#JUST LIKE THE AUDIENCE HAS TO DO TO UNDERSTAND KINN

[vegaseatsass]

My Stand-In Episode 9

I have like 10min to ejaculate some emotions before I have to run again so lmfao /types hard and fast I adore that after twisted coercive action after twisted coercive action, Ming almost almost almost had his Kinn moment where he lets Joe go. He came SO close. But he couldn't stick the landing. He's going twisted coercion to the VERY END, BABY!!! And I do think in many ways that's a clue about whether he would have been able to let Joe go when he asked in the first life, before the baseball bat, if Joe hadn't gotten the call from Sol and given Ming a justification for spiralling into delululand. I really do think he was close to hearing Joe then too, and honoring his desperate requests to let go. But "close" means letting him walk across the street and then chasing him, not actually releasing his grip. Ming will always be so very Ming <3

Wut pissed me off throughout this ENTIRE episode but I am trying not to relapse to "the NARRATIVE doesn't UNDERSTAND what it's DOING" reactions to characters with his framing and actually just take what's on the screen in good faith. And what's on the screen is a man who never truly acknowledged his own role in getting Joe killed, doomed to make all the same choices and mistakes all over again. While carrying himself with so much unearned self-righteousness and avuncular "wisdom", augh I hate him but yeah. He thinks what he did wrong in Joe's first life is like not yell at him hard enough to keep him from driving off a cliff. Not push an abused, financially desperate man into further isolation with nary a moment of considering trying to support him or even just giving him companionship for the night while he recovered from being fuckin kidnapped. So yeah, it's not surprising he's consistently making the easy choices, the "it's not REALLY my problem" choices, that put Joe back in Ming's grasp again and again. Like okay thank you as a plot device Wut (yes I am a sick and twisted hypocrite lmao), but fuck you fuck you fuck you as a human being.

However! SOL THIS EPISODE! Oh my god this is why I needed to quickly post! The duality of this character! I made FUN of Ming for thinking that Soljoe as a branded pair was any kind of threat, but episode 9 Sol was like "no actually. Audience shipping is reality if we try hard enough to make it be so." The way the lines are so blurred for him between just desperately desperately wanting to be there for Joe and desperately desperately wanting Joe to see that Ming is the wrong choice and Sol is the right choice, and I have strong doubts about how fully conscious the latter is - he knows he still wants Joe, sure, but I think he sees his (nonexistent, sorry baby) romantic eligibility as an opportunity to get Joe away from Ming. If Joe had a partner who wasn't violent and dangerous, I truly believe Sol would back off while harboring his feelings more quietly. But if Joe is single or with Ming? Sol has to try with everything he's got and cannot see the ways that that compromises his support for Joe.

And yet! EVERY time he called out Wut for facilitating Mingjoe (SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK WUT) I was cheering for him. Helping Joe with (Joe-on-Joe) crimes??? Being his lookout??? The crowd ROARED! And there's something to be said for Joe in the middle of the grieving process for his body and life, and Sol being the one who comes by to accompany him the next morning. Again, it's that duality: he is coming because they have a music video to promote, he is coming because he's giddy about selling them as a branded pair and maybe making Joe see him as a romantic option. But being very frank, I think it matters that Joe had someone who knew what happened and knew he was in the middle of grieving be there at his side that morning. I don't think he struggled to wake up when Ing shook him because he was sleepy. I think he was carrying something a lot heavier than that, and you need community to help you carry that burden. And there's nobody trying to or thinking of offering that for Joe except Sol. For partly selfish reasons, again, that's the juice of the character, that that duality is always present for him, but for ME it still matters as a kind of material support.

Lastly, the little glimpse of Yim being bitter and fucked up about Joe's death, and how that went over Joe's head, because he doesn't expect his CHILDHOOD FRIEND to remember him and grieve him. Delicious little detail.

[yujeong]

Random ass Porsche&Pete thoughts at 4pm while at work because KP has destroyed any resemblance I might have had to being an adult.

Ok. So. May I suggest that the best scene in the entire show kind of came out of nowhere? I'm of course talking about the Porsche&Pete bathroom scene in ep13, yes it's the best scene, no I do not accept criticism.

What do I mean by that? Well, we as an audience member, who know what Pete went through, who know why he returns to the compound in ruins, understand why Porsche is questioning Pete and why he's heated.

But can I suggest that we see this from a different perspective for a hot second?

Why is Porsche so insistent in knowing what happened to Pete? Why is he so angry? Why does he want to punish the people who made him suffer?

Obviously he would, right? Pete is his friend and he came back home in shambles. The people responsible need to pay.

But why is Porsche paying attention to Pete now? Why does he care now?

Think about it. Has Porsche ever done that in the show? Has he paid ANY attention to Pete prior to episode 13, when he realized Pete might be in danger? Because I can't think of anything at all.

I've rambled about their relationship before - it was actually my first post on Tumblr lol, crazy - and it continues to haunt me. How complex it is and not just "a friendship".

I wholeheartedly believe that what drives Porsche to push Pete so hard during their talk in the bathroom is guilt. He would never admit it, he doesn't even realize it, but that's what it is.

Because he forgot about Pete too. He may have gotten mad at Kinn for sending him to the minor family compound- you can see his fiery expression for a little more than a second when Tankhun talks to them both in ep13 - but he shares the blame too. Not as much as Kinn, but as his supposed friend, he does. And he knows it.

We never saw if Kinn told Porsche about Pete's mission so we can't know if Porsche knows about its significance (in the novels he knows and gets extra mad at Kinn for it, but the novels have different context altogether so we'll ignore it). I'd like to think he did, because Porsche as a character demands explanations constantly throughout the series.

Take all of the above I've mentioned and try to remember the scene again (if you've managed to forget it because I sure af haven't). To me, that's Porsche trying to correct a mistake, not him being a good friend.

Because Porsche was a lot of things but a good friend wasn't one of them.

Pete may have not thought of that, because he had other things to worry about at that moment before he'd even think of questioning Porsche's motives, but I want to believe that he eventually did wonder about them. Especially when Porsche suggested they go to Hum Bar.

It may have been a fleeting thought. It may have been just a couple of seconds of his bodyguard instincts kicking in before they were drowned in his despair. But I want to believe it happened.

What I'm wondering is what interpretation he gave to Porsche's behavior. I'm sure it was the most logical and not at all him dismissing his own self worth :)

[Shameless self promo of my Heroes and Villains series that touch upon this very concept through an alternate canon that manages to emphasize the sacrifice Pete made and Porsche's guilt about his mistake, because I'm working on the 3rd installment which I hope will get posted before 2024 comes.]

[aeternallis]

such an interesting meta with kim, even if i have a bit of a hard time swallowing that he would ever pose a threat to chay. he's never been aggressive towards him, and he protected him at the warehouse even if chay didn't know until later. so i feel like on the contrary, they're the healthiest of the three

Heyya nonnie~ 

It took me some time with this response, apologies for that. 

You're the nicest of all the anon asks I got in response to what I presume to be this meta that expressed the same sentiments, so I don't mind entertaining you. Hehe! 

I agree, Kim has never been physically aggressive towards Chay, but the way I see it, it doesn't mean the potential isn't there. My own sentiments on this have not changed; the potential and the breadth of what this entails is what holds my attention for this couple. Now, up to where you choose to go with that is entirely up to you; I myself don't know up to what point the idea of physical aggression from Kim towards Chay can go (if it even goes anywhere), because we don't have a KP S2, all we can do is speculate on the crumbs we got.

And we in the Kimchay fandom speculate, don’t we? Every fic author who’s written a Kimchay reconciliation fic with smut involved has played with this potential, even if the potential is zero. XD For my own reconciliation fic though, I dialed it up to a 6 at least, ahahahaha. Besides that, my belief with this is in keeping with the overall themes of the show, yknow?

After all, the show asks their audience a vital question within its narrative: what consequences and hardships do Porsche, Pete, and Porchay endure, to be loved by these Theerapanyakul men?

In my defense it's not as if I pulled that aforementioned meta outta my ass, I do have an explanation for it. Lolol

It's not something I mentioned in my original meta because I know most people on here have issues with the novel, but there is a noticeable change to Chay's characterization in the adaptation. From my own experience and understanding, seeing the changes from book to show is able to provide more clarity on BOC's intent with their changes and overall presentation of the drama, which I think is a good thing, overall.

In the book, Chay is a lot more like Porsche, both in his personality and his way of thinking. For example, take a look at this scene from when Tawan kidnaps Chay, and how much Chay mouths off to him:

In the adaptation however, Chay is knocked out during that scene, so the framing of that situation is very different; he’s portrayed to be a lot more helpless and weak, because of the fact that he was knocked out. I go into the consequences of these changes on a different meta, mostly talking about Porsche and Chay's relationship, if you're interested.

Another example I can think of right off the bat: when the reader first sees Chay and Kim meet (again, as it's implied that there is bad history between them) in the book, Kim pretty much kabedons Chay against the wall, and Chay retaliates by kicking him in the groin. Lol

These are just two examples, but by bringing these scenes up, I want to highlight the change from book to show: in the show, Chay's personality is framed to be milder than Porsche, as someone who’s not a fighter, as someone who's more optimistic, and as someone whose instinct it is is more to call for help than try to fight off an enemy. Barcode's take on this character is a lot more docile (in the beginning, at least), naively bold when compared to the book character, and he doesn't have much of the spunkiness that Porsche has, yknow?

Again, on paper not that big of a change in the long run, but a noticeable one nonetheless.

In episode 5 when Chay talks of his admiration to Kim, he states that he wants to be more like Porsche, and one of Porsche's most defining characteristics is his fighting skills. It's due partly to his fighting prowess that he's able to better enforce his boundaries with Kinn. It's an added asset for him, as it is for Pete to Vegas, but it’s not necessarily the only thing they both have going for them.  

And yet, why doesn't Chay know how to fight? Why doesn't he seem to have the disposition for it? Was he never provided or had an opportunity to learn? Perhaps Porsche kept him from having to learn; this matches up with how overprotective he is of Chay, one could argue.

Again, because of how Chay's character is framed in the show, he doesn't have the brazen attitude that he shares with Porsche in the book (in fact, a few times Porsche even mentions how much Chay is like him); on the contrary, he's a lot more self-reflective in the show and quite thoughtful. This manifests itself in his natural talent when it comes to writing music, especially how he was able to write the 1st version of WDYS in Kim's studio.

