Novel vs, Show: MoD Comparisons

So I just finished the novel, and I thought it would be interesting to look at and compare changes made. Feel free to add as the series goes along. And of course, add spoiler tags.

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So far, characterwise, as of Episode 6...

Added characters: Dr. Oat, Nam, Pat (reporter), Natty

Characters with modified/enhanced roles: Jane, Inspector M, Thad, Sorrawit, Fai

Characters who have been removed or perhaps have yet to appear (could still be introduced later on): Boon (Bunn’s brother), Boon‘s family,  Tarr (Bunn’s ex), several of Bunn’s ex-girlfriemds, Tik (hospital colleague), Tann’s mother (although she was mentioned already)

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Plotwise: they haven’t deviated from the base premise and key story beats, but they’ve changed and/or enhanced several things, which leads me to believe (combined with several new and/or enhanced characters) that there’s a possibility that the show runners could have changed the motivations and possibly even the perpetrator/sin order to keep those who’ve read the novel guessing/surprised.

1. Jane being Bunn’s childhood friend as opposed to being a stranger

2. The prostitution/human trafficking/drugs/abortion angle with the mafia - in the book, the mafia activities seemed fairly “generic” (loan sharks, thugs, etc.), but in the show, they’re clearly fleshing out a bigger conspiracy story

3. Enhancing the involvement of M, That, Sorrawit, and adding Dr. Oat, Nam, and Pat as characters can still imply that the story could be modified

I do hope they make the revelation and resolution much more stronger, as I felt it was a bit rushed in the novel and then later almost became an afterthought. I also think removing the Tarr subplot (which I hope really is removed and not to be introduced later on) is a smart move as it almost feels like an entirely different story divorced from the main plot.

 enctv:

Where can I read the novel - english translation?

https://www.mebmarket.com

(They also have an app.)

 anzu_brief:

Tan said his mom was already dead. Well, technically he said his dad and brothers had had a party at her funeral or something like that. So if his family is not longer blackmailing him through his mom, why does he still work for them? Or are there bigger factors at play?

Maybe they will remove Bun's brother's role because it seems that these two guys are building a long lasting home together. I will throw a wild theory there and say that instead of Bun's brother's contact in the police Bun will use his own contact instead, like, since his mom is already dead, he is working with the police to bring his family down...

In an unrelated topic, I like that they added an abortion subplot. There are plans to change the antiabortion laws in Thailand this month or the next, and it seems that public opinion is sifting slowly on this issue. I like that the drama brings this debate close to the people, especially as the nurse that carries it out is overall a very nice woman.

Re: Tann’s mom. Yup, he did (in the show version) imply she’s dead. Of course, he could be lying. But if he’s not, it would really be interesting to know what hold they have on Tann for him to be working for them.

Or maybe he’s somewhat closer to them in the show than he is in the novel?

Thad says that Tann and Pued co-own The Mist, the bar that is not even in the novel. Their dad (in the show) also gave him that limited edition watch similar to Pued’s. And Pued and Tann seem to at least have a stronger bond on the show than they do in the novel, where Pued (while kinder than Por/Paul) seems to treat Tann more like a lackey.

So I get the impression this implies the family in the show at least probably treats Tann just a little more like family than they do in the novel. So maybe his mother died, they took him in, his father and Pued treat him more like family (maybe not so much Por), and he feels he owes them?

Re: abortion subplot. I agree.

Also, from a storywise perspective, that + the human trafficking aspect is more engaging and well-developed than the ”housing development funds corruption” that Rungthiva and Pued were involved in in the novel, especially since in the latter, it almost came out of the blue with almost zero build-up or references.

 anzu_brief:

"Or maybe he’s somewhat closer to them in the show than he is in the novel?"

I might be the cause. He still told Bun that his brothers don't care about him and he punched Pued in episode 1, plus he got get really mad at him after finding out about Jane's abortion and what he did to her. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Re: human trafficking aspect. I agree 100%.

It's hard to see how close Tan and Pued were in the book wince we don't see a lot of scenes together, we only read Tan's POV after he has fallen for Bun. 

In general I'm very happy about the changes they've done to the story-line and the characters. They are mostly for the best. I also love how they have expended upon Bun an Tan's relationship and the changes to Bun's personality. I enjoy the domesticity between them and Tan's flirting with all its implications.

Actually, that’s a reason why I feel Tann may be closer to Pued on the show that in the novel.

I get the impression that he’s  “comfortable” punching Pued in Episode 1 and in the recent episode precisely because they have a close bond. Like brothers fighting, if that makes sense.

Whereas in the novel, he seemed almost like a lackey, one who probably won’t feel he is in a position to be punching his “boss” and who was clearly fairly apprehensive (if not downright scared) of defying Pued’s requests.

But that’s just the impression I get.

And yes, I feel the relationship between Bunn and Tann has been better developed on the show. It was a wise decision to have them an encounter with each other at the bar before Jane’s death, as opposed to the novel where it seemed a bit more off-putting for Bunn to just stalk Tann after suspecting him. I feel that it’s that connection/kiss/attraction at the bar before the murder that gives more credibility as to why Bunn can’t seem to distance himself from Tann even if he has strong doubts about his possible role in Jane’s death.

