There’s always a little bit of anticipation even skepticism when watching a new drama, especially coming from a channel 7 production. But surprisingly, the first episode of Ubatheehet is actually character revealing, has a good pace, and funny. That was unexpected. I love a good drama with a side of comedy. Most of it is coming from our girl, Whitney (Aump Patcharapa), who is the only fluff I need in this lakorn. Yay me.

Episode 1 Part 1

The drama opens up with Whitney arriving to a beachside hotel. She is sultry in her attire, sashaying into the lobby. Her eyes catch a welcoming sign to the evening’s wedding reception. She looks displeased at the announcement but then mischievously smiles as if she has something up her sleeves.

As she checks into her room, a woman name Nanontre or Non notices her and beckons her boyfriend Aroon (Om Akapan), who is waiting to get his document signed by the boss. “What a beautiful woman,” Non comments longingly.

Aroon does not bat an eye or look at the vixen; he merely peruses the document in his hands and asks Non who she is referring to. “If you were other men, you would turn around to see how beautiful she is. But you are Aroon, who simply asks but does not turn around to look,” Non says, giving us a small measure of Aroon’s character.

“I’ve no interest in looking at anyone but my girlfriend,” he tells her. His boss, Khun Amnui is ready to see him, the only reason why Aroon would come to a five star, over priced hotel in the first place. It is also Khun Amnui’s wedding day and he is willing to help deliver a document to be signed if that would mean helping his boss out.

The elevator door holds for him and we see Whitney already in there, but they don’t make eye contact as he walks in, standing beside her. Even when she drops her keycard and they both reach for it, they both are oblivious to each other. Whitney has a determined look on her face, focusing on the can of worms she is about to open.

And a can of worms it is. While the wedding reception commences under the sunset, Whitney is plotting her entrance. The sexy jade dress she’s wearing? That is not the main attraction.

Khun Amnui and his beautiful bride stand before the crowd. He opens the toast and thanks the crowd for honoring them with their presence. He mentions that for some of the guests, this might be the first time they’ve been to his wedding. But for many of them, it is their second time. And the same thing goes for him; he laughs it off with a shrug. He assures the crowd that this second time around will be the last wedding for him. Everyone cheers. He has chosen the most suitable mate and he doesn’t think anyone could measure up to his bride.

As the clapping subsides, Whitney’s voice interferes, “Let’s hope that this ‘love’ has me included in it too.” She walks into the crowd with a smile. “But how can that be when you didn’t even know that I would be here?” Her father steps forward but she continues, “but that’s quite alright. I’m here now. I even brought a present for my new mom.”

A ‘moo’ sound is heard and the owner made its appearance. Whitney tells her stepmom that she picked out the best cow on the farm for her lol.

Pissed, her father whispers sharply to her to take it back.

“What you don’t like it?” Whitney asks. “You really don’t like it? That’s ok, dad. You might like this other present even better.”

She claps her hands and dance music cues. Five coyote girls dressed in black appears and starts dancing to their routine. Whitney nods her head to the music and the cow starts wandering the crowd lol. Kongkaew screams to take it away.

Khun Amnui pulls his daughter back to his hotel room and chastises her.

This interaction reveals that their father-daughter relationship is strained at best and there is a reason why she crashed his wedding.

“Why the hell did you do this? It’s madness what you’ve done, why?”

Whitney crosses her leg on the couch. “I’m just here to congratulate you.” She says innocently. “Are you mad because you’re surprised to see me? I am surprised too. It’s a good thing I read the announcement on the Thai newspaper there, otherwise I wouldn’t have known that I was getting a new mom.”

“I didn’t want to tell you,” her dad starts, “because I was afraid you’d be anxious.”

“Oh ok, so you know how I would feel, and you still did it! You’ve been single for 20 years, what does this woman have that broke it?”

“Don’t you dare speak of Khun Kongkaew like that! She’s a good person!” her father exclaims.

“That means she must really like the present I gave her,” Whitney says, getting up from her seat and crossing her arms in defiance,

“Look, let’s just say I’m sorry. I apologize for doing things without letting you know. Are you happy now?”

Her father tells her that he will arrange the first flight back to France for her.

“No,” Whitney rejects. “I’m going to be living in our house permanently.”

Kongkaew and her sisters are in the hallway wondering about the commotion in the suite. One of her sister says she never met a kid like Whitney before. Kongkaew corrects her and says that Whitney is almost 25 years old, definitely no longer a kid. The sisters finally understand why Whitney demonstrated such outlandish behavior: her father didn’t tell her that he was getting married. Kongkaew explains that Whitney (sounds like Wisanee) has been living abroad for many years so her father wants to slowly tell her the truth.

“I knew you would drop out of school to be here! I sent you abroad for nearly 10 years so you could be as good as others, yet you didn’t finish!” Khun Amnui accuses.

“I’ve studied enough over there,” Whitney says.

Her father scolds her again for her lack of concentration. First she studied in England, and then she went to Germany. When she was bored again, she went to France.

“And do you know why I acted like that?” she asks him.

“How the hell am I supposed to know that?! Everyday I worked hard to find money to support you. Your life is easy- you have money, a place to stay. But you are no good for nothing!”

She challenges her father, “so a person who has a place to stay and money to spend, is supposed to be happy then? Have you ever asked me what it was like living over there? When I was in the hospital you merely sent money to me but have you ever asked after my condition? How I felt? Whether I am homesick?” Whitney tears up.

“So you’re going to use that as an excuse for your behavior, to spite me? Do you realize that your actions hurt me?”

“If I was a parent, I would make my child feel that she is heard. Be someone to dry her tears. I won’t abandon her to fate!”

Khun Amnui is furious, he reaches for the vase and smashes it to the ground. “Fine! How dare you speak to me that way! If my sending you abroad for ten years has only improved you to this extent, then you don’t need to go back!” He storms out of the room.

Khun Kongkaew walks in and worries herself over the vase.

“Was that expensive?” asks Whitney. Lol. “Antiques are like that. Even if you gently put it on a pedestal, when it falls, it breaks all the same.”

That night no one is happy. Kongkaew discovers that her stepdaughter is here for good, and Whitney herself has disappointed her dad again. No matter how much she tries to defy him and piss him off, it still hurts her to be despised.

This scene as well as the segments prior are quite character revealing. Aroon is a strict fellow. We know he’s faithful and a gentlemen. But he is also frugal and knows his place in society. When his boss invited him to the wedding, he politely declined. His girlfriend on the other hand, is disappointed not to be able to attend a hi-so wedding. She is completely fascinated by rich people. She dreams of having an elaborate wedding and not have to work too hard in life. She is even embarrassed that Aroon would take food home during dinner.

Whitney may appear as bratty and no good for nothing to her father, but she’s actually pretty reasonable. She’s not a snob, she doesn’t care about her social status or money. She’s only stubborn and rebellious to her father because he hasn’t been a father to her. He thinks that by providing for her, he did his job. She has been neglected and relegated to live abroad for 10 years- so if she’s 25 now, that would mean she lived alone since she was 15. Can you imagine that? An only child in a boarding school, in a foreign country, with nil of parental guidance and love. She has every right to resent her father.

Now that we got our characters set up, we shall tune into their first “real” encounter.