Have you recently finished watching Disney Plus’s Grid (그리드)? Confused? Worry not! In this article, I answered as many questions as I know the answers to and explained the reasons behind it.
Just remember, Grid (그리드) is a soft sci-fi show. A soft science fiction concerns itself on soft or social sciences (psychology, sociology), which means, there should be no expectations on any explanation of the show’s hard sciences. This is where this article comes in, as fans of the show, we will explain those which were not touched on the story.
Guidelines
Before we begin we need to be on the same page on how to approach the questions and how to find the answers.
Approach from an in-universe perspective. We need to think as someone who lives in the world of the characters. We need to unlock what was in the author’s mind.
Remember these two important rules in creative writing / fiction:
Show, don’t tell. If the storytelling style is to tell then we are reading a scientific paper or watching a documentary. We need to watch to find the answers.
If a scene will not move the story forward, delete it. An experienced writer makes sure every scene is important to the story. This means that we can not assume that some scenes were insignificant. All scenes are important and a potential clue.
Everything shown is canon. We can not dismiss something shown as false. If an information was included in the show then it is official.
The story is about Kwon Saeha / Kim Saeha. The vantage point of the story is from the perspective of Saeha. All time is relative to him. The plot is relative to him.
There is only one timeline/universe. Forget about the many-worlds interpretation (MWI), or more commonly known as multiple timelines and parallel universes. There is only one timeline and one universe in the Grid (그리드).
Temporal Mechanics
Static Theory of Spacetime.
Time is like space, and there is no such thing as the passage of time
1, or as explained in Grid (그리드)time does not flow
. All possibilities in all times simultaneously exist.Growing Block Universe Theory. All possibilities in the past and the present simultaneously exist, and the future is yet to be. Both the past and the present are simply now. What we perceive as the past is as much as what we call the present. There is only now and the future—which is yet to be.
I originally chose the Block Universe Theory because the Ghost exists and she is from the future, it did not make sense from a Growing Block Universe Theory standpoint—where the future is yet to be. However, after @jenss, from MyDramaList, pointed out that Saeha said he can not go to a time beyond his origin point, it suddenly all fitted together. Add Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, and voila, perfect fit—the future that is yet to be is relative to the origin time of the time traveler.
Spacetime is relative. As explained by Albert Einstein in his Special Theory of Relativity, time (or more accurately, spacetime) is relative to the observer or the person.
Time travelers can not travel beyond their origin and relative times. This is the result of rule number 1. This is a very important rule which we will encounter later.
Travel beyond one’s origin time is not possible. This is because the world of Grid (그리드) is based on the Growing Block Universe Theory. The future is yet to come into existence.
Travel beyond one’s relative time is not possible. This is because of both the Growing Block Universe Theory and Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. It does not matter if the traveler is in the past (relative to their origin time), from their relative time (as an observer) the future is yet to come into existence.
Person replacement. If time travelers enter a time period where there is a native or earlier version of themselves, they replace it.
The best example was in episode 07 when the Captured Ghost saved Saeha and Saebyeok from the door explosion (2021-10-10). She returned them back to 2021-10-08 and both Saeha and Saebyeok replaced their versions on that day.
2021-10-08 First Version (episode 04)
- Saeha was on the corridor of the Secretariat talking to Saebyeok on the phone.
- Saebyeok visited the construction site where Kim Manok last worked and was talking to Saeha on the phone.
2021-10-08 Second Version (episode 07)
- Saeha was on the ground with a bloodied face and clothes.
- Saebyeok was on the ground with her gun.
Saeha’s return was also captured in CCTV which Director Choi reviewed. In one frame, Saeha was standing talking on his phone. In the next frame, Saeha was on the floor.
Age matters. When time travelers enter a time period where there is a younger or older version of themselves, they do not replace it.
A good example is in episode 08 when Saeha traveled to the year 2000 and talked to his 9-year-old self. No doubt it applies to teenage and senior versions. There are no clues available to determine the age gap.
Proximity applies. When time travelers enter a time period in a location far from their native or earlier version, they will not replace it.
An example of this was when the Founder/Ghost appeared in the Institute of Radio Research from 12:02:00–12:05:59 UTC (21:02:00–21:05:59 KST). Yet at that same time, she was captured on CCTV in the USA, Australia, and Spain. See At a glance: The Ghost for a list of times.
Time period replacement. When time travelers enter a time period, it is instantly replaced by the version of their time incursion. The earlier version no longer exist.
