[Drama 2021] The Road: The Tragedy of One, 더 로드: 1의 비극

[larus]

Kim Hye Eun Takes Ji Jin Hee’s Son Hostage In “The Road: The Tragedy Of One”

Drama Preview

Sep 8, 2021

by E. Cha

 

tvN’s “The Road: The Tragedy of One” has shared a suspenseful sneak peek of its upcoming episode!

“The Road: The Tragedy of One” is a mystery drama about a tragic incident that takes place one night in the pouring rain—and the silence and cover-up that ensue, giving rise to many entangled secrets and leaving further tragedies in their wake.

Spoilers

On the previous episode of “The Road: The Tragedy of One,” Cha Seo Young (played by Kim Hye Eun) finally achieved her goal of becoming the main anchor of Baek Soo Hyun (Ji Jin Hee)’s nightly news program. Despite feeling a profound sense of emptiness after reaching the top, the ruthlessly ambitious Cha Seo Young still chose to team up with Kwon Yeo Jin (Baek Ji Won) to take down Baek Soo Hyun and claim his position as anchor.

However, Baek Soo Hyun’s wife Seo Eun Soo (played by Yoon Se Ah) didn’t seem willing to let Cha Seo Young win without a fight. Infuriated by her friend’s actions, she seemed ready to expose Cha Seo Young’s secrets to a rival network in revenge.

In newly released stills from the drama’s next episode, things take an unexpected and dramatic turn. To everyone’s shock, Cha Seo Young suddenly takes Baek Soo Hyun and Seo Eun Soo’s son Baek Yeon Woo (Kim Min Joon) hostage on the roof of a building. The seemingly cornered Cha Seo Young has a fierce look in her eye as she tightly grips Baek Yeon Woo’s collar, and even the fearless Baek Soo Hyun seems wary of approaching her out of fear for his son.

A terrified Seo Eun Soo bursts into tears as she looks on in horror, while Cha Seo Young’s husband Choi Nam Gyu (Ahn Nae Sang) watches the scene unfold with a weary, defeated expression. Detective Shim Seok Hoon (Kim Sung Soo) appears to be attempting to negotiate with Cha Seo Young, raising the question of why the anchor has taken things this far.

 

Adding to the suspense is the fact that Cha Seo Young and Baek Soo Hyun are hiding the massive secret of her late son’s parentage, with her husband still unaware that Baek Soo Hyun was the child’s biological father.

To find out why Cha Seo Young wound up taking Baek Yoon Woo hostage—and how the precarious situation will play out—tune in to the next episode of “The Road: The Tragedy of One” on September 8 at 10:50 p.m. KST!

 

 

[lila21]

Well, Seo Young is as crazy as Jang Ho was or even crazier. What a mess. I expected her to break since she has been manic/depressive and her moods has been escalating between the 2 sides. Since she threw her meds in the toilet, she may not have had access to new prescriptions especially if she is taking drugs that are restricted because it could cause addiction. What a mess. And the woman Mi Do who is blind but not blind... another woman scorned..... hell hath no fury.... 

Why would Seo Young who is personally involved with the case since her child was the one who was kidnapped and killed be allowed to be the news announcer for the case? She is very biased and as it is, she already is emotionally out of kilter. She is conjecturing and she calls herself a reporter? That is why she never got the anchor job because she did not know how to be one. She got to where she is through the use of her body. She is so good at screaming and blaming everyone else but never taking responsibility for her part. She dosed her child with pills that was hers and then neglected him. That is also a form of child abuse that could land her in prison. 

 

Seo Ki Tae will be very sorry that because of all his manipulations, he put his grandson and family in danger again. The grandson whom he wanted to be his heir. That grandson will probably be traumatized for life. Poor kid. 

 

So, Choi was the originator of the slush fund list. He lost SKT's money through bad investments and duped DP to kidnap as well as ransom money. He was the one who stole the ransom money. That is where Sera got the original list. she did not steal it from DP, she got it from her father. 

[backstreetboysfan]

Yeah today's episode was Crazy and intense, I am so glad the boy is okay wow.

