2gether: The Series (2020)

Complacent writing ruins the ending to a show that had a great potential!

I was intrigued by the 2gether series because it had a great start and avoided the common trope of pairing a very "flower boy" uke and "macho and strong" seme. I also liked the pace that the drama was maintaining with the leads quickly recognizing their feelings for each other. There wasn't much of the usual struggle to come to terms with their sexuality that most BL's grind to the bone.

But it all started going downhill quickly -halfway through, the pace just goes all wrong. The writers can't blame having only 13 episodes to show a meaningful progression in Tine and Sarawat's relationship. I've seen shorter BLs (Because of You) that were not constrained by the available screening time.

Sarawat and Tine moved in together almost immediately after starting their relationship, and that's so farfetched to me. Not only they didn't show a decent "dating" period but the leads started acting like an old couple that's been living together for 20 years or so. But they certainly don't have the maturity that comes with such a long-term relationship.

Contrived arcs to "separate" and put obstacles in the lead's relationship, zero trust in each other and abysmal communication skills leads them to the mandatory trope of breaking up just before the finale. But not to worry, they still their HEA within half an episode with not much explanation as to how they resolved their problems. -_-

I'm seeing a trend where most BLs are just taking the viewers for granted - casting good-looking leads and writing arcs with so many plotholes and tropes that they just churn out one BL after another expecting that the "fujoshi" audience will consume whatever they throw out either ways.

Writers, please have a little more respect for your audience and don't just focus on the aesthetics.

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HIGH FIVE TO THE FACE!!!WITH A CHAIR IS WHAT I NEED!!

I honestly am too drained to write out my disappointment! So much wasted! As a Novel reader, this was such a slap to the face or should I say HIGH FIVE to the face!! The first episodes were good and then everything just derailed after they became a couple! Can't even blame Covid-19 because they finished before the lockdown thing. The ending was such utter disrespect to the source material..

I can't even rewatch it.. the novel was so good! How do you mess up this much.. Win was adorable and he portrayed Tine well, including the insecurities, Bright however.....No comment

Wish my boy Gunsmile had more screen time. He actually made some scenes bearable...

This wasn't a romance story, this was a weird friends story! Not even Bromance. Atleast Bromance compels you to ship the couple, SaraTine just bored me in the last 3 episodes..

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"stomp my heart
lather it with peri peri powder
make me choke
but god let me be damned
don't make a shitty ending"
- yoonthethicc at 3:38 am

the way this started off so well... us being thrilled about this fake dating deal the main leads had going on, how the pre-dating part where we were actually feeling the chemistry ohmygoD the chemiSTRY SHE WAS EXISTENT BREATHING SHE HAD A LIFE Y'ALL

*pause* okay before i combust let me tell you guys how i love sarawatine's friend groups
-oh to be tine and have fong as my friend (plus points for good advices like tF i want that shit)
-oh to be sarawat and have man and boss (nothing feels as good as having supportive chaotic idiots running about and giving you and your partner smug faces)

*resume* tHE FREAKIBG FLASHBACKS GOD FORBID I GET THAG I'M NOT THE BRIGHTEST TOOL IN THE SHED BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I RRMEMBER THESE SCENES PRETTY WELL

WHY DIDN'T SARAWAT JUST TELL PAM THA- what i'm trying to say is that sarawat didn't make any sense in episode 12 y'Know what episode 12 and 13 didn't make sense but i can't make myself to get mad that it's a cliche bc gosh damn it i'M frustrated okay?

how episode 12 could've been resolved:
-sarawat introduces tine as his boyfriend to Pam
-sarawatine sit both their asses down to talk about their insecurities in their relationship
-sarawat makes it clear to pam that there's absolutely no way of them getting back together
-a kiss in part 4 at the beginning when sarawat says smth about tine being his and his only (we're robbed and that's the truth)
-type sitting his ass down in that scooter thing (wtf are vehicles) with man and we get a clip of them smiling and shit
-mil going to the bleachers to talk to phukong

my problem with the ending is that it just there was no proper resolution to the conflict that happened?? we just got flashbacks of sarawatine and boom tine is there cheering for sarawat like dude.... you cried buckets for this... you could've cleared a drought dang it

it almost felt like i watched an ending to those bad romcom movies..... awesome ost tho ahaha