There is no better example than what Saeha noticed himself in 1997-05-18.
1997-05-18 First Version
- This is original version where the Grid never existed and time travel was not yet developed.
- This is the first time a time traveler entered this time period and installed the Grid. It was not the Ghost who did it since she does not exist yet at this point.
- Doctor Kwon Sukeun
- was killed for his ID; or
- he was accidentally killed because he tried to stop the time traveler.
- Lee Janghyeok (janitor)
- saw Doctor Kwon’s body, entered Lab 1 to call 119, saw the first time traveler and confronted him/her, which led to his death; or
- entered Lab 1 because of the noise, saw Doctor Kwon’s dead body, and the time traveler had to kill him.
- These chain of events led to the birth of the Ghost.
- This is the version where the Ghost was the one who installed the Grid.
- This is also the version shown in the first CCTV footage of this day.
- Doctor Kwon was killed for his ID (scar at the back of his neck).
- Lee Janghyeok was killed by the Ghost before he left the Institute of Radio Research (IRR).
- This is the first time Saeha traveled to 1997.
- Doctor Kwon Sukeun was killed for his ID (hit at the back of his neck with the device).
- Lee Janghyeok saw his body, entered Lab 1 to call 119, saw the Ghost, and confronted her, which led to his death.
- When the Ghost picked up her time device, she felt the existence of another time traveler. Before she was able to act, Saeha reset time.
- This is Saeha’s first attempt to change the events of 1997.
- Saeha stole Doctor Kwon’s ID.
- The Ghost appeared but Doctor Kwon was not where she expected him to be.
- The door of Lab 1 opened. The Ghost was taken aback.
- Saeha was standing and handed her Doctor Kwon’s ID.
- The Ghost does not know Saeha yet.
- The Ghost stopped installing the Grid because of Saeha’s accusations and dramatic speech.
- The Ghost started feeling very weak.
- The moment Lee Janghyeok (janitor; and stepfather of Kim Manok) stepped outside the IRR building, the Ghost was erased from existence.
- It is time critical to finish the Grid within a time frame (this is the reason why the Ghost was in various labs around the world). Since this failed, the Grid program failed entirely.
- We will call this the “Fifth Version Reality” or “1997 No Grid Reality”.
- After witnessing the world without the Grid, Saeha returned to 1997-05-18.
- He stole the coat lab of Doctor Kwon (with the ID).
- Doctor Kwon still went to Lab 1.
- Saeha finished the Grid within the required time frame.
- Doctor Kwon saw him and fought him.
- Saeha accidentally killed his own father.
- Lee Janghyeok saw them and ran.
- After chasing the Ghost throughout 2021 to confront her about the murders and how to change the events, Saeha returned to 1997-05-18 again.
- Saeha observed as the events unfold.
- Saeha noticed the events unfolded differently (CCTV timestamp: 21:02:48).
- The Ghost pulled the body of Doctor Kwon inside Lab 1.
- Lee Janghyeok left his room, together with Kim Manok, far earlier than he should have.
- Saeha entered Lab 1 and saw the Ghost getting weaker.
- Saeha made the connection and intervened by teleporting in front of Janghyeok and Manok (CCTV timestamp: 21:05:37)
- Having delayed Lee Janghyeok, the Ghost was able to finish the Grid and teleport to the lobby but Janghyeok hit her with a fire extinguisher. (CCTV timestamp: 21:05:44)
- The inaction of Saeha made the Ghost grow weaker again. The possibility for Janghyeok and Manok to leave the building started to increase.
- Saeha teleported (CCTV timestamp: 21:05:53) and appeared in front of Janghyeok (CCTV timestamp: 21:05:54)
- Saeha was about to kill him but hesitated.
- Since Janghyeok and Manok leaving is no longer a probability, the Ghost recovered and teleported (CCTV timestamp: 21:05:58) and appeared (CCTV timestamp: 21:05:59) behind Janghyeok and killed him herself.
- Saeha returned to Lab 1.
- Saeha was tempted to try saving his father.
- The Security Guard, Han Wihan, saw Saeha in front of the window in Lab 1.
- Han Wihan ran to Lab 1, upon entering, he was assaulted by the Ghost.
- Saeha stopped her from killing him.
- This is the first time the 1997 Ghost knew who Saeha is. Later, they had a conversion in Lab 1 where she said,
We’ve repeated this dozens of times to find another way.
- This Seventh Version of 1997-05-18 is the Reality from this point onwards (latter part of episode 8 to episode 10).
