Does true love conquer all? The ten episodic Thai drama series Chains of Heart concluded with a series finale that left social media in a state of disarray. Ken (Haii Sarunasathorn), a young man who spent two years dealing with the violent conclusion of his relationship with Din (Kut Tanawat). That conclusion came in the form of a bullet taking the pair over a mountain cliff’s edge. How Ken came back alive to mourn the loss of his lover and the fate of Din is the central plot of this epic saga.

The series takes place in two different locations. First being the dark and seedy back alleys of an unnamed city where Ken is residing, living in hiding with his father, with a dream of becoming a chef at his own restaurant. The other locale being the lush forests and beautiful landscapes of Thailand. The settings themselves are all realistic and picturesque; giving the viewers an immersive glimpse into the world the characters of this series live in.

As the series moves forward, the nonlinear form of storytelling sometimes makes it impossible to know exactly where the characters are situated. For one, you don’t know when you’re experiencing a flashback, as the editing is seamless. One minute you’re watching a present-day scene, then the presumed dead Din walks in and you are stunned with the “Oh this is a flashback” resonance. At first it was jarring, but soon it became a bit irritating to me as a good portion of the plot is told in random flashbacks. At one point, I felt the need to backtrack a few episodes to understand the plot better.

Example: there is a funeral for Din that Ken attends because let’s face it. Din was his whole world (sounds romantic, but honestly, without the context of the flashbacks, it would seem unhealthy and obsessive). When Ken is approached by the Mayor, Ingpha (Tui Kiatkamol) with condolences, he instantly attacks him. Throughout the series there are flashbacks that involve Ingpha and Din, but none between Ken and the character so narrative wise it doesn’t make sense. There is a lot of suspending your disbelief to enjoy it fully.

Ken and his friends, who act more like his security at all times during his stay in Thailand (literally from the funeral on) without verbally saying so, decide to solve the mysteries that seem to multiply around them. Due to the flashbacks drawing my attention, I didn’t do a very good job of keeping up with their motivations for being in Thailand. Such as Kan (Ing Tanathon) going to Thailand to assist an ailing family member. Kan was a side character at best and Ken, making a point to go see Kan, struck me as really odd. The fact that Kan was living in woods, a location similar to the place where Din disappeared, made me super confused as to why Ken thought this was a good idea.

Bear in mind throughout the series up to this point, Ken is a danger magnet. Being hunted by the people who attacked him and Din; thus there was no real reason for him to go see a side character in a dangerous locale and yet he does. Luckily, he seems to have a “White Knight in a Suit with Black Leather Gloves” named Mr. Lue (Boom Raweewit). A man with common sense who repeatedly tells Ken what not to do, and Ken just does it anyway, while being repeatedly strangled by an unknown assailant. By the time it becomes clear Kan is really Fin who has been acting as an informer, colluding with the assailants trying to kill Ken, I was seriously lost.

Mainly because the show itself is so random that not enough time and significance was given to this small information that was dumped randomly. Instead, we are given many characters, some significant to the plot and some not. Like the wild flower left in the Din’s family home, specifically in his room for his mother to find. The flower, being significant to her, isn’t something we know, but we do see in a flashback explaining the significance of it to Ken.

Alot in the series is inferred with what isn’t actually said or displayed. You see, the mother contemplating at it, but does she actually think Din gave it to her? Or did someone else break into her home and leave it there? It’s never said, but it did have screen time. As is the scene where Ingpha and his sister Ae discuss the issue about Din’s body appearing with nameless villains. It felt nothing more than showing “These are the bad guys”, most of whom don’t anything evil onscreen.

For the latter half of the series, Lue takes the center stage. His stoic presence is felt as he investigates Ingpha’s lumber business. Follows Ken while taking every opportunity to be close to him, flirting with the oblivious guy. I felt a real chemistry between his character and Ken. Flashbacks became less frequent around the sixth as the story showcases more of Din’s older brother Hin(Marc Pahun) and Hin’s husband Payu (Chaaim Alongkorn) relationship. These moments provided narrative vehicles for Din’s younger sister Sai (Cake Nawaporn) and their family who carried a lot of emotional weight throughout their scenes.

