WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Link Click Episode 11, "Pinnacle of Light," now streaming on Funimation. It also contains discussion of suicide and self-harm.
Link Click's Season 1 finale left viewers hungry for more. Thankfully, the series' studio has confirmed Season 2 is coming. In the last few episodes of the Chinese animation, a new villain appeared to challenge time-travelers Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. This person has yet to show their true face but they have effectively put our protagonists in a difficult situation going forward, with Cheng Xiaoshi traumatized while Lu Guang unconscious after getting stabbed.
Although Season 2 of Link Click is confirmed, fans don't yet know how long they'll have to wait until it comes out. Here are some questions we want answered when the series continues.
Who Is Link Click's Mysterious Villain?
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang thought the bad guy was Liu Min after discovering he was the suspect in several murder cases -- and the one who killed Emma -- but his alibi checked out. At the end of the Season 1 finale, the duo realize there is someone much more sinister working against them who has even taken control over one of their closest friends, Qiao Ling, forcing her to stab Lu Guang.
They don't know who this person is or where they are, only that they have taken a special interest in the two time-travelers. But they are dangerous -- they called it a game and said they don't take 'cheating' lightly. But why is this new antagonist targeting Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang specifically? Have they been lurking in the shadows since the beginning of Link Click or is this a whole new character?
Just before Emma dies, the person possessing her speaks to Cheng Xiaoshi, saying they didn't realize there was a witness. The screen then flashes back to a few previous episodes, such as Episode 3, where Cheng Xiaoshi time-traveled to 2008. He hadn't been able to see very well but chalked it up to the fact that, as Chen Xiao, he had to wear glasses. It also touches on Episode 7 when he became the young Doudou and fought back against a human trafficker. By doing this, Link Click might be implying the villain had already been around as early as Episode 3.
Where Did Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang's Powers Come From?
Right from the onset, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are introduced as partners who have complementary time traveling abilities. Cheng Xiaoshi can enter photos while Lu Guang can foresee what will happen within 12 hours of that photo being taken. There's a brief flashback to how the two met on the basketball court one day -- and how Lu Guang eventually gets pulled into being partners at Time Photo Studio -- but as of now, there's no explanation on how their powers came to be.
Unless it's a result of some divine intervention, they must have acquired their time traveling abilities from somewhere. A possible explanation for how Cheng Xiaoshi got his may be linked to his past. Before Time Photo Studio ever became his business, it belonged to his parents -- but they went on a trip and never returned, possibly dying in the Wenchuan earthquake. Cheng Xiaoshi's powers may have awakened then: to cope with his trauma, he imagined a way to return to the past when things were better.
What Happens to Emma?
Cheng Xiaoshi's biggest regret has always been having a hand in Emma's demise. If he hadn't tried to help her in the first place, she might never have died. What makes it worse is that he had a second chance to save her -- when he time-traveled to the moment she wanted to commit suicide, there was a point when it looked like Cheng Xiaoshi had convinced her there was something worth living for. But when Emma gets possessed, he's forced to watch her die a second time. Seeing how important Emma is to the plotline, hopefully, Season 2 of Link Click brings her back so Cheng Xiaoshi gets some closure.
How Will the Time-Traveling Partners Win?
Without knowing who they're dealing with, it'll be hard for Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang to even know how to get started in defeating the new villain. And with Lu Guang at their mercy, Cheng Xiaoshi will have to find a way to save him first. They don't know the extent of their adversary's powers -- what if the villain can possess one of them as well?
Part of the reason why they're in this mess in the first place is because Cheng Xiaoshi had discovered a way for them to beat the villain without sacrificing anyone. He was going in and out of photos as an escape technique, but it completely backfired because the villain saw it as cheating. How will our main duo use their time-traveling abilities to win against someone who has the power to control people's bodies? Here's looking at Season 2 of Link Click to answer these questions.
For more information on the warning signs and prevention of suicide, click here. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you live outside the U.S., click here for a list of international hotlines.