Because of this notable change in Chay’s character in the show, the physical power imbalance between Kim and Chay is a lot more noticeable, hence why Kim’s potential aggression towards Chay is more keenly felt in the show (case in point: their bar scenes, lol), at least the way I see it. 

For reals, I still question why they altered this part of the book characterization when they chose to adapt this IP. Lol

Imo, BOC discards Chay’s penchant for impulsiveness and brazenness (similar to Porsche when fighting an enemy off) in the book, but in turn, elevates his mental fortitude when he’s wronged. In the show, it’s definitely more a showcase of his inner strength and self-respect that he in particular was able to draw his boundaries against Kim (aka blocking his number, not picking up his call, etc), without ever having to physically fight him off, as opposed to Porsche and Pete.

[halliescomut]

KP Week 2022- Day 2: Favorite Episode

So, I did spoil this a bit with a previous post, it was 2 am my time....so IDK know who saw that. I apologize for my poor quality gifs, but I talk a lot about the acting, so I wanted visuals. Any gifs not made by me are credited with the gif. So here we go!

My favorite episode is the second one.

It might be a bit controversial, and I'm by no means saying it's the best one, but I do think there's a lot of good moments to be had. Like, I love the amount of levity in the episode, but there's also some pretty crucial world 'build'ing happening (pun intended). I love Porsche's response to everything that's happening, it's very realistic and gives more dimension to his character. Like, he doesn't want this, and his reflex to escape this new job he hates is to kind of be as bad at it as possible, both intentionally and unintentionally. I also love to the introduction of more characters, Pete especially, because I truly adore him. By the end of the episode we've been introduced to almost every character of importance (if memory serves the only person we have yet to meet is Kim).

You see a lot more of the interactions between equals, so not just a Theerapanyakun who's in charge of whatever space they're in, interacting with those of 'lower status', but far more peer interaction. We start out with Porsche's introduction to the other bodyguards, where there's a great deal of antagonism, some of which is a test/hazing, but clearly from some there's more personal reasons *cough* Big *cough*. We also get more Daddy Chan (TM), which is greatly appreciated. (gifs from Homiesexual Solidarity and you know why they're here)

Pete's introduction is such a delight, and upon re-watch, when you know where his story is going, is also a very interesting choice. (gif from Rainbow Press)

He's meant to be a bridge for both the audience and Porsche when it comes to understanding the mafia world, and what his expectations should be. We also get a lot of interaction between Porsche and other staff, and while we rarely see the Theerapanyakun family be rude to any of their domestic staff, Porsche very specifically is very respectful. He's not there to fuck up anyone else's livelihood.

Our next big scene is the shooting range, where Kinn and Porsche's power struggle becomes the front and center story. It's hilarious, because of the 'wasabi prank', but the undercurrents there are very telling. The reality is that Kinn and Porsche have both had to be the responsible ones for most of their lives, and not even just their adult lives. We can hazard a guess that Kinn was likely still a teenager when it became clear that Tankhun was not going to be the next head of the major family. So while Porsche sees them both as equals, Kinn is consistently trying to push him, force him into a place of subservience, and he's fighting it hard. (You can visit Lutawolf's page for more direct commentary on their power dynamic in regards to their romantic/sexual relationship.) The apple scene is worth several re-watches, because the acting there is top notch. Kinn's actions demanding that Porsche submit/trust him, because he's due it based on his position. But Porsche has never really been able to trust (read also: rely on) anyone and why on earth would he put that trust in Kinn so easily? (vid from creepymoony)

He knows better than to show weakness in front of Kinn, but he's not been raised to hide his feelings or thoughts, and so eventually those feelings break out. For all of his work hiding things from Porchay as best he can, he really does not have a high level of emotional control (which is also well shown through this episode) but his show of control here rather than allowing Kinn to see any weakness or fear is very well done by Apo and very much in character, since Porsche does seem to generally be a fake it 'til you make type of person.

The training montage is amusing, but very good world building for the show, as we both get to see Porsche show his skills and demonstrate his determination to prove himself. Porsche takes a great deal of pride in his skills, and he's competitive. He may not take every part of the training seriously, but we do see him actively working when it comes to the physical skills of being a bodyguard. This set of scenes also enables us to more fully understand the expectations that are placed on all of the bodyguards. They're all shown as competent before we get into the more frivolous activities of Tankhun.

I have quite a few problem with the fallout from Elizabeth and Sebastian's unfortunate passing, because the reality is I was raised in a lower class household, and I very much hate the decision of Tankhun to humiliate Porsche as punishment. The whole scene makes me incredibly uncomfortable, so much so that I can't even enjoy Porsche in his mermaid outfit, which is unfortunate.

I understand Tankhun being upset, but I do also think that they give him a lot of leeway in his behavior that's honestly probably not healthy for him. (I also don't fully buy into Tankhun's 'crazy', I do think at least part of it is an act.) I do think that Kinn 'rescuing' Porsche is an important stepping stone in their relationship. I definitely see some discomfort in Kinn's face during the scene, but he knows how to handle Tankhun efficiently, which is important here. He's kind of ripping the band aid off as quickly as possible, but there's still some pain there.

The suit scene is fascinating to me, because we know there's a draw for Kinn that's throwing him off with Porsche. But this glimpse into Porsche recognizing this connection is very interesting. Porsche knows when someone is attracted to him. The man is a hoe (affectionate) and very emotionally intelligent, he's not missing those cues from Kinn. (Image credit to thetheea-rossa)

But they're both fighting that physical attraction because they don't like it each other personally. They both feel the other doesn't respect them, but they are coming to that conclusion from their own disparate experiences, which are expertly expressed by this tumblr post:

Then this happens, which is one of the best things I've ever seen, and the comparison to Miss Congeniality that I saw will live in my mind forever. (Gif credit to: Ai Kinn)

The launch party is an entire clusterfuck, Porsche is back intentionally making bad decisions out of spite, which does backfire wildly. Anyone who's worked a service job that they hated truly understands this desire to be so absolutely crap at that their job to the point that they get fired, but Porsche is forgetting a key component here, which is that the mafia doesn't 'let people go'. His reaction to recognizing the consequences of his bad decision are also very clear. Porsche doesn't want to be there, but he also doesn't want Kinn to get hurt. It's not Porsche's intention, and he truly does feel guilt about it, but his stubbornness is still firmly guiding a lot of his decisions. We see fairly regularly through the series that Porsche isn't necessarily a long-term thinker. (Personally I think that meant to set him apart from Korn and his chess game.)

Our final scenes introduce the minor family. We meet Vegas (sort of) and get confirmation regarding at least one person who's making active attempts on Kinn's life. The conversation with Fancy Lady Assassin does show that it may more accurately have been an intelligence gathering mission. I really read that scene to show that her actually succeeding in killing Kinn would have been a bonus, but wasn't necessarily the true objective, at least for Vegas.

And then we meet Gun and Macau as well, see the dynamic both personally and professionally between the major and minor families. Kinn truly makes some intentions clear, though not maybe entirely purposefully here. Kinn choking Porsche and the reactions we see from Korn and the minor family are very telling, especially upon re-watch with more context. On Kinn's part, he's clearly intending it to be a show of strength, one more example of him being willing to get his hands dirty as it were, which is something that the minor family insinuates he's not willing to do. But we also start to see suspicion on the part of Vegas and Gun. The minor family is shown to treat their bodyguards and staff more casually, but they also seem far more willing to sacrifice them, so Kinn making the decision to protect Porsche here is an interesting tidbit for them. Korn's decision NOT to be the decision maker here is another telling moment, clearly causing more suspicion in Gun. Gun's probably thinking why are you protecting this stranger? For myself, Korn is being manipulative as always, and he's watching Kinn fall in line to what he wants, at least for now, so what reason would he have to interfere. Depending on what you think Korn's endgame is, this can indicate anything, really. I'm not entirely sure it's a case of 'I just want to protect and care for my adoptive sister's son' though.

But just watch y'all. The depth you can read from this, especially on a re-watch:

Pete finally getting through to Porsche, getting him to understand exactly how close things were to definitely not going his way. And he manages to include just little bit of more info about Kinn and his motivations. Kinn is clearly liked by the people that work for him. For pretty much every interaction you see, there's respect and deference for Kinn, but not fear. And outside of Porsche, you don't see Kinn intimidating or even being rude to any of the employees around the compound.

The apology scene is really interesting to watch, as you see ACTUAL COMMUNICATION between Kinn and Porsche. Up to this point they've both been playing a role, but here there's a genuine inquiry from each of them. "Is this the real you?"

Here they're both on equal footing because they're alone, they both know that there's a persona they're projecting out of necessity, and they both want to see behind those personas. But there's still hesitation because of the lack of trust. And it becomes a bit of a vicious circle, because without taking a risk and being truly honest, even in small ways, they can't build any trust.

Porsche get traded to Tankhun for Pete, which isn't really much of anything, but it's clear that Kinn does see this as a a sort of punishment, though a very lenient one. But I will say, I don't think that Kinn would have made the trade if he didn't actually trust Porsche to protect his brother. Kinn's a deeply caring person, we do see the expressed regularly in the series, so we can extrapolate that he truly loves his siblings, and he certainly wouldn't make a choice that he thought would put Tankhun at risk.

Our final scene of the episode is a juicy one. we have Gun recalling a conversation earlier in the day with Korn, clearly trying to get even the smallest bit of information about Porsche, after the meeting/choking. His spidey-sense are all a-tingle, and he knows there's something deeper going on. He gets nothing more than confirmation that there's definitely something going on and put Vegas in charge of looking into it.

Re-watching this scene multiple times, I got say I'm fascinated by the relationship there, because Gun is a terrible father, truly, but he trusts Vegas more than ANYONE just because Vegas is his son (I'm assuming that's his reason). But he has a direct familial relationship with Korn and he wouldn't trust that man as far as he could throw him. Like, it's not a blind faith in Vegas, but Vegas' loyalty is never questioned by Gun, even when Gun's motives are question by Vegas. Simply fascinating.

I really like this choice as a final scene, because it sets us up as the viewer to know that there's definitely more secrets in that house than there are guns, and it also gives us a heads up that there's going to be a hidden motive when it comes to anything Vegas does in the coming episodes. It's just some really engaging storytelling, you know?

But anyway, we'll consider those my final thoughts. FYI, this post is over 2,000 words, I was not kidding when I said I put more into it than some of my college level papers. Also, it might have been longer, but my browser crashed as I was finishing everything out and adding the gifs, and so some of my thoughts have been lost to the sands of time and the whims of Google Chrome. If you actually read this whole thing...here's some behind the scenes wet Mile (courtesy of daikunart). Thanks.

