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thewayuarent · 6 months

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Sorry to bother you but I’m so confused about the idea that SandRay should separate because “Sand deserves better”. I don’t know what to think about it, cause I kind of felt the same way a lot and I know that Ray is complicated and struggling and I want Sand be there for him but I’m not so sure what Sand gets from this relationship. I don’t want to sound like people who say that Ray doesn’t deserve love, because he does. But at the same time, Sand deserves it too and I don’t know, it just bothers me a lot

Or, never be sorry to bother me! I’m not bothered at all, I love to talk about this show, and thank you for bringing this topic, cause god I do have some things to say.

First of all, it’s totally fine and valid to have a complex mix of feelings towards Sand and Ray situation - or any situation in this show. They are complicated people with complicated relationships that started as deeply toxic and sometimes you can feel contradictory emotions at the same time - this happens. It’s also fine that SandRay dynamic is not for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that. Every perspective is valid.

But. The whole “Sand deserves better” narrative drives me nuts. I made a post about it already but I have things to add.

The idea that person deserves better than their current relationship is valid in a lot of different situations: when it’s about abuse, or when it’s about people who stay in toxic relationships because they believe it’s the only thing that serves them right. It’s about people who need support and help to find their own validation. It’s about people who were tricked into believing their person is good for them only to find out they are in a toxic relationship when it’s too late for them to easily move on, etc.

Nothing from that is about Sand. Since the very beginning - the bar fight, bringing drunk unconscious Ray to his home, being accused on assault and robbery, being paid for his company and engaging in sex without obligations mess - Sand always knew who Ray is. And Sand is self aware (I would argue the most self aware of all of them speaking about feelings part) and self confident person, who, despite of what a lot of people believe, has enough level of self respect. Again, he’s very much aware

Sand is not a victim of Ray. He just loves him, easy as that. And he doesn’t need to be saved. Sand is a grown man who understands clearly what he got himself into. This is his choice. It’s not for everyone, I get it, but it’s not about Sand being stupid or delusional. It’s about him choosing this complicated deeply damaged man to love. He’s fine.

What Sand gets from this relationship? A lot of things, I think. He gets an attractive partner and - I would assume - great sex, he gets interesting conversations, he gets someone who needs him - and I believe Sand has a deep need to be needed. He gets someone who pays attention to him, who wants him, who is totally a bit crazy about him. Sand gets someone who he can care about - and for caretakers like Sand this means a lot. He gets someone who takes his care and thankful for that.

Important topic that frequently is overlooked: he gets the person who is not driven away by his sarcasm and emotional unavailability. Sand has a lot of great qualities, but he has a clear problem with showing or telling his true feelings and emotions. And for a lot of people that may be an obstacle. Not for Ray.

Sand gets a lot of toxic shit from this relationship, but he gets a lot of positive things that for him personally are worth it - because no one said that Sand is perfectly normal, you know?

But what’s also important to remember, that love is not transactional. You don’t love someone just because they do everything for you to love them. Love is a complicated thing and for every person it’s very unique experience and very unique reasoning. Sand doesn’t need a numbered list of reasons to love Ray. And this works for both of them, by the way. Yo is very right saying “Good can’t buy love”. If it was that easy the world would be a different place. If it was that easy, Ray wouldn’t be able to move on from Mew just because Sand is good for him (tho it definitely helped).

And another thing I want to add. You know who will be the first person to tell that Sand deserves better? This guy

Ray is simultaneously very selfish and very self hatred person. He wants Sand and he makes everything to keep Sand, but at the same time he has no fucking idea of why Sand is still here. There is the reason (beside the fact that he was raised in money buys all mentality he’s totally adapted) why he believed so easily that it was all about money - because for him it is the only logical explanation. He believes he’s not worth love just because, and he genuinely doesn’t understand what he can give to Sand. His body? His questionable personality? His small awkward attempts to show care he started to make in episode 10? And now - his attempt to get better? Which is huge, huge thing, by the way. For some people that’s not enough. But for Sand it is.

Like it or not, but Sand doesn’t “deserve better”. He deserves exactly what he wants. And what he wants is Ray. Simple as that.

#ofts #only friends the series #only friends #only friends meta #sandray #asked and answered #I’m starting to sound like a parrot I’m so sorry #hope it helped but idk #and yes he deserves better treatment as every person does #but ray is working on that. he’s trying #they had a lot of good moments before #and I believe they’ll get even better through times

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bird-inacage · 7 months

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Only Friends: Episode 8 Preview (Ray & Mew's Villain Uprising?)

So I think we can all safely say that last week was Mew's villain origin story and he makes it pretty crystal clear this episode that he intends to embrace this new era.

