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Wow! What a film! It has been a long time since I have watched a movie that filmed with equal parts rage and sadness especially for more than one character. I feel like I'm still processing what I watched but in the best way possible. This film made my heart physically ache. I think Jeff's and Engfas performances were captivating! I highly recommend!
Side Note: given that it is not on Netflix in my country I was worried I wouldn't get to watch it so I am glad I found a way!
Reitaさん、ありがとうございました
Dead Friend Forever Finale
What can I say except it was a lot! I cried and had a small panic attack (not joking actually could not breathe to the point my throat burned, had to stop the episode), and then finished it, and now I'm tired. I need time to process what I just watched.
To all who haven't watched it yet enjoy!
Finale episode of Dead Friend Forever here we go! I'm nervous and excited all at once.
Final Thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale
I had a lot to say about the show and I realized that it would not all fit in one post and I didn't realize how many posts it would actually take me to post it all. So below are the links to everything in one place; my thoughts about each character, theories about how it will end, everything. Thank you for checking it out and I hope everyone is excited to watch the finale.
Long Post! As we approach the finale of Dead Friend Forever I want to make sure to say all my final thoughts about this show and one of th
Tee: Tee is a character I could write a whole paper about to be honest. His character and the amount of backstory we get regarding him makes
Jin: Jin is also a character we know very little about. However, there are things we do know about Jin as he is aware Non writes horror onli
Phee: Phee is a character that to me is sort of hard to talk about because I have thoughts regarding what his final role in the finale may b
New/Tan: New is driven by his own pain as well as guilt. New was not close to Non. Non says to New that New never reads what he writes and t
Non: At this point what is left to say about Non that I have not already expressed. It broke my heart that from Non’s perspective his parent
Mr. Keng: I think Keng, while a character I dislike and disgusts me, also intrigues me. Plost wise I think he is a character that shows how
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Part 7
Mr. Keng: I think Keng, while a character I dislike and disgusts me, also intrigues me. Plost wise I think he is a character that shows how seemingly good people can also be horrible and the reality that those that hurt us are not always creepy monster people that most of the time they are nice looking. Keng is seemingly trying to get info regarding the money laundering but we are never given an answer whether he is a reporter or a secret cop and why he is trying to bring them down. Also while we know Tee’s uncle has his watch we never see his body it is heavily and definitely implied he is deceased however he could very well be alive and I am curious why only Jin hallucinates Keng. Everyone else sees the masked person or Non but Jin hallucinates Keng. Which I have a theory about. Overall Keng is trying to stop Tee’s uncle and “help” Non but all of that comes at price and shows that while people commit good deeds it does not mean they are not responsible for the darker things they do.
Final thoughts:
I enjoyed this show and I am excited to see how it ends. I think it has the potential to let people down because it may not end how everyone wants it to end and hope they can deliver a satisfying finale ( you can’t please everyone) Now I have several theories for things that could happen.
Non is alive and in the woods. Maybe Por did not hallucinate him or even if he did it sure looked like someone purposely lifted that branch for him to run into. Now the question of would he be helping New or Phee?
Phee does not love Jin like he loves Non and if Non is alive it may be that he and Phee are in on it together. Someone had to leave evidence around the house like the paper about Tee’s uncle and the knife and also in the episode when Phee and Non are talking after Non is with Keng but before Jin sees them walk away Non ( according to the subtitles) says to Phee “our friends, you know I am not comfortable with those people” and then Phee and him walk away with Non’s arm around Phee’s shoulder and when Phee is alone with Jin headed back to the house in the woods Phee looks off into the woods and then tells Jin after touching his shoulder and lacing their hands together that “our friends need our help”; he also later drops the axe outside the house. The framing of the scene between Jin and Phee feels nowhere near as intimate as when almost same exact scene with the same phrasing is said between Non and Phee. Also Phee is suspicious because of his guessing that New hung the wire or deleted the footage or even what went down between New and Top. Phee has information he should not have and he did get out of Jin a confession, something they have been trying to get since the starts. Not to mention the axe dropping and the woods scenes in general but also the framing of the scene between him and New with the murder board in the flashback. Phee is standing with his arms crossed looking very serious, probably the most serious look we get besides when his father told him to prepare for the worst. There is also an interesting dynamic in terms of conveying power because New is sitting down while Phee is standing and Phee physically takes up more space in the screen than New does. In this frame of New sitting and Phee standing it is what looks to be a combination of an over the hip shot and low angle shot which not only suggests a power imbalance between the two but is also indicative of potential conflict between the two who take up the shot. I think no matter what I will be suspicious of Phee and his motives until the finale ends.
White like I said is either going to die tragically or live to the end and maybe there will be a twist with him, I am not counting it out.
I do not think New will survive the finale either because if this leads back to punishment for those who have wronged Non, New does not escape that and often in many movie the person who divulged from the plan or as “given up” morally tends to die.
If non is really dead I think Jin will be the final survivor.