[fridgrave]

Ok so, I know you're not the biggest fan of Ethan, and from what I can tell it's mainly stemmed from Rogue Nation and Fallout (mainly fallout, but if I'm wrong forgive me, I'd love to read more about your opinions they're really interesting).

What was first thing that made you dislike him, and do you have any thoughts on what Tom and McQ could (but won't) do to redeem Ethan in your eyes? What they could do to redeem anything that they've messed up in the movies they made?

(No problem f you don't care just thought it would be a good discussion)

wow that's a real question here 😳

and before I'll tell more about my dislike to ethan i must notice, what when i just came in this fandom two years and one month ago i loved ethan. i was a benthan stan, i made content with them (fics and art), and it was fun!

i was a 18 years old liberal girl with no idea how world is really working, i was much healthier mentally than now and my life was much easier. i had no need in everything — and i had no need to change my mind in such questions as "why countries can't be just friends so people like me would never die in different conflicts and wars". i can't say is that ignorance a bad or normal thing, it's up to you to decide, but I'm thinking all the people don't mind such things before it's touching them. we have too much other problems to think that globally while everything else is okay, but when it's bad you want to know why.

but I'm going too fast. even if my life was okay in 2020 i always had this... unifying theme in my art and other mind activities. it's inner potential. i always thought and still think what i'm nothing. i don't bring anything new or good in this world, so every character who became my blorbo got from me this inner conflict about this "changing the world" stuff — and yet me myself is not in my villain arc, all my blorbos are intended in good deeds as well (i like to think what i'm a good person, you know,,,). benji, whom i kinn A LOT, had this potential. he really is a guy who just wants everyone to be okay, he cares and tries his best, but he's not perfect as ethan and has some common sense. when i came in m:i fandom i knew what most of franchise audience sees benji as a comic relief while he's not worse than ethan, even more interesting sometimes — and much closer to a viewer because he makes mistakes. actually, benji is a viewer in some way, he helps to make movies more real and touching

i was... offended by it. i wanted benji to be in focus as he deserved, so i started to think: what did go wrong? my first thought was his conflict with solomon, what could be the best part of fallout and a great boost for this boring monotonous garbage, but in fact we had one dialog line between them and one unrealistic (but still stressful, not gonna lie) fight in the end. i wanted more. more tense between them, more of benji's trauma. i didn't ship them yet but i felt what this bond between them is more real and catching than between lane and ethan. why? because now i see what mc and cruise had no idea how to write a real fighter with a system. they make solomon a casual terrorist, what is a disappointment, because all his conflict with ethan now sucks as well. mccruises tried to make one type of an antagonist, but if you understand at least something in world-system theory (as real system fighter SHOULD understand) you would see what lane's deeds in rn do literally nothing to bring any changes. you could see more my thoughts about it in my recent fic "on the sleeve".

so, i started to think about benji and solomon and their conflict more, putting ethan on a background. i still liked him, but started to see that lanedunn dynamic what turned into other my fic i never finished (insp by the inheritance with simon)

and then, at summer of 2021 me and my bestie grisha came up with idea what trembled me a lot: after solomon the best antagonist for ethan would be benji. it started from benji's love to ethan, what benji was tired of government and how they treated everyone — and especially ethan. but, thinking about this consent we realized why this works and doesn't work in the same time

this was the moment when i saw the most huge ethan's problem. he never changes.

me and grisha understood what benji's side is logically right. what agencies like cia make things much worse than people they fight with, and while ethan is on their side he's wrong (i met grisha thanks to the show "person of interest what has that m:i vibes but much much cooler and it talks on such themes as government crimes, check this out!). so we had a problem: or on our story benji looses what is a bad end, or ethan dies or something — but never changes his side because he can't to this. i talked about how he never changes and i'm too tired to write it again on english, а на русском вы читать не будете.

that was solomon's time. we started our syndicate au, but with shipping benji and lane we needed to work on syndicate as an entity. we took the idea what mccruises wanted to put in it and made it real, so a bunch of terrorists became a solid organization what has a goal to bring a real revolution in this world

i started my way as a communist. my life was getting worse as well and i saw how capitalism is dangerous for the most of the people. i was thinking about it, but after 24 of february it became clear as a day for me

how is this connected to ethan? well, it's harder to say how it's not

tom cruise is a billionaire producer, and every single idea in mission impossible comes through his point of view: point of view of a white rich american man. he's connect with usa government just like his character ethan, but while hunt runs over the globe and fights with bad guys tom cruise uses his money and influence to make such movies like m:i and top gun which whole idea is simple: usa always wins. usa are good guys. usa sending their agents into other countries without any permission because usa knows what's right and what's wrong, like it was in iran, vientam, syria and other countries. usa has the best airborne, the best army and technology. i can tell this for a long time, but it's not necessary — all of you saw this in hundreds of movies. all i said is not a secret

and ethan is an embodiment of this capitalistic system. perfect american man who never lose. ethan always knows best, whatever his friends say, he can find a way in every situation, can beat a guy who's smarter than him with no reason and explanation, can return to life even after deadly experience

and since i realized this i hate ethan. he's not even a character — he's a system itself. the system i'm against of. i have no respect for him, because he has no value as just a character. he is a mary (marty?) sue made for one reason: make you believe what usa is good and cool one. for 6 films cruise didn't gave ethan nothing more than some epic scenes. no personality, no growth. and if tom cruise doesn't see ethan as a character — why should i?

[thisisevenharderthannamingablog]

Six Iterations of a Story

We're never going to know what really went down, but I'm intrigued by the many versions we get of the scene with Korn, Gun, and Porsche's parents along the course of the last two episodes. Trying to take nothing at face value and teasing apart this sequence.

This ended up being seven pages long in draft.

Version 1: Hearsay

The first version of the story we get is from "Uncle" Arthee.

Your dad and mom didn't die in a car accident. They were shot. ... You were in shock that [sic - should have been "and"] you couldn't remember anything. You just believed what I told you. [Guy]'s just a scapegoat, he wanted you to believe that. How many times did I tell you that this family was evil? ... That day, the person who shot your dad and mom .... [dies]

Arthee works for them, and thinks the family is evil.

Who shot Arthee? Kinn and Pete have arrived with guns drawn, but there is no reason for either of them to do it. He wasn't armed, and while I know trigger discipline is nonexistent in this show, it would have been awfully easy to hit Porsche. I assume that it was Chan on Korn's orders.

Arthee's information is second-hand, and he believes that both of Porsche's parents were shot that day.

Theory: Thee was part of the clean-up crew. They would have used Pat's body and that of some random young woman (they are in the Mafia), staged an accident, and then hid the details about that for a two-layered coverup. Thee was detached to long-term babysitting duty, keeping the circle of those who knew any of it small. Thee was a bit player, nobody was keeping track of what he did, and taking care of extended family members is common enough for nobody to wonder about it.

If Porsche had gone ahead and shot that guy, everything could have been blamed on him with no risk of contradiction -- and Porsche would have no one but himself to blame for that, which is tidy. Porsche - who has had barely any interaction at all with Gun - assumes that Thee was about to say it was Korn who killed them.

Version 2: Traumatized Child Eyewitness

Next we get Porsche's memory of his father speaking:

You're asking me to let my wife go back to your [fucking] family? Your evil runs in your blood.

Again, evil.

Pat and Gun are seated across from one another, Korn standing; the next thing Porsche remembers is his father on the ground dead and two people standing next to one another by the back door. We don't see their faces in that iteration. It's a position from which neither of them could have shot Pat, who is face down at right angles to them both.

Porsche confronts Korn.

You're wrong. The truth is, why would I do that? Since Nampheung was my sister.

I can't even imagine what the reaction was like watching that reveal in real-time. Why would I do that is not actually a denial.

Version 3: Unreliable Participant 1

Continue with Korn's version.

Back then, you were just a child. You might not be able to remember much.

Korn immediately plants a seed of self-mistrust here, casting doubt on any details Porsche remembers that do not match what he's about to say. Also Kinn has arrived, so Korn is not playing to an audience of one any longer. Although Kinn has pushed Porsche's gun arm down, he hasn't tried to disarm him. Whatever Korn reveals here has to work on both of them.

Nampheung was my foster sister. She went out and lived on her own with your dad. I was the one who completely understood her. But on that day, my papa forced me to bring Nampheung back. And I wasn't the one who shot them. But it was....

This approach underline points of commonality. That he understood Porsche's mother and by extension understands Porsche; that he knows what it's like to be forced to do something you would rather not.

Cut to flashback.

You are all bastards. Nampheung and I know the truth.

A new detail: there is a truth here to be known.

In this version, Pat and Korn are seated facing one another, and Gun is standing at the end of the table. There is no one at the back door.

Pat: And how dare you ask my wife back to your house?

There is a difference in verb here from Porsche's memory; in that one, it's whether Pat will let her go.

Gun: What the hell are you saying?

Korn: Listen to me. You know lots of people are targeting our family. Go back and talk to Papa nicely.

Casting himself as a would-be peacemaker and protector.

Pat (forcefully): I need peace! I'm done with all of that bullshit. I'm never gonna go back to your damn family.

That is unique to this version - this emphasis on himself, not purely on Nampheung. That he won't go back.

He stands up, starts to walk away and is shot.

Korn stands up: What the hell did you do, Gun?

Gun: A guy like this deserved to die.

That sounds like him. Vegas certainly uses the guy phrase a lot.

Korn: And how would Nampheung feel about that?

Highlights his connection with her.

Enter Nampheung, sees body.

Korn: Nampheung. Calm down. Listen to me.

He says her name twice and catches her as she faints.

That calm down is classic, make the person you're talking to defensive about their own emotions and take their focus off of you. Even in memory he's trying to control.

Back to the present day.

When she came home, she took pills to kill herself.

And why didn't you tell me that in the first place?!

Because he made it up on the spot, Porsche, sorry your father in law sucks. He's leaving himself room to maneuver in this moment by not telling a direct lie -- he doesn't actually say that she died, or for that matter that she took the pills willingly, or try to draw a logical line between her foster-brother shooting her husband and her own supposed suicide attempt, completely forgets to weave the kids into this version (Nampheung went home and killed herself without even thinking about her children...?)

He isn't crafting a story but trying to evoke a set of emotions, to play on Porsche's strong family feeling and protective instincts.

