Welcome to my Saturday blog post where I give thoughts on dramas I’m watching, whether at the beginning, middle, or end. Whatever I want, because I’m petty that way.
This week I recapped episode 5 of timey-wimey-thriller BL(?) 4Minutes which did not have enough timey-wimey for me!
I also recapped episodes 5-6 of Jack & Joker, which did not have enough realism in their heists! Just kidding, the heists are silly and ridiculous but not why I’m watching.
What did I watch this week? Not that much, so I think it’s time for:
A mid-point check-in on my recaps!
OR
Battle of 3 Sad Rich Boys!
Let’s start with the saddest of the rich boys,
Q- Kidnap – ลับ-จ้าง-รัก – 2024
Currently airing Thai BL about a kidnap victim who might be happier with his kidnapper than at home. I’m at episode 6 of 12.
You can watch the trailer here.
Our SRB here is Q, which is an awesome name. To me, he’s the saddest of this group because he seems to no longer care that much about anything, including himself. I got pulled into his story not because of his sleepwalking and panic attacks, but because he let someone point a gun at his head.
Of course, this lack of care is slowly changing thanks to our other male lead, Min. To get more about him and the setup of this show, you can read my initial thoughts here.
How am I feeling at the midpoint?
Wonderful! I’m enjoying this show a lot. But I think there are key things you should know if you are on the fence about watching it.
First, this is not a crime thriller, tense psychological story, or anything along those lines. The darkest moment so far has been Q standing with a gun to his head, but more time has been spent with Q, Min, his brother Mhen, and Mhen’s crush Jeen, hanging out and getting to know each other. There are bad guys and guns and illegal activity, but it’s there to put our leads in danger so they can grow closer.
Second, the writing is very loose. Min is a desperately poor guy but he seems to go to work or not as needed by the plot. His friend James ordered him to kill Q and lurks around his house to overhear things but a good friend otherwise. Time passes quickly or slowly depending on the needs of the plot. If you want to enjoy this show, let go of the constraints of reality.
And finally, this is a hurt-comfort romance. Poor Q, his Dad sucks and no one cares about him. He’s not helpless, but he’s Got Problems. He needs a Min to take an interest in him and this Min does. Min isn’t the brightest, but he’s a nice sweet guy with a weakness for hot-sad people. I also have a weakness for hot-sad people and enjoy seeing Min take care of one.
Let’s move on to the second saddest rich boy,
Joker – Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! – Jack & Joker ทำไมต้องเป็นเธอทุกที – 2024
Currently airing Thai BL about a sweet young man forced to be a debt collector, a well-intentioned thief, and their complicated relationship. I’m at 6 of 12 episodes.
You can watch the trailer here.
Our SRB here is Joker, who is nearly as sad as Q. Thanks to a rich but abusive childhood combo’d with academic struggles, he thinks of himself as no good and believes his only talent is thievery. The difference between him and Q is that Joker still believes in good and bad, and wants to do good in the world. His efforts are just a bit crooked.
How am I feeling at the midpoint?
Fantastic! I think this is my favorite of the three dramas I’m recapping right now. If you want to read about the story set-up you can read my initial thoughts here.
It does have similar issues to Kidnap. The heists are more of an excuse to see Joker dress up, they’re comedic and silly, not tense and gritty. The tone can shift wildly, with a character getting the crap beaten out of him in a legitimately distressing way to that same character sitting down to work with the guys who beat him up while comedy music plays. I appreciate characters being morally grey and right/wrong being complicated, but the switch flipping from cruel to comedic is something else.
What elevates this show over Kidnap for me is the production and the relationship arc of the leads. The production here is stronger than most Thai BLs in general. Even if the story is silly, I appreciate its ambition. We aren’t confined to apartments, school, and one vacation spot. We spend more time at different interesting locations, from bad guy offices to shrines to expensive auction events, with better and more interesting camera work. In this way, it reminds me of The Sign, which also tried to do something bigger and more impressive, even if it didn’t always succeed.
The soft focus in episode 6 on our leads was a bit much, but I appreciate what they are trying to do.
I’m a sucker for a slow burn, and Jack and Joker’s relationship isn’t exactly that but it’s taking its time to develop in a reasonable way. They’re attracted to each other from the start, but Joker’s criminal behavior and Jack’s innate goodness aren’t something that can be waved away. They need time to get to know each other and to grow and change as people for their relationship to work.
I’m enjoying watching this progress as they also work towards their goals.
Finally, our last sad rich boy,
Great – 4Minutes – สี่นาที – 2024
Currently airing 2024 Thai BL about a young man who makes poor choices but thanks to a sudden ability to redo 4 minutes, he can make better choices. I’m at 5 out of 8 episodes.
You can watch the trailer here.
Our SRB here is Great, and I don’t understand him. He’s got occasional visions of the future in which he does the worst possible thing he gets a chance to re-do and make a better choice. He seems friendly and nice but his family and friends are all violent murderers. I don’t know whether he’s trying to do good or not. I know he likes Thai Tea and has a cat, so he must be a good person.
How am I feeling at the midpoint?
Fine! No really, I’m enjoying this show a lot but for the opposite reason from the above two shows. This one is a tense, dark thriller. It has interesting locations, horrible characters, violence, and a plot that’s a puzzle that needs to be put together. There’s the occasional bewildering comedy music, but it’s less jarring than Jack & Joker.
You can read my initial thoughts and the setup here.
It’s not a great romance though. The reason Great and Tyme are attracted to each other and together is another mystery for me, but I’m not sure it’s supposed to be. They are the hottest, least murderous people on the show. There are implications of destiny, but the idea that people are destined to be together is never satisfying for me. I want to see what draws them to one another.
On the other hand, it is a real tense puzzle of a show. I’ve been disappointed in the past by timey-wimey shows that skipped the puzzle in favor of romance, and that’s not happening here. It’s also, if you’re watching the sultrier version, got the most graphic sex. So if that’s a selling point for you, it’s there. If it’s not, there’s the not-sulty-version.
Of the three shows, this is the most unique and well-produced. Not only are there interesting locations but there is very cinematic camera work. A story with a complex plot and a gay romance is a rarity in the drama world, so if that’s what you want, this show is delivering so far.
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