#Pete watching Porsche suffer

[yujeong]

Don't overthink. I know exactly how you feel.

KinnPorsche The Series - Ep5/Ep13 (continuation from this one)

[magicaldreamfox1]

dreamy drabbles

KINNPORSCHE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT

– prompt: secrets

"Doesn't Vegas keep secrets from you?"

Pete looks up at Porsche in surprise.

"Does Kinn?"

Porsche shrugs. "Yeah, I can tell."

Pete watches him.

Porsche gets quiet, contemplative. "But that's normal, right?"

His eyes lift up to meet Pete's; looking for reassurance, for shared suffering.

But Vegas doesn't lie.

Pete doesn't have the heart to tell Porsche — that Vegas can't keep secrets. That sometimes they feel as if they are one and the same, that when they're alone, they fuse together. That sometimes Pete can't tell where Vegas ends and he begins.

"No." Pete simply says. "Vegas doesn't keep secrets."

[lu-sn]

the theerapanyakuls go to barbenheimer

kinn: the oppenheimer message flies straight over his head. the barbie message, unfortunately, is also totally lost on him.

porsche: in the same boat as kinn, mostly because kinn pulls him aside ten minutes into both films so they can make out and [redacted] and also [redacted redacted redacted].

tankhun: forces everyone at gunpoint (literal) to come to barbenheimer. forces everyone at gunpoint to wear themed outfits. screeches and hollers during the whole barbie movie, and immediately places custom orders for all of barbies's outfits and half of ken's outfits. (none of the outfits from the kendom era, though. bleh.) ends up feeling very thoughtful about oppenheimer -- and makes sure nobody notices.

kim: wants to perish. khun had to handcuff him to the theater seat. at least kim managed to stop khun from stuffing him into a bespoke neon pink leather jacket.

chay: is having a great time! very much enjoyed dressing up with khun for the Event Of The Century. is currently very much enjoying watching kim suffer. cheered at all the right moments during barbie. (oddly quiet during oppenheimer.)

pete: kind of tilted about having to dress up, but finds himself genuinely enjoying both movies. empathizes with every character on screen, which is not what khun wanted him to do.

vegas: identifies way too much with oppenheimer in perhaps the worst possible way. barbie puzzles him on a molecular level.

macau: spends the entire time "subtly" (not subtly) filming both movies on his phone. his camerawork is absolute garbage. his thumb is in the frame the whole time. his flash accidentally goes off halfway through. he immediately uploads both bootlegs to utorrent.

pol: the barbie movie was made for pol. he is THE target audience. it changes the trajectory of his entire life.

arm: absently pats a teary-eyed pol on the back throughout the entire barbie movie. is a little too consumed by thoughts of how relatable some of the oppenheimer scientists are.

and last but not least, big and ken: are standing at the back of the theater. they weren't allowed to sit. ken has been stuffed into the "i am kenough" tie-dye sweatshirt and maintains his i've-stepped-in-dogshit face throughout the entire barbie movie. "i don't sound like that," he keeps hissing at big. big is too busy sobbing under his sunglasses to humor him.

(brought to you in conjunction with the legendary @pomslices)

[hamliet]

Beauty and the Beast, But Make It BL

Or, about a year after the hype Hamliet finally watches KinnPorsche properly instead of just clips.

My overall thoughts are that I really, really enjoyed it. The characters were likable and interesting, and plenty flawed. The story also had some really fascinating ideas and nice fire, water, and air symbolism, as well as a really beautiful retelling of Beauty & the Beast. The main couples all foiled one another in interesting, thought-provoking ways. VegasPete? Is one of my favorite love stories in any media ever.

The side characters were also really well done, for the most part. I loved Kinn's friends, and Yok was a standout in terms of her mentorly role. And, the other bodyguards each got their own personality. Arm and Big were particular standouts to me, and I appreciated how Big's story arc (his unrequited love for Kinn) was handled: with subtlety, but thematic impact. His sacrifice showed Porsche that love sometimes involves sacrificing for the person you love.

The series also used symbolism fairly well. The lighting always changed to colored/rainbow lighting when it was a romantic scene, and stayed natural when it was not. The use of mirrors and windows, and phoenix/fire with Kinnporsche and water with Vegaspete, was intelligently woven into the story. I do think some of the symbolism was too heavy-handed at points, though.

Of course, because I'm me, I do have quite a few critiques as well, which mostly has to do with what I saw as potential that went untapped. The story never did anything "wrong" exactly, but it just never dug into how much potential it had. The foiling was strongly set up, but it could have been far more powerful than it was.

The plot was basically *vibes* which I'm okay with because I'm not super into plot in general, but unfortunately, as can happen when plot is weak, the themes suffered for it. If plot is a tour guide through a story's themes and characters, this was somewhat of a bumbling one... with an occasional stroke of brilliance that reinforced how satisfying the potential was.

Kinn + Porsche

Let's start with the main couple. I really enjoyed their characters, but I wasn't as invested in them as I was in the other characters I'll be covering. They seemed more like ideas rather than human beings, even though they had more complexity than some of the other, more human characters. While that might sound contradictory, what I mean by that is that the other characters always had drive and purpose for the narrative, while Kinn and Porsche sometimes felt more like vehicles (heh, get it, because--) to get to something that never quite arrived.

Kinn and Porsche also started off the series really strong, but weakened after they got together. After they were together, the writers kept bringing up the issue of "trust" between them, but I wasn't quite sure what they were trying to say about trust. And maybe they were just trying to explore the different sides of trust rather than give any particular message, but I thought it was a bit messily handled.

Still. Still. Porsche's line in the final episode, where he pointed out to Kinn that he was there not because he was on the minor family's side, nor because he was on the major family's side, but because he was on Kinn's side, was beautiful.

Kinn also starts off as a dark foil of Vegas... which is interesting because Vegas is so intensely jealous of Kinn and wants to be like him, and is set up as the antagonist. But we'll get there. Vegas kidnaps Porsche and attempts to make it look like he was assaulted, but Kinn saves him... only to assault Porsche himself. (I did appreciate the way the narrative did frame it well, which I wasn't expecting in a boy's love story.) Kinn then compounded it by punishing Porsche for his mistake--essentially, doing to Porsche what Vegas was doing to Kinn and would later do to Pete.

The irony, of course, is that the narrative still frames Kinn as a protagonist, but without giving him a halo. We're allowed to see that he is, intrinsically, no better of a human being than Vegas. Maybe even worse, depending on how you judge.

Porsche outright telling Kinn that he had hurt him, while Vegas hadn't (even if, kinda) and Kinn actually having to work to earn his forgiveness and trust--all of this was well handled.

Kinn's final realization in the wilderness that he could not keep Porsche and his act of selflessly setting him free , followed by a literal sacrifice, mimics what Vegas would have to do in later episodes with Pete, as well.