I was trying to protect you. And your brother. Thee was one of my people that I sent to look after you. But he was a gambler. That's why you were all dragged down. I'm sorry.

Korn constantly tries to position himself in a protector role, and mentioning Chay reminds Porsche of that link between them, but this is weaksauce.

Korn collapses, about to fake his own death and give himself time to think of a way out of this. Because that is not only a lie but a clumsy one; Korn obviously did not give a single shit about those kids. Thee isn't one of his trusted or even mildly competent people. He's been assigned to keep an eye on them, not to actually protect or take care of them, possibly just in case somebody else in Mafialand decides they have hostage value.

By collapsing like that, he also separates Kinn from Porsche. They never get a chance to discuss this, try to figure out together what's really going on, or make a plan as a pair.

Version 4: Traumatized Child Eyewitness Reprise

These scenes happen out of sequence in the show. After the above conversation, Porsche returns to the house and recalls some additional details. (And it's killing me a little how important the house always was to him, and how horrible it must be now. Korn really is the worst.)

Go hide! Run away! [Child!Porsche hides in cabinet.]

Who says this line? It doesn't sound like Nampheung; it sounds like Porsche. Was he trying to get his father to run away?

Cut to Pat falling, shot in the back. We see the people at the door this time, although not very clearly - guards. So that's potentially two additional eyewitnesses we haven't plumbed.

It's your fault for knowing too much.

This line appears in the subtitles but no one actually says it...?

If it even happened, there is no way of knowing to whom that line is directed. To Pat, by the shooter? To someone who did not shoot, by the shooter? Someone we don't even know was there? There are so many gaps.

Version 5: Unreliable Participant #2

In the middle of a firefight, Gun insists that all he wants to do is clear the air.

I want to take a step back and consider his position right now. He's committed. If he accomplishes nothing else today, he has to kill Kinn. Whether or not Korn is still alive (as he seems to suspect), Kinn was already out for Gun's blood after the Tawan clusterfuck, and after this? Korn might have some new game in mind. Kinn will put his uncle down without blinking at the first opportunity.

Kinn has also lost his gun somewhere in the excitement, and it's Gun and Porsche standing off. If Gun kills Kinn, Porsche will kill him. Why not shoot Porsche? Too risky? Or does he legitimately not want to? He stalls for time or maybe backup.

Come stay with me, and you'll be safe.

This is the Mafia; an offer of personal protection is kinda how things work. (Porsche's only reply is to rearrange his hold on Kinn, who is obviously not included in this offer).

I don't know what Korn's told you. But I guess I'm the villain.

Gun's worldview seems to be highly dramatized and characterized by emotional extremes. Mostly we've seen him raging at Vegas, but I want to point out that I guess I'm the villain is another manipulation tactic. Like Korn's "calm down," it puts the other person on the defensive about their own response rather than what is happening. He's experienced at this and wants to get out in front of that label right away.

Cut to flashback.

Pat: You guys are bastards. Nampheung and I know the truth.

Acceptably similar but not identical wording at first, full overlap on the second sentence.

Pat and Gun face each across the table, with Korn standing at the end.

And you dare ask my wife to go back to that evil family?

Again slight difference in wording; Gun's version is more dramatic than Korn's, and neither of them match Porsche's memory.

Gun: What the hell are you saying?

Agreement on that line.

Pat: Nampheung didn't come from a foster care. But it was your papa who massacred Nampheung's whole family. [brothers share a look here.] And now you're hunting my family down, aren't you. Your evilness runs in your blood.

Korn: Shut up!

Pat: Pathetic. You're just a filthy blood who can't accept the truth.

I assume that's an insult that doesn't translate. This is a totally new version. Grandpapa Theerapanyakul is no longer asking Nampheung to come home to protect her, or even asking her husband to let her come home, but has lied to her about her origins, and he himself is a threat.

I can't think of a reason for Gun to make this detail up when he could just... blame Korn. It also fits well with Korn's pattern of telling a partial truth that leaves things out, and in Korn's earlier version the what the hell are you saying line feels out of place.

He gets up, walks away, Korn shoots him in the back.

Korn: It's your fault for knowing too much.

This doesn't match Korn's version, but it does match Porsche's memory (maybe?).

Gun: Korn, why did you shoot him? How would Nampheung feel about that?

Suggestion that Korn knew the truth about her and Gun did not. That, I have my doubts about. He still thinks she is dead along with her husband right now, and is trying to cast himself in an innocent light.

[She arrives] Korn didn't mean to. He just didn't mean to. Don't worry, I'll take care of you. Alright? [says her name several times as she faints]

Abuse klaxons are going off. Korn has never even been hinted at having a history of physically abusing people; Gun does. So this is either him revising a line of dialog that was actually about himself - I didn't mean to - or he is aware enough of how this works to make himself sound like Korn's victim here.

[The guards are there in this version, because Korn orders them to take Gun away. Korn crouches threateningly over Nampheung. They have to drag Gun away! He fights them! He breaks down! Again, much more dramatic.]

[Korn comes out of the house] I've solved the problem here.

Implication that he's killed her, too. And the kids...? Was Chay asleep in his crib while this whole thing went down?! Did anyone in the many lacunae in this scene find Porsche's hiding place?

You're a bastard.

Take him home and calm him down.

Again with the calming.

Back to the present day, whew.

Gun: He told me that he killed everyone. But look, there are still two of you.

I guess he means Porsche and Chay, the lone survivors of that branch of the family. Gun seems to be really into bloodlines, with all of that yelling at Vegas about not being fit to be his son and so forth.

Kinn: What are you talking about?

Gun: Your dad is far more evil than you thought. Til now, do you know how many people I loved were killed? He destroyed everything. He killed Nampheung. Nampheung, whom I loved the most.

Enter bomb. Love is a complicated topic with a character like this. He is again casting himself as Korn's victim, and the wording suggests that there were other occasions. I do find it interesting that he doesn't claim to have seen Korn kill Nampheung.

Two mentions of evil, via Pat and Gun.

There are other possible reasons than family feeling for Gun to want to keep Porsche alive, but I would conclude from this version that he did feel something for Nampheung. Doesn't mean he didn't kill her, of course, but he may legitimately be invested in the concept of her children. Doesn't seem to like his own very much.

All Together Now

This is the section I refer to as Korn's castle move, taking place fittingly at the top of his tower. Gun spots Korn and is not surprised to find him alive, is shocked to find Nampheung -- there is no one else there when he sees her, no reason for him to pretend surprise if he suspected. Porsche and Kinn are right behind him. Never over Kinn's WTAF expression.

Gun: How could you do this to Nampheung? How could you?

Korn: I did this to protect Nampheung.

That's not true! You told me that Nampheung was dead.

That's all on you, Gun. You made me lie. Don't you remember? You shot Pat that day. Then we took Nampheung home. And you molested her! So she had to take the pills to take her own life!

Another classic tactic. Korn should write a book. He's got a gun. He also has an audience. I believe that last bit is intended to goad Porsche into an even more wound-up state. If he can be induced to shoot Gun, so much the better for Korn. I call this Korn's castle play because I think the idea is to shift attention to Gun (his reserved rook) and off of Nampheung (the king).

Luckily, I saved her.

Gosh what a coincidence.

That's why I had to keep the secret about Nampheung being alive. Because if you knew, you wouldn't let it go.

Seriously? You couldn't think of any other way to handle this? Sure, sure.

Gun: You did all of this because you're selfish. You lied to everyone. Korn, stop pretending. You just want all the power. The truth is, you're just as bad as Papa was. Nampheung, I love you the most. Please come back to me. I'll protect you. And everyone shall know the truth. The truth that Nampheung is--

Is what? Is alive? Nah, that's gotta get out now. Is whoever she really is? Possible. Is actually the one who killed her husband? Frankly I like that one. We know zilch about Pat, after all. The possibilities are endless, and the writers may not even have picked one at the time.

Gun raises his gun, and Korn shoots him.

Don't worry. Vegas and Macau, I'll take care of them.

Back to the protector role, and Korn's trying to repopulate his side of the chess board; it is vital right now that he be seen to be magnanimous. I think that line was mainly for Kinn's benefit -- in which case, hats off to you, Korn, for just this once gambling on your son's softness and not his sharp edge, because it fucking worked.

Nampheung faints, Porsche is kneeling down next to her and aiming at Korn.

You [fucking] lied! Where's the truth?

I did everything to protect you. And your brother. And your mother.

Ugh again with that bullshit.

This is where Kinn moves into Porsche's line of fire. It's a logical and even loving follow-up to the red herring earlier -- committing murder right now wouldn't be particularly good for Porsche -- but it's also exactly what Korn wanted. Korn seizes his moment; he can still play this to a stalemate.

It's my fault, I lied to Porsche. But I've been waiting for this day, the day that Porsche meets with his mother once again. All this time, I was afraid that if anyone learned that Nampheung was still alive, Gun wouldn't let go. And I was trying to make Porsche get closer and closer to his mother. Everything I did, I did it for my nephew. And for my sister.

Absolutely classic. Admit guilt for a small specific thing, then take credit for enormous good motives, his standard disarming tactic now that no one alive can claim otherwise.

The problem here is that Kinn and Porsche are both fundamentally honest people, and this sort of brazen, byzantine lie would never occur to either one of them. They will shoot you, sure. And they'll lie by omission and lie to protect themselves and lie to themselves, but they don't lie to people in an attempt to get them to feel a particular way, and that is the entirety of Korn's method.

And Porsche puts down the gun. Successful play; the game continues.

[chaos0pikachu]

ooh ooh ooh, for the meme, tell me the character everyone gets wrong in both mdzs AND in kinnporsche 🧋

oh girl MDZS is to easy we all know it's a mix of JGY first and foremost but know what I'd also say WWX especially if people have only watched the LA and not read the novel. What I like about MXTX's work in general is all the characters are interesting in some way even if I don't "stan" them or whatever.

Like I don't stan JC but he's still an interesting character in his own right. WWX is an interesting character, I really like them, but fandom has a tendency to do the opposite to him what folks do to JGY. Folks like to Bond Villain JGY and woobie-fy WWX. Which flattens both characters to their most trope-y basic parts. Fans don't seem to want to confront and include the good aspects of JGY and the net good he does in the novel, just like they don't want to confront the negative aspects of WWX and the harm he did to others (also being self-destructive like that's a char flaw and not a uwu he hates himself uwu like self-destructive behavior is a BAD thing it's not cute).

