#korn x rung?

[waitmyturtles]

Yikes. Double Savage, episode 10, intense! (I thought last week that this was the finale, but we’ve got two more episodes to go.)

Super quick (I hope), list-ish thoughts (too much work today!). 

I’m now in full agreement with @miscellar that Rung’s storyline is being told through a lens of misogyny. I don’t think her natural recklessness needs to be punished with such a vengeful storyline. Do I think she has the right to be angry towards Korn? Totally. But I don’t think that means that she doesn’t have the insight to also blame Ah and Mek for her fate -- all three dudes, in my opinion, are equally responsible for her fate. Rung should have been written more intelligently, I think, to recognize that, because I think blaming just Korn for her fate is a weak step to stand on.

It’s interesting how the scale of “justice” is swinging ever more towards Korn/Ah/Loong Wit and away from Win/Rung/the po-po. 

Win, man. How can that dude live with himself? Does he blame Korn for, like, the literal BAD DEALS Win’s making with himself, his police bosses, with Rung?

I do appreciate that this show highlights the fallacy of blaming one person for everything that happens in the lives of others (I wrote about the Asian cultural penchant for the blame game in my unspooling meta on Moonlight Chicken -- it is a motif that I grew up with and is baked in my bones as something that I want to reject wholly while raising my kids). Besides Dad Beng, we now have Win and Rung doing the same for Korn -- again, as I keep saying, this is the effect of the intergenerational and community trauma that Dad Beng let loose while raising Korn as a so-called jinx. Win and Rung just couldn’t help internalizing that judgement against Korn, and we’re seeing the aftereffects of that internalization in their adulthood.

I reveled in the warmth between Korn and Loong Wit. I thought their two scenes -- at the gate and in the coffee shop -- were some of the best acting in the series. Regret, warmth, love, appreciation -- the kinds of human emotions that Korn had been denied his whole life, but still recognized and glommed onto, vis à vis the very few people who gave him such love, like Wit, Li, and Mek.

This show might be overwrought, but I thought today’s episode was great. 

Let me say this, though, and I’m being VERY selfish here. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE DAD BENG FINALLY ACCEPTING KORN AND THAT BEING THE IGNITION TO WIN AND RUNG FORGIVING KORN. I don’t wanna see it. The inner Asian child in me doesn’t want to see it, ha. I wanna see something more complicated, something more karmic. 

But I have an unfortunate sense that we might see it -- we might see some regret from Dad Beng, as we’re already getting tidbits of. I really don’t want Korn’s redemption to come at the hands of his dad. But. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended that way, because filial piety is such a baked thing, culturally. Ugh. I’ll be shaking my damn head. But I kinda wonder if the ending is being set up to engender some sympathy on the part of the dad, and my inner, traumatized Asian kid is like, NOT TODAY, COME AWN. Sigh. We’ll see. It will likely depend on who gets hurt over the last two episodes.

[neonsbian]

rung can be an asshole to win and korn all she wants but she WILL hug li back ENTHUSIASTICALLY the next time they're in the same frame istg

[grapsandclaps]

GRAPS & CLAPS - THE GRIMSBY EDITION PART 2! (IT'S GRIM IN GRIMSBY).

Hello again. I am Chris Wilson, the official #GrimsbyGraps correspondent for Graps and Claps. Grimsby is quite a random place for dedicated coverage but until I can coax our Andy to visit the town with the third best football team in Lincolnshire (out of 3), someone needs to tell you how #GrimsbyGraps is taking over the world. Yes, really. Well, maybe.

It all started when some brilliant, creative genius invented the #GrimsbyGraps hashtag and-- Okay, fine, let's skip forward.

Since the last time we were here for BWR's Ignition, British Wrestling Revolution put tickets on sale for their next show, 'No Gods, No Masters'. It sold out in ten hours! This was for a bigger venue too: the first card at the prestigious - if a place for record, job and craft fairs counts as that - Cleethorpes Memorial Hall in 24 years. Unbelievable stuff. BWR then put tickets on sale for their April event also at the Memorial Hall, 'Dive and Kicking', possibly in hope of starting PROGRESS-style immediate sell-outs from now until the end of time. They have sold half their allocation so far. Pretty impressive for #GrimsbyGraps, but the difference between the two shows is one man alone. As discussed before on this blog, having the WWE UK champion Pete Dunne on the card guarantees an extra 80 to 100 ticket sales. He is a rare draw in the age of strongly-branded promotions themselves being the main attraction. 

BWR stacked the card for 'No Gods, No Masters'. Suddenly, a snowstorm in March. BWR came out relatively unscathed considering OTT and Discovery Wrestling have cancelled their plans for this weekend. However, BWR announced the morning of the show that Kay Lee Ray, Big T, Big Grizzly, and Tel Banham couldn't make it. And later in the afternoon, the weather had held down and choked Bram in Birmingham, meaning five matches would not go ahead as scheduled. The good news, though: the two big contests remained in tact.

So, let's get on with the report.

Firstly, you can tell I'm not Andy Ogden as my pre-show drinking involved a bottle of water to keep myself hydrated, followed by a severely-diluted protein shake due to my next shipment of powder being stuck in a van somewhere on the motorway (wouldn't have happened if Amazon used Simon Morris Transport). Yes, instead of pub crawling, I was in the gym until 30 minutes before bell-time. And that's why I'm only allowed to report on #GrimsbyGraps. 

