abby

December 8, 2015 at 3:50 PM

From Wiki, Cheese in the Trap.

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17 Arashi

December 8, 2015 at 5:21 PM

Sounds like a cool premise!

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18 anigeek89

December 8, 2015 at 6:21 PM

This kind of reminds me of that movie frequency with the characters being a son whose a cop in the present and he talks to his dad through an old radio who had died a while ago.