This series is marred by something, and I wrestled with trying to find the most appropriate word to describe that. A word that is strong enough and powerful enough to impart disconnect to what is happening in this series. Finally, I found the precise word: Eschew, which literally means ‘to keep away from or shun, avoid, circumvent, boycott, or dodge’. Quite literally everyone in this series does what he can to avoid telling the truth, or face reality, or abstain from communicating effectively, openly, or honestly. It seems to be the driving force of Thai BLs to be as evasive and elusive as you can to create artificial dramas. This is another sad example of that artifice.

This story is profoundly complex, made elementary. Yet, it should not. It presents itself superficially with a lot of voyeuristic sex scenes to help us with our escapism from its true reality. And its true reality is that it is a very sad story filled with toxic people doing awful things to innocent people. I found the story to be a rather ugly tale peppered with unnecessary eroticism. I do not want to give away the core of this series, so I shall circumvent the major plot highlights for those who have not seen the series.

It starts out with Him (Dew Nitakorn) meeting a guy by the name of Nail (Tor Atagorn) at a bar, drowning his sorrows after he just broke up with his boyfriend, who he caught cheating with a female. Almost from the beginning, this story takes a very veiled almost sordid twist. Nail apparently and remarkably has an uncanny resemblance to Him’s former boyfriend named Blue, also played by Tor Atagorn. So, what starts out as an attraction to Nail because he looks exactly like Blue ends up being a full-blown romance between Nail and Him or at least that is what the story tries to show and tell us.

However, there is an individual who is the best friend of Blue and Him; when he realizes what is happening between Nail and Him is determined to thwart their relationship. Te (Fu Nattawatt) had maintained a long-standing unrequited love for Blue; with Blue, however, never seeing him as anyone other than a friend. So, when Te sees Him with an individual that looks exactly like Blue, he is determined to break them apart.

With much consternation paired with utterly stupid behaviors, the story slogs along making no sense in the real world. Not once did Nail ever seem to question why all Him’s friends and family stare at him in disbelief. In fact, he even overhears workers at a restaurant that Him’s mother owns say how remarkably similar Nail is to Blue and yet Nail seems oblivious and never once asked Him about this similarity. It apparently never piqued Nail’s curiously to see what Blue actually looked like. Honestly, I have seen some dumb characters, but Nail is as dumb as a box of rocks. And no one including Him or Te ever tells Nail directly that he looks like Blue let alone anyone has the bright idea of showing Nail a picture of Blue, which is just astonishing and demonstrates the depth of concealment and duplicity. The whole basis and foundation of this relationship was and is based on dishonesty. Him can argue all he wants that he ‘sees’ Nail as different from Blue but the reality is, he was attracted to Nail BECAUSE he looked exactly like him. If he really saw Nail as a separate person, he would have said something from the beginning to clarify his intentions. Instead, he says nothing and assumes Nail will never find out.

When Nail finally finds out that he looks exactly like Blue, he is legitimately upset initially but seems astonishingly unperturbed about the magnitude of this deception. In the real world, I think a more natural response would have been outrage and a feeling that no matter what, he could never feel like he was completely separate from Blue. Why? Because if Nail did not look like Blue, would Him have gone after him and would he want to be with him? That is a valid and legitimate question and one that could never be answered with any level of satisfaction. If it were me, I would always feel like I am a substitute and not ‘the real thing’. The separation of Blue from Nail can never be complete. The determinant here is that it is intertwined in Him’s mind since Him did not have the fortitude to tell Nail from the beginning how much he looked like him.

