The Control Bureau
Episode 2 of Sisyphus: The Myth begins with Tae-Sul opening the suitcase and marveling at what’s inside. A strange key is joined by an elementary school notepad and a camera, which holds some dear memories between the two brothers. This exact camera helped them with their early endeavours into Quantum & Time. An old flip-phone has 100 missed calls too but when Tae-Sul connects it to his phone, it rings again. He answers tentatively, where an excited voice speaks to Tae-Sul, believing him to be Tae-San. Tae-Sul plays along and mentions the field he fell in. Mr Park chuckles, asking about the Control Bureau and whether his limbs are intact. Upon learning about the key, Tae-Sul is told to give up the code on his right arm. The moment of hesitation that ensues is enough for Park to end the call, knowing he’s not talking to Tae-San. Tae-Sul instead shows up at his apartment where police are swarming the area. With no one on tape and the security alarms picking something up, forensics claim the place has been left in a complete mess. Funnily enough, this is just how Tae-Sul leaves everything. One thing is clear though, the painting is left upside down. When the officers remove it, an ominous message is scrawled on the wall in red paint: “Don’t look for your brother. If you do, you will die.” When the police leave, Tae-Sul searches around fruitlessly for where this key may be used. As he throws the key in the suitcase he comes up with an idea and decides to use the camera roll to develop the film. With a dark room set up, Tae-Sul has the pictures developed himself. These seem to be of Tae-San, which strangely are taken after the apparent date of his death. In fact, some of these have actually been taken in the future, including a conference two days from now…and Tae-Sul’s future marriage to Seo-Hae. Bong-Seon is just as confused as Tae-Sul. Meanwhile, Seo-Hae awakens to glorious sunlight. Heading outside, she notices a number of other residents on their rooftops playing. It’s a clear contrast to where she’s from, where the air is toxic and everyone is forced to wear gas masks outside. And now we catch a glimpse of The Control Bureau. Hwang Hyun-Seung questions a restaurant owner, the same owner who received a call from Sun surrounding Seo-Hae last episode. The owner believes Hyun-Seung is after illegal immigrants… until the man brandishes a Geiger Counter and scans him. The radiation is off the scale. This causes the men to silently quarantine the restaurant owner. Seo-Hae meets Sun when he returns home and decides she’s going to Busan. She’s determined to head off and visit Tae-Sul, stopping him from opening the suitcase before it’s too late. Just before she does, she begins glitching inexplicably. Sun strikes up a deal, promising to take the girl to Busan in exchange for the lottery numbers. Unfortunately their negotiation time is up. The Control Bureau arrive, armed with guns, as Seo-Hae notices them and realizes they need to run. The guards burst into the room and find Sun alone, cowering in the corner. Seo-Hae however is hidden behind the door. She moves like lightning, dispatching all the guards and managing to fight her way through them all. The pair make it to the rooftop where Seo-Hae inexplicably throws Sun like a ragdoll, scrambling across the rooftops. Unfortunately they’re stopped by Hyun-Seung who applauds their effort and holds them both up at gunpoint. Seo-Hae grabs her counterpart and the pair manage to drop off the roof into a rubbish truck belong. The Control Bureau don’t follow though, having gained what they needed from the apartment. This includes the phone message Seo-Hae left for Tae-Sul regarding the suitcase. Tae-Sul meanwhile, launches an investigation of his own. Eventually he figures out that the key could open a safe belonging to Tae-San. In particular, a safe inside their old Quantum & Time headquarters. He races over to investigate, finding a way in and noticing numerous documents and newspaper clippings up on the wall, including some from the future. Tae-Sul starts to question what’s happening, as flashes of Tae-San come bleeding back into his consciousness. He asks this strange vision of Tae San why he’s pretended to be dead but he doesn’t gave an answer. When his phone rings again, it’s Mr Park and he claims to have moved the safe. He encourages Tae-Sul to meet up, claiming Tae-San is his business partner and that his brother is still alive. As something extra, Park tells Tae-Sul to look outside, where the Control Bureau have arrived en-masse to his location. This, of course, is the same group that the co-pilot mentioned last episode. Now Tae-Sul is paying attention. CEO Park, quite unceremoniously, tells him he needs to run. Using his brilliance, Tae-Sul creates a makeshift bomb for the guards, using random items lying around the lab. When the guards open the door, Tae-Sul hides round the corner as a fireball spews out the front door. Tae-Sul survives and after scrambling out the window, charges up to see Bong-Seon. Only, he’s been knocked unconscious thanks to Hyun-Seung. With a taser in hand, Tae-Sul has no choice but to join these men. Riding along with Hyun-Seung, he’s taken to the Immigration Bureau where numerous people are kept in cells. Unfortunately one of those cells is now occupied by Tae-Sul himself. With no phone signal, he’s forced into talking to Hyun-Seung, who sits opposite him and starts asking him questions, Apparently he’s from team 7 but before they continue, he does a radiation test. It comes up negative, prompting him to show a picture of Seo-Hae. Tae-Sul claims not to know her, despite his connection with the wedding photo, as the guards ask for his cooperation. That cooperation comes from divulging the location of the suitcase. Still, Tae-Sul refuses to talk until Hyun-Seung threatens to sabotage his company. He even brings up Tae-San too. He warns Tae-Sul to watch his back as they’re keeping an eye on him. The sound of a gunshot sends both Bong-Seon and Tae-Sul awakening with a start, back in the latter’s apartment. Tae-Sul hurriedly grabs the suitcase and checks everything inside. While they both get a train to Busan, Sun buys two cheaper tickets to a different station that’s half the price for him and Seo-Hae. Only, Seo-Hae is not in a good state and tries to hide a wound across her stomach,. However, it’s clearly bothering her as blood seeps through her shirt. While Sun is gone, Seo-Hae marks off the correct lottery numbers for him and takes off with the train tickets. She happens to be on an adjacent station to Tae-Sul who’s also about to get on his train. They both catch a glimpse of one another before Seo-Hae gets on her train. Sun eventually realizes that he’s missed Sun, as he stands on the station and despairs.
The Episode Review
Episode 2 of Sisyphus: The Myth deepens the mystery as we learn more about the mysterious organization chasing after Seo-Hae and the others. It seems like they’re an Immigration bureau for those jumping backwards through time, possibly spewing out radiation to those in the present time period who get near and prompting them to become ill. This would certainly back up the Geiger Counters being used and why the different people are being kept in cells too. For now though we’re still in the dark but let’s hope this one doesn’t become a convoluted time travel nightmare like Alice last year! Sisyphus has done a pretty good job so far balancing out the drama, action and mystery though, making for a really promising opening across these two 70 minute episodes. Of course, we could see this one slow down in the near future but we’ll have to wait and see if that comes to fruition. For now though, Sisyphus gets off to a promising start with lots to take away from this first week.