[GingerK]

I've been waiting for someone else to come and discuss this cuz...Wow! 1. That poor baby.

and...she killed herself right?...or tried to?  Almost at end rewatching with subtitles.

[backstreetboysfan]

OMG it was her all along eh wow.

[lila21]

Boy, what an ending, unexpected.... So yea, bravo for those who said it was Eun Seo, good instincts and excellent detecting. And yes the clue was in those miniatures. 

 

Seo Ki Tae would not have bribed too many people to be quiet especially Kwon unless it was someone dear and near to him who was involved with the murder, which actually was an accident. His daughter and grandson were involved. Jang Ho died for her. What a tragic, tragic ending the one most pitiful of all was Jeon Young. Neglected and drugged by his parents, ignored by his sister. He was fending for himself. His friend's mother hated him and he was just a beautiful kid who tried to survive as best as he can. So, even without Dong Pil JY would have died for any number of reasons from the hands of these adults who were supposed to be taking care of him. Hwang could have called 911 after bumping into him with his car, or his parents, brought him to the ER but left him without his shoes bleeding and limping to find the house of his friend. His mother was seen driving, leaving the venue alone not even looking for her son. He was drugged by his mother. I cried for Joon Young. As they say, it takes a village to care for a child and it takes a village to neglect a child. Instead of coming forward for what they knew, they took bribes from SKT to be quiet. This is heartbreaking. JY did not deserve to die. But so did YW, he will be traumatized forever, the sins of the parents visiting the children. YW now will be an orphan, his grandfather in a hospital not even able to care for him. The Road the tragedy of one became the tragedy of all. 

[GingerK]

So true. I cried so hard for that kid and when i knew what she did, I'm not gonna lie, I was rooting for her to jump off that building. I was disgusted with her and I'm so glad he left that address for the hospital.

[lebeaucouple]

The real culprit who pulled the trigger of the tragic event long ago is Baek Soo-Hyun. Not Eun-Soo. She is just another victim. Why?

Eun-Soo had portrayed herself as a gentle and submissive wife but she couldn't feel the husband's affectionate eyes all these years. She didn't know her husband's past troubles until Soo Hyun told her that his father was the murderer of the schoolgirl in the last EP. There goes the hidden secret between the two from the start. They love each other, but their love relationship "deteriorated" (probably began from their child had an accident) and later became "worse" after having an affair with Cha Seo-Young. They knew their relationship wasn't the same as before, just that they pretended it well. (she claimed in her last letter that she has been "pretending" all these while)

Let me analyse what happened to Soo Hyun :

Soo Hyun felt that he was the main "responsible" person in the past. Whenever he looked at his wife Eun Soo, he would evoke fears and unfavorable memories of his father and father-in-law who participated in the murder of the school girl. He turned away from Eun Soo, not because he no longer loves her, but because he always carries guilt. His inner struggle was torturing him every minute....he was always on medicine that made his condition worse, full of an illusion that made him cause more fear. He chose to escape this relationship, often returning home late, and even had an affair with Cha Seo-Young. Neither husband nor wife resolved the fundamental problems of the past, and they continued to pretend that nothing happened between them. Eun Soo, as his wife, did not confront him even though she knew that Soo Hyun is the birth father of Joon Young long ago. She "used" Jung ho as her temporary comfort zone for emotions.. Their key problem is not revealing the truth and lack of communication..

If only Soo Hyun could tell the truth earlier, and willingly resolve his troubles with her, and ask for her forgiveness, they might be able to save their relationship together from the beginning. Sometimes what we're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set us free.

The lesson learnt: Letting go of the past is the hardest thing, but it takes courage to make an effort to go through and release ourselves.

It has been an incredible journey with all of you to discuss and share opinions in this forum, I will see you in the next forum soon

@lila21, @Sleepy Owl, @Nanana85, @CarolynH, @backstreetboysfan, et al

 @jongski @greezlybee

[admonike]

3 hours ago, lebeaucouple said:

Whenever he looked at his wife Eun Soo,

I don't understand, why did SH married ES in the first place?