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How to Ruin Something in 3 episodes

I wrote this as a way to empty myself rather than anything else. Everyone’s taste and perspective is different so I have never made an effort to convince someone to like or not like anything. And I also debated a lot on whether to post it or not. But since I already wrote it, what the heck… This is a description of how a perfect 9.5 rating peddled itself into a 7.
Now I’m going to be honest, I feel some unexplainable attachment to N’Bright. Sort of maternal. I don’t know why, maybe because he’s the same age as my baby sister and my protectiveness for her is transferred, maybe because I can sense some vulnerability behind his aloofness? I don’t know, let’s leave that to the therapists to untangle that web. But the point I wanted to make before I went down the path of self-analysis and discovery is, my biased feelings also flowed down to the character which meant I tend to gloss over some issues either with the show or the actor. Don’t say I wasn't upfront about it.

Where to start; the actors?
N'Bright - Besides his good looks they say he brings all he's got to the set. I do like his acting. Although admittedly when I first saw the cast interview before the series aired, my first impression was, this is not going to be challenging for this guy. Character and his own personality seem to be too similar.
I found his strength to be when he is playing the seemingly cold, detached, flirty, cute, shameless parts of his character. His biggest weakness would be sad scenes. He squints. Basically, that’s it. I found that in scenes where I should have been more inclined to empathize with his character instead I felt disconnected. These are the scenes specially where Win has outshined him.
N'Win – I don’t even know where to start about our breakout star. It is hard to imagine that this is his first role. I guess some things just come natural to some people. When he is playing the mash up of legally blonde and clueless, I kept thinking, “this guy would make a damn good villain”. That is a testament to his ability in convincing me that he is a talent that should not be underestimated. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have areas to work on but for a first run, he hit it out of the park.

The Plot

If you’re looking for a series to tackle serious issues, with intricate plots and multi-faceted characters you won’t find it here. This was a very straightforward simple unoriginal plot. What I like about the series was that particular fact. It never tried to be more than what it was; which is the equivalent of a chick-flick. It is a simple story of two people falling in love. It wasn’t a question of will-they-won’t-they but rather WHEN will-they. The trill was watching the chase and the fluff unfold until the expected happy ending arrives.
Whatever minor faults could be forgiven as long as it delivered what I needed; which was an uncomplicated entertaining love story.
Tine’s oblivion to his fake boyfriends real flirting, and Sarawat’s one step advance one step retreat was what excited me, asking will Tine realize in this episode or the next episode that his fake boyfriend is actually in love with him.
The choppy editing and some of the directing mishaps can quickly be dismissed. Why spend over analyzing something simple that wasn’t trying to be more than what it is, I told myself.
When people pointed out the scene with Sarawat getting beat up was unnecessary, I said no they are trying to show Tine who only saw Sarawat’s popularity, that there was another side to his life. A not so pretty side that Tine was oblivious to. For some who don’t believe boys would punch someone because their girlfriend liked their IG, I’d like to counter with my own experience with stupid, where in college I had a close friend who’s boyfriend regularly gets into a fist fight with any man who made eye contact with his girlfriend (no I’m not exaggerating, going to clubs or bars was definitely a stressful situation when my friend and her boyfriend joined us) But I digressed again, I was trying to say that I can come up with any explanation or excuse for a scene that may come off less than perfect.

The Problem

Then episode 10 happened. The first couple of minutes showed us what we have been waiting for. Finally! Tine realized his feelings and accepted Sarawat and they are now a couple. So, what comes next? Of course, the honeymoon phase! Where we are going to witness firsthand these two people we have been cheering on for 9 episodes, go on a date. We are going to see Sarawat who shamelessly flirted his way into Tine heart, is as a boyfriend. We are going to see how awkward, shy Tine is with his first boyfriend and watch him fall deeply in love ugh so romantic hu… NO! That’s not what happened. What we got was a fast transition from “we’re boyfriends” to “we are cohabitating” in a matter of 15 minutes. If it was just the cohabitation, I wouldn’t be so bitter. What they went into is from flirting and making eyes at each other to bromance territory. I mean they were one chest bump away from turning into two white frat boys “dude”! In a matter of 15 minutes the spark that had carried us for 9 episodes started fizzling out in front of my eyes. Man and Boss should ask for refund on that bouquet of condoms. But I moved on, I declared it the weakest episode, which was bound to come along in any series.
Episode 11 busted in with the Halloween special. I mean to this day I still can’t tell you what the thought process was that went into writing and approving that episode. The only saving grace was the last 6 minutes where we finally got to see from Sarawat’s perspective on what it was like for him when he met Tine again in ep 1. That part was cute and in perfect theme to the beginning of the series. I feel like N’Bright did his best work there. Now another milestone for this episode was Tine said “I like you too” out loud for us to hear. Now I’m no director or writer but shouldn’t this be an opportune moment to get in a kiss? Mind you, I’m not asking for tongue or exchange of saliva (I feel like I have to keep pointing out this part for some to understand) but a simple peck. Would it have killed them if Sarawat and Tine had leaned on each other or gave a back hug while they were stargazing?
But hey, let’s not get hung up on the missed opportunity here when episode 12 brought on a new bucket of mess. Ep 12 was a cast call for all clichés. You name it, it had it. Here, because of this series, I had to eat my words once again. Around ep 5/6, here on MDL I praised this series for not having negative female portrayals. One commenter pointed out that it still had “Sarawat’s fans”. I said I don’t consider them as normal females, at least we don’t have an ex or something trying to raise havoc. I guess this is why they say you shouldn’t put something out into the universe?

Why what was supposed to be a simple Hallmark drama has devolved into c-drama world with its melodrama is beyond me. Well as you’d expect, the last ep could not save the descend into the bottom with the regurgitated plots, cliched love triangle, last minute drama.
In our very last episode we got a strong montage and a character I barely recognized. I have theories, hear me out… when Sarawat broke his leg and they took him for his x-ray follow up, by any chance do you think the hospital messed up and gave him a lobotomy? Or, in the Halloween ep, did he maybe get body swapped? Guys I have over a decade worth of knowledge in this area from watching Supernatural. It could happen. And this is the only explanation that I can come up with to explain the unexplainable character personality shift. People expect you to accept that Mr. Sarawat expo, Mr. cop-a-feel even when beaten to a pulp, now gives strong shoulder hugs and high fives. Mr. I'll kiss you till you drop now gives head pats. The Sarawat, who crawled to Tine with a broken leg and wouldn’t leave his side just because Tine fainted now sees his boyfriend puking and being taken to a hospital but instead goes home for a good night sleep and a change of fresh cloth before going to see him? I mean WT actual F! To top it off, Sarwat 2.0 didn’t even say “I’m sorry” or make any effort to win Tine back or anything remotely sane but instead sang a song that he barely even finished. Man and Type showed more warmth with that hug than our main couple, who technically had just made up. To be fair, Man and Type showed more warmth than our duo in the last 3 episodes.

I have a lot more to say but I fear the only thing to be gained would be carpal tunnel. I will forever treasure you, Gunsmile and Toptap. Episodes 1-9 will be remembered fondly, especially since as far as I'm concerned this series ended after the first 15 minutes of episode 10. I loved, loved everything about the music. Thank you for that.

And at last, I will dedicate a verse from one of my favorite song to it:

“it could have been love, but it’s over now;
It could have been good, but we lost it somehow”

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The best example of how something that has a great start ends up being a disappointment.

