BadPenny

"I understand but I have to think back on season 1 when Kit got invested in Pha and Wayu's issues and it almost cost him Mark so I think he realized knowing information doesn't mean it should be shared and it's not his responsibility to do it"

Kit isn't avoiding involving himself in Pha and Wayu's business, though. He actively guilted Mark into not telling Wayu. Which means he's getting involved directly by helping facilitate the deception. Staying out of it would have been saying to Mark "Hey, I'm not getting involved. But Wayu is your best friend, you should make up your own mind on what to do."

And his problem in season 1 was not that he got involved with Pha and Wayu. That's the excuse he gives. But if you look at it objectively, helping Pha meet up with Wayu wasn't what he did wrong. It was not including Mark in on it that was the mistake. If he'd have grabbed Mark at the same time he grabbed Wayu, all would have worked out better. Mark and Kit split that night not because Kit left with Wayu that day, but because Mark lashed out from hurt feelings and wounded pride and Kit then did the exact same thing. That's not about Pha or Wayu. That's about Mark and Kit's problems.

Kit likes to manipulate situations and people. Just because Kit does so out of the mistaken belief that manipulating people will prevent hurt doesn't mean it's okay. Preventing hurt isn't an excuse to manipulate someone. Especially when manipulation is its own kind of harm, even when you mean well.

He did it again in episode 5. He shared with Pha about the scholarship to an American study abroad program. And hid it from Mark. His lover. His significant other. To prevent Mark from having a choice. Just like he helped cover Pha's illness to keep Wayu from having a choice. This is an unhealthy pattern.

Pha and Kit are two peas in a pod. They both like to control information to control the people they love. And it's very, very not cool.

I'm having a riot of a time. I just didn't care for the most recent episode. But every show I've ever loved has had at least one episode I didn't like.

I agree. And it's sad because I don't doubt the depth of Kit's love. But the way he unilaterally makes decisions that should involve the people he loves is very high handed of him and I think his relationship with Mark is pretty unhealthy at this point.

I am definitely on verge of feeling Kit doesn't deserve Mark until he works his shit out, at very least.

Mark bends too much too. And Mark needs to work on that.

Yeah, his redemption arc realistically should require addressing his relational obsessive neurosis. His cute-to-crazy ratio is way messed up. Do not pass go, do not redeem.

But I am not expecting to see it handled well. I am, in fact, expecting them to short change it and just hand wave away the cray-cray. And they proved it this episode when Phai told Saendee "You've not gone too far. if you just stop now". Uhm...Phai. Yes. Yes he has already gone too far. Your bro's done'em all mad dirty.

To Saendee's credit, he didn't even consider it. He doubled down on his ticket to crazytown without a blink. "Naw. I got this. It's destiny, man." You have to respect an arch villain who really holds onto his motivation.

The parts where Pha and Wayu reunite because Thanu brought Wayu are stunning. They were heartbreaking in just the right way. Including Thanu's resigned anticipation of losing Wayu to Pha, but also his steadfast love. And Kit's micro expressions of hurt at Wayu's grief... Kit always seems so sensitive to Wayu's pain.

Then everything after was a disappointment. But I was especially disappointed that the only reason Mark and Kit had a dialog of any kind about the scholarship is because Mark eavesdropped. Otherwise, Kit would have pulled that same old "Control the information" bullshit he was pulling with Wayu before. (And yes, you are very right that his reasons for hiding Pha's illness from Wayu were bullshit) It makes me not like Kit very much. You can't expect me to feel this character is forthright by nature when he keeps lying to people.

Also, I really, really didn't like that we didn't get a view of what Pha wanted from Thanu in private. Pha needs to learn not to be so damn manipulative.

I feel the Jack and Koh moments this season are kind of lacking because they're focusing them on shtick that has to do with their growing romance and Jack at least had more than that going on last season. But I get it. Time constraint being what they are.

But I will also say that their appearance in this particular episode came as like this jarring mood shift away from the weirdly incomplete infirmary scene with Wayu and Thanu. So it felt strange.

Like I said, I didn't care for this episode.

Seriously! It's like he's like an evil Miss Frizzle with a menagerie of juniors he tours around with in his magic crazy bus, just teaching them about his dark obsession with destiny.

Thank you! I appreciate that you enjoy them.

This was the first episode of either season that I didn't really care for. I just feel that nobody in the episode actually communicated with each other. In fact, lack of communication seemed the overall theme.

Pok and Tong's relationship, for once, was the slice of normal. The angst was understandable, the scenes were efficient, and the emotions were spot on. Though I have to admit Pok's dive into the water looked like a flailing cat.

And while we're on the subject of sport form, someone finally taught Dun how to shoot a bow. I was getting tired of watching him do it wrong, even though it made me laugh. He was much better this time. Though, he still holds the bow like he's trying not to take a nipple off with the bow string. And I keep yelling at the screen "Hey Thanu, not necessary. You're wearing a chest guard, honey."

Thanu was the best part of the episode. He was honest with Wayu about Pha. And THANK GOODNESS! I was very much hoping he wouldn't hide it too. And the reunion scene between Pha and Wayu was everything it should have been. But I have no idea what Pha asked of Thanu and I wonder how it affects Thanu and Wayu as a couple.

I get why Wayu is torn between Thanu and Pha. I think it would be unnatural if he weren't. But I also was very disappointed that he didn't feel any anger at being left out of the loop for so long. I get that he's not one who is prone to anger. Some people don't experience very much of it. But honestly, it's not healthy to never ever be mad on your own behalf. I think it was wrong not to let him have a scene to address everyone but Thanu hiding it from him.