When they consensually have sex for the first time, it starts because Vegas again makes a move on Porsche... right in front of a mirror. Then, Kinn bursts in and Vegas leaves, and Kinn takes his place in the mirror with Porsche.

The symbolism is clever here and poignant: Kinn, you are Vegas. I just wish he had been asked to do more with that realization, particularly after the Tawan incident (later).

Again, my main issue is that I wish the show had more an idea of what it wanted to say concerning the theme of "trust" between these two. Especially after they got together, it all seemed a bit hazy.

The theme that was best explored with them was the idea of being a human being. Porsche continually insists that he's a person who decides his future for himself, while Kinn is like "I control your life; your life is mine, I can kill you at any time because you're just a bodyguard" early on. However, towards the end of the series, when they exchange quasi-wedding vows in one of the final scenes on a ship on the same river where Kinn first offered Porsche a job and Porsche told him he'd rather drown, there's a really beautiful moment where Kinn tells Porsche that they are making a new family together, and Porsche tells him again that he's not on any family's side--just Kinn's side. And then he tells him:

Porsche: All my life... is yours Kinn: I promise you, I'll treasure it.

It's almost fairy tale esque in this scene, showing how far they've come. It also emphasizes that the point is that Kinn recognizes Porsche's humanity, and Porsche still affirms his own. Humanity is not a drawback but a benefit, because Porsche chooses Kinn, and choice is the realm of human beings.

Vegas + Pete

*screams* VEGASPETE ARE EVERYTHING

But honestly. I've talked how Vegas (who is, undoubtedly, the best written character) foils Kinn and will talk about Tawan, Kim, and Tankhun later on. Firstly, though, we have Vegas and Pete, asking the main thematic question of this series:

(As a human, of course. Except that's not easy.)

Vegas was so clearly my favorite type of character (Lee Yut-Lung from Banana Fish, Akutagawa Ryunosuke from Bungo Stray Dogs, Illumi Zoldyck from Hunter x Hunter, etc.) Someone who just so, so desperately wants to be loved, especially by his father, and cannot fathom why he does not have it. So he lashes out at everyone around him, especially those he's jealous of. He might claim that he's jealous of Kinn's power, but he's really jealous that Kinn is loved not just by Porsche, but by his brothers, by his bodyguards, even by his father (for all Korn's faults--and we're gonna get there--I do think Korn loves his sons).

This is so profoundly seen when Vegas initially kidnaps Pete and forces him to call his Grandma. Vegas leans in, groping Pete to make him terrified, but as soon as Pete tells his grandma he loves her, Vegas jerks back and rips the phone out of his hand. It's another reminder to Vegas that love exists, but he can't have it.

The only thing that truly shows Vegas love is his hedgehog... which of course is a symbol for Vegas himself (here's where I think the symbolism was too heavy-handed--not that he had a hedgehog nor what happened with it, but in that Pete actually bluntly tells him that he is the hedgehog. Leave it to your viewers, we're smart enough to get that.) The hedgehog, of course, is prickly and spiky but soft inside, just like Vegas.

The hedgehog is also specifically Vegas's inner child, in Jungian terms. It's always sick and dying, and he's afraid of it dying, but also afraid to actually recognize it. He doesn't name the hedgehogs because they always die. This is symbolizing how Vegas never really had a childhood, or the chance to develop normally. His father always beat it out of him and let him think that it was his fault, just like Vegas blames himself for the hedgehogs' deaths.

Vegas's father is the biggest obstacle in his growth. He can't ever truly grow up and overcome the father figure until his father's gone. Again, the symbolism is pretty blatant (but well done): Vegas is literally reading the novel Childhood's End, but his father slaps it out of his hand.

The message is clear: Vegas can't ever grow up until he lets go of his father. Fittingly, he's then seen reading the book again after making a meal for Pete.

Vegas and Pete are actually quite similar, not just in their terrible dads, but in that both of them, at their core, truly don't believe they are human beings. They don't believe they deserve love, or life, or anything. They're animals. Hence, Pete actually being called a pet is actually also Vegas pointing out how he sees himself.

But what they really want is to be human, which means to be free and to live.

Consequently, both Vegas and Pete are suicidal. Vegas drops about a million hints that he wants to die before he actually attempts it, even telling Pete he's feeding him so "you'll have energy to kill me."

Vegas self-harms too, and Pete tells him not to. Yet, after they have sex, Pete hits himself when Vegas can't see, telling himself that he didn't like it, even though he initiated. The reason they are both lost after they have sex is that neither of them are free physically or emotionally.

We see Vegas trying to do the right thing and making a fancy meal for Pete, even standing up to his father for a moment, only to have his father tell him he wishes he wasn't his son. At that added cruelty, Vegas smashes the meal he made, proving that even though he thought he was free of his father because he was in love with Pete, he wasn't. Not yet.

And Pete thought he was going to be free because of sex with Vegas, but Vegas still left him chained. Hence, he attempts suicide in front of Vegas. He also then calls Vegas out on everything in a well-done way, pointing out that Vegas is projecting his feelings of inhumanity onto him:

Need me? Like a pet with no feelings for emotional projection? I'm a human, Vegas... I have nothing left, not even my humanity.

Pete is then pointing out to us that after Vegas's childhood is grieved (shown in how Pete helps Vegas bury and put flowers at the hedgehog's grave), Pete embodies Vegas's humanity. If the hedgehog and his childhood should be grieved, because he'll never get them back, he can still have a human future in Pete. But to do that he has to embrace his inner humanity, and he cannot chain it up and take it out when he wants it, because that's just not how human beings work.

Even through making Pete realize and admit just how miserable he was--that he has no use and should just die, thereby showing Vegas that Pete truly does understand how Vegas feels--Vegas doesn't find what he thought he'd find. It's not comforting to be empathized with when it means someone you love is suffering so.

Vegas's apology to Pete is genuine, like Kinn's earlier, and heartfelt. Once his dad is dead, you'd really think he'd be free, but he's very much not. All his self-loathing, all his worst fears, have finally come true. Freedom isn't really found through death, but through embracing life and love. The hedgehog didn't have to die for Vegas to live, because death isn't freeing really. But choosing to live, even when you're in pain, for someone you love--that can be freeing.

Pete's "there is no legacy so rich as honesty" tattoo is somewhat amusing to me, because the quote comes from Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, a play that is considered a "problem play," in that no one can quite decide what genre it is. Also, "honesty" in the play's context is actually "virginity," which also seems to fit, but anyways. The genre/problem play thing is interesting because Kinnporsche itself, as a show, seems to zig-zag between whether it's a comedy, romance, or serious crime drama. I think the reference is somewhat meta, but should have been delved into more.

The play is also relevant in that All's Well That Ends Well is about families, too--particularly how sons struggle to define themselves when it comes to being compared to their fathers, and how they react when they feel like they have limited choices in life. Hrm, hrm, Vegas.

