In Family We Trust (2018)

I watched many Thai dramas in 2018, but in my opinion this was one of THE best. If you are looking for a mystery drama that revolves around family relationships then this is the drama for you.

I initially watched this without subs because the synopsis had peaked my interest and frankly I just didn't want to wait. Even without the subs, I was enticed fully from beginning to end. I found myself binge-watching about 6 episodes in the space of a few hours. This family drama was everything I never knew I needed in life. The story was not exactly anything new, I mean betrayal and lies are pretty much main themes in every thing these days, but there was just so much more to this story. I felt for the characters and found myself putting myself in their shoes. The whole Thai-Chinese tradition is intense if you ask me. You would need to watch to see what I mean. When I watched the drama with subs finally, everything was obviously put into more perspective, but the second time I was even more shocked at the many twists in the story.

My only negative is that there were some scenes centred around one of the characters that I really felt were not needed. At one point, I was just like 'why was that even a part of the story'. I came to the conclusion as the story unfolded, that it might have just been how the writer wanted for things to be unveiled. And in all honesty despite my ill feelings, it was actually a pretty crucial aspect.

Acting: the cast overall were fantastic. The older cast especially. I am a big fan of Thanapob Lee (Yi) and was not surprised at how good he was. He proved he has mad acting skills with this role. Of course, JJ Kritsanapoom (Pete), James Teeradon (Vegas) and Captain Chonlathorn (Earn) did great too. The newer faces (may recognise from Thai group 9by9) were fine in their respective roles. You could tell it was their first time acting but otherwise their flaws (e.g. facial expressions) weren't extremely noticeable. What I loved was the portrayal of the many different types of relationships between the younger cast in the drama. The actors and actresses really nailed those parts.

Music: the music was definitely appropriate for the mood of the drama. The choice of the various orchestral scores was a good one. Every time one particular one came on, I was on the edge of my seat.

Re-watch value: 10/10. Heck yeah I would re-watch this, even without subs might I add.

Overall, In Family we Trust is worth the watch. I am really glad I discovered it. Not only is it a roller-coaster ride of emotions, endless surprises await you.

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This was my first Lakorn and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was on Netflix so I decided to make it my daily drama watch - however it was so good and interesting I marathoned it over 4 days. First, the story - It was initially confusing since characters were introduced en mass without names or relationships. l I had to go to Wiki again to make a chart of all the actors. Even that was not enough -- I then had to do a FAMILY TREE to follow with substance. I think many dramas forget that viewers may not be familiar with actors when the story is entwined and contains complicated family relationships. However, the story is excellent - once you can follow each character. The story is always moving forward and that is the greatest benefit for the viewer -- you can't stop watching - sometimes until 2 A.M. in the morning because of the progression and quality of storytelling and editing. What is the most enduring and alluring aspect of this story is its name - In Family We Trust"? " That is what I kept asking myself throughout- what an oxymoron. All I will add is it is worthy of your time. The ending is - well - I reduced my rating because of the need of the writer to skew the facts of the previous episodes to appease the viewers. What human nature would do in response to all of the events of this story and how a "family" would respond is the true gold winning challenge of this drama. I recommend watching.

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Why you should watch this drama :

• If you like family dramas : The drama is totally based on a huge ass Chinese family that follows the rules of patriarchy. The drama talks about how having a family is important to an individual and how family is still family no matter what and it'll always help you in your tough times. It's really a family-oriented drama so if you like those then this one is for you.

• If you like feminist things : As I said above it's about a Chinese family that follows the system of patriarchy. So, the drama tries to break that and tries to tell it's audience and the close-minded people in the drama that women CAN become the successor of a company and they CAN handle a company as brilliantly or maybe even more than a man. The drama tries to spread ideas of feminism throughout so if you are into that watch this.

• If you like mystery dramas : It's a very good mystery drama! As you might've read in the plot, the drama revolves around the murder mystery of the family's son. It's a big family and everybody had a motive to kill him lmao it really makes you wonder who is the killer throughout the show! Truly a hidden gem for murder mystery fans.

Why you should not watch this drama :

• If you don't like slow-paced stuff : I've seen people complain that the drama is super slow and all that and although for me, it wasn't slow at all but maybe that's because I was very involved in characters life that I didn't really cared or idk so like if you can't handle slow-paced stuff, it's better not to watch haha

• If you want romance or cute scenes : The drama is not at all romantic and it has little to none cute scenes so better not watch it if you are looking for a drama with that stuff!