Now I've also heard (as may some of you) in interviews with the cast that Ray is supposedly the worst. That's quite the claim based on what has happened thus far. But I did get a sense of foreboding at the end of this episode, along with next week's preview that this may be where Ray's character begins to cause some fallout.

I guess Boston and Top have 'had their turn' being the leading villains, and now it's time for those roles to shift.

Ray's 'Bad Influence' & Mew's Enabling

Top comments on the fact that Mew is allowing Ray's bad habits to lead him astray. This isn't really surprising as Mew is hell bent on a self-destructive rebrand at the moment. Due to the betrayal of both his friend and boyfriend, he's sick of being the innocent, pure, and sensible one. It's his 'virginity' that he believes made him the target of this sick joke. So now he's taking a page from Ray's book and embracing his wild child.

The problem is Mew used to be the defacto caretaker for Ray in their group, (and was doing a half-committal job but at least someone was). Now that we have Mew going off the rails too, Ray is far from the right person to keep Mew in check (as well as himself). One, because he's worse at controlling himself, and second, he's willing to do anything that he thinks will make Mew happy. Ray just doesn't have it in him to do what's right or best for Mew if that requires being a voice of tough love.

So now these two are seemingly dating, they're going to exacerbate each other's worst qualities. This is why some couplings just don't work. Friendship fine, but romantically this sounds like a mess.

Ray's Desire for Ownership

Ray finally has what he wants - something he's wanted for so long, and it seems to have all gone to his head. The thrill of it.

After witnessing Ray and Mew getting very close and personal at the end of Episode 7, Sand is understandably tired of being 'used'. He made it very clear previously that he wants Ray to consider his feelings by not treating him as expendable and throwing him aside whenever a shinier toy takes his fancy.

So at the beginning of the preview, Sand behaves coldly towards Ray, perhaps in an attempt to start establishing distance. 'This is the end of whatever 'will-we-won't-we' nonsense we were skirting around with. You're now taken. There's no need for us to continue as we were'.

But lo and behold, when Sand tries to hook up with someone else, Ray's not having it. This is just a tame version of Ray's jealousy response. Even though Ray doesn't want Sand right now, he doesn't want anyone else to have him either. Which is ridiculously selfish and unreasonable.

This is why I'm even more keen on the idea of Sand's ex returning now. Ray needs a very healthy dose of reality when it comes to taking Sand for granted. He's not going to realise that until it comes into serious threat. The following line from this episode alluded that for me. Ray's going to regret this later on.

#only friends #only friends the series #ofts #ray x sand #sand x ray #raysan #sanray #raymew #mewray #khaofirst #firstkhao #first kanaphan #khaotung thanawat #book kasidet #who knew ray + mew = unchecked car crash?#i love ray but i need him to feel desperately awful for hurting sand #it's been one too many times sweetheart #sand deserves better

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respectthepetty · 7 months

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Does it make you sad knowing that Sand had no friends as a child, so when he noticed Ray needed a friend, he really tried to be that for him just for Ray to treat him like an object?

Thank God for good friends.

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the-random-phan · 28 days

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Shi Qingxuan~ <3

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justshahrukhkhan · 2 months

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Shakti: The Power, 2002

Producer: What this movie needs is a dance number with Shahrukh Khan in a mesh t-shirt!

Director: There isn't any reason for a dance number in the plot.

Producer: Make it a dream sequence! Get me Aishwarya Rai!

#shah rukh khan #shakti: the power #shahrukh khan #his character deserved a better end #he kinda saved the day #aishwarya rai #bollywood #srk #indian movies

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phoebeejeebies · 6 days

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I’m gonna be strange in ur askbox …

Pheobe and Melody thoughts!! uh mm m

pheobe knows that she’ll never see Melody again. At least not for a while.

But she’ll talk to her. Even if she can’t hear her.

“Uh.. if you can hear me in the fabric of the universe, I miss you.”

And she’ll ramble on and on about what’s going on in her life. Maybe she’ll cry a little. Maybe she’ll cry a LOT.

can melody hear her from the other side? Maybe . Pheobe hopes she can.

Melody can hear her and listens to every word. Melody memorizes all of what Pheobe says. Melody will memorize what Pheobe says beat for beat and play the melody (get it?) in her head over and over again when she misses that damn ghostbuster.

Melody wishes she stayed, sometimes.

Melody wishes she didn’t let go, sometimes.

It gnaws at her spirit - it gnaws at the peace she feels in passing on.

But Pheobe is reminded of Melody’s weaving into the fabric of the universe when it’s the perfect temperature outside, when she gets a rush of adrenaline, when nights are quiet and she can work in peace.

Melody sprinkles little things into the world, just for her Pheobe.