The first part of the drama (episodes 1-7) is one of the best examples of how a BL must be done. Tine is an extrovert, funny and naive guy that charms everyone with his charisma. Sarawat is mysterious and silent guy who seems to have interest of Tine. Characters plan to fake-dating to make Tine's stalker stay away from him. The chemistry between them is obvious here, thay have tender and funny moments. If the drama had ended here they would have a sound 10 and it would be considered the best BL ever made (along with Sotus)

Then the second part (episodes 8-13) happens.
It's a new stage of the drama.,Tine and Sarawat decide to make the relationship official so the pace of the series should be different, and it is... in a very disappointing way.
Tine who was always smiling and telling jokes turnssuddenly into a insecure man and a crying mess, he was happier when he was single. They turned him in a strereotyped damless in distress (or worse, an uke) who needs to be saved. And Sarawat who was completely sure about his love for Tine doesn't ease his partner insecurities. He lets misunderstandings happen around him without moving a finger until it's too late.

Even the actors (Win and Bright) seem to have lost their spark and their awesome chemistry. I can't believe they kiss more when they were not dating than when they were. And no, i'm not saying I need a make out session but at least i would like to see love between them.
I thought I was seeing two flatmates instead of two lovers.

On the whole I would say that if you're gonna watch this, do it... until episode 7, then drop it and pretend that everything that comes next doesn't exist at all. I bet your imagination can do much better than the lazy writing of the second part.

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This started strong then ended in huge disappointment. After all, the series is way too overrated.

First is the stage of editing, editing, transiting things. I don't know how good the director is, but it seems that his style of film making doesn't suit me. He made Puppy Honey and Kiss Me Again before and I don't like his vibe either, so here I am confirming that. His method of filming made me really uncomfortable. I didn't rate the music higher because I feel extremely annoyed by some background music in the series. It is not reasonable according to the storyline.

Secondly, the screenwriting team ruined the whole movie. With such chemistry, storyline and characters from the novel like that, the movie would be better if they kept the original spirit. Yet no, the writer's team acted as if they didn't want it. The scene was chaotic, unreasonable, messy. Characters are still serious OOC. In episodes 12-13, the character of Sarawat is even distorted, I couldn't realize he was Sarawat in the previous eps of the film. Even in the last episode, I only feel like 50% of Sarawat returned.

Thirdly, it is the acting. I'm not saying the acting of this movie is bad overall, just a few actors that made me surprised. The scene could have been acted like this and that but the way they acted made me feel like oh what they are doing. Perhaps this is also due to the director's direction, yet it is still kinda in poor quality.

Fourthly, I know that kissing doesn't matter, yet for such a film like this and the drama created in ep12, they should have kissed each other when reconciling, or at least a sentimental hug, but hell no, they did nothing. After they moved in together in ep10, they almost lost their spark, everything afterward seems forced and the characters are seriously out of context.

I was a huge fan at first, but my love for this decreases day by day. In general, although the novel is great and funny, cute. Although I like the character of Sarawat terrifically, although I like Tine portrayed by Win and like Win himself (his quality, his effort, his acting, his cuteness), I still had better be honest with my emotion and feeling. This series is only 4.0 to me overall.

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First half of this series? Fantastic. Fun. Hilarious. Solid.
Second half of this series? Lazy. Cookie-cutter. Overloaded with tropes.

I've had a few days to think about my feelings in regards to 2gether and I have a lot, but I'm going to quickly summarize some of my main thoughts here.

#1: Tine's sexuality
This was the biggest let down for me in this series. Throughout the series there's definitely a few hints that Tine could be bisexual. He clearly finds women attractive, but he doesn't seem all that turned off at the thought of dating a man or being in love with one. I felt that this series could've really delved into bisexuality instead of keeping with the Straight Or Gay tropes that often exist in BL.

Furthermore - I think exploring Tine's sexuality more would've really given a basis to the severe lack of couple-like affection between him and Sarawat. And I'm not talking NSFW scenes or make outs or even just soft kisses - I'm talking the fact that they high-fived at the end of the series when a hug would've been nice. Or just SOMETHING to show us that they're more than just Bros. Because even after episode 13, I'm not convinced that they "love" one another or even like each other that way; it just feels like good friends that live together.

But had the show explored Tine grappling with his sexuality (as a bisexual or if they wanted, a gay man) - it would've made a lot of sense why he wasn't too affectionate with Sarawat or was unsure of showing that affection. It's hard to grapple with your own sexuality much less be openly affectionate with that person. But Tine didn't seem at all bothered by people knowing they were together and that he loves Sarawat (and vise versa). So why so little affection? Why take that element away?

