This review may contain spoilers
Love & Revolution, anyone?
Dear Readers,
Let me preface this by saying, I am not the same person I was before I started watching this. No- like legitimately I was in the TRENCHES! The last two episodes were like machine guns going off - even till the end. The only fault I can highlight in the show, is the first episode, which felt overly convoluted. I think they should've spread the introduction of the characters instead of piling it up. The story-boarding for this production was amazing: everything from the pacing to the colouring really highlighted what each scene sets out to depict. I think because of that every character's emotions were amplified. I loved the set- design too for the news room which felt lived in and authentic of the time. I can tell they put in a lot of effort to the costumes and the hair designs - all of it places you in that time period.
Regarding the OST, some of the songs felt out of time and don't even get me started on the song Tanwa sang which honestly if you think about sounds like Scooby Doo. This was especially hard because Victor was actively dying.
Victor
Victor my love, Victor my sweet darling- you were gone too soon!!!!!!!! America was waiting and I was waiting.
Historically, the martyrs have always been the young and the charismatic, headstrong orators. His populist ideology though resonating with masses were not really achievable in the short period of his life. What's more depressing is that even though he is risking his life fighting on the front lines for the rights of the oppressed , his mix-race status still makes him an 'outsider'.
And this is the cruel reality this show captures well. His puppy love for Trin manifest in ebbs and flows through the conversations that essentially placed them on different sides of the same coin in their diversely inherent worldviews.
Sometimes when I mourn over Victor's death, I think it is because that he appears to me in the image of young Max Nattapol.
Trin/ Tanwa
Trin is a very 'polished' guy a complete 180 from who Tanwa is - which essentially is what drew them together. Trin is able to let shed a lot of his shell because of Tanwa. With his interactions with Victor he became more headstrong and understood the consequences of remaining stationery with the privilege. After interacting with his students and getting involved with the youth activists he began to realize the importance of his own position and the disillusionment of power.
Tanwa is a self- proclaimed hippie trying to escape from his own privilege. He's also so deeply depressed in a way that he doesn't even recognise how depressed he is. I think in a way he needed Trin to lead him out of that trance he constantly puts himself into. Tanwa's time stopped once his mother passed away and since then he's just been existing and constantly antagonising his dad. In my opinion, he should've antagonise his dad more! All this to say, Tanwa's a rich kid with a world of chances given him, yet its given to someone who wont seek out anything greater for others. This juxtaposition of Trin's status and privilege versus Victor's lack of, is depressing to say the least.
Krailert/Naran
Guys, love can bloom from within the pages of the newspaper!
Their story almost reads as a early 2000s romcom- minus the comedy and we are in the 60s. Everything is viewed through a rose colored (weed) lens yet the reality of the common people are drenched in fear and blood.
I really loved how the screenwriters introduced them. Naran, a man behind the camera, while Krailert, a man always in the headlines. Inadvertently, both start interacting through their differing opinions about music and its connections to current affairs. Their interest in each other both in real life and the interactions through the newspaper are both laced in with some hate. Every interaction between them is a dance of passion and antagonism. Though both parties are aware of their positions in society, they are willing to pursue a doomed relationship in hopes of achieving some freedom in their own ways. Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of this relationship is watching these two people find each other during a turbulant time. In the moments they're together, they try their best to keep the outside from "leaking" in, but the outside finds a way. No matter how tightly sealed they can keep this relationship, reality is inevitable. Krailert's guilt feels so deep rooted when I watched him not fight back with Devhi. He wanted to repent and also keep Naran safe. I think Naran deep down also knew that they wouldn't find that freedom he talked about in that last note. I hope Trin told Naran about what happened instead of Naran believing that Krailert's wasn't brave enough to come to him. Trin also should've smuggled uncle out! Why would Trin say their room was beautiful, but also not try to do more for him? Fighting our own battles is great and all, but I feel like Krailert's ending is the most tragic. He's basically imprisoned for the end of his days.
Devhi, Veera (+Moira)
I understood Devhi's plight, but I don't understand her reactions to her reality. It was her who chose a prison of her own making. She chose to be with a man who will never like her back. She strives for his love, but both of them just end up hating each other more and more. She's trapping herself and him to have an ideal life that she thinks will make her happy. In this relationship, there's more hate than love. She thought Krailert would keep up the pretenses of being a married man, but he never does despite all she did to secure this marriage. What I don't understand more is how she didn't internalize how it felt to be liked by someone like Veera. Why would you want to go back to a marriage where you're not loved? Veera loved her even in hiding. Sadly, despite his love, Veera met such a harsh death. Veera's death mostly pushed her to a harsh reality where she finally realizes that she can continue to imprison herself and Krailert like she has done this entire time. Moira is the only perceptive character in the entire show. Moira knows all the secrets and tries to guide everyone towards a happier path. However, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
Overall, it's a show worth watching, but make sure you don't have any pressing things to get through the next few days cause man, this show hurts like a bitch!