The stars shine a little brighter and maybe for a little bit , Pheobe feels whole again.

you make me sick. thank you for sharing. im ill. (all /pos) UUGHAAHNFGG you GET IT. PHOEBE AND MELODY are THEEEE doomed yuri. the way that this relationship will irreparably affect her for the rest of her life. moving on is hard enough, but knowing that you were in love with a GHOST GIRL and you see her in EVERYTHING you do. phoebe takes doomed yuri and ramps it up a little 😭😭😭

i read something that was similar recently. i forgot where. but phoebe would talk about her feelings when she things no one is listening but secretly hope melody is listening. it helps her move on, even if she knows logically melody is gone. but is she really? she's in everything. she was everything. tells her about her day, about her family. how things get better, get easier, get worse sometimes. healing has never been a linear process after all :')

and then on the other side, melody :''') manifesting good things for phoebe. partially because of the tiny tugging guilt melody has for her lack of honesty - because phoebe had grown on her. she goes out of her way to just make the world a little bit lighter, a little bit kinder, more beautiful. phoebe grows a fondness for the moon, for the stars in the sky. for the warm evenings and cloudy mornings, for the busy-ness of new york city.

phoebe makes an effort to go to melody's diner routinely. she becomes a regular. she just misses her. so much.

(i accidentally KEPT rambling in the tags. i didnt mean to T_T)

#and i dont blame her #some of my most soulcrushing relationships happened when i was 15-16 and even as an adult i carry that with me now #it gets easier because you learn to move on #but she's not quite there yet #she's still learning to love and learn how to be alive #melody helps her learn to feel alive again #honestly phoebe probably falls into a state of depression after frozen empire #the guilt from her feelings overcoming her rational and accidentally almost causing the end of the world #and then knowing she's been used by a girl she Really Liked #and then feeling surrounded by this girl. all the time. im sure sometimes she doesnt even feel like she deserves to be a ghostbuster #her family help #podcast helps #but i think ray helps the most and tells her about stories the ghostbusters used to do #and she learns about her grandpa who also did silly things sometimes #and she will be okay :') she will learn #things will get easier - better even #phoebe and melody #ghostbusters #ghostbusting #ghostbusters frozen empire #phoebe spengler #melody ghostbusters #mangobango #checkmatch #phelody

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huachengeye · 7 months

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Only Friends Episode 8: And they were all messy

Hello there! Episode 8 has been out for some days now, but after watching a reaction os YT and scrolling through the comments, I wrote this piece to add my two cents to the whole Mew victimization and Ray the supreme asshole (I don't actually think he is tho).

For organization and better reading comprehension, I'm going to separate this into sections, starting off with Mew going wild, then Ray, the fandom's favorite broken boy, and ending up with little about the relationship of the friend group.

Mew, one of the nasties.

First off, I'm a Mew apologist. He is, in fact, my favorite character as of now, but I'm down to criticize the hell out of him, because loving is caring <3

I want to start with the whole discourse around his and Ray's relationship. The fandom seems to be separated into 3 categories (and yes, I'm generalizing a lot for the purpose of making my point): Mew apologists, Ray apologists, and everyone else who thinks they are as messy as everyone else without needing to explain their behavior.

In contradiction with my very first sentence, I belong to the third category in the sense I think they all do bad things to one another. Starting with Mew, we already know that he puts himself on a pedestal compared to his fucked-up friends, but my boy was kicked out of his high horse and now is like us, failed humans. One of the discourses I've been seeing, and that some characters in the series agree with (Cheum and Top), is that Mew is being dragged down by Ray. I completely disagree. Mew is an adult, and although he is experiencing heartbreak for the first time, the way he is acting is very realistic. Mew's first honest conversation with Top was about how he is afraid of getting his heart broken. He confided that to Top, about how he lives through his books because of his fears of getting hurt. And it happened exactly as he feared. It would be weird if he just behaved normally after finding out his boyfriend cheated on him with his friend. So his way of hurting is not hurting at all, is numbing his pain and he does it in the same way as Ray because that's the way he thinks it works.

As the theories go for this BL, I've seen a lot of people saying that it is Mew that it's enabling Ray's substance abuse. Honestly, in my opinion, they are using each other. Mew made it clear that he doesn't love Ray romantically, he said it himself in this episode, Ray is the one he should love. I genuinely don't think Mew is using Ray with the idea of making Ray drown more in his addiction, I think the reason Mew is clinging to Ray right now is the same reason Ray clings to him: they were there when the other was going through his worst time. They are like lifesavers to each other. In this sense, they are mutually using one another, the difference is that Ray is also clinging to the idea that he is in love with Mew, when it's already clear to us, the viewers, that this boat has sailed. If Ray was certain that he wanted a future with Mew, and Mew only, he would've let Sand go. Because Ray didn't go after Sand only when he was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, he also went when he was sober, actively trying to keep Sand in his life, even if their relationship was never a friendship, and was always sexual/romantic (for Sand, at least).