Time travel device. The time travel device can only be controlled by a person with a chip implanted in their arm. The chip is the bridge between a person’s brain and the device.
If the device is used as a blunt weapon, it will electrocute a person from inside out. A very strong output will result in combustion of the target.
The device can also be used to create a localised timeshield around the user and another person. This allows the user to revert time for a specific person. However, it appears to be limited and consumes a lot of energy. (episode 10)
Fixed point in time. A fixed point in time is a trope wherein an event, or a moment, will always happen. A fixed point can be changed but with dire consequences beyond anyone can ever calculate.
Examples are the deaths of Doctor Kwon Suk Eun (father of Saeha), Lee Janghyeok (janitor; stepfather of Kim Manok), and Kwon Saeha / Kim Saeha.
1997-05-18 Second Version
1997-05-18 Third Version (episode 03 IRR CCTV)
1997-05-18 Fourth Version
1997-05-18 Fifth Version
1997-05-18 Sixth Version
1997-05-18 Seventh Version
From Saeha’s observation, it was established that whenever a time traveler enters a time period they do not belong into, their incursion version replaces the earlier version. The earlier version is gone forever.
In a way, it is similar to the idea in other time travel fiction: the moment time travel is invented and used, it will erase the original reality where the technology was not yet developed. Once opened, it can never be closed.
Realities
Since there is only one timeline and one universe in the Grid (그리드), we will not use the terms [alternate] timelines and parallel worlds, instead, we will use: realities.
Pre-travel Reality. This is the reality before Saeha became a time traveler. (episodes 01 to 06)
1997 No Grid Reality / Fifth Version Reality. This is the reality based on the 1997-05-18 Fifth Version (see Temporal Mechanics #4: Time period replacement) where Saeha distracted the Ghost which prevented her from finishing the Grid, and to be erased from existence. (episode 07)
MIW (mother-is-well) Reality. Based on the Seventh Version of 1997-05-18 (see Temporal Mechanics #4: Time period replacement) and the simple change Saeha did in the year 2000 which saved her mother from her depression. (episode 08)
Door Explosion Reality. This reality is based on MIW (mother-is-well) Reality but only refers to the time period from 2021-10-08 to 2021-10-10. In this Reality, Director Choi was shot by a friendly fire and Song Eojin died because of the door explosion set by the Major of the Special Investigation Bureau. (latter part of episode 08)
Post-Captured Ghost Reality. This reality is the replacement version of the time beginning on 2021-10-08; after the Captured Ghost saved Saeha and Jung Saebyeok from the door explosion. (episodes 09 and 10)
In this reality, there are two versions of 2021-10-09.
2021-10-09 First Version. (episode 10)
- The Ghost blocked the side mirror view of Saebyeok while Manok escaped.
- Saeha was stabbed by Manok.
2021-10-09 Second Version. (episode 10)
- Saebyeok saw Manok escaping through her side mirror and chased him.
- The Ghost and the Foe Blue Time Traveler fought.
- Saeha was hit by Manok, with a blunt instrument, when he protected Saebyeok.
- Saebyeok shot Manok in defense.
Realities and versions are technically the same. Reality is used to refer to changes affecting multiple time periods; while version only refers to a single day.
Kwon Saeha / Kim Saeha
At a glance: Saeha
- 1997: Saeha was 6 years old
- 2000: Saeha was 9 years old
- 2005-06 when the solar wind hit Earth directly
- Saeha was 14.
- Saeha’s mother was working at a factory (episode 01)
- 2021: Saeha was 30 in 2021.
FAQ: Saeha
Did Saeha die?
100% did not. Here are the reasons why:
In episode 10 Saeha said,
I don’t know why but I couldn’t move past the point in time where I came from.
The existence of Storehouse Saeha in 2022.
If it is not possible to visit the future beyond a time traveler’s origin time, the Storehouse Saeha in 2022 should not exist if he died on 2021-10-09.
The Ghost, herself, is another clue.
- When the Ghost returned to the crime scene she intentionally stepped on a pool of blood as if it was nothing.
- While she herself admitted that she does not care what happens to them, because they are her distant past, her emotions throughout the series tells otherwise.
- They did try to find another way. If she truly does not care, she would not even bother, as she herself said,
I can always turn back time.
- When the Friendly Blue Time Traveler was about to do something to the dying Saeha, the Ghost tried to stop him.
