You know, I’m actually surprised at just how much emphasis is being placed on Hye Joo being the weak link that ruins the marriage and breaks her husband’s political career.
Trolley Episode 3 Recap and Review
If I can be completely honest for a moment – I don’t understand at all why Assemblyman Nam is taking the college student’s suicide so hard. Despite whatever the young man’s parents said in their grief – it is no way, shape, or form the Assemblyman’s fault that their son committed suicide.
Did anybody else catch when the detectives went to serve the warrant for his arrest, the young man’s father quickly stated he thought they wouldn’t prosecute it? Meaning, they had worked out some sort of agreement that their son would not get in trouble for driving his girlfriend to suicide by blackmailing her with intimate photos the couple once shared.
Sure, the cyberbullying was a little over the top and unnecessary in my opinion, but if the med student was so right and innocent – why kill yourself instead of seeing justice is served to clear your name?
I understand the projection of one’s status, appearance, and “saving face” is especially important in East Asian countries like South Korea…but would it be wrong to think the medical student was selfish in his decision to commit suicide?
Not only did he traumatize a bus-load full of kindergarten students, he also refused to face justice for any crimes he committed against his late girlfriend and ultimately broke his parents’ hearts in the process.
If the med student truly did nothing wrong, why would he throw his life away like that?
Why was it alright for his girlfriend to go through that agony and shame when he wasn’t capable of handling slander and judgment from others himself? It’s just very hypocritical to me.
(Although, I think the middle schoolers went a little overboard praising the chain reaction in public sentiment that resulted in his death and how it ultimately saved the taxpayers’ money. Maybe they took the Trolley Problem exercise a little too seriously, haha ☺.)
Hye Joo and Joong Do’s Romantic Backstory
As luck would have it, Hye Joo and Joong Do met in their younger days while both drifting as nameless volunteers for the elderly and poor.
Joong Do already had Ji Hoon at the time, and Hye Joo had fled her past life in her hometown and began taking up the trade of book conservation.
I may have been wrong in the last episode review as well since it seems Joong Do is actually the anonymous angel who continually donates rice and millions of won to the senior center in their town. So HE’S the one looking for the tax write-off! I kid! (Slightly.)
While the couple’s past hasn’t been explicitly clear yet, it seems like Nam Joong Do went into politics to truly make a difference. Unfortunately, for Joong Do…an uncompromised politician who has already served two terms, has a happy marriage, and tries to remain humble is not something that may be possible in this lifetime.
Hye Joo’s Backstory Revealed?
We know Hye Joo fled her small town and took a bus to Seoul in her youth. Through doing social charity for the elderly, she met her now husband Joong Do. Together, the two must have bonded over their lack of family and desire to create social change on a smaller scale.
This may be a stretch, but maybe Joong Do went into politics to act on the changes the two discussed in their youth, while Hye Joo decided to stay out of the public spotlight and continue their work on a micro-scale?
The agreement worked since Assemblyman Nam wasn’t very well-known but as he has risen in the ranks and notoriety his home life is finally being scrutinized. I don’t think Assemblyman Nam will continue to give citizens his private phone line anymore and may even move or install more security around his home since the press and angry parents are targeting him now personally.
There is also the issue of Assemblyman Nam’s rivalry with Assemblyman Kang, who appears to have ties to Hye Joo’s past.
Assemblyman Kang’s Real Estate Scandal
Chairwoman Woo made a point to mention to Assemblyman Kang that Assemblyman Nam’s scandals were taking the heat off his real estate investigations.
Yoon Seo’s friend at school mentioned she wishes adulterers were punished like the med student who committed suicide.
Hye Joo has a flashback of attending a funeral where she was accused of murdering somebody after visiting the old lady Jo Gwi Soon for the perilla oil.
After Yoon Seo’s friend makes that statement a flashy woman is shown getting off a plane and being picked up by a man wearing a wedding ring.
Apparently, she’s been away from home for 3 years. The man wearing the wedding ring in the car turned off news about Assemblyman Kang’s scandal, and the woman mentioned her mother is probably looking for more property to buy before arriving home.
The runaway woman’s mother appears to be Lee Yoo Shin, who was yelling at a high school-age Hye Joo in flashbacks. Ms. Lee even had a photo of a high school-aged boy in front of her when confronted by her runaway adult daughter.
Given Hye Joo freaked out about the old lady mentioning the town she is from (and seemingly remembering her voice?) I’d wager Hye Joo might know Grandma Jo from her younger days. Because Hye Joo definitely knows Lee Yoo Shin – who is most likely Yoon Seo’s friend’s grandmother.
It’s a tight web being woven in this kdrama, and I’m excited to see what happens!
Tell me your thoughts.
Soo Bin memorized Hye Joo’s work passcode, left the door open for intruders, and is clearly lying about her unborn child being Ji Hoon’s. Do you think Soo Bin is trying to escape an abusive ex-boyfriend and “scumbag” Ji Hoon helped her out before his death?
Is Assemblyman Kang associated with Assemblyman Nam’s wife in ways currently unknown to both men?
Why is Soo Bin so mouthy when she’s alone with Yeo Jin?
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