Still analyzing Mew, I saw this brilliant post by @wen-kexing-apologist (this post right here, highly recommend for you to check it out) where they analyze Mew, and his personality (or lack of, for that matter). As soon as Mew told Top that he decorated his place with ideas from Pinterest I felt bothered, especially with his whole introduction in the first episode, about how he is the table keeper (I honestly don't remember how he worded it). I felt bothered but I couldn't quite say why, so when I read Wen Kexing Apologist's analysis, it all made sense.

Lao Wen's (I'm sorry for the use of the cannon nickname of wkx, saying the whole username is a task lmao) thesis is that Mew has no idea who he is, and I completely agree with them. The thing that was Mew's whole personality is that he was a virgin, which was the thing that most set him apart from his friends. Yes, he is also a bookworm and a smart person, but these were secondary things when it came to who he was. Mew was the "pure" one of the group, the one that was waiting for the right person, for the person that was worthy of his virginity (just typing this makes me want to wither away). After Top, he is no longer a virgin, he is no longer that different from his friends. So once he found out about Top cheating on him, he had lost more than his virginity, he had lost his own ideals, because he wanted his first time to be with someone worthy, as I said, and well, Top wasn't worthy, but Mew didn't know that at the time.

Now, Mew doesn't have the one aspect of him that defined him, so he is utterly lost and is now mimicking the one person that offers him some type of stability, one person that he knows truly cares for him, Ray. I really don't know how Mew will react if he knows that Ray kissed Sand at the party, I don't if he won't care because he isn't in love with Ray or if that will only make him go down to the worst path. I think he will get mad if he finds out, especially because it's Ray, his best friend, the one who was there for him when Top cheated on him. Oh, the drama it's gonna be.

Now for Ray. I'm gonna be straight with y'all and say that Ray is the character I dislike the most in this BL, but also the one that I pity the most.

From the get-go, I knew Ray wasn't better than Boston or Top, but after this episode, I can't understand why people still treat him as the victim. He keeps on stringing Sand around as if he is his personal doll, even after Sand makes it clear that he doesn't want to be Ray's second option, that he wants Ray to let him go. Ray does not let him go, and more than that, he clings to Sand as a spoiled child clings to his favorite toy, not out of love, out of possessiveness. I don't really see Ray and Sand's relationship as one of love, Sand is basically Ray's parent, and for Ray, Sand is a thing he can own, just like he can own anything else with his money. For this topic, I recommend this post by @wen-kexing-apologist (yes, I might be a little obsessed with their analysis, sue me) and this post by @emotionallychargedtowel.

I saw some people saying that Ray doesn't know he is addicted, and that his substance abuse doesn't excuse his behavior but certainly explains it, I disagree. I think that Ray knows that his actions hurt others around him, and he knows because his friends and Sand already told him when he was sober. Sand said more than one time that he should drive whilst drunk because he could hurt someone. Sand in the hospital made it clear that he should take accountability for his actions. Mew keeps on chewing him about his drinking behavior (even if he doesn't in a very judgmental way). So he knows, he might not be able to control himself when he is drunk, but he never takes accountability afterward, not really. Even after his accident, what was his punishment? Community service, and even when it comes to that he tried to make Sand help him.

As for the idea that he doesn't know he is addicted, I think he does. I think he does, but he doesn't want to acknowledge it. If I remember correctly (and I might not, please correct me if I'm tripping), when Ray and Mew kissed back when they didn't know Sand or Top, Ray says to Mew that if he hadn't found Ray in the bathtub, he would've joined his mother. At the time, I hadn't watched the flashback of his mother on the floor, but I got the impression that he meant that not because he would die like his mother, but because he would've joined his mother in the same way that she went. Now, I think that scene was Ray's way of acknowledging for a brief moment that he is going down the same path as his mother. Again, I might be way off here.

So my point is, I'm a bit tired of people trying to blame Ray's trauma for all of his actions. Of course, his traumas and mental issues are a big part of it, but he still chooses to hurt others, even when sober. Trauma doesn't mean you can treat others like shit. And as someone who grew close to a person that dealt with alcohol abuse and turned a jerk because of it, it's fucking tiring and emotionally consuming to have someone berating you. It doesn't matter at the moment that they are out of their minds, because in the end, you are hurting.

THEY ARE FRIENDS, BUT ARE THEY REALLY?

