REVIEW: ‘Trolley,’ Episodes 11-12 “The Nightmare” and “Reality”

With Assembly Man Nam preparing to go public with Kim Hye Ju’s story and revelations about Soo Bin’s past bringing new light to that character’s story, there was a lot of narrative momentum coming into Trolley Episodes 11-12. That momentum only builds as the situation grows more complex, as secrets are revealed, and faith gets tested throughout this pair of episodes.

They say you learn who a person truly is when they are cornered. When desperate for an escape, they show their real selves. This is certainly true for the latest in this series. As the numerous plot threads become more intertwined, we are learning who and what the cast is truly made of. And it’s going better for some than it is for others.

As has been the case through the bulk of this series, the shining star of Trolley Episodes 11-12 is Hye Ju. When this series once again hits her with a couple of earth-shaking reveals, she is shown to be an amazing human being in her level of compassion and empathy for those around her. But what makes her struggle in this episode is how the show balances her emotional responses with those of her intellect.

One of the hardest aspects of life for me has always been when my mind and my heart do not agree. When I know something is right or wrong, but I feel the opposite. Hye Ju finds herself in this position throughout these episodes, and the way the story portrays this conflict within her is masterful. Her loyalties, beliefs, and principles all collide together here, leaving so much to sort out, both for her and the viewer. How she struggles with what is right, compassionate, or proper gives the character so much more depth than if she simply knew what to do. Coupled with how personally striking so much of what happens in these episodes is to her and her past, you have a masterwork of character exploration and development.

While how the show evolves its cast is masterful, its approach to many of these revelations is something some viewers may not love. There are several key moments in Trolley Episodes 11-12 that the viewers are shown, only to later have the show return to that scene, to expand upon it further. Conversations run longer than initially indicated, bringing key follow-up information to the viewer after their original impressions have already been made. While I can see some seeing this as a sort of cheap trick to get a reaction, I love its implementation here. With so much of the show being focused on the details that are lost or hidden in crucial events, using this approach does a great job of highlighting how much a single statement’s omission can change the tone and context of an exchange.

Trolley Episodes 11-12 are easily my favorite episodes of the series to date. The episodes focus on the big moments and delivers so much emotion and conflict between so many of its core characters that I cannot wait to see where next week’s episodes will take the story.

Trolley Episodes 11-12 are streaming now on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Mondays and Tuesdays.