Ticket to Heaven

Best opening scene in Bl History and Perfection of the Conclusion, Makes this an entire MASTERPIECE

Let's dive into A Beautiful & Devastating Masterpiece starring Geminifourth .
Opening scene of TICKET TO HEAVEN might be one of the best openings in the Bl history
S queer story beginning with marriage equality isn't just romance; it's a triumph of love and justice. . Tell me huh what's better ??

Main Highlight : The Boundaries of Faith and Love
The story between a deeply devout student preparing for priesthood. He clings tightly to his faith as a promise that he will eventually reunite with his deceased parents in heaven. And a charming but emotionally fragile new transfer student burdened by a broken family and a painful past.

~~~~ ***DETAILED REVIEW*** ~~~~
( inner thoughts and emotions shared , philosophies shared )
sorry if it's too long but it's worth reading, I guarantee 😆


I got emotionally attached to itt, it felt so reall to me . Almighty God pls bless themm ..
It's the pillar of the whole series, the emotional build up between the characters and Both are enduring pain .
I know they will salve each other's wounds.

There is a hidden, beautiful logic to how the main characters are named and the meaning behind the names adds a beautiful layer to the story 🤌🏻
•Tanrak is a combination of two affectionate thai words : Tan ( แทน ) means ‘to substitute’ or ‘to represent’ and Rak ( ร็ก ) means ‘love’ when combined means “the representative of love” or “symbol of love”
•Barth is the shortened version of Bartholomew, a saint , one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.
And philosophy says :
The name serves as a powerful thematic metaphor within the show. Much like his namesake, Barth is a tortured, fragile soul who has suffered greatly in life (having lost his mother to the justice system and facing rejection). Throughout the series, he and Tanrak become martyrs of love, caught between the rigid moral dictates of their 1990s Catholic seminary school and their deep, forbidden feelings for one another.

The painting TICKET TO HEAVEN itself has thousand meanings it's not just a painting but it's emotion , it's not just a man taking the stairs to heaven, but sufferings and sacrifices behind itt.

I felt the weight of that statement, experienced a stinging sensation . “ I realised that God never helped me at all. ”
This phrase illustrates the unbearable anguish that broke Barth's trust in a divine power. That hurts .

We finally got this after a long wait. The trailer alone is amazing; I can’t imagine how good the actual drama will be. God I'm in heaven it's already airing , This whole year-long wait was absolutely worth it.
A Stunning CINEMATOGRAPHY .
The atmosphere is top-notch, with a setting in a Catholic seminary makes it unique .

You're gonna find me here every Saturday I'm never giving up on this drama or I'll get cursed , I don't dare to leave this onee at all ♡
Heyyy pls don't mind, but I'm more interested cuz it's Geminifourth, their chemistry is as electric as anticipated, and the acting skills ofcourse..
I’m already obsessed with Barth’s facial expressions and his incredible aura. Despite being just the premiere episode, brewing chemistry between the leads is already undeniable.
I can tell it'll leave an indelible mark on everyone's heart even if it's going to be sorrowful.

I’m incredibly excited for the new episodes, but I’m almost afraid to watch them because I don't want it to end! Why are there only six episodes? I have no idea how I’m going to cope when it’s finally over.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the entire team for their exceptional work on this project, they've have created something truly remarkable.


Suddenly the opening scene clicked in my mind and now it's making scene, What was I thinking, what wrong with me??
Is there a satisfying, closed ending, or are they leaving it open?
Now I know, the most problematic part is the first scene of first episode
That’s a terrifying 30-year jump from 1996 to 2026 .

I am absolutely terrified that Ticket to Heaven is going to be just like Your Name Engraved Herein. I really cannot handle another heartbreaking ending like that!
After waiting a year, I refuse to be traumatized by a sad ending.
I’m really hoping for a definitive ending, not a cliffhanger.
That first scene makes it clear we are in for an emotional rollercoaster. I really hope the plot doesn't separate them for years, bring Barth back just for Tanrak's ordination, and then leave us hanging with an unresolved ending!
Noo man I can't even think of ittt .

After watching episode 2, I was right—this confirms my theory about Tanrak's name. Literally how beautiful.