Now onto the Fantastic Four. After this episode, I saw some people talking about Cheum never actually caring for Ray or that neither of the friends did. I saw someone talking about how Cheum shouldn't have said that (her whole monologue) whilst Ray was being held down by a cop. I agree with all of it, except maybe for the part that his friends don't care. I think Mew does care, although he certainly doesn't look like he does now. But we need to remember that he was there for Ray when he tried to take his own life. And I believe that there are still things we didn't see from them because they are best friends. Before Top, before Nick, before Sand, the one that Ray could lean on was Mew and from the way Ray behaves around him, it seems as if Mew wasn't the worst friend around.

As for Boston and Cheum, it is VERY clear that the one person who keeps these 3 people (Boston-Cheum-Ray) as friends is Mew, he is the glue of the friendship. Things are starting to look bad for their friendship now that Mew is acting out, because even when Boston did what he did, Cheum-Ray-Mew were still together. We also have to take into consideration that maybe Cheum and Boston don't know the scope of Ray's problems, maybe they don't know that Ray tried to kill himself, because from what we saw that was something that only Mew knew. Cheum clearly knows that Ray still suffers from his mother's death, and that's why she walked away when he said that his mother is dead, but we don't know if they actually know why Ray behaves in such a way.

Let's look at the situation from Cheum's POV for a minute. She is watching her friend, Mew, acting the same way as Ray, when Mew used to be the one to try and make Ray stop. She sees that both of them are making decisions about the hostel that the FOUR of them worked on, without her (or Boston). She knows that Ray did the whole hostel thing because of Mew. She is feeling left out as if no one cares for her like Ray was feeling before he started going out with Sand. When it comes to their friendship and this scene of Cheum's explosion, we need to remember Ray did a similar thing to her on Mew's birthday. He told everyone about her private business, and for her, it doesn't matter that he was drunk, because it hurt her and could've possibly ruined her relationship (ofc if it did the blame wouldn't be on Ray, because he didn't lie about the things she said about her girlfriend). And as she was talking, she mentioned that she and Boston were always the third wheel, which makes me think about all the times Boston talked to Ray about how he needed to stop his bullshit and be real about how much he wanted Mew to stay away from Top - and he was so right about that, because what was the thing Ray did when Mew was heartbroken? He asked Mew for a chance.

For my last point, I just want people to try and be in the friend's place for a second. In everyone's place actually (except for Ray's). Would you be a pantheon of peace and calm when your friend keeps on doing things that hurt you? The series did a great job at showing how Ray's traumas hurt him, but it also did a great job at showing how Ray's substance abuse hurts everyone around him.

As I said, when you are close to someone who has an addiction, you want to help them because you know that it's hard, but at some point, you get tired because, in the end, you are putting your own mental and emotional health in line for someone else. Most of the time, the person doesn't accept your help. It's not that they don't know they are addicted (sometimes that's the case tho, not trying to generalize, but I'm using my personal example and Ray for this), is that they don't want to assume it, they honestly want to believe they are in control.

Ray doesn't have the best support friendship, but in the end, not a single one of his friends is well enough to help him out, not even Sand. Not one of them has the capacity to help him, so I think it's unfair to place them as awful friends for not helping Ray out every time. Again, you can't help someone who does not accept help, but that also doesn't mean that they should just leave him to go crazy and drink like a madman, snort like his nose is made of steel. That's not it. But I think we should stop minimizing his acts just because of his mental issues and substance abuse. As someone who has mental issues in a way that I had similar thoughts to Ray, it does not mean that I'm allowed to treat others badly because of it. And I know people ain't trying to place Ray (only) as a victim, but I feel like the bar is raised high for everyone that isn't Ray, just because of his traumas and addiction -- let me also remind some of yall, that Top snorts too, he looks like he may have or may have had an addiction to his sleeping pills, his house caught fire and his parents weren't there to help him because his parents don't give a shit about him. From what we know the thing that sets him apart from Ray is that his mother didn't die in a very traumatic way, but still, I don't see anyone trying to justify his wrongings by using his traumas (as it should be).

This whole essay is just to say that no one is fully right here. We have people messing up and people trying to better themselves. Right now, Mew and Ray are messing up, but I'm sure at some point they will get better, and hopefully Ray will get the help that he needs because now he is looking for the help that he wants (aka Sand and Mew).

#only friends #only friends the series #ofts analysis #ofts #only friends spoilers #only friends analysis #only friends ray #only friends mew #gmmtv bl #yeah khao's eyes are a sea of happiness #but khao isn't ray and ray isn't khao #time to separate the 2 #sand deserves better #ray deserves help #the help that he needs not the help he wants

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wordsarelife · 7 months

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i wanna act in a movie where i die a horrible death at the end and the whole fandom loves me so much they keep posting about how unfair it was for my character to die before they got what they wanted

#actually ray in princess and the frog #is this relatable or is my mental illness speaking?#lowkey want to be loved badly #lowkey want to be mourned ??#dead poets society #regulus deserved better #regulusblack #james potter #lily potter #—(lizzy wants to let u know)*~

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fanfictionroxs · 7 months

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In today's episode of 'expressions that make you want to commit mass murder'

Gets my pitchfork ready to hunt down Ray 🔫

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hay1ock · 7 months

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Happy fucking birthday, indeed. Only Friends Episode 6 was absolutely insane. And I loved it.