Anyways, Vegas and Pete totally deserved their beautiful ending. When Vegas wakes up post being shot and tells Pete:

You're not my pet. You're the most important person in my life.

It's a great way to tie the themes of their arcs together. Firstly, it is a fairy tale ending. Secondly, it's an affirmation of Pete's humanity, the thing they both doubted they had. Lastly, it's affirmation that Vegas chooses Pete, and in choosing, affirms his own humanity. That Macau then bursts in calling Pete his brother-in-law and welcoming him to the family is adorable and shows Vegas just how much he has.

Kim + Chay

So now that we've talked about two self-destructive emotionally constipated men, let's talk about the other one in the other major relationship: Kim.

Kim's actor does a great job of showing how Kim maintains a veneer of cool aloofness when Chay confronts him, but is internally panicking. Kim is reckless, running into battle to save Chay in literally nothing but a tank top. When Chay calls him on who he is, Kim doesn't even try to defend himself. When he saves Chay again at Yok's bar, he makes sure Chay doesn't even notice.

Unlike Kinn and Vegas, who are too active and possessive, Kim is too passive and cowardly. He cuts himself off from people not because he doesn't love them--he clearly does--but because he feels like he's bad luck. Essentially, the same issue Chay has--that he feels like he brings bad luck.

But, that's not how life works. Human beings don't bring good or bad luck. It depends on choices, another theme from Vegaspete and Kinnporsche that wasn't delved into as deeply as it should have been. Still, choice is an integral part of being human, and the show does depict this.

Still, it was a nice touch to literally have Kim wear a shirt with the word "human" on the front the same episode Pete insists "I'm a human, Vegas." Pete, of course, tells Vegas he has choices to make, and Vegas then tells Porsche that same thing in the final episode: that it's time to make a choice.

Anyways. The unfortunate thing is that the series didn't fully explore Kimchay in the same way they did Vegaspete. That's especially clear in the cliffhanger ending, though I think it was fairly clear that they were heading towards something positive. After all, Kim finally does something he needed to do: saying outright that he is singing for Porchay. Keep working, boy.

On a production level instead of narrative, I'm guessing the actor's ages may have played a role in them not fully exploring their story. Idk. I think the implications--the fade out with a way-too-dramatic kiss on the cheek that the fade obscured and them waking up together--were that they were sleeping together, but because of the actors' ages they clearly cannot and should not show that. But I wish the writers hadn't let that limit them--there are other ways to show growth and explore issues even if you can't directly use sex to do so. See, the sex scenes between Vegas and Pete and Kinn and Porsche were well done, and always had interesting meaning and commentary to them, which is great. I just wonder if they let the fact that they couldn't use this motif stifle their creativity when it came to exploring Kim and Chay's issues.

Tawan

Tawan's story was heartbreaking. He was a fairly well done, pathetic antagonist. When Vegas proposed to him, knowing tha the didn't love Tawan... that broke my heart. He was suicidal and his death ultimately foreshadowed what Vegas would later attempt to do.

But Tawan was desperate for love--truly desperate. He would do anything to be loved by Kinn, by Vegas, by anyone. But it wasn't really love for a specific person (as shown in how he switches from Kinn to Vegas) so much as that he wanted to feel safe in that love. Because denying love means denying safety, which sets him up as a good foil for Kim (who clearly thinks it's safer for your loved ones not to act like you love them)... but it wasn't ever explored.

Tawan's desperate love also foiled Chay. Yet unlike Tawan, and unlike Kim, Chay is able to express what he wants... and to assert himself when he's been disrespected and not seen as a full human being (Kim seeing him as just Porsche's brother is what breaks him).

Tankhun

Tankhun was everything. I love him. I think they could have done more with him, especially around his relationships with his brothers. Like. We only see the three brothers--Kinn, Tankhun, and Kim--in the same room ONCE in the final episode. Once! A crime, a crime, I tell you! I know next to nothing about how all three of them feel about each other and interact with one another and I WANT IT!

Ahem.

Tankhun is still, in many ways, the beating heart of the series. He wears love and his feelings on his fabulous, colorful, patterned, and often feathered sleeves. He chooses to live how he wishes, but will do things for those he loves.

He's also always right, if you pay attention--he knows Gun is bad news, and he knows Pete is in danger while Kinn and Porsche are inexplicably dumb as hell for not suspecting Pete was in danger. When Pete reappears and Tankhun literally thinks he's a zombie, he still rushes to embrace him even so, just because he loves him.

Also, Tankhun is, much like Pete and Chay, fairly pure of heart. I don't mean that in a naive way, but it's clear Tankhun is somewhat childlike because of his trauma... yet, he's still the one who adopts fish and gives them names like Elizabeth and Sebastian and mourns them. He loves his siblings, and he welcomes Chay like a new brother.

The Little Mermaid reenactment with Porsche was A Lot, but also hilarious and fitting. See, he's childish, so of course he's going to like fairy tales. He knows the world isn't one, but he still enjoys ones and wants stories where the good ones don't die, and he does his best to live a fairy tale despite everything. I really think the series should have dug into this more, especially since Kinn and Porsche and especially Vegas and Pete are very clearly modeled after Beauty and the Beast. Sigh. The potential.

Not gonna lie, I think the brother relationships were somewhat failed all throughout. Macau and Vegas's bond wasn't fully explored either, and neither was Porsche and Chay's. Like, Porsche doesn't even know about Kim and Chay, and Chay had told him about being tutored by Wik, so... wouldn't he at least ask? Sigh.

Korn

So, ironically, the brotherly relationship best fleshed out is... Korn and Gun's.

Theirs is highly tragic, and the relationship they have with their foster sister is also clearly a warning to Kim, Kinn, and Tankhun about what they could become if they prioritize the power of the mafia family over each other and their own rights to make their choices and live and love. It seems like that won't happen, given Kim and Chay and Porsche as the minor family head and Kinn, fortunately, but again I think this could have been more clearly explored.

Like, if love, both romantic and platonic and familial, offers a way forward, a potential answer (though no guarantee, see Tawan), which I think the show suggested, it should have been more heavy-handed in showing us. This also actually ties into the fairy tale motif, and the human being theme, and choice, and it just could have been so much more neatly braided together than it was. And also it works with the trust motif, because you can't control someone you trust.

I do really appreciate the ambiguity about Korn, and the uneasy lack of answers about what really happened between Korn, Gun, and Namphueng. On the one hand, Gun's utter cruelty to Vegas and Macau makes it seem more than plausible that he's the worst and he did assault Namphueng and kill her husband. On the other hand, seeing Korn murder Namphueng's husband would surely explain the vitriol he has towards Korn that seems unusually intense even for someone consumed with envy and jealousy.

I think it's clever that the series doesn't answer it for us. Even when Korn kills Gun in the end but chooses to tell his guards not to harm Vegas, despite the fact that Vegas just killed a bunch of his most loyal men, and promises to protect Vegas and Macau, we're left wondering. Is this proof that Korn is indeed the merciful man who would never have harmed Namphueng and her husband? Or is it the actions of a cruel man who killed his own brother and then told his kids not to worry because he'd provide for them, just like he did with Posrche and Chay?

