#pat's dad

[gotmehookedonthekpop]

I found this out today and I think that you should all know. The actor who played Pat's dad in Bad Buddy:

Was apparently a singer and heartthrob in his youth. Look at this hottie:

[fourthnattawat]

Pat. Back then, your grandfather put so much pressure on him. And he was very young. We all have something we want to go back and fix.

[i-got-the-feels]

Pran telling to Pat to go and talk to his dad - as soon as possible is not just because of fear that their secret is out. No.

He knows how much Pat looks up to his dad and doesn't want Pat to loose his dad like Pran lost his mom.

Because she didn't listen to him and send him to a boarding school, now he doesn't trust her. He doesn't have anyone. And when he says "Because you raised me this way, that's why I am not like other kids" I think he means in terms of his anxiety, his tendnecy to get stressed and anal about every small thing and need to be perfect which is far more than what other kids may feel.

So he didn't push Pat away only out of fear or anger but care because he doesn't want Pat to loose his dad who means a lot to him, like his mom did. He wants Pat to have a chance to speak and listen - something he and his mom didn't have or his mom didn't give.

[chalkrevelations]

Well, we appear to be doing this, so we might as well do it. I’ll also have the WoH episode reax still going on, but I guess I’m also bringing Bad Buddy into the mix. One thing about this show is that each ep airs in four distinct segments, allowing for small quick hits, so I think I’m going to post segment by segment, rather than by episode. So, here’s Bad Buddy, Ep 1, part 1/4. All of these will go under the "bad buddy episode reax" tag, because why break a perfectly good pattern. Expect haphazard updates.

Due diligence – I am current on this show, which means I’ve watched up through Ep 10/12, and there are going to be some spoilers for later episodes in this. If you don’t want to be spoiled, drive by, watch the show (GMMTV on Youtube), and come back later.

We OPEN on Engineering chasing down Wai. So, the establishing shot we get for the show is Wai running, then cut to a pack of Engineering guys after him, led by – I really want to emphasize this, because apparently Wai is going to be my new Jiang Cheng (although I’m not actually gonna start a “people who hate Wai are objectively wrong” tag … maybe) – Korn. So we’re literally seven-on-one. Engineering has split up, and they corner Wai in an alley, and then Korn proceeds to mock and toy with him like a cat with a mouse when Wai insists on a fair fight. Pat steps in to be the true Engineering heavy, and Korn “warns” Wai that Pat is a rage-monster who can’t stop himself when he’s angry. Pat is magnanimous enough (/sarcasm) to give Wai two minutes to call his friends and get them there for backup. Two minutes in, we’ve established our Tybalt, Mercutio, and Romeo in this scenario. Where’s Juliet?

Cut to OCD Pran laying out all his design pencils precisely and neatly, while listening to classical music on his earphones. (I know practically nothing about the genre, so if anyone recognizes this piece of music, I’d be interested in what it is.) So, two and a half minutes in, the show has already started giving us clues about Pat’s and Pran’s particular dysfunctions – Pat externalizes the bullshit he gets from his parents, turns it outward in aggression, picking fights, maybe to blow off steam. Meanwhile, Pran internalizes it – sure, he CAN fight, as we’ll see, to protect himself and by extension those he cares about. (Take note that he doesn’t really give a shit about Louis getting into a fight (AGAIN), but he immediately gets involved when he hears that it’s Wai, so there’s another little character relationship grace note we’re getting, about the friendship between Pran and Wai, and the depth/importance of it compared to even the Architecture secondary backup hobbits who form the rest of their core group.) However, what’s going to become increasingly obvious as the takeaway from these first scenes is Pran’s need for precision and control and how very much he hates not only his surroundings but himself being messy, lit. and fig. (Remember this, because love is messy. Lit. and fig.)

While I’m going to really, really resist making either Pran or Pat “the girl” in this relationship (Juliet symmetries notwithstanding), I do have some half-formed thoughts about ways in which their responses to their family trauma are somewhat typically gendered based on which parent is the driving force – Pran has been taught by his mother for his entire life that he has to protect himself from the threat next door, which is just waiting to victimize him – in this case it’s not sexual victimization, but it’s similar to the ways girls are taught not to walk alone at night, to always keep your keys between your fingers and to have the police emergency number dialed on your phone and ready to connect, not to ever ever take your eyes off your drink, and 1000 other little behaviors that are supposedly designed to help you protect yourself from (male) aggression but also, ultimately, end up curtailing your freedom, keeping you controlled and contained and neurotic, constantly thinking about and questioning your actions. Also, one of the ways Pran’s supposed to protect himself, I think, is to be so much better than Pat that no one could ever doubt Pran’s accomplishments or devalue them in favor of Pat’s accomplishments, which relates directly back to the inciting incident for the family rivalry, but also, again, has some possible gendered implications, much like the idea that a woman needs to be twice as good as a man to be recognized as accomplished. Meanwhile, Pat’s been taught that he has to ACHIEVE over the kid and family next door to prove his place at the top, that he needs to be the very best at everything in order to reach all the markers of success. This also is rooted in the inciting incident for the families’ drama, but it’s also pretty gendered on the side of the parent that the main impetus of dysfunction is coming from. This is what men do – they succeed, and they prove their accomplishment and dominance over others (which, huh, I think also may play into some of the gross vibes that I get off of Engineering’s displays of dominance over Wai when he’s at work in later eps). Also, men make their fathers proud. Anyway, I think it’s kind of significant that during these very early scenes - when Pat and Pran are voiceover-ing about how they’ve been raised to see each other, the other family, and the family rivalry - one of the little flashbacks we get is of Pat drumming and making noise in his room while Pran quietly partakes in his artistic pursuits at his desk next door, and when Pat’s noise disturbs Pran and they make faces at each other across the back alleyway, Pat closes his window to shut himself off from Pran, but Pran also closes his curtain, so that Pat can’t even see him, in kind of the same way that women on one hand are taught to keep themselves modestly covered to avoid the male gaze, but otoh also find themselves having to hide to avoid unwanted attention when men impose on them (as Pat’s noise has done to Pran, although tbqh, Pat isn’t really even that noisy, and it’s almost like his exuberance is what’s really pissing off Pran).

ANYWAY, cut back to the fight. Some Architecture tertiary hobbits, plus Louis, have already arrived as backup, and everyone is throwing hands, including Tybalt and Mercutio, I mean Wai and Korn, who are faced off with each other (setting a pattern that we’ll continue to see with these particular two as a flashpoint for the Arch-En altercations). Pat’s tossing around random multiple Architecture opponents until Wai manages to knock down Korn and keep him down, whereupon Wai throws himself at Pat and ends up getting his ass kicked for his trouble before Pran shows up and puts Pat on the ground. Pran does this, perhaps significantly, with a flying kick to the chest that leaves Pat curled up on the ground, gasping and clutching his heart. I'm just noting this. Also, once Pat stands back up and they stare each other down before engaging in fisticuffs, Pat looks kind of dumbstruck, while Pran just looks angry and kind of disbelieving, like “Are you STILL really making my life miserable, fr?” The harder they fall, man. ANYWAY. Cue VO backstory and flashbacks of chubby-cheeked Baby Pat and Baby Pran one-upping each other and fist-fighting throughout elementary school. In hindsight, Pat’s family does actually come off looking at least slightly worse in these flashbacks.

 - Pat tells us Pran’s family stole Pat’s family’s business idea, their employees, and their original customers before Pat’s dad’s “business connections” helped them stay afloat and get back to making a profit.

- Pran tells us Pat’s dad was a shitty businessman whose employees preferred to work for Pran’s dad, and who also relied on bid-rigging to stay afloat. Also Pran’s mom called Pat a “cheater,” so THAT’s going to be pretty important.

- We see scene cuts of Dads literally painting lines between the property to delineate where the trashcans can go, and listen, it looks like Pran’s dad starts this particular argument, but given the Ep 10 reveal, depending how much background he has on the inciting incident, I can see him being a Petty King about his family and their space and their property when it comes to this guy, who’ll apparently take what he wants by subterfuge.

- Also, Pat’s mom is kind of passive-aggressive during the blessing scenes – she’s the one who escalates each time - particularly for someone who (as we discover) knows her husband is in the wrong.

So, at this point, we’re literally only seven minutes into the first episode. We’re only getting ready to hit the opening credits. That’s a LOT of work the show already has done to set up everything that’s coming down the pike. When we come back from opening credits, the actual fisticuffs get stopped by Security and a professor, and everyone scatters. As they regroup in their separate corners, Pran wants to know what Wai has done “this time,” so apparently Wai’s kind of a trouble-maker. Wai tells us that he was at a bar the previous night, he and Engineering were cheering for different football teams, and he flipped them off. A flashback of this shows Pat being pretty hair-trigger about it and getting up in Wai’s face before Louis? maybe? one of the Arch secondary backup hobbits, anyway, apparently dragged Wai out of there and back to the dorm. There’s some talk about how even the Arch seniors don’t mess with rage-monster Pat, then Wai proceeds to be more of a trouble-maker and starts suggesting revenge. My dude, don’t escalate this. You’re gonna lose the moral high ground. They call Pran their “warrior” backup, but he wants nothing to do with this. Meanwhile, Korn wants to know who this mysterious warrior was and if Pat knows him, which Pat brushes off, and Engineering also starts talking about their own plans for revenge for the bruises Wai left on Korn’s pretty face. Also, somebody has posted video to the internet of Wai disrespecting them at the bar the night before, and a bunch of people keep liking the video, and THAT can’t be allowed to stand. Fucking boys, I tell you what. (Have you ever thought that maybe if you weren’t such douchebros, people wouldn’t be so excited to see you get flipped off?) Pat also initially wants nothing to do with this and still seems a little shook by Pran’s re-emergence, but once video hits the internet, he gets re-pissed off, tells his posse to record a video for HIM, and threatens to break all of Architecture’s fingers. OK, good to see you’re working on your anger issues there, my guy.

Cut to family dinners, where Pran’s dad is choosing a classical piece of music to accompany the meal and Pran is insisting dad use the correct utensil for his soup, meanwhile Pat is next door slurping his soup and grossing out his little sister, Pa, who is going to be a SHINING LIGHT of this show, even with the depth of their bench. Seriously, it would be easy for Pa to get lost in this whole narrative, but the actress is a fk’n DELIGHT and holds her own. Anyway, Pat’s dad is discouraging Pa from teaching Pat to have any table manners, because of course he is. Why would real men have manners? Pat’s hungry, and he’s a growing boy, so why shouldn’t he be as indulged as he wants to be. HOWEVER, Pat’s dad is also expecting Pat to bring home a rugby trophy, because apparently getting elected Engineering president when you’re a freshman isn’t enough. We also learn that Pa does Pat’s laundry for him (I wish y’all could see my FACE right now) but she refuses to start coming by and cleaning his dorm room. Back to Pran’s family dinner, and HIS dad is worried about Pran getting elected Architecture president and still having time for everything else he has to do, but pleaser Pran can’t let his friends who voted for him down, even though he’s worried about also getting his schoolwork done. All of this is generally played for laughs, but it starts laying down more layers of characterization that are going to feed into all of the family dysfunction. Significantly, when both families learn that there was a fight that involved Pat and Pran, Pran’s mom wants to know if Pat hurt Pran, tells him to stay away from Pat, and insists that Pran report it to the faculty if Pat pulls any shit, while Pat’s dad wants to make sure Pran didn’t kick Pat’s ass and encourages some ass-kicking on Pat’s part. Pran’s mom says she wouldn’t have brought him back if she knew the two would meet, and Pran's face does a Significant Thing, so we know that’s going to be hanging over all his interactions with Pat going forward.

After dinner, we cut to Pat and Pran running into each other at the trashcans, setting up more confrontation, and Part 1/4 is done.

Next time: Further trashcan confrontation.

[ourplacetobefree]

Now I see why Pran's mom has been the angrier parent of them all, to get screwed over like that and then have it rubbed in your face for years... I'd be livid too.

She hasn't handled it well, but I can see her perspective. She had to fight for what she has and prevent Pat's father from taking things from her ever again and teaching his son to do the same as he did to her own son.

Not justifying her methods but understanding the significance of what her stakes are in this unfortunate situation.

Also, Pat's father is so brazen with everything coming to light. I'll leave it at that and let someone else go into his character assessment cause I'm not touching that.

[i-got-the-feels]

I love this scene. Pran initially not saying anything - I don't think it was because he was afraid or he wouldn't be all flirty with him in architecture campus. I think he didn't say anything because he didn't think his mom would listen to him, not when Pat is involved, she didn't listen last time at school's Christmas concert, instead she sent him away and made him uproot his life.

So this time when she asks he tells her the truth, he tells her because he has no reason to hide. Because whatever happened between their parents is because of their choices and he nor Pat are responsible for that, and he knows that.

[i-got-the-feels]

No no, ma'am. We ain't entertaining this as a "reason" for one minute.

Because if Pat's dad truly felt guilty and wanted to go back and fix things, he wouldn't be putting the same pressure on Pat like his dad did (by shaming him for doing things he doesn't approve of - architecture play, by manipulating him to continue playing a sport he doesn't like even when his son expressed he may want to try something else and doesn't feel the same about rugby as before, or telling him he always has to win to make him proud and saying all these things knowing the value his words hold to Pat)

He wouldn't tell lies that ensures Pat hates Pran and their family.

That man did what he did knowing what he did. And if he felt even a bit guilty he would be saying SORRY to her instead of saying these things and making sorry excuses.

In conclusion, Pat's dad doesn't feel guilty. If he does, he needs to know how to show it.

[i-got-the-feels]

Pat only loosing his cool after Pat's dad or as I like to call Mr Asshole Napat pushed Pran.

That pause before he said "We are Boyfriends" for the first time with the look of anger, hurt and care.

Anger and hurt that Pat's dad would push Pran in spite of knowing he helped him and cared for Pran, as his dad had hinted when he demanded for truth even though he knew it but just wanted to hear from him.

Pat repeating "We are Boyfriends" again to his parents and looking his dad dead in the eye without fear and repeating his truth.Only breaking the eye contact after he leaves and instead of running home to calm things down, he goes to check on Pran instead.

What an amazing actor Ohm is.