So, what did we learn from this episode? That’s right, don’t get LASIK.

Like, if Mew hadn’t agreed, Top wouldn’t have bumped into Sand, wouldn’t have pissed off Sand, who then wouldn’t have… etc etc.

But lucky for us they did, because this episode was hella entertaining.

What follows is nonsense, my descent into insanity as I ramble myself in circles, go off at many a tangent and fail to keep my thoughts in any sort of order 😵‍💫

So, Top and Mew. Just when I actually started to like them as a couple shit hits the fan. Them by the pool just hanging around discussing Mew’s mums was the first time I felt as if I could get on board their relationship. I mentioned before how their scenes always left me feeling anxious. There was always this push and pull, a sense of doom, and, I don’t know if sleazy is the right word, maybe, I don’t know, but they left me feeling a little bit icky - I think it was the giving up drugs for sexual favours scene that really got me.

The main problem with the relationship for me has always been Top, and to be honest, his interactions with others this episode still left me uneasy and ready to jump back off the TopMew ship. The way he acts makes me feel like he’s treating Mew like a possession, I talked about it in previous episodes but I felt it again here, both in his conversation with Sand and then during Ray’s confrontation and how he wrapped his arm around Mew as if in ownership, that he’d ‘won’ a prize. He certainly plays up to what you’d think a rich hotel owner’s asshole son should be at times.

Now I can’t decide if Mew is just as bad in terms of being control driven - he has his list, which I don’t think there’s anything wrong with. I mean a non-drug user would probably rank kinda high on my list too. Top is definitely changing himself but it feels like there’s always something Top gets out of it. Giving up drugs = sexual activity, No sleeping around = a relationship and eventually Mew’s virginity. I don’t know. I mean they’re not exactly big asks of anyone looking to be in a 2 person, exclusive relationship. Top is just overtly possessive, at least to me as the audience and I guess to Ray at times. BUT THEN, he can be incredibly sweet around Mew like the notebook of drawings was a really lovely and personal present, and the way he was looking after Mew after his LASIK… it’s just… there’s something about him that irks me, even trying to forget the additional stuff we know about him and Boston, he makes me uneasy.

And now that ending scene between these two we have THE reveal and the lead up to it. I thought it was absolutely brilliant the way Mew seduced Top and lulled him into this vulnerable state to then bring out the recording. Book was great as Mew here. You can feel his building frustration, at first to get Top to tell the truth, then how he started thinking it was a plan to make a fool of him, to him feeling he isn’t good enough for someone like Top - the supposed top-tier.

But, Top? I can not believe he was still trying to hide the truth about his recent encounter with Boston, at first only referring to the fact they had hooked up before ever knowing Mew. I genuinely believe he loves Mew, maybe he thought he could salvage things by not confessing. Despite my feelings about Top I do have some sympathy for him. He fucked up, he told Boston it had been a mistake. I do feel like he was trying to be a better person since then. I don’t know what would have happened if he’d confessed sooner. I’m still annoyed at him for wrongly getting on his high horse over Ray and Mew, and instead of talking to Mew somehow saw a kind of ‘revenge’ sex as the appropriate reaction, but yeah, I’m a little bit sympathetic. A little. I don’t know how things will go from here on. Can there be a future for them? And how will Top cope with his sleep issues if he’s back to being alone?

Next up Nick. Well he finally got himself a photo. Probably because it was from a day out not a post-sex selfie. There wasn’t much story-wise that was just about him, but he certainly had his moments with Boston. In isolation, not gonna lie, they’re kind of good together like the scene on the pier. That moment though with Gap showing up. The hypocrisy from Boston about videoing people without consent, literally moments after Nick had just called him out for recording Ray and Mew, and also outing Ray loving Mew…💀

Despite what Boston and his dad discussed in front of Nick, he seems to keep falling for Boston’s sweet words and intimate touches. Nick’s no angel, but I feel really bad for him. He just keeps getting pulled back in. I don’t know if he still had any intention to use the recording with Boston’s focus seeming to be solely on him at the moment. He had been getting Boston’s undivided attention, or at least Nick and we assume so. I don’t think it’ll take Boston too long to get to the bottom of things when Top tells him about Mew having the evidence, especially considering Top knows that Nick knows about him and Boston hooking up, and saw Nick and Sand together at the apartments, throw in Boston knowing about Ray and Sand, that Ray confronted him, and then his outburst alluding to it in the bar, and the chain is complete. It’s going to hurt.

