This review may contain spoilers
points for trying
i'll be honest, i wasn't completely sold on the series at first. for the first few episodes, copaganda completely aside because i already knew what the series was about going on so i won't be mentioning that in my review, i still found myself actively trying to push through because i kept waiting for the moment where it would get really good. it wasn't until around the second half of episode 5 through the first half of episode 7 that my rating for the series really started to climb, and i'm glad i stuck with it because those episodes ended up being the strongest part of the show for me.
what i appreciated most was the central story it was trying to tell. the series played things relatively safe and never really went for any major twists or shocking reveals, but i guess it didn't necessarily need to. at its core, i viewed it as a story about someone who was repeatedly failed by the people and institutions that were supposed to protect her, and the lasting impact that a corrupt system can have on a person's life. i found that aspect of the narrative far more compelling than any attempt at shock value would have been, it's a quieter story with themes that feel grounded and relevant, but w that said, i do wish the series had dug a little bit deeper into those ideas. it touches on systemic failures and institutional corruption, but often stops short of fully examining them as larger structural issues, which made some of its commentary feel a BIT surface level at times. but! even so.. i appreciated that it raised those questions in the first place and encouraged viewers to think about them (hopefully..)
one other aspect i found really interesting, and something i wish the series had also explored more, was what seemed to be a subtle class divide between the protagonists. whether this was intentional or not, there were moments where the difference in their social positions became apparent. tarn (whose father was a working class anti capitalist) works a dangerous and demanding job as a police officer because she needs to. meanwhile, vicky, coming from a far more privileged background, casually suggests that tarn could simply ask her father for time off so they can spend more time together, while also mentioning that the job is 'dangerous for a woman'. from vicky's perspective, it's presented as a reasonable solution, something she's used to all the time, but tarn's reaction highlights how disconnected that suggestion is from her reality. i found that dynamic genuinely compelling because it briefly touches on how privilege can shape a person's understanding of the world and the options they believe are available to others. it's one of the few moments where the series hints at larger structural issues beyond its central plot, and i honestly wish it had leaned into that more, unfortunately tarn immediately apologies to vicky right after that so LOL
anyway, i do think my experience was affected by my expectations going in. the series had been praised so heavily by almost everyone i talked to, the reviews were so crazy that my expectations were probably unrealistically high. i spent a lot of the show waiting for the moment where it would just get insanely good, and that moment never really came. but this is obviously less of a criticism of the series itself, and more so a result of how much hype i personally had built up in my head beforehand. it’s a good series, but i think i would have enjoyed it more if i had gone in with fewer expectations and let everything happen naturally
my biggest criticism would probably be the pacing of the romance. i'm PERSONALLY not a huge fan of relationships that develop very quickly, and that's something i find myself struggling with in a lot of gls because most series only have around 8 episodes, and in this case, only 7, there's often pressure to establish the characters, build the plot, and get the leads together in a very short amount of time. as a result, the romantic progression between the main characters felt rushed to me at first and on the other hand, i don't think the plot itself suffered from the limited runtime as much as the romance did
and so because of that, the chemistry felt a little forced in the earlier episodes. however, as the series continued and the characters spent more time together, those interactions started to feel much more natural. by episode 6, i had completely warmed up to them as a couple and thought they were really cute and so by the end i found myself really invested really in their relationship
another issue i had was a scene in which tarn engages in sex while under the influence of drugs. regardless of the writers' intentions, i found that scene deeply uncomfortable and unnecessary. unfortunately, it's become a recurring trope across a lot of thai gls and one that i rarely think adds anything meaningful to the story
overall, i don't think the series completely lived up to the enormous expectations i had going into it, but im also not saying it disappointed me. it's a thoughtful, well acted series with a compelling central message, and while there are definitely areas where i think it could have pushed itself further, i'm glad i watched it and can absolutely understand why it resonated with so many people, and im glad it tried doing something new and tried tackling issues that deserve to be portrayed^^
what i appreciated most was the central story it was trying to tell. the series played things relatively safe and never really went for any major twists or shocking reveals, but i guess it didn't necessarily need to. at its core, i viewed it as a story about someone who was repeatedly failed by the people and institutions that were supposed to protect her, and the lasting impact that a corrupt system can have on a person's life. i found that aspect of the narrative far more compelling than any attempt at shock value would have been, it's a quieter story with themes that feel grounded and relevant, but w that said, i do wish the series had dug a little bit deeper into those ideas. it touches on systemic failures and institutional corruption, but often stops short of fully examining them as larger structural issues, which made some of its commentary feel a BIT surface level at times. but! even so.. i appreciated that it raised those questions in the first place and encouraged viewers to think about them (hopefully..)
one other aspect i found really interesting, and something i wish the series had also explored more, was what seemed to be a subtle class divide between the protagonists. whether this was intentional or not, there were moments where the difference in their social positions became apparent. tarn (whose father was a working class anti capitalist) works a dangerous and demanding job as a police officer because she needs to. meanwhile, vicky, coming from a far more privileged background, casually suggests that tarn could simply ask her father for time off so they can spend more time together, while also mentioning that the job is 'dangerous for a woman'. from vicky's perspective, it's presented as a reasonable solution, something she's used to all the time, but tarn's reaction highlights how disconnected that suggestion is from her reality. i found that dynamic genuinely compelling because it briefly touches on how privilege can shape a person's understanding of the world and the options they believe are available to others. it's one of the few moments where the series hints at larger structural issues beyond its central plot, and i honestly wish it had leaned into that more, unfortunately tarn immediately apologies to vicky right after that so LOL
anyway, i do think my experience was affected by my expectations going in. the series had been praised so heavily by almost everyone i talked to, the reviews were so crazy that my expectations were probably unrealistically high. i spent a lot of the show waiting for the moment where it would just get insanely good, and that moment never really came. but this is obviously less of a criticism of the series itself, and more so a result of how much hype i personally had built up in my head beforehand. it’s a good series, but i think i would have enjoyed it more if i had gone in with fewer expectations and let everything happen naturally
my biggest criticism would probably be the pacing of the romance. i'm PERSONALLY not a huge fan of relationships that develop very quickly, and that's something i find myself struggling with in a lot of gls because most series only have around 8 episodes, and in this case, only 7, there's often pressure to establish the characters, build the plot, and get the leads together in a very short amount of time. as a result, the romantic progression between the main characters felt rushed to me at first and on the other hand, i don't think the plot itself suffered from the limited runtime as much as the romance did
and so because of that, the chemistry felt a little forced in the earlier episodes. however, as the series continued and the characters spent more time together, those interactions started to feel much more natural. by episode 6, i had completely warmed up to them as a couple and thought they were really cute and so by the end i found myself really invested really in their relationship
another issue i had was a scene in which tarn engages in sex while under the influence of drugs. regardless of the writers' intentions, i found that scene deeply uncomfortable and unnecessary. unfortunately, it's become a recurring trope across a lot of thai gls and one that i rarely think adds anything meaningful to the story
overall, i don't think the series completely lived up to the enormous expectations i had going into it, but im also not saying it disappointed me. it's a thoughtful, well acted series with a compelling central message, and while there are definitely areas where i think it could have pushed itself further, i'm glad i watched it and can absolutely understand why it resonated with so many people, and im glad it tried doing something new and tried tackling issues that deserve to be portrayed^^
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