#thamepo ep 12

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

I need you to really feel it, or think of anyone who brings that feeling to you. "Are you doing alright? That question keeps repeating in my mind. Just wanna know when you're there, without me there, how have you been? Have you missed me? Cuz I keep on missing you in my mind. I can only hope that you're happier there. Wanna see that smile on your face like when we're in love again."

[hughungrybear]

Why subs fail me like this??? What did Jun say??? 😭😭😭

[thebroccolination]

THE SUBLIMELY MARVELOUS WRITING IN THAMEPO

I just watched episode twelve and maaaaan, this series is playing its writing game on a completely separate plane, holy shit.

MAKING ME CRY OVER MICK?

All those little flashbacks to when he was helping them??? IN EPISODE TWELVE?

THIS SERIES IS SO WELL-WRITTEN IT MAKES MY CELLS EXPLODE.

The technique this series has repeatedly used where it shows you a scene and then later cuts back to the same scene through someone else’s perspective is always so fucking brilliantly executed. It never feels like a cheap trick or cheating because the show uses its framing so well you really are just seeing everything through one perspective until the show allows you to see more through another person’s eyes. I have such a writer crush on this series.

I couldn’t watch live yesterday because of work and I wanted to give it the mental space it deserves so I got up early before work and watched it with breakfast and a kitty on my lap and now I’m on the train to work and I’m just blown away.

GMMTV mainly makes half-baked, quickly slapped-together fluff without a clear vision in order to promote actors who then promote things to get money from fans (and every bland, calculating interview I see with Tha just reinforces that impression), so when we get heartfelt series like Be My Favorite or ThamePo where it’s so clear that the writing was a priority and time was devoted to making the script as good as it could be? That the creators didn’t care how long it took to make these series as long as they felt they were following through with a creative vision that felt true and honest and passionate to them—that’s special.

From the very first episode, the script of ThamePo has been as close to perfect as it could be. And from the preview for the finale next week, I think they’ll stick the landing in a way so emotionally satisfying, it’ll cement ThamePo as the best-written series GMMTV has made yet.

[moon0fairy]

I can‘t believe they‘re gatekeeping this Thame look from us!!

And the smirk help

[dramalove247]

Best quotes from today:

watching with a friend and they are cracking me up

ThamePo episode 12: "I guess ThamePo decided to have 13 episodes so they could give us an extra episode of pain."

GIF by @singto-prachaya

The Heart Killers episode 8: "For once, Style looking thirsty for something other than Fadel."

Photos by @secriden

[hyperactivelyanxious]

Mick was the angel in disguise the whole time and you can't make me unsee it

[mirabella96]

ThamePo ep 12

GHOST

I mean I knew it was for Po to understand things but also yyyyyyyy... there is a difference between leaving and openly ignoring

thats a interesting conversation

HAHAHHAHAHAHAH and I though Po can have nice things, naive me

oh my that'a a beatiful necktie!!!

Uncle shoud have been more prominent in this show <3

that's a really nice letter, poor POOR poor PO

company people give me inmeasurable amounds of stress

POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Does Mick actually have all the braincells or is he some supermastermind or sth hahahhahahhahahahahahah

ahhahahhaha so Jun fired Po XD

[chinzhilla]

Slow motion, I'm watching our love.

[tortibomb]

I believe that we can both work as a group and like someone at the same time because both are part of our lives. [Ep 6] เธมโป้ (ThamePo) Heart That Skips a Beat

₊˚.⋆⁺₊bonus ₊˚.⋆⁺₊:

[projectjasper]

uncle said "man, i'm just trying to eat, i don't dream of labour"

[hughungrybear]

Honestly, this question becomes less important as one grows older. When you're young, all the adults will drill into your head that you must find a dream and strive to make that dream into a reality. Otherwise, life would be dull and not worth living.

But as one grows older, you'd realise that most adults lie. How the world perceives us does not really matter. What matters is how we perceive ourselves DESPITE all that background noise.

Thame's letter shows that he is also starting to understand, it's not really the accolades that matters. It's how they got there: the steps and the decisions they made that put them there. That's how you measure one's success. Sometimes, it really is that simple.

