So, Thai speakers are saying that Tanrak is using gender neutral pronouns in the confession booth (I don’t speak Thai so I don’t know, but Google says third person pronouns are gender neutral by default). How much do we think Father Arnon actually knows? If it’s just the lamb drawing and what Tanrak is telling him, then it’s really not very much…if so, it might change the interpretation of the confessional conversation…
OK, this episode made me cry several times, having religion as the core problem between them really gets to me.…
I think it’s very possible. In Catholicism, from what I’ve gathered from internet research, kissing is fine if it’s not accompanied by lust (sexual desire, carnal pleasure). If there is lust, then it is a sin. Kissing is considered a “near occasion of sin” that could lead to lust and sex, so is encouraged to be avoided, but is not in and of itself a sin. With Tanrak being very devout, I could see them stopping themselves to prevent the slippery slope to sin.
As an Italian gay man who lives in a country where religion has unfortunately a still very preponderant influence…
Totally understandable. Not knowing where your boundaries are and also since the last two episodes have yet to air, it’s hard to offer a recommendation. However, I think it’s really excellent so far and I appreciate its handling of the topic so far. I personally think everyone should watch it, but it’s definitely not an “escapist” show. From the discourse I’ve been reading, I’ve seen many comments from people who are queer and brought up religious finding it healing, feeling seen, and resonating, but I’m sure there are differing views. That said, there are definitely tears — some happy, some sad, and some complicated. My recommendation if you decide you really want to watch it and are worried about having to process it alone is to find a BL reactor you like and watch along with them. After spending way too much time finding the right people for me, I’ve been rewatching each episode with BL Chef because they’re having the kinds of the conversations that can help me process TTH. Obviously, only watching with a reactor wouldn’t financially support the show, but I think it makes sense under these circumstances. Here’s BL Chef’s TTH playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2fdp6zkpyqkrcS8eiyeoGbxbBBC_HYzl&si=mhBLCZA8lgccWh_l
Am I in the minority in that I’m actually really glad that TTH doesn’t seem to be taking the tone of the pilot trailer from 2 years ago? I didn’t see the pilot trailer when it released and only watched it after starting TTH. I kind of like that they didn’t set up the church/religion as entirely confrontational. It remains to be seen, Ep. 5 may prove me totally wrong, but I think the current setup creates space for a possible “both/and” ending (I mean, it’s still the Catholic Church, so obviously not 100% “both/and” unless we’re completely reimagining reality)— feels like it could be more healing for those who want religion/faith and also feel alienated by it at the same time
This episode 9 features some sloppy bad writing.You're right that the way it was presented, it makes no sense…
Yeah, ep. 9 didn’t feel as tight as the other episodes or maybe moved too quickly without hitting the right beats. There were a few things that felt a little rushed. Fujoshisan (below) is probably right about the friends thing, the show just didn’t remind us close enough to the assertion.
Just realized that I enjoyed this show the same way I enjoyed watching horror movies. Their relationship is unhealthy,…
💯It definitely helped to be someone who can enjoy horror and psychological thrillers for this one. I loved that he could make us feel a little bad for him and horrified in the next moment. Made the character consistent. And interesting.
I was rewatching ep 1 and ep 2 and the signs have been there since the beginning. 1. Forcefully trying to kiss…
Yes! I think that's actually what makes this show interesting (and good). Characters are consistent, the story is taking the core elements of these characters and playing those elements out. Lu Feng has always been about power and control, even during the "happy times." We can trace how the train wreck happened and see it coming
While watching this, I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a BL a BL. And I keep thinking about how I read somewhere a few years ago that a BL *can* be a romance, but doesn’t have to be a romance. It’s only important that the crux of the show is a love story of some kind.
Double Helix has helped me to wrap my head around this understanding. This is not a romance, but it is a BL because there would be no story without the love story. But it’s not a romance BL, it’s more a psychological thriller BL or a horror BL. I’m actually not sure that we’re supposed to root for any of the characters, individually or together (even though I know some people do). It’s a thought experiment, an exploration of what happens if you put these characters together and how things can fall apart and get really fcked up.
I actually think they’re doing a spectacularly good job showing the descent into hell, establishing character motivations, and making excellent cinematography choices. I quite like it.
(even though I need to watch Fake Fact Lips as a palate cleanser afterwards, haha)
I like it not because the watching experience itself is enjoyable (for me, it isn’t, “enjoyable” is the wrong word), but I like that it’s a show I have to digest and think about.
I find the discourse on this show really strange. Honestly, so far, in both SA scenes, Xiao Chen is very unhappy about it, so I’m not really seeing this be romanticized. In fact, it feels less romanticized than when BLs start with “no, no, no” which then becomes “yes” and they stick romantic music and lighting behind it.
I personally find it helpful to not think of Double Helix categorized as “romance genre” but rather as a story with a central romantic relationship(s). When I watch it, I feel a little like I do when I watch something like Requiem for a Dream — the brilliant storytelling of people’s lives falling apart and getting increasingly fcked up. I personally hope the characters don’t get stay together, but it’s also fine if they do in the end, because I think the point is to show how terribly wrong things can go, and that can happen whether or not the characters are together.
Obviously, that’s how I’m approaching it (you may see it differently, which is totally fine), and I think it’s quite well done from that perspective.
where are you guys watching the rest? i see it's only ep 1 on the official YT.
I’m guessing people are watching on GagaOOLala, which, annoyingly, MDL won’t list as an available streaming service. I haven’t watched yet, but it looks like there are 5 eps out on GagaOOLala
Here’s BL Chef’s TTH playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2fdp6zkpyqkrcS8eiyeoGbxbBBC_HYzl&si=mhBLCZA8lgccWh_l
Hope this helps!
Double Helix has helped me to wrap my head around this understanding. This is not a romance, but it is a BL because there would be no story without the love story. But it’s not a romance BL, it’s more a psychological thriller BL or a horror BL. I’m actually not sure that we’re supposed to root for any of the characters, individually or together (even though I know some people do). It’s a thought experiment, an exploration of what happens if you put these characters together and how things can fall apart and get really fcked up.
I actually think they’re doing a spectacularly good job showing the descent into hell, establishing character motivations, and making excellent cinematography choices. I quite like it.
(even though I need to watch Fake Fact Lips as a palate cleanser afterwards, haha)
I like it not because the watching experience itself is enjoyable (for me, it isn’t, “enjoyable” is the wrong word), but I like that it’s a show I have to digest and think about.
I personally find it helpful to not think of Double Helix categorized as “romance genre” but rather as a story with a central romantic relationship(s). When I watch it, I feel a little like I do when I watch something like Requiem for a Dream — the brilliant storytelling of people’s lives falling apart and getting increasingly fcked up. I personally hope the characters don’t get stay together, but it’s also fine if they do in the end, because I think the point is to show how terribly wrong things can go, and that can happen whether or not the characters are together.
Obviously, that’s how I’m approaching it (you may see it differently, which is totally fine), and I think it’s quite well done from that perspective.