This review may contain spoilers
Great acting and chemistry saved a wasted plot.
The most important thing here is the acting. Specially Mix as Dean. I think is the most remarkable thing in all the series. Alongside Mix, I would like to mention Boom as Raffy and Earth as Jack. All the ast made a great job, but the most impressive for me and what got me hooked to this series was Dean-Jack and Dean-Raffy dynamics. The chemistry between EarthMix is tale as old as time, and Mix and Boom chemistry as two enemies divas was VERY good. I had to said tho, Mix carried the emotional and heavy drama scenes of this series. He's truly and amazing actor. The acting in general is what is more remarkable.This series had a lot of potential, honestly, and the result is far from being 100% disappointing. I think it's important to understand that Dream On isn't a second season per se, Only Friends franchise would function as an anthology, and that's how I'm going to treat it for this review. First I want to talk about the characters, because they are the most important part. In OF, the Business Administration friend group were showed as toxic since the start but in OFDO the dynamics are different. The friend group here are Jack, Dean, Tua, and Timmy, and they are scripted to not to be a toxic group. What join all these people as a plot device is the stage play not the friendship, the plot works in a way that opens from the friend group adding the brother of one of them, the enemy of one of them and the crush of one of them to the mix through the play.
Remember that the premise of Only Friends is what its original title almost was: HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE. That's what connects the seasons of the anthology. And if they make a third, that's what will connect them. Hurt people hurting each other, intentionally or not. In that respect, Dream On DOES delivers. The characters have their flaws, some more pronounced than others. They aren't perfect, but the point isn't for them to be; it's to see what the script does with them.... And the thing is, script messed up some times with this. It's important to the main characters to work as characters aside from the couple plot, with other relationship more than the romantic/sexual ones. Jack, Dean, and Raffy are introduced as the 'bad behaviour guys,' while Rome, Arnold, and Tua are the 'good guys.' We know enough about Dean, Raffy, Jack and Tua's personal plots to follow up the reasons behind their actions but I think not about Rome and Arnold. That missing depth would be more appreciated. Jack and Rome stepbrother plot is wasted, and subsequently the interesting friendship/companionship between Dean and Rome who would give more weight to Rome's 'betrayal'. Also Arnold having confusing feelings for Dean isn't showed or even talked as a thing until very late. We never see Arnold having second thoughts about Dean for almost all the series and then suddenly he was confused? That's came from literally knowhere.
Theres also plots that lead to nothing. Jack alcoholism was a perfect chance to show the different ways a person can be dependent of substances and different kind of addiction recovery, relapsing, etc. Everything is underexplained. Yes, in some cases people who deal with alcoholism in the past can drink alcoholic normaly afte but since any of that is mentioned see Jack drinking after his time in rehab feels generally lacking. Dean being drugged without consent, something is never spoken after and just a justification so the audience don't pick a fight for the almost kiss (who didn't work and made it worse, actually). Rome working in parties were not so legal things happens is also a wasted chance. All the Dean being a host and the leaked video is underplayed. Dean apologies with Raffy but Raffy doesn't apology with Dean? Their tentative friendship is also wasted. And speaking of friendship Dean and Tua friendship needed a deep talk, I liked the scene in the roller coaster but I don't think it was enough.
And Pete's crimes? Did he give back the money? Nobody reported him? The series throw things in the plot but there's no committing to develop it further. Other thing that could be managed better was the time skip that doesn't feel right and every couple seems to be in a different moment of time. For example, for Jack and Dean one year is very little for what they show, their lives now, their careers and their maturity doesn't make sense in only a year. They relationship is still kind of toxic and codependent that I can take it, ok, but that time skip was a joke. Five years and I bought it, but only one year? Same with Rome and Raffy, for them it's looks like it passed like 3 years, not one. ArnoldTua feels like only one month passed. And Timmy? Someone wants to think about Timmy?
Now, Boston. They brought him back basically to give him and BostonNick arch closure. (And of course, because of the hype). That's fine. I liked to see Nick moving on and being happy, also not indulging Boston.