[thebroccolination]

THAMEPO: EPISODES 10, 11, & 12 PREDICTION + MIDPOINT ANALYSIS

Okay so!

Next week's gonna be great.

We get the Consequences of Their Actions AND the only thing I love more than Jealous Thame: Protective Thame.

The teaser for episode 10 suggests that Miss (angel of my heart) Pemika has discovered Po's involvement in the resurrection of MARS and fires him. It's possible that she didn't know about his relationship with Thame, but I imagine Thame confronting her and being Feral Boyfriend at her will speedrun that part.

But I also think Pemika put pressure on Pepper and Gam to end their relationship.

In my episode 6 prediction post, I wrote:

Thame, having realized he’s falling in love with Po, will try to convince Pepper that he can have both. He can date and be part of MARS. In Thame’s mind, if he can establish a precedent for a member dating and not threaten the group’s survival, then Thame and Po won’t have as big of a struggle convincing the company to let them date.

At the end of episode 6, Thame and Pepper both decided to choose love and career, which means that narratively, Pepper's relationship is likely going to take the fall first.

Because my long-term prediction in that post was this:

My guess is that Pepper is dating a woman in order for the narrative to show how much more dangerous a relationship between two men will be to MARS. If even a conventional relationship is enough to threaten Pepper’s status in the group, imagine one that isn’t. […] But to satisfy the narrative structure of the stakes rising while disrupting the so-far smooth sailing of bringing MARS back together, I think Pepper will feel pressured enough to break up with the person he loves for MARS. This will put Thame in an even more uncomfortable position: he’ll have seen the risk of pursuing something with Po, he’ll have seen a friend’s relationship ruined and thus potentially feel guilty for pursuing something with Po, and we know he’ll choose love anyway because that’s the kind of show this is. (And y’know, because we’ve seen the trailer.)

See, in the preview for episode 10, we get this shot:

and judging by the framing of this same scene in the trailer, of Pepper being in the center with Thame and Nano comforting/supporting him,

we're probably getting a press conference scene where Pepper addresses the end of his relationship with Gam. (Also, Thame and Pepper are the two in relationships, and they're the two looking at each other.)

Midpoints generally follow one of two trajectories: False Victory or False Defeat. In a False Defeat, things go badly for our protagonist, and that raises the stakes and tension throughout the second half of the story.

[Spoilers for Be My Favorite start here]

The midpoint of Be My Favorite, for example, is a False Defeat.

Kawi kisses Pisaeng while drunk, which is the only way he can face how he feels and act on it, but when he tries to talk to Pisaeng about it the next day, Pisaeng shuts the conversation down. Pisaeng's constant flaw in the series is avoidance, which he leans on hard here.

This midpoint leads to Kawi time-traveling forward into The Worst Timeline. Because Kawi and Pisaeng didn't have that one crucial conversation about their first kiss, Kawi has developed alcoholism as a crutch and Pisaeng has committed to his life of avoidance. When Kawi still insists on chasing after him, Pisaeng walks out on Kawi entirely.

As a result, the consequences of the False Defeat midpoint raises the stakes for both of them. Kawi has to try twice as hard to express himself without substances to help, and Pisaeng has to force himself to confront issues instead of constantly hiding from and avoiding them.

[Spoilers for Be My Favorite end here]

ThamePo, on the other hand, had a False Victory Midpoint in episode 6 with Thame successfully persuading Pepper to commit to Gam and MARS. That success spurs Thame on, leading him to pursue Po more and more seriously, egged on further by his low-stakes competition with Jun.

But even though the trajectory for Thame and Po has been going up in episodes 7, 8, and 9, the audience knows there are threats on the sidelines. That's what makes it a False Victory: Thame and Po are riding on a high from the midpoint, taking risks that will lead to the All Is Lost, the place in the narrative where our protagonist is at their lowest point (what Thai BL fans call the Episode 11 Curse).

Episode 10 will probably see Pepper's relationship taken out first.

I initially thought it would be Pepper breaking up with Gam, but having rewatched her scene with Thame in episode 6, now I think it might be Gam who decides to end things.