Questions I want answered: the hand with white and tee on the balcony, is mr keng and non 100% dead, why is Jin hallucinating Mr. Keng, was the land Tee’s dad talking about the land where the cult and Por’s family home is, does the Janta cult play a bigger role, did Por actually see something supernatural when they filmed with Non the very first time, why does New know about supposed herbs that the Janta cult uses unless it is a real cult but then did he google it or go there and asks ( I have questions about that), and finally why did White hallucinate not only being watched by the masked figure but also the rash?
My theory about Jin and Keng is that one either Jin had a secret crush on Keng, Keng assaulted Jin the way he did Non or Jin did hit Keng with the car and left him there to die not knowing that the mafia snatched him up alive so maybe in Jin’s mind he “killed” Keng.
Sorry it was a long post but I had a lot to say and I haven't been this excited for a finale episode in a long time. I look forward to seeing more fan theories and when it airs reactions to the finale!
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Part 6
Non: At this point what is left to say about Non that I have not already expressed. It broke my heart that from Non’s perspective his parents do not care that he is missing and no would be looking for him. I think this gives insight into how much influence his parents and by extension New have on his life but also how much he assumes Phee also does not want him or no longer cares for him after their fight. The question of what Non would want is I think the focal point of the show and ultimately something if he really is deceased will never get answered from Non himself. If Non really is dead his quiet death without a lot of drama is unfortunately again very depictive of how some people whether natural or not pass away. It is a painful reality that some people get in over their heads, they make bad choices, they get roped into things and become responsible for things they shouldn’t be, they are bullied, abused, looked down on and sometimes the consequences not only end up being their death but ends quietly. A friend of mine ended her life within our first year of being out of high school and without going into details she went to sleep and never woke up. It was not dramatic and something I will never forget is that her parents said she looked like she was asleep. I think the realism of Non possibly dying the way he did much like my friend is that there was never a chance to see beyond what was immediately happening and there was no ability to escape the things hurting them. The answer to what Non would want is in the note Tee found which is that he would get out of there. His life would get better, it would improve, one day the pain and suffering would end. Jin exiting the group and leaving everyone behind and truly moving forward is probably the closest to what I think Non would have wanted.
White: If there is no reveal in the finale about White as a person and we only have what we have seen of him to go on. White is either going to survive or he is going to die tragically due to his connection to Tee. White is the only one with zero connection to New and Non. I think White unfortunately will be the casualty of New and Phee’s choices as well as the consequence for Tee’s behavior. I think some of what we have seen has me questioning White especially because he bounces between upset and real calm way too quickly for me not to be suspicious and going into the finale White’s character is the one I am most interested in seeing play out.
continued part 7
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Part 5
New/Tan: New is driven by his own pain as well as guilt. New was not close to Non. Non says to New that New never reads what he writes and that they are not close. From Non’s perspective it does not seem like his life is that different with New there vs New gone. New, whether he asked for it or not is the family golden child and their parents treat them differently, something they are all aware of. There is tension there. New feels guilty for leaving Non to deal with everything alone. He was not there for Non when he was alive or even when they lived together. The tragedy of New and Non’s relationship is that New is too late to actively step in and help. New starts at the same place as Phee. They want answers but New has his own shortcomings he needs to face. He is not innocent in this either. He never tells his parents what he is doing while still accepting money from them causing them to lose their house. For three years New has not learned anything regarding his brother and we see from his hallucination of Non that he thinks Non will forgive him if he exposes the group. By the time we get to the present at the house this is no longer about Non. What New is doing is for New. He wants revenge for the pain and suffering his entire family went through at the hands of this group; justifiably. However, Phee point blank tells New that this is not what Non would have wanted. That is the complexity and tragedy of New is that Phee is correct; New is willing to let someone like White die for the payback and vengeance he feels entitled to. White who is like Non will suffer through no consequences of his own making and I think this turn in the narrative is to let us know how far from the original mission New may be. I also think the complexity for New is that in reality Phee probably knows more about what Non would want than New does; Phee knows Non better. Now again I am not saying New does not have the absolute right to feel the way he does but he falls into the trap of sharing behavior with those he hates. New blames them outright for him not being able to go back to England for school and his parents and Non but those very same things New also has his own hand in causing problems for. The group did not make him keep lying to his parents, the group did not make him stay and not return to school; New made those choices. New is hurting and in pain and he wants those responsible to feel how he feels and the need for justice and answers in the face of tragedy is very human and something complex but where do you draw a line? In a genre such as horror we root for New to get justice for Non even if the justice is skewed and violent because too often in the real world victims families do not get the justice or answers they desperately need. New has nothing left and those with nothing left to lose will drag themselves down and take you with them regardless of the cost.