Let me preface this by saying, I am not the same person I was before I started watching this. No- like legitimately I was in the TRENCHES! The last two episodes were like machine guns going off - even till the end. The only fault I can highlight in the show, is the first episode, which felt overly convoluted. I think they should've spread the introduction of the characters instead of piling it up. The story-boarding for this production was amazing: everything from the pacing to the colouring really highlighted what each scene sets out to depict. I think because of that every character's emotions were amplified. I loved the set- design too for the news room which felt lived in and authentic of the time. I can tell they put in a lot of effort to the costumes and the hair designs - all of it places you in that time period.
Regarding the OST, some of the songs felt out of time and don't even get me started on the song Tanwa sang which honestly if you think about sounds like Scooby Doo. This was especially hard because Victor was actively dying.
Victor
Victor my love, Victor my sweet darling- you were gone too soon!!!!!!!! America was waiting and I was waiting.
Historically, the martyrs have always been the young and the charismatic, headstrong orators. His populist ideology though resonating with masses were not really achievable in the short period of his life. What's more depressing is that even though he is risking his life fighting on the front lines for the rights of the oppressed , his mix-race status still makes him an 'outsider'.
And this is the cruel reality this show captures well. His puppy love for Trin manifest in ebbs and flows through the conversations that essentially placed them on different sides of the same coin in their diversely inherent worldviews.
Sometimes when I mourn over Victor's death, I think it is because that he appears to me in the image of young Max Nattapol.
Trin/ Tanwa
Trin is a very 'polished' guy a complete 180 from who Tanwa is - which essentially is what drew them together. Trin is able to let shed a lot of his shell because of Tanwa. With his interactions with Victor he became more headstrong and understood the consequences of remaining stationery with the privilege. After interacting with his students and getting involved with the youth activists he began to realize the importance of his own position and the disillusionment of power.
Tanwa is a self- proclaimed hippie trying to escape from his own privilege. He's also so deeply depressed in a way that he doesn't even recognise how depressed he is. I think in a way he needed Trin to lead him out of that trance he constantly puts himself into. Tanwa's time stopped once his mother passed away and since then he's just been existing and constantly antagonising his dad. In my opinion, he should've antagonise his dad more! All this to say, Tanwa's a rich kid with a world of chances given him, yet its given to someone who wont seek out anything greater for others. This juxtaposition of Trin's status and privilege versus Victor's lack of, is depressing to say the least.
Krailert/Naran
Guys, love can bloom from within the pages of the newspaper!
Their story almost reads as a early 2000s romcom- minus the comedy and we are in the 60s. Everything is viewed through a rose colored (weed) lens yet the reality of the common people are drenched in fear and blood.
I really loved how the screenwriters introduced them. Naran, a man behind the camera, while Krailert, a man always in the headlines. Inadvertently, both start interacting through their differing opinions about music and its connections to current affairs. Their interest in each other both in real life and the interactions through the newspaper are both laced in with some hate. Every interaction between them is a dance of passion and antagonism. Though both parties are aware of their positions in society, they are willing to pursue a doomed relationship in hopes of achieving some freedom in their own ways. Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of this relationship is watching these two people find each other during a turbulant time. In the moments they're together, they try their best to keep the outside from "leaking" in, but the outside finds a way. No matter how tightly sealed they can keep this relationship, reality is inevitable. Krailert's guilt feels so deep rooted when I watched him not fight back with Devhi. He wanted to repent and also keep Naran safe. I think Naran deep down also knew that they wouldn't find that freedom he talked about in that last note. I hope Trin told Naran about what happened instead of Naran believing that Krailert's wasn't brave enough to come to him. Trin also should've smuggled uncle out! Why would Trin say their room was beautiful, but also not try to do more for him? Fighting our own battles is great and all, but I feel like Krailert's ending is the most tragic. He's basically imprisoned for the end of his days.
Devhi, Veera (+Moira)
I understood Devhi's plight, but I don't understand her reactions to her reality. It was her who chose a prison of her own making. She chose to be with a man who will never like her back. She strives for his love, but both of them just end up hating each other more and more. She's trapping herself and him to have an ideal life that she thinks will make her happy. In this relationship, there's more hate than love. She thought Krailert would keep up the pretenses of being a married man, but he never does despite all she did to secure this marriage. What I don't understand more is how she didn't internalize how it felt to be liked by someone like Veera. Why would you want to go back to a marriage where you're not loved? Veera loved her even in hiding. Sadly, despite his love, Veera met such a harsh death. Veera's death mostly pushed her to a harsh reality where she finally realizes that she can continue to imprison herself and Krailert like she has done this entire time. Moira is the only perceptive character in the entire show. Moira knows all the secrets and tries to guide everyone towards a happier path. However, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
Overall, it's a show worth watching, but make sure you don't have any pressing things to get through the next few days cause man, this show hurts like a bitch!
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