I do NOT get what the whole fainting thing was. Stress? If so, cool. That happens. Get him an afternoon off and some Iron supplements. But Wayu thought he saw Sab not Thanu and that's sort of a fever delirium thing. So was he sick? I was actually very confused by all that. It feels like they missed the opportunity to do something with this scene.

Kit and Mark were just awful. I hated almost every moment of it. At this point in their relationship they should be communicating better but Kit seems to have a "Don't communicate" kink, and mixed with his penchant for assuming wrongly about other peoples motivations, he has landed himself in a hole again. And Mark! Dude! I get wanting to support your lover, but the moment Kit started hiding his potential study abroad, Mark should have spotted that as a red flag in their relationship. They still aren't talking about shit. Kit still huffs off. Mark is still waiting for a moment from Kit that doesn't seem like it's coming. It's a mess.

Not that anyone was talking about things. Wayu and Pha didn't have any deep conversations about Pha leaving him. Though that at least is because Wayu is scared of demoralizing Pha. Thanu and Wayu aren't talking. Pok and Tong aren't talking. Kit and Mark are using words but not actually understanding each other.

This season on campus the flu isn't going around, rampant lack of communication is. I actually missed Saendee driving his crazy bus. He was there, but not really doing anything much but evil vague-ing in Phai's direction.

Hopefully next week, the halfway mark in the season, we see some coherent communication between the couples. I am, as always, in love with the show and still along for the ride. But man, this week was bumpy.

Hey, Jay. I submitted a correction ticket for the countdown timer. I have no clue if it will do any good because the settings as they were should have been correct. Which means the timer code may have a problem. The settings were for 11pm UTC+7hours--every Tuesday. This should work because UTC+7hours is correct for Thailand. EST is -12 hours from that--which bears out since I catch it every Tuesday at 11am.

I explained the problem in detail and hopefully they can fix it. The timer is basically 24 hours off. LOL

The StarHunter IG released several screen Shots of the episode coming out tomorrow and it looks spicy! https://www.instagram.com/p/CY1JUnTstqY/

Some of that is a scrim. Some of it's post-production in Adobe After Effects or some other renderer.

I noticed some scenes involving Wayu. Especially in episode 2.

It does create a dreamlike quality. That's the exact emotional response they're going for when they use it. It's commonly used in childhood scenes, romantic scenes, dream sequences, or flashbacks.

All my friends studied abroad for at least a year. A couple of them for more than one.

But I do get where you're coming from. Time in a BL can be weird. Like, Kit is a Junior pre-med. It's a biology degree, not a medical degree but he's being called "Mohr" already. LOL. And Pha was running around manning a highschool infirmary in his first year in college. So yeah, nope. Time in BL's is not a sensible thing. It's entirely dependent upon dramatic need.

And I rewatched the promo for next week. I actually think Kit may be referring to traveling on Pha's behalf, rather than studying abroad. So the travel may come sooner than later. But I have no idea. I guess we'll know in a couple of days.

The length of time studying abroad differs greatly depending on several things, including but not limited to your major, your level of degree, and the program itself. One semester is the shortest time, obviously, but often study abroad takes at least one year to complete.

But even if it was only one semester, even seasoned relationships strain under a few months of long distance. And Mark and Kit hardly have what is called a stable seasoned relationship when Kit can't admit his feelings and Mark is unsure they're on the same page emotionally. The whole reason Mark refused Kit during the "Do you want to do it here or on the bed?" (And WTF Kit? Could you have said that in a less romantic way?) was because he didn't want to have sex with Kit unless they both felt the same way about each other. Pfft. That was a perfect window for Kit to go "Hey. I love you." but he didn't. And so Mark apparently still has no idea exactly where he stands with Kit. Which is sad but more importantly is the exact reason that time away studying abroad is a bad thing for their relationship.

That was very heartbreaking. But, it's actually a good time to have it. It let's Tong walk away having said what he feels is most important and it gives Pok verification of Tong's love. Which doesn't mean much now but will give Pok something to think on while he cools down and more facts become known.

Pok and Tong's relationship was ruined right from the start. There was never a time in season one when shit wasn't weird or toxic between them. Their chemistry is part of the problem. Because right now that chemistry has made a bomb.

I suspect it may take a while before they find some equilibrium. I'm just curious how many of the numerous issues they both have actually get addressed in plot.

Agreed. It is highly toxic. But sometimes love is. So their story interests me. I want to see them work it out and learn to be better. But I am skipping their sex scenes. Yup.

The truths that were revealed were done so by Saendee out of cruelty, and so are anything but just or right. Because how and why a truth is revealed is as important as the fact that it was hidden in the first place.

As for Pok and Tong, Their relationship serves as a trope lure for people who wouldn't otherwise watch the show because the rest of the relationships are slow burn. They bring in the crowd of watchers who like violent, quasi-rape, Jock-abuses-his-nerd-lover BL tropes. Which are a hard NO from me.

Pok uses sex to express his anger and pent up negative emotions and ignores consent, Tong uses sex to martyr himself and repay debts. Their relationship will eventually work out, but I doubt very seriously any of the unhealthy sexual behaviors of either Pok or Tong will be addressed. So for now I have resigned myself to the fact that the dubious consent sex scenes are there to titillate the rape-fetishist crowd, and I will give them a hard pass and stick to the other scenes of theirs until they work their shit out.

The emotions in that scene were really out there. So sad!

Their relationship IS very complicated. But I know they'll work it out. I'm rooting for them too!

Okay, the behind the scenes special eps on IQIYI are adorable. And very, very funny.