Love isn’t always beautiful or happy. In truth, love isn’t really about beauty at all but the depths to which we can fall, good or bad. The beautiful is in the good. The pain is in the bad.

The new Thai BL series My Stand-In cleverly captures these nuanced emotions, highlighting both the good and painful. It follows Joe, a stuntman doubling for the famous actor Tong, who develops feelings for Ming, a complex figure who sees him only as a stand-in for Tong. Tragedy strikes when Joe dies in an accident, but fate intervenes, and he awakens in another man’s body, also named Joe. When he reencounters Ming, the truth behind their love story begins to unfold.

And that’s where Ming and Joe’s painful reality truly sets in. Their story starkly highlights the brutal yet touching nature of love and how it has the power to both lift someone up and shatter them.

Two men.
Two contrasting loves.
The innocence of first love versus the pain of replacement love.

Ming’s complex need for a man who lifts him up while allowing himself to be tormented by feelings for a man who breaks him creates an intensity on screen that is both compelling and, at times, unbearable. Meanwhile, Joe’s journey—searching for stability in a life that keeps crumbling beneath him—mimics the emotional turmoil we all tend to go through as we seek to belong.

Watching Joe’s story unfold feels like standing on the edge of the same precipice from which he falls. The acting, led by Poom Phuripan (Joe), Up Poompat (Ming), and Mek Jirakit (Tong), is authentic and raw. It complements the beautiful cinematography, framing emotionally punching scenes.

Adapted from Shui Qiang Cheng’s novel Professional Body Double, My Stand In is a harsh exploration of love, identity, and the haunting power of memories. It’s bittersweet, intense, and profoundly touching, challenging those watching to reflect on their own emotional foundations and the complex relationships in their lives—relationships that break us and others that heal.

I admit that I didn’t go into My Stand In with high expectations, but I left the first two episodes impressed and full of anticipation of what’s to come. My Stand In isn’t a beautiful love story, but it is raw and captivating.

And I’m seated for it.

For a series that delves into the harsher side of romance and the impact it can have on someone’s life, check out My Stand In now on iQiyi. It delivers emotional punches while tugging at the heart.

Rating- 4 out of 5