continued in part 6
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Part 4
Phee: Phee is a character that to me is sort of hard to talk about because I have thoughts regarding what his final role in the finale may be. I am going to discuss Phee in a broader sense. Phee is someone who takes charge. We see it when he offers to be the new director, when Por gets hurt and we see it between Phee and Non. Phee clearly loves Non that is not in question at all and Phee does what a lot of people who care about others do. They want to solve their problems and make their pain go away and while admirable and a very loving quality sometimes that comes at the expense of the other person's autonomy and opinions. I think Phee has several conflicting moments in that regard with Non that feel natural and realistic. Phee wants Non to switch schools, he tells Non real friends do not treat him the way the group treats him but he does not actually ask Non why he feels that way or stays. This conversation between Phee and Non continues later when Phee listens to Non explain that he wants to finish the movie and he is not backing out. Phee is a prime example of doing what you think will help the person without asking the person. Phee goes to his dad with the pure intention of helping Non but what he does by doing that is actually paints a target on Non’s back. It is Phee’s direct action that alerts Tee’s uncle into thinking Non might be a bigger problem than he actually is. Phee unknowingly creates a bigger problem because he thinks he knows best how to help Non. The theme of guilt is heavy throughout this show and Phee’s love but also guilt is what drives him to contact and help New. Phee wants answers about what happened to Non and is willing to go to extreme lengths to get those answers. Deep down I think Phee ( if Non is dead or my other theory about Phee is not true) wants to bring light to what happened to Non so that the last thing he could do for Non is respect what Non would have wanted while also understanding how we got here. I think Phee’s feelings for Jin are complicated and I am going to leave it at that because I have theories about Phee that affect both his relationship to Jin and Non.
continued in part 5
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Part 3
Jin: Jin is also a character we know very little about. However, there are things we do know about Jin as he is aware Non writes horror online, he seems to be very open when it comes to affection especially if he likes someone. Jin also hates his friend's behavior and also dislikes what he saw between Non and Keng. We can also see that Jin is hurt by Phee keeping them as friends with benefits as well as Phee ending things with him. Jin to me is a character that represents not only a coward but a coward that is manipulative in his own right. He sticks up for Non enough that the group knows Jin will stick up for him but not enough for it to actually make the group stop or for the group to decide they don’t want Jin around either. Jin, much like Fluke, is not only a bystander but also in my opinion has voyeuristic qualities as well. Jin ignores Non’s feelings and what his friends are doing so that Non can be around Jin. He manipulates many situations with Non so they can still have contact. He knows Non wants to finish the movie but even at one point Non decides to stop till Jin convinces him to stay. I find the framing of Jin when he is touching Non to be a key factor. When Jin touches Non’s knee and shoulder the camera is facing and angled to mirror identically the way Keng touches Non’s knee and shoulder. I think this conveys that both Jin and Keng have their own reasons for being close to Non as well as their intentions toward Non not being pure especially since Jin ignores that Non doesn’t want to be touched but does it anyway. Jin much like Tee feels guilty about what happened to Non and I would argue that out of the whole group Jin is the only one trying to make amends and is the only one one screen we see apologize to Non and Non tells him that Jin does not have to apologize. In the present Jin is moving out of Thailand and leaving this toxic group behind as well as what happened; he is trying to start over. Because when you consider it from Jin’s perspective, he knows Tee & Top took Non but he does not know where, Tee has never told the group anything that happened and the last time he had any news regarding Non it was a news article saying he was alive and spotted leaving on a bus with Keng. Jin hopes that Non is alive and his belief of that is rooted in hope vs actual proof. Tee even says if Non was alive Jin would be the only one of them he would still contact. Jin knows there is nothing more he can do for Non, he can’t correct the behavior of the group and he doesn’t have a relationship with Phee so Jin is doing what no one else in that group can do which is leave even though it means he will be alone. I think Jin’s atonement for his role in what happened to Non is far more redemptive than any other character. Jin, even though angry about being lied to, even expressed regret that it even reached that level; he seems to understand the reasoning behind why Phee and New would go to that length. He also asks/ tells Phee that he and New never thought of them as friends and he seems incredibly hurt that it was based on a lie because despite his feelings romantically for Non and what he did wrong their friendship was never a lie in Jin’s eyes but Phee and New lied to him. Jin even though he outs New to the group he does not attack him and even when faced with Fluke holding the gun he tries to reason with him. In the end whether its a controversial opinion or not I think Jin deserves to survive because of the OG group he is the only one who apologized to Non, what happened changed his personality such as we see a very different teenage Jin vs adult Jin and the whole time things are happening he is no longer quiet, he confronts his friends about their thoughts and behaviors and he even gets into it physically with Tee and Top (jin of the past never would have done that) , and he is the only one removing himself from this toxic environment. Jin will always have to live with what happened to Non and carry his guilt for his role in that.
