Phleng Bin Bai Ngiu (2022)

Relationships meltdown

While the drama is literally titled 'cheating spouse', it is more than just about infidelity. At the heart of the drama, it is about unhealthy relationships where there is a lot of love present. So rather than putting boundaries, confronting issues and taking accountability, much of it is swept under the carpet because of love. Once it crosses a point of no return, these characters are forced to confront the choices they made and the actions they took that also led to the demise of the marriages and relationships.
It was nuts but every episode had plot; there was never a dull moment! The characters were all surprisingly well written -- they were crazy but these felt like real people. These included the minor characters as well as the second leads. They all had depth and did act well. Everything is over the top in this drama and so are the characters and situations. Ultimately, the drama shows great examples of toxic relationships. Many of the characters actually grow while some just spiral out in crazy way. Definitely an engaging watch.

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Unexpectedly Astonishing

It took a while to REALLY start... and slowly but surely, we become addicted before realizing it

I threw myself into it without much expectation: a classic Thai adultery story, nothing very interesting (generally, this type of lakorn rhymes with frustration). I only watched for the actor Pae. The only point that intrigued me a little was a bit of the trailer and the synopsis which seemed to evoke an "exchange" between the two couples at the heart of the story, seeming to imply that the two cheated partners would turn to each other. So like many, I started this to kill time, not watching with much focus at first (didn’t even start right away after it’s release : waited for a few episodes to be released and briefly and barely watched some extracts at first) And after about ten episodes, like many, I slowly but surely became addicted : the story takes a little time to really get going, but when it's done, you get caught up in the pace. There is never a dull moment, the story never falls into the cliché or the predictable, and the evolution of the characters is fascinating to follow (especially that of the two heroes, especially since we ask ourselves the question until the end: will they end up happy together as we hope, stay with their unfaithful spouses or separate from them but remain alone?).
Observing the evolution of the characters and of the events feels not only breathtaking for the viewer but also interesting, as the tables slowly but surely turn for the main characters. Seeing the villains receiving their karma felt ESPECIALLY good, as it was nicely written, and didn’t fall in the usual cliches (the Nang rai being raped or the male villain ending up paralyzed…). Seeing Praekaew, the female lead transforming from a naive, rich heiress to a strong and smart woman who was ready to fight for herself and to punish the villains who wronged her was especially interesting. I also liked the fact that she wasn’t completely annoying and stupid at first : naive and a bit dumb but nevertheless, the viewer kinda feels pity for her as it is obvious that she isn’t completely stupid, but has a kind and loving heart and treats those she loves especially well, making us feel like she really doesn’t deserve such betrayals, as she’s just a bit ignorant of the outside world, having been really protected by her loving mother. So her evolution doesn’t feel too sudden or out of place when she learns of her husband’s betrayal.
I’d say, the best asset of this drama is the beautiful relation between Praekaew and Naewprai : not only it is very intriguing for the viewer who wonder nonstop what’s gonna happen between them but their relationship feels very mature and also pure, as there’s no ambitiguity, no mutual use. Just two adults getting unexpectedly closer in their miseries. It also felt satisfying for the viewer to see their traitors of spouses realizing they were losing their partner to someone more deserving.
And last but not least : the ending. Through the whole drama, everyone was worried and wondering about the same thing, what would the ending. Since this series was obviously not following the original novel (thank God for that, as the original novel is incredibly boring), we were all worried that the ending would leave us in unsatisfied or frustrated. And damn, we were wrong !
The drama is original, full of rhythm, unpredictable and the actors offer an explosive performance!

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