• If you have a problem remembering names or too many characters : It has a big family and you WILL have to remember the names and relations of all the characters to understand the storyline. It'll be confusing at first and I did so I think many others would be able to do it too and like they explained it pretty well in the first episode, in fact the first episode was all about the introduction and stuff lol but yeah if you are not stuff where you'll have to remember so much, it's better not to watch hehe

• If you can't tolerate lacking acting from ANYONE : I'm not saying the acting is bad. The drama has a lot of characters like I said above so obviously it needs a lot of actors too. Most of the actors are amazing! But there are few only a few whose acting felt flat to me so yeah.

I hope I helped you decide if you should watch it or not ! Enjoy! Thanks for reading!

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I'm been watching Thai lakorn since I was born. As I grew up I started watching a mixture of Chinese, Korean and Japanese series. I have to say that this drama of one of the best in terms of story line and acting for Thai lakorn. Not your typical Thai lakorn that you case guess easily who the killer is. From beginning to end it will keep you on your toes, trying to figure out and resolve this mystery. Upon seeing the trailer I have no doubt about the acting skills of the senior actors and actresses, but I wasn't too sure of the younger generation. As I watched the episode one by one all I have to say is wow......the younger generation is definitely something; their acting is on point.

If you love mystery, great acting, need something different then this family orientated mystery murder is for you.
You won't regret it :)

p.s It was so good that I have to write this...my first review

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The story may progress quite slowly but it was paced perfectly for the audience to fully understand the story. This show was really just to promote 9x9 but it was good. It follows the life of a big Thai-Chinese family and within families there's always those who are greedy and jealous. This supposedly happy family goes downhill when the eldest brother is found dead, everyone in the family is immediately suspects and now the desperation to prove your family innocent and others guilty becomes the number one priority. You can't trust anyone.

If you're a 9x9 fan:
-Tor: He played as the eldest grandson but since his mom is only the daughter he doesn't get anything. In my opinion Tor is the strongest and most important role in this series. He was the only one throughout the whole series who actually did something. Tor loves his family and is willing to do anything to protect his family even if it means putting on a dangerous show. In the end Tor got shamed on for what he did but I think otherwise. If Tor didn't do that the story wouldn't have resolved rightfully and the guilty wouldn't have stepped forward and his brother Jackie would have to stay in jail forever.
-Jamyjamess: He was the first to find out the truth and the evidence was in his hands. I was so happy when Jamyjames found the evidence and hoped he'd be the one to bring justice BUT he failed me.
-Jaylerr: JJ is the second grandson after Tor but he gets everything because his dad is a son.
-Captain: He is the second son in Patsorn's family, the second brother in the family (Tor, Captain, Third, Jackie). I was so frustrated with Captain's character because of the lack of trust he had in his mom. Even when the suspect was moved on from his mom he still think his mom did it till the very end.
-Third: He is the 3rd son in Patsorn's family. The superstar of the family.
-Jackie: The youngest son in Patsorn's family. He plays a very frustrating role. He was horrible in the beginning but he didn't deserve for the blame to be thrown on him. He went to jail for a crime he didn't do and nobody believed him not even his parents. The only person who believed him was Tor and ultimately it was Tor who helped him out of jail. Meimei was really shameless for throwing Jackie in jail without even feeling remorse which is why if Jackie doesn't end up forgiving her I totally understand. Just because you're family doesn't mean forgiveness should always be given.
-Ryu: He's Jamyjamess brother and he's just like his dad, carefree and childlike. His role is small he doesn't do much.
-Porsche: Lives and was raised by Ama
-Ice: He's the mistress's son with Prasert so the half brother of JJ.

Overall, my favorite family would have to be Patsorn's. In the end, even though the family experienced this life changing phase they found their way back to each other. Of course it'll never be the same again because you can't erase the pain away.

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Story:
Just a bit of a background, but the reason I started watching this is because of a recommendation I got from my Thai friend. I have never watched any Thai series before so I don't know much about how their shows are or even much about the country's culture so I really don't know what to expect. However, I'm glad that I got that recommendation and that this was the first Thai series that I was able to watch.
This is actually a heavy drama as it has the family story, not to mention that they added even more mystery and intriguing details in the plot. It has shown how people can love so much and how far they can go to protect and fight for the people they love to the point that they can even betray their families that they have so much trust on. With the family values presented, I think there is something we can surely relate on and definitely learn from. It has relayed the message the we are just humans and that we are not perfect, we make mistakes but that doesn't mean that we are entirely bad and that we can't go past these sins we have committed. We just have to own up to our faults, be better people and hopeful as no matter what happens, our family will always be there as our home.
How the story started was quite confusing at first because there were no introductions for the characters considering the big cast but as the details are revealed little by little, every episode becomes more and more intriguing. The flow can sometimes feel dragging too but I think that that is to savor every emotion from each character which made the ending to be really anticipating.

