This review may contain spoilers
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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