The Ghost does care, and she is as human as any of us. She stepped on the pool of blood because she knew it was fake! She visited the crime scene as a closure and as proof to herself that there is always another way—they just have to find it.
Originally, my interpretation was Saeha traveled with the Ghost before he returned the device and then died on 2021-10-09.
Why did the Ghost not know there is a way if she can travel to the future?
To borrow her own words, she tried dozens of times, to change fixed points but found no other way. She gave up. As far as she is aware, Saeha will die sometime in 2021-10 by the hands of Manok.
It did not occur to her that events that should happen will still happen as long as Saeha was recorded to have died. The Friendly Blue Time Traveler figured this out and put things into action to create a new reality.
How did the Friendly Blue Time Traveler saved Saeha?
Here is how it happened:
The Friendly Blue Time Traveler bumped Manok to remove the tracker. He needs him to hide.
He then observed if his plan to position Saeha and Manok in an area of his choosing worked. It did. Saeha was stabbed by Manok.
When the Ghost was standing on an open field, sad and surrendered, the Friendly Blue Time Traveler froze time and reversed it back.
The Ghost was caught unawares because nothing like it ever happened in her previous attempts to change the fixed point.
Because the Ghost was not in position to block Saebyeok’s side mirror view, she saw Manok escaping and chased him.
Similar to the 2021-10-09 First Version, Saeha stopped at the location where Manok was hiding, only this time with Saebyeok.
Manok was instead enraged against Saebyeok and decided to kill her. The Ghost intervened.
- The Ghost struggled to stop Manok.
Time is juggling between two conflicting possibilities
- the Ghost is erased
- the Ghost still is
This was similar to the incident in 1997-05-18 Seventh Version. Because there was another time traveler (Saeha), anything can happen.
This time the traveler who was to be erased was the one who intervened.
She was can not decide how much she should intervene.
- The Ghost struggled to stop Manok.
When the Ghost decided to stop Manok, the Foe Blue Time Traveler attacked her. He looked up. He probably saw the Grid flickers.
- Whenever something happens that may put the existence of the Grid in jeopardy, the Grid flickers. This is why they looked up, even the Ghost did it several times.
- This was also in episode 02. When Manok stole the salary of a worker, the Ghost reversed time. But he still stole the money repeatedly, the Ghost teleported the envelope back to the owner’s pocket instead. This was not a useless, random scene, it means something.
- Later in the episode, Eojin said,
I saw the Grid breaking again on our way back.
- Stealing the salary of that man changed the path of Manok. The Grid did not disappear instantly because the Ghost was watching, time is juggling between two possibilities.
- Later in the episode, Eojin said,
The Ghost was enraged, she chased the Foe Blue Time Traveler. The Foe Blue Time Traveler tried to lose her. When the Ghost got better with her strategy, the Foe Blue Time Traveler had no choice but to confront her.
The Foe Blue Time Traveler was on the defense. He even dropped his device to make her think twice.
The Ghost returned to the scene. Standing on her left is the Friendly Blue Time Traveler. They both watched as Saeha slowly dies. She looked up and watched the Grid gets restored.
The Friendly Blue Time Traveler and the Ghost teleported to Saeha.
The Ghost tried to stopped the Friendly Blue Time Traveler, and he said in English,
It’s not me. Can’t you see it?
while looking down at his device.- He was telling her that his device is of a different model than the one who attacked her.
The Friendly Blue Time Traveler created a localised timeshield around him and Saeha. At first he almost failed (clue: Saeha’s blood flowed again) because Jung Saebyeok was holding Saeha and his timeshield did not include her.
The Ghost noticed this so she created a timeshield with Jung Saebyeok in it. Once Saebyeok moved, the Ghost pulled her to herself—maybe to align her at the same state as her (notice that they do not touch the frozen person outside the timeshield but she did inside).
The Friendly Blue Time Traveler was then able to completely place the timeshield around Saeha. Based on what the Ghost did with Saebyeok, the Friendly Blue Time Traveler probably switched Saeha’s body with a faux one (or someone else did since he is maintaining his timeshield).
Afterwards both time travelers left. Possibly to save Saeha because he was about to breath his last.
What is the relation of Saeha’s death to the Ghost and the Grid?
His death, by the hands of Kim Manok, is the catalyst for these important events:
Former husband and wife, Jung Saebyeok and Song Eojin, comforted each other and slept together. Nine months later, sometime in July 2022, Byeori was born.
Director Choi Seonwool’s reputation increased and she got more authority. Her department, the Secretariat, received a major increase in funding and much needed personnel.