Something about the way she looks away toward the end of the scene tells me she has reservations.

The separation of Pepper and Gam, a conventionally gendered couple who have been together for a while, would heighten the threat to Thame and Po who are both men and in the fledgling phase of their relationship. That "ticking time bomb" Pepper mentioned in episode 6 is going to explode in episode 10.

From there, we have a bunch of scenes and dialogue from the trailer that I presume will appear in episode 11:

The trailer repeats Jun's line to Po about a relationship with Thame being impossible.

And then we get Thame saying this:

"No matter what happens, I'll never lose my friends(/members) or you."

So, y'know, standard happy ending fare, and I'm happy to report that I have no idea how it'll happen, but I do think it'll be some mirror of Earn. Especially given how determinedly Thame erased Earn's residue in Po's life in episode 9, there will probably be a very public declaration from Thame. Not necessarily that he loves Po, though I'm sure that'll be part of it, but more an acknowledgement of how instrumental Po was in saving and safeguarding MARS, which is more Thame's family than his biological family.

Since Earn wouldn't recognize Po, Thame will, and that will complete both their arcs. Po getting the validation he's longed for, and Thame being selfish enough to risk everything for something he wants.

/thamepo dismount

[williamests]

it just hit me that ThamePo has 13 episodes so that means they're gonna give us two weeks of angst... ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ (please prove me wrong p'mui)

[nanihirunkits]

I don’t want to keep you waiting anymore.

THAMEPO | EP8

[aprilblossomgirl]

What kind of plan are you thinking about? | Like, it’s okay if Thame doesn’t know about it? | How could that be okay? If he’s clueless, it’s even harder. | Yeah. The chance of success drops too.

ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat | Ep.12

+ bonus MARS+Po

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm using the word "ridiculous" a lot

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Dec 2024 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 12 - OMG they’re so fucking cute I can’t stand it. It’s too much. Everyone is adorable. Including the father. (That said, I wouldn’t recommend watching Naughty Babe with your dad. That’s a big leap there, cutie pie.) The 10 minutes of holding hand negotiation and then finally walking together across campus was truly fucking fantastic. This show is GLORIOUS. Now we also know when it finally does move from dreams to reality, that these two can kiss.

Actual name of this show?

How to Train Your Seme

Speaking of names, Fah's brother, whose name I forget, is now going to referred to by me as Sarcastic Cupid. Because that is his role in this narrative. I love him very much.

On a completely different note, and I know this is not that kind of show, but this is me so I have to say it, if these two ever do have sex it’s gonna take them hours. They just gonna spend half the night negotiating. Which is kind of tantric, but my goodness would they even make it into bed?

ThamePo (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - i just love this show!!!! so happy to have this one my screen. The dads have to save the little musical family! So cute! And illegally pretty.

Love Sick 2024 (Sun iQIYI) ep 14 of 15 - They substantially took steps to fix Phun‘s dad character in the new version and I really like that a lot. I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. 

Caged Again (Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - Why is this absurd show so damn good? When Sun has to beg it’s just too much. It’s too sweet and aching and hurtful and wonderful. Catnip = the sex herb trope was not anything I’ve ever thought I would see in my lifetime. Okaaay now. Relax little show. Too far.

Fourever You (Thurs YT) ep 12 of 16 - The extended version is clearly better. But I’m not gonna bother to pay for it. Again, I’m liking the new couple more and more each week. I still prefer the first couple of course cause Pond but it’s enjoyable enough.

Note: I'm super grateful for those posting them as clips here on the hellsite. Because man can these boys kiss!

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 12 - this show is so entirely and utterly ridiculous. I don’t even know what to do with it or myself. Or what to say. Carry on, I guess?

Also I don't know what GMMTV is smoking to tease this one, but I'll take a hit next time they pass the BL bong.

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT?) ep 7 of 24 - I am living for Pond & Sand. they are pretty much all I care about. Yes including the upcoming couples. I just want pond sand. sure the main couple was fine it was a perfectly serviceable ending to their arc such as it was. All in all I enjoyed this episode big smile on my face most of the time.

