tekilluas

I have some thoughts about the ending (and the last two eps) that have stayed in my mind for some time (think months!!) and I just want to put them into words.

I agree with most people that the final ep is kind of gimmicky, and that patpran didn’t really need to go back to being a secret. But I feel like the lyrics of the second ost perfectly illustrate their mindset and perspective on their relationship as a unit. As a unit made up of the two of them alone. They don’t need others’ thoughts or opinions on their relationship to make it real and valid to them. They don’t need others (outsiders) to understand, or “get it,” because for patpran, as long as the two of them understand, it’s enough. Even as per the lyrics of the third ost, only patpran know what‘s in between the lines.
So when they decide to return to being a secret (which is more of an open secret, really), it’s bc they wanted to diminish the strain their relationship would have on their relationships with their parents (this is mostly for pran though). They didn’t want to put a strain on their own relationship, either, by trying to make their parents “understand.” And it’s not like them being together openly would heal the family wounds. In patpran’s eyes, going back to being a “secret” gives them more comfort and ease in being together.
The ball is in the parents’ court now, since they know the boys are still dating, and I feel like it’d just be up to them to decide if/when they want to make their acceptance known. I think there’s a strong message in patpran deciding not to yield, knowing their family tension might never actually change (rather than trying to force it to change by being together publicly). They (p’aof and co.) found quite a roundabout way of getting there, but they did.
Also, I’m almost entirely convinced that ep 11 was written to be a finale of sorts, which is why I was so confused about what would be in ep 12 back when the show was airing. Then ep 12 came out and I was like, “why did that feel like an epilogue/movie episode?” So yeah, they really took some risks and switched up the formula w this show; some of those risks landed and some didn’t. I will say, though, that final balcony scene in ep 12 makes me cry to this day just bc of how happy & in love they are & showing how far they’ve come (& that their relationship was kind of meant to be).

—sorry if anyone has said all this already, I haven’t been on this page in a long time

oh no i completely understand why, i just wish it wasn't a point of conflict because personally, i don't think it should be made to be this big problem in the first place. i get it being something that troubles fah, but what happens in the episode are things he barely has control over. rather than having him feel guilty for things he couldn't really control, have him feel guilty for actions that are deliberate (but not intended to hurt prince).

to me, they should have just continued the conversation he started with prince at the end of the last episode (the "i might not have time/be able to take care of you" car scene). i just think they could have continued this dialogue and conflict in a different, more organic way. that's all.

i just don't understand why any of this is a conflict at all. fah is a doctor. DOCTOR. a title that holds a hell of a lot of weight. people rely on him to do his job, and yes, that means it will get in the way of his life sometimes. and yes, he shouldn't make his job his life, and should be able to have a healthy balance, but 2 things: 1- that's not what the situation is in this penultimate, and 2- prince never said or suggested that he was worried about that. it's fah in his own head because of his previous relationship. (and the ex whose presence makes no sense.)

another reason why this shouldn't be a conflict though, is because prince literally told him to go help the village. he is an adult. fah is an adult. if life gets in the way of them being able to support each other side by side, they should be able to have the mentality that they can still do so from a distance. they totally could've pulled that "our hearts are connected even when we're apart" card but they didn't. because these characters don't talk about their true feelings.

this is such a non-issue to me. the village is in an emergency; it's not even as if fah is so busy that he's abandoned prince. he literally spends the latter half of the ep trying to take care of him, but can't because he DOESN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO SO. why is it his fault that he can't save prince if he didn't have adequate resources or a method of travel out of the village???? (never mind that the circumstances themselves were a bit ridiculous) how is he expected to be superman if he's the only doctor there????? i don't get it???

i hadn't been feeling this series since after ep 2, and somehow this was the episode where i finally had a strong emotional response. just not a good one.

I think my problem is that by the end they just don’t feel like equals in their relationship. You have Akk who gives, gives, and gives, and you have Theo who doesn’t give in return (by “give” I mean things like honesty, truth, love, care). I mean, Akk wasn’t honest with himself or Theo either until the end, so. But how do you watch a relationship that seems so unbalanced? For Theo, how can he claim to love someone he does nothing for (doesn’t tell him he loves him, doesn’t really show it either)? I understand it might be their dynamic because lots of people spoil Theo too but even then, a relationship is about give and take on both sides. Somehow, they couldn’t really convince me that they were in love.

I didn’t think this was an unpopular opinion? Maybe because it was clear that he was a new actor, people demanded/expected less from him so they criticized him less? Idk but I always thought the general consensus was that he was stiff in a number of scenes

To be honest, there’s an easier answer as to why you feel that way about their chemistry/dynamic. Much less than a cultural thing (because there are thai bls that are super romance-heavy with a lot of sexual tension), their dynamic is created this way on purpose. P’Aof, the director wanted to use this series to depict two masculine leads in a relationship that has an added vibe of “best friends.” Because Pat and Pran have been robbed from having a solid friendship since youth, the friendship/platonic aspect of their relationship is going to become an integral aspect of their dynamic. For them, it’s like they’re friends and boyfriends at the same time, which is why it feels as if there’s less sexual tension there (they have moments that are full of that tension, but I don’t disagree with you). It’s just that the director had a certain vision for their relationship that makes friendship a huge part of it. Their love originates from that sense of friendship and bleeds through the simple interactions they have (verbal or physical). So yeah. Don’t want to come off as preachy or too strong, but these are my thoughts. (And this dynamic is not for everyone!)

In the not me comments section. One comment really stuck out to me and came across as throwing shade, but I understand where the user was coming from. I said discussion, as there are other similar comments scattered there, but it’s just one comment that I’m referring to. I really liked the latest not me ep, though.

Thanks, and i agree :)

I saw a discussion (in the comments section of another series) where someone was kind of throwing shade at this show for the way it basically “erases” homophobia in its universe and that it doesn’t work as great queer rep because it doesn’t reflect reality. More so than erasing homophobia, I feel like this show’s goal was just to normalize queerness. To make it something that people can talk about and express openly without anyone batting an eye. Of course, that doesn’t reflect reality, but it does represent the hopeful image of a future where people’s struggles don’t necessarily have to come from their queerness.

And I think that addressing bl stereotypes is only one of many ways to go about furthering representation, since by addressing such stereotypes, viewers (especially non-lgbtq viewers) will be able to see and learn about what queer relationships are actually realistically like (or can be like) rather than sticking to their preconceived notions (that stereotypes in bl would perpetuate). Normalization is just one way to take steps towards widespread acceptance. Thailand’s gov’t still has a loooong way to go. But I like that this series made sexuality a non-issue (not sure I’d describe it as a utopia as some have, but). Of course it could have been more realistic, but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many ways to tell queer stories. You can have a story that attacks these topics directly (as it also addresses larger themes of inequality), and you can have another that does so indirectly.

Bless your spirit if you read this, I basically just wanted to dump my scattered thoughts somewhere.

I’m just going to be suffering silently as a shipper of gram and nuch…..

Can’t believe I started a thread about this lol. It is hard to pick a single favorite, but 11 just spoke to me on a spiritual level I think. My other favorites are 3, 5, 8 and 10. But what I like about this show is that each ep offers something different.

Oh definitely! 10 is right up there for me too

Am I the only one whose favorite episode is 11? 💀