Summary
A decent episode complemented by its unpredictable ending.
We recap the Netflix K-Drama series Trolley Season 1 Episode 8, which contains spoilers.
At the halfway mark, Trolley decided to leave viewers with plenty of questions. The shocking ending further widens the possibilities for the rest of the season, and it seems like, in particular, the odds will be stacked against Hye-joo (Kim Hyun-joo). Then again, she still might find solace in Ki-young (Ki Tae-young).
Trolley Season 1 Episode 8 Recap
After reflecting on her past rejection of Ki-young, perhaps done as a favor to Seung-hee (she liked him back in their schooldays), Hye-joo meets with him in the present. It’s an awkward, private encounter, one centered around a request for the book conservator to apologize to Yoo-sin’s family for what happened to Seung-ho. Elsewhere, Soo-bin honors Hye-joo’s request by avoiding her room when hoovering.
Despite wishing to “make the first move,” knowing Seung-hee might make a deal of his wife’s past, Joong-do worries Hye-joo’s case will draw comparisons to Seung-kyu’s. Nevertheless, the assemblyman forebodingly seems to hint he’ll use the Internet to his advantage, given people “jump on it all at once” when thrown a bone. Meanwhile, Ki-young returns home, staring at himself in the mirror as he recalls how he realized Hye-joo was telling the truth about Seung-ho’s assault, yet still asked her to apologize to Seung-hee’s hurting family.
In the pouring rain, Hye-joo embraces Soo-bin, who went out in the harsh conditions to check on the dehumidifier in the book conservator’s studio. “Stay safe, Soo-bin. Both you and your baby,” Hye-joo tearfully adds, wanting the pregnant youngster to avoid repeating her actions, regardless of how selfless they were, so she can protect her unborn child. However, as we see, the emotional Soo-bin has actually suffered a miscarriage.
Though Jin-seok tries to warn Joong-do it’ll be impossible for him to pass his proposed amendment that would allow investigations to continue after sex crime suspects die (due to juridical issues over nobody being able to be prosecuted when deceased), the assemblyman says he “welcomes” disputes. “That controversy will arouse people’s interests, and make what’s impossible, possible,” the politician states, believing he can achieve his aims with the help of public sentiment. That, and he wishes for Jin-seok to back his proposed amendment too, as party leader.
Next, Yeo-jin and Woo-jae drink together, reminiscing on how the latter hasn’t changed since his days as a journalist trying to cover the restauranteur’s tragic filicide case appeal and light-heartedly discussing how the former reporter regrets joining the National Assembly due to its temporary nature. “I began to think I could bet my life on him,” Woo-jae says of Joong-do here, noting that he wants to “go further” with the man he ditched journalism for almost eight years ago. Interestingly, it’s made clear the assemblyman’s right-hand man also once had ambitions of changing the world with his work.
Strangely, Yeo-jin looks dejected by Woo-jae’s faith in Joong-do, and his declaration that he’ll make betting on the assemblyman “the best decision of my life,” so backtracks on her word that she had something to tell the former journalist. Concurrently, Yoon-seo weighs up the various options of the trolley dilemma with her mother.
The next day, Hye-joo tends to Gwi-soon, who has been discharged from the hospital, and wonders how she can repay the book conservator’s kindness. Meanwhile, Soon-hong asks for his aide to do some more digging into Ji-hoon, hoping to find something that’ll keep Joong-do away from Yoo-sin’s property speculation.
As Ki-young asks Seung-hee to avoid resurfacing Seung-ho’s case in the midst of Yoo-sin’s “obsession” with land, wanting to avoid further controversy (potential retaliation too), Soo-bin quizzes Hye-joo about her work. Here, the youngster ends up asking for her picture to be taken, evidently touched by the conservator’s story that she takes so much effort with photos for damaged books because it shows the love they have been afforded.
Following a request to try and collect photos of Ji-hoon, Hye-joo gets candid with Soo-bin. She admits she’d like to see the youngster’s baby, given it is her son’s too, but realizes “everyone has their own story and situation, and they end up making the best choice they can.” Thus, Hye-joo concludes by saying she just wants Soo-bin to make the wisest decision for herself. This strikes the youngster, who is obviously reeling from her currently undisclosed miscarriage, so she abruptly leaves for lunch.
Later, Hye-joo thinks about whether she should apologize to Yoo-sin’s family, replaying Ki-young’s words about her understanding the “pain of losing a family member.” Concurrently, Yoon-seo tells a friend she’d “humiliate” her father publicly if she discovered he was having an affair, not reading the fact this request for advice was about her classmate’s reality.
While Joong-do goes on the news to discuss Seung-kyu’s case, Soo-bin pays a visit to the clinic due to her abdominal pain. Elsewhere, Seung-hee worries about the medication her mother is taking and is deflated by Seong-chang’s unwillingness to help her out.
That evening, Hye-joo excuses herself from dinner, but only to break down. So she opens up to Yeo-jin, disclosing everything she went through with Seung-ho, including his subsequent suicide. In the background, a tearful Soo-bin eavesdrops.
Continuing, Yeo-jin tells Hye-joo not to apologize to Yoo-sin, partly because it can be used as a tool for blackmail against Joong-do, but mostly due to the fact the book conservator did nothing wrong. “You show remorse for what’s happened. That’s all,” the restauranteur adds, reassuring her close friend what happened was an accident.
As Hye-joo is shocked by the news that her husband discussed Gwi-soon’s suicide attempt on the news, Seung-hee reads about the coverage on her phone. Both parties are ultimately shocked by the online comments regarding the story, which are brutal towards Seung-kyu and go as far as leaking his parents’ restaurant, but it’s the book conservator who makes the first move. When Joong-do comes home, Hye-joo expresses her worries about what the assemblyman is doing, concerned about the mental health of all people involved.
Even when Joong-do shares that he was given permission by Gwi-soon to use her story, Hye-joo is upset, feeling sympathy for the parents of Seung-kyu. “They’re still here living in pain,” the book conservator says, admittedly scared of another “tragedy” occurring. As such, Hye-joo requests her husband ceases to use the media to create bigger issues. Yet Joong-do rejects this plea, apologetic, but unwavering in his stance that “this will only get bigger until the entire country knows.”
After Joong-do tells his wife he needs hate comments to form the public opinion that will help him pass his amendment, he asks for her support. Though Hye-joo is hesitant, not embracing her husband, or responding to his claim that “collateral damage is inevitable for the greater good.”
The next day, Soo-bin wavers when getting ready to tell Hye-joo something, letting the book conservator depart for work instead. Meanwhile, Yeo-jin deals with the burden of knowing their house guest suffered a miscarriage, looking guilty over the fact she hasn’t yet told her close friend. Following this, Soo-bin too exits the house, and we see a mysterious hand reach into the letterbox, pulling out a package.
Ending Explained
Nevertheless, when Hye-joo gets back, she collects the parcel without issue, seeing inside it pictures of her son. Here, she decides she’ll send some of the photos to Ji-hoon’s maternal grandmother, so the conservator heads to Joong-do’s study to look for the necessary large envelopes. When doing so, though, Hye-joo comes across her son’s missing phone, which contains threatening messages about a suicide Ji-hoon would commit should Soo-bin break up with him.
Continuing, with Joong-do blaming Ji-hoon’s death on “that kid,” Soo-bin looks at the assemblyman’s business card, which she has defaced with a heart, and Hye-joo panicking, the episode comes to a shocking end.
What did you think of the K-Drama Trolley Season 1 Episode 8? Comment below.
