Trolley

The story was supposed to be a good one but the decision of Ms. Kim was so below par only thinking of herself, the thoughts and sentiments of only 2 people and not her daughter and the rest of the society in general. I for one can't accept her decision, I find it selfish and not right. She could have moved forward of her choice when everything had been accomplished, thus even her daughter not suffering the harassment of her clasmates because of it. With that, everything could have been better for all concerned. It's a pity, it didn't materialized and the core of the story wasn't achieved. That's a pity.

An incident from the past returns to haunt the wife of an ambitious politician which could falter his career. The series is very well acted as each episode exposes a new truth which leaves you wondering who are the good people and who are the bad. It all begins with a tragic incident involving their son and the plot goes on to twist and turn and draws you in. The side stories are interesting and the cast all do an excellent job as your initial opinion of some of the characters over time changes as their true nature is exposed. It is well written and I enjoyed the pace and the main character played by Kim Hyun Joo shows great strength as her life unravels.

I loved this story, every twist and turn of it. Wonderful writing, beautiful cinematography, and performances all around that knock your socks off. Where does Korea train all of their splendid actors? The woman playing Hye Joo is remarkable, with a performance so nuanced it breaks your heart. Themes of deception masked by earnest faces resonate, as do the explorations of people with initial good intentions losing their way in the thicket that is politics. Teenagers' passion, quests for what is true or real, play an important role in this drama, again handled exquisitely by the young actors. The treatment of sexual assault which motivates much of the action is raw and powerfully depicted. It's not "too much" as some might claim. Just ask anyone who has experienced this trauma, as have 38% of my friends and acquaintances and students. (And yes, when the ME TOO movement started, I took a random survey.) The casualness which the assaulters display about their actions falls in the "what's the big deal" category and is sickening. This is wonderful psychological thriller, carefully deliberate in pacing because these issues, and difficult, sometimes impossible, choices , require deliberation and a slower paced production.

Everything about this S Korean drama is top notch. The story moves along with no slow boring bits, actors are believable and really invested in their roles. Camera work is nothing spectacular, but then again, this isn't an art house film. Technically, 100% right.

The story, which is basically all a movie/series needs to keep the audience invested, is well written, with intelligent, believable conversations even while watching with subtitles.

I won't go into all the details of the two main families, but it's all twisted political intrigue, with flashback explanation helping carry the story.

Episode 12 - the last: Reality. I found myself shrieking at my TV. OMG NO!! That did not just happen!! Why, but hey, that's good TV. Worthy of the 12 hours you'll invest and the 9 stars I gave.

This show has a gripping plot and credible storylines. Many classic k-drama elements have been seamlessly weaved in the story of this show.

Despite the change of an actress at the beginning, the cast has been well stocked with great actors and actresses. The performance of the cast has been all on point and powerful. Especially the lead actress, she deserves an award for her portrayal of the woman character. I have not heard of her before this drama but after this drama I found a recent movie of hers (Jung_E) on Netflix and enjoyed her performance in the movie too (maybe less than that in this drama but mainly because the movie's plot was less convincing).

Overall this drama is a must-see!!