[pompyavi]

I felt that the ending was lousy and poorly written. Jun Yeong's death was an accident. They could have just reported it and said it was an accident. But then this drama would not have have happened. It would have been better if Eun Soo would have pushed him intentionally. That would have made sense and all the things her father did to protect her. Disappointing ending. I did not even understand BSH's guilt over the death of girl in the past until the last 2 to 3 episodes. Execution could have been better. This drama was cut down to 12 episodes so that could have affected the story telling. 

[lila21]

1 hour ago, admonike said:

I don't understand, why did SH married ES in the first place?

In one of his monologues, I don't remember which episode, he said that his life of running became steadier and calmer when he found someone who calmed him down and soothed his anxiety. They showed Soo Hyun and Eon Seo arm and arm and happy with their wedding rings displayed. They were both living as loving parents to their child and to each other until the accident happened and their child died. ES went into depression and instead of leaning into each other for comfort and support, he had an affair and had a child with a woman who clung to him even when he let that affair go. The woman especially flung that affair into ES face whenever she can  with that child whom she never cared for in the first place. That explains SKT's animosity towards his son in law. Soo Hyun compounded his guilt feelings about the past with more guilt and self flagellation in his present life. He went to a therapist but never really opened up, only to get prescriptions which he thought could help him forget. If he only confronted his past and learned to forgive especially himself and trusted the love of his wife, maybe they would have had a chance. Instead he compounded his guilt in the past with more guilt in the present. This is story of tragedy. Well done and well presented. 

 

4 hours ago, lebeaucouple said:

Let me analyse what happened to Soo Hyun :

Soo Hyun felt that he was the main "responsible" person in the past. Whenever he looked at his wife Eun Soo, he would evoke fears and unfavorable memories of his father and father-in-law who participated in the murder of the school girl. He turned away from Eun Soo, not because he no longer loves her, but because he always carries guilt. His inner struggle was torturing him every minute....he was always on medicine that made his condition worse, full of an illusion that made him cause more fear. He chose to escape this relationship, often returning home late, and even had an affair with Cha Seo-Young. Neither husband nor wife resolved the fundamental problems of the past, and they continued to pretend that nothing happened between them. Eun Soo, as his wife, did not confront him even though she knew that Soo Hyun is the birth father of Joon Young long ago. She "used" Jung ho as her temporary comfort zone for emotions.. Their key problem is not revealing the truth and lack of communication..

If only Soo Hyun could tell the truth earlier, and willingly resolve his troubles with her, and ask for her forgiveness, they might be able to save their relationship together from the beginning. Sometimes what we're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set us free.

The lesson learnt: Letting go of the past is the hardest thing, but it takes courage to make an effort to go through and release ourselves.

It has been an incredible journey with all of you to discuss and share opinions in this forum, I will see you in the next forum soon

@lebeaucouple thank you. Beautiful analysis. It is so true. In order to move forward we need to let go of the past. Guilt is such a self defeating emotion. The tragedy of one became the tragedy of many. The sins of the past projected into the present and into the children. Yeon Woo will now hold this feeling of guilt which he tried to forget by being blind and forgetting. Like his father he will need intensive therapy, but hopefully unlike his father he will learn to free himself of the past and move on. 

[Sleepy Owl]

Watched the last 2 episodes, and while they could have done a better job in writing, I think they ended things pretty well. So while we all had suspicions on Seo Eun Soo about the murder, overtime, seeing how she really was, we were made to think otherwise. On her defense, she didn't really kill the child, and it was an accident. But then things went down when she decided to cover it up completely and orchestrated the while kidnapping incident along with Jang Ho and also with the help of her father.

 

My question is though, would Jun Young really survive after having that many doses of the medicine in one go? In autopsy they had included it as one of the reasons for his death too. But then again, there would have been a chance to save him if he wouldn't fall down that way. I think if Jun Young would collapse down where he was standing and now fall down that way, Eun Soo would rush him to the hospital. 

