I don't know if it's just me, but jun and po's chemistry is giving. they're giving us the not so typical romcom genre. the way jun look at him, tease him ; sure it's annoying but there's something between the two.
i love thamepo, don't get me wrong!
it's just that, i really love junpo dynamics too! 🤭💙
"junpo might not have stolen the heart of many coz jun is annoying, junpo capture what it is to be like watching a romance comedy series — they capture my heart."
let's talk about this scene, i didn't have much time to yap about this scene on X coz of characters limit but let me just continue here.
dylan, he may be far from the others from the beginning he managed to get close to them, he managed to find his home in them — the home he didn't have in his actual home.
him and thame celebrated the new year together, they both have family issues and the fact that dylan thought that thame betrayed him, his home betrayed him, he just can't take that. that's why he tried to find a new home, the underground pub. that space made him feel home again knowing thame betrayed him.
when he realized that thame didn't leave him behind, i cried especially when the four of them were talking,
good Lord, so many things are unfolding in this episode! it was quite an overwhelming watch for me, to be honest. i didn't expect the story to change its pacing for the first three parts of the episode. it was a pleasant, surprise! and I believe it was intentional because it had to do with dylan's 'fire'. it's so well done!
therefore, aside from addressing the symbolism of dylan's fire as the rage that affected the pacing of the early parts, I also want to delve into the relationship between thame and dylan and the physical distance (but growing emotional connection) between thame and po. additionally, I want to address the potential parallels between ep 4 jun/po and the possible ep of jun/po because something's going to happen and it won't be as pretty. also, other thoughts will come to mind as I'm writing this post xD
1. dylan as the fire; thame as his water — easily sparked, easily distinguished
dylan is such an interesting character to me because his rage is rooted in his feeling of betrayal for thame. i didn't see much dylan and thame in the official trailer, thus I was unsure how their story would unfold. but it's so crazy to me how thamepo is showing us these perspectives—like I mentioned in (all of) my posts—from every character, not just one. they serve as reliable narrators, providing insights into their emotional turmoil and the intentions behind their decisions.
it's a dylan-centred episode and i was honestly overwhelmed with how fast the first three parts of the story went. not putting it negatively, but i was used to the slow and languid pacing of the last three episodes, so this one felt like a hardcore punch in the face.
i wondered why it was constructed this way—because it wasn't rushed at all—it was just happening too quickly—like a spark of fire.
oh.
dylan is the fire.
that's why this episode felt like I was on fire while watching it. it burned and hurt and dissolved so quickly and I was shell-shocked at how well they incorporated this motif into the story, blending it with remnants of dylan's anger toward thame and the resolution of their conflict. it's so beautifully done. (I don't know, probably it's the lit side of me that regards this as something so groundbreaking because I don't really see that much infusion of symbolism/motifs in a story this seamlessly. I'm so proud. i adore p'mui and her team even more now T_T they know what they're doing really.)
however, i do feel like dylan's story could be explored just a little bit more. to me, jun's storyline was perfectly told, seasoned with the right amount of ingredients that made us resent, understand and root for him. yet, dylan's story feels more like on the surface level to me, even though his story has so many interesting points to talk about—social commentaries on idols vs artists, the industry's demands for in-trend music instead of authenticity, and the company's ability to stun an artist's growth.
i was hoping they would show snippets of dylan rapping to his songs or joining these underground rapping competitions and comparing his experiences doing these as a solo rapper and an idol rapper. i think these scenes could contribute to a better understanding of the origin of dylan's passion for rapping and producing, as well as unveiling the 'undiscovered' sides of idols/idol rappers in the underground scene—also the spark of betrayal that began because of his crushed dreams and witnessing his best friend 'ruining' everything they built together.
it's just me... but i really wanted dylan's story to be stretched just a bit more because it's not strongly tied to thame the way jun's story did. but I still respect p'mui's decision to tell dylan's story in this manner.
i love thame's persistence in wanting to bring dylan back first before nano because dylan is indeed very important to the group.
i think these two are the producers in the group (along with pepper), but they shared a deeper bond because dylan was difficult to approach, but thame befriended him anyway. (why are they reminding me of namjoon and yoongi T_T)
i love this found-family trope in thamepo, and every time they showed us how thame found the members—found the real them—my heart swelled.
and thame saw dylan's potential. he saw how enthusiastic dylan was in writing and producing. he saw dylan as an artist—an art—that should be appreciated. and it's so beautiful. :(
as mentioned before, the members loved thame as much as thame loved them. it's so obvious. the reason behind the drift between them was miscommunication, wrong/rushed decisions and the company's intervention and ability to twist the narrative to their liking. perhaps, all of these could be solved if thame and the members talked it down, but it's easier said than done. so I understand why the strain in the group happened/appeared. it's not easy to let down our egos, but I'm thankful that (with the help of po) thame could finally breach the line between him and the members, hence reviving the group before they crumbled.
moreover, i love how thame effortlessly switches his elements to suit the members' elements. jun was like the wind to me, and thame became the earth that kept him from flying away. dylan was fire, and thame became the water that distinguished his fire with sincerity and another promise that wouldn't be broken. (i have a feeling nano is the water, and thame might be the fire that boils his love and passion to be in the group again, to work together and reach for their dreams—as promised.)