Alas, what would have made this even more powerful would be an emphasis on what trust is supposed to mean... sigh.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed the show. I loved the characters and the three main ships. It had great ideas that could have been better explored.

Also of note: from its lighting to staging of certain scenes, it also clearly took inspiration from Queer as Folk, which is one of my favorite stories ever, and there were some potential Crime and Punishment references in Pete talking to Vegas in a scene that mimicked Sonia and Raskolnikov.

Basically, it was designed for me to fall for it, and fall for it I did. I just wish it had been refined, because it could have also been a masterpiece in addition to being entertaining (yes, really), but alas, didn't quite get there. Still, I'd definitely recommend it.

[29daffodils]

allow me to vent for a little bit but how does the concept of "pete's only last ditch attempt at happiness would be if vegas had stayed dead" or "pete would never realistically choose vegas" or "pete was tortured and he is probably experiencing stockholm syndrome" or anything along those lines keeps circling back into the fandom every 3 months??

is it because of the new fans? something else? or is it because there are people who genuinely believe pete would never choose vegas if given a chance?

this is slowly going into long meta territory but i'd like to remind people that for everyone else — vegas included — they had different choices for partners/significant others. kinn had tawan for a second time, porsche had vegas and vegas had porsche and/or tawan, but pete? he only had vegas. this man would have chosen the fucked up piece of shit vegas was (and i admit he is, he is a mafia man, what are we expecting?) despite everything, and he actually did.

look, pete would have chosen vegas in every universe, and if he hadn't, he probably wouldn't have chosen anyone, and we all know how pre-vegas pete was.

in his own words, "if you're hurting over it, it means it is important". and vegas became important from the moment pete saw him being slapped by gun. he became more important after the whole torture-bandage-bonding moment, and even more after pete left and still wanted his hands around his own throat. that even at the very end, he chose to save him, that given his loyalty to the main family, he shot and killed the person who attempted to kill vegas.

if you firmly believe this man wouldn't have chosen vegas, i would just say if you've got the very core of pete's character wrong.

(and look, will i deny that the tragic death sequence that tore our hearts out was then followed by a tiny little post credit extra that gave us all emotional whiplash? no. we suffered, babe.

but if you think poetic justice works every time, no it doesn't. the same way killing off a complex character like vegas would be considered lazy writing, in the same manner the post credits extra "hey we've gotta keep him alive for the audience or the rating will fall" was lazy writing. kpts as a whole could have done a lot of things that good story telling demands, the pace had always been a bit here and there, but it was still good. so i don't really get the whole concept of just hate-watching something or worse, tagging that with the ship.)

(also, why are we still debating whether what is acceptable in fiction can be applied to real life or not, it's about to be 2024 please i beg 😭)

anyway, that's all for today. thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[velvetshirtnumber3]

I have been in the Kinnporsche fandom for a while and over time have seen several things about Pete being a good person (and things to that affect) and I really want to discuss that because I disagree.

Pete is introduced when Porsche walks into their shared room while Pete is weightlifting wearing no pants or underwear. He notices, tries to cover himself and then talks to Porsche a little bit. That is our first impression of him: seemingly harmless, kind of silly, but friendly guy.

Throughout this series, he continues to be a friend to Porsche, and I think that is definitely a part of why he is seen as good. Kinnporsche has a lot of different characters, but the character whose "point of view" we see for I would say a majority of the series, and especially in the beginning, is Porsche. We are introduced to the Theerapanyakul family and their bodyguards with him. We learn the developments through him. And that includes Pete.

What is Porsche's relationship with Pete? They are friends. Pete is nice to him, they work together (sometimes causing some mischief), and are on the same status level in the main family: bodyguard. Porsche, being new to all of this, really appreciates having a friend, especially given that everybody else doesn't necessarily love having him around. He manages to accidentally insult Pol with the nerd comment, he slacks off and falls asleep while he is supposed to be learning about the family, he pantses one of the bodyguards (I think it was Ken?), he kills Elizabeth and Sebastian, is involved in Macau getting a head injury.... the point is Pete is kind of the only one truly supporting him while Porsche adapts to this new environment.

And not just with Porsche but in general Pete is well thought of by everyone. Tankhun cares about him, Kinn trusts him, he is at the very least friendly with Arm and Pol. He does his job very well and he is very loyal to the main family.

Pete has many qualities that we view as positive traits, ones that generally belong to people we consider good people. So we think of him as one. But the thing is, Pete works for the Theerapanyakul family, who are mafia, who are usually not good people. Granted, we don't know exactly how he came to work for them, and it may not have been by choice, but he doesn't seem particularly upset by it.

The one scene near the beginning of the show where Kinn has gone to intimidate a guy who owes money to them involves Porsche feeling conflicted about the man being beaten (because he has experience being on the side that owes money). Pete is also there, and is one of the people beating up the guy. There is no hesitation and he never seems very regretful over this. Granted, the narrative is focusing more on Porsche at the time but still. Porsche sees this encounter in a negative light, meaning that indirectly (because he doesn't show anger towards Pete), he considers Pete's actions reprehensible. Pete also has no hesitation is killing people. He is part of the group with Vegas and Porsche who go to the one warehouse and surprise attack the people there. He does not shy away from the darker sides of the job, which include hurting people. Not to mention he watches Vegas torture someone. This is too much for all of the MAFIA bodyguards, who have definitely seen some dark things in their line of work. But not Pete, who watches with a sort of curiosity. Many people have read this as interest in Vegas and/or in pain and those things are probably true to some degree. But I believe there is also a sense of apathy present in Pete towards the man's suffering.

So to the average person, Pete would probably be considered a bad person, but in realm of the mafia he is one of the better people. Once again, he has many good qualities but they exist alongside his being part of the mafia, instead of in spite of it.

Why do we think of Pete as good? The framing of the characters, because all these characters are involved in the mafia (though Chay gets pulled in and doesn't really purposefully participate in the mafia side). By comparison to many of these people, Pete is an angel.

And especially compared to Vegas, who also plays a large part of Pete's perceived goodness.

To start off, Vegas is genuinely an awful person. He does his best to sabotage Kinn and his relationships, including when he drugs Porsche twice and both times tries to take advantage of him (the first time, whether you think he was only going to leave a few hickeys or he was going to have sex with him, it is still assault) to hurt Kinn. He seduces Tawan, only to shoot he when he is no longer useful (Tawan is not a good person either but that doesn't excuse anything). He actively enjoys torturing people. This is all aside from his normal mafia duties. Everyone is to some degree unnerved by him, which is impressive when you are surrounded by people who do a lot of killing.