'No Gods, No Masters' began with the ring announcer's opening spiel. Apparently "we're not jobbing to a snow storm" (actual words), and he used a variation of "the weather's cold outside but the action inside is RRREEEDDD HOT". Pop.

Out came Reese Ryan, doing his Nathan Cruz circa 2012 'Hollywood-with-a-thick-northern-accent' shtick. His advertised Blockbuster Announcement was in two parts: not only has he released Big T from his security detail and replaced him with evil choir boy Will Kroos, but he introduced the Real Wrestling VIP Championship. In wrestling, it seems you can bring your own title and it's legitimate. Jonny Storm appeared unannounced and challenged Ryan for the belt. What followed was a ten-minute bout in which Storm outclassed Ryan in between the referee somehow failing to notice the large evil choir boy attacking Storm. Kroos entered the ring and planted Storm with a DDT to ensure Ryan retained his "title".

Next, the Korn-dubstep antics of Guilty By Habit transcended Southside Wrestling as Robbie X and SUUUUUUUUPERTWAT Kip Sabian (replacing Big Grizzly) defeated The Proven's Caz Crash and Sam Wilder. This was a top-notch contest. I love how X and Sabian don't get along, as though they're only in GBH together because their mates are mates. An added bonus too: the match ended with a CHEEKY ROLL-UP and a CHEEKY HOLDING ONTO THE TIGHTS. #MyGraps.

Lana Austin was up next, accompanied by Eliza Roux and Jami Sparx. With Kay Lee Ray "too scared" to show up, Roux offered an open challenge on "her best friend Lana's" behalf. Little Miss Roxxy made her BWR debut by accepting. Although the crowd took a while to get into it, Austin and Roxxy put in quite a shift until everyone was emotionally invested. Roxxy finally gained momentum once Roux and Sparx were kicked out for their extra-curricular activities and hit a springboard knee-faceplant for the win. Roux and Sparx reappeared and left Roxxy laying on the canvas.

Before intermission, we saw the much-hyped hardcore match between Jimmy Havoc and local hero/silly boy Tyler Devlin. There were no pretences here: both men introduced every weapon they were planning to use from under the ring before the bell rung. Devlin's antics were mercifully less of his own doing this time, but he still managed to get thrown onto a ladder, bounce off a guardrail he had balanced from the ring, eat pins, get curb stomped onto pins, and falling after Havoc's rainmaker onto, yup, pins. Silly boy. Rewind a bit: the ultimate silly boy-ness came moments before when he executed a Jeff Hardy-style senton bomb from a ladder through a table outside the ring... and missed. It was the sickest spot I've seen in person since Death House. Silly boy. Havoc won with that aforementioned rainmaker. After the match, he got on the mic, said he was impressed with Devlin, "but you're just a Jimmy Havoc knock-off". Cue a kick to the nads. Bit harsh from Havoc. I'd say he's more a Clint Margera knock-off. 

Intermission. £1.10 for a can of Fanta Lemon went down very well considering I didn't know Fanta Lemon was still a thing. Meanwhile, the raffle was £1 PER NUMBER. Related note: Cleethorpes voted Tory.

After a forty minute break for some reason, we returned with Tyson T-Bone coming out. Originally he was meant to face Bram. His new opponent was... Gabriel Kidd. Every time I go to a show where someone pulls out, Kidd is the replacement. 3CW in November, PROGRESS Sheffield in December, now this. Never mind "Life Boat Man", he should be called "Answers The Phone Man".

Tyson T-Bone versus Gabriel Kidd sounded terrible on paper. Already in my head, I was going to dismiss the match. So, obviously, they fucked with me by having a blistering, hard-hitting brawl that went around the ring - including a sweet knee drop by Kidd onto T-Bone as he hung over the guardrail - and delivered more chops than a vegan's nightmare. It helped how the crowd were RRREEEDDD-HOT for this (take note, Sheffield Southside). T-Bone hit Kidd with a piledriver for the victory and both men were applauded. If it wasn't for the main event, this would've been my match of the night. Strange times indeed.

Next: Scotty Rawk, Cole Quinzel, Matt Myers, and Kelvin Kayton defeated Jimmy Mcilwee, Harry the Hammer Winston, evil choir boy Will Kroos, and (despite being fired in November) Simon Lancaster in a "Get the Lads on the Card" match. The crowd love Mcilwee's homeless, can't-get-a-BWR-contract-even-though-he's-on-every-card gimmick but there was nothing else noteworthy here.

El Ligero versus Tom Weaver versus Robbie X doing double-duty in place of Tel Banham. In a confusing series of events: the ring announcer said the following was a triple-threat match, Robbie X attacked Tom Weaver during his entrance, and he interjected himself into the match to make it... a triple threat match? The announcer tried back-tracking by saying he "suddenly understood" the original third participant couldn't be there, but it was a bit contrived (sorry, readers). This was another excellent contest. Weaver hit a shooting star press on X for the victory before Ligero approvingly shook his hand. I hope they find something substantial for Weaver - as a local lad, he deserves more high-profile fights at these bigger shows than winning throwaway - albeit great - triple threat matches.

In the main event, WWE UK champion Pete Dunne faced the World #GrimsbyGraps Champion Joseph Conners for the latter's title. With this being the third high-profile match between the two in seven weeks (PROGRESS, TNT, here), a friend joked they are this generation's Jonny Storm versus Jody Fleisch. And you can't help but admit they work really well together, telling a well-told story of the cocky AF Dunne stretching Conners as the World #GrimsbyGraps Champion got the crowd (who were evenly split) behind him to make his comeback. I admire how Dunne never half-arses a match, pulling out the same flips and top-rope stomps and high-octane brawling as seen in Fight Club Pro. Together they brought out a big match feel likely never seen in Grimsby/Cleethorpes. It's a massive credit to both men. But...

