Summary
“Threads of Fate” can’t completely avoid some tonal wobbles, but it’s otherwise a very respectable finale which brings things to a nice close.
This recap of Tomorrow season 1, episode 16, “Threads of Fate”, contains spoilers, including a discussion of Tomorrow’s ending.
And so Tomorrow comes to an end. “Threads of Fate” isn’t the perfect finale, of course; it still has some tonal wobbles and isn’t always completely coherent in its internal logic. But for a show that I started out really mistrusting, I’m pleasantly surprised by how well Tomorrow managed to turn things around in its back half, delivering poignant episodes while handling its heavy themes in much more sensitive ways than it did initially. With some room for a sequel and a decent, well-rounded knitting-together of the arcs that have developed across this season, I have to say that Tomorrow bows out having left a relatively strong impression.
Tomorrow season 1, episode 16 recap
There are two significant ideas brought to the fore almost immediately. One is Ryeon’s actions in the previous episode, for which she faces the possibility of being sent back to Hell. The other is the possibility of Jun-woong waking up from his coma in the real world. Of course, the two intertwine. Jun-woong is adamant about saving Ryeon, and recruits Ryung-gu and Joong-gil for this, swaying the latter by using the nightmares as backdoor access to his sealed repressed memories.
Predictably, though certainly satisfyingly, the team all comes together to save not only Ryeon but also Cho-hui, who survived the accident but is on the verge of suicide. Joong-gil buys the others time to get to Cho-hui so that Ryeon can protect her, the reincarnation of her friend, and Joong-gil makes a deal with the King of Heaven to protect Ryeon.
Cho-hui ends up okay. Her online tormentors get their comeuppance and her sense of self-worth is rejuvenated. Ryeon, too, at least partially inspired by an earlier speech by Jun-woong, recognizes her purpose and the value of the RM Team. After resolving her relationship with Joong-gil, she wants a permanent and rejuvenated presence in the Afterlife, where she can do the most good.
And Jun-woong returns to the land of the living – though that doesn’t necessarily mean he stops working for the RM Team, even from a distance. He might not have everything completely covered, but while he’s around, he’ll do what he can. And since he won’t live forever, it’s only a matter of time until he can return to work for real.
You can stream Tomorrow season 1, episode 16, “Threads of Fate” exclusively on Netflix.
