#my ride rewatch 2023

[lurkingshan]

It’s heeeeeeeeere https://youtu.be/wMvG1LO23IM

My Ride begins re-airing on YouTube today, with a new episode dropping every Saturday and Sunday. It’s a wonderful show that not nearly enough people have seen due to limited distribution, but now it will be much more broadly available. (cc @absolutebl)

I know @bengiyo @ginnymoonbeam @wen-kexing-apologist @manogirl @callipigio @chickenstrangers @neuroticbookworm are watching along. Who else is joining us?

ETA: Full playlist with the videos in correct order is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwr0z8ElcoF9HCchNUpXOWgH6lJb-LBXu

[gabrielokun]

[wen-kexing-apologist]

I Don't Have a Fancy Title for This One, Sorry: Thoughts on the My Ride Finale

I want to talk about the opening scene in My Ride Episode 10 and how the conflict that arises around it is so perfectly set up throughout the show. Because this show handles everything that happens between Mork and Tawan so brilliantly (which should not be a surprise because these are the people who go on to give us La Pluie, and as @lurkingshan mentioned, My Ride very much reads as a proto-La Pluie)

@bengiyo, @lurkingshan, @neuroticbookworm and I have lovingly been referring to this show as Sunshine x Sunshine because both main characters are Sunshine boys aka bright, happy, caretakers (think Tien from La Pluie) as opposed to brooders (think King from Bed Friend). As @bengiyo mentioned in a discussion I was having with him about this show, Sunshine x Sunshine narratives are very rare in romance/BL because there is not a lot of internal conflict, so you have to set up external conditions/conflict in order to prevent two sunshine boys from getting together immediately. 

And My Ride handles this extremely well by making Mork have to realize his own sexuality and having Tawan be in an established relationship even after Mork understands his feelings. It continues to handle them not getting together very well after Mork finds out that Por is cheating on Tawan, and not telling Tawan about it. Now, while I think we can all agree Mork messed up by continuing not to tell Tawan even as Tawan got closer and closer to discovering the truth, even as Tawan essentially flat out asked Mork if Por was cheating, it is so disgustingly in character for Mork to care so much about Tawan that he cannot. hurt. his. feelings. Mork is almost as devastated as Tawan is when he first sees Por and his boyfriend together. He knows how much Tawan is going to get hurt in the future, but he cannot be seen as trying to split Tawan and Por up, and Mork is a good person who takes people at their word, and who said nothing because he believed Por when he said he would handle it. 

Por did not handle it. 

Tawan is then sad and heartbroken, and that is a time to comfort people that you care about but not the time to go asking them on a date. And I love how there is a moment here, where Tawan could actually get mad at Mork for hiding this information. But he doesn’t. Because Tawan is a good person who understands that Mork is a good person and knows fundamentally that Mork would never intentionally hurt him. 

Tawan runs away to the North for the first time to get a break from the tail end of the Por situation see his family and Mork is worried because Tawan has gone radio silent. Mork calls Tawan 69 times (haha, nice) because he really needs to know if Tawan is okay, and again, this could have been a moment where Mork got upset at Tawan for scaring him like that, but he isn’t. He’s just anxious and concerned and trying to make sure that Tawan is okay. And to the audience, and to Tawan himself. It reads as genuine concern for someone you care deeply for. WE know why Mork is rambling that fast, and Tawan is starting to catch wise that these feelings he has for Mork are reciprocal.

So let’s review what happens on this phone call: 

Tawan looks at his phone to see 69 missed calls from Mork 

Mork rambles for a solid thirty seconds about how worried he was that Tawan had been hurt

Tawan gets blushy about it, he does not withdraw in to himself, he does not feel ashamed of himself, he does not look concerned himself. He is smiling softly. Because Mork is a good person who is never going to make him feel like Por made him feel. 