And honestly, it feels like we see the absolute worst of Vegas when it comes to torturing Pete, not because it is the worst thing he has ever done, but because we are now fully seeing Vegas's personality. Before, he was pretending, in part to get Porsche to trust him and steal him away from Kinn (again, Porsche's perspective). Now, he is no longer hiding. Now we see Vegas in all his viciousness and cruelty hurting the person we see as good. Everything Vegas does makes us see him as a worse and worse person.

But then we see them start talking, having somewhat normal conversations. Pete, after all Vegas has done to him, still comes to try and comfort him after he realizes that Vegas' father beats him. He tells him about his own father beating him (something we never see him reveal to anyone else) and tries to tell Vegas that he isn't a failure just because his father says he is. And we see positive changes in Vegas because of Pete. Not just changes, but we also see a positive side in Vegas that we don't really see him exhibit with anyone (except maybe Macau).

Having Pete and Vegas having an overlapping story and in such close proximity causes us to compare them, and next to Vegas, and because of how he treats Vegas, Pete is viewed as a great person. The similarities in Vegas and Pete's experiences with their fathers cause us to see the differences in them, because of how they are different people coming from the same upbringing.

Making them each other's love interest just ties them together in a permanent way, giving us a constant reminder that Pete is (feels like) a good person because he will always compared to Vegas, who isn't. And Pete knows that, completely understands what kind of person Vegas is and is not remotely turned off by all the awful things Vegas has done.

I think it is interesting that Porsche is never thought of in the same way as Pete despite the parallels in their stories. Both of them are bodyguards who fall in love with mafia bosses, and act as comedic relief some of the time.

It is especially interesting since Porsche is the one coming into the mafia lifestyle (out of the two of them). He doesn't start there (while Pete's story starts as a mafia bodyguard), he doesn't approve of some of the violence (in the beginning) but in the end becomes a part of it. Is it because it feels like Porsche chose to go along with being in the mafia because his story started from somewhere outside the mafia, and thus cannot be considered good, or because Porsche's bad boy-esque persona just doesn't completely fit with the type of goodness label Pete has been given?

Pete is ultimately just as bad a person as some of the other people in the series, but given the role he plays in the narrative he is able to fly under the radar better.

[technicallyverycowboy]

kinnporsche finale ep 14

this was fun as hell! truly cannot thank @vegaseatsass enough for getting me to watch it less than a month ago. really put in the work there, bb <3

shit i loved about episode 14:

vegas just out here wearing a silk pajamas shirt as a top like some kind of thrifty lesbian. more importantly, he warns porsche! he does care about him! (the alternate interpretation is that he's doing it for pete. honestly porque no los dos?)

the first time i watched the finale i was slightly stoned and upon seeing gun, whispered very sincerely to my wife, "that's how you can tell they're in the past. his ascot is smaller."

i'm so sorry, but the incest fake out is extremely funny to me

the audacity of korn to claim that he lost track of porsche and porchay when they are still living in their parents' house. unless he straight up forgot they existed for the last ten years, he damn well knew.

lol kim would rip chan's throat out with his teeth fiven five minutes.

my hottest take for this fandom is that i think porsche was always in the family, he just didn't know. so going from being totally in the dark at the start to being in a position where he can do something about it is strongly hopeful. gun and korn's fucking around has finally been found out, which means porsche and kinn can start their own fucking around.

my second hottest take is that i don't think it really matters which brother shot his dad. i think the years long captivity of his mom is the much worse thing.

actually it's very hot of kinn when he starts shooting at board meetings. the subtle red stripe to his suit is such a chef's kiss moment. i love that he really hasn't killed a ton of people, which makes this moment a little bit shocking.

what in the bougie ass head camp counselor fuck is this war outfit, gun?

i'm! on! your! side! and that, i think, is why korn has, at bare minimum, not totally won. yes, he is masterful at pulling the strings, but he's dealing with people not puppets and there is inherent unpredictability (and incest apparently) in that.

kinn getting in one last grope in case he dies and this is his last chance. the hug/dance/shooting sequence is a work of art.

the saddest thing about vegas is that kinn has consumed so much of his interior life and kinn doesn't really think that much about him at all. also the panic in kinn yelling "don't" is great for me personally, known enjoyer of hot men suffering.

oh shit we've come full circle and we're running through parking garages again! somewhere in the hospital where big is definitely alive he just rolled his eyes and doesn't know why.

"if i die today, could you be the one to kill me?" DERANGED (positive)

"because i'm hungry"/"are you very hungry" once again my soul exits my body and flies toward the sun. the way vegas's voice breaks on "why did you follow me?"

can you imagine what the other mafia families in the world make of this shit? korn's nephew taking power, also fucking korn's son.

it's actually very funny that most of the time kinn and porsche are fucking it's to the soundtrack of kinn's baby brother singing a song about porsche's baby brother.

i find tankhun sending that photo really fucking pointed and i love that about him

and finally, macau's response of, "i was eavesdropping obviously" is the exact little brother energy i appreciate in this family.

obvi the next step for vegas and pete is getting vegas to understand that someone can be both the most important person in the world to you and also a beloved pet.

[iguessitsjustme]

someone explicitly is asking. What do people get wrong about Porsche from KP.

I did see this when I was at work, but I decided to wait until I was home to answer because it's just too much to type on my phone. I hope I can provide you with some context for why I say that.

Okay, so before I start, I want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Even if I think the fandom gets the character wrong, interpretations are subjective and there is no right answer. So all I am doing is providing my reason for my interpretation. Agree or disagree however y'all want. If you agree, great! If you disagree, also great! I am not here to tell anyone how they should or should not be interpreting shows or characters.

It's been awhile since I watched KP, so I also want to link to the post I made when it was airing about how disappointed I was by how the show handled the sibling relationship between Porsche and Chay.

But I think Porsche, as a character, is representative of all of the issues within KP. Porsche was the unfortunate victim of the show's tonal issues. It couldn't decide what genre it wanted to be and the show, and Porsche, suffered for it.

At first, Porsche was great! He was my favorite character! But as the show progressed, it became increasingly clear that the show didn't care about the non-romantic relationships in Porsche's life and those are the relationships that made Porsche interesting. They are what made Porsche a good character. Porsche's friendships with Tankhun and Pete were wonderful and beautifully told until those relationships were left behind to turn the mafia show into a romcom with Porsche and Kinn. The worst offender though, was Porsche abandoning his brother for Kinn. His brother was his motivation for the majority of the show and even his Porsche's motivation switched to Kinn, Chay doesn't just disappear from Prosche's heart. The show also failed to properly switch Porsche's motivation from Chay to Kinn but that's a whole different post.

What the fandom gets wrong is that Porsche is 1. a good brother and 2. a good character. He is neither of those things. He is a good brother at first. He is a good character at first. Then the show nuked his character. Decided that all Porsche could be was a badass, hot piece of ass for Kinn and that did a disservice to both the character of Porsche and the plot itself.