NOTE! Even though I point out what the series failed at, it doesn't mean I didn't like it. It has the heavy mess and emotional drama we were expecting, the characters are memorable and it works well in the same universe. "It's not chaotic enough, everyone's not kissing everyone." And that's partly true, and I understand that casual viewers might be surprised or that the title Only Friends fills everyone with expectations, but I was already prepared for this. In fact, many of us who have been closely following the Dream On process all this time, from filming to its current airing, aren't surprised by the lack of pairings because it was made clear that they would take into account the feedback (some people seems to forget all that) from Only Friends when developing the script for Dream On.
The director (P'Ninew) worked with what he was allowed, because not mixing the couples isn't a creative decision this time; it's an ADMINISTRATIVE and PR decision. And that's something that's been implied many times. I admit that I personally would have liked to see Boston and Tua kissing in the flashback, Rome and Pete kissing in the car, and Boston and Raffy kissing on the lips before being interrupted. But I knew I couldn't expect that, so it didn't take me by surprise; I had already mentally prepared myself not to be disappointed and well, the story worka without that. EXCEPT for one thing: Dean and Arnold not-kiss. I feel that if they had kissed in the woods, the plot would have worked just as well. It would have made the audience feel like all the character reactions had more sense. I mean Jack ask Mew advice like if Dean did was comparable to what Top did, and it wasn't. There's a lot of things that can felt unfair from diferent perspectives bcs of that.
But putting that aside, I enjoyed the series. I liked the friend group (JDTT) dynamics and also the couples dynamics ans stories as couples. Messy toxic exes going in circles, being toxic people. I liked that nor Jack or Dean are innocent victims of each other, it was an actually well written toxic dynamic in the emotional aspect. Jack has many flaws that Dean knows perfectly well and is able to manage, and at the same time, Dean can't stop idealizing Jack and his emotional dependence, which, due to his own flaws, explosive personality, and problems, manifests in negative actions, scheming, and, well, a psychological disaster. Jack and Dean needed to grow individually in order to be together, and the series did an excellent job of establishing why by showing exactly who they are and what they are capable of when they are not self-regulated. They're not good people, but they're really great characters.
Arnold and Tua were surprisingly happy for what you'd expect in a Only Friends context, but despite that, I quite liked their dynamic with Boston. The problem is that since we don't know much about Arnold, his internal monologues were completely wasted. The whole subplot about him questioning his feelings is superficial because they don't make his conflict clear. First, it's Arnold's sexuality, then ruining the friendship, then Boston, then Arnold's feelings for Dean (again, seemingly out of nowhere) and the not-kiss. I also like that Tua isn't that perfect not-break-plate guy, I would like that mean/hypocrital side of him to be more explored, bcs it was truly interesting. I also like that Rome give himself his own value although his feelings for Raffy, It is interesting to see the plot of a self-aware crumbler who, in a way, puts logic before emotions without necessarily feeling less or being less hurt. The only thing I didn't understand was why Rome falls in love with Raffy. Raffy, whose friendship with Pete wasn't developed enough for their separation to be painful, was nonetheless a troubled character. Raffy didn't love acting, and while he wasn't bad, he wasn't the best either. His personal growth in realizing what he didn't want was very enjoyable to watch. There's nothing wrong with accepting that a character makes mistakes, by the way. Characters are not innocent babies, they had faults.
Again, the cast is amazing, the acting can save the weak parts of the script. I think they should be more brave with certain plot devices but since I also understand why they didn't do it, and the limitations, if this is what the series can offer, I take it. While it doesn't have a ton of kissing, the sex and kissing scenes are good, on-brand with what Only Friends is all about and also had an intention. For me is important that NC scenes had a why, not just being here for the sake of being here. The directing and acting are also good because P'Ninew is a good director and acting coach who did the best he could with the limitations he was given. The plot is chaotic and messy, in a different way, but it is. I truly believe it had rewatch potential.
Mi final score is 7/10.
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