A recently leaked photo of Gong Yoo has been taking social media by storm. It shows the actor wearing his ancient warrior costume in the present day.
As pointed out by Yibada, website I Love Kstars had posted three photos taken by fans, of 'Goblin' episode 14 being filmed. The first photo shows Eun-tak, possibly in tears, walking the streets with a hand cupping her face. The second image, originally uploaded on 'doublejmonster' account page of Instagram, shows actor Gong Yoo filming a scene outside what appears to be the location of Sunny's chicken shop. The actor is seen in his ancient warrior uniform as General Kim Shin, looking towards the chicken shop.
This matches with the fleeting shot in the preview trailer for episode 14 revealed by tvN where we see Yoo In-na as Sunny staring at something. She seems shocked by what she sees from inside her chicken store. If we add the two together we might be looking at a reunion of Kim Shin and his little sister Kim Sun or Sunny in episode 14.
Seeing as Gong Yoo is in his ancient warrior uniform, he might just be visiting his loved ones from beyond for one last time before he returns to the afterlife, but that is not all. We already know that episode 14 will feature a time jump of 10 years. In the preview, we learn that Eun-tak, now 29-years old, had her memory wiped away, possibly by Lee Dong Wook's Grim Reaper, on Kim Shin's request before his death.
Even though Grim Reapers can wipe away memories, they cannot take away the emotions associated with those memories. Which is why in the trailer for episode 14, we hear Kim Go-eun in character, asking herself "What have I forgotten? Who have I forgotten?"There is heaviness in her heart but she cannot fathom the reason behind it. This is probably why she is seen crying in the leaked photo mentioned above.
What could be the purpose behind Kim Shin's return after 10 long years? We must remember that in episode 5, the Goblin and Eun-tak headed to a restaurant in Quebec, Canada, where the Goblin saw Eun-tak's future. In his vision he saw a 29-year old Eun-tak sitting at a table on the same restaurant, wearing the same necklace given by Kim Shin. She has moved on in her life without the Goblin, greeting her lunch partner who is some CEO. He knew back then that he had to die for her to survive. Shin's return will be a fulfilment of that premonition. He'll be satisfied knowing she made it in life.
More interestingly, in episode 6, we heard the Grim Reaper telling himself that at 29 Eun-tak will also meet a grim reaper, even if it isn't him. Because people are most at risk at the time just before completion of a decade, or the last number of the base numbers 0 to 9. So Eun-tak was at risk at age 9, then 19 and eventually 29. If Kim Shin is returning when Eun-tak is 29 years old, then it may be to save her from death. Does that mean the Goblin will return after each decade to ensure Eun-tak's safety? Hopefully, things will be clarified in the remaining episodes.
All we know is that the final three episodes will be very emotional for the fans. We also learned quite recently that the finale will be spectacular and will be "full of bright colours." This means there might be some epic action sequences for the viewers' satisfaction. The show will likely end at least on a positive note as the 'bright colours' comment by the production staff suggests. Maybe we will see a reunion of sorts for Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun's characters.
'Goblin' will air its 14th episode on January 20 and will be followed by back-to-back episodes 15 and 16 on January 21 at 10:00 PM (KST).