Mork says he wants to see Tawan’s face 

Tawan says he thinks he’s over Por

Mork cannot contain the small excited smile at the thought he now has an opening. Tawan smiles back because he knows what he is doing

Tawan apologizes for worrying Mork. Mork jokingly is like ‘you are not forgiven’, and Tawan knows this is not a serious rejection because Mork immediately follows it up with a quiet, awkward “I miss you”

Tawan is like “whatdidyousayyyyyy???” and Mork is like “If you are over him hurry back” (so I can ask you out) 

Tawan goes home after two days even though he told his parents that he would be there for a week because the boy he likes says he misses him 

gif by @gabrielokun

And things are looking up for the Sunshine Boys! Tawan returns! Tawan spends the day with Mork and his son and he immediately shows himself to be marriage material by being incredibly good with kids. Mork asked Tawan if he would be a second father. Which would typically, in theory, be a pretty strong indication that Mork likes Tawan and wants to be with Tawan for the foreseeable future. But they haven’t actually talked about it. They haven’t actually declared anything yet. They have not fully established what they are to each other, and as a result there is still some room for doubt.

Which is when Fern re-enters the chat realizing she made a terrible mistake leaving Mork (because as we all know Mork is bottled sunshine) and Tawan stumbles in on Mork hugging Fern to comfort her, and we have the catalyst for our final separation. 

Now, under normal circumstances, the fact that Mork does not at all seem guilty, shocked, or hiding anything when he immediately removes himself from the hug, devotes all of his attention to Tawan, and then runs after him when Tawan makes absolutely the stupidest excuse to leave by saying his non-ringing telephone is the hospital calling would all be a pretty good indication that nothing nefarious is going on. While Mork commits another error by not continuing to follow after Tawan in the moment, Fern is asking for him to stay because she is going through it, and I know in my heart of hearts that Mork is confident that he will be able to both clear the air with Fern and also be able to see Tawan soon and explain the whole situation. 

But to Tawan? 

To Tawan he has just caught Mork cheating on him before they have even really started dating. And again this works SO well for a number of different reasons.  

Reason 1: Tawan as a character is the person who does things for other people without expecting anything in return. He is the person that friends reach out to when they need help, but they are rarely there to offer any legitimate help themselves. Tawan literally sobs, has a full on  breakdown the first time that Mork asks him how he is doing because “no one has asked me that in awhile”. The way Tawan navigates the world makes him see himself as a commodity to other people. He is here to help and if he is not helping then people do not care. (Am I reading too much in to this? Maybe. Am I projecting on to Tawan? Absolutely. Am I right? Yes.) 

Which is why things were so good with Mork. Because Mork always gave as good as he got. Mork always reciprocated the affection, the kind words, the physical and emotional support that he got from Tawan. 

Reason 2: Tawan has literally just been cheated on. And not only was Tawan cheated on, but that piece of shit dentist, Dr. Punchable Face Por has made it his life’s FUCKING MISSION TO BLAME *TAWAN* FOR *BEING THE REASON HE IS CHEATING*. Like goddamn, first of all Por, Tawan has been the mistress this whole time, but second of all, you didn’t use your stupid fucking words the first time (you know, like Mork has) and got mad at Tawan for being a super busy doctor and genuinely good person. But no. No. NOPE. Instead Tawan, who already feels like he exists to be used by other people, is now made to feel like the reason that no one wants him, the reason why no one helps him, the reason why no one checks in on him, is because of Tawan himself? (@neuroticbookworm hold me back, I’m about to reach through my screen and beat up a fictional man). 

Reason 3: Mork calling Tawan his friend in front of Fern. So we have established already that Tawan feels in part that he has to help people in order to make himself useful enough to keep around, and that he feels like he is the one to blame for people he cares about just absolutely ruining his life, and he thinks he understands where he and Mork stand with the 69 missed calls, and the “I miss you” and the “hurry back” and the day they shared together with Mork’s son, and the whole “will you be his second dad” thing. Not to mention all the longing glances and reciprocity that Mork has given him from the very beginning, when he still hadn’t even realized he was bi. And the second that Mork introduces Tawan as his “friend” all the doubt he has ever held, all the doubt he has tried to dampen when he is with Mork just comes flooding in. Because in Tawan’s mind he has completely misinterpreted this situation. Mork doesn’t like him like that, Mork is just a nice person. Tawan is “a friend” that Mork’s exgirlfriend has never heard of who is “not exactly a friend” but a doctor at the hospital and a passenger that Mork drives around. 