I never expected such an unexpected twist in the second episode—Tanrak's intense obsession and desperate craving for Barth was truly shocking.
Despite his best efforts to flee from temptation, he cannot stop his heart from loving. If love is a God-given emotion, why is it branded a sin to love whom we choose?


Every time Barth teases Tanrak or secretly looks at him, it is obvious he is developing feelings. Watching their chemistry makes me blush every single time. The way he stares hits different.
Not just Barth,
It is completely obvious that Tanrak feels an intense sexual tension toward Barth. The way he constantly stares at Barth's lips, obsessively replays their physical encounters in his mind, he got hard and later masturbates clearly shows his deep desire. I can't breathe . I'm screaming !!!
But the expression on Tanrak’s face the moment he realizes he loves Barth is devastating. He looks consumed by guilt, perfectly capturing the agony of realizing you've fallen into a love that is a sin—the kind of sin that locks you out of heaven.

Will he escape the snare of his desires, or allow them to take over?
Tanrak is torn between his spiritual path and his feelings for Barth.
This spectacular episode beautifully highlighted the deepening, heartfelt connection between the characters and perfectly captured the characters growing attachment to one another.
Fourth is a phenomenal actor—he communicated the entire depth of the scene without uttering a single word. Huge round of applause for him!

“Does every kind of love leads us closer to HIM ? ”
I just know from where should I start after watching 3rd episode, the things I felt during the whole time is so different, The emotional journey felt so intense, culminating in a beautiful, long-awaited kiss where Tanrak finally took a leap toward Barth. Strangely, I found myself crying uncontrollably through the entire sequence
I couldn't stop my heart from racing since the bathing scene and they stared into each other's eyes, exchanging unspoken messages in a deep, private dialogue.
Even without words, the heavy lingering glances between them communicated everything they were holding back what I could feel.
The tension peaks during a silent, highly charged bathing scene and culminates in a passionate, extended kiss between Tanrak and Barth. I cried I don't know whyy, I felt completely overwhelmed, I couldn't stop myself from crying, it's like I was holding on to something and I released it all through my tears .
Still now I remember the whole thing clearly from them bathing till the kiss.
Tanrak finally decided to be himself and opened the door of love and desire.
The emotion that he kept hidden he decided to let it come out, all the jealousy that was burning his soul from inside he decided to cool it downn.
Throughout the whole episode we can see Tanrak burning himself into the flame of jealously, bearing the emotions that kills him from inside, except the last part which brought absolute joy to himm.
Tanrak suppresses his identity, fearful that his desires conflict with his duty to be "God’s favourite son."
Barth’s honest confession acts as a catalyst. It allows Tanrak to step through the door of self-acceptance, proving that his love is a source of strength rather than a sin.
Tanrak already took a long step towards Barth, throughout this ordeal, he must not falter, but carve a path toward Barth.
A big hand to Geminifourth I can observe they improved a lot.

Without a doubt it's the best kiss scene I have ever watched. The transition was incredibly smooth, and the sheer passion between them was unmatched. The way they locked lips and just kept going made it such a beautifully long, breathtaking moment. It officially takes the number one spot on my all-time best onscreen kisses list.

I gave this drama a 9.5 before but after this episode I just can't stuck on 9.5, I'm surely moving forward along with Tanrak.

“Will God still wait for us to come home if we got lost?”

Tanrak said he would always God over anything...
What does that mean, why can't we choose God and love both. Whatt does he mean by saying he's still wavering, how can he call a love that gives him peace and happiness makes him feel like wavering.
Now I know why Barth says that God is cruel to him.
I feel so sorry for him, he completely loosed his faith in God, but it's not his fault, the situation worsened his faith..

Did we expect thatt ?
The sudden emotional changes the fear of being caught seeing a man , I tiredness of hiding their relationship, are the main cuz of decline, they loved eachother so much everything was well untill and unless His friend found out, the fear of being seen together in the empty room, I could the the fear in Tanrak's eyes that he started telling his rosary, that fear startled him that he started giving up and stop following his heart, he decided to end the happy time they spent together, Tanrak stopped looking and smiling at Barth completely ignoring him because when it's Barth he cannot control himself anymore..