continued in part 4
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever Finale Pt. 2
Tee: Tee is a character I could write a whole paper about to be honest. His character and the amount of backstory we get regarding him makes him a rich and multi-faceted character. One of the main things I personally like about the character and character design is that I know people like Tee (they are not as extreme in terms of money laundering) but Tee is a real person, and I would argue that part of the controversy and feelings regarding his character are just that; he feels real. Tee is also the most similar to Non which makes it even more tragic and painful what he does too Non both directly and indirectly. Tee also has one of the most complete arcs of all the characters narratively speaking. Tee is a teenager who is responsible for taking care of his father which is a physically and emotionally demanding requirement of someone his age. We do not know what happened to his mother, so we have no idea how long this has been going on. Much like Non, Tee is also a vulnerable teenager. He has no other support system than his uncle who is using him to make illegal money. Tee yes made the choice to work for his uncle and earn money that way and yes, he knew what kind of work his uncle does so him being naive that nothing would happen to Non just because he asked his uncle is exactly that naive. Just like Non who did not have a healthy support system at home neither does Tee. Tee is boxed into a corner, and I have seen several people who have said oh well Tee could have just worked at the gaming club to help his father instead of his uncle, he could have made a better choice. That I will personally argue against because we are told and shown point blank that in order for Tee to help Non get money by working at the gaming cafe, he was MISSING SCHOOL. If Tee had chosen not to work for his uncle which he did after school and seemingly on weekends, he would have had to give up his education and based on White’s comments Tee is actually very intelligent and scores well in school. For someone like Tee who is crying for a normal life and normal friends and for burdens that were not his to disappear why would if you were him, walk away from school where you have all that as well as an escape from your life; you would not, you would work for the Uncle too. Now here is where in my opinion Non and Tee differ, Tee took out his pain on Non. He is one of if not the main contributor to Nons pain and “death” and unlike Non who could admit that he put up with things for his own reasons Tee does not realize nor care about what he put Non through and even in present time cannot admit or apologize fully for what he did and the role he played. Tee made the wrong choices, and he kept making the wrong choices despite being aware of his own guilt. Tee admits himself that he felt like he did not deserve to have a happy life because of what he did to Non but it changed when he met White. I think not only is it probably the first time Tee has had someone interested in him passed the surface but White gives him love that he craves. I also think when Tee talks about changing that I think he sees White’s innocence and he is aware of what he could do to that innocence because look what he did to Non. As a character Tee comes the closest to a redemption arc but is once again just shy of true redemption as he never spoke up about what he knows about what happened to Non which could have saved Non’s family, he lies and never tells White about his past and his role with Non and even when he assumed they may be being haunted he could still not admit his role in what happened to Non but also his guilt. Tee is not absolved of his sins regarding Non just because he feels bad and wants to be a better person or wishes it went down differently. In the realm of consequences Tee should either have to live the rest of his life suffering his consequences or he should die helping White escape the house dying in a way that truly stops him from ever really getting out of the life he had and stops him from the life he wanted.
continued in part 3
Final thoughts before Dead Friend Forever finale
Long Post!
As we approach the finale of Dead Friend Forever I want to make sure to say all my final thoughts about this show and one of the things I love the most is the ability for this show to change how I feel about characters and the psychological aspects attributed to the characters. I respect all opinions regarding characters and their actions and I think honestly one of the best parts of dissecting a show with fellow fans is that we all have perspectives based on how we interpret what we see and even how our own lives may affect how we receive certain characters and we can always agree to disagree while remaining respectful of each other and I think when that happens it makes the overall fan experience better. Before I get into any final predictions I want to break down my personal feelings regarding each character. Also shout out to ( I can’t find the post to tag the person who originally posted about this) I am glad that there was a discussion regarding the want for death and revenge because the genre of horror and the escape from our own reality allows for us to indulge in the justice of the group getting what they deserve because I think that is what makes horror or even psychological based media intriguing is the intrinsic look we have at our own morals and ultimately what we think of justice, morality and how we view human behavior.
Characters:
Por: Por is not only a bully but a rich bully. We see that he has been taught he is above other people based on his parents actions and he is very aware that his status allows him access to things that would not be possible to other people. We see Por use his status many times to keep him at the social top of the group's inter hierarchy as well as a way to control others ( Non with the camera/script). Por is I think a character that people instantly recognize in that for many people (not all) he represents the quintessential rich kid whose life seems easy, he has it all but he also represents the deeper societal classism and advantages/privileges that wealth brings. Por is a character that lacks emotional empathy, he has a sense of entitlement, we as an audience see that he is pressured to live up to his parents expectations of him, and he is self centered to the point of narcissism. Por’s only genuine connections are with his friends; they are the people he has chosen to connect with and to be around. When we see the script getting praise and winning the contest Por is thrilled because it not only reflects well on him but is something he can use to his advantage and also given that he wants to direct it he is very protective of something he considers his. We see this two different times; once when they are all eating after winning the hidden character when they exclude Non and also in the way he discusses the film with his parents. Por deeply desires for something to be his outside of his parents ( we see his face when Fluke/Top mention that his parents bought peoples views/the news about the film). This desire is quite frankly the reason I believe he was so over the top with Non in many instances. Non not only threatened Por’s position in the group should the group like his script and ideas more but on a larger scale if anyone were to find out especially his parents that this film being praised was not his original work then everything he has built comes tumbling down and not only does it leave him with negative feelings regarding his ability to be a director or to accomplish something but it also derives him of his parents approval and what he may view as their love ( since we have seen how quick his father was to try and hit him for the camera and that he clearly is expected to behave a certain way). For someone like Por there is nothing else that matters to him than those things which is why he has no problem treating Non the way he does; as a bully. Por is also a prime example of someone who was only sorry for his actions toward someone else when it came at personal cost and risk to him. Por never apologizes or feels bad for anything that happens to Non only how they are inconvenienced and then when he is dying and injured it is the only time he expresses any type of guilt. Too many people in real life feel that way, that they only worry about apologizing either when they are dying or it's the last resort. I am not surprised that Por was the first friend to die and narratively it makes sense that his suffering was not over quickly, that it dragged on because that is exactly the role he had in Non’s life. He dragged on Non’s suffering so within the genre of this show Por got not only what he deserved but like mirroring real life too often people who should be apologizing seldom do.
