So, as some people have already said, this is a love story in a mafia setting, not a mafia story with a side of romance. The action is just window dressing and has no through line at all. The twists and turns in the plot are laughable sometimes and require some suspension of disbelief, but did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the show. The cast really made it all work.

Kinn/Porsche - What can I say, I was in from the very beginning. Whenever they’re together, it’s electric. Yes, their relationship starts off pretty toxic. The whole thing is set in the Thai criminal underworld; every situation and emotion is taken to the extreme, and almost every character is morally gray if not purely amoral (hello, mafia). But I was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t sweep the non con/dub con under the rug. Both men grapple to some degree with the fallout and Kinn addresses it openly at a point in the show where they’re starting to build genuine affection for each other. Beyond that point, I think they really try to show that Kinn recognizes Porsche’s agency and wants him to feel like he has a choice. I also don’t understand the Kinn hate. Is the idea of his character better than the execution? Probably. But I still loved the tension between who he’s basically been forced to be and who he wishes he could be and that Porsche draws the latter out of him. The tender moments between them are everything (okay, yes, as are the sexy times so steamy they made my eyeballs melt).

Vegas/Pete - I’ll get my unpopular opinion out of the way: this relationship felt WAY too rushed. The Stockholm Syndrome is real. And I was not comfortable with what started as clearly torture and ultimately somehow framed as BDSM. I loved Pete from the get go, and I found Vegas fascinating - depraved, psychotic, and emotionally damaged to his core. The Pete/Vegas just blindsided me. I think there’s a glimmer of potential in the implication that they give each other something they need but are too ashamed or scared to want. But I thought it was handled in a clumsy, at times heavy handed way.

Kim/Porschay - While they were a welcome dose of sugar to chase down the intensity of the other couples, it felt completely unnecessary. There was clearly not enough screen time to devote to their relationship, evidenced by the scene that showed Kim looking through a pile of photos that suggested they spent way more time together than we were able to see. I would’ve loved to see more Kim, Kinn, and Tankhun, and their family dynamics. There are a few tiny but beautiful hints of brotherly affection that definitely should’ve been turned into a B or even C plot.

And I just need to give special acknowledgment to Tankhun. He’s a delight and 100% pretends to be crazy to get out of running the mafia.

Does this story contain anything I would condone or emulate IRL? Very very little. Is it a roller coaster ride of pure escapism? Yes, yes it is, and I plan on rewatching again and again.