Once more into the breach my friends, Mork is being respectful of Fern and not really trying to out himself and Tawan when Fern is clearly upset, seeking comfort, and probably wanting to get back with Mork. This is not the time or place to tell Fern that Tawan is Mork’s boyfriend, and Tawan and Mork have not had the conversation. Now, personally, when I hear Mork say ‘he’s not exactly a friend’ I take all the times they have shared together and the fact that Mork literally asked Tawan to be a second father to indicate that Tawan isn’t exactly a friend, he’s more than that. 

But because this show has set its external conflicts and barriers up well, and used those to feed internal struggles, Tawan does not read it that way. He reads it as never being seen as more than a friend to Mork and his heart is breaking in real time as he completely re-evaluates everything they’ve been through together. 

Tawan returns to Changrai for the second time, hurt and embarrassed, and trying to get as far away from that city and the pains and the pressures that they have put him through. Thankfully, Mork wises up and goes running after him. 

And that’s really all I have to say at this point. This show builds so well off of the elements of its story it has laid out previously, and as a result it manages to accomplish what few shows really have: Double Sunshine

[sollucets]

episode four mork face appreciation ✨

[bengiyo]

My Ride Rewatch: It's Even Better Than I Remember

Seriously, this was an absolutely phenomenal first episode. This show sets up its three couples it wants to contend with and outlines their dynamics so clearly. If you're enjoying La Pluie, you may want to also check this show out and see some earlier work from the same screenwriting duo.

We open with Tawan, likely because Fame had already been in BL with My Dream the Series (do not watch this; it's horrible and Fame's character has a horrifying outcome). Tawan is a doctor who overworks himself trying to be helpful to others. He's clearly beloved by his mom and sister. He's been nursing a crush on an older doctor, Por, for years and is excited because Por is currently pursuing him.

Meanwhile, we've got Nadia, Tawan's best friend. She's also a doctor, but kind of a hot mess. She's invested in Tawan's romantic outcomes, and is totally ignoring the hot coffee shop owner who's clearly enamored with her.

Yoon is also here and plays Toy, a medical resident who is beefing with his supervisor because he's not taking his learning or the care of the patients seriously.

Then we have the best boy in the world who is going through the worst time right now.

Mork is a motorcycle taxi driver and Line deliveryman. He supports his girlfriend through school and has no extra money. His girlfriend breaks up with him on her birthday, and it's later revealed that she's been seeing someone else. Someone richer. Mork and that guy get into a fight in the middle of traffic, and Fern (the ex) ends up slapping Mork.

Not to be forgotten are the rest of the motorcycle drivers in Mork's orbit. They are a lot of fun. (this gif is not from the first episode, but bear with me)

While watching this with @lurkingshan I kept commenting on how technically sound the first episode was. The shot composition is good and consistent. Who is in frame is chosen extremely well. The editing is crisp and engaging. The sound effect usage is tasteful, and the backing tracks are selected well. The intro also comes with art and lighter music than we normally get.

It's rare that we get two genuinely caring and sweet guys together. Sunshine x Sunshine doesn't happen often, likely because people like to see a grumpy guy soften. Shan and I noted that Mork is rather aggressive in this episode when he's upset, and we think that was chosen to give the audience that likes to see a hurt man soften could get some of what they need.

Few shows we have start as strongly as this show. So, if you have some time, please give the first episode a chance and let this show surprise you. Fluke is also going to be in The Whisperer later this year, so you'll want to appreciate his dimples now.

[twig-tea]

My Ride Re-Watch Self-Reflection

This is going to be self-indulgent and long, apologies in advance!

Something you need to know about how I watch shows: I care the most about character arc. I prioritize character arc over plot holes, pacing, and possibly even politics. This is not an endorsement for watching shows this way AT ALL and it certainly isn't a moral judgment on any viewers that do or don't do this, it's just how my brain is wired (and it's not an objective judgment on shows, either! Not every character actually needs to grow--even though typing that out is giving me hives lolol). So when a character does something that I think is either out of character or unearned by the narrative, I get annoyed; if they don't change or they keep making the same mistakes I lose interest; and if a character arc is awesome, I forgive a lot of things that can make shows unwatchable to other people.