...let's quickly talk about Dunne's WWE UK title. I can't believe this has never been angrily discussed on Twitter. Can you name me one time other than PROGRESS Ally Pally where the current UK champion has taken a pinfall or submission loss at a non-WWE show? It's as though there's a contractual obligation or something. To be fair, I believed for a couple of near falls that Dunne would become the World #GrimsbyGraps Champion, even if I never believed Conners would cleanly retain the title. Here came the bullshit finish: Tyson T-Bone ran in and attacked both men. No contest. Conners and Dunne chased off T-Bone. Then Conners challenged Dunne to continue the match, only for Dunne to kick him in the nads and leave. Conners got on the mic again and teased a rematch between the two down the line to end the show. Finish aside, this was easily the best match in the era of #GrimsbyGraps to date. 

'No Gods, No Masters' as a whole, putting aside my local pride, was a top-shelf show. They overcame the weather and delivered one of the stronger cards I've been to for some time. The crowd was well up for the action, while the wrestlers brought their A-game. Cleethorpes Memorial Hall is a cracking venue for the graps too. Definitely worth the visit if you're coming from out of town. Just, you know, avoid going out in Cleethorpes afterwards if you enjoy your health and wellbeing. 

Here's hoping the momentum continues into 'Dive and Kicking' on April 20th. This event will feature a tournament to crown the first-ever BWR Cruiserweight champion - an odd choice for a division given all but three guys are cruiserweights, but there we go. Of course, your #GrimsbyGraps correspondent will be there in person, so I'll see you back on Graps and Claps on the 21st. 

Until next time!

[waitmyturtles]

Whew, WOW, OKAY. OOOHHHHKAY. THAT was a HELL of a ride. Double Savage, episodes 3 and 4 (but mostly 4). Long post coming. (Dang it. I did NOT KNOW THIS SHOW was gonna do me like this, meta-wise!)

[The alternate title of this episode should be, “SEE DAD? SEE WHAT FUCKING HAPPENS WHEN YOU ABUSE US?” (Just like that, in all caps, ha.)]

The reason why I say “us” in my proposed alternate title is because I realize that I haven’t addressed something in my previous write-ups about Double Savage -- namely, the psychological abuse that Korn and Win’s dad is committing towards the rest of his family, besides Korn.

We start episode 4 with a two-year jump, and dad Beng is as happy as a clam... with only one of his three children. He tells Win, “you’re the only child that I’m proud of.” Big sister Li stands next to her mother, clearly gritting her teeth, while Mom and Li clearly also think of Korn, who’s now been lost to them for a while. 

And we get the looped conclusion of the first episode, when the three siblings meet in the abandoned warehouse, with Li revealing to Win where Korn has been hiding. So we know that Li has been visiting Korn since the first time she broke into the warehouse.

Meaning: the sibling unit still exists, for now. But, the father has revealed something by what he says to Win. He DEMANDS of his family that they buy into his vision for a Korn-less existence, regardless of what it means to ANYONE around him. AND, he ALSO demands that they believe in his OTHER fallacies -- such as Win being the only child worth investing in. We can also acknowledge now that this family has been living without Korn for two years already -- and that’s certainly had to have tremendous psychological impacts on Li and the mom, and especially on Win, as he continues to grow into adulthood. Finally, we don’t know why Li is still living with her folks, if she’s dating, if she’ll get married, etc.

...or maybe we DO know why she’s still around. 

What is this vision that dad Beng has created for his family? That Korn shouldn’t exist, that he shouldn’t be around. That THE FATHER IS the patriarch.* That their unit will ALWAYS be led with his leadership. (We haven’t seen the mother confront the father, either yet or at all.) We see Li helping with the store, usually by her mother’s side. 

In other words, this family is led by fear first. It’s highly likely that Li has been raised with enough fear to feel very uncomfortable about even leaving the household, let alone seeking out her own independent life. AND, also highly likely -- her father has likely “let her know,” that as a woman, she probably can’t step out and achieve anything on her own.

Just a guess there, but I think we can take educated guesses with such an unbelievably harsh and abusive patriarch. 

(My *star up above indicates that there may be underlying commentary about Thai-Chinese patriarchal references that I may not be catching. We can hear “Hia” being thrown about all over the place, so, like Moonlight Chicken, we know that we’re dealing with a majority Thai-Chinese cultural background and read on the script. I wish I knew more about this slice of Thai culture. My own read on this patriarchal structure is coming from a more generalist Asian perspective.)

Anyway -- I haven’t even gotten to the meat of the episode yet, which is that we continue to see the disastrous and tremendous fall-out of the society and world around Korn, and the impacts of the choices he’s made since leaving his family house. 

First off, quickly: we see promises being broken. (Promises had already been broken all along, right? Shouldn’t parents love their children?) Win is going to break his promise to Korn because Win wants to be with Rung. Win gives Korn the heads-up -- and Korn accepts it. And Korn lifts Win on his back. Even though it’s LOVE THAT KORN HAS FOR HIS BROTHER -- that’s a weight on Korn’s back. Win will get the love that Korn has in Rung.