I can get behind slut!WWX with the best of them but also acknowledge that when pushed, and at his worse, he also murdered a fuckton of people lol

For Kinnporsche, hmmmmm surprisingly I feel like majority of fandom has a decent grasp on the characters as they're presented in canon. For a bit I'd say people were struggling with understand Kinn and surprisingly, Pete.

Kinn was obvious, Porsche is our beloved and Kinn hurt him (around the Tawan arc) so sympathy was more inclined to go towards Porsche than people trying to understand Kinn's POV. I think one thing fandom was struggling with was understanding Kinn's filiality towards his father (sound familiar? lol) and the mafia life. Porsche's problems - being poor, feeling out of his depth, being insecure about his relationship with Kinn when an old ex shows up - are much more relatable than the weight of being a mafia heir lol

For Pete, well for a while there was this idea that Pete was like...a good person??? Which I thought was baffling. It goes back to this violence thing, audiences tend to only care about violence if it happens on screen, and even then only if it happens to chars they feel emotionally attached to. Like if Pete had beat up Chay or something to protect Vegas (which I could see him doing tbh) I think fans would view Pete as more idk "bad" I guess. I don't view Pete as an either/or but a both/and. Pete, like most of the chars in KP lives by his own internal moral code.

Like, Pete kills people. That's a thing he does. On screen even. He has no qualms about murdering people for the betterment of the main family, and later to protect Vegas. He's a perfect match for Vegas in that sense, because he's self-aware enough about himself to know he's a violent person, or at least is fine with violence. He doesn't shake or look away when Vegas is torturing a man (in his hilarious murder poncho at that). I like Pete as a character for that reason because he's set up as the BL tropey best friend of the protag but he ends up being way more than that.

🔥 CHOOSE VIOLENCE ASK GAME 🔥

[chaosciara]

I mean, to each their own.

Kinnporsche is a show where normal morals and ethics shouldn't really be brought in to condemn or judge the characters because of the genre (mafia/organized crime) and as Apo (Porsche's actor) has said, nothing is easy to define and nothing can be defined as black or white since every thing/one is shades of grey including the characters. The characters all have wants needs, and motivations in their relationship and as people that aren't necessarily healthy from an outside "normal" perspective but it's what they want, ultimately, and who can take that away from them if it's what they want? (reminds me of "what doesn't kill me gives me kinks that are difficult to explain" lmao).

That, of course, doesn't mean that the audience can't analyze and objectively view and recognize that all the relationships in the show are problematic and/or questionable. Because they are. They all are.

None of the relationships have started out as anything short of manipulation and/or coercion, and abuse of power (Kinn, Vegas, Kim) from people in a lesser positions of power and lacking knowledge (Porsche, Pete, and Porchay) even if it eventually turned into genuine love.

I understand that last anon and I get why KimChay-ers get touchy, because let's be real, KimChay are the most tame of all of the ships but I think you will soon realize (in the later episodes) that Chay is the most emotionally intelligent character in the show, even above Porsche, who despite his outwardly soft and naive appearance, chooses himself first before being treated like shit and is absolutely not a pushover (which is why I love his character because its a dichotomy).

Its a fandom meme that Chay ignored the red flags more so that he didn't know or see that they were there because he chose to leave instead of putting up with it unlike the other two (and I say that affectionately for Porsche and Pete).

I also get why KimChay-ers get sensitive about the actors' 9 year age gap (18/27) but to be honest, Barcode's parents allowed him to be there and I don't feel the need to coddle a person just performing their role as an actor. To begin with, his and Jeff's character will never step up to be as intense as KP and VP and that was a concious decision on the directors' part for Barcode's age/age gap because KC are explicitly emphasized in the canon novel as having sex despite them being much younger (about 16ish) than they are in the show...

I don't understand why people project Jeff and Barcode onto KimChay. One are characters, and the other are respectful coworkers. If you see any weird behavior in regards to KimChay or Jeff and Barcode, its usually the fans creating it more so than the actors who have cute sibling/mentor relationship and don't do weird fanservice or yuck it up to promote the ship.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the show ! :)

yea i don’t concern myself with the actual actors and their age I trust to some extent there was consent and agreement between them regarding their roles

this debate is all about the show and within the show’s context

I have no feeling towards kimchay. I didn’t hate them (dislike yes but not hate). I don’t love them. I’m genuinely uninterested in their storyline. whatever happens happens, you know?

thank you for your thoughts anon :)

and I am enjoying the show I love porsche so much he’s defs my fave. he’s such a disaster and gets himself into ten times more trouble than he needs to.

I’m also extremely excited for pete’s continuing arc. cannot wait to see where that goes.

I have 5 episodes left !! I’m ready!

[atlasshrugd]

ok sumn I noticed was that this episode seemed to be in porsche’s pov. usually in other episodes we get a dual pov in which kinn and porsche have scenes on their own so we know how they’re feeling/what they’re doing. but in this ep kinn had no scenes alone. we literally don’t know what he’s doing in the entire episode when he’s not with porsche. he was only in scenes with porsche - meanwhile porsche was having all this internal conflict and reacting to everything. kinn didn’t have many lines on purpose and we only see him when porsche sees him. so this episode was meant to be taken through porsche’s eyes - which means it’s not entirety reliable. this is setting the stage for when porsche misunderstands about kinn and tawan in the next ep, which will probs only be in porsche’s pov too. we will see kinn and tawan through his eyes which will be filtered by insecurity and jealousy. and we won’t get answers until we see kinn as he is, not just through porsche’s eyes. which will happen in the pool scene !

[bleakyblues]

The 2nd Reiteration of “I’m on your side”.

The problem with having so much happen in the last episode is that it kind of overshadows what has happened in the previous one. We spent the entire episode 13 with Porsche’s suspicions and lack of trust. The show pretty definably established that he not only doesn’t trust Korn but also to some extent doesn’t trust Kinn. Yes he trusts Kinn’s love and in Kinn as a person but he doesn’t trust Kinn to have agency. He doesn’t even expect Kinn to look beyond his father’s lies and he knows directly going against Korn without knowing the complete truth will just hurt Kinn. And there is also the fact that Porsche is canonically the person with the greatest trust issues. We’d expected it to be Kinn but he trusts Porsche completely. Porsche can’t do the same because he is more familiar with the realities of life. That a person who has multiple allegiances can never offer complete loyalty to someone, especially when those allegiances have the potential to come into conflict. I believe that’s why he and Vegas work so well together. Both are aware that their trust in each other is conditional and they clearly negotiate those conditions. Hence, why they are able to shift between being allies to enemies to allies again so easily.

That is the emotional state we move into episode 14 with. Even on their 2nd confrontation, Korn gives Porsche absolutely no reason to change his stance. So when Vegas calls and asks Porsche to choose, Porsche makes his choice and his choice is Kinn. The “I am not on the major family’s side. I am not on the minor family’s side. I am on your side.” may seem like a romantic declaration at first, and it is, but the practical implication of the statement appears through the context Kinn, himself provides Porsche and the audience, that is - “If you believe my father, you’re on the major family’s side. if you don’t believe him (and later on, believe Gun instead) you are on the minor family’s side”. Thus, Porsche is essentially telling him, he doesn’t believe in them but loves Kinn enough to override that disbelieve.

Then Korn goes and gives him the proof that he is lying and hiding things and Porsche is ready to shoot him again . . . except Kinn steps in the way. 

You can literally see here the realization dawn on his face that he has lost before he even knew he had a battle to fight. It is pretty well established by now that he will do anything for the people he loves and Korn has his grip on all 3 of his loved ones - his mother as Korn’s step-sister who seems to feel comfortable with only him (she tries to hide behind Korn and grips his arm tightly), Chay as a step-nephew who Porsche himself brought under his roof and most importantly, Kinn who will never leave his father even if Porsche manages to get the other 2 out. So he lowers his gun and agrees to take the ring, knowing that it is essentially going to be a leash. And the most fucked up thing is that, we know Porsche will not only happily wear that leash but even think of it as a diamond necklace, if it means it can keep his loved ones safe and happy.

And this finally brings me to the 2nd reiteration of that dialogue because the context still stands and Porsche’s answer is still the same. He knows he’s being lied to and yet he’s still choosing Kinn. But this time around, it comes with the added context of Porsche being the literal head of the minor family. He is quite explicitly telling Kinn that the family does not matter to him. He would burn it down without hesitation, destroy even that what he was now responsible for, if it weren’t for the person in front of him. And then he drives the nail into the coffin by saying that “All my life . . . is all yours.” and I don’t think Kinn fully understands the implications of what Porsche is saying. Porsche, a person who doesn’t trust completely is giving his complete loyalty to Kinn. He is not only giving in but he is giving up. He is giving up his right to find the truth and get justice for his parents, he’s giving up his agency, he’s giving up his freedom for Kinn. His mother had wanted him to be a phoenix and fly to freedom. Porsche puts on shackles and cages himself in that family for love. He’s placing himself right under Korn’s thumb just so he doesn’t have to let go of Kinn’s hand. And the ironic thing or the most fucked up thing really, is that he is genuinely happy doing so. His search for truth means nothing to him in the face of the peace and stability and happiness, him being Korn’s puppet can bring for Kinn and Chay.

I guess what I am ultimately saying is that at the end of the day, Porsche will be a perfect little chess piece for Korn but his obedience will be more absolute because unlike Kinn, he is consenting to it with both of his eyes open. And at the end of the day, it will finally come down to Kinn after all - whether he will treasure his father or his lover more.

Edit: Just gonna add this gif to drive home the fact that Korn makes sure it is Kinn's hand that puts the 'leash' on Porsche and Porsche realises this as well. (not a part of this gif but you can see Porsche staring at the ring with furrowed brows)

[dreamedofyou]

Porsche & Smoking

I've been thinking about Porsche and his smoking habits ever since we saw him say he wanted to quit smoking in ep 8. I can't help but shake the feeling that it's one of those details to help us understand him better and showcase his character development (because why else would they have included that line, right?).

Putting it under a cut just in case some people feel like it's clogging up the tag/their dash.

The first time we see Porsche smoke is after he's had sex with a bar customer and I thought nothing of it at the time, apart from seeing it as just one of his habits (it was the first episode, so both of the main characters were still getting established, meaning it's not unusual for directors/writers to include a scene of someone smoking for no other purpose than to establish someone is a smoker).