I watched My Ride as it aired in 2022 and I was so in love with that series, it was poised to become a favourite. I was so burnt out on series that had a misunderstanding leads to breakup in the second-last ep, and this show has sidestepped that with the conversation about Khai by having Mork insist on talking right away! Plus Tawan, through the entire fiasco with Por, was always direct, he didn't run from Por and he didn't ignore his own suspicions or jump to conclusions, he sought Por out to ask directly: "Are you mad at me?" "Did I do something wrong?" "Are you seeing someone else?" I loved both Tawan and Mork so much, they clearly deserved one another and deserved happiness.

And then at the end of ep 9/start of ep10, Tawan sees Mork hug Fern and runs away, quits his job before he finishes his certification and internship?! And Mork is the one who the narrative seems to think has to prove his commitment to their not-yet-a-relationship when he's been the one committed this whole time? I had 2gether flashbacks and I did not like it. I didn't like either side couple's resolution, I didn't like that Tawan had regressed in a way that didn't feel (to me, at the time) earned, and I didn't like that Mork didn't have any (again, to me at the time) character growth.

So I never rewatched it. I remembered the first 9 eps fondly, loved so much of what the show had in it, especially Cheep and Dej and the characters of Mork and Tawan, and recommended it when it came up, but always hesitated to put it on a favourites list, and I struggled with the ending and how I felt about it--at least partially because I suspected it was a me thing rather than a show thing. And then, after La Pluie, I realized this screenwriter was good and trusts their audience and I should give it another chance and maybe pay more attention. Plus the re-airing was perfectly timed to start. So I've been (mostly) quietly watching again, and whew I'm so glad I did.

I still don't love the side couples, lets get that out of the way lol [if you don't want to think about these storylines, skip this and the following paragraph]. I think Boss is neurodivergent-coded and you don't get "over" neurodivergence through force of will (at least, not without burnout). Thinking about this couple through the lens of Semantic Error, which you could argue is very similar on paper, Toy tries to pull Boss out of his carefully constructed world, while Jaeyoung tries to make space for himself in Sangwoo's world while doing his best to follow Sangwoo's rules (though he definitely pushes--but contrast Jaeyong moving a single pen to Toy throwing whole shelves of books to the ground). If My Ride had shown that Toy didn't need Boss to completely change, and had them find a way of working through Boss' and Toy's needs to find a new normal together, I would have been much more comfortable with this story. On rewatch, I will say that Toy's initial bribery attempt was not as bad as I remembered, but that man needs to keep his hands off those bookshelves, and the show needs to stop scaring Boss in order to give Toy one redeeming thing to do, as @callipigio said that was not cute.

As for the hets, the only thing I picked up on rewatch that I didn't appreciate the first time was that despite her confidence, Nadia was also not used to being chosen by the men in her life, and so when she saw Mayom had options after coming back from Japan, she assumed he would choose anyone else and that's why she was so upset. And so, the reveal that he got this attention because he was trying to meet her expectations, and that he was thinking of her in Japan and bought her a souvenir, showed he did put her first and did choose her. I just wish Nadia had suffered longer by seeing Mayom being appreciated for the hot, talented, and kind man he is, and had visibly learned something or changed in any way because of it. I don't think she has a satisfying character arc and so I didn't like this story. [again: this is just my taste! Not every story needs to contain personal growth! I am not advocating for this to be seen as a moral judgment! It just means this story was not satisfying for my brain because of it.]

Ok, Mork and Tawan time. This time, on rewatch, I picked up on hints they dropped earlier; that Mork struggled more than I noticed the first time with his bisexual awakening; that Mork didn't like how he hadn't gone to college or university, but he had been willing to make that sacrifice for Fern. How Tawan really missed his family and wanted to eventually practice medicine in Chiang Mai. How Tawan only ran from Mork and Fern after Mork described their relationship as work buddies [he not only calls them friends, he backtracks and says "not even really a friend, I know him from work"! And as @sparklyeyedhimbo pointed out in their rewatch, Mork had literally asked Tawan to co-parent just the day before, so the messages were extremely mixed]. All of this feeds into what happens in eps 9-10.