Acting/Cast:
From the senior actors to younger ones, everyone gave a great acting and I think that that is a big part of the overall success of this drama. You can see that they really gave out their best shots as if every scene is real and that they're not acting. They really cry so painfully and without caring if they'll look good because what matters is that they convey their characters' emotions and they successfully did that. I would just like to give extra props however for the people whose acting have really impacted me: Mate, Cris, Phatson, Nipha, Yi, Pete, Toei and Meimei. If I were to choose my favorite characters though, it will be Yi and Pete. It is really interesting to see how both love so much but have contrasting beliefs as one is blinded by it while the other balances that love with being rightful.

Music:
The music added spice to each scene, especially to those with suspense.

Re-watch Value:
I think that I will not actually re-watch this but just because it's too intense and can really feel heavy on my emotions but I think that it's something someone should see at least one so I am definitely recommending it to everyone. Everything was worth it!

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This show is not going to let you sleep or do anything until you finish it and keep a few boxes of tissues handy because it does take some dark turns but it also stays hopeful and positive at the same time. It's a meaningful story about real people just like you and me, with relatable problematic relationships. I love the brothers bond, not just the Phatson household but all the cousins. The way they began the show with Pete (Jayler) saying to his oldest cousin Yi (Thanapob) how when they were younger Yi could just say anything and Pete would do it. From that point, where they are all questioning if a sibling could ever be capable of killing another sibling, and they all don't believe any of them could ever hate each other enough to kill them when unbeknownst to these cousins, behind doors things are already brewing and taking a dark turn. And how despite having so much love for each other they're forced to make rash decisions and often times it means hurting their own brothers (cousins). The way things start because people stopped being honest with each other and all the buried secrets start to come to the surface and the cousins are now forced to take sides. Basically the way the creator of the show, made Yi and Pete symbolic of a brothers bond, and the way Yi resembles Pete's father the older brother, and Pete resembles their uncle Mate the younger, in the end, I mean it was just ART. And seriously Jackie deserves a special mention. All the boys did a great job, Ice Paris as Pete's step brother, Captain portrayed Earns character in a natural way, Third omg his crying >_< was the one that hit the most next to Thanapob and Jackie. Ryu and Porsche were adorable and James literally had me seething lol so obv he's a good actor. But Jackie. Jackie did the most remarkable job of making me resent his character Toey in the beginning to making me fall in love with him T_T he made me cry so much, him and Thanapob, God, that whole part in the last part was just so heartbreaking. Anyway, I'll stop now or I'll go on forever lol but seriously this is not just a good thai show, it's not even a good Asian show , it's a f^cking great show no matter what you compare it with.

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I love this show. I bing-watched in 3 days. It is so intriguing and it keeps you up with emotion throughout the story.
I just wanted to reflect on what it wants to tell us, if anything.
I feel like when such heinous crimes and acts are done, we may forgive in the sense that we will not hate anymore. But why do we have to pretend as if it's all back to normal.
MeiMei was willing to let her cousin rot in jail forever, she behaved in the most evil way, she set him up to be wrongly convicted, she betrayed his trust, she was so "happy" in HK, she even threatened to put Yi in jail as well for transpassing, she was not regretful she just worried about not being accepted back: this goes far beyond covering up for her dad, what a disgusting egoist person would behave in such a way? And we have to go back to eat with her as if nothing has happened? I may allow her to live her life, after some period I would stop hating her but we are DONE.
Vegas as well, he was willing to let Toei rot in prison forever.
And it almost looks like they were put on the same footing, or even higher in the case of Vegas, compared to Yi, the only TRUE hero of the story. Who defended his brother and mom while his dad was not doing anything. His fault? Showing that Pete's mom was a killer in order to bring justice. Appearances and what other think over truth, honesty and not letting innocent people be locked in jail for decades. Yi is the best character of the series, a true superbro.
The fact that we are willing to accept everything from relatives is huge moral problem.