I see and can even understand why people love Porsche, but I can't. I can never get past what the show did to him. As an older sibling who did help raise my younger siblings, there is no dick powerful enough to make me forget the fierce love and protection I have for those babies I helped bring up. And I didn't do damn near as much for my siblings as Porsche did for Chay. The show needed that one thing to be consistent for Porsche and they failed and ruined his character beyond repair.

Again, I want to reiterate, this is just how I feel about Porsche. I know I'm in the minority here. Feel free to disagree with me. I don't care. Or you can agree with me! I also don't care. I really wanted to like Porsche. There was truly no one more disappointed than I was when his character turned out to be....well boringly sappy.

[mousieta]

Review: KinnPorsche

Year: 2022 Country: Thailand Platform: iQiyi

Honestly, reviewing this show feels almost unnecessary because I never watched it with an eye towards critique. In this show I firmly turned my brain off and reached for the popcorn. Thus, there are flaws. If I put my mind to them I am sure they will be readily found. I just don’t want to. The show is ridiculous nonsense in the absolute best of ways. It is over the top indulgence perfectly crafted for soothing us as we exist in an increasingly dystopian nightmare.

Everything is unhinged in the best kind of ways: the plot is batshit, the action fast paced, the conflicts flashy and the eye-candy abundant. The premise is a mafia leader, Kinn, falling in love with their forced-into-service bodyguard, Porsche.

Kinn’s tits are permanently out and Porsche’s smile is always winning. These are terrible people we delight in watching do terrible things because they are so so pretty doing them. There’s a romance, there’s falling in love, there’s dastardly betrayal and more psychotically insane BDSM shenanigans than I could have ever hoped for.

The writing is unhinged, it feels like the started scrapin the bottom of the plot barrel around episode 11 then just reached for a completely different barrel and started dumping. But the cinematography is, at some moments, truly sublime and beautiful. The actors, every single one of them, are fantastic, oozing charisma and charm and compelling you to join them on this inane journey.

As jarring as the constant hard emotional shifts of one scene to the next, where we are thrust into life and death and suffering then jerked into camp, it becomes the charm of the show. It takes nothing serious except for when it has to.

In no way is this whiplash more apparent than in the two main pairings: the cotton-candy sweetness of the primary OTP, with the violent and dark secondary pairing.  Kinn and Porsche are sweet, affectionate, domestic and ultimately communicative and supportive of one another, whereas Vegas and Pete are broken, violent, brilliantly waving red flags who could only ever be with one another. Between the two extremes is this delicious balance.

I don’t know if this review is gonna sell you or lose you on the show, and really it doesn’t matter. If you’re the audience for it, its probably already on your radar or it already owns your whole being, and if it isn’t you aren’t even reading this because you already scrolled by.

[scarlettundrhett]

yes, love can be the violence by dustbottle

Relationship: Vegas/ Pete

POV: Vegas

Words: 8881

Taking care of Vegas as a doctor? - A dream job!

There’s nothing Vegas hates more than being ill. He hates being feverish, phlegmy, nauseous, in pain, hates the disgusting physicality of it all – hates being out of control of his body, no one to punish for it but himself.

We see Vegas in the series KinnPorsche a month after the showdown. Everything is sweetly sugar-coated. Everyone is happy. Nice. Warmed my heart and I was glad Vegas is alive. All's well that ends well.

But how long was the road to get there? And is all really well in the end?

They have a lot to talk about, a lot to figure out. The world as he knew it is most likely no longer the world as it is. Provided the main family even lets him live long enough, everything is going to have to change.

He's a shitty patient. But Vegas is so sweet and intense about it, as only he can be. I love him!

He has plenty of time to watch Pete now and think about him. He sees him with the eyes of a predator and thinks about him with the heart of a lover.

He can’t stop thinking about him now. He’s obsessed with the charming way he reasons with himself, thinking out loud; the way his smiles come easy but hide more than they reveal; the way his throat bobs when he swallows; the way he surrenders, with an easy grace that borders on relief. Vegas wants to know everything there is to know about Pete. He wants to dig his fingers in. He wants to pry him open, lay him bare, see his inner workings for himself. He wants to hurt him and bruise him and break him apart. He wants to kiss every last inch of him, from the tips of his ears to his dimples to his ribs to the tender backs of his knees. It’s maddening. It’s intoxicating. Vegas feels on fire with it.

They are there, the tender and heartfelt moments, the moments when Vegas shows himself in all his vulnerability and Pete reveals his pure love for Vegas. The hands that Vegas so often used to torture and kill, here they reappear again and again: Groping, caressing, gentle and loving. Hands say so much.

Pete meets his eyes and smiles, more solid this time, more real. He reaches out to Vegas. Takes his hand. “I’m here because you’re here,” he says, and it’s too easy. Nothing in Vegas’s life could ever be this easy. But it still sounds like the truth. Vegas draws Pete’s hand up to his mouth; kisses it, gentle and reverent, the way he remembers doing once before. Pete exhales sharply, looking unsteady. His eyes are bright with unshed tears. It’s a moment that feels stolen – too soft for who either of them are.

But Vegas wouldn't be Vegas if he wasn't willing to activate the self-destruct mechanism.

Well, Pete might have been able to teach him more gently that Porsche is now sitting on the throne. The ring is gone. As always, the messenger has to suffer when he delivers bad news.

“So you just went ahead and told him everything, like the good little bitch you are,” he spits, and watches Pete flinch and startle back a step with a savage kind of satisfaction. “I figured you would regret biting the hand that fed you eventually, but I thought even you could hold out longer than this. (…) I never asked you to be,” he says, venomous, the words like acid in his mouth. “I don’t need you here. Run back to your master, go on. I’m sure they’ll take you back if you beg.” He knows he’s going too far. (…) He wants something to break.

Who can tame such a predator that bites around and prefers to destroy everything around it for fear of being hurt.

Pete meets us here as we know and love him. With a pure heart and an indomitable soul. Who wouldn't want someone like Pete by his side? Again, it's his hands that hold Vegas as he collapses.

“Just go, Pete. You shouldn’t be here. I have nothing left,” he says, suddenly more tired than he can ever remember being in his life. Pete’s face softens. He moves closer as if on instinct, putting his stuff on the bedside table and sitting on the bed next to Vegas, crowding in close. He takes Vegas’s hands in both of his and squeezes them tight. He catches Vegas’s eyes and won’t let him turn his gaze away.

In every story there is that one sentence that hits me in the heart. Here, Pete says that sentence:

“You are what’s left,” Pete tells him, and leans their foreheads together.

Sick and bedridden? Vegas and Pete are a couple who make the most of a successful hour of physiotherapy. Who wouldn't want to be rewarded like that?

Pete is leaning over him and into his space, staying close. He kisses him again, longer this time, more demanding. He bites at Vegas’s bottom lip, sharp and painful, soothing the sting with his tongue. Vegas groans. Kisses him back like he’s starving, because he is. “Keep getting better, and I’ll let you come down my throat right here in this ridiculously big bed,” he says, a challenge and a promise, and all Vegas can do is stare.