[Mork you were like this even when you were just "workplace associates", stop this foolishness]

Firstly, the timeline of ep 9-10 struck me on this rewatch in a way it didn't when watching the first time. If I'm not wrong, Tawan was already mostly burned out; his heartache led him to use up his accumulated vacation to go home to Chiang Mai, but then came back after just a few days because Mork missed him; then went to see Mork while he was still on vacation, got shocked by the existence of Mork's kid, spent a day or couple of days with them, then made study materials for Mork and Khai (likely because he knew he wouldn't have much time in the future) and then got surprised again by seeing Fern--this would I think still be during the week of his vacation? At that point, he just wanted to go back home to once again lick his wounds but his vacation was over and he had none left (he told us he used it all when talking to his parents at dinner). So in that context, actually, quitting as an instinct makes a bit more sense--I've actually been there, at one point I was going to burn out and put in my notice, and my boss stepped in and told me to take leave instead. I'm really glad his advisor was able to do the same thing my boss did for me, and talk him out of quitting but encouraging him to take leave instead so that he could go home without messing up his future.

And in paying better attention, I realized this time around that for Tawan, going back home rather than confonting Mork both made sense and was good for his character arc. Before this, he'd clearly not been visiting home at least partly because he kept taking shifts for friends, and partly to make time for Por; so after giving up some of his time in Chiang Mai to be with Mork, it makes sense he'd want to be there when he thought he might have read Mork wrong after all. And Tawan pushing and pushing Por to get answers blew up so badly in his face last time, that retreating rather than confronting Mork actually does make sense in context. Also, like Tawan said to Nadia, he was tired of not being put first, and when Mork didn't go after him outside the garage after Fern called him back, Mork had put Fern first in that moment. And up until then the only confessions Tawan (and the audience) has gotten from Mork were in Mork's imagination; he'd flirted but not actually said anything concrete aloud. So Tawan needing something more from Mork to prove that Mork actually does feel the way he's been implying, and he would put Tawan first, is fair and fits what took place in the show, actually--my past self was I think applying an unfair lens on this as a point of convenient dramatic tension. Finally, I realized on this rewatch that Tawan leaving without saying anything, after he knew Mork panicked last time and specifically told him not to do that, could be read as Tawan being a little bit selfish, actually, (which as @bengiyo said these two characters could use more of), and leaving to be chased after could be seen as Tawan (at least subconsciously) indulging a self-indulgent impulse. Having thought that through I now appreciate it as an action of his character arc rather than resenting it.

And now we get to Mork's character arc. Because Mork is already the best boy, so what could his character possibly stand to learn?

This was my thinking on first watch, but on rewatch I think he demonstrates that he grew in a few ways. First, he goes through the self-realization and acceptance of loving another man. I didn't give that journey enough credit the first time around.

Secondly, he re-orients himself after a breakup from a relationship that spanned multiple years. I know a lot of people saw the petrol/gas analog by Dej as learning to love men instead of women, but I saw it as learning to love Tawan rather than Fern--because they are two different people, and they have different things they need from you, and he has all of these learned patterns from his relationship with Fern that he has to unlearn, including putting her feelings first. Going back to the moment when Mork doesn't go after Tawan, if you accept my reading of Uncle Dej's advice, Mork's choice not to go after Tawan but instead to stay with Fern is contextualized through this conversation as Mork falling into old habits and putting Fern's wants and needs over all others including his own. He then corrects this by not agreeing to get back together with her, but not until promising to always be her smile--in other words, he's still struggling with reorienting himself in terms of who Mork is in relation to Fern when not her boyfriend. [This also makes Dej's pointed comment about gas being cheaper than petrol a pointed jab at Fern and her demands of Mork's money specifically, which the petty part of me enjoys.]

Mork also faced his fear of heights for Tawan, though he did that before he even acknowledged he had feelings, so I'm not sure I'm counting that as anything other than Mork continuing to be the best. But when, on the mountain, Mork finally says aloud the thing he's been daydreaming about for at this point months, this is definitely character growth and feeds into my first part about Mork struggling with his feelings for a man. I realized on this rewatch that Mork always talks about his feelings for Tawan as a hypothetical or a question--"Do I like him?" "Could we be together?" "If I do like him, what should I do?" He doesn't state his feelings as a statement except in his imagination (I think--may need to rewatch again to confirm), until the confession on the mountain. So, as @lurkingshan pointed out in her post, My Ride also makes the same point as La Pluie that clear, verbal communication is key to a relationship.

