Only Friends: Dream On (2026)

finally completed this series. first of all, i never thought i would randomly start watching this on a tuesday afternoon and end up finishing it immediately. after how season 1 made me feel, i honestly didn’t expect myself to continue this fast. but somehow, here i am, already done with it.

this series was genuinely so good. it perfectly portrayed toxic relationships, manipulation, misunderstandings, reconciliation, emotional baggage, and the way people hurt each other when they are overwhelmed by their own emotions. there were friendship betrayals, unresolved feelings, selfish decisions, and so much emotional damage throughout the story. every single character made mistakes, and honestly, all of their feelings were valid in their own ways. what disappointed me the most was how they handled those emotions and situations, but that is also what made the series feel realistic. people are not always rational when they are hurting. sometimes they become unfair, selfish, impulsive, and destructive, and this series captured that perfectly.

first, jack. he is a good person, yes. his feelings were valid and he had every right to be angry at dean. however, the way he handled everything was completely wrong. he treated raffy like a replacement whenever things were not okay between him and dean, and that was honestly selfish because he knew raffy would always come running whenever he called. he took advantage of that vulnerability. jack did not just hurt dean, he hurt raffy too. what made it even worse was how emotionally confusing everything became because he kept holding onto people while simultaneously hurting them. thankfully, he eventually realized the damage he caused and took accountability for his actions. i appreciated that the series did not try to paint him as perfect because it showed that even good people can make terrible decisions when they are emotionally lost.

next, raffy. he was honestly bratty at times and reminded me of boston in some ways. i was especially frustrated during the part where he wanted to ruin jack and dean’s relationship because that was completely wrong. i am not going to defend him for that. there were moments where he allowed his emotions to consume him and became too selfish. however, despite all of that, i still understood him. i am glad he eventually realized that he did not want to become someone like dean. his character development was honestly one of the best parts of the series for me. i understood the pressure he carried as the son of a well-known actress because constantly living under expectations must have been exhausting. he grew up craving validation and affection, which explains why he became emotionally reckless at times. despite all his flaws, he is actually a good person, and i am happy he slowly learned how to grow and become better. seeing him become more self-aware made me appreciate his character even more.

third, rome. i genuinely love him so much. he was completely down bad for raffy, but at the same time, he knew his worth and understood that there is a limit to how long he should wait for someone. that is what i admired most about him. he and raffy honestly deserve each other because they truly understand one another in ways other people cannot. rome can get on your nerves sometimes, but he never crosses the line and he still genuinely cares. he is the type of person who stays honest even when the truth hurts. i also loved how emotionally mature he was compared to everyone else. he knew when to stay, when to wait, and when to protect himself too. i am really thankful raffy had someone he could finally be vulnerable and honest with because raffy clearly needed someone who would understand him without immediately judging him.

fourth, timmy. i am so proud of him because he became everyone’s pillar throughout the series. whenever there was chaos or conflict, he was always the first person trying to calm things down and help others. he is the type of person you can always rely on and depend on no matter what happens. he was such a great friend and producer to all of them. what i admired most about him was how emotionally present he was for everyone even when things became messy. he never made situations about himself. he genuinely tried to understand people and help them fix things instead of making everything worse. every friend group honestly needs someone like timmy.

fifth, arnold. i liked him from the very beginning. he is calm, comforting, and always there whenever tua needed someone. what i love most about him is that he actually communicates with his boyfriend whenever they have problems instead of avoiding difficult conversations. he listens, reassures, and tries to understand instead of immediately reacting emotionally. i genuinely love this character because he brought stability into the story. amidst all the chaos happening around them, arnold remained emotionally grounded.

sixth, tua. no words can explain how much i love his character. he is just too kind that it hurts sometimes. there is something so comforting and genuine about him that makes you want to protect him. he honestly does not deserve to be hurt by anyone. however, despite how kind he is, he is still human, and that is why his flaws felt realistic too. i really did not like the way he acted toward dean after the video of arnold and dean got leaked. they were best friends, and i wished tua had listened to dean first before reacting emotionally. i cannot justify the things he said because he truly hurt dean with his words. at the same time, i know tua never genuinely intended to destroy him. he was hurt too, and emotions got the best of him. that entire fight honestly broke me because you could feel how much love and pain existed between them. seeing friendships fall apart because of misunderstandings and emotional reactions is one of the saddest things ever.

lastly, dean. honestly, i do not even know where to begin. as much as i wanted to stay angry at him because of how he acted, i just could not. deep down, i understood why he did those things. he was hurting so much and trying to figure everything out on his own. dean felt like someone who constantly carried emotional weight by himself while pretending he was okay. what completely broke my heart was the fight between him and tua. i genuinely cried when tua said those things to dean because you could already see how broken dean was even before that moment. it felt like he had reached a point where everything around him was slowly falling apart. the world was honestly so cruel to him. all i wanted was for someone to finally understand him and be kinder to him for once. despite his mistakes, i never saw him as evil. i saw someone who was emotionally lost and desperately trying to survive his own feelings.