I know Tanrak is deeply in love with Barth, and he's trying to fight that feeling, I can see the guilt on his face, the hesitation and the heartbreaking pain he's bearing.
He burnt all the memories they created together laughing and smiling, he burnt the paper saying “ You're my favourite Note ”, he fired all those moments he enjoyed in the burning flame, he burnt his own heart and happiness by doing thatt..

I am tired of Kongdech always third-wheeling and nitpicking. Instead of constantly claiming that Tanrak is losing his faith, getting confused, and forgetting his goal of reaching heaven to reunite with his parents, I want Kongdech to actually be a supportive friend.

Barth was utterly devastated when Tanrak started pulling away and ignoring him. Desperate to see Tanrak fight for their love, I watched as Tanrak completely unraveled, torn agonizingly between his faith and his heart. He was so deeply in love that he was miserable without Barth. Ultimately, opening up about this profound sorrow to Father led him to accept the undeniable truth: he was hopelessly in love with Barth.

Will Tanrak still become a priest and leave his happiness behind? Will he still get ordinate with Kongdech like he said ?
He decided to be and have a life with Barth ?

It's strongly recommended from my side , Guys you gotta watch thiss . Not this then whatttt?

Tanrakk did something unexpected
Tanrak decided to let go of his decades long wish to go to heaven, it's so unexpected really . Auntie Lekk gang makk, I like the freedom she has, I liked the decision she made someday when she was like Tanrak . She gave Tanrak the mental peace that he lost after he ran away, Tanrak still had a guilty look but Auntie Lekk erased itt. Auntie Lekk said “You can love God, and yourself at the same timee”, Auntie Lek game Tanrak the emotional support he was longing for, Auntie Lek is the person I wanted to enter in his lifee and support his decision...
Tanrak is much better now, he doesn't blame himself, he came to spend time with his parents and brought Barth with him, Barth being 'Rak's teerak' sounds so good really.
The part when Barth met his mother, the conversation between them was so emotional, I hate the way their family got apart, I could see from the looks Barth wants to feel the warmth of his mother again, he wants to tell his mother how he fell in love with Rak. Barth could finally get that God never leave him ...

Soo after having go through such an emotional part, now it's time for them to go to a motel huhh, really..

So, they didn't got apart am so happy, I have been waiting for thiss drama sinse last year, when I saw the pilot I got a little to much excited to see, but now can you believe it already ended yesterday... I'm in tears to see them end up together and also sad cuz it's completed already.. I had a great time watching it every Saturday, continuously listening to the ost , enjoying the introduction, I'm going to miss this timee, Just like I misss Duang with you, Me and Thee, That summer ( WinnieSatang were together 😭 )
I'll never forget this time, even though it's not like I cannot re-watch it, but we won't get to see any other phase of their love and time they spend together...
Barth and Tanrak their love started and will last forever, after such a big sacrifice, God will always bless and cherish their love and be a witness of the sacrifices and emotional struggle... I really cried after seeing them together, they went through a lot of difficulties to reach this point.
This whole series taught us different things, taught us how to go through a phrase when you feel like wavering, how to overcome any obstacle.
We learnt about love and faith. The importance of self love .

God never stopped us from loving someone, and never stopped loving us too.
Barth got his faith back, indeed he realised God was the only reason Tanrak met Barth, God destined them to meet, God gave them the chance to lovee, and helped them overcome all the obstacles they faced..
The realisation that God was always there with him in every phase of his lifee.
Barth and Tanrak's story had such a beautiful conclusion blessed by Heaven.

I was so hooked that I didn’t want it to finish! But the payoff was unbelievable. Pulling off a conclusion with that much detail and perfection is incredibly hard, yet they nailed it.

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What am I gonna do with my life now ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

MASTERPIECE!!!
Great plot. Phenomenal acting. Amazing production. Beautiful OST. A heart-touching, lovely, comforting show. IT'S MINDBLOWING.

I don't know how many times I cried. Their love was so worthy of it all. It was pure, genuine, and most of all, strong.
I am sad that there are only 6 eps after 2 years of waiting. But whatever we were given, it was so well-made. A very satisfying ending.