I won't reveal the rest.

This story has everything I love. It dissects the soul of my favorite character down to the smallest details, it moves me to tears and pulsates with eroticism.

[techtechonmymind]

i could not suffer thru even 3 eps of kp how did you do it 😭

i’m not usually a completionist but i’ve been watching a lot of thai dramas and it kept being brought up as The Standard so I just wanted to know what i was missing …didn’t find out, so…

also propelled by the fact that my iqiyi subscription is expiring so it was a now or never kind of hail mary honestly. i feel like i would have regretted not knowing but also… i do regret watching it lol.

i think the opening and closing theme ost also just kept the momentum going for me - slot machine are so good.

episode 4 is where it gets like REALLY rough so you stopped at a good point.

spoilers about it and just discussions around the show’s use of rape under the cut

i feel like if we’re looking for morally dubious characters, even with questions around consent and coercion, a show like only friends does a great job without making all of them also like actual rapists.

but also kp is a comedy (for some reason lol). so one of the most shocking parts for me was when porsche is in the bathroom trying to process being raped by kinn and pete walks in and there is this like zany classic miscommunication between them where pete is empathizing with him saying the first time is the worst and tankhun did it to him, but it turns out pete is just talking about tankhun making him do some physical punishment (like squats?). like it was this stupid joke complete with like wacky sound effects seconds after porsche is crying and self-harming with a lighter and having flashbacks. like did literally anyone laugh? were we not all still extremely distressed?

i often see kinnporsche hailed as being groundbreaking in terms of cinematography and things like that but I honestly don’t get it. I see an eye towards cinematography for sure, but nothing particularly striking. gmmtv shows like the eclipse have had gorgeous cinematography with significantly smaller budgets so that’s not quite meaningful enough for me.

it is also considered the standard for sexual content in dramas but again… each time it is with a man and his rapist. like this is not compelling or moving or interesting to me. it makes me sick and sad.

idk any explanations for these kind of glaring gaps I’ve gotten are like “mafia dudes doing what mafia dudes do!” and i’m like ok… lol

[livsoulsecrets]

Alright, my KP ships are a bit all over the place haha but let’s give it a try.

1. Kim/chay

They grew on me in my second watch, and I agree that their post canon status is so interesting to explore. I really like the potential they have and I have suffered for 2 years because of their bittersweet ending, but I also firmly believe they got together again in the long term because I’m delusional.

2. Arm/Khun

First of, I’m honored that @ae-azile got inspired by my silly edit, cause her fics are wonderful and I read them without even knowing that haha

They have an unique dynamic and I like the way they’re clearly friends despite the madness of their lives. I love the cliche of bodyguard x boss, but I also enjoy the fact Tankhun is not the typical “alpha male with no feelings” that we see a lot in those stories.

There’s a lot of vulnerability involved in their relationship, and I think that’s why I enjoy them so much.

3. Theerapanyakul main family siblings

I’m including platonic relationships cause I adore them! Most of what we know of Kim, Khun and Kinn is made up of fanon and the very few scenes they shared, but I do love exploring siblings’ bonds (as I don’t have any, I find them fascinating).

I think they are so different personality-wise, but also similar in how they refuse to confront their trauma and pain, and the ways they push each other away.

4. Arm, Khun & Pol

Again. Platonic soulmates, I said it and stand by it!!!

5. Khun & Pete

Same as above.

6. Tankhun & Kim

We don’t see a lot to them, but again I adore the particular way they interact

7. Macau & Vegas

8. Vegaspete

9. Kinn/Porsche

10. Arm/Pol

I tag whoever wants to do these too :)

tagged by @jeffsatyr to tag my top 10 KPTS (+jeffcest???) ships! In no particular order, except that KimChay always reigns supreme

Kim/Chay (unsurprising)

Kim/Chan (daddy issues. Need I say more.)

Kim/Vegas (just. issues in general.)

Lucid/Ghost (🥺)

Sunshine/Evil Scientist (@shubaka 👀)

Kinn/Porsche

Vegas/Pete

Tankhun/Arm/Pol

Kim & Kinn & Khun + Vegas & Macau

Porsche & Chay

tagging: @shubaka @bisexualbard @snickerdoodlles @emberfaye @fawndlyvenus

[teenjiism]

it’s genuinely devastating to me that pete’s honesty and caring, empathetic words were so impactful on vegas because in the beginning, it was just basic human decency. and vegas has never even been shown that, the minimum. macau cares about him, yes, but it’s not the same because vegas is older and possibly has to shield macau from the trauma he has gone through. sure, pete being able to relate to him helped tremendously in vegas letting pete in, but even so, he just showed him kindness and vegas ate it up like a starving, desperate man.

and he kept taking and craving more, more of pete’s affection and care, more of his gentle words of reassurance and more of pete’s own desire. but vegas, a man so desperate to be loved and accepted, not as a monster but as a person, was never taught how to give back because he’s never been taught love. and he tries, because he does; he tends to pete’s wounds (inflicted by him, but still), he watches cooking videos to express his gratitude and feelings for pete, he jokingly teases him and pours his feelings into his sexuality. except while doing these, he either disregards what pete would need, or the world keeps proving to him that he’s undeserving of love.

he cooks for pete with such care, only for it to be ruined by his father, which leads to vegas almost losing pete because he cannot escape the cycle of abuse this easily — almost as if the universe is telling him that it’s not even worth trying, it’ll always be the same. he teases pete for being a fool, but pete doesn’t see it as a joke; he sees it as vegas using him as a dumb fucktoy who plays therapist sometimes. from what we’ve seen, vegas doesn’t seem to realize that pete is walking a very wobbly line of i don’t know why, but i’m into this and i deeply despise this and you and myself when it comes to vegas’ aggression, so initially, he doesn’t take pete very seriously after lashing out, when pete is clearly in agony. he’d been shown a way to express his feelings and he doesn’t see the nuances of it. it’s all desperate attempts to selfishly keep pete to himself — chaining him up still, begging him to stay with him, but he’s not conscious of his dismissal of pete, as his own person. he’s so caught up in this whirlwind of new feelings that while the answer to how to care for pete seems so obvious — listen to him, try to get to know him and mirror his openness, he doesn’t know how to do that. he was never shown and it’s not easy to learn and even harder to unlearn his toxic and aggressive behavioral patterns. he’s clearly trying, though.

because as soon as he realizes he has hurt pete and he’s part of the reason why pete is so miserable, he seems to realize what he’s done wrong. not right away, because he’s too agitated and overwhelmed by anger, hurt, desperation and pain, but when pete actually leaves him, it’s clear there’s a change in vegas. even when he talks to porsche — yes, it might have been for mostly selfish reasons, because he wanted to see pete, but he is not hiding behind any mask with porsche, either. he even goes as far as to defend kinn. and with pete, this time, he doesn’t beg for pete not to leave him. he lowers his guard, is open and vulnerable with pete because at this point, he’s realized he’s attached to pete, the real pete, even if he only saw glimpses of him. and he knows pete is conflicted about him — i think his apology is partly for that. because as much as he wants pete to be by his side, he doesn’t want to see pete suffer. he doesn’t like that having feelings for him is so burdensome on pete. he apologizes because he created this whole mess and pete deserves better. but at the same time, he knows pete wants vegas, not anybody else.

vegas didn’t need an angel to save him for him to drop his cruel mask, he needed someone to tell him his father’s abuse is not his fault and someone to empathize with him. but no one ever bothered with vegas, so he never got a chance to change before pete came into his life. and nobody was ever worth changing for, before pete.

