The Sign – Episode 3-4 – Recap and Review

When we last left our new Special Investigations Team members they had finished a second important drunken round of spin the bottle. What’s up for them next? 

Vacation! But not quite yet, first…

Tharn gets stolen from Phaya by a Strange Man

Phaya is taking Very Drunk Tharn home when a strange car rolls up, a man comes out, takes Tharn from Phaya, and leaves. Phaya is understandably upset and concerned.

The strange man is Tharn’s long time family friend, Dr. Chalothon. He’s equally curious about Phaya and prone to creepy stares. More on him later.

Now it’s time for…

A Vacation in Nong Khai!

Nong Khai is a town in northern Thailand famous for glowing balls of light, naga fireballs, that rise up from the Mekong River. Naga are a giant serpent. Phaya saw one under water during the police training and I called it a dragon. I was wrong. Thankfully the internet is there to help. 

For Tharn this isn’t really a vacation, this is his hometown where he was raised in the temple by the Luang Por. He’s gone back to check in with him.

Phaya isn’t really on vacation either. After years of trying to discover the source of the dreams that have haunted him he’s ready to REALLY find it out. By going back where it started. Which is in Nong Khai.

So they run into each other at the temple and discover something truly shocking.

A Previously Unknown Childhood Connection

Back in their childhood days (when Tharn was played by the actor who played Fu in To Sir With Love), Tharn was living with Luang Por at the temple. His grandmother is alive and well, but he lived there to make merit to those he had wronged in the past to help with his karma. We aren’t shown when/how this was decided.

During the Rocket Festival, Young Tharn is given an amulet by Luang Por and told to track down the true owner. Before he can do that, he has a vision and saves Young Phaya from drowning! 

Young Phaya isn’t sure how he came to be drowning, he just remembered that he heard someone calling to him. Before he leaves, Young Tharn gives him the amulet. 

The Luang Por ships Phaya and Tharn

Both flashback and present day Luang Por has a lot to say about Tharn and Phaya’s destinies being intertwined. Both of them have bad karma from those that were wronged in a past life. With trust and meditation and kindness they may be able to work together to free themselves.

If this sounds vague it’s because even though Luang Por repeats it several times, as far as the subtitles go, it’s vague. Past lives. Bad karmas. Intertwined destinies. Luang Por doesn’t have the specifics on who was wronged or what they should be doing now.

Luang Por also talks to a disembodied spirit that wants what belongs to it back. So. Not sure about Luang Por.

But Tharn and Phaya grow closer, right?

Kinda?

First, Phaya has strange reactions to the Naga statues and then trouble breathing during the Rocket Festival. Tharn takes him back and Phaya has weird dreams sleeping next to him.

The next day they have a lovely date in Nong Khai the next day and we get to see how beautiful the area is. 

Phaya fully believes in their connection and that it’s tied to the Naga and his dreams. 

Tharn though, acts like a skeptic. He seems to respect Luang Por and listens to him go on about karma and destiny. He has visions. He is convinced that those he loves will die. And he won’t talk about any of it seriously with Phaya.

It’s like he thinks that ignoring it and it’ll go away will work as well as meditation.

Still, a bold Phaya manages to steal a kiss while they are visiting Tharn’s grandmother. Tharn withdraws, and gives Phaya the cold shoulder when they return back to work.

That’s right, they’re on the Special Investigation Team

They are now a team of 5 rookies and a few other people trying to find a serial murderer that has baffled the police. They have a week to do it. Their team leader is their instructor from the academy. It doesn’t make a ton of sense.

They’ve got several people who’ve confessed to being forced to do the murders. Their victims were people who assaulted them horribly and got away with it. 

While in the middle of this investigation Phaya is working on getting Tharn to talk to him. At a dinner together what the subtitles call a “mysterious granny” gives them more past life gibberish. She tells Phaya to take care of Tharn. Then she vanishes, but we see she turns into a younger woman before she leaves.

Phaya takes this seriously, making up an excuse to stay at Tharn’s place. Then he has a Tharn sex dream. Then they have a weird sex farce breakfast and Phaya’s crotch is doused in ketchup. Then there’s a prolonged comedic bit with Phaya in Tharn’s too-small pants.

Abruptly we go back to the violent murder investigation. Everyone is frustrated and yelling because they’re running out of time! But they’d have more time if they hadn’t spent so long on Phaya’s crotch.

They yell enough to find the murderer’s hideout. Phaya gets into a fight with the murderer and is nearly stabbed, but Tharn has a vision and saves him. Tharn wants Phaya to be more careful and Phaya says if he’s hurt it’s his own responsibility, not Tharn’s.

Later, Tharn talks about his premonitions with Yai and Phaya overhears.

The Creepy Doctor Causes Troubles

Dr. Chalothon meets Tharn at work and Phaya invites himself to their dinner. While Tharn is in the bathroom, Chalothon makes nasty insinuations about Phaya’s mental health. He implies that Tharn told him about Phaya’s dreams.

Now Phaya is pissed and ready to get physical, in the wrong way, with Tharn. Yai has to intercede. So does the murder-thriller plot.

They have a lead on the killer’s identity! And Tharn has a vision about his next steps.

My Wish List and Love Letter

I wish that we had more explanation from Tharn about why he’s ignoring what the Luang Por says. And why he trusts the creepy Dr Chalothon.

I wish we had more of a reason to care about this serial murder investigation.

I wish the side characters existed to do more than try and get our leads together and talk about sex and occasionally help with the investigation. 

But none of that is enough to ruin the show for me.  

I love seeing Nong Khai and learning about Naga, naga fireballs, and different aspects of Thai culture. I love that Tharn and Phaya want to protect each other so badly, even if Tharn’s method is questionable. I love that Phaya’s dreams and strange behavior are so creepy and can be interpreted as a mental health issue. I love that they can’t get through dinner without a mysterious granny showing up.

And I love that there were no drunk scenes in these two episodes!