Yes, you’re correct, I think Tann in the show probably felt more betrayed by Pued when the latter pimped out Jane and brought her to an abortion because Tann may have been close to Pued, respected him and loved him as a brother, and probably never thought Pued could do something even that low and vile despite their mafia activities. Tann and Pued do act more like brothers on the show than they do in the novel - they even co-own The Mist whereas I don’t think Tann would have had such “equal” status with Pued in the novel.

It’s a subtle change, but I do think the show creators did a good job in making the relationship between Tann and Pued more complex as it gives a stronger story dynamic as opposed to Tann just being a half-brother being used as a lackey. It gives Tann higher stakes because the only person he really somehow considered true family other than his mother has disillusioned him.

I just finished watching episode 9 and what a ride!!! My heart is beating so fast, I can't wait to watch it again.

You were totally right about Pued and Tan being closer in the drama, poor Tan was obviously wrecked when he found his big brother dead. It also seems that Pued might have been a more decent person than he was in the book. Like, he still pimped out his girlfriend but did not suggest to Tan to rape Bun to scare him off. It looks like that congressman and the police chief had him by the balls somehow...

He seems to have had strong feelings for Jane, so maybe he wasn't directly involved in her murder? 

You are 100% right. The sister is the killer, same as in the book. She is pestering Bun for info all the time and she bailed Tan (1) to earn Bun's trust and (2) because she knew Tan's older brother would come for him. What a bitch.

Honestly the last few moments of ep 9 were sooooo romantic. I was so happy when they hugged and kissed slowly. I could feel the love coming out of them. Of course, then Tan had to screw it up by handcuffing Bun to the staircase but I guess that I understand why he did it. He is just trying to protect him much as he does in the book... I'm not sure this is the right approach, though.

In regards to the human trafficking, I'm not sure how that fits into everything, but I can't wait to find out!!!

I had been waiting patiently and I watched eps 7-9 today... but I don't know how I'm going to stand it for another five weeks before we get the resolution!!!

So regarding Episode 10, they’ve kept the basic premise in the novel but still changed enough to keep me guessing and unsure what happens next.

Novel: Por is the one who orders Tann to kill Bunn. He also leverages Tann’s mother along the way. Inspector Aem is in no way involved in this.

Series: It’s Commander Tung who makes the orders to kill Bunn but leverages Thad instead since Tann’s mother is already dead in the show version. The series is implying Inspector Aem is now involved with Commander Tung’s schemes (I believe Aem is now secretly working with Tann).

I’m very sure that, just like the novel, Bunn’s death is staged (albeit differently, no pig’s blood involved; Bunn falls off a cliff on the show etc.). However, how this ultimately plays up is something I really can’t predict at this point, even with trailer for next episode, considering Por (so far) isn’t the one ordering the hit.

But I will predict that at least Aem is not involved and that Por also has a very different part to play in this than he has in the novel. There were too many “cuts” between scenes (ex. Por talking to Tann offscreen about what happened; Aem meeting Tann on the road, and Aem was in civilian clothes; Tann telling Bunn he has to kill him, then cut to Tann running) that you can tell there’s some ”planning” in the background happening to stage all this.

 They want to make Aem seem corrupt, but at this point I’m 99% sure he’s not (just like in the novel, although he was not that significantly involved with what happened in this part) and that he’s now working with Tann behind the scenes. That meeting in the road clearly had more to it than we’re let on. And I’m betting all three of them (in those two cuts) planned the staging of Bunn’s death.

I think Aem started to suspect Commander Tung with the whole human trafficking thing (and he may now be suspicious of Rungthiva as well).

As for Por, in the novel he gets killed in an encounter with Tann and the police, but given the changes made so far - and with his conversation with Tann being done “offscreen” - I’m 50/50 that he’ll end up the same way. There’s a chance he might have something up his sleeve to help Tann out, and everything we’re seeing involves Por in the planning as well. But on this one, I’m 50/50, and he may still end up dead like in the novel.

It’s Thad I’m worried about because even if he has a very happy ending in the book, next episode’s trailer looks grim for him. Of course, it’s a trailer and meant to make one guess, so I hope they’re misleading us. I want Thad to have a happy ending with Sorrawit like in the novel.

I am rooting for Por to survive on the show unlike the novel where his death was basically the climax of the story. They’ve changed the narrative enough for them to be able to have Por be potentially allied with Tann offscreen as of Ep 10 in order for them to really find out who killed Pued, so I’m hoping Por - not necessarily to be fully redeemed - be at least grayer than he is in the novel. I like gray characters.

Plus, the way Tann told Por that he couldn’t kill Por even if he wanted to because Por and Pued were the only family he had left gives me the impression that maybe (just maybe) the show will keep Por alive to give Tann one family member with whom he can rebuild a relationship with. But that maybe wishful thinking.