However, the more episodes I'd seen, the more it seemed to me that there was a pattern emerging. Namely, that we see Porsche smoke after a stressful situation or whenever he's in emotional turmoil a lot. For example, this is the case in episode 2 after the apple shooting incident.

The first thing he does after the adrenaline wears off and his fear catches up to him is grab a smoke, which is very telling. It shows the audience that Porsche alleviates stress through smoking. Cigarettes help him calm down (which is not uncommon among smokers, at least those I know irl) and take some of that edge off. In other words, he needs a smoke to cope.

From this point on, the idea is reinforced in several of the scenes in which Porsche smokes. That time when he can't bear watching Pete and Ken beat up the man disloyal to Kinn's family in ep 3? The first thing he does after Pete takes him outside is indulge in a cigarette, and based on his expression and the way he takes that drag you can just tell he felt relief, like he couldn't wait to do it in order to ease his mind.

The bathroom breakdown in ep 5? Which is arguably the scene in which he's hit his lowest point so far, mentally speaking? He smokes.

Actually, throughout the entirety of episode 5 Porsche only ever grabs a cigarette when he gets emotionally overwhelmed in some way. He's clearly struggling during the scene where he tries to hook up with a random bar customer again. He isn't in the mood to do that when Yok points him in the woman's direction but he goes for it anyway. He tries so hard to convince himself that he can go back to doing what he's always done, that Kinn having sex with him hasn't affected him in the way it has. So when he fails, when he can't "perform" like he's done countless times before and the woman walks away, which leaves him with nothing but his distraught emotions, he immediately turns to smoking again.

(I love this image so much because it really shows the turmoil he's feeling in this moment.)

Now, all of that isn't to say he only ever smokes whenever he's stressed, because there are times when he goes for a casual smoke, but such is the nature of smokers. Sometimes they'll smoke just because they need/want a cigarette. Even during a few of those scenes, however, there's an underlying presence of stress or unease in his life.

(This is him smoking just before the confrontation with Macau in ep 2. Remember, Porsche has had a really rough time throughout the episode getting used to a completely new world and messing up a lot. So he was definitely going through it mentally.)

(The party in episode 7 was right after quite possibly the most dangerous mission Porsche has been a part of since working for the Theerapanyakul family, so letting loose with the help of cigarettes and alcohol after coming back from such a high-stakes situation feels natural.)

Anyways, I'd like to come back to the scene I mentioned in my very first sentence – the one that prompted me to start thinking about Porsche's relationship with smoking in the first place and write this whole thing.

The implications of him thinking about quitting are, imo, huge, because quitting cigarettes also means throwing away one of his coping methods, the thing that grounds him when he feels too on edge. So maybe, just maybe that's because he's starting to feel like he doesn't need to cope anymore. Whether that's because he doesn't feel as stressed/anxious anymore (he's been really happy and full of joy during ep 8 prior to the scene above) or because he's found something (or someone) that helps calm him down instead, it's all due to his relationship with Kinn.

(What does he do when he's deathly afraid of being haunted by Tawan's ghost? Smoke to calm down? Or call Kinn?)

The fact that he wants to quit smoking for the first time ever (as far as we've seen) indicates that he feels happier, calmer and in a much better mental state in general.

Too bad we all know it won't last. 🙃

[thatgirl4815]

Everything They Aren’t Saying

“Are you saying that I’ve hurt you?”

“Or have you not?”

This! This was an opportunity for Kinn to capitalize on. It was one of the first times Porsche opened up the discussion about what happened that night, albeit indirectly. I’m more of the belief that Kinn knows that Porsche is conflicted about things. He knows he’s feeling bad (I mean how could you not notice? The former ball-of-sunshine is so closed off and quiet now) but Kinn can’t afford himself even one moment to play into it (as much as he wants to). They’re wearing their colors, they’re in his home: everything makes Kinn dreadfully aware of his position. He can’t show an ounce of vulnerability, not after he’s already opened himself up too much before. But we, as the audience, know that it hurts Kinn to hear this. “At least they’ve done me no harm.” The way Porsche says it, the look in his eyes, is then met with this reaction:

He tries so hard to put on a facade that his position--his father--demands of him, but Porsche continues to present little chinks in his armor. There’s a softness to his eyes that contradicts what he says. He stayed up waiting for Porsche, he’s angry that he went out with Vegas, but just like how Porsche doesn’t know what Kinn is thinking, Kinn doesn’t know what Porsche is thinking either. We saw him grapple with this last episode over the kiss, but now the situation is even more messy. He can’t be subtle anymore because they both know the elephant in the room. Porsche was drugged, but he knows what went on between them, Kinn obviously knows that Porsche knows, and--most importantly--they both know there’s no going back.

A (not so brief) aside on Kinn:

I keep saying this, but I think it’s so clear from this episode that we are seeing these events more from Porsche’s eyes than from Kinn’s (understandably so--Porsche was the victim in last week’s episode). But it’s important to note that they are both victims of something. **This is not to belittle Porsche’s trauma, as Kinn was undeniably wrong for sleeping with a man who could not give his full consent. Porsche will always be a victim of that, and Kinn needs to openly acknowledge that, regardless if Porsche was asking for it, he shouldn’t have done it.** But Kinn is a victim in the sense that he is always giving parts of himself away to be the person he needs to be. His father demands it of him. If not for that conversation between Korn and Kinn by the pool, I truly believe that Kinn would not have punished Porsche for what happened. He might have become cold and distant after sitting with it for awhile, but I do not think we would’ve seen him act out so harshly without a clear push from the boss. It pains him to lock his emotions up, but again, he has no choice.

We’ve seen this plot before. A resistant protagonist. The cold dominant. But part of what makes this trope so interesting is that the character growth is so inextricably tied to the core romantic relationship. Kinn as a person grows because of Porsche (and vice versa, in a different way). This is what makes it one of my favorites. So far, I think they’re executing it beautifully.

Part of the reason I think they keep pushing this “you and me against the world” idea is because, in a way, Kinn and Porsche are now part of a greater crime syndicate that is just as dangerous for their enemies as it is for them, both externally and internally. We saw Kinn admit in the conversation at the pier that he’s had to live with this burden his entire life. Kinn knows that this life takes a toll on him, and I think he’ll want to protect Porsche from that more as the season goes on. I could be wrong, but I think that this all goes back to the reason why Kinn is attracted to Porsche in the first place: he doesn’t give in to the environment. He is himself, always. Kinn can’t be himself, so of course he’s going to be attracted to someone who is. But he’ll also be jealous, as I think we see a glimmer of during the night at the pier. What Kinn seems to be grappling with in the giffed (?) scene above is the idea that he is the reason why Porsche isn’t himself anymore (or, at least, he’s not the person he used to be). Kinn didn’t mean for Porsche to get drugged, and Porsche probably would’ve been messed up if that was all it was, but Kinn has knowingly added trauma to it. 

I think he even acknowledges that he is to blame for most of this trauma during the scene with Korn by the pool. He even says “This happened to him because Porsche works for our family” which could be about the drugging, but I think you could also connect it to what happened after (that might be a little bit of a stretch depending on how you look at it, but I digress). A lot of this is mere speculation, but from the concerned--might I even say fearful?--expression on Kinn’s face during this entire conversation with Korn, I find it hard to believe he does not feel at least some personal responsibility for what came after the drugging. Throughout the majority of Ep4, Kinn was trying to understand Porsche’s feelings for him. Of course he’s going to feel as if he made a mistake here in Ep5 when he sees how Porsche reacts the morning after the drugging. He made the mess even more messy, and now he has to find a way to clean it up. It’s not easy for a guy who hardly allows himself to feel at all, much less talk about those feelings. Which brings us to this conversation:

Once again, here is Kinn making generalizations. Not that this is a lie; he does care about all of his people, from what we can see. But by constantly referencing “his people,” he is intentionally shifting away from the topic. Porsche wants to know that Kinn cares about him and him specifically. Kinn kissing and then later sleeping with Porsche suggests that he cares (especially after Porsche overheard his boy toy say that Kinn doesn’t just kiss anyone), but Porsche has proven to be less than knowledgable about these things (plus, Kinn really isn’t giving him much to work with)...

A lot of the discourse from this episode has been about this line, and I agree with most of it. I think it’s fair for Porsche to say that Kinn is playing with his emotions--and in the moment, it makes sense that he would say Kinn doesn’t care. But Kinn has shown time and time again that he does care, even if he goes and does something else afterwards that seemingly contradicts it. Yes, he’s playing with Porsche’s emotions. Yes, he’s being hypocritical. But if you look at it closer, everything Kinn has done against Porsche is connected to his position as a mafia boss. If Porsche could see that and fully come to grips with it, I wonder if that would alter his reaction here. 

I sound like quite the Kinn apologist here. I’m not trying to be. Rationalizing his actions is the best way to get into his headspace. I fully sympathize and emphasize with Porsche over his trauma. He’s been put through the wringer both physically and mentally. He’s in no state of mind to be empathizing with Kinn.

All in all, it would be easy enough to write Kinn off as a villain because of what happened at the end of Ep4, but I don’t think--and clearly Porsche doesn’t think--he’s irredeemable. He made a mistake and he knows it. Ep6 will pave the way for their relationship going forward. To truly understand and appreciate the depth of KinnPorsche’s interactions, we need to embrace both of their perspectives. 

Kinn will, in my opinion, grow to understand a greater moral truth that the show seems to be pushing for: it is not usual, nor is it healthy, for humans to push their emotions away. To Kinn, true intimacy is the enemy. I suspect that at his lowest point, he will grow to believe this even more. But I think--and desperately hope--that he will soon see love as something powerful and worth protecting. It didn’t work out for him before, but it will. This time. If this clip is any indication, than I have a lot of hope:

You can only wear a mask for so long before it either molds to your face, or it begins to fall apart. For Kinn, it is falling apart piece by piece.

~ ~ ~

Ok, so this was all over the place. I just think their interactions are so nuanced that it would be a shame to overlook the details. This turned out to be a Kinn-centric post, but I just find him so interesting that I couldn’t resist. I would love to hear everyone else’s thoughts too, so feel free to agree or disagree with any of the points made. I love discussing. :) Have a great day! 

[myezblog]

Pete

I will come back with a detailed post on Pete, but just want to put this out there..

@Anon  ... got your ASK. Will come back with a proper reply.

******************************

Pete not flinching during the Hannibal scene, in my opinion, is a scene to show his character’s strength. I , unlike others, do not have the opinion that this is about Pete’s “dark” tendencies.