And so onto Boston. Was nice to get to know a bit more about him and his dad, well I say nice, but Boston definitely had a ‘look’ on his face when his dad kind of brushed off his love of photography (almost made me feel for him lol - no but it must be hard to have something you love poo-pooed), and it did feel like he was trying to make his dad ‘proud’ of the fact he’s playing the field and not settling down. I guess I understand (Understand Boston? What am I saying lol) where he’s coming from in terms of not getting attached to anyone if his intentions are to go to New York, which I think for arty, photography stuff would probably be a good fit. But, the way his words work on Nick and some of the moments he shares with him, I do wonder if deep down he would like something more significant than a bunch of fwbs and fuck buddies. He’s jealous his friends are moving on. Maybe not Mew so much as he had his ‘innocent’ virgin status, but from Ray’s speech it sure sounded like Boston told him a lot about his conquests, whether that was to rub them in Ray’s face for some reason, or he thought he had himself a ‘slutty brother in arms’? Who knows.

When Ray came to confront Boston, Boston sure managed to turn that conversation around quickly. He’d been casting glances at Ray all day as Ray seemed continually over everything going on within the friends group. When they clashed again he was able to twist things and make Ray doubt himself. And while I’m sure deep down Ray would love to be Mew’s knight in shining armour and them ride off into the sunset in love, I’m pretty sure he knows that will never happen. But Boston poked at him, put that doubt in his mind at how his intentions would be viewed - that he would be accused of doing it to get Mew, that he would be as ‘evil’ and be the one destroying Mew’s happiness. Boston is definitely clever with words. I’m looking forward to seeing him kicked into the pool next episode.

And now for Sand and Ray. Sand really showed he has a greyer side to the straightforward, work hard for everything guy we’d gotten used to the last few episodes. Top really got to him, lauding over him that he’d ‘changed’ and got himself his new man, the fact he could get anyone he wanted, ie Sand’s ex. I can’t imagine a guy stealing your lover and in no more than 3 months (based on what we know of Top’s longest relationship) he’s already moved on from that person… I’d be furious and wondering what the hell was the point of all the heartbreak? Honestly, having seen the trailer, breaking his phone to get his hands on Boston and Top’s audio was no where on my list of reasons for Sand stamping on his phone lol. But that was a pretty smart idea. Not sure what Nick noticed on his phone afterwards, maybe the lack of a phone call, or something to do with the method Sand sent himself the audio file. But I don’t think it’ll take him too much to figure out what Sand did when he learns of what’s gone on beyond Ray’s outburst.

I’m sure Sand thought it was an amazing idea handing the file over to Ray. He certainly lit the fuse on the powder keg that is Ray. Him saying about how great it is Mew has Ray at his side? - manipulation skill unlocked lol. I don’t know what he thought would happen or if there was anything more to it than getting back at Top but I’d like to think he wasn’t trying to get back at Ray for liking Mew by making him the bad guy. At the very least, it seemed Ray getting on that mic and making a huge scene was not quite how he’d seen it going.

Going back to Sand meeting with Ray. I felt so bad for Ray. It really felt as if he’d turned up with hopes he and Sand could maybe have a conversation about Mew, maybe even about the two of them. Instead, he was shut down not once but twice more by Sand saying he was fine with Ray liking Mew, echoing the same sentiments Sand had shared on the night things kicked off with Boston that it’s ‘nothing to do with him’.

Was it just me who thought Ray wrapping his hand around the cue ball was damn hot? 🫠 Honestly, the choice of fingers he wears his rings on too, I just… ahem. Anyway, what was I saying? Yeah, him grabbing the ball and basically telling Sand to get to the point was seriously a moment. I’m not 100% sure how he felt about Sand’s words after that, whether he felt as manipulated as Sand’s little side-eye suggested he was being, but clearly at the end of the evening Ray was absolutely done with everybody at that party. And to be fair, I kind of agree. (Also, I’m going to assume Sand renamed the file to Top & Boston - as much as I’d like to assume he knows Boston’s moans cos I’m a NeoKhao getting out the friendzone even just once enthusiast. I’d give him assuming the other voice is Top as Sand said it concerns Mew lol)