Win, then -- surprisingly to me -- asks Rung’s *parents* for *permission* to date Rung. In front of both families. My man, Win -- where’s the ring? Ha. I mean. Again, I may be missing something by way of a Thai-Chinese cultural read. But homey might have well asked for the horoscopes to set a wedding date. You really don’t do that until you’re ready to chat marriage. We see arranged marriages being a COMMON topic in Thai shows. And maybe -- that’s what Win wanted to get out of it? I’m not sure there.

Which is why, I think, we see Rung so pissed. Rung represents breaks from tradition. Remember what she said in episode 2, about her family not believing in superstitions around families and children? That they hold people back? Rung is a rebel. To be asked for her hand in dating, in front of her folks, without Win checking in with her in advance? She’s pissed. She knows exactly what this means. Someone else is doing her love work for her, and that is NOT going to fly with her.

Now, on the other hand, I DO WISH, dear Rung, I DO WISH you’d think a little before making rash decisions, ha. But. I can also understand why you hopped into Korn’s truck. You’re in love with Korn, and you haven’t seen him for two years.

You haven’t seen him for two years because his father drove him out of the family house. He had to leave school, leave you, and leave his beloved younger brother. Rung, therefore, has also experienced the trauma that Korn’s dad leveled to everyone around him. 

And now we get the coalescence of how this show becomes not just family trauma-driven, but community trauma-driven. When Rung opens the door of that truck and enters the world that Korn lives in now, she becomes a part of Korn’s continued traumatic life. And gets caught by the narcs, and gets blamed for the drug smuggling.

And we know that Hia Ah orchestrated her arrest. Because -- he’s the guy who ultimately knows how the world really works. He values his business and his money. Sure, he gives money to people around him. But he’s always needing a convenient fall person, and realizes that Rung is a good obstacle to use to avoid trouble. So he convinces the police -- somehow, someway, we don’t know yet the hows and whys -- to only catch Rung, and not arrest Korn. 

And the next thing we see in the preview is that Rung will now also become a runaway fugitive.

LITERALLY NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF KORN’S DAD LOVED AND PROTECTED KORN. LITERALLY.

I mean. What a resounding commentary on family and community trauma and abuse. And for Ah to have orchestrated Korn’s escape from arrest from within police ranks. It has King of New York written all over it, right? Shouldn’t the police also protect us? Instead, the police narced on THE WRONG SUSPECT, KNOWINGLY.

This show is now holding a TREMENDOUS amount of commentary on society and abuse, maybe a little messily, kind of like the early episodes of (omg, I can’t believe I’m writing this in a Double Savage review) Bed Friend. There’s a hell of a lot of trauma going on. We want Rung to please make wiser decisions. But, BUT: I have to remember that she’s now also suffered trauma vis à vis Korn’s dad, too, so she’s not entirely to be blamed for her decisions. 

And unfortunately, we’ll likely see the cookie continue to crumble next week, when Win confronts Korn. Remember: it’s not Korn’s fault that he escaped arrest. But, Win and Rung will need a fall guy. Korn’s dad needed a fall guy. Korn has always been that fall guy. And he damn well knows it. He knows that’s been his role in his life so far, so why would it not continue?

Ah -- wildly, Ah -- is actually changing that paradigm for Korn to an extent, by having Korn avoid arrest. I want to see where that goes. I LOVE the messing up of this paradigm. Because while Ah is the true criminal -- he’s also the biggest truth-holder here, and I want to know how that gets unwound as more truths come out. How did it end up in Korn’s life that Ah is protecting him, while Korn’s dad is not? HOW? How could that possibly happen in a human’s life? 

It happens all the time in trauma-impacted families and communities.

WOW. UM! Kinda wish someone told me that this shit was gonna get THIS DEEP! (Reminds me of how Bed Friend punked us with those early previews. Did I bring up Bed Friend again? Oh good lord.) Just like in 10 Years Ticket, Ohm is carrying a trauma-filled storyline and Ohm/Perth/Film are destroying it together. This is a great show so far. Maybe because of Bed Friend, I have more trust in these shows holding all this trauma and making a success out of it. Fingers crossed.

[waitmyturtles]

Alright, thoughts on Double Savage, episodes 5 and 6 (SPOILERS INCLUDED):

First off, @miscellar wrote THE POST(s) of the week (here and here) on where this show has gone and maybe will go. @miscellar, I LOVED HOW YOU PUT your second post: there’s a show-within-this-show. There are plot points about intergenerational trauma and patriarchy that are unfortunately getting swallowed by the script/direction/editing to push the thriller-aspect of what we’re getting. There’s dramaaahhhticalllly heightened emotional interactions about what’s happening on the ground, without enough exploration into why all of this shit is happening (HELLO, BENG.)

In other words, right now, this show is being hijacked by the director’s need to be all action-y, when in fact, this is still a show and a study into Big Family Trauma (BFT) that really needs to be worked out!

UNLESS -- what might be happening, as I was mentioning to friends watching the show earlier today -- is that that BFT is assumed to be known by the show’s majority Asian audience, thus allowing the crew of the show to skip through the emotional contemplation that *I* think I need to see a *leetle* more of to be convinced about where we’re headed. (I mentioned in previous reviews that I’m really touched by young Asians going on TikTok to process this show as compared to their own childhoods with difficult parents, and this is still ringing really true for me.) 

Unfortunately, with seeing the preview for how Rung comes back, I think we’re still gonna be on the drahma/action-y tip next week. I think the show has really sped through Win’s turn into hating Korn without enough examination or heartache on Win’s end -- I think we need more flashbacks or some current engagement with the loss of his brother (although I have some thoughts on that below for why this speed might be intentional). 