Secret Love (????) 1-60 of 81 eps - Someone dropped a cut together of episodes one through 60, and I actually quite enjoyed it. It’s a total soap opera and very much a pulp. But I kind of love that right now. Frankly, 1-60 is a completed story arc. If you want that. I will probably watch the whole thing if anybody ever uploads it or it turns up grey anywhere. But this was quite satisfying. Ridiculous but charming fluff about two stepbrothers, who aren’t really stepbrothers, who have loved each other forever and are reunited under trying family circumstances. 7/10 passes the sniff test

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 7 of 11 - ARGH. The pain. what an absolutely stellar show. I can't believe we are only on ep 7!

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 9 of 13 - I love it. This show is fantastic. It’s classic BL, it’s hitting all of the tropes, and it reminds me of some of the best that Taiwan has done in the past. I’m charmed and enjoying it immensely. Taiwan isn’t great on endings so I’m reserving judgment, but what a current highlight to my week. I like these boys so much. Please be kind to me and them, Taiwan?

Eternal Butler (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - Ever 4, a sophisticated AI combat robot, becomes the personal butler/bodyguard to Luo Bu Shi, a spoiled yet lonely young heir. And I like it a lot. Odd with a very old fashioned yaoi feel. Also actually kinky (not Thai kinky), I mean it's no JBL but I like it. Dommed into reading = hot. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 12 of ? - I love our new rescuer, he v cute! Nice addition to the cast. I hope we get more of him. Otherwise, this was more of the same. I’m getting pretty fatigued with this bully stuff at this juncture.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 8 end - A lackluster adaptation of some already questionable content, that managed to lose all the limited charm and massive chemistry of the original. It was a mistake to do with less runtime not to mention put both climaxes in the final episode.  Too much all at once. By dividing up the two rescues and keeping them exclusive to their respective couples they highlighted the formulaic nature of the narrative and weakened the foundational friendships. The best thing about the original was the friendships both between the semes and the ukes. By having each boyfriend simply rescue his own boy without help, we didn’t get to see the depth of those friendships at all. For this reason, this installment was weaker than the original. My final feeling at the end was simply “OK whatever�� not a ringing endorsement. 7/10 but barely that.

It's airing but......

Spare Me Your Mercy (Thurs iQIYI) ep 5 of 8 - on hold because it went out side genre conventions and I'm not sure what to expect. I'm waiting until it ends, then if safe I will binge.

Be Moon - Falling for my enemy's son (China YT) movie from HBD Studio airing in short bits but I couldn't find any this week.

Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai ???) - has been picked up to air on WeTV, or something? Criminals who meet in prison fall in love. I did find it on YouTube, initially un-subbed, then subs happened by which time I got distracted. The first episode seems to be only six minutes long. It is very pulp. But it is intriguing. For now it's to the wayside until someone tells me it landed safely. Occasionally Thai pulps want to be edgy and it's not a good look on them.

0.5D (Japan ????) 4 eps - Supposedly a completed short. "Sales ace, Sada, has a secret that only his junior, Daiki, knows. He has pretended to have a gf for years, resulting in him being a virgin. But now Sada has fallen in love. Confused, Sada seeks advice from his junior." I sense another queer Cyrano De Bergerac. I can't find and it's good very poor review so Imma stop looking. Info here.

The Renovation (Thai mini One31) 2 eps - Writer turns his blossoming romance with holiday resort owner into a novel. Eh is it worth trying to find?

It Ended But?

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun Viki) paused at eps 9-10 of 12 - I have been told the ending is OK if not great. I’m gonna hold off for a bit.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Final still to come:

12/29 Sangmin Dinneaw (Thai ????) ??eps - trailer Childhood friends (Thai & Korean) reunite after being apart for ten years. As the boys reconnect, their bond matures and feelings of romance begin to develop, in Thai.

Impression of Youth (Taiwan ????) ??eps - rumors are this is supposed to start this month.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

10 years later and it's still one of BLs best cuddles (Love Sick)

Always like a seme who asks permission. (Perfect 10)

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs