A controversial subject masterly displayed
To make one thing clear from the start – this is not a BL series, but a lakorn with a gay love subplot. This isn't a detective story either, although th...
A controversial subject masterly displayed
To make one thing clear from the start – this is not a BL series, but a lakorn with a gay love subplot. This isn't a detective story either, although there's a ”whodunnit” subplot, too. This series is an attempt at conveying the extremely serious and controversial subject of euthanasia to an audience that may not be familiar with it, and may be not even willing to think about it.
In many countries, any form of euthanasia is illegal, whereas in others, certain forms of euthanasia, e.g. ”assisted suicide” are allowed. In Germany, where I live, the subject is discussed very controversially as this country has witnessed an extreme form of euthanasia executed by an evil regime against ”life unworthy of life”, with hundreds of thousands of mentally or physically handicapped persons murdered by doctors. The same regime killed millions of Jews, gypsies, and gays who they also considered to be ”unworthy”.
Knowing about the abuse of euthanasia in this country could result in strict opposition to it, but experiencing a beloved person in a state of terminal illness suffering unbearable pains makes you think twice, and this is exactly what this series is about.
The subject of euthanasia has many different layers – medical, moral, religious, and legal, to name the most important. The basic idea of this series was developed by Sammon, a doctor herself, and she succeeds in displaying many aspects of the subject by personifying them.
There is Dr. Kan (Tor Thanapob), a palliative doctor who assists patients who want to have their suffering ended, among them his professor, who becomes the first person he euthanizes, and later police officer Thiu's mother. There is Dr. Somsak (Gandhi Wasuvitchayagit), who is strictly opposed to any form of euthanasia. There is pharmacist Boss (Aelm Bhumibhat), who, after experiencing his mother's pains as a kid, kills several terminally ill persons without asking for their consent. There is police officer Thiu (JJ Krissanapoom), who represents the Thai law which forbids euthanasia.
The extremely difficult subject comes in the disguise of a detective story. Thiu tries to find out who is behind the killing of his mother and a number of other terminally ill persons. He suspects Dr. Kan from the start, even after Boss confesses the killings of all the euthanized persons. Boss is a tragic figure in so far as he kills Dr. Somsak in order to protect Dr. Kan, and it is a bitter irony that he blackmails Dr. Kan to kill him, by threatening to make public Dr. Kan's illegal activities.
When police officer Thiu and Dr. Kan develop feelings towards each other, and Thiu even moves in with Dr. Kan, the viewer knows that this relationship is doomed, because it is based on a lie. It is only a logical consequence that Thiu finally arrests Dr. Kan after the doctor has confessed that he has euthanized several patients.
This difficult and controversial subject requires a script that doesn't try to achieve any cheap effects, and the screenwriter Sirilix Srisikon has done a fantastic job. There is enough suspense in the question who is behind all the killings to make the series a solid detective story, and there is enough ”boys love” to satisfy viewers who watch it for only this reason, but these subplots never sugarcoat the main topic, i.e. the moral, medical, and legal controversy of euthanasia.
This series also requires good directing, and Wo Worawit has proven in series like ”To Sir, with Love” or ”Laws of Attraction” that he is a master of his profession.
But what this series also requires is actors who are up to this heavy stuff without breaking down under the burden of their responsibility, and not only the lead actors, Tor Thanapob and JJ Krissanapoom, deliver a very good performance. I wasn't surprised by Tor's acting as he was amazing as an autistic boy in ”Project S: Side by Side”, but I was surprised by JJ who I only knew as a singer/repper before. Support actors like Gandhi Wasuvitchayagit have also done a good job, and Fresh Arisara, who plays nurse On, finds the right balance of the caring nurse, the protective assistant to Dr. Kan, and the somewhat mysterious suspect.
The actor who impressed me the most, though, was Aelm Bhumibhat, who perfectly personifies a murderer and a victim at the same time. He was actually the one who made me cry.
To sum up – in my opinion this series is a masterpiece as it succeeds in displaying a very serious and controversial subject in a very appropriate, sensitive, yet exciting way.
Country: Thailand
Episodes: 8 à 50 mins.
Director: Wo Worawit
Cast: Tor Thanapob, JJ Krissanapoom, Aelm Bhumibhat, Fresh Arisara, Gandhi Wasuvitchayagit et al.
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