Meanwhile, according to the Thai formulaic rules of BLs, there must be a secondary couple and true to form we are not disappointed. One of Him’s friends, Chao (Tong Supanut) is completely enamored with one of Nail’s friends named Phai (Peet Atthaporn). Because of Chao’s self-doubts and lack of self-esteem, he goes about in a rather immature almost peevish teenage way trying to get Phai’s attention. Chao whines, cajoles and finally manages to get Phai into bed with Phai stipulating that all this is or will ever be is a frolic and at most a ‘friends with benefits’ status. Initially, Chao is alright with this arrangement since he now has the object of his affection. Phai consistently humiliates and shoots down all of Chao’s advances towards him. Even as Phai passively encourages and fosters their romps together, he knows and senses that Chao is falling in love with him. Finally, Chao tells him he loves him and wants him to be his boyfriend. Phai, sometimes cruelly, dismisses his feelings. Evidently, in his past, Phai has been badly hurt and has shut himself off from feeling love again. Yet, as hard as he tries to push him away, Chao simply falls deeper in love until he decides that he simply does not be a pawn for Phai to play with. He wants a relationship. When Phai realizes that Chao is not there anymore and is obviously serious, he cannot bear it and is at the point he is willing to try.

For me who really shows depth of character is Fu Nattawatt as Te. There is something hypnotic about his performance. He has such a wounded look about him that is quite appealing and his eyes show such a deep pensive reflective stare. While he knows what he is doing is wrong, he is blinded by his unrequited love for Blue and his jealousy of Him. Yet there is a sadness that overwhelms him that one cannot but help to feel pity. He was so misguided that his whole personality was consumed by hate until he began to realize that what he was doing was inherently wrong and that almost cost him human lives. Initially not a likeable character, yet in a weird way you understood his actions made sense. And his acts of contrition seemed sincere, and he came across as the only character who fully evolved in this series. There is also something very appealing physically about him that draws you to him. He has an aura about him that is enticing and alluring but ironically unrecognized by himself. However, the storyline is flawed because it did not build in consequences of his behavior for his part in the attempts on Him’s life. There indeed should have been repercussions. Simply saying sorry is and was not sufficient. There is no moral arc here.

This series started out strong but then rapidly fell apart. Him, while seeking professional help for his role in treating Blue with such disdain, is certainly a step in the right direction. However, Him never fully develops or deepens his understanding of who he is. And is certainly never really honest with Nail. Nail, on the other hand, is too utopian, or astonishingly naïve, or simply shallow. And honestly, he needs to grow up and face reality. After finding out you are merely a replica of another individual, would you not want some time to think about all of that, and reflect on who you want to be, and your own worth? And to have long, long conversations with Him to discuss not only those aspects of their relationship but how his treatment is going with his psychiatrist?

The second couple has a rather toxic relationship as well but at least had some growth to it. Chao is too child-like to seriously understand what a relationship is about while Phai has walled himself up from ever feeling love. However, they would make an interesting series. I would like to see them have their own series.

This series has a lot of diversion in it. Many hot, steamy love scenes that felt very voyeuristic to me and sometime laughable. Sure, these guys are sensual, cute, and sexy. To see them romping around in bed making love with their pants on is just plain ludicrous and laughable. It was just not the main couple either. How about under the covers with simulation, so we can use our imagination? Sometimes imagination is better. To show us making love in bed (or having sex) with pants on seemed extraordinarily contrived and silly. And completely and totally unrealistic.

The editing of this series is very suspect. I had a hard time following the flow of the story as it switched from past to present with hair coloring changes that made your head spin. In addition to the product-placement scenes. I get the need, but must it be so obvious and so much? This series became one big commercial. The script is also repetitive and silly. It suffered from an obvious lack of what could have ended this long-winded diatribe in half the episodes and that would have been to have open, honest, straight-forward communication. Just open up. Talk! Quit being obtuse. Say what you mean. Get it out in the open. The silly girl group was annoying and right out of the troupe playbook. So much time was spent on scenes that were supposed to happen and then never materialized or talked about as happening as if we were aware of it. It was nonsensical.

Honestly, this series left me bewildered. It had suicide, mental illness, psychiatric support, attempted murder, sociopathic behaviors, dishonesty, poor parenting skills, and reams of consequences to individuals having poor or no communication skills with none of it honestly dealt with in an emotionally or intellectually sincere or efficacious manner. Instead, we see a lot of silly eroticism with clothes on to call it a BL and somehow detour our attention away from the serious issues abound in this series.

But most of all, the biggest miss this series had been the title. They should have named it: “Nail Him”. This would have made it a smashing success.

I might have had a different perspective of this insipid series.

Rating- 2 out of 5

Streaming on- IQIYI