Summary
Linking threads together seamlessly, this chapter begins to add real depth to the drama.
We recap the Netflix K-Drama series Trolley Season 1 Episode 4, which contains spoilers.
With plenty of questions starting to arise and character links becoming clearer, Trolley is doing a fine job of blending wider intrigue with ongoing drama. The addition of Seung-hee’s (Ryu Hyun-kyung) family has provided an exciting wrinkle to the story, and if episode four’s ending is anything to go by, they will become huge foils for Joong-do (Park Hee-soon) and co.
Trolley Season 1 Episode 4 recap
Picking up where we left off, Soo-bin, who had eavesdropped on the woes of Hye-joo and Joong-do, travels back to her current residence, while the married couple calmly rests together. It’s a nice moment, with the assemblyman happy just to be in the presence of his wife, away from his hectic life. Elsewhere, Joong-do’s aids discuss how the politician hasn’t taken a day off in over seven years, and Woo-jae thinks back to his talk with Soo-bin, where he requested the pregnant youngster either “lay low” or feels “free to just die.”
Following teases on the importance Woo-jae’s dash cam could carry, we watch as Hye-joo sweetly takes care of her sleeping husband, affording him a blanket as well as a more comfortable position for his head to rest. Here, the book conservator also reflects on Joong-do’s beginnings as an assemblyman, reminding herself of his promise to “never do anything to break the peace” in her life. Additionally, Hye-joo gratefully reflects on the fact her husband is honoring his oath to open up to her should things get too difficult, despite their differing paths.
As Yeo-jin wonders how Soo-bin can be so calm during pregnancy prior to the youngster’s first bout of morning sickness, Ki-young drinks with a friend. Discussing his relationship with Seung-hee, which was kickstarted at a school reunion, the man looks subtly deflated at his wife’s return from a language-exchange program, and even more so at the encouragement, he receives to have a child with her. Then, Ki-young rebuffs his friend’s request to borrow money, trying to explain he only manages his mother-in-law’s buildings and doesn’t have spare cash despite being part of the “richest family in Youngsan.” Concurrently, Seung-hee has to watch her mother buy another bit of real estate, so she knows where to find it once the elder passes.
While things look to be tense between Seung-hee and Ki-young, Hye-joo tends to Soo-bin. Following this, the book conservator tells her husband their pregnant guest’s test came back negative for drugs and admits she is trying to like the youngster, even though she’s confused by the situation. That, and Hye-joo asks Joong-do to “keep an open mind” himself about the girl she now trusts. The assemblyman agrees to do so, but urges his wife not to get attached, afraid she’ll be hurt.
After a quick look at the bruise Soo-bin sustained at the hands of Woo-jae, we watch Hye-joo assure Joong-do that their “kind and brilliant” daughter is just being an adolescent, so does not need to be scolded heavily for her attitude. “I’ve stayed the closest to Yoon-seo for the last eight years, so I can vouch for it,” the conservator says before the married couple share a sweet moment of affection together. Elsewhere, Ki-young is unable to so much as sleep facing his wife, so heads downstairs, dejected.
Despite harshly ignoring Soo-bin entirely, Joong-do is in good spirits the next day. Throwing himself into work, the assemblyman is looking into Lee Yoo-sin’s family, his aids wondering if they can exploit Ki-young’s lack of approval from his real-estate mogul in-law to get information they can use against Soon-hong. However, even with the addition Woo-jae’s theory that the driving range owner might also be on poor terms with his wife Seung-hee given she left him with a disapproving mother for three years, Joong-do doesn’t wish to meddle in family affairs. “If he’s staying in that marriage despite all the public mistreatment, it could speak to how much he loves his wife,” the assemblyman adds of Ki-young.