As South Korea realized there is more than one time traveler, they increased their support for the Administration Bureau and their time travel R&D. The country became even more powerful.
This question was asked by @Gizmobear on MyDramaList.
Is not the death of Saeha meaningless since the Grid was destroyed anyway?
It is a case of the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
.
Saeha saw what a world without the Grid is. Two-thirds of the world population died and many more suffer from various degenerative diseases caused by the solar wind radiation. He also found Jung Saebyeok with an irreparable damage on her face and her vocal chords. This was what broke his heart the most.
Saeha made a choice to die because they found no other way to alter events without erasing the Grid from existence. He had no idea he would be saved by another time traveler.
Who is the Storehouse Saeha?
He is the Saeha the Friendly Blue Time Traveler saved. However, he can not reveal himself, otherwise they would risk changing recorded history.
As explained in Did Saeha die?
, it is not possible for Storehouse Saeha to be Saeha before he returned the time travel device. The Storehouse Saeha is in 2022, it is not possible for 2021 Saeha to travel to 2022.
Kim Manok / Lee Siwon
At a glance: Manok / Siwon
- 1992: Manok was adopted by Lee Janghyeok (janitor) when he was only one year old.
- Lee Janghyeok registered him as Lee Siwon.
- 1997: Manok was 5 years old.
- 1997-05-18: His father was murdered.
- The Nature Orphanage re-registered him as Kim Manok because he was not speaking and they can not find information about him at the time (1997).
- 2021: Manok was 29.
FAQ: Manok / Siwon
Why did the Ghost kill Kim Manok’s father?
Because Kim Manok would not become a loose cannon. For Manok to become unstable, he needs to witness the brutal murder of his father.
They need a crazy Manok who will end up killing Saeha in 2021-10-09.
It is a case of the end justifies the means
.
Is Kim Manok the ancestor of the Ghost?
I highly doubt it.
While Kim Manok does have a 13% DNA match with the Ghost, and they both have the rarest blood type which is cis-AB, it is not enough as proof that he is the Ghost’s direct ancestor. This tells us that he is a distant relative of the Ghost.
The highest possibility of their blood relation is Manok is the Ghost’s paternal great grand uncle (baseline relatedness of 12.5%). 2 There is a possibility that Kim Manok have a sibling from his original family.
This question was asked by @Bai Ying Hua on MyDramaList.
Then why did the Ghost protect him?
Because Kim Manok should be the one to murder Saeha.
This is the only way for events, mentioned in What is the relation of Saeha’s death to the Ghost and the Grid?
, to happen.
The Ghost
At a glance: The Ghost
1997-05-18: CCTV footages in seven laboratories around the world
The Ghost appeared in the first six labs in sequence. But when she appeared in the IRR, she overlapped her presence in the USA, Australia, and Spain. (see Temporal Mechanics #3.b: Proximity)
- DEU: 11:58:22–11:58:31 UTC (13:58:22–13:58:31 CEST)
- RUS: 11:58:32–11:58:33 UTC (15:58:32–15:58:33 MSD)
- HKG: 12:01:24–12:01:26 UTC (20:01:24–20:01:26 HKT)
- USA: 12:04:11–12:04:13 UTC (08:04:11–08:04:13 EDT)
- AUS: 12:04:59–12:05:01 UTC (22:04:59–22:05:01 AEST)
- ESP: 12:05:21–12:05:24 UTC (14:05:21–14:05:24 CEST)
- KOR (Seventh Version)
- 12:02:00–12:05:59 UTC (21:02:00–21:05:59 KST)
- reappeared in IRR Lab 1 to have a conversation with Saeha
2091: The Ghost was born.
She is the Founder of the Grid beginning on 1997-05-18 Third Version.
FAQ: The Ghost
If Kim Manok is not a direct ancestor of the Ghost, then who is?
My suspicion is Assemblyman Kim Hanseok of the Democratic Union Party that the Ghost saved from a bribery scandal.
This was in episode 02.
- The date was 2021-10-06.
- The Ghost was eating a lot of cakes.
- She checked her phone and saw a news article from 2022-06-19 11:50.
- She became worried briefly but went back to enjoying her cakes.
- She jumped forward in time to 2022-06-18 23:00 and stole the briefcase with the bribe money.
- She went back to 2021-10-07 and checked-in at an expensive hotel.
- She also bought a new phone which alarmed with a message: You have a scheduled task to do in ten hours (episode 03 train chase which will happen in the evening).