I read many comments discussing the symbolisms throughout the drama. The apple (snake & Eve), Barth being the temptation, Tanrak being faithful, Creation of Adam, etc. BUT imo, this is more about Barth. I see him as the sheep that lost its way. We know that he was faithful before the incidents that happened in his life, and ep 6 shows how him having his faith & hope back. This was anything better than I imagined. And the flowers and the family photo survivedddd (˃̣̣̥ᯅ˂̣̣̥) I am in tears

I want to thank everyone who made this series happen. I feel so lucky to be able to watch this. Now that it's over, I feel so empty. But I will always come to this show when I miss it. This will always have a special place in my heart.

P.S. Thank you, Aunty Lek ♥

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An extremely polished version of a story about religious trauma.

Don’t get me wrong i really enjoyed this series. The story is simple yet mostly well executed, the characters are genuinely likable, the cinematography is stunning, and overall Ticket to Heaven is easily GMMTV’s best release this year.

Most of what I’m about to critique, however, concerns Tanrak’s character and his storyline.

By the end, I couldn’t shake the feeling that a lot of what was originally planned had been cut or heavily softened. The rawness of the pilot episode, the tension, the difficult moral dilemmas, the emotional messiness was gradually replaced by long shots of characters staring into the distance, vague monologues about “being true to yourself,” and almost no meaningful commentary on religion itself.

The show feels so concerned with avoiding controversy that it ends up pulling its punches whenever things become uncomfortable. Instead of exploring how religion can genuinely shape, suppress, and traumatize people, it chooses the safest possible route.

Everyone is simply too nice. Tanrak’s deeply religious friend, who initially seems poised to become a source of conflict, turns out to be nothing but supportive. The catholic school bullies appear once and are then forgotten. Even the priests, who repeatedly imply that same-sex love is sinful and incompatible with God’s plan, ultimately come across as patient, understanding, and accepting.

Individually, none of these choices are bad. In fact, it’s refreshing to see compassionate religious characters. The problem is that when everyone becomes reasonable and supportive, the story loses the source of its central conflict.

The series constantly tells us that Tanrak and Barth are terrified of their love, but rarely shows us why. We hear about fear, shame, and sin far more often than we actually witness them. Tanrak spends much of the series haunted by guilt, yet he is almost never publicly shamed, seriously punished, ostracized, or forced to confront meaningful consequences for choosing love over the priesthood. As a result, his fear often feels disconnected from the world around him.

Religious trauma doesn’t only come from openly abusive people, it can come from years of internalizing doctrine, guilt, and impossible expectations. The show hints at this, but it rarely commits to exploring it in depth. It wants the audience to understand Tanrak’s suffering without fully engaging with the institution that created it.

That’s why the ending didn’t land for me emotionally. Tanrak’s decision to leave everything behind should have felt devastating. The culmination of years of indoctrination, fear, and impossible choices. Instead, it felt strangely straightforward. I wanted to see him relapse into old beliefs, desperately try to reconcile faith with his identity, question himself over and over, maybe even choose the church before finally realizing he couldn’t keep sacrificing himself. That would have made his eventual decision feel earned rather than inevitable.

Tanrak’s internal conflict is portrayed with surprising calm. He often feels less like someone on the verge of becoming a priest and more like someone who only occasionally attends church. His struggle remains mostly internal and verbal, but it rarely reaches the level of desperation that his circumstances suggest.

Ironically, Barth’s relationship with faith ends up feeling richer and more convincing. Through his family, his upbringing, and his evolving beliefs, his character experiences a gradual and emotionally satisfying development. Tanrak, despite carrying the show’s central conflict, never receives that same depth.

I still think Ticket to Heaven is a must watch series. It is beautifully made, emotionally sincere, and filled with strong performances. But I also can’t help wondering what it could have been if it had trusted itself enough to ask harder questions. Rather than criticizing religion, it mostly avoids criticizing anyone. In trying so carefully not to offend religious audiences, it sacrifices much of the complexity that made its premise so compelling. The result is a story that is emotionally moving, but ultimately far less challenging than it had the potential to be.