 

On the other hand, I do agree with @lebeaucouple Chingu that everything started because of Soo Hyun. Everything was like a butterfly effect of what he started back then and wasn't ready to let go of the past. His inability to accept the past or even tragic events like the death of his kid and choosing alternate options like going into affair than to try to give time and heal with his wife led one thing to another and all this happened. Things would have been much different if he would at least try to get the therapy in a better way by speaking to his therapist than just using him to get the meds.

 

I hoped that they would leave room for Eun Soo recovering, something like she would be in coma and not brain dead actually. Because as I said, things would have been different if one of the things wouldn't happen. What would happen if Jang Ho would convince her to call an ambulance or if she would do it herself. Or what if that congressman would take the kid to the hospital at least. Of course we wouldn't have this drama, but then again, we can't just blame one or two people for the same. It was an accident, just like Dong Pil's death was an accident. While one kid ended up dead in all this, the other kid ended with multiple traumas and also lost his mother. For Yeon Woo's sake, I really hoped they would have left Eun Soo's recovery as an option too.

 

For Jun Young, I really feel sad and sorry. Poor kid couldn't live his life peacefully. Never really received love by anyone, his mother would just continue to drug him all the time. His father being a silent watcher of it all, and his sister would see him as someone who would end up taking half inheritance and didn't really like him. On the top of it all, he did know Soo Hyun was his father, and instead of him being the one receiving his love, he would constantly see him love Yeon Woo who wasn't even his real son. So it really was too much for the poor kid, and we saw him finally scream it all in the end. 

 

CSY on the other hand did deserve the punishment she was getting. Drugging a kid like that is child abuse, and let's not forget that the drug was one of the reasons for his death too. So I would say not one or two people, many people were involved in the poor kid's accident. While there were many similarities between Jang Ho and CSY when it came to their obsessions to the people they loved, but the main difference between them was that one of actually loved their child very much. Well, that doesn't mean Jang Ho was less crazy, he was a highly delusional dude and seeing how till the end he tried to make it seem like Soo Hyun killed him, while also trying to protect Eun Soo just shows it all. 

 

Overall, I liked the whole drama and the timing of revelations. I hoped they would show and explain more about Soo Hyun's past event too and not just show it all in flash or include it in the dialogues, since it was an important event in his life which was the start of it all actually. 

[lebeaucouple]

5 hours ago, admonike said:

I don't understand, why did SH married ES in the first place?

Thanks to @lila21 explanation. To add on, sometimes when we are in a state of depression/anxiety, a kind understanding and gentle woman comes along, allowing you to rely on peacefully, why not? It feels very subtle and might lead him to have the urge to get married. What he needs is a peace in his marriage but he did not expect a storm was coming to him after the marriage. 

[lila21]

Thank you to @lebeaucouple and @Sleepy Owlfor excellent analysis of the characters, their roles and lives in this drama. RE: Soo Hyun's guilt. The subbed conversation of SKT and Soo Hyun regarding Soo Hyun's father when SKT said "your father was murdered and your mother covered for you all this time". So, when Soo Hyun burned the hut to make up to Dong PI's being wrongly arrested for the murder of the girl because Soo Hyun refused to tell the truth about his father's role in the death of the girl, was his father inside the hut? Did he kill his father? So was that the real guilt that he could not face, in addition to not telling the truth about Dong Pil's innocence? It makes real sense, because getting of the girl's body and burning the hut did not make up for sending an innocent man to prison because he refused to tell the truth but killing the real killer would.

[GingerK]

Have slept on it.  I have so many thoughts. I didn't see BS as being anything other than an innocent kid himself in the past. Doing what he thought he had to for his mom, Dong Pil etc.  I thought that not finding her body is what freed Dongpil. Also Cop guy went to rich dad to help his friends. But none of them shared it with the others. Meanwhile when rich dad called him in to help with kidnapping case he probably thought that was the return favor. But Gramps knew what happened when he made that call. That the child was dead at the hands of his unstable daughter. I saw BS as trying to bring down corruption as a way of atoning for covering up what happened in the past. Too laser focused on his own self to save the day so to speak. To ease his guilt. I took ES at her word that her true face was dark. Even when she reached out her hand to JY the closing of her fist said to me she was glad he was gone.  Did they cut it dow by two episodes? Because after they threw everything in but the kitchen sink I think they really needed the 2 extra eps. Also poor Shim SH, he also carried guilt to a lesser extinct from the past. Now I wonder did SKT have BS's dad murdered? What's really sick is putting JY in BS's car like that. What a mess.  I have more thoughts later.