2. physical distance, emotional connection- it makes thamepo's heart grow fonder
ok... so... the thing that's going on between thame and po is CRAZY.
again, i'm so surprised that the scene happened so early into the episode. i thought it would be around the middle (because from my observation, the intimacy of thame and po's exchange would only escalate towards the middle or end of an episode). but they were hitting us as hard as this in the first part and I was honestly struggling to breathe.
i LOVE these shots. it's so intimately captured. po was looking at thame from the spaces, and thame's focus was instantly on po once he saw him in the storage room.
there was a respectable distance between them (probably because of jun's presence in the room). i think it sets a foreground for us in future episodes, especially after they're already in a relationship: in the eyes of the public, there should be this distance—this five-metre distance—so that they could be accepted—so that they could exist without hurting each other.
and when p'mick came, they were 'forced' to hide and huddle so close to each other. this was when everything was unveiled, the rapid beating of their hearts, the golden light raining against their bodies, the yearning stares, the confusion, the hesitance, the answer, the need.
i personally love the idea that thame and po were in the moment, but the world was still revolving around them. p'mick and jun were still talking in the background, but thame and po were spiralling in this juncture of intimacy, of connection, of understanding their feelings and making no sense of everything they were experiencing—the oh moment.
because i think scenes like these are often a form of hyperbole: time stops when I look at him/her. the construction of similar scenes would often go the route of slow-mo or focus shots to emphasise the weight/message of the scene. to me, it's always overly done (and I find it a bit cliche... I'm sorry for saying this T_T). but this scene doesn't feel cringy to me. it's really subtle and sweet and purposeful.
but their moment ended too quickly.
again, the fire symbolism not only reflected thame/dylan's dynamic in this episode but also thame/po. (and I find this so CRAZILY WELL DONE!!!)
however, something about fire with po... i don't think they go well together because...
i think, po was all elements for earn's fire. earn wanted to build a career. he wanted to be successful. he was a blazing fire. and po changed himself according to everything earn needed, complimenting earn when he was indeed of something.
but this fire left him. this fire betrayed him. this fire destroyed him.
thame is all elements for MARS, too.
but when it's po and thame, who are they and what they'll become?
throughout the episode, we didn't get much of thamepo, not until the conflict between thame and dylan was resolved.
in my opinion, po is really the best partner for thame (and honestly, everyone) because of his diligence, patience, kindness and warmth. he's willing to search for the lyrics, going through boxes, and piecing the shredded lyrics together just to give it to thame—just to help him reach his goals.
he did all that to earn, too.
the shot above broke my heart because po felt the physical distance between them. he was already thinking about the conversation he shared with jun. he was already doubting himself. he was already self-destructing.
when he saw thame and dylan on stage, smiling, he was happy. he was glad and relieved that thame was okay and he achieved his goal of reuniting with his teammates. however, at this point, po might have thought that, oh, I was used again.
but we know it was never thame's intention to make po feel so helpless and worthless. thame knew what po's ex did to him. the emotional trauma/distress po's experienced couldn't easily be discarded. we can see some moments where po just stared into space. his anxiousness of always checking on his messages. po overthinks everything, already making scenarios in his head of the worst-case what-ifs.
earn took so much of po that po was still trying to find himself again—still wishing that the world would treat him better.
without po realising it, he was already emotionally depending on thame. because thame saw him. thame appreciated him. thame made him feel like he was po again, not earn's shadow, not a nobody.
but thame didn't reply to his message. thame didn't come to him afterwards. so po thought it was just in his head. it was impossible for thame to see him. everything thame said to po was—perhaps—only because of the spark of the moment.
but i'm thankful that thame called po before he could destroy the last ray of hope in him.
the conversations they shared were so heartfelt. even though they didn't meet the whole day, thame knew everything po was experiencing. he knew po was overthinking. and that, to me, is a sign of devotion. and it made me realise that thame and po were emotionally closer, emotionally connected, closer than their bodies could ever be.
thame apologised. he helped po regain his self-worth. he assured po that he would always be here. he would always feel for po. he would always care for po.
and po learned a lot about thame—he was closer to his dogs than his parents. he loves reading. he loves writing his thoughts down. everything so small and insignificant to others, but meant the whole universe for po.
and they became each other's safe zones.
i'm so sorry, but i relate to po in so many ways. i see myself in him the most (throughout all of my years of watching dramas). so I might be biased and root for him the most... and when he feels the most pain, I feel it too :( and when he's so happy talking to thame, I was over the moon. //i'm happy for thame, too. finally, he could give his neverending love to someone who needs that genuine devotion. thank you, thame :((//
and they were on call for nine hours??? and thame waited for po to wake up so that he could serenade his soon-to-be lover with his favourite song??? romance is restored! the slow burn is slow burning!