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A masterpiece of a series, totally worth the wait

It took ages, but Ticket To Heaven is FINALLY here, and I've got to say it was SO WORTH IT. This series is a masterpiece. Every episode makes me cry, or at least tear up. It's just so raw and tender and intimate and real, gut wrenching but also incredibly sweet at the same time. Every week I was on the edge of my seat.

Acting:
Gem and Fourth's acting in this is just AMAZING. I won't lie, I had my doubts after episode one... but they completely proved me wrong. They completely embody their characters and tell their stories so perfectly.

Music:
The music is wonderful and fits the story perfectly, it totally gets you in the feels. I'm not a big fan of the intro song, but I won't deduct points just for that.

Story:
The religious theme is original and extremely well done. I see how this concept could be hard to pull off, but everyone did amazing and the writing is just wonderful.

Overall:
This is an absolute MUST WATCH. 10/10 on every aspect. Only downside is how painfully short it is. I wish we had more episodes!!

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One of the Best Thai BL Shows 2026: Queerness, Christianity & Conversion Therapy

I have been waiting forever for this show after seeing the trailer in 2024.

I have to say the first episode quenched that long feeling of anticipation. I love every bit of it and the story is surely off to a great start. The acting is really great too.

Let me add that this is not a simple feel-good BL series. It's something deeper than that. Think “I Told Sunset About You” This story also treats several themes of queerness, acceptance and the hetero-normative conformity struggles. Beyond that, there's also an exploration of conversion therapy (and its flaws)

All these is to say, this is surely a great series for those who are fans of deep and unconventional stories.

Should you start it? Without a doubt!

EDIT: This is going to be one of the best Thai BL shows in history.

More Edit: Done watching! Absolutely love the ending. I think more episodes would have made the story even better but this works too in its own way. I would absolutely recommend this and I’m happy I decided to watch this show.

10/10 for me.

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BL of the decade – that is, "Biggest Let down"!!!

I had been looking forward to Ticket to Heaven for 18 MONTHS (November 2024) before it aired. The couple, the topic, the DIRECTOR? Everything about the setup SCREAMED that TtH was gonna be the BL of the decade – and I guess it still was, if "BL" stands for "Biggest Let down". Not even GemFot's INCREDIBLE chemistry could save this show from being a complete disaster.

The way TtH portrays Tanrak's struggle between his love for Barth and his love for God DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. Stick with me as I give you three examples: the transitions between episodes 2-3, 3-4, and 5-6.

SPOILERS BELOW!

At the end of episode 2, we see Tanrak tempted by Barth's eating of the rati, and eventually giving into that temptation by relieving himself in the bathroom. There's nothing wrong with that, but given Tanrak's upbringing, his character DOES think it's wrong. Logically, Tanrak would have HATED HIMSELF for giving into that desire, and he would have expressed that feeling of disgust by REPRESSING HIS FEELINGS and PUSHING BARTH AWAY. So then why does Episode 3 start with Tanrak and Barth joking around by playing Tic-Tac-Toe on Tanrak's leg, and then flirting with each other after the soccer game? TANRAK SHOULD STILL BE GOING THROUGH HIS GAY PANIC AT THIS POINT BY PUSHING BARTH AWAY. Where is the inner conflict?

At the end of episode 3, we see Tanrak explicitly confirming to Barth that he's gay by saying "I'm not God's favorite son, either" (best scene in the show, btw). But again, this is Tanrak giving into his LUST. This is not Tanrak making an EXPLICIT decision to be with Barth instead of God (because at this point, he still thinks it's a binary choice). Logically, after giving into that lust, Tanrak would have THROWN HIMSELF EVEN DEEPER INTO HIS FAITH to try to wash away the sin of kissing Barth. SO THEN WHY DOES EPISODE 4 START WITH TANRAK AND BARTH ESSENTIALLY BEING A COUPLE? THAT MAKES ZERO SENSE. Tanrak should be going through an even BIGGER gay panic at this point, and instead, he's not-so-subtly flirting with a guy! HUH? Why did the breakdown only happen when KONGDECH caught onto the situation? Given Tanrak's upbringing, he should have had that breakdown IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE KISS IN EPISODE 3! You know why? BECAUSE GOD WAS WATCHING, and Tanrak has been CONDITIONED to think that those feelings are sinful. He literally says to Father Arnon during the confession scene in Episode 5 that "I'm angry at myself for not being able to control it", referring to his love for Barth. IT MAKES NO SENSE HE WOULD HAPPILY FLIRT WITH BARTH AFTER THEY KISSED IF HE WAS MAD AT HIMSELF FOR LOSING CONTROL!