From a novel-to-series adaptation standpoint, Por is the real wild card because I believe at this point, they’re most likely sticking with Rungthiva as one of Jane’s murderers, the police chief being corrupt (even if this was just mentioned in passing in the novel), and most likely keeping Aem as an ally (even if his part in the novel wasn’t this complicated).

But the trajectory of Por’s character on the show so far has been a question mark, so definitely he’s a wild card.

In the novel, his death was pretty much the climax of the story - and it happened with him trying to kill Tann while holding Tann’s mother hostage, all because Por was under the belief that Tann killed Pued. He was also the one who ordered Tann to kill Bunn, and this happened while Pued was still alive (Pued was distressed when he thought Tann had killed Bunn, and Pued was furious with Por for ordering a hit on Bunn to keep Pued’s involvement in Jane’s murder a secret).

But on the show, so far - it’s not Por who ordered Bunn’s hit but the police chief, and this sequence of staged death happened after Pued’s death (not before). So the domino effect of Bunn”s staged death that later led to the confrontation with Por in the novel that leads to Por’s death is unlikely to happen on the show. And unlike in the novel where Por blackmails Tann using Tann’s mother as leverage,  it’s the police chief who is using someone Thad considers family (Thad in the show) manipulate Tann.

Which leads me to believe that Por and Tann’s confrontation in Episode 10 already serves as the “analogy” to the novel’s climax where Por and his men corner Tann and where Por is killed. But since Por doesn’t get killed here (yet?) and instead they talk things out, I believe this is the key point on the show where they plan to deviate very much regarding Por’s role compared to the novel.

Also,  in the novel Por ordered the hit on Bunn to protect Pued and keep Pued’s involvement in Jane’s murder covered up.

But so far on the show, Por has shown no true indication of any knowledge of Pued being involved in Jane’s murder and has shown no motive to order a hit on Bunn.

Which leads me to believe that on the show, Pued may not be one of Jane’s two killers.

I’ve mentioned it a couple of times here and elsewhere that at this point, my money is on the idea that they still kept Jane having two killers but changed one of them. I think it will be Rungthiva and Dr. Oat.

I think Rungthiva is in cahoots with the congressman and the police chief. I feel she’s the one “supplying” them with the girls and/or the one housing the girls. I think her spa is a front for the prostitution ring. This would be the analogous situation to the novel wherein Rungthiva (and Pued) were revealed to be involved in questionable activities with influential people (housing development scam in the novel, prostitution ring on the show).

What I’m still trying to guess is why she would kill Jane and why she would allow Pued to pimp her sister to these people. I still see no major motive on her part on the show to have her kill Jane or allow her to be pimped to these men - unless there‘s a jealousy angle and a whistleblower angle (i.e. Jane was planning to expose them like she was planning to do in the novel). The jealousy angle is also still on the plate since, in the novel, Pued was cheating on Jane with Rungthiva, while on the show - there was a hint of that or if not, then jealousy, in one of the early episodes were Rungthiva talks to Bunn about Pued and Jane being together. I can’t remember the exact dialogue, but that may point to some hidden jealousy there.

Of course, there’s the question of the scene where Rungthiva angrily confronted the chief in episode 4 about concealing circumstances around Jane’s death, but it could have been for show because Aem was present in that scene.

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As for Bunn’s brother Boon, my personal wish was that he would appear even if for just a cameo. We’ve seen an extensive look at Tann‘s family story on the show, but we don’t get to really know anything  strong about Bunn’s background unlike in the novel.

However, that said, I don’t think they plan to include Boon any more. It’s way too late in the series to introduce him (unless it‘s just a small cameo to show Bunn has family), and the way they’ve laid out the narrative in the series just doesn’t require Boon’s character to be involved or be of any significance to the plot - which is a shame because I liked Boon in the novel. His existence as a character was key in developing and understanding Bunn’s psychology and motivations as someone who was trying to get out from his “perfect” brother‘s shadow - aside from providing a character who played an important support pillar who loved him other than Tann.

But if Boon were ever to appear, my dream cast would’ve been Tay Tawan, who can believably look like Tul’s older brother, who is best friends with Tul in real life, and who I believe visited Chiang Mai when MoD was shooting. But that’s just wishful thinking because, aside from Boon likely cut out from the story alredy, Tay is GMMTV while MoD is TV Thunder LOL

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And yes, I also wasn’t fond of how the last third of the book played out. It was an interesting storyline, but yes, it felt something so different and detached from the main story, tonally and structurally. The novel pretty much climaxed with Por’s death around Chapters 22/23, and then we’re left with another 8-9 chapters that were almost a different book that was more “traditional BL” with the whole Bunn’s ex (Tarr) situation and Bunn/Tann trying to make their relationship work. It wasn’t bad, just oddly structured, and probably should’ve been a separate novel altogether.

So I‘m glad it looks like that entire Tarr sub-plot has been cut out and that the series was restructured to fit better pacing and storytelling. I do hope the last episode is an epilogue that captures the other important parts of that last third act in the novel - a time jump showing Bunn and Tann’s developing relationship and also showing Sorrawit and Thad finally and formally dating like they were in the novel.