You need to understand! Vegas is not a pseudo misunderstood guy being seen as villain. He is truly fked up. He is scary, he is manipulative, he can kill in cold blood. He is pure Venom.

By showing that Pete does not flinch while literally everyone does, the director is showing the audience how Pete, and only Pete, is capable of looking at Vegas in the eye and not judge.

Pete is not the only one who was willing to, but also who can actually MANAGE to despite all these cruel things that Vegas does. Pete is always calm, and always assesses situations and consider contexts. Fairly well sorted if you ask me. He knows, Vegas was doing this for a purpose and he understands. This is their line of business. It is afterall a Mafia series, even if all of them behave as kindergartners!

Vegas shows a heinous side to both drama characters and to us as audience. Who did not flinch at that blood bathed raincoat?! But Pete keeps looking at Vegas, straight in the eye. He just watched everything happen as neutral observer, but then he saw what he was not expecting. He saw the joy on Vegas’ face, and hence his little expression towards the end. He sees Vegas in more ways and layers than anyone else, even more than what he has heard from kinn and Tankhun (and both of them know to what length Vegas can go to irk Kinn)

Let me also tell you that Vegas registered this incident. Vegas started off by asking them to leave the room because they won’t be able to stomach it. Clearly, this is not his first time. However, every time other people have been scared of his means. Do you think he didn’t make a note of this gesture that Pete kept looking at him right in the eye.

Director would choose to ignore this only for a random reason. Vegas is also irritated with Pete, because he realizes that Pete senses his layers, his fake personality. During the heinous act, when for a brief second vegas gave away and gloated, Pete saw him and those eyes were interesting (like they know but don’t strongly judge)

Sometimes, no expressions can also be very powerful. Vegas ain’t the male lead whose candy love can care for him and sympathize with him TO CHANGE HIM.. you have to accept him for who he is.. and he will change willingly for you

I have so so many thoughts on Pete, and on PeteX Vegas.. and other characters. This was such a solid episode

[lutawolf]

Kinnporsche Episode 9 Thoughts and Notes

So basically this started as a way for me to look back and remember what I noticed. Like taking notes in a notebook 📓 I was surprised to learn that I wasn't the only one to find my notes useful. Now it's tradition. For those who enjoy my commentary, that can be found here. This might have a few comments but mainly notes.

I don't think anyone is falling for Tawan's bullshit. In the series or audience.

What's interesting is Porsche, of all people understands family first but he isn't buying this. His posture is completely closed off. He knows Tawan is full of shit.

Kinn, what is this softness you are showing. Then your eyes immediately cut to Porsche. Here is your balance. Porsche just gives him the bullshit look and Kinn reigns it back in.

This is also when Tawan realizes the power Porsche holds.

The poison literally did not have time to take effect before Tawan is acting. He took the poison knowing he would need something in his system but he was already acting.

Porsche is so closed off. Arms crossed. Is this a barrier between him and Tawan or is he actually anxious.

Porsche cutting his eyes. Watching everything. He has no trust here.

In the brief moment before Kinn turns to look out the window. He looks at Porsche. Porsche centers him and Kinn centers Porsche, Porsche's posture is still closed off but has now relaxed.

Kinn's power pose. He makes this when he has to make a decision he doesn't want to. It's his Dominant mask. Don't notice I'm unsure, look at this stance, I have my shit together.

Tawan keeps looking at Porsche. He realizes he is the real obstacle.

Khun is the King. Red wine, white clothes while spitting wisdom.

Khun won't lead the family because he can't leave the house. Yes, he did with Porsche but even Kinn was surprised. Yet, his brother and father still recognize his intelligence.

Korn working the game. The way he keeps cutting his eyes.

Big saying not to trust someone is a laugh.

And it begins. Tawan getting into Porsche's head.

Porsche replaced Big again. Just like he replaced Tawan.

Tawan.. I know them better than you. Then he says, it will be what Kinn's finally decision. That decides things

Porsche's arms come up and cross again. It's anxiety. He doesn't know what Kinn is going to do.

"No matter what Kinn chooses it will be what's best for the family" trying to remind himself.

Tawan catches this and says "or what's best for his heart"

Kinn's Dominance stance and Porsche once again back to relaxed with Kinn's presence there to reassure him.

Kinn says he will offer protection. Afterwards that he looks right at Porsche. Porsche nods and looks at Tawan. It's a, I don't like it any better than you moment.

The way Big is staring Tawan down. 😳 I would have put money on Big being a sell out but he does not like Tawan.

Kinn keeps leaving Tawan with Porsche. It's because Porsche is who he can trust.

Porsche refusing to remove the handcuffs is very symbolic considering what handcuffs mean to him.

Okay.. There is no way Pete doesn't know. What I find interesting is that this is show casing Pete's shift in loyalty. He has always been loyal to Kinn but with this statement of asking where Tawan is staying. He is saying, he doesn't trust Kinn to do right by Porsche.

Arm once again proving he is the smart one of the Crack couple.

Pete now realizing that everyone knows. Trying to process how to handle this information. Does he warn them?

Those lovely bunch of coconuts just ditched Pete. They pulled a Porsche! And jumped behind the couch. Smh

There's that smile. Pete uses his smile to hide his discomfort. It says, look aren't I cute.

Again, are you seeing the switch in loyalty. Pete has never questioned Kinn before but suddenly he is.

Not that he is wrong. Tailing Vegas is not his strong point.

Kinn saying "Pete, you are the person I trust the most" He could send one of his bodyguards but he doesn't trust them. No, the person he trusts the most is Porsche and Porsche inexplicably trusts Pete. Therefore Kinn trusts him.

The lovely bunch of coconuts.

Why would you give a prisoner scissors? Why is Tawan getting so many benefits 🤔

Kinn found his phone in the river. Fixed it and gave it back? Why?? He didn't even know about the pictures on it so it wasn't a keepsake. My guess is he is giving Tawan the phone for the same reason he gave Porsche a phone, tracking device.

Those pictures though. For a moment Porsche's face is blurred in the background. It comes into focus when he looks to see the pictures. This is two fold, Kinn forgot Porsche briefly while walking down memory lane. This is the first time Porsche is actually jealous.

Porsche turns his back. He physically can't see this. Remember it's likely his very first time dealing with jealousy.

Tawan grabs Kinn's hand and Porsche is trying to look anywhere but at them.

Porsche makes a noise and Kinn immediately pulls back.

Porsche points to the door. This is so unacceptable to him he can't talk at first.

Kinn "what meeting" and Porsche taps his head and says to think. You guys, Porsche is truly angrily. He's saying, use your head, you are disrespecting me.

Porsche calms down almost immediately when he sees that Kinn catches on and leaves. He wasn't meaning to be disrespectful and he chooses Porsche.

Once the door closes, he physically has to turn his back on Tawan.

Tawan now realizing this won't be as easy as he thought.

Tawan "Tasty as it's always been, that same old familiar taste." he is making a reference to Kinn here. He is basically saying that he is familiar with the taste of Kinn and will have it again.

He happily eats as he realizes that he hit his mark with Porsche.

Khun "You are not even clever" "that's why you got fooled" "Anyway, before you do anything, think about your loved ones first" look at Kinn's face. Khun was talking about Porsche. Kinn now realizes that Khun also knows. Khun is wisely perceptive you guys. If he ever gets control of his anxiety, he'll be a very dangerous man.

Those socks and that white underwear. Porsche is a beautiful man, that is the only reason this isn't absolutely hideous. It's still bad though.

Kinn is concerned and he honestly tries even though he has no fucking clue what he is doing.

See that smile on Pete's face. This crack head. What's with the Korean?

So we know Pete knows about Kinn and Porsche. Your roommate sends you out and specifically asks when you'll be back. The roommate you know is getting dick. And you come back early? Surprise!

Don't tell me this man isn't a sadist. Shit, him and Vegas made for each other. He is doing exactly what Vegas likes to do. Puts his hand on Kinn's leg making him jump.

Then the cock blocker comes back in the room. Goes to the desk and lays down. Fully thinking he has happily messed up their night. Hope you into voyeurism Pete!

Shit maybe he is?! Maybe that's something we should be on the lookout for?!

Where IS Ken? Asleep. Really? Anybody else find this suspicious?

Tawan, he's trying to get inside Porsche's head again but Porsche just got dicked down so he's feeling pretty good. I particularly appreciate this petty Porsche move. He just got done sucking Kinn like a straw. So he puts that spoon in his mouth making sure Tawan sees. "Tastes Good" and put the spoon in Tawans cup of milk. Ah, it's beautiful.

So the 🥥 is following Vegas. Macau shows up and catches Pete. Pete is shocked, he initially thought it was Vegas. His first words actually are "Hello, Mr. Vegas", So he never saw Macau with Vegas. At some point Vegas called him to come and do this. Which is how he surprised him.

What's with Khun and Macau?

Vegas dropping that hand on his shoulder again. Making Pete jump, again.

The way Vegas is staring at Pete, you guys! People saying we only got bread crumbs. Nah, bitches we got a whole slice of bread. You just gotta start reading between the lines.

Vegas really is paying attention. For all his evil deeds, he is a believer. We saw that when Pete paid respects and we see that in his attentiveness now. Why is that important? Because you could mistakenly think that Vegas is just teasing Pete, if you don't keep in mind that he is in fact a believer.

Pete notices how serious Vegas is. He needs to know if he is actually devote. We know Pete is. Vegas answers Pete seriously without teasing. Yes, he is serious about the sermon. Looking right at Pete, "Your heart will be peaceful and calm or what do you think Pete" He knows Pete is struggling with who he is. He then turns his attention back to the sermon. We see Pete struggling with what he knows of Vegas. This wasn't something he was expecting.

Okay, pay attention or you'll mistake this whole situation. It will look like Vegas is just attempting to make Pete uncomfortable but it's so much more. You guys, we got way more than crumbs.

Pete offers to go get a different jug of water for Vegas. And Vegas responds with sincerity looking Pete in the eyes. "We make merit together. So in the next life we will get to see each other again" Vegas is not playing, that statement was truth and Pete doesn't know what to make of it.

Then Vegas puts his hand on the back of Pete. This is a couples gesture. At this point Pete thinks Vegas is fucking with him and he is insulted. Remember he is devote. Pete is not thinking about the fact the Vegas is devote as well. It would be a lie to say Vegas didn't take any enjoyment out of Pete's confusion. Of course he did!

