“Us The Series” had a lot of missed potential.

Normally, when I write a review, I begin by writing the basic plot of the show, following which I discuss what I liked about it, and what could have been different.

For Us, though, it feels more appropriate to write two plots instead, what I expected the show to be going in, what every trailer had led me to believe it was going to be, and what it actually was.

Both the original teaser, which immediately set this show apart for me because of how soft and romantic yet angsty it felt, with perfectly complementary cinematography, and the trailer that was released just before the show began, set it out to be something completely different than what it was.

I can understand not wanting to reveal major plot twists in the trailer itself, but there is a fine line between misleading viewers for the sake of a twist that pays off, and false advertising.

I had presumed the main plot to revolve around Dokrak (Bonnie Pattraphus) being in love with Pam (Emi Thasorn), but still agreeing to make drawings of Pam and pretend the drawings are from her brother Kawi (Sing Harit) so that he can court Pam using them. I expected there to be tension between the three, angst, maybe feelings of internalised homophobia that they work through. In any case I imagined the plot would largely revolve around this.

Without spoiling too much about the main plot, all I can say is that the actual storyline is something quite different. Most of the drama mentioned above gets resolved by episode three, and Rak and Pam get together soon after that.

They do face a lot of challenges, but their relationship remains stable throughout. There is a downside to showing a stable relationship over a 12-episode series- at some point they have to face challenges to the relationship to grow, otherwise the relationship, particularly the viewer’s experience of it, is bound to get stale.

Dare I say it, moments between them started to feel a little repetitive. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I counted at least four different scenes in four different episodes where they wake each other up in bed. Maybe the intention was for it to feel like a motif or a callback to a previous scene, but it didn’t work when the only feeling I was left with was a sense of déjà vu.

Not only was it disappointing that the plot I had been excited to see play out was only relevant for the first three episodes, but it was almost jarring how the drama that was playing out in their respective personal lives had no impact on their relationship.

In no way do I fault the actors for this, who did a commendable job with the material they had. They gave it their best in every scene, and their chemistry was shining even when it felt like I was watching the same scene in a different font.

Where I felt the show shined, after the lighting and cinematography, was the acting. Apart from Bonnie and Emi, I loved Sing in the show.

My favourite dynamic to watch was actually between Kawi and his and Rak’s father. Jab Penpetch plays Khem, the self-absorbed father who is hell-bent on preserving the appearance of normalcy in his family even as his very actions are destroying it. Kawi, as the dutiful eldest son, is torn between trying to do what he thinks is right, mediate between Dokrak and his father, and the toll it takes on his physical and mental health. Had the plot integrated more of what the trailer promised, it would have been interesting to see what an angsty love triangle with his own sister would have done to his character, unfortunately we never get to see it play out.

If I were to recommend someone to watch “Us The Series”, I would encourage them to go into it blind, at least without seeing the trailers. It would have been a decent watching experience for me, only if I hadn’t been expecting something very different.

Rating- 2.75 out of 5

Streaming on- GMMTV YouTube channel