[GingerK]

Just had to add when everyone was suspicious of ES and thought she was involved I was 'No way. She's going to be as sweet as she appears.'  CSY is the one I couldn't stand.  

[calledtoteach]

I really like this drama BUT, I literally scratched my head at this ending.  What the _______?  Is that it?  I felt like the ending was rushed, and there was not enough closure or due punishments for some of the characters.  I'm disappointed!

 

[lila21]

1 hour ago, GingerK said:

That the child was dead at the hands of his unstable daughter. I saw BS as trying to bring down corruption as a way of atoning for covering up what happened in the past.

I re-watched the episode with subs. It was an accident. She tried to reach out her hands to get JY away from the guard rails and told JY that she was going to take him home. JY was spitting the truth that his mother and Sera may have told him that his real father was SH and that YW was not his son, something that YW was not told seeing YW's reaction and ES wanted JY to stop. She reached out her hands telling JY she is taking him home and JY said that this house is his home, because it is his father's house and trying to avoid ES who was reaching out to him, he leaned back at the unsecured guard railing and fell. It was an accident and according to the autopsy, JY was already dying as he was taking pills that caused some swelling in his brain and he was already in a car accident, he was bleeding from his nose. He is a child and he is taking an adult doses of pills meant for his mother like it was candy. It is a wonder that he could even function. AS for, BSH, he was running away from himself, he could not face his guilt. Who murdered his father? Why did BS mother spend the rest of her life covering for him? Who killed his father? Where was his father when he burnt the hut? Was burning the hut and ridding the girl's body what could make up for lying about Dong Pil's innocence and letting him go to prison for a crime he did not commit? Was that what he was running from or the fact that he may have killed his own father? Two deaths occurred that night that could have been avoided. DP and JH needed to be hospitalized but the thoughts of those who caused that accident were too focused on themselves to think rationally, 

[illay]

 I already sensed that It would be sad ending judged by the title that's why I don't have the courage to watch this drama. isn't the BSH's father killer is his Mom? judging by the conversation on the last episode between BSH & SKT?  I only watch these parts and those parts when I turned on the TV and this drama was aired so apologize if it's wrong. I am kind of sad that almost no ones get happy ending except that one old couple( who do not even deserve it) 

anyway is it originally 12 episodes or it's cut because of rating matter?

[lebeaucouple]

7 hours ago, lila21 said:

Thank you to @lebeaucouple and @Sleepy Owlfor excellent analysis of the characters, their roles and lives in this drama. RE: Soo Hyun's guilt. The subbed conversation of SKT and Soo Hyun regarding Soo Hyun's father when SKT said "your father was murdered and your mother covered for you all this time". So, when Soo Hyun burned the hut to make up to Dong PI's being wrongly arrested for the murder of the girl because Soo Hyun refused to tell the truth about his father's role in the death of the girl, was his father inside the hut? Did he kill his father? So was that also the guilt that he could not face, in addition to not telling the truth about Dong Pil's innocence? 

You raised a valid point, awesome.  I was wondering why soo hyun's father killed the school girl?? (the story once again did not explain well, not sure if the original Jap version also did the same), but I did not expect soo hyun burnt the hut was to kill his father or covered up his father' sin, in order to save Dong Pil's innocence.

 

This part was quite loose, it was only through the SKT's dialogue that we need to guess...Soo Hyun himself was also a victim, and he was burdened with guilt since he was a child, and the price was too heavy for him. Like what the wife, Eun Soo said in the last EP, Soo Hyun was the centre of the tragedy, he was the starter back then.....very sad story....but the ending of the story could have wrapped out in better manner, i could feel a bit rush...