You can actually see Pete losing it. Then we see Vegas make a Dom move. You'll miss it if you aren't familiar with it. "Go pour that out for me, would you" It's a politely worded command. Those on here familiar with me can tell you that this is very much how I Dom.

Pete just to shake off his confused emotions. He comes back to a note from Vegas. Now you could see this as a taunt "Don't forget to do this again together. So we'll see each other often in the next life" ... I'm struggling with how to interpret the sticky note. I think it was part taunting and part a bye. He didn't want to just leave without saying something.

Porsche is a 🥥

Notice the loyalty that Arm, Pol, and Pete give Porsche. Arm doesn't think twice about giving Porsche that device.

Arm, I'm on your team. "Go Porsche!"

Pete and Vegas are soulmates. Look at this asshole taunting Porsche.

Can somebody explain to me why Kinn is even letting Tawan negotiate? Why is he having any say. Unless Kinn is letting Tawan think he has the upper hand.

Porsche meditating instead of smoking.

If I were Porsche, I'd never drink anything anyone else poured for him again. Just saying. But there he goes. Cause he is a 🥥.

Look at Vegas just putting his pants in the pool. Who does that?

Okay.. I know that I'm gonna be alone in my opinion here but I think that was a sincere apology from Vegas. He doesn't want Porsche, he's just doing what his dad told him to. He doesn't want to hurt him, he genuinely likes him, just not romantically.

He is dead serious about his death. He sees this as his unavoidable fate and he doesn't want to suffer. He's seen suffering up close, he enjoys giving it but he doesn't want to go that way.

Porsche stares at Vegas for a long time. Vegas just drinking. Porsche contemplating if he would kill Vegas if Kinn told him to. Them clinking glasses together in recognition of recognizing who they both are. In the reflection of the pool there is self reflection. They are neither good nor completely bad. Both caught up in an inescapable current.

Kinn isn't happy, but he isn't rushing forward in anger either. Did he hear and recognize what both were saying?

Kinn leaves. Now at this point, nothing has happened to hurt their relationship. Kinn is in a very serious relationship with Porsche and we know he has a temper. If he thought something was going to happen, if he didn't trust Porsche. Would he just leave?

It's at this point that Kinn has made some kind of plan. Not knowing that Porsche is working on his own plan to figure out what the fuck Tawan is doing.

Okay, Kinn are you allowing Tawan to put his head in your crotch because of Vegas?

Kinn is hurting. If you look at his face when Porsche says Akinn. There is pain. What is he supposed to do though. Porsche wanted to keep the relationship secret. How is he supposed to treat him special now without causing problems. I mean he should but he really isn't recognizing the damage he is doing.

Saying "I trust no one" to someone who constantly ask for you to. Is a damage that's going to be hard to come back from.

Kinn never avoids Porsche's eyes.

While Ken is getting some pleasure out of this. Big is not. He actually seems upset.

Pause the screen on Kinn. There is no anger. We know what Kinn looks like angry and we know how he acts when he feels betrayed. We aren't seeing that. There is pain but calmness. He is trying to convey everything to Porsche through his eyes. Eyes that have stayed on Porsche.

Tawan puts his hand on Kinn's shoulder. That's when his eyes cut to Tawan. Then as the camera pans to look at Tawan, Kinn is leaning away from his touch.

"The same old familiar taste" insinuating that he has gotten Kinn back. To give the milk to him. He is insinuating he has sexually as well. I can't wait for Tawan to get his teeth kicked in.

Khun is really king of the series. Notice he is wearing Kinn and Porsche's colors again. Waving their flag.

Korn asks Kinn "What do you think" Kinn cuts his face to the side and Korn says "Still you did well or else other ppl of ours would rise up" So no Kinn doesn't disbelieve Porsche. He just did what he thought he had to "Again."

Once again Kinn and Korn can't think past their own thoughts to Porsche's actual feelings. They just expect him to get it and understand.

Kinn "I'm gonna clear things up with him" "All I ask is to trust me" Ahh, but it won't be that easy Kinn. Honestly, I don't think Kinn expects it to be easy but he thought it would be like the recent apologies. He doesn't realize he's reached monumental fuck up level yet.

Porsche "I knew that you would trust" then there is Vegas not Kinn.

Vegas "run away with me Porsche" I think Porsche will. If Kinn had showed up before Vegas then not likely cause Porsche still had hope. I think Porsche leaves but I don't know that he went with Vegas.

Okay, so there is my notes and thoughts. Hope you find it helpful. 💜💜💜

Special credit to @victooooorious and the coconuts mafia

[deliciouswastelandgoddess]

Why Porsche's arc as the minor family head unsatisfying for many viewers?

[A case study of film-making techniques]

The way I look at it - this is purely a story writing and screenplay problem. I will elaborate how.

Narratively, they needed Porsche in that position at the end of season 1 for multiple reasons:

- THE CONPIRACY SUBPLOT: Porsche is a key player in Korn's masterplan (whatever the fuck that is now) so he needed both the major and minor families under people who are faithful to him and/or people he can manipulate

- THE ROMANCE SUBPLOT: The showrunners understandably wanted Kinn and Porsche to end up at an equal footing. They have finally reached an equilibrium with balanced powers. The family rings also symbolize their metaphorical marriage

- This is just.....good fodder for season 2

But it is still so unsatisfying to watch Porsche walk through the blue corridor as the family head juxtaposed against the flashback of him walking in their as a bodyguard.

This scene is supposed to make us appreciate his journey, his climb in the mafia world but it falls flat. Because it feels unearned. This arc of Porsche's character is dissatisfying for so many of the audiences because it is unearned*, i.e, we never actually see Porsche grow into this role in the screenplay.

(And no, I don't think Vegas should have made the minor family head either. I may or may not write a separate post on that.)

Forget being a mob boss, we get to see very little of him growing in terms even being a good bodyguard, that could successfully preclude his ascension into becoming a family head. This is basic film making.

There could have been multiple ways in which the showrunners could have turned this around but honestly to give them credit it would have changed the tone of the ending each time. Anyway just to list them out:

Have Porsche showcase his acumen either for business or ruthlessness or any quality that would serve a mob boss. Maybe he helps Kinn in working out a good deal with the Russian mob or something. Maybe he is great at dealing with law enforcement. Maybe he successfully earns the respect of all bodyguards (both from the major and minor families) by just being nice to them and protecting them however way he can, charming his way into their hearts. Maybe he is great at networking with the other clan leaders and their bodyguards. Who knows, the possibilities are endless. This would however not play out very well for THE CONSPIRACY PLOT but I am sure there could have been ways where we could have Porsche have agency and still be a pawn in Korn's plans.

If not talent, have Porsche showcase ambition. We see him time and again feeling helpless and weak, always a pawn for those in power. Rather than Korn or Kinn giving him the ring it would have made more impact on viewers if Porsche came up with the idea himself. He wouldn't even need to earn (talking about narrative!earning here, not screenplay!earning that I talk about earlier* - they are two different things, let me know if anyone wants an explicit explanation on that) the title in this scenario, he would just need to force his way into it because why the fuck not - he has had enough of everyone's bullshit by this point. This would again make it harder to push THE CONSIPRACY PLOT pretty much like point 1 but it would be possible to do it.

Third option would have to change nothing else except to remove the whole montage of Porsche who has happily taken up the mantle. Narratively it would have been more satisfying if we could see Porsche being more reluctant to accept it, or being more suspicious of Korn, or making him look like he's aware that he is in fact a pawn but just not in a position to do anything about it. In this scenario we won't have the flashback scene in the screenplay scene at all (the gif above) - it would have to left for Season 2. It would also absolutely ruin the tone of THE ROMANCE SUBPLOT. The ending would also become a hard cliff-hanger rather than the soft one that we currently have.

Some sort of a combination of all the three points above.

Broadly speaking, I agree with the showrunners for their narrative choices but it could have been written better because it feels screenplay!unearned. Its ridiculously difficult and hard to cut out stuff in the editing room but showrunners make do with the limitation as best as they can. I made this post not to criticise the final product the showrunners served us, but rather an explanation for why so many people are not liking this particular plot twist purely from a film making perspective. The dissatisfaction is logical and valid but also-

To squeeze in all the things I mentioned to make the Boss!Porsche arc more organic and satisfying, they would have to remove some of the other scenes and I honestly don't know which one??? I already love everything that we already have, I wouldn't want to remove anything - so the only real solution is to have more episode which is again a practical issue. I think they could have easily done a 26 episode season with all the different subplots that were going on, but of course, finances and television contracts don't always help in those matters so they made do with the 14 hour runtime as best as they could have.

In conclusion, it ain't much but its honest work.

[nattaphum]

I want to say one thing about Kinn and his immediate reactions to defend and protect his father because I keep seeing everyone be so frustrated and confused over it. I was brought up by a mother who was a narcissist. I lived with her for 32 years of my life and during that time, due to constant abuse and conditioning since birth, I would defend her on EVERYTHING. The moment someone went against my mother or threatened her in any way, I was immediately between that person and her without even questioning it. Even against my own family. Even against my own sister. It wasn’t until after she died almost exactly two years ago, that I got some distance and started realizing and reevaluating a lot of things. I started to see how my mind had been warped and manipulated for so long that I just wasn’t able to see the clear picture while she was still here. I had been dependent on her for everything and I loved her at the detriment of my own health. The sad part is I still love and miss her even though I know she did irreparable damage to me for her own selfish reasons.

I see this same thing in Kinn and I’m not surprised that even at the end, when things are being revealed about who his father really is and what he’s been doing, he still can’t let go of that instinct to defend him whether Korn deserves it or not. To literally put himself between a bullet and his father because that’s what Korn wanted and expected from him. I still see that little boy begging for daddies love and pride anytime Kinn interacts with Korn and that’s really sad (but honestly great acting on Mile’s part). Granted, I’m projecting a bit, as we all do, but I was one of the few who wasn’t that shocked or upset that Kinn didn’t defend Porsche and didn’t ask too many questions about the things that just made no sense. He’s still stuck in his role with his blinders on and until his father is out of the picture where he can get some real clarity, I don’t see this changing any time soon. I feel like the audience is really good at looking at Vegas’ actions and making excuses because of an abusive father but I don’t understand why most people in this fandom can’t do the same with Kinn, especially considering that the portrayal of their father/son dynamic has been consistent since day one. All the children are traumatized but I think the best thing that could ever happen for Kinn, and by extension KP, is getting rid of daddy dearest.

Ok this is a very interesting take, even more because it’s based on your personal experience so you know what you’re talking about!