Remember Guidelines #2.b and #3? An experienced writer will not include a scene which serves no purpose in the story; and everything shown is canon. This short subplot is a good example.
Kim Hanseok and Kim Manok sharing the same family name is a coincidence. Kim is the number one most common surname in South Korea. If they are long-lost brothers, it is Kim Manok’s fate to be given the name Kim. (And may be a clue hidden by the writer.)
What is the origin year of the Ghost?
This was not revealed. However, if the Ghost is the same age as the actress, then she came from 2131.
Is there more than one Ghost?
There is only one Ghost, great granddaughter of Jung Saebyeok and granddaughter of Byeori.
The label Ghost was coined by the Administration Bureau, in particular by Director Choi’s Secretariat department. It only refers to the Ghost played by actress, Lee Siyoung.
If all time travelers are ghosts, then the answer is yes, but not the Ghost.
Maybe there is a Ghost from another timeline or parallel universe?
This is only possible if the show did not establish that it is based on the Static Theory of Spacetime.
Since the show established that time does not flow
and later gave more clues that the show is specifically based on the Growing Block Universe theory, it is not possible for alternate timelines and parallel universes to exist. There can only be one timeline and one universe.
To borrow from Highlander: There Can Be Only One!
Why did the Ghost appear in various labs around the world?
More likely for computing power.
Since the Grid was installed in 1997, there was still not enough computing power to handle the Grid code and its compilation. Installing the Grid later than 1997 would not give Earth a chance to deploy it properly. Installing it earlier would mean an even more primitive system.
If one laboratory already had the computing power needed to run the entire Grid software, then there is no need to install it in various laborities. In the end, in 2005, the Grid system was located in one place. This was why sometime in the latter half of 2022, only the AB and IRR buildings were attacked to bring down the entire Grid network.
This is a very good example of why a decentralised, distributed, federated, and open network is better than a centralised and closed network (or monopoly). The only way to bring down a DDFON-based system is by exploding an EMP on the entire world.
Why was the Ghost’s DNA better and even thanked Saeha?
The most probable is Saeha probably gave the Ghost a medicine to her DNA problem (the knowledge came from the 1997 No Grid Reality).
This question was asked by @Zainaaa08 on MyDramaList.
The Blue Time Traveler
FAQ: The Blue Time Traveler
Who is the Blue Time Traveler?
Good question! Unfortunately there is no way to know who is the Blue Time Traveler. However, there are two of them!
Friendly Blue Time Traveler
- He was the one who bumped into Manok to remove the tracker.
- He was the one who saved Saeha.
- His time device is slimmer and pointed.
Foe Blue Time Traveler
- He was the one who attacked the Ghost.
- His time device is wider and rounded
Maybe they are twins or clones or one is an earlier version of the other. Regardless, what matters at this point is the Foe Blue Time Traveler is not the same as the Friendly Blue Time Traveler.
As the Friendly Blue Time Traveler said in English, It’s not me. Can’t you see it?
while he was pointing with his eyes to look at his time device (he was also aware someone who looked exactly like him fought her). Upon realising this, the Ghost let him do what he was about to.
Administration Bureau
At a glance: Administration Bureau
- Formed after the 1997-05-18 Institute of Radio Research (IRR) incident.
- Composed of two departments:
- The Grid Control Team. Led by Director Jo Heung Shik
- The Secretariat. Led by Director Choi Seonwool since formation.
- Destroyed sometime in the latter half of 2022 (possibly in October).
FAQ: Administration Bureau
What does the Administration Bureau want with the Ghost?
The Administration Bureau wants to steal the time travel technology used by the Ghost since it is far advanced than the one they are developing.
They believe in helping mankind as well as to propel South Korea to be leaps ahead of everyone.
This question was asked by @LydiaDaniel on MyDramaList.
Others
At a glance
- Song Eojin
- 1997: 9 years old.
- 2021: 33 years old.
- Jung Saebyeok
- 2005-06: Was on her Physical Education class on the school field when the solar wind hit.
- In the 1997 No Grid Reality, she became a librarian. Her face and vocal cords were damaged.
- 2021 story: started on 2021-10-05 and ended on 2021-10-10
FAQ
How come Eojin said it was Saebyeok who told him the name of her daughter?
Two possible answers.
Future Saebyeok traveled back in time and talked to 2022 Eojin to pick up the 2022 Saebyeok.
Future Saebyeok talked to Future Eojin to travel back in time to pick up the 2022 Saebyeok.