Mork also gets to be a teensy bit more selfish near the end, which I didn't really clock the first watch-through. When Tawan explains why he thought about quitting and how he wanted to relocate to Chiang Mai so that he could help take care of his mother, Mork's wheels started turning and he began planning for their future together up North--again this is not new, Mork planned his future with Fern and her goals in mind so it makes sense he'd be planning his future with Tawan in the same way. Because Mork is best. But! This time he includes in his future plans his goal to get a degree and open a garage of his own. I love this, it's such a small victory but I think it's important for his character that the thing he's seemingly regretted most about his choices (giving up on his own chance to go to school) and that he did for someone he loved (putting them through school) is now something he's doing for himself (as well as for his shared future with his partner). And this also reflects Mork internalizing Dej's point about how he's got to recalibrate--because what Tawan needs from Mork is not the same thing as what Fern needed from him, and these different circumstances allow him to adjust his future plans and fit in his own dreams. Love that for him.

I love that we get the timeskip to see a glimpse into their future, beyond it just being so sweet, it allows us to see the ways in which they've fit together, and how their relationship is not perfect--Tawan forgets their anniversary, Mork is trying to establish himself in a small community that probably does not open easily to outsiders--but it's balanced in that they support each other to make up for one another's weaknesses (Mork doesn't actually care and is happy to be the one who remembers these things; Tawan is happy to pay for the restaurant).

I didn't say anything about the Tawan/Por relationship above because I didn't really catch anything new on rewatch, from the get-go I thought it was so well done. Por is believably self-absorbed and Tawan really does such a good job of trying to do everything right. He talks to him directly and listen to his own instincts, but is surrounded by people (Por, Nadia, Mork) who tell him to let it go and ignore the signs. I continue to love to hate Por. This thread is a little unresolved because Por comes sniffing back around Tawan's ward, but we didn't really need to see Tawan reject Por, which I appreciated as the show writing him off as not a threat. I did pick up more on the glimpses of the kindness that La Pluie shows its female characters in how Fern is treated; Fern is shown to be selfish and materialistic, but also legitimately struggling with their life as-is, and by showing her trying to get Mork back, at least it gives her the credit of letting her realize what she was missing when it was gone. I'm glad La Pluie went further with keeping Nara complex and human.

Finally, I have to shout out how much love this show has for queer community and found family. Cheep and Dej give Mork and Tawan and even Fueang a safe haven to come to when they're hurt and confused, and they give so much advice. Everyone else has said it (I know @chickenstrangers mentions how special it is in their rewatch but I'm sure others have too) but it's worth repeating how much of a difference this makes for these characters.

Fueang and Mork also give one another advice and support, and I think it works well in the show that actually both Fueang and Mork can mostly just give support and some generic advice, but they can't speak from experience the way Cheep and Dej can. Still, the motorcycle gang support Fueang, and then Mork, in getting their respective partners. Tawan's sister knows exactly what is going on and gives Mork a challenge to make sure he's good enough for her brother. Fueang and the gang also show up in Chiang Mai because they're so sure their bro is going to mess up his confession, and then they cheer on the kiss when it does go well.

Mork taking on Khai as his own child when his brother failed to step up is also a beautiful reflection of the love and care his uncles gave to him and modeled for him; he clearly sees them as parental figures and was able to imagine himself as a parent to Khai because of it--and he never questions whether his getting together with a man would have a bad influence on his nephew/adopted son, the way we see Jim struggle with this in Moonlight Chicken, for example. More queer elders in stories please and thank you!

I feel so much less conflicted about this show now that I've gone through this exercise. Feel free to tell me if you think I got too far in my head and overanalyzed lol I'm always open to being told I'm now adding things that aren't there. I just really needed to deconstruct why I had issues last time and what changed for me when I paid more attention. Also, this experience makes me want to binge Step by Step to see if it makes a difference in how I feel about the ending to that show...but I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

And if you read all that, you're awesome.

[distant-screaming]

Mork is the biggest sparkly eyed sunshine boy I've seen in a hot minute goddamn I love him

[colourme-feral]

THE WAY THEIR LEGS ARE TOUCHING EACH OTHER AND THE WAY THEY ARE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER??????????

WHILE DISCUSSING GOING HOME???!