Which brings me to letdown #2: Affection.
Like I said earlier -- I don't need NSFW scenes or even kisses in a romance to feel that there's a connection. I also think Bright and Win are great actors that conveyed a lot of their emotions through expressions and their eyes. However, the only "slice of life" element we got was the montage of scenes after they moved in together. After that, it was mostly shoulder hugging and staring at one another. I really don't remember a time when they held hands, and I don't remember them kissing after they started dating (and the kisses before that were all Sarawat - Tine didn't react).

I just think that there didn't seem to be a point to them moving in together because it didn't really bring any growth to their relationship. They didn't have slice of life moments or sweet talks in bed or breakfast chats - it was more or less the same, but now the writers could bring Type into the picture. It all just felt a little unnecessary and rushed.

#3: Use of women and Mil
Literally -- the use of them. Throughout the series they're used to place wedges between Sarawat and Tine. This just felt lazy to me, and Pam was the most lazy plot line they could've come up with. It didn't even last more than a full episode and it had no real result other than Sarawat and Tine getting back together. If they're going to go with this trope, I would've liked to see more growth and a longer time apart for them both. Also - Mil just get over Tine. Stop. The whole addition of Mil to it felt unnecessary. There was no chemistry there and I still have no idea why Mil liked Tine. Someone please explain what I missed there lol.

Overall - I'm just underwhelmed. I really enjoyed this in the beginning. I thought Bright and Win had good chemistry, and I was binge-watching all of the episodes up until 9. But after watching the last few episodes as they've released, I've found myself less and less excited and more disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high. Idk. If there's a season 2 I'll watch it, but I can't say that I'm particularly looking forward to more of the same.

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it started out great - i was certain it could climb up to be one of my favourites this year but god this drama really ruined itself.

BIG BAD:
- who decided on these last scripts?? so much unnecessary, undeveloped and unreasonable angst between the main couple in the later episodes. honestly it just took out the enjoyment for me. the ending, the whole plot line for the main couple turned out to be surprisingly shallow and lazy.
- putting in female characters just for what exactly? certainly not to be their own developed, interesting characters.
SMALL BAD:
- in the beginning the chemistry between the main couple was... awesome! later i just didn't feel it. ironic since i imagine getting together should bring more fluff or something...
- this drama went from me being excited over every new episode and rewatching the previous episodes to me not being able to tolerate it sober bc it's such a shitshow. i'm sorry for being crude - i just don't know how to express my disappointment otherwise.

SMALL GOOD:
- the relationship between man and type. look at this direct communication and conversations about feelings to avoid stupid misunderstandings - beautiful. they got a few episodes but their development was so much more rational than that of the main couple.
- i did like the friendships of this show. thank god they did not throw that in the trash like they did with the main couple.
BIG GOOD:
- the soundtrack. quite nice. :)

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Well, no one died-so there's that

I don't even know what is going on with GMM. They find these amazing dramas and between them, the directors and the writers they use, they mess everything up. I was so excited for this drama. The first couple of episodes were good and then it went down hill.

I love Bright and Win, but I'm going to say I don't love them together. There was very little chemistry between them. We know in real life they have chemistry, the get along. We've seen the behind the scenes footage and the photoshoots. What I wanted was for some of that to make its way into the show.

Each time I decided to drop the show, they hit me with small, moments to give me hope, then back to the sadness of a drama going off the trails. Like that sweet moment they had after the fight where Tine took care of Wat after the ambush-- 2 seconds later, Tine leaves his friend, who is hurt, to walk home alone. I mean, who does that?

They wasted the whole Mike/Type storyline. There was so much potential there. We know Mike can act...he is one of the actors who basically saved Theory of love for me so what the hell was this?

Lets not even get started with Frank and Drake because nobody got time for that mess.

I was so disappointed. Its like GMM isn't even trying anymore and that's frustrates the hell out of me. I feel like they don't want to do BL anymore and is trying irritate the fans into not watching.

Ugh... Just ugh

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