I hope the ship can right itself back up from that. (WTF, Rung’s parents -- I really feel for that plot point and I wish it hadn’t happened, because I believed Rung’s parents were two people who could have helped bring Korn back into the fold.) (Also, DEAR KORN, dude, I get you miss your family, but like, you’re showing up a LOT in sensi situations, and just like our dear Rung, maybe hold off for a sec, my man.) (But also, thanks for taking care of Li at the hospital.)

ALL THAT BEING SAID, I do very much agree with @miscellar that there are MANY elements to this show that will keep me watching.

To the Win point, about his speedy hatred for Korn: Win is now the “man of the house.” We see him engaging in typical patriarchal behavior with Li at the hospital (”you and Mom take care of Dad, I’ll handle the rest.”) We see him receiving 100% good compliments from his dad earlier about his work -- all while Win is actually struggling at work. 

Win is attempting to take on roles that I’d argue he’s not emotionally prepared for. I think, as well, we’ve gotten a really great spotlight into Li in the last two episodes that had me meditating on sibling roles and family systems that I want to unwind.

Both Li and Korn -- despite the pressures of their father for Li to hate Korn -- embody roles as older siblings, with Li protecting both brothers and Korn protecting Win (and, to a large extent, Li herself). 

Not to judge younger siblings (I am one myself) but we haven’t seen Win engage in a practice of “protecting” anyone through the unspoken roles of Asian family systems conduct. When he attempts to “protect” Rung -- Win is shooed off. 

The older sibling paradigm is really huge in Asian family systems, and I saw this being reflected in the way Li/Korn/Win’s mom spoke to Li right before the father collapsed. I saw Li’s mom looking at Li as if Li was an extension mother. This is super common for older siblings, ESPECIALLY ELDEST SISTERS, to basically be a second mother to the younger siblings. (I know that this happens in large traditional Christian families in America, but I’m not as expert on family systems in that space.) Li’s mom knew that Li was still trying to care for Korn as much as possible. 

We also saw that Li’s mom is in quite the denial about the reality of Korn ever coming back home. I will say as a parent myself, and asking my own folks about this -- there’s nothing more painful to a parent than seeing siblings fight. Li and Korn’s mom probably can’t live while thinking that the siblings are fighting -- but she also bears the weight of the impact of the cultural patriarchy that has hampered her family, and she may not even have the objective judgement to KNOW why her family has splintered. Li’s mom just wanting Korn home so the siblings could get along again -- that’s her center of how she’s viewing reality, and likely is either in denial of Beng’s lifelong impact, or actually unaware of it. To me, that part is based in strong reality.

So: Li and Korn have taken on their roles as protective older siblings, and Li right now is the most active link among everyone. (Toei really killed it these last two episodes.)

WIN, on the other hand, is stumbling along. AND, he’s suddenly got this HUUUUGE hatred for Korn. Like, WTF. 

What I THINK is happening here is a parallel of the patriarchy between Dad Beng and Win. Dad Beng and Win BOTH hate Korn now -- they say he’s a jinx, he should have never been born, he should go to jail. 

Dad Beng and Win both have extrasocial reasons why they hate Korn. Beng hates Korn because Korn was a jinx...during an economic recession.

Win hates Korn because Korn is a criminal? Okay, sure. Actually, Win’s extrasocial factor is jealousy. Win knows that Rung still loves Korn. And that jealousy -- the feeling of blame that Win has towards Korn for how Rung ended up as a fugitive -- is the factor that tipped Win over. 

Those extrasocial factors are the drivers to Beng and Win’s own misaligned reality towards Korn. Again, unfortunately, the script is not SITTING with this enough. It is definitely implied. But Win is off doing his CRAZY-ASS THING without catching himself, and at least at this point, being reprimanded at work clearly isn’t going to change him. Something big and emotional needs to happen to get him out of this. 

This ended up being long, but I’ll cite @miscellar‘s excellent second post again from today in TOTAL AGREEMENT that there’s a show-within-this-show that’s really worth watching, that’s rending my Asian heart, and that CAN BE CARRIED by the ridiculous acting talent of the cast. The show’s structure is not holding up this week to what this show CAN HOLD by way of depth. 

I’m hoping for the best. We’re gonna get a bitter Rung next week and I’m so here for it. I want to see a more complicated Win. Ohm/Korn is carrying this show -- I want to see the rest of the cast engaged again by the script. Let’s see. 

(COME ON NEW SIWAJ!!!!!!!, cc: @shortpplfedup, @bengiyo)

[waitmyturtles]

I’m a bit behind on my Double Savage thoughts, but here’s some quick notes on episode 5 that came to mind:

1) I wonder if Win has issues with seeing shades of gray in people -- the shades of gray that Ah and Loong Wit advise Korn on -- because of the unconditional love that Win received from his father growing up. Korn, while being treated monstrously by his father, still held love for the rest of his family and even showed respect for his father, never lashing out. In order to survive, Korn seems to have accepted the shades of gray in people -- that good people aren’t always good, and bad people aren’t always bad.

I think that last scene with Win and Li indicated that Win is far more dualistic in his perspective on the world than Korn was ever allowed to be. Win believes that all criminals deserve to be jailed, and that his brother is one of them, and deserves to rot for life. 

