# Signal (2016)

> Detectives in the present and a detective from the past reach each other over a walkie-talkie to crack a long unsolved murder.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/57308

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 72 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, mystery, science fiction, drama
- Created by: Kim Eun-hee, Kim Won-suk
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong, Jang Hyun-sung, Jung Hae-kyun, Kim Won-hae, Jung Han-bi, Lee Yoo-jun
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5332206/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: dark, suspenseful, tense, melancholic, bleak

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly acclaim Signal as a tightly plotted, emotionally charged crime thriller whose time-crossing premise sustains suspense.

## Synopsis

Signal (2016) is a South Korean crime thriller series created by Kim Eun-hee and Kim Won-suk for tvN, a single-season run of 16 episodes. Detective Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) and prosecutor Cha Soo-hyun (Kim Hye-soo) work in the present, while Detective Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong) works in the past, and the two eras connect through a old walkie-talkie that lets them trade information across time. Their shared goal is to solve a long unsolved murder, but every clue they uncover exposes officials willing to bury evidence to protect their careers. The engine of each episode is a race to change a small fact before it hardens into a permanent outcome, with the tension built from corrupt colleagues, buried files, and the risk of disrupting history. The tone is dark, suspenseful and emotionally heavy, with a grim, rain-soaked Seoul atmosphere and a sustained sense of dread. Fans of Dark, Memories of Murder and The Wire will find resonance in its layered investigation, moral compromise and time-spanning mystery. Its procedural core makes it a rewarding watch for viewers who enjoy puzzle-like plotting.

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