And so, we reach the party. The awkward conversation at the table had me like 💀Cheum has always been vocal in her praise of Top - I think I said on episode one about how Top had probably been viewed as this top tier prize to win/be fucked by, and Mew had likely been a breath of fresh air - honestly, I felt a bit bad for April the way Cheum was so besotted with the awesomeness that is Top lol, and then we shift to thanking God Boston, and then apparently forgetting Ray existed for a moment as she got excited everybody was paired off with someone. Even Boston. Also, this friends group need to have better nicknames for each other, what with Ray the Burden and now Boston the Heartless Slut. I know people call each other all sorts when they’re friends, even seemingly offensive names, but sometimes people need to read the room lol. It seems anything but playful banter at times. Following being forgotten, we then have April pointing out Ray is in fact single. I was sat here thinking, please stop poking at him. It was only adding to the tension and left me wondering at what point Ray would actually snap. Even without the added knowledge of Boston and Top, if I was Ray I’d have been seriously considering if it was time to find some new friends, preferable ones that enjoyed activities away from places that serve alcohol. Because no sooner has Ray been pointed out to be a loveless loser, we have Mew opening their conversation in the bathroom by asking if he’s drunk already.

I know Mew cares about Ray, asks him to stop drinking and doing drugs, and there’s only so much Mew or anyone else can do if Ray isn’t ready to help himself or accept help from others, but I don’t know, people expect him to be drunk, to be a burden, and I just feel like there comes a point where Ray, or anybody else, would just give up and act as expected.

(Possibly triggering stuff ahead as I refer back to episode 4)

Focusing on the conversation between them. It felt very ‘final’ and echoed a similar weight to it as the scene of Ray in the bathtub. The thanking him for being his friend, the hug. It might not have been so much the same thoughts right then as we’d had at the start of episode 4, but I think he probably believed somewhat in what Boston had said, he would be the bad guy, people would only view his intentions through the lens of him loving Mew and trying to split up Top and Mew, and in turn Ray loses Mew completely. So it really did feel like a goodbye. I don’t know if Mew got those vibes too, like he felt uneasy and that’s why he insisted Ray shouldn’t drive home, that he was worried about him, but for me there was this heaviness surrounding Ray.

We now know that Ray changed his mind and told Mew the truth about Top and Boston. He knew Mew might not like it and see his intentions in a bad light, but I’m glad he went through with it in the end. As he said later, no one else was saying a damn thing. I see people hung up on Ray being jealous, but I feel above everything else it is about Mew’s, and only Mew’s, happiness. When it comes down to it he’d rather tell him and risk being the villain, so long as Mew is okay. And so we shift to Ray taking the mic. I interpret him doing this out of a mix of things - frustration that even well into the night (despite Mew’s noticeable shift in mood when we catch sight of him again) everybody was singing and dancing as if everything was perfect, and to me, I feel like he was mad Mew hadn’t acted, not mad at Mew though, mad for Mew. That the person he cherishes the most seemed to have let Top and Boston’s behaviour slide, seemed to be accepting it when in Ray’s eyes he deserves so much more. And so fueled with alcohol, disappointed in almost everyone, he hit self destruct on each and every one of his relationships.

I enjoyed Khaotung’s performance and delivery. It hurt to see Ray that way, that look after being hit by the only person he considered to have shown him any care, and as he scanned the crowd, saw how everyone was looking at him. I feel like Mew punched him for a few reasons. Sure he might have had a plan for Top, he also seems someone to like order, have control and Ray was taking that from him, but I also like to think he was trying to stop Ray from going too far, snap him out of his tirade. If he got into an actual fight with someone like Top whose family are rich and the fact Top hates Ray, I could see Top pressing charges. I feel like Mew was in part saving Ray from himself and from saying or doing anything that he couldn’t take back, or might reap serious consequences.

I do, however, support Ray calling out everyone’s bullshit (plus it’s a tv show so it’s damn entertaining lol), even Sand. Their relationship started as a transaction and all he’s heard from Sand recently is they are nothing to each other. The moment outside by the car, I feel that if Sand hadn’t yet again denied they were anything to each other, Ray may well have stayed. Instead, his expression drops and he pushes him away, calls him a whore. Sand had ‘whored’ out his time, that’s how they had started, and Ray maybe assumes that’s all they had ever been. So, having burdened his friends once more, severed his connections to them, I don’t think Ray cared what happened to him after getting in that car and driving away. Luckily Sand did, motivated by caring for Ray, for anyone that could be caught in the fallout, and of course by his own guilt for putting Ray on this path in the first place.

I can’t wait for the next episode.

Oh my goodness. If you read all of that you’re a real trooper lol. I swear I start these the night of the episode and yet I’m still adding extra ramblings all through the week lol. I do enjoy it though. It’s kind of therapeutic to just get it all out. Stress relief 😆

Previous ramblings.

Episode 5 | Episode 4 | Episode 3 | Episode 2 | Episode 1

#only friends series #only friends the series #only friends episode 6 #only friends ep6 #firstkhaotung #sandray #forcebook #topmew #neomark #bostonnick #firstkhao #Ray deserves the world #and love and therapy #and better friends

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