[uriyeonwooyeppeo]

The thing about Pete saying that there are no heroes or villains in the world… I like to think that it’s intentionally presenting a moral dilemma.

Like, that is how these people think. That is who these people are.

These are friends and lovers and fathers and brothers and we see them do fun things and sweet things and smile and laugh. And we like them. We like them a lot!

And then we see them beat a man without remorse or hesitation. We see them look Porsche in the eye and say that he needs to sympathize with them, not the other way around. That Porsche’s suffering in the past means nothing because that’s just how it is. That is how it will continue to be, and it will be at their hands.

So it’s a show that gives us characters we love, makes us face their cruelty, and then asks us to love them again. Do we? Can we?

Do I still find Pete’s humor and smile charming after I’ve watched him beat a helpless man?

More importantly, does Porsche?

Does Porsche become best friends with a man who would shoot him without a second thought, in another life, if Porsche’s debts were owed to someone different?

Does Porsche fall in love with the man whose orders turn Porsche into own worst nightmare?

Like, maybe I’m just dumb, or putting too much faith in the show, but I think that all the viewers who feel put off by Pete’s actions this episode are reacting exactly as intended. We’re meant to feel the same moral struggle as Porsche.

We’re also meant to watch sexy men be evil i guess idfk

[thatgirl4815]

Will Pete cave or will Vegas cave? 

Up to this point, I have been operating under the assumption that Vegas will submit to Pete’s lightness and at least try to redeem himself for all the sadistic manipulation he’s pulled so far. But Vegas seems so utterly irredeemable while Pete seems so comparatively susceptible to corruption...I can’t help but wonder if maybe I’ve been interpreting it all wrong and Pete really will be the one to sacrifice his lightness for the darkness of Vegas. 

I’ve said before that I don’t think Pete is a masochist--or, at least, I don’t think there is enough evidence to prove that he is up to this point. But there is likely some psychological battle that Pete is already fighting that will make itself known next episode. And over on KP Reddit, I’ve seen some discourse about who exactly will be changing who. Since Vegas is so blatantly sadistic with remarkably few, if any, redemptive qualities, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pete is the one that gives in because Vegas shows no sign of turning towards the light side. If there were glimmers, maybe I’d think differently. But I see no glimmers.

As someone with fairly little knowledge of the book plot, I predict that Pete’s inner turmoil will revolve around a strange—perhaps even overwhelming—pull to Vegas that he can’t reconcile with his own morals. He’s said in the past that there are no good guys or bad guys, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a greater ethical question surrounding Vegas. Pete knows Vegas is evil at his core, he knows he likes to manipulate people, he knows he enjoys watching other people suffer. But when you’ve seen all the darkness inside of someone, when you’ve been the target of that person’s ill-intentions, how do you make sense of the obsessive pull you feel towards them? He’s conflicted, even more conflicted than Porsche felt towards Kinn (and vice versa). There will be a fair amount of traumatic fallout from the torture itself, but the majority of Pete’s dilemma will be about his feelings.

If they had more time, maybe Pete would take more time working through his psychological trauma. But there isn’t much show left, so I don’t think that will be the focus of the conflict.

Lots of speculation here, so please disregard if none of it turns out like I thought. 😶

[liyazaki]

I like Kinnporsche but it also feels kinda disconnected at times to me, like it wasn’t really what I was expecting. The vegas and pete stuff is far more what I was expecting for the entire show and while I adore kinn and porsche as a couple I’m a little sad the show has spent so much time on them and now there’s not as much for vegas and pete. Couple-wise the show is great, but plot, pacing, and tone-wise I think it’s a bit turbulent.

disclaimer: I’m going to try to make some semblance of sense here, Nonnie, but if I don’t, please direct any & all complaints to Ms. Rona, who’s currently kicking my ass.

KinnPorsche has a little bit of everything: it’s hilarious, it’s heavy, it’s stupid-hot, it's full of heart- it’s unhinged. I can see how the tonal shifts could throw you if you went in with specific expectations, like it’s going to be a Serious Mafia Show, etc.

I have zero issue with the pacing, the tone shifts, and yes- even the VegasPete plotline not starting until basically the final hour (though selfishly I would’ve loved to have had more time with them).

here’s why:

1. I’m a firm believer that the audience shouldn’t have to read or know the source material of an adaptation to appreciate or understand the direction being taken. a good adaptation takes you on that journey all on its own, no additional assistance required.

I can only speak from my perspective, though, and I’ve read the books. I’ve been thrilled at how they’ve kept the overall chaotic, fun feel while removing most of the roughest parts (read: nauseatingly problematic vs. comes-with-mafia-life problematic). maybe I would’ve felt more whiplash from the tonal changes if I wasn’t familiar with the source material, but it’s only served to make me appreciate the show more, not less.

I still kinda-sorta enjoyed the books (in between all the unnecessarily-graphic SA and horrible communication), but I cannot stress enough just how much of an improvement the show is. BOC turned a trash heap into feral fandom gold.

2. the focus of this story is & will always be Kinn & Porsche. that was true for the books & it’s true for the show. they’re the main reason to watch- or the intended main reason to watch, anyway. with that context in mind, the amount of screen time given to their story makes sense.

back to that italicized ‘intended’, though: I suffer from second couple syndrome as much as the next clown. I get that just because we’re supposed to root for a couple or enjoy spending the majority of our watch time with them doesn’t mean we’re going to.

personally, I was grumbling to a couple moots weeks ago about whether or not we’d even get a VegasPete story line at this point. even then, though, I saw it as my personal preference coming into play & didn’t use it as a metric by which to judge the quality of the show (still don’t).

I wasn’t promised a VegasPete-centric story going in, so I’m not going to let my thirst for all things them keep me from enjoying Kinn and Porsche’s story, which I’m very much invested in.

with all that boring stuff out of the way: can you imagine if we do end up getting a second season & get to see more of their story play out? the potential of this volatile, toxic pairing with all its raw chemistry to grow into a beautiful, still dark-and-twisty-but-works for them thing? be still my beating kinky heart.

because love comes in all shades, all colors- some with a little more black & blue (heh) than others.