overall, i really loved this series. tua and dean’s friendship means so much to me, and i am so happy they eventually talked things out and reconciled. friendship heartbreaks are honestly one of the most painful things in the world because losing someone you considered home hurts differently. romantic heartbreaks hurt, yes, but friendship heartbreaks leave a different kind of emptiness because those are the people who know every version of you.

also, i genuinely did not expect nick to appear, but seeing him there made me realize how much boston had changed. boston used to be such a terrible person, and even he became aware of that. i honestly did not expect nick and boston to end things peacefully this season, so i am thankful they were finally able to communicate properly, even if it was only for one last time. i am especially proud of nick for finally choosing himself over everything else because he deserves so much better. honestly, so does boston. yes, he hurt many people before, but at least he grew and became self-aware. growth does not erase the pain someone caused, but it is still important to acknowledge when someone genuinely changes and reflects on their actions.

everyone in this series deserves so much better. they all deserved love, understanding, healing, and people who would genuinely choose them. one line from the series that really stayed with me was: “choose someone who chooses you.” that line hit so hard because it is true. people should never have to beg for consistency, reassurance, love, or basic respect.

please never lower your standards just because you are afraid of losing someone. know your worth. you are enough, and you deserve people who will never make you question that. never settle for someone who constantly makes you feel unloved, unwanted, or difficult to choose.

also, huge kudos to all the actors who portrayed their roles so well. all of you did such an incredible job and made every emotion feel real and natural. the acting honestly made the entire series even more impactful because you could genuinely feel the pain, tension, comfort, heartbreak, and vulnerability in every scene. nothing felt forced. every character felt alive because of how well the actors carried their roles.

special mention to MIX SAHAPHAP because wow. i honestly never expected to see you in this type of series, but you completely surprised me in the best way possible. your acting was genuinely amazing and emotionally convincing. you portrayed your character with so much depth, and there were scenes where your emotions alone were enough to break my heart. this role honestly showed a different side of you as an actor, and i am genuinely proud of how well you did.

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First impression: a exploration of desire and the consequences of following it blindly

The opening episodes of Only Friends: Dream On reveal a series that is very aware of its own appeal. Rather than softening the emotional chaos that made the franchise popular, the new season dives even deeper into it. The result is an intense start, filled with tension, provocation, and questionable decisions that always seem on the verge of setting the characters’ relationships on fire. There is a clear enjoyment in watching this game of messy emotions and poorly calculated impulses unfold, and the direction knows exactly how to make the most of that unstable atmosphere.

Much of this strength comes from the cast. The chemistry between the actors is the true engine of the narrative, and the camera often relies more on glances, pauses, and teasing than on long stretches of dialogue. The interactions carry a constant energy of attraction and conflict, creating a sense of unpredictability that keeps the viewer engaged. Some pairings thrive on the almost provocative friction between strong personalities, while others build a softer, slower tension. This variety helps prevent the drama from feeling repetitive, even when the story fully embraces its more exaggerated side.

Another strong point lies in how the series treats its characters as flawed people. No one appears entirely right or wrong, and much of the dramatic interest comes precisely from that moral ambiguity. Jealousy, insecurity, and desire are presented with very little filtering, giving the conflicts a raw and spontaneous tone. At the same time, the production maintains an engaging rhythm, balancing moments of intensity with pauses that allow emotions to build before eventually erupting.

On the other hand, the series occasionally stumbles over stylistic habits that attempt to add a level of sophistication that is not always necessary. The cuts to testimonial-style interviews, while intended to provide depth, sometimes interrupt the natural flow of scenes that would stand perfectly well on silence and subtle expressions alone. By over-explaining the characters' internal worlds, the script risks insulting the audience's intelligence, trading organic tension for a structured commentary that feels more like a safety net than a narrative leap.

There is also a slightly risky sense of comfort in the casting. By relying on pairings whose dynamics are already well known to fans, the narrative loses some of the “who will end up with whom” mystery, making the script feel a bit too dependent on the actors’ charisma rather than the unpredictability of the plot. Some musical transitions also feel somewhat dated, with a soundtrack that occasionally tries to dictate the emotional tone more loudly than the performances themselves.

Even so, these details rarely undermine the overall experience. Technical issues in mixing and pacing are easily forgiven thanks to the series’ willingness to present characters who are flawed, possessive, and delightfully human. Only Friends: Dream On does not try to be a philosophical treatise on love, but rather a vibrant exploration of desire and the disastrous consequences of following it blindly.

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