[manogirl]

It's not like I forGOT how deeply attractive Fluke Ponsakorn's single dimple is, it's just that I started taking it for granted. It's sincerely one of the cutest dimples in the world, I'm convinced.

I'm not into horror but boy, I don't know if I can resist anything he's in.

[orangemocharaktajino]

I’m watching My Ride for the first time and I started watching it with almost zero knowledge about the plot. All I knew was there were gay uncles and it wasn’t a school setting.

-I almost gave up on the show halfway through the first episode because I didn’t like Por.

-I love Fueang and not only because he is my hair twin.

-I loved the violent mood swings in episode 5. Sweet festival date? Wait, was that a fucking bomb? Run for your life! Followed by Mork’s tragic discovery. Delicious

-Shit, this is gonna make me finally watch Unforgotten Night, isn’t it?

-I can only imagine how confused this poor security guard is in episode 8 at Por’s condo. He doesn’t know how to break up a fight apparently and he probably doesn’t know the context either. I liked how he just stood there awkwardly after Por and Mork quit fighting on their own. All three giving Tawan some respectful silence while he sobbed on the floor, was a nice touch.

[lurkingshan]

It’s this look right here for me

Mork, who has realized he likes Tawan, has just caught Por in the act of lying and cheating. His romantic rival has betrayed Tawan and now he knows that. In another show, that could potentially be ammunition he could use, and another male lead might be happy about it.

But Mork? Mork is devastated. Because more than he wants Tawan for himself, he wants Tawan to be loved and respected and treated with dignity. He wants him to be happy. He is utterly dismayed to see Por so brazenly betraying Tawan because he knows how much it’s going to hurt when Tawan finds out.

THIS IS WHY MORK IS BEST BOY!!

(Time for Por to get what’s coming to him @neuroticbookworm @callipigio @manogirl @sliceduplife @chickenstrangers @troubled-mind @negrowhat @blmpff @colourme-feral @rocketturtle4 @bengiyo @wen-kexing-apologist)

[gabrielokun]

[plantsarepeopletoo]

Mork is a himbo in the best way possible, I love him and his uncles so much.

Did this man just realize that his gay uncles are gay?

@callipigio @respectthepetty help, I'm dying 😂

[chickenstrangers]

I continue to love Mork and his uncles and I was so happy with the scene where Tawan met the uncles for the first time. As @bengiyo pointed out yesterday, Mork doesn't really see his uncles as gay or in a romantic relationship, they're just his uncles. And it's nice for it to be so normalized, but it felt different when Tawan met them this episode. It looked to me that there was a moment of recognition for Tawan as he realized that Cheep and Dej were together, and getting support and community from queer elders is really special. Seeing two people like him that are happy, after being together for so long, even doing something as mundane as a doctor's visit, that's very lovely. Cheep and Dej are so overtly supportive of Mork, especially as he navigates his own feelings for Tawan, and I look forward to seeing how these characters will continue to care for each other.

[sollucets]

MY RIDE || EPISODE FIVE

[bengiyo]

My Ride Rewatch: They Were Friends First

I love that Tawan and Mork start as just two kind people trying to help each other. Tawan was worried about Mork being so upset, and Mork is just trying to help Tawan with a project.

These two are just genuinely really sweet people. There's no angst in their beginning. Mork is the one who starts to feel a disappointment he can't place that Tawan is taken, but Tawan is just glad to have met someone reliable and kind.

We also meet Cheep and Dech this week! @neuroticbookworm pointed out that this throwing powder into the face of a potential intruder only for them to be a beloved friend or family member is a common trope she's familiar with. I love this because this means these are gays too deep in their stories.

Cheep and Dech are one of my favorite pairs of all time. They love their nephew. Cheep is so worried that he keeps interrupting the sad music because he just doesn't want to see his caring nephew lose his sunshine.

This time around I find myself still struggling with Yoon. I'm just not into that pair. However, I do like that they're integrated into Tawan's and Nadia's life in a way that doesn't feel forced. It even led to a silly dance number that sets up the public reveal that Tawan is seeing Por.

Mork is disappointed, and it'll be fun to see how he processes that again.

Please watch along with us!

Tagging @callipigio @lurkingshan @troubled-mind @blmpff @manogirl @sliceduplife watch along.