If that wasn't enough. IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH. At the end of episode 5, Tanrak CONFESSES his love for Barth to Father Arnon, who basically tells Tanrak that "love isn't wrong, but your love is not leading you toward God, so actually yeah, your love is wrong" (obviously paraphrasing, but that's the takeaway). Then how, in the very next scene, can Tanrak so easily reject God when Barth proposes running away together? THE FATHER HAD LITERALLY JUST TOLD TANRAK THAT CONTINUING TO LOVE BARTH WOULD BE REJECTING GOD. Tanrak's WHOLE LIFE has revolved around God. There's NO WAY that Tanrak would agree with Barth (that is, to reject God) so easily IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CONFESSION SCENE. THAT MAKES NO SENSE!

And don't get me started about the finale. Really, P'Aof? Everyone and their mother knows the golden rule of storytelling: "show, not tell". Then why, P'Aof, WHY were there minutes of monologues about how you can "love yourself and love God" at the same time, from a trans character who was thrown into the plot at the last minute? Why were there minutes of recaps from Barth about their relationship after high school, when we should have SEEN those scenes instead? Why did Tanrak have to say out loud that "I used to think after meeting you, I had to choose. But actually, I never had to choose at all"? It was like P'Aof knew that the previous 5 episodes failed to convey the moral of the story properly, and instead of scrapping the script and writing a better one, he just decided to dump all of the morals into the dialogue of Episode 6. Like come on.

Some dishonorable mentions of why this show was an incredible let down:
• THE TERRIBLE AGE-UP MAKEUP IN EPISODE 1 AND EPISODE 6
• The lack of a clear timeline between high school and the present day (why did Kongdech take 30 years to get ordained?)
• Side characters who seemed important but ultimately weren't (Master Phak? Joe? Ryu?)
• Massive time skips in the first two episodes when we were still establishing Tanrak/Barth
• Tanrak's sudden change of character when he was hating on Kongdech
• The suddent jump from Barth's rejection of God to his acceptance (I understand it was because of his visit with his mom in jail, but it was still way too quick of a change for our second protagonist).
• Vague and conflicting messages from Father Arnon
• WHY TANRAK WAS STILL CONFESSING IN 2025 WHEN HE WAS MARRIED? LIKE WHAT?

Anyway. I could go on, but you get the point. Ticket to Heaven was the Biggest Let down of the DECADE, and don't let these overwhelmingly positive reviews fool you otherwise.

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Propaganda, fantasy or an attempt to face a problem?

Spoilers: contrary to the initial trailer (released 26.11.2024, roughly 1,5 years before the show aired) "Ticket to Heaven" is not about a priest standing in the way of "forbidden" gay love nor is it about any kind of conflict or drama involving faith and sexuality. Instead TTH attempts to present an internal struggle of a young gay man – Tanrak (Fourth). The way it is written and portrayed the struggle is not (as you might think) about trying to reconcile being gay and catholic, but about Tanrak having to choose between continuing on a path to become a priest or going away with his newfound love – Barth (Gemini). One might think that this is the same struggle, but not really. Although he is presented as a firm believer, Tanrak is first and foremost a kid raised by a catholic institution and filled with genuine gratitude for everything he received from his caretakers over the years. Orphaned at an early age, Tanrak longed – and still does during the events of the show – to reunite with his parents "in heaven". With a background like that becoming a priest seems the right thing to do; it is not a matter of faith (or not just a matter of faith), but of repaying a debt, returning the good Tanrak received. Abandoning that path to be with Barth seems more like a choice between being selfless and selfish/ungrateful, rather than between his faith and his identity – that is the entire struggle Tanrak is going through. As for Barth’s side of the story: he is intended to be a "rebel" character, a gay teen who suffered a lot because of his sexuality and, as a reaction, rejected faith – only to find out he cannot abandon god. With other words: Barth only thinks he is rebelling, acting like a child, not understanding how great and wise god is – and coming to his senses later, at a moment of need. That is my main complaint regarding TTH’s story: it evades what could be interesting, feigns being about deep and serious personal issues of both main characters and turns out to be uninteresting (Tanrak) and disappointing (Barth).