2) It’s interesting to see Li break out of the family boundaries in her own way on this -- she’s still (after seven years, mind you) deeply connected to the family, clearly still enmeshed in the patriarchy of the family system, but telling Win that she’ll break the rules in her own way and NOT give up on Korn. 

3) Whatever happens with the dad in tomorrow’s episode -- it’ll be very interesting to see what earthquakes occur when the patriarchy crumbles. 

4) I had to admit that I laughed to myself about this, and it’s only because my old Thai BLs project is currently focusing on New Siwaj -- and he’s a screenwriter here on Double Savage -- so I’m NOT INDICATING A SHIP HERE AT ALL, but I wonder if New couldn’t help himself in the script by including that HOSE SCENE between Ohm and Perth. LISTEN. A HOSE SCENE. I LAUGHED, THE END.

5) I wanna see post-fugitive Film. I bet she is gonna act the HELL out of her post-runaway state.

6) Finally -- isn’t it interesting to track that Korn was still trying to protect Rung, even after the cops narced on just her? That Korn reached out to her parents to recommend that she run away, because Korn now knows what the deal is with Ah and the cops? (Korn understanding shades of gray again.) Rung’s parents have got a line on what’s real in the world, and I wonder if the show is going to focus on that more. It’d be AMAZING to see Rung’s parents step up for Korn, if that’s at all possible. Rung’s parents probably know better than anyone how spontaneous Rung is, and that she’s inclined to make rash decisions that get her into serious trouble. 

More tomorrow -- I’m so sad to see Win go down this spiral. 

(Oh, P.S. -- I’M LOVING TOEI! She had a great episode in this one.)

[waitmyturtles]

Well -- OKAY THEN. In THIS edition of “everyone is a bitch-ass hypocrite” -- Double Savage, episode 8 thoughts:

1) Win intimately reconciles with (a clearly messed-up, clearly vengeful, do not go near her) Rung, even though Rung categorizes herself as a criminal, as Win says he’ll love her no matter what,

2) At the same time, Win CONTINUES to condemn Korn for HIS being a “criminal,” weak ass, 

3) Win CONTINUES to think that he’ll be able to “put the bad people away” without using his HEAD (until the very end of the episode, thank gawd) as to who exactly the bad people are (which we can surmise at this point that Rung knows, too),

4) The PO-POs continue to be hypocrites for turning a blind eye to Ah’s operation because of RANKS (?!) and moolah (more on this in a sec)*,

5) Let me argue for a sec that Korn himself is also being a touch hypocritical, in that he’s being portrayed as someone who knows the way of the world, and still wants his tight circle to not get involved in his business, which like, homey, impossible at this point, because you kept/keep showing up to places and seeing all your old people, and

6) Rung herself is a hypocrite for blaming Korn’s family for her fate, because, GURL, DID YOU FORGET THAT YOU WERE THE ONE TO HOP IN THE OG DRUG VAN? ACCOUNTABILITY!!! And now you’re selling drugs to Pea/Satang! Good lord!

PHEW. In other words, very many people are being bitch-asses in this show at this point. Sounds very New Siwaj-y, if you’ll let me project. 

All that being said. I found out an answer to a question that I’ve long had, which is that Li doesn’t work, and was always expected to live at home, which I think is still a fascinating slice of Thai/Thai-Chinese culture that I need to know more about. And the way in which the patriarchal expectations of Win fall on his shoulders as he wonders if he can support the family without the store, and the dad having saved money to make it happen. 

Win doesn’t have a gray area. I think he’s the only character that doesn’t have it. And he didn’t need it -- because when he was growing up, he didn’t need survival techniques.

For all the time that Rung spent with BOTH brothers in their childhood -- Rung knew/knows this, and now knows how to take advantage of Win and his hypocrisy, because she knows that he was never a critical, survivalist thinker. Which likely explains, to an extent, her continued attraction to Korn, as she’s now figuring out a way to survive.

(Let me pause to say that I CONTINUE TO LOVE FILM, I love her leather-and-eyeliner-and-pouts-and-gold-chain-era, and by my count, she’s now kissed Nanon, Ohm, AND Perth in shows, and JUST GET ‘EM GURL, GET ‘EM, KEEP IT UP, HONEY.)

So with Win’s lack of a gray area -- man, he gets played all around him. The police are messy. Ah’s operation is messy. Korn’s loyalties are messy. Rung’s HEADSTATE is messy. Li now knows about Ah and the roles he’s played in the community, and recognizes that just condemning Ah is not so easy and is messy.

The only one still looking for black-and-white is Win. His whole life had been black and white, because he was the golden child. @shortpplfedup noted so succinctly in my last Double Savage post that that golden child mindset has messed Win up SO MUCH, because HIS frame was that Korn was ultimately a LOSER (because he indirectly absorbed that from his dad -- and never fought his dad on that point), and should NOT be the focus of Rung’s attention.

And Rung has learned so much from her time away to know that she can take advantage of Win’s dualistic perspective, which she’s doing, because she’s (wrongly, imo) revengeful towards Korn’s family. 

@miscellar is reading my thoughts exactly on this show -- that it’s becoming more and more of a soapy mess. But I think what I appreciated about the last two episodes -- because I’m me, a sucker for family trauma -- is that the show has been brought BACK to the center of the family trauma, and is reminding us that all of this is because the dad fucked things up so hard. We’ll see in the last week of the series next week that Korn will consider ponying up to help his dad. The dad created all of these fucking nasty dualities that just SNARED EVERYONE in. The person operating outside of all of this family drama/trauma was Ah, who knew how the world worked from the start. 