Honestly, the entire cast of actors did an amazing job; whether they were acting in the well choreographed fight scenes, looking taken aback by the information that came to light on some of the other mysteries, or simply tolerating some of Ken’s actions. For instance, when Hin has this serious conversation with Lue about his identity. Such a well shot and highly tense scene. Boom tears up as Lue while Marc’s deep voice as Hin entreaties him to make the smart choice. The moment was especially wonderful to experience.

The crux of my main issue with the entire show is this- every time something significant happens, the show cuts away from that story either for a location shot, or a flashback, or just gets a different character talking. Like when Lue confesses his love for Ken while Ken holds him by the throat; they stare into each other’s eyes and it randomly cuts away from that. I was livid. Because the show was building to that moment and it just randomly shows something else. This happens so often I wasn’t surprised at all when the show ended the way it did.

Spoilers From Here On-

Through one of Ken’s friends (who is psychic) we learn that Lue is in fact Din. The actual Lue is already dead and Sai’s fiance (who is a Plastic Surgeon) switches his face with Din’s. So the entire series Lue/Din has been lying to Ken about being dead (to protect Ken???) Lue has been investigating Ingpha’s operations and even makes an attempt on his life. And in the final two episodes, all of this is revealed to the viewer. But the way it is presented, we don’t know if Ken is aware that Din is actually alive.

In one of the rare moments of Ken being open about what he wants, he appears in front of Lue as he showers with a gun pressed to his spine. He demands that Lue make him forget about Din. The two have an intense love-making scene which I found personally satisfying as well as ironic as it was a culmination of their longing and pining.

Sai, who was instrumental in helping Din become Lue, is kidnapped and Lue rushes to her aid. Now the series thus far has treaded the line of suspending disbelief, but for unknown reasons, it jumps into the realm of impossible. Hin and his friends come to meet Din and are surprised to see Ken naked in his bed. They demand to know where Din is and Ken, much to my shock doesn’t ask for an explanation, though he is clearly unaware aware of the Lue/Din situation at this time. Let’s just say he assumes it and goes along with them as they search for him. A flashback scene shows Ken uploading a tracking app on Lue’s mobile, which leads them to him.

Lue has a shoot out with six people, in broad daylight (apparently no one can shoot properly as none of them hit each other for a time). Lue poses like a classic 1980s style action hero, with no cover, gun in each hand shooting at them. After that is finally handled, he walks into the woods to save Sai and is stalked by the remaining attackers. He slashes throats and stabs people while being stabbed 4 times in the gut, but walks away with nothing more than a couple of face scratches and a little blood.

He faces Ingpha and reveals his identity before shooting him as Ken and company appear and try to stop him. Upon seeing Ingpha’s blood flow from the headshot, he screams in fury. Instead of seeing him go to Ken (who better know who he is at this point) for even a hug, the show instead cuts away to showcasing the conclusion of Ae’s storyline. The last scene is Ken leaving for Bangkok and we learn Lue has never been seen again as he is wanted for murder.

Personally, I feel this is one of those times where the show should have been extended to 12 episodes or better written and edited to give the viewer a sense of closure. Seeing Din go through multiple surgeries to become Lue, but not having any romantic time with his lover, save that one stolen moment, left a bitter taste in my mouth. It was like he did all that, only for revenge. Due to random cuts, we never get to experience his time with Hin. He visits his mother to feel her presence under the pretense of being Lue, so she doesn’t even know that he is actually Din. I just don’t see the point of this beautiful show if this was the intended conclusion. I just want an actual ending but with no further plans about extension or a special episode, I’ll be reading the book.

Rating- 2 out of 5

Streaming on- IQIYI

Krishna’s Sidenote-

☆ Chains of Heart stars Haii Sarunasathorn & Boom Raweewit featured in Mangu Magazine.