My other issue is that TTH was written like a puff piece for catholicism. In TTH there is no confronting catholicism on its homophobia and hypocrisy nor confronting the church on its corruption and moral bankruptcy – those issues are not even mentioned. Father Arnon ("An" Oliver Poupart) – main stand-in for organized religion as well as main figure of authority – is benevolent, patient, understanding, supportive, forgiving and certainly not homophobic. Basically he is the opposite of an actual catholic clergyman and a made-up, fairytale version of one. The only one who somewhat connects faith and homophobia is Barth’s father – and although the show does not hesitate to present him as evil, it is clear that he is that way despite of his religion and not because of it. TTH goes deeper into fantasy territory by condemning homophobia (even punishing it on screen), but separating it from catholicism and presenting the latter as a force for good. For me – a gay male from a predominantly catholic country which till this day is homophobic, to a large degree because of catholicism and its influence on culture, society, politics and law – that is offensive and awful. I understand the local context – Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country where less than 0,5% of the population is catholic – but it does not change how I feel about it.

TTH’s pacing is problematic: on one hand most episodes feel slow, with hardly any story progression, on the other hand instead of actual scenes we got several montages of Tanrak and Barth spending time together – as if the show wanted to make up for lost time or had less episodes than it should to present everything properly. This also makes it hard to tell how much time passed from Barth’s arrival to him and Tanrak running away – no idea whether it was a few weeks, months or more than that.

Performances of both Fourth and Gemini are alright, but I did not feel any of the magic they brought to the screen in "Moonlight Chicken" and "My School President"; the once strong chemistry is mostly gone. Fourth manages to properly convey Tanrak’s uncertainty, hesitation and undecidedness, but his subdued performance makes his character even less relatable and even more uninteresting. To be clear: that is almost exclusively on the writing and direction, not the actor – but I did miss the old Fourth spark. As for Gemini, what I liked in particular was him in the ep. 6 prison visit scene – by far his best performance. After his lackluster role in "The Dark Dice" I was worried Gemini forgot how to act, but TTH proves the contrary. Shame he could not save his character.

All in all TTH was a long awaited chance to see Fourth and Gemini again – a chance squandered by poor writing, bad pacing, very low number of episodes and a horrible, pro-catholic message of the show. Not planning on watching any of that ever again.

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Don't worry it has a happy ending

I was worried it was going to have a tragic ending. Especially since the Thai name of the drama is the boy who didn't go to heaven. Fear not everyone it has a wonderful ending! As someone with a bit of religious trauma my self I found the ending to be rather healing. Both the acting and plot line of the drama far exceeded my expectations. GemFourth did an amazing job. A lot of the acting wasn't spoken it was in deep emotions conveyed through body language and facial expressions. This isn't a typical school drama this is a serious topic and the acting definitely came through. I highly recommend this drama.

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Compelling story with some missed opportunities

I started watching Ticket to Heaven with some trepidation. A BL with a religious theme? Seemed like it had the potential to be great or a complete disaster. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

ACTING. After watching them in mostly light fare, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed at the range of both Gemini and Fourth. I also liked many of the other actors. There were some serious scenes that conveyed real emotion.

POSITIVE TRANS REPRESENTATION. I don't know the name of the actor who played the trans character in Ep. 6, but she did a phenomenal job of creating a sympathtic, positive role model.

RESPECT FOR THEME. I appreciated that the story maintained respect for the Catholic religion while exploring the difficulties of young gay men growing up in that environment.

LENGTH OF SERIES. Six episodes felt just right to me.

CONS

DEPTH. While I was fine with the length of the series, I would have liked it more if it had gone deeper into Tan's struggles, which could have been addressed in place of certain other scenes, which dragged on and didn't offer anything important to the plot.