In both instances, Future Saebyeok probably revealed to him that her daughter is his and her name is Byeori. This convinced him since a newly born is in danger, his daughter at that.
This question was asked by @Eliza M on MyDramaList.
In the end, the Grid was still destroyed.
The Grid that was destroyed is in 2022, not the 1997 Grid.
In episode 10, the IRR and the AB buildings were destroyed by an attack from outer space. The AB did not exist yet in 1997.
In addition, if they did destroy the 1997 Grid, the faction which destroyed it would not benefit from the 1997 No Grid Reality.
What do you mean by faction
and would not benefit
?
In episode 10, it was revealed that there is a group or faction watching over the events and the time travelers. The scene where a man and his assistant were talking is one such faction. (They seem to be in outer space.)
It is not possible to determine if they are for or against the Grid. Regardless, the message of that scene was to reveal there are groups who are changing events, either for the benefit of the people or for the benefit of their own pockets. In other words, whoever destroyed the Grid in 2022, they need the 1997 Grid to exist. Consider the following:
In the 1997 No Grid Reality, the number one R&D and pharmaceutical company in the world was owned by Saeha’s parents. Which in turn means South Korea is the leading nation on Earth. Whoever destroyed the Grid in 2022, it is to their benefit that the 1997 Grid exists where Saeha’s family did not build an R&D empire.
In the MIW Reality, South Korea forced the other labs to keep their mouths shut about South Korea’s claim that Saeha’s father was the brain behind the Grid. They showed the other nations and labs the footage of two time travelers who killed a janitor, making them believe that South Korea have time travel capabilities.
World superpowers no doubt loathed South Korea because of it and triggered a race to develop time travel. In Star Trek terminoloy, there is a temporal [cold] war.
Who were the two men guarding the body of the Ghost in a white room?
The man who appears to be the subordinate could be the Friendly Blue Time Traveler or the Foe Blue Time Traveler since it was played by the same actor. It is also possible it is a different character altogether, the actor probably played three characters.
He made this report to who appears to be his superior, The Grid is all gone. From all the times and layers.
His superior replied in English, You never know.
Which he followed up with, in Korean, No one knows. Is there really an end?
Like his subordinate, this man is also an unknown. In the room with them is what appears to be the [dead] body of the Ghost.
If there is no Grid in the Ghost’s time, should she not exist at all?
Correct. However, the Grid that was destroyed was in late 2022 not the 1997 Grid.
As long as the 1997 Grid exists, and Saeha died at the hands of Manok on 2021-10, the Ghost’s mother and herself will be born. What happens after that, like the destruction of the Grid in 2022, is of no consequence to her existence.
It could very well be the reason why she decided to become a time traveler … to find a way to stop the destruction of the Grid in 2022 or to setup backups those who are against it are not aware of. However, before she can concentrate on her main objective, she had to make sure she exists because Saeha was trying to change two fixed points in time. All of them, including those who are against the existence of the Grid (from 2022 onwards), would not exist if Saeha will have his way.
This is why the Ghost told Saeha, Don’t try to change anything
, and You’re the one ruining everything. Stay out of this.
This question was asked by @LydiaDaniel on MyDramaList.
If in the 1997 No Grid Reality the Ghost was never born, how did the Grid exist?
The first Grid Founder, whoever that person was.
Even without the Grid there is always a possibility that time travel technology will be developed in the far future. They would no doubt be very eager to unlock the secrets of time travel especially when two-thirds of the global population were wiped out and the remaining are suffering from degenerative diseases.
Temporal Mechanics #4 stated that a time period is replaced whenever a time traveler enters that time. The earlier version no longer exist, and even if one stops the time traveler from traveling, the original version of time will never return. It will only be replaced by yet another version.
This was explained in Temporal Mechanics #4: Time period replacement
.
Who is the father of Byeori?
The clue in episode 10 points to Song Eojin.
Is Byeori the mother of the Ghost?
Maybe, maybe not. Since the Ghost said she was born in 2091, Byeori would be 69 years old by then.
However, the Grid was destroyed sometime the latter half of 2022. Between 2022 and 2091, Earth was hit by another solar wind (as confirmed by the 1997 Ghost). The traditional way of having babies is probably not advisable due to the radiation, and the damage in their DNAs.
Because of it In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is probably very common to ensure babies will develop without the risk of radiation exposure. Or, through surrogacy from healthy mothers living inside protected domes. This would make it possible for anyone to have a healthy baby regardless of age.