Continuing, Joong-do is asked to be “more active” when it comes to contacting local residents. Mr. Yoo specifically means he is disappointed in Hye-soo’s absence from canvassing, wondering why she can’t be out there securing votes in the same way other wives do. Still, Joong-do claims his partner is unable to help, prioritizing his promise of her privacy over his campaign group’s desire to feel more encouraged by his family’s involvement (or lack of) in election campaigning. “I’ll put in extra effort to make up for her absence,” the assemblyman states.
When drinking with Woo-jae, Joong-do smilingly tells his close friend that he got into politics because he wanted “the world to change for the better.” Yet when asked if he would choose the world he dreams of or his wife, the assemblyman blankly stares in consideration. Later, Joong-do ends up meeting Hye-joo on her way home — and his way to a dinner engagement — the two smiling together as they make warm small talk. Though the scene ends on a rather sinister note, as the book conservator notices Soo-bin’s missing lip balm on the floor of her husband’s car, but chooses not to say anything about it.
As Joong-do questions why Woo-jae believes he can’t have the world he desires as well as his wife, Hye-joo finds herself lacking an appetite thanks to the lip balm sighting. Making matters worse, the book conservator then proceeds to fluster herself. At first, it’s by quizzing Soo-bin about the item she lies about having not seen, then it’s by asking Joong-do about who he drives around with. Nevertheless, Hye-joo ultimately chalks what she saw in the car down to her “being mad.”
After another tense, speechless interaction with Joong-do, Soo-bin goes to get changed, revealing to the audience an intriguing ‘JD’ tattoo on her belly. To add to the drama, the assemblyman looked to be swallowing his pride enough to speak to the pregnant youngster too but strangely backtracked at the last second.
Panicking about what her husband could be doing that involves her hometown of Youngsan, Hye-joo searches the internet for information. Fortunately, for now, she finds nothing to be overly concerned about. Elsewhere, Yoo-sin worries about Joong-do’s secretary “snooping around” her real-estate purchases in spite of Soon-hong’s assurances the lack of legality involved is a baseless accusation. As such, the self-proclaimed “hard-working woman” angrily tasks Ki-young with handling the alleged defamation, wanting him to inform Joong-do that he’ll be reported for “spreading false information.”
Although willing to help out with Yoo-sin’s latest request, vowing to do whatever he can to “figure out this issue,” Ki-young gets the courage to tell Seung-hee that he cannot continue past this point. “Living here is just too much for me,” he says, admitting his unhappiness candidly. Crushed, Seung-hee heads inside alone to confront her mother, only to cause a bitter scene about the fact she isn’t able to be celebrated in the same way as her high-achieving late brother, Seung-ho.
Luckily, the latter part was all in Seung-hee’s head, and she is able to compose herself enough to brush past her mother without a cross word. Later, however, the neglected daughter does become overwhelmed, unable to escape Yoo-sin’s loud grief-filled crying. Nevertheless, she is granted an abrupt moment of tempered anger when recognizing Hye-joo on a news report discussing the death of Joong-do’s son, remembering the conservator as a school student named Kim Jae-eun.
While Hye-joo decides to visit Ji-hoon with Soo-bin, Soong-ho alleges that Joong-do’s proposed real-estate bill “is framing people as potential economic criminals just for having politicians in their families.” Entertaining allegations that he should know what his close in-laws are up to, the tethered politician uses this as a way of claiming his adversary should’ve, by the same token, known about the “junkie” Ji-hoon’s meth purchases. With both parties subsequently enraged, and Soon-hong exiting the debate hall, a vote on this real-estate bill is delayed.
Trolley Season 1 Episode 4 ending
There is some good news, though. Woo-jae informs Joong-do that Ki-young — who we see also recognizes Hye-joo when looking up news reports on the assemblyman — has reached out to Ms. Kim, meaning they will have a chance to talk to the disapproved in-law of Yoo-sin. Then, suddenly, Seung-hee arrives at the door of the book conservator, calling her by the name of Kim Jae-eun. “You murderer,” she says to a panicked Hye-joo, ending the episode dramatically.
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