‘The Chair’ Season 1 Episode 4 Recap — ‘Don’t Kill Bill’
The problems only continue for Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh) in The Chair Season 1 Episode 4: “Don’t Kill Bill.” The Netflix original series finds Professor Bill Dobson’s (Jay Duplass) situation escalating. Meanwhile, there are more developments in the English department and at home.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from The Chair Season 1 Episode 4: “Don’t Kill Bill”]
‘The Chair’ Season 1 Episode 4: Bill Dobson and Ju Ju get suspended
“Don’t Kill Bill” starts off with bad news for Bill. After his disastrous meeting with the students in the previous episode — “The Town Hall” — Ji-Yoon informs him he’s being put on a temporary suspension. That means he’s forbidden from stepping foot on campus and, of course, from teaching.
As for Ji-Yoon’s daughter, Ju-Hee (Everly Carganilla), she gets suspended for biting a classmate. So the 6-year-old and Bill spend the day together. Bill cooks for Ju Ju, occasionally goes into teacher mode, and they write their letters of apology.
Bill’s connection with Ju Ju is painfully obvious to Ji-Yoon when she comes home from work. Just about to eat a homecooked meal prepared by Bill Ju Ju wakes up and wanders out to the kitchen. She asks for Bill to tuck her in instead of her mom.
Sandra Oh’s Ji-Yoon Kim learns David Duchovny is going to be more involved with the English department
Ji-Yoon has a meeting with Dean Paul Larson (David Morse) where she learns David Duchovny will be doing more than giving the distinguished lecture. The dean tells Ji-Yoon Duchovny will be taking over Bill’s class.
When Ji-Yoon says Bill’s not going to like it, the dean tells her she needs to take her role as department chair more seriously. He explicitly says Bill isn’t her peer and she needs to start acting like it.
‘The Chair’ Season 1 Episode 4: Yaz McKay’s road to tenure continues as Joan Hambling confronts a student
Professor Joan Hambling (Holland Taylor) finally finds out who is writing bad reviews of her classes on Rate My Professor. With some help, she tracks down the student at the library. It’s a young man in her class named Steve. Joan follows him out of the library and calls him out for his remarks.
Meanwhile, Professor Yaz McKay’s (Nana Mensah) road to tenure is still an uphill battle. Students present a petition to Ji-Yoon saying they will take further action if she isn’t awarded tenure. Things get more complicated when Yaz finds the support of tenure letter her colleague Professor Elliot Rentz (Bob Balaban), wrote about her. Yaz goes to Ji-Yoon and the two have a heated discussion about tenure and the department.
The episode wraps up with a water balloon fight involving Bill and Ju Ju. Ju Ju runs to campus to “surprise” her mom while Bill chases after her. Knowing he’s not supposed to be on university grounds Bill heads to his office in search of Ju Ju where he finds Ji-Yoon taking his notes. The two argue before heading off in search of Ju Ju. They find her on a ledge and after she gets down safely they go home. There to witness the entire thing? The dean.