That considered, Byeori may be the Ghost’s mother after all. Especially after the scene wherein the Ghost carried Byeori on her arms. (Daughter taking care of her baby mother? Yeah, time travel! That is lovely and sweet too.)
What did they mean by layers
in episode 10?
A very good question! This one requires a lengthy explanation.
In the Block Universe and Growing Block Universe theories a reality or the universe is viewed as one giant block (or cube if you will).
- Think of a cube. That cube is the entirety of reality or the universe.
- Add dots from Point A to Point B horizontally until it is filled.
- Looking at it, there are now lines of dots horizontally (Y axis), vertically (Z axis), and across (X axis).
- The X axis is the length of the cube. In space dimension, it means moving forward and backward in space, like riding a car.
- The Y axis is the width. In spatial dimension, it means moving left and right, as one wold sidestep to the left or right.
- The Z axis is the height. In spatial dimension, it means moving up and down, like when flying or riding an elevator.
If this is applied in the time dimension, what does it mean?
- The X axis, or length, in time dimension means moving forward or backward in time. To put it another way: traveling to one’s relative future or past.
- The Y axis, or width, means moving left and right in time. In the many-worlds interpretation of spacetime, this is moving to alternate timelines or parallel universes. In the Static Theory of Spacetime, unfortunately I can not think of an analogy (if you can, do share in the comments below).
- The Z axis, or height, is moving up and down in time. Let’s discuss this further.
The Z axis, or height, or moving up and down, is what I call planes of existence
. This is what the layers in Grid (그리드) was referring to. It can be best described as what we see glimpses of.
In the space/spatial dimension it can be explained in this way:
- You and me, we exist in our own layer or plane of existence.
- Paradise exist on a layer on top of our own.
- Damnation exist on a layer below our own.
Stories about seeing ghosts, souls, monsters, and other fantastical creatures, are glimpses of another layer or plane of existence. They are moving around us but we normally do not see them just as they should not normally see us. (Although in most fiction, they do see us.)
How this is applied in the time dimension, as the Grid (그리드) used it, and within the context of the Static Theory of Spacetime, is beyond me. Simply put, there is a layer of time on top of and below of another layer.
When the assistant said, The Grid is all gone. From all the times and layers
, it means the Grid was destroyed in 2022 in all possible times, in all possible layers or planes of existence. Another way of saying it is: the Grid was destroyed in 2022 in all of spacetime.
Maybe the way Grid (그리드) used it is as a reference to the different realities. If this is the case, then this particular faction found a way to access realities which should no longer exist.
This question was asked by @Bai Ying Hua on MyDramaList.
They measured Saeha and the result was 106 something, what is it?
It is microtesla (µT). A microtesla is an SI unit of magnetic flux density equal to 10-6 teslas. 3
Okay, I do not know what it means either.
Basically, microtesla is a unit of measurement used for magnetic fields. Grid (그리드) was correct that a human being should only have a very low—0.3 or less—microtesla reading. Humans who live near high-tension power poles usually have a reading of 0.4 µT. 4 If one is very near, or under power lines, magnetic fields is around 20 µT. 5
For a human being to produce over 100 µT meant they were exposed to extremely powerful magnetic fields, which in the show’s case, time travel technology (and that level is not healthy). Here are the confirmed readings of time travelers:
- The Ghost: 408 µT
- The Friendly Blue Time Traveler: 230 µT before Saeha’s death; 237 µT after Saeha’s death
- Saeha: 106 µT
Why did 2021 Saeha said the walk signal is blue light?
It is a Korean cultural tradition wherein adults tell the kids walk signal is blue.
The National Institute of Korea Language also explained, The reason why the green light of the traffic lights is not called the green light but the blue light seems to be because the people perceive the blue light as a relative color concept to the red light.
6 7
This answer was provided by @27Aprile on MyDramaList.
Class dismissed
Time travel cadets, as for your assignment be sure to share this article in your social media accounts and online groups. Or, support my efforts by sending a gift.
If you have additional questions or not-so-violent reactions, you can also leave a comment below.
Thank you for listening (or reading in this case).
Emery, Nina, Ned Markosian, and Meghan Sullivan, “Time”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) ↩︎
How much genetic similarity is considered baseline relatedness? ↩︎
Tnuda: Electromagnetic Radiation from the Electricity Grid and Leukemia in Children ↩︎
Why Some Koreans Call Green Traffic Light as ‘Blue Light’? ↩︎