And at least Li is the one (maybe besides Korn, but again, Korn is being a hypocrite here too, for not reading everything as deeply as I think he can) who’s recognizing on the family side that shit’s complicated enough to think about it and to ask how it all ended up this way. How could people think of Ah as a good person? Her wheels are turning, and I wonder if that’ll have an impact next week. I hope so -- although next week looks seriously messy, and I wonder how the show’s going to get itself out of it.

*I forgot to add that some folks on Twitter seem to think the Captain is one of the guys who ran Ah off on the road -- I’m open to the idea.

[waitmyturtles]

Um, WOW, okay, ha -- I did NOT see an Ohm-and-Film fight scene happening in my lifetime. Thoughts on Double Savage, episode 7: 

1) I wrote this morning that I’m just beginning to dive into New Siwaj’s oeuvre, and I’m wondering for this screenplay, if New Siwaj is really New Siwaj-ing himself here. The writing in this episode was choppy at best. Vignette after vignette with not the most connective tissue. 

I’m not convinced by Win’s continued and growing intensity against Korn -- although I like that Korn finally talked back, but again, without context (unless he was commenting on Win’s sheer IDIOCY for flashing a gun at a funeral, which fucking makes TOTAL sense). 

We’re also not getting enough of WHY Rung would make such a drastic change in her life to go to the same life that Korn is living. Plus, she knows something about her parents that we don’t, I think, but that’s also not made entirely clear.

With that crazy-ass test at the end, along with the previews for episode 8, I am thinking that episode 7 can’t stand alone without episode 8 (Li taking care of Ah’s wound?! What?). Anyway. 

2) Back to Win for a second. Does he continue to spiral because of the pressures at work? He’s clearly NOT getting pressure from his (very good-looking, cough) superiors to, like, arrest his own brother. 

I’m trying to figure out if there’s supposed to be a parallel between Win’s temper and his father’s temper. A patriarchially-inspired temper, basically given unto a man through societal expectations and not through, say, merit or empathic love for his family.

I mean, in other words, Win’s fuckin’ it up left and right, but I honestly am not sure how convincing it is on screen. UNLESS -- because he’s written so choppily -- if he’s MEANT to come off as inconsistent and terribly weak, then THAT’S working. That’s REALLY working. (Again, this might be New New-ing himself -- using an unfamiliar order of operations to make a character look like a fucking lame ass.)

One thing that I can think of on Win’s part is that Win never HAD to learn how to control his temper, the way Korn had to, in order to survive during their childhood. Win received all the praise. We continue to see it in the previews for tomorrow’s episode. Win hasn’t learned self-control -- and we see it emanating.

3) You know what I liked the best of this episode? (Besides Film’s drip, which WE’LL GET TO IN A SECOND.) 

I liked that the mother finally, FINALLY SAID to Win: “But why are you acting like you don’t know why [Korn] chose [his way of life]?”

And petty Win retorts: “You’re taking his side like you’ve always done.”

Come awn, Win. Maybe THAT’S what’s missing for me.

Win clearly understood the trauma of what his family was facing when they were younger. I think I’m realizing that I don’t believe, convincingly, that Win has TOTALLY forgotten it. I wrote last week that what Win is the most influenced by, at this adult time of his life, is the extrasocial factor of jealousy that’s driving his worldview. 

But I appreciate his mom calling him out for straight-up FORGETTING that it was patriarchal ABUSE that caused all of this. His mom is like -- COME AWN. YOU KNOW THIS. And you used to love your brother so much.

And Win is like, aw, Ma, I’m a tired old man, wah wah, I’m going home.

Weak ass. I mean, again, if the writing is SUPPOSED to shape Win like this, then great job. But I think the writing (COME ON, NEW) could have been a lot sharper and more convincing. Perth is like, electric with talent in this and could have had a lot more to work with.

4) Quick note on Korn. Korn’s failing in life is that he lacks subtlety, and I think Ah is taking advantage of it. Korn would be a much smarter and wiser person -- and maybe he’s gonna get there with Rung back at his side -- if he could be more sophisticated about the life he’s living and the illegal things he’s doing. He’s still holding onto a child’s black-and-white perspective, like almost everyone else around him (EXCEPT Ah, Mek, and Rung) -- and I wonder if his maturing into the gray is going to be a storyline for the rest of the series.

5) I have thoughts on the Asian compulsions for saving face and playing the blame game vis à vis Korn’s father, but I might save those for tomorrow -- I’ve been crazy writing the last couple of days. Let me just say this about Korn’s dad, and that interaction they had in the apartment. 

I understood it all. Very unfortunately. As HORRIBLY as that dad has treated Korn for the entirety of Korn’s life, I understood why Korn continued to help his dad, even when his dad went silent. I have that filial piety guilt on me every minute of every day. 

Seeing the dad shed a tear was a touch of karmic satisfaction, but it didn’t make me happy. Ugh. It was painful to watch. 

6) Let’s appreciate Film’s leather-and-eyeliner era. And those CARGO SWEATPANTS! And MOCK TURTLENECK gym shirt! I will submit a request to GMMTV to please get Film some muscle tees and a strength trainer, because I’d like to see some poppin’ biceps on my girl. I LOVE YOU, FILM, I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH.

7) Finally, I just want to note that I have previously loved Foei in the few shows of his that I’ve watched on GMMTV (most notably Dirty Laundry, which I was obsessed with; his work in 10 Years Ticket, and the few episodes of Midnight Museum that I watched), and I’m really fucking horrified and disappointed by his social media behavior this weekend.