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great acting & story line

So this is my 3rd Thai series that I watch. It still came out fresh to me. Usually when watching Thai series/movies, comedy, sex educational, teen romance is what came to my mind. But I was blown away with the story line of this series. The story revolves in a Thai-Chinese family descent, and things started to get tense when the oldest son of the family was killed. At first the plot may sound very common, but I must say that even the 1st episode got me hooked. And as the episode goes, it gets very interesting - the pace was slow but not that slow, just at the right pace.

I'm very impressed with the acting, everyone really did a good job at portraying their characters. Although the reason I was curious about this series is because Tor Thanapob (i just finished watching hormones, so i get excited to see him), the series itself has such an attractive plot, it won't get you bored. Moreover the ending was satisfying to me, thank God it's actually a happy one. I just wish before all the mourn and sadness, there are more sweet moments to show. But- they gave us the sweet brotherhood of Yi, Ern, Tao and Toei , their brotherhood really makes me want to have a siblings, like it's so nice to see them- and having someone to rely on.

If you like a family oriented plot, or want to watch a non romance-fluff, no BL, no sex educational plot, I really recommend watching this.

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the orchestra does the greatest job

WITHOUT SPOILERS

first of all, the story moves quite slowly, but it keeps you in suspense and gives you time to understand the entire plot. I can't imagine the story moving faster, because then I would probably have problems analyzing it. There were really many different threads. I was very moved, and I even understand some of the issues from my own experiences. The topic of stalking, serious illness, family conflicts and others. Everything can be found here.

Music is something that has caused me the greatest emotions from the very beginning. A real orchestra and a repeating melody that will forever remind me of IFWT - amazing! The acting is also very good, the actors' emotions were also connected with mine.

There is no thread lost in this series - everything is explained from beginning to end ( including the judgments, which are described in detail). Highly recommend!

SPOILERS ALERT

I'm very disappointed with Vegas' behavior. If it weren't for the fact that he was hiding the disc with the murder evidence, everything might have turned out differently. Despite everything, his emotions were understandable. I really liked that the relationship between him and Meimei improved a lot.

I'm happy that Chi's mother recovered and Chi has a good relationship with her grandmother and Pete! So beautiful. The ending with Yi and the entire Phatson family was also wonderful, but I regret that there was no conversation between Meimei and Toey - their story was interesting and unexpected from the very beginning. Btw Toey is a very good figure for psychoanalysis!

Thank you for reading my first review :)

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Well Done!!!

Attractive casting, beautiful locations, interesting plot with a lot of twists and turns. Think of it as a Thai "Dallas". There were some very slow episodes, yes, but that's the nature of this type of entertainment. Just be prepared for many tears. Again that's the nature of this type of entertainment. The characters and the story pull you in and keep you on the edge. That's good. Another season could be justified to tie up the loose ends of some of the relationships and expand on them.
Watch it .

BIG SPOILER TO FOLLOW


When/how does Vegas pay for his misdeeds?

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Must-watch for Brotherhood, Family, Thriller and Mystery Lovers

If you love bromance, brothers, family dramas and are up for top-notch storytelling and mystery WATCH THIS 1000%! This is an absolute masterpiece and one of the best dramas I have ever watched with such elaborate character developments. WHAT A SHOW WOW JUST WOW! I usually watch kdramas only and had never watched a Thai drama. This was my first and it was GOLD! CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW FREAKIN AMAZING THIS DRAMA IS. I was not expecting it to be this good I am very very impressed <3 I'M VERY PICKY WITH MY DRAMAS so I'm so surprised that I've loved it this much everything about it has been absolutely flawless to me. And don't even get me started by the acting!!! The acting by every single person is just amazing every single one of them! I was shocked till the last scene at how good all the actors were!

This drama deals with various important issues such as sexism, favoritism and more and criticizes unjust traditions that may even still exist to this day. These issues are, however, portrayed extremely beautifully and meticulously and the actors and actresses all do a phenomenal job at depicting it. The themes of family and brotherhood are masterfully portrayed as well. I was absolutely in love with the relationship between the 4 brothers of the sister's family. Their bond was so beautiful it was everything <3 The brotherhood between Pete and Yi was also one of my absolute favs <3 The sibling and cousin relationships were just so beautifully portrayed by all the actors and the dialogues were sincere and moving it made me miss my own family :,)

I personally fell in love with every single character and they were all main leads to me. Each character is flawed so you will hate them at some point and love them the next. They are all human and so this drama will feel like the most real roller coaster ride. It keeps you on your toes, it is extremely entertaining and heartfelt!
I would honestly recommend everyone to watch it. Give this gem a try for sure you will not regret it trust me :)

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