Club Friday 4: The Series (2014)

My rating is solely based on "True Love vs. Desire", 4-episodes only. (Also called The Story of Niti Reu Ruk Ta Ja Pa Kwarm Dtong Gaan / Or Is True Love Defeated By Desire).

I would watch anything with Rotmay, I love her. In my eyes she is not as boring as her roles the producers mostly type-cast her. So far I truly enjoyed her role in Club Friday season 5, only... This season, she stars as yet another "boring old flame" while Cris Horwang️ is supposed to be the "new exciting flame". All this for Oil Thana, whom I remember as a pra'ek from lakorns decade and half ago. Understandably he already looks a bit tired here. But we're at Club Friday, where you don't need to be pra'ek/nang'ek material. Anyone can call there and fill our ears with whatever happened in their lives (or in their fantasy). That's what so good, and bad about this show.

So, what's the "great story" this time? Our leading guy comes at some lecture while the new woman comes in pink mini-dress, looking actually a bit embarrasing but for our middle-aged (and already taken) hero, she was able to make his day. She already has someone, too. I am a sucker for romance, but I never enjoyed love triangles, quadrangles... etc. No matter how often they are used in romance.

The problem with "reality-based" stories (while we all know that even those are not really real:) is they don't need to fulfill the proper drama arch, proper ending, happy ending, etc... Which may be a good thing, ocasionally. Often it is bad. As I for one like good story development, most of the cases also dislike "open ending" as unsatisfying, the same for not the happy one. That's why despite all its flaws the "Secret of Classroom 6/3" is so special to me: it has romance, humour, Rotmay, AND happy ending!:) But let's face it, most of Club Friday is not like that. As a romance viewer, you can't expect a "full lakorn package". It's a random roulette chance: you might get something little, great, or nothing. 4 episodes is not many.

So. At the beginning, it is shown how the two "new flames" get together (she in some trashy mini-dress:), feel excited again and converse profoundly in front of some painting. Their long-time partners (those, with whom they had their "happy ending" years ago... and then the life went on), on the other hand, are shown as nagging. They represent the mundane problems and annoyances. When both counterparts of the "new couple" get home from the exciting date, they each have somewhat unpleasant conversation with them. But that is to be expected when you live with someone for a long time. Life is short? No. Life is long.

Life is unavoidable: just a couple of years of living with your beloved, and all the excitement is gone. And it's nobody's fault. There comes your true love vs. desire dilemma.

There is a lot of poignant music, as the plain story tries to impress the viewers. There is hardly anything really entertaining (kisses are also fake). Nevertheless, it is about real pain. Soon the old partners know and suffer. The female one is desperate to the point to beg, thinking there was something lacking in her, to make the loved one leave. She is suffering so much it is cruel. Male one takes the re-possession road, deciding he will just take his woman abroad with him. When she protests, coming to her new lover, he is no longer interested. She cost him too big a bloodbath. He cannot just shake-off the old love clinging to him, without feeling.... evil. But even he remains with her, the charm is gone. She doesn't know how to be the warm comfy home & exciting new lover in 1 person... forever. By the 4th episode I'm tired of watching, while the heart-wrenching music goes on. Nevertheles Niti, the main character, changes his mind again. So much guilt and pain is there in the old relationship, that it is a relief to leave it for a new one. But that's still not the end... What now, the new woman also cannot be seducing siren & warm home keeper all in one?

See? "Life stories" are just not enjoyable. I say it all the time. We watch the fiction for a reason. Some viewers still seek the tag "based on true story" in hope of seeing something more "sophisticated", or "worthy". Mostly those are altered from the real reality anyways, to be at least a bit enjoyable... Which brings me back to where I started.

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