Top: Top for me is an interesting character in the fact that he is not interesting. We know almost nothing about his background. He is friends with the group, he is the first one to directly on screen make fun of Non, he is superstitious, he seems to be varying levels of close to Tee, Por and Fluke comparatively to Jin and at times he seems to be even too much for his friends. Top is a character that does not need an in-depth background because he is meant to represent the more basic sense that sometimes people are just crappy but I think in the beginning he is also meant to represent the more underdeveloped side of teenagers as well. Top wants to be center stage, he wants attention but he is also a bully who lacks emotional maturity and to be honest I think he represents action without thoughts of consequences ( impulsivity and shortsightedness). Top does not think of his actions with the camera and has no problem immediately trying to shift the blame to another person, he does not stop at all to consider how sharing the picture of Non and Keng that Tee had would impact not only their group but also Non/Non’s family. His self centered absorption and view of their actions much like Por shows that Top is also only worried about himself and only cares about others if it is a direct threat to him. Making fun of Non gives him not only power but makes him feel better about himself and it puts him on equal ground with those in his social group ( peer acceptance). Top becoming a victim who takes on the identity of the masked person and then through the drugs actively is attacking the group makes sense because his entire identity IS the group and in terms of punishing him and the group for their deeds toward Non who better to attack the group than the one person who seemingly has nothing of substance to him but this group.
Fluke: Fluke is the epitome of a bystander but also he, much like Top does not seem to have a life outside the group. I think Fluke shares a lot of qualities with several members of the group. Fluke wants to be a doctor and make his mom proud but other than that we are only left with what he can infer about him through his behavior. Fluke definitely seems like someone who stays friends with this group because as long as he is friends with them he will not end up like Non and can also reap any potential benefits from his association with the group. Fluke, anytime he is presented with an opportunity to stand up for Non or do the right thing; he does not. He clearly has anxiety, high expectations and just wants to keep his head down and get through. Fluke’s behavior is quite telling in that I wholeheartedly believe he is the one that shared Jin’s video since he is the only other person besides Jin who even knew about Jin’s recording. I myself, like a lot of people I assume, are asking why Fluke is even friends with this group if they have graduated high school and while valid I think we are given this answer directly through his bystander behavior and that is without this group he would be alone and friendless like Non. I think deep down Fluke is desperate to do anything that in his mind safeguards him from both being taken advantage of but also being bullied and still allows him social ties. For Fluke the risk helping Non would pose to the group and his position within their dynamics was not great enough for Fluke to be self-sacrificing or decent person. This overall threat or perceived threat from Fluke is enough for him to cut off an escape route for the group. Fluke ultimately believes because he did not actively and directly bully Non that he is better than everyone else and therefore not responsible. In many ways Fluke is voyeuristic in his approach. He watches but doesn’t act, he uploaded the video but didn’t record it, he is part of the group but does not actually interact himself with Non and therefore in his mind is not in the wrong simply because he did not initiate it and it is everyone else’s fault for getting him involved. Within this show I believe Fluke will die and I think it is only fitting that it will be 100% due to his choices and the consequences of those choices. He caused Por to bleed more to silence him, he yelled, threatened and had White at gunpoint, he destroyed the walkie-talkie and he shot Top. Fluke actively switched from being a bystander to an active participant and he can no longer blame the group or by extension Non for what will happen to him. He has been consumed with the idea of others being the problem or not wanting his idea of a perfect life getting ruined when in reality the reason all of those things will happen are his own fault; he is his own undoing.
Continued in Post Part 2
This episode so far is emotionally a lot. I have enjoyed the show as a whole, but sometimes it's also really hard to watch.
Dead Friend Forever Episode 10
I meant to post this yesterday after I watched the episode when it aired but it was a long day yesterday so here we are. I have a lot I want to say about this show in general but that will have to be a different post, so this is just some thoughts about the episode. Spoilers for DFF episode 10 and I guess spoilers if you haven't seen the first Scream movie.