TIME JUMP. I get it, the story dated from 1996. But when they jumped 20 years at the end, it wasn't believable at all, with the exception of the Father with his added face wrinkles (good job there, makeup crew!). There was a reference to Kongdech having some grey hair. They tried to age Barth with different glasses and clothes (didn't work), and Tan looked exactly the same. No way someone is going to look the same after 20 years. They should have used different actors at the end, to make it credible.

DISAPPEARING CHARACTERS. Barth's mom was great. It would have been nice to know what happened to her. And what happened to the guy who was bullying Barth in Ep. 1? It would have been satisfying to see him get his comeuppance, like seeing him tied to an anthill and covered with honey or something...

While I feel there were some missed opportunities for a more powerful presentation, overall it was a pleasant experience for me.

I'm giving it 7/10.

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A Hopeful Story of Queerness, Faith, and Forever

Regardless of my feelings about organized religion, I'm glad this story chose a more hopeful direction. I'm happy that representation of queer suffering is no longer limited to just that, but can now evolve into queer pride and joy. Maybe this story can comfort someone who's struggling.

Tanrak was living only to die, a life full of faith, yet devoid of love. Barth became the key to reconciling his queerness with his faith. Through him, Tanrak discovered a vibrant, diverse world that was still full of faith, and in the end, he realized there had never been any need to choose.

Barth was such a loving person throughout the story. Despite everything life had put him through, he was the one who had the most love to give. I also loved how unapologetically he remained his gay self.

This was a story of a married gay couple of faith who got their forever, and I'm glad a story like this exists.

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Father, if I like boys, can I still go to heaven?

The title came from the first pilot trailer released two years ago that. It was delivered with such depth that I happily waited years to see the execution. As you already know the series focuses on the tension between faith and desire, the dilemma between right and wrong. Tanrak, a scholarship student set on the path of becoming a priest meets his forbidden desire, Barth. On one side lies his lifelong wish of meeting his parents in Heaven and on another side lies a newfound love that gives him happiness. So the question is what will he choose? Happiness in this life or in the next??

As someone who had been waiting for this ever since the first trailer was released, it's been two years and I can confirm that this has been a well-executed project. The cinematography, the symbolism, the angle of viewpoint, each part had a meaning. every character played their part in the plot. The actors were phenomenal. Special shoutout to Fourth, I hope he can venture into different range of acting, because he is a gifted actor. The Father, Master phak; their character truly represented God on earth; someone who is willing to forgive you as long as you remember to come back. As for Barth, I understand his rebellious nature.

Now for things that I expected: The pilot trailer was so dark and angsty. The concept really took an axe to the most controversial topic. But after I saw the new trailer before the series was released, I knew that they took a safe path and watered down things a lot. I felt the series could've been two episodes longer. Cause I wanted to see Tanrak gradually falling for Barth and then the tension. Them suddenly eloping from school when they didn't really have any other place to go was diabolical. They were seniors, I'm sure they can wait a few months to graduate and do whatever they want later. Barth is uncontrollable but Tanrak confessing to Father and then in the next scene leaving school didn't sit right with me. And they didn't also explained whether they were allowed to return to Magdalene school. As a Catholic school. no matter how merciful, there's no way this can be allowed, right?
Anyway, this was a good series, made with care. I understand their choice of plot. But I would've loved to see a bit more bold , angsty approach. This was a good start, and I hope to see many more good series in the future

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Love is the most beautiful and important thing in the world.

If god teaches us to love, but we're not allowed to love each other, then what's the point in having god in this world.
A very deep statement. I don't believe in a god, but if there were a god, he shouldn't forbid people to love each other, because love is the most beautiful and important thing in the world.

I do like that they didn't put down the religion as the worst thing there is, and even the priests can love and forgive.
Though i am an atheist, i respect people who believe, as long as they don't use religion to hurt other people. Live and let live is my philosophy.

This was a very beautiful story en very well executed by the whole cast. GMMTV showed again that they can produce amazing drama's. The music was beautiful and the visuals great.

Gemini and Fourth have great chemistry and good kisses.

This is really a must watch!
And be aware that there is a bonus clip after the end credits of episode 6.

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