[waitmyturtles]

Okay! On the eve of the premiere of Our Skyy 2 x Bad Buddy, we finish out another Ohm Pawat series: Double Savage, episode 12 (finale) and series thoughts. 

I was afraid of it happening, and I knew it was bound to happen. The contradiction held me in expected suspense, and I didn’t know how exactly it’d go down, with Korn’s dad/Dad Beng wanting Korn back into the dad’s life. 

All week last week, I really felt like I was gonna tear New Siwaj apart if he let a redemption scene take place, but -- LIKELY because I have Bad Buddy so on the mind -- I’m actually feeling a little more complicated about this than I expected.

First: Dad Beng told Korn to stop apologizing. Dad Beng then APOLOGIZED. He saw how Korn had internalized all the superstition bullshit of being a jinx his entire life. I know a bunch of us wondered wtf Korn was apologizing for (cc @miscellar) but I think that I need to view this all from my understanding of what’s going on with this as an Asian, and how New Siwaj may have written this with Asian-ness/Asian culture in mind.

I wrote yesterday in a totally separate post about Bad Buddy, that I just don’t know as much as I should about patriarchy in Thai-Chinese culture. It’s clearly a thing. These dads are domineering and powerful AF. 

What I DO know about is filial piety, and how filial piety dominates/haunts us Asian kids all our lives. I know at least for myself, despite my very best efforts to live an independent, Westernized, individualistic life, that the guilt I bear towards my birth/nuclear family, for not “being there” for them (like, literally living with them, as Korn’s family refers to “moving back home”), even while I have my own family and kids -- that guilt is always there. You are wanted there, in the birth home, to “be there” for the folks as much as you possibly can, because you were born in part to provide for the folks. I noted that in particular in the jail setting, when Dad/Mom/Li ask Korn to provide the money and supplies for the incarcerated Win. That would be Korn’s natural role as the middle/older brother.

I would really have liked to see Korn’s dad seriously get his, and to have Korn NOT forgive the dad. I would have really liked to see Pran’s and Pat’s families forgive each other and accept the boys as partners in the finale of Bad Buddy.

And I get that each of these finales touches upon a reality that’s more real for the Asian audiences watching these shows than for us in Western/Euro-centric societies. Dad Beng arguably already got his karma by getting sick and seeing his golden child in jail. One might say, maybe an auntie on WhatsApp -- hasn’t the man already gone through enough.

Because I hold all emotions as a human, and I get what’s going on in the Asian mindset of the writing of this show, I almost feel like it’s unfortunate that I GET WHAT’S HAPPENING in a show like this, because the angry part of my inner child DOESN’T WANT TO GET IT. And yet, I totally understood the relief that Korn showed when he finally got hugged by his dad. Damn it.  

This whole show was about how families can get ripped apart at the seams (like in 10 Years Ticket) by superstitions, by pride and hubris, and also, literally, by fucking misplaced patriarchy in the culture unto which one is born. The ending of this show HAD to be the family being made whole again, even with Rung joining and not necessarily being clearly romantically linked with either brother -- because that linkage would have broken up the brotherly bond. 

And the last thing I’ll say about Dad Beng is this: I bet that many in the Thai/Asian audiences would have actually felt that the dad ACTUALLY GOT HIS, besides the karma I mentioned before -- BECAUSE HE APOLOGIZED. I’m going to take a bet that many Asian viewers would have actually seen THE ACTUAL APOLOGY as a taking-down-a-notch of Dad Beng, a reduction of his patriarchal power.

BECAUSE. Well. Did we ever see Ming apologize for anything in Bad Buddy? No -- he was a stubborn fuck who only SLIGHTLY BEGAN to MAYBE soften a little as he sipped some scotch from his unaccepted son-in-law in Pran. But Ming wasn’t fucking gonna back down anytime soon, and Pat and Pran knew that, so they kept their relationship secret.

At least Dad Beng admitted he was a jackass and he was wrong. Now THAT’S FANTASY. For Asian audiences -- maybe THAT’S acceptable as a happy ending. 

I did not expect this wrap-up to be so focused on Dad Beng, but you know me and family trauma, heh. Some quick other thoughts.

1) I’m glad Rung came back. And what up to Pea/Satang, MVP. 

2) I am in LOVE with Toei. She nailed it this entire series.

3) I agree with @miscellar, I missed Korn’s ratty fits, but he DID clean up well. 

4) I LOVE KIDS IN THESE SHOWS, LITTLE CUTIE 😭

5) Ohm and Perth. For real. That rooftop scene. These bros need to do more series together. I’m glad Double Savage performed well in the ratings, because they NEED to get cast together again. It was really good to see two actual homies throw down together on screen. 

I know friends (@bengiyo, @shortpplfedup, hi hi) were so-so on this show, but I would surprisingly and probably recommend this to folks IF they were open to the interpretation that the ending is essentially a fantasy commentary against Thai-Chinese superstition and patriarchy. I know that I really need to learn a lot more about this culture, and I believe, from what I’m seeing on Thai Twitter, that Thai audiences was quite happy with what went down -- because the wholeness of the family unit ends up being a more important storytelling device than maybe what Western viewers (myself included, even as a kid of immigrants) would otherwise want to see. I think New Siwaj didn’t do us as dirty as I thought he would, because I think he ultimately honored that Asian lens.