I think Phee and Tan/New are on opposite sides but not in the narrative we are being given. Phee told Jin some things that Phee would have no way of knowing because he was not with Tan when he was doing those things (poisoning Top at the temple (Phee was at the house), hanging the wire, being in the woods with Por (Phee was with Jin when that way happening) ) those are to name few instances where Phee is implying and stating he believes Tan/New did those things not that he actually saw him do those things or that Tan/New told him he did those things.
I think Phee is 100% manipulating Jin or at the very least the situation. I take back what I said last week about Phee having feelings for Jin. I think he does have feelings, but I also believe there is still some major manipulation happening. Phee and Jin could have left that temple whenever they wanted to!! When Phee gets water for Jin he goes back to alter where they walked in and got attacked by Top in the mask. Meaning they are not trapped in that temple so unless it has to do with them or Jin being tired and needing to rest some. They are not trapped. Also, Jin drinks the water, Phee does not, Jin hallucinates, and then after some long discussion we conveniently have an axe that Phee says it must be Tan/New's. Which after the woods knowing what Phee knows about Tan/New and the hallucinations he still chose to conveniently drop the axe right outside the house. I think Phee is just as much of a manipulator of situations. Which leads me to my next point about Phee and his reactions. I think he is possibly pulling a Billy Loomis (Scream!) (I could be wrong, this is just what it reminded me of or the vibe I got) In Scream, Billy secretly in the mask comes after Sydney then pretends it isn't him, then makes himself seem innocent and then gets attacked by the killer (fake dies) only to then be revealed to be the actual killer/one behind the mayhem. I think Phee may be doing this to Jin and may be planning to get Jin to 100% trust and rely on him to then use that against him especially because Tan/New seemed calm with Phee revealing who he is but more importantly I think it ties back to the fact that Phee in present time referred to himself as Non's boyfriend. Not a "I use to be his boyfriend", " I told him to go die and we broke", no. Jin asks, " Tan is Non's brother, the one called New right?" Phee responds "Yes. New came back from England." Jin then asks, " And you're Non's boyfriend?" and Phee says Yes. I think this is important because Jin is clarifying what he has been told and if he is caught up on all the information so at that moment Phee is saying yes, I am Non's boyfriend. I think this will be important going into our final two episodes.
Fluke shot Top in the exact same spot Por got impaled by the branch. Coincidence? Ironic?
Back to Phee and what he told Jin about Por and the woods. He is assuming Por saw Non under the mask or assuming Por saw the masked killer, he would have no way of knowing that it is what Por saw because Por couldn't tell them what he hallucinated. So, in my opinion that is either a big assumption of Phee's part or he lied! I stated back in my original theory post with my deep dive that I think there have been 3 "killers" this whole time. Because someone groped Tee, we still don't know if Tan was hallucinating seeing the masked killer after Fluke hallucinated being choked by Por and there was no way Tan/ New could have lured Por out of the house and into the woods because Tan/ New was with Fluke and Top playing Jenga. And we know if we are to believe Phee, Phee states to Jin that Tan/New must have lured Por out of the house, Phee is directly implying that Por did not hallucinate seeing someone on the CCTV camera which is what led him to seeing someone outside to then be lured out there in the first place. Phee again in my opinion is backing up that there is in fact another people helping them. Whether that person is helping just Phee or Phee and Tan/New we do not know but the likelihood of a third person (Non or possibly White) could very well be true.
White. I want more about him. I think he goes between being calm to crying very quickly. He also seems to be able to manipulate Tee and change the situation. I do believe there is more to White that we know, and I hope the next episode gives us that however if White is innocent and just Tee's boyfriend then I do believe his death will be to show just how far Tan/New is not only willing to go but also the fact that an innocent person is dead due to not only the acts of the original group ( Por, Fluke, Top, Tee, & Jin) but also that the need for revenge or the need for answers ( Phee & Tan/New) has caused the death of an innocent person something they cannot take back. If White dies in the show innocent Tan/New will be responsible for causing the death of someone similar to the brother he was doing all this for in the first place and once again the destruction of a seemingly innocent person will be laid at the feet of the original group and that loss will be a punishment and consequence for Tee's role in Non's life and by extension Tan/New's.
I have more to say about Jin and Phee and the woods, but it will be its own post.
Thank you for listening to my theories, I am interested in seeing the last two episodes play out and see other fans thoughts. As we approach the finale of this show I have truly enjoyed the interactions with people online about it and love watching this show alongside other people!
Dead friend forever episode 9!
Tan is New, I called it! I'm so happy that paid off!
I am also so glad we are somewhat back to the house and whats going on there.
What a rollercoaster of an episode!
I 100% think Phee caught real feelings for Jin or at the very least Jin definitely caught true feelings for Phee.
I'm glad the theories about Tan and drugging them/ them hallucinating paid off.
Nons family cannot catch a break.
This episode I need to digest cause I have a lot of thoughts, but I need to sit with them.
I am hoping Non is alive. While it probably isn't true, it's a hope I'll probably carry till the end.
Also, poor White because at this point, he is going through some trauma while having no idea why. Unless we are told some something more about him in the last three episodes, I feel so bad that he's more or less along for this horrible ride.
Dead friend forever episode 8, left me with theories and feelings, and I'm sick of crying over fictional characters, but here we are 😢
All I have to say is I hope Tan and Phee are 100% behind this murder spree.
We finally saw Perth.
I still have a lot of questions about White
Also, I cried the whole beginning of this episode right along with Non, and when I tell you, I was enraged with his parents.
Por's death should have been worse. I'm not sorry for saying it.
Non and Kru Keng!
Dead Friend Forever Ep 7 - extended opinion ( long-ish post)
Trigger Warnings : Sexual abuse, sexual coercion, grooming, etc.
Since episode 7 aired I have been appalled at the number of posts I have seen regarding Non and Keng and Non’s behavior. Before I dive into ( and yes this is me letting out my anger regarding things I have seen) I want to provide some background that is also a basis for my personal opinion. I also want to state that while I truly believe everyone is titled to their own opinion there are certain things that are wrong and should not be romanticized/glossed over.
My professional background is in psychology, social work and human service ( dealing with abuse and domestic violence)
My personal background also makes what is happening to Non even harder to watch. Episodes 5, 6 and 7 took me a while to get through and resulted honestly in needing to detach for a while. I grew up attending middle school and high school in an area where most of the students attending my schools were wealthy. During that time I and my friends experienced severe bullying for being poor and for not living the way everyone else did. For context we lived 20 minutes away from our school where almost everyone lived surrounding the school and we lived in a trailer park and even though our bus was overcrowded all the trailer park children rode one bus. We as a group were constantly in trouble even when we did nothing wrong, our vice principal called us trailer trash to our faces on our bus and the kids at school were cruel and treated us like we were disgusting and not good enough. When we were “lucky” enough to be invited to their houses we were watched more than the other kids and we were not treated the same way by the parents compared to their fellow friends from the same income level. We were taught by everyone around us that we should be and were inferior ( we were not!). During this time there was also one of my bullies who everyday would not only verbally harass me but sexually harass me at my locker and the worst part at the time was that there were either the kids that ignored that it was happening or the kids who laughed. I can't speak for my few friends at the time but what made all this worse was because school was not the only place I had problems. At home my father was an alcoholic and on any given day my house was a cocktail mixture of verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and domestic violence. After a while I not only started feeling sick a lot but I eventually stopped going to school and would stay home “sick” to avoid school ( both my parents worked so I would be alone during the day). Around this time was really when I developed anxiety, depression and for the first time battled with suicidal thoughts. This went on for a long time. When things finally had their culminating point of me finally opening up at least about what was happening at school. My mom was the first person to ask me and later as an adult in therapy my therapist also asked why did I never tell anyone what was happening to me? The answer was truly simple, complex but simple. I did not want to burden anyone. I told my mom she already dealt with so much because of my father and how he treated us that I did not want to add one more burden to her already full plate. I felt that if I could just handle it on my own it would be fine, eventually it would stop or these people who were cruel would just give up. I also felt ashamed and disgusted by what was happening. I also told my therapist (as an adult looking back on that time) that why would I tell anyone when the kids in the hallway made it clear they did not care and the adults ( teachers and office staff) who I should have been able to trust made it clear they did not like us either simply because of where we live and our income level.
Now back to Dead Friend Forever
Here are the definitions for Abuse of Power, Sexual Coercion and Grooming.
Abuse of power is when someone misuses their authority or higher position in a hierarchy to take advantage of, coerce or harm other people. And it can lead to different types of abuse, such as psychological, physical, financial and sexual abuse.
Sexual coercion is using pressure or influence to get someone to agree to sex. People can knowingly coerce others into sex, such as learning manipulative pick-up artist strategies, or unknowingly, such as assuming the other person is OK when they're not.
Grooming is a tactic where someone methodically builds a trusting relationship with a child or young adult, their family, and community to manipulate, coerce, or force the child or young adult to engage in sexual activities.
More information about grooming:
Because they were groomed, children and teens who were abused often feel that they were in some way responsible for the abuse. This is especially true for teens who feel that they went into the situation willingly and thus in some way it was their fault. This shame and guilt then prevents them from reporting, as they fear that no one will believe them. In fact, many teens who have been groomed are confused as to whether what happened to them actually constituted abuse as it didn’t follow the stereotypical pattern of a violent rape. In many cases this confusion can prevent or delay reporting for many years.
Non was groomed and then sexually assaulted regardless whether it seemed like he consented. Let me say it louder for the people in the back!
Kru Keng sexually assaulted Non! He did not ”cheat” on Phee. Did he lie to Phee yes, but he did not cheat in the stereotypically what we as a society view cheating.
the signs or steps of grooming with examples from the episode:
Make you feel like you owe them. Because you are in a relationship, because you’ve had sex before or because they give/spend money on you or because you go home with them they are owed for these behaviors.
We see Keng offer Non a ride home and he then offers him money to get out of his situation. We don’t see him doing these things with other students.
Victim Selection: abusers often observe possible victims and select them based on ease of access to them or their perceived vulnerability.
Keng clocks that Non is vulnerable the first time he is in the study class and even looks back at him after scolding Top and asking Non for his name. We see this through the several times he brings up how Non is having friend problems or how he doesn't want to work with Tee, and Non unfortunately mentions how just knowing someone cares makes him feel better which makes Keng even more aware of how alone Non seems to be.
Gaining access and isolating the victim: abusers will attempt to physically or emotionally separate a victim from those protecting them and often seek out positions in which they have contact with minors.
Keng has perfect access as a math tutor/teacher to have contact with minors. Also he always has Non come to his office or meet him alone despite the fact that his office is in a seemingly more isolated place than the classrooms.
Trust development and keeping secrets: abusers attempt to gain trust of victims through gifts, sharing secrets, etc.
Keng not only praises Non as a student but also then tells him things like I want to help you anyway I can, I noticed that you are sad, I can give you money to help you because I view you like a brother, I now know your secret regarding Tee and the money so I am someone you can trust.
Desensitization to touch : abusers will often start to touch a victim in ways that appear harmless and later escalate to increasingly more sexual contact.
Keng touches Non’s shoulder seemingly to comfort him, the next time he is holding his hand, then he is holding his hand on his knee and rubbing the back of his hand. All these on their own could be innocent and seem like comfort or being friendly. Until Keng kisses Non crossing that line and leading directly to assaulting him.
Attempt by abusers to make their behavior seem natural: to avoid raising suspicions. For teens who may be particularly close in age to the abuser it can be hard to recognize grooming tactics.
I feel for Non because we see how he is not happy and is actually crying when he hugs Phee the first time when Keng kisses him and then we see him come down to meet Phee. Also Non is trapped in a situation where he is being manipulated and being taken advantage of and sees little to no way out of this financial mess with the money laundering. We, as an audience, saw the fight with his family after where his mother says she is embarrassed because of him and says to Non’s father that if he weren’t a loser then Non wouldn’t be one too. Non very much is receiving a message whether she meant it or not because emotions were high is irrelevant. Non is receiving the message that he is a burden and an embarrassment. Non is aware of his family's financial situation as well. We see him say it to Phee several times about how he wants to solve his own problems and he does not want to burden people. I do not think Non lied to Phee because he wanted to, I think he did it because not only would it put another thing on Phee’s shoulders after he already went to his dad once for Non but also puts Non in a vulnerable position. I personally was asked many times by people oh are you okay? Are you sure everything is good because you look upset? And everytime I lied because I didn't want to be a burden but I also never wanted to look at myself as a victim or admit that I was a victim because that bit of fragile control on my life was one of the only things I could control. And as an adult I have had the chance to talk to some people I knew at the time and they all told me they knew I was lying about being okay or even though I cried and then would say I was fine, I wasn’t. But they all felt like if they pushed me to talk I would never tell them and my one friend said point blank at least I could make you forget about it for a while even if I didn’t really know what you wanted a distraction from. I 100% feel this is exactly what is Non’s perspective. He cannot control how Por, Tee, Top, Fluke and even Jin treat him. He cannot control how his parents view him. He cannot control Phee or Phee’s decisions to love or help him. He cannot control Keng. He cannot take back getting involved with Tee and the money laundering or the consequences of that. What Non can control is how he feels or what he takes control of. Non can control whether he views himself as a victim. He can also control whether he finishes the movie that he wrote the script for. The movie and script are something he did, they come from him and are something at the end of the day regardless of anyone else he Non can be proud of. I think while we may not view his staying with the group healthy and it's not, or his lying to Phee about things that are happening good cause it’s not; it makes sense to Non. Because again he is a teenager who is vulnerable and easily exploitable and has very little control and teenagers whose brains are not fully developed are making not only decisions they think are best or worst at the time but also making decisions based on what they know at that moment. Seeing people who are watching this show and who are hating on Non or do not understand what happened between Non and Keng infuriate me. Should we all feel bad for Phee? Yes. He wants to be there for Non, he loves him and wants to care , on top of knowing that Non is being bullied and seeing what Keng did has to be heartbreaking and frustrating. Also without context to their conversations Phee as a fellow teenager may not be aware or understand fully what Keng did to Non is not on Non.
You can feel bad for Phee without victim blaming Non.
Non made poor choices regarding his trust with Phee or his ability to trust Phee but none of those things mean that he deserved what happened or that because it seems like he consented that it is all just fine and he cheated on Phee and had sex with Keng.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!!