So...It's fair to say this BL is a huge blessing to our 2022 repertoire of BL shows.
Triage is many things but one word easily sums it up - Masterpiece.

I'd been excited about this BL ever since it was announced for various reasons:
- the plot is super interesting
- it's based on a Sammon novel
- has faint connections to Manner Of Death
- the small thing they did in 2019 caught my attention and I always thought it'd be good if given the right care, budget and investment
- I loved Tae in Paint With Love

However, since this show has mystery involved in it and it's based on a Sammon novel, just like Manner Of Death, I decided to wait until it finished airing to binge watch so I wouldn't suffer every 6 days a week for 13 weeks. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to watch it yet, that is, until now. And gosh it was so worth the wait.

While I waited for it to finish airing and for me to have time to watch it, I updated myself on how the show was being received and I was delighted to see a positive response from the general audience, which made me even more excited to watch it.
When I finally started watching it, I was a bit disappointed in the first episode - that was, however, my issue - since I had such high expectations, the 1st episode was a bit of a let down. Oftentimes episode 1 is one of the best episodes in a series, since it is made to hook viewers on the show. So when episode 1 wasn't as amazing as I'd expected it to be, it felt somewhat empty.
Episode 2 was more of the same but episode 3 was when I knew this series would be one of the best things I watched the whole year. It just becomes so good. The more I learned about the characters and the story that unravels, the more excited I was to watch the next episode. So, yeah, while I wasn't impressed with the first 2 episodes, this series quickly became one of my favorites - it wasn't love at first sight but it's a strong love that was gradually developed.

When rating a show I take into account the following: characters, plot, writing, cast+acting, intrigue, cinematography and enjoyment. My rating for Triage in these 7 categories is as follows:

> Characters - 9,5/10

Starting with the characters, every single character in this show is pretty complex, as is usual for Sammon, they're not only plot devices but each one of them has their own behavior, their own stories and it all translates into the show in perfect harmony. The two main characters, Tin and Tol, are very well flashed out, each one of them has a strong individuality and more than a bl couple, they're two people who are completely different from each other in more than one aspect but still manage to fall in love. They work as individuals in this story but connect perfectly as a unit as well, which is something not every story is capable of presenting. They don't need each other to be / to exist (I mean-) but they need each other to be the best version of themselves and that's beautiful.

Then we have the side characters. My favorite is definitely Dr.Sing (played by Tonnam) who is a colleague of Tin and has a major role in resolving the hospital side mystery and who changes shifts with Tin so he can do what he wants in each loop - he’s his biggest support fr. We have characters like Dr. Gap, Dr.Fang, Jinta, Rit, Art and Toi who are there as friends of the main characters and whose roles change in the different loops, but always making interesting participations. And then we have our antagonists, who are the main characters of one of the mysteries in the show.


> Cast + Acting - 9,5/10

I won’t spend much time in this category but I truly want to commend the acting in this series. Tae and Tee didn’t strike me as great actors back when they did 2moons but they’ve both been improving so much - we had gotten a glimpse of Tae’s improvement in Paint With Love and Tee as a side character in The Miracle Of Teddy Bear but it can’t compare to how they did in Triage. I thought Tae was great, he portrayed Tin perfectly, his rage, his anxiousness, his tiredness, etc. But Tee - Tee stole the show. In the first few episodes he didn’t stand out much but after a while, once his character started appearing more in different scenarios, you could see how his acting improved. Every emotion Tol felt was very clear through Tee’s acting - he was great. The side characters were great too and I want to praise Tonnam specifically. I was used to seeing him in more comedic roles but here he played a serious mature character and he was amazing in it, it didn’t even feel like he was acting, it was all so natural.


> Plot - 9/10 + Writing 8,5/10 + Intrigue 9,5/10

Now, as to the plot. I think the idea of this show is great. Sammon’s stories always have mystery involved and they’re very intriguing to read/watch. They’re the kind of stories that leave us hanging on the edge of our seats, eager to know the truth. The plot premise was wonderful. Execution, however, had a few flaws. There are some ideas that were introduced that never got their conclusion - such as Tin knowing the answers to his questions after saving Tol (we never got to know those answers) - and the final felt kinda rushed. We could’ve seen a bit more of them together, though that final line and scene is a great way to end the show ><.


> Cinematography - 8,5/10

This category includes imagery, editing, directing and everything related to the portrayal of the show. I’m not an expert in any of these so this is purely my opinion - there were a few scenes that could’ve been more polished, and a few others that could’ve been more attentive to details. However, it was a pretty well-built show.


> Enjoyment - 10/10

This is that one category where I can self-indulge and give the rating I feel in my heart it deserves - but technically doesn’t. I loved this show, I enjoyed every single episode (even the first 2 despite being slightly disappointed then) and I cried - I CRIED so much, so so so much. Tears of sadness, tears of happiness, tears of both these emotions mixed together - it was heartfelt chaos and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.


> [Total = 9,29/10]
Overall, Triage is a show that undoubtedly gave us a lot. Some consider it to be the best BL, others consider it to be average, I consider it to be an underrated gem. It’s not my favorite BL but it’s definitely just as good as its predecessor (Manner Of Death) and greatly prepares the ground for what’s to come (Transplant). I had high expectations but it was even better than I could’ve expected. For that, Triage takes the crown.
This show is wonderful and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who isn’t affected by imagery of bl00d, vi0lence and medical emergencies.



Thank you for reading <3