Revenge. Betrayal. Greed. Passion. All of it collides in The Wicked Game, a Thai BL that wastes no time throwing viewers into its tangled web of family power struggles, danger, and undeniable attraction.

The story begins with Than (Daou Pittaya Saechua), a former police officer who accepts a job guarding Pheem (Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol), the youngest son of a wealthy hospital owner. On the day of the hospital’s grand opening, an attempt is made on Pheem’s life. Than steps in to save him, and impressed by his skills, Pheem hires him as his personal bodyguard. Than is easygoing, straightforward, and quick to smile, while Pheem is his opposite: cold, cunning, and burdened by a loneliness that makes him as dangerous as he is compelling. As the assassination attempts continue and Than is drawn deeper into Pheem’s fractured family, he begins to see the pain beneath the icy exterior, while Pheem begins to thaw under Than’s warmth.

From the very first episodes, the series makes clear that wickedness isn’t just in its title. The world Pheem inhabits is one of abuse, betrayal, and violence, and it has shaped him into a man bent on revenge. Offroad captures this perfectly, giving Pheem a sharp edge that makes his choices understandable, if not excusable. He may not be a hero, but his pain makes him relatable and even sympathetic. Through his eyes, viewers quickly learn to loathe his half-brother Chet (Tongtong Kitsakorn Kanogtorn) and the rest of the family whose greed and cruelty leave little room for empathy. His half-sister Risa (Mo Monchanok Saengchaipiangpen), however, brings a thread of nuance, reflecting the struggle of a woman fighting to be seen in a family and a patriarchal world that values power over fairness. While I know she isn’t much better than the rest of the family, it makes it a little easier to understand where she’s coming from.

Against this dark backdrop, Than feels like a beacon of light. Daou brings a softness to him that stands out amid the violence and deception. While Than is physically strong, his emotional vulnerability makes him compelling. He trusts too easily, perhaps, but that trust comes from a loneliness that lingers beneath his easy smile. He carries the quiet weight of a man who has lost control of his life and is desperate for redemption, especially in his career as a police officer, and that makes his bond with Pheem all the more powerful. He’s a man who wants to repair his reputation as much for his family as for himself, while also still wanting to follow the dream that made him choose to be a police officer to begin with.

In many ways, Pheem and Than are two sides of the same coin. Both have been betrayed by the same family, the pain each faced carving out very different roads for them while also managing to bring them into each other’s paths.

The flashbacks woven through the early episodes deepen this, pulling viewers further into the layers of betrayal and tragedy that define Pheem’s world while also giving us more reasons to root for Than. Watching the two of them together feels like watching a house of cards on the edge of collapse, fragile, tense, and impossible to look away from.

And then there’s the chemistry, which is The Wicked Game’s greatest strength. Daou and Offroad have shared the screen before, and while it’s clear both have grown in their craft, the spark between them has always been undeniable. Here, that connection grounds the romance amid the chaos, making every moment between Than and Pheem feel both tender and dangerous. Chemistry is what makes or breaks a romance-driven story, and in this case, it carries the narrative with a force as strong as the intrigue around it.

The Wicked Game is captivating because it balances all of this without ever letting the tension between Than and Pheem slip. It’s dark, raw, and complicated, but it’s also achingly human. At its heart is the question of whether love can survive when everything around it is built on lies and revenge.

All in all, the first three episodes deliver, laying down the rocky road ahead with just the right amount of tension. While there are moments that could use tightening, the overall pacing works, and the soap opera–style has an addictive pull.

I’m ready for more.

For a series full of mystery, passion, and a romance that burns even when surrounded by lies, The Wicked Game is worth the watch. Stream it now on iQiyi.

Rating- 4 out of 5