REVIEW: ‘Trolley,’ Episodes 13-14 ‘Infidelity” and “Denial”

With Assembly Man Nam bringing startling new information concerning his son’s death to light, the situation only seemed to worsen for Hye Ju’s family. But it looks like Nam may not be telling the whole truth to the public or his wife. And when Hye Ju has a chance encounter with Soo Bin, what she learns will change everything. Plus, in the aftermath of her mother’s accident, Seung Hee renews her vendetta against Hye Ju in Trolley Episodes 13-14.

You know you’re watching great television when you would love to meet the creators of a series because you have the intense desire to both hug and strangle them. The twists and turns that the series continues to deliver produces some of the most gripping television I’ve watched in a long while. Coupled with the show’s refusal to shy away from the emotional toll these revelations take on all those impacted by them and Trolley Episodes 13-14 hit virtually every mark brilliantly. While this pair of episodes deliver a ton, there is one element that has started to feel a little shaky to me.

As Seung Hee pushes forward with her goal of tearing down Hye Ju, there are moments when her mother seems to be losing her nerve. Due to reasons I won’t get into, she finds herself confronted by a new reason to come clean on the truth surrounding her son’s suicide all those years ago. How shaken she is by this pressure feels strange to me. As someone who has been repeating for decades that her son was innocent, even going so far as to say she wishes her daughter had been the one to die instead, her sudden uncertainty about the situation feels bizarre. I’d almost think, at this point, she’d have convinced herself it was the truth through sheer repetition. While this small chink in Trolley Episodes 13-14 narrative armor annoyed me, it does little to hinder the overall quality of what the pair of episodes deliver.

There are too many spoiler-laden moments in these episodes to talk about too much directly, but the series continues to use its biggest hits for far more than shock value. As these moments bring startling discoveries, the show continues to delve into how people view the new information they bring. How tightly some cling to truth, while others are swayed more easily by the reactions of those around them, always brings complicated emotional moments. While many characters don’t respond to the developing situations in the way we would want them to, the show makes a point not to unnecessarily vilify those trying their best while also not excusing them for their shortcomings either.

While it would be easy for me to continue praising Kim Hyun-Joo for her performance as Hye Ju, Trolley Episodes 13-14 sees Jung Soo-Bin step up to deliver an equally praise-worthy performance in these episodes as Kim Soo Bin. The actor has done a great job showing her character’s struggles while remaining noticeably restrained throughout the series. While the viewer often felt they knew why Soo Bin was holding back, these episodes reveal the full truth of her situation. As these truths pour forth, the actor finally gets to let everything that the character has had bottled up flow out of her, creating some extremely powerful moments.

Despite a minor hiccup or two, Trolley Episodes 13-14 deliver another great pair of episodes. In most other shows’ these episodes would be the standouts of a series. It speaks volumes of the series that they don’t manage to be here. I’m dying to see next week’s finale.

Trolley Episodes 13-14 are streaming now on Netflix, with new episodes airing on Mondays and Tuesdays.