Hidden Agenda is a Thai BL starring Joong Archen as Joke and Dunk Natachai as Zo in a college based romantic story between both. To finally take action to resolve his long time crush on Nita, Zo leans towards Nita’s ex, Joke for help. Joke agrees to help him on one condition, which is to get him a place in the debate club, of which Zo is already a member.

After watching the first and second episode of the show, I had really high hopes that at least the show will move with a decent storyline and acting. But as the show went ahead and more episodes were released, it really went downhill. What could have been a decent “Enemies turned friends turned lovers” romance, instead turned into an average boring show that you just skim through. At some point, the plot became non-existent, where it clearly felt that the show was being dragged on.

The acting skills and the chemistry between actors started feeling forced after some time, though it was very good in the beginning. This could have been used to turn the script into a good plot line, but some irrelevant aspects were introduced which played a full part in making the show bland and boring; that could have been avoided. The conflicts, the melodrama and the family aspect felt like all over the place. At some point, Nita’s character, which was supposed to be that of an intelligent female lead, became meaningless. I think BL series could do better with their female characters rather than just using them as leverage or showcase.

Initially, I thought that Joong and Dunk have a sizzling chemistry in intimate scenes, but gradually their intimacy felt forced and awkward; like it was written in haste because their first time could have been more realistic than it already was. The show, which pretty much revolved around a debate club, really showcased debates, but they will never happen in real life like that. Like Yes, it was a show and not real life; but at least the debate topics, the club that was such an important aspect to the story, could have been taken a little more seriously and could have depicted in a better way. Some scenes were sweet and did give me tingles and there were moments when I felt the intensity between Joong and Dunk; I really do appreciate those scenes. I just feel that this show could have been better because when started it had good potential and the viewers were hooked.

If we talk about production and direction value, I don’t think it was the main focus of the director or editor, because how else would you explain random cuts, unnecessary scenes, blunders between takes. Joong does a good job playing Joke, but his same awkward gestures sometimes felt off and didn’t seem to be at par with the scenes. Dunk started as a decent actor, but I’m not sure what went off because the chemistry and acting went downhill; the unnecessary plot lines and awkward scenes took over. The supporting characters did a better job than the mains, they actually added humor and freshness that made watching the show better in my experience. The side couple Jeng (Aou Thanaboon) and Pok (Boom Tharatorn) had a wonderful chemistry. It felt nice to watch them together, even though they have lesser screentime.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Streaming on- GMMTV YouTube Channel