//this scene is too sweet that ants are starting to swarm the screen...//
3. potential parallels (aka upcoming heartbreaks) and nano/pepper's story arc
ok, so this is something that i couldn't stop thinking about after I watched the episode.
jun saw po. he saw right through po the way he saw straight through thame.
he knew po liked thame. i think he had an inkling that thame liked po too.
however, everything he said to po here was hurtful.
it reminded me of his story arc in ep 3. he was bad-mouthing thame, but it was for thame's benefit—it was his way of showing he cared.
i would like to indulge in the idea that jun cared about po too because he was the only one who knew thame's true intention behind everything he did, and who was helping (or enabling) it in the first place. he knew po was special to thame. but...
the nature of being an idol, i think jun knew it too well. he didn't want either thame or po to suffer in the future. because it'll be difficult to navigate their feelings, to hide their relationship, to behave like they don't mean anything when they're in public. i guess, jun was giving po a head's up, telling po that he wasn't thame's type, crushing po's fantasy of having something different with thame—not in a condescending manner—but rather i don't want you to fall too deeply. there's still a chance for you to move on from this.
but of course, they end up falling.
and this is the price they shall pay.
nano's storyline will be interesting because he's the youngest in the group—the maknae. usually, from my observation, the maknaes love their big brothers/sisters the most. they want nothing but the best for them. and they're willing to sacrifice themselves for them. they felt the most pain when their brothers/sisters experienced anything difficult, and vice versa. (I'm sorry if it's wrong... but this is what I gathered as a k-pop fan for more than ten years hehe...)
it's heartbreaking to see nano behaving this way. i think he was certain that the members didn't need him anymore. MARS was better as a four-membered group. he wasn't important to them how they were important to him.
but... we know that's not the case.
i'm so excited to see how nano found love and purpose in thame. we saw how important thame was to jun and dylan, so seeing it from nano's perspective will definitely serve as a treat (and more pain).
and pepper's story arc... oh God. i have a feeling he's the easiest to return to the group because he holds no grudges. he understands thame and sees the decisions he made were for the group. he's the mediator and also the connector of the group, and potentially thame's relationship advisor.
however... i think pepper's story arc will be the turning point in this story, the conflict, a reflection of thamepo's relationship in the future.
in the trailer, they held a press con and pepper was sitting in the middle. i think he would be involved in a gossip that might affect the group's reputation. but at that point, they'd already reunited, so all members were present to support him. AND ALSO, it was when thame kissed po in the storage room (?) so yes... so excited to see how pepper's story will unfold.
ok, before i end this post, i also want to add...
i think khun pemika knows that thame (and MARS/po) are plotting something behind her back because it's impossible for a company's CEO not to know what her artists are doing? she has many observers... it's not possible for another betrayal arc initiated from the people closest to MARS/po in the upcoming episodes...
The scene that made my heart skip more than a beat (ThamePo Episode 4).
It's Po holding his breath when Thame turns and looks directly into his eyes. It's Thame gulping when he realises the compromising position they are in.
It's Thame blinking, swallowing and softly parting his lips while he is gazing at Po.
This, THIS is heartstopping and so real of them: both trying to look everywhere but to one another, realising the awkwardness of their position, but feeling overwhelmed, embarrased and flustered all over. Thame gulps again...
... and Po does it too right after him. Po looks at Thame...
... just when Thame locks his eyes with Po's. Thame's self-control cracks and he allows himself to look at Po unabashedly, his budding feelings written all over his face.
And Po realises, because he feels the same attraction too. Po gulps and Thame breaks the eye contact, crushing Po's feelings.
What really makes my heart skip a beat in this scene is the fact that Thame has been looking at Po all this time with different feelings:
with curiosity first,
mistrust later,
admiration,
and fondness,
but here, in this moment, it's the first time he looks at Po the same way Po looks at him: as a crush, not as a stranger, an enemy, a colleague or a potential friend. Thame has been looking at Po in many ways, but Po has always looked a Thame as a potential lover. For the first time in the show, they are looking at one another romantically, both their hearts skipping beats for one another.
All Po has ever wanted is to be appreciated. He has never expected anyone to bring stars and moon for him. He had no issues giving all that he possibly could to someone he loved because he wanted to see them succeed. He was okay with being the shadow. He has never expected anything in return.
But then comes a boy who makes sure that Po is heard. Someone who runs across the town to memorise his phone number. Someone who ignores Po's message for literally 10 hours and is ready to grovel at his feet to make sure that he understands that he is important for him.
Someone who does not make the excuse of being busy (which he clearly was) and vows to never repeat that mistake. Someone who does not see him as an outsider and readily and eagerly welcomes him into his world.
So, that thank you is not just for the phonecall. It's for everything Thame has been doing. And also, of course Po would fall in love. I mean, how could he not?
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