Once Upon a Time in My Heart – Episode 12 Final

We’re here at the finale whether we like it or not. Once Upon a Time in My Heart wraps up its gangster drama much in line with the action you’d expect, all out brawls that bring characters together. Some characters turn over a new leaf while other characters fall back in their old ways, but one question remains, can Show cut out two episodes and still make it a compelling finale? Let’s find out.

FINAL RECAP

Dad screams at Daniel not to dare go but Daniel gives an order to Chern Piu that they’re rolling out. The bride comes downstairs for her glory only to find uncomfortable faces and no groom. The realization doesn’t sink until dad tells her that Daniel is gone, he LEFT the engagement ceremony. Kwan tears up and denies it, she starts racing out of the house to find his car swerving past her. The crowd witnesses her utter delusion, she tells them not to leave because Daniel WILL return. The crowd could only give her their most pitiful faces. Dad finally talks some sense into her, and she falls into dad’s arms in tears and questions what she has done wrong. Everything Kwan, you’ve done everything wrong.

The van pulls up in front of Chernming’s safe house and Fahsai bids Tian Kong a final plea that he doesn’t need to do this, Chernming treats him like a family member and would forgive him. Tian Kong doesn’t regard her remark and proceeds to infiltrate the safe house. It’s eerily quiet. We see A-Jiew knocking a guard down and Chernming intercepting Tian Kong. Daniel and company pull up by the van and it is action packed all the way as the good guys fight off the bad guys. Fahsai gets punched in the stomach and she recoils in pain. Once Daniel manages to get to her and ask if she’s ok, Fahsai tells him to help Chernming. Daniel’s disappointed face, ha.

Chernming does pretty well fending off Tian Kong, he even manages to get a hold of the gun and points it at the older man, but Pornchai distracts him in time alerting them that Mungkorn Thong is here. Chernming fires a gun right into Tian Kong’s back, staggering the man, but the bad guys get away for now. Fahsai rushes to see Chernming and runs into his arms, worried for his safety. Daniel just looks on sadly. I must be evil because I don’t feel an ounce of sorrow for him and actually look forward to some deserving pain. But we know why Fahsai is so distraught, she had been the one to bring trouble right to his door. She apologizes for leading them here, but Chernming doesn’t seem to mind as he smiles over her concern. The problem though, is that she seems to forget that Daniel left his engagement to save her. How about a simple ‘thank you’? Chernming brings this up to Daniel but he says he’ll deal with the repercussions later, his biggest concern is big bro’s safety since Tian Kong is aware that Chernming is alive.

Chern Piu attempts to escort big bro out of Suer Khao domain, lamenting to the guards there that if they prohibit the rescue, they are going against the big four gangs. However, the house is empty. Daniel orders them to get to the bottom of big bro’s whereabouts. Chernming is furious and wants to go after Tian Kong but Daniel warns him to chill because Tian Kong is only holding big bro hostage for now, since Daniel is still in possession of the black book and can take it to the authorities. Oh, that. We still have that over the bad guys. Chernming is too furious to listen to any reasoning until Fahsai has a private word with him.

She says that Tian Kong told her that it was his plan to use her dad in order to get her to work for him. Chernming apologizes and Fahsai relents that she’s not mad really, because there’s no point. But she asks that he remembers this as a lesson; revenging and trying to defeat the enemies only make him hurt innocent people like her family. If anything happened to her dad, she and mom would not survive. Chernming asks what she’d like him to do in order to pay for his crimes, but she tells him not to do it for her. He should do it for himself: think before he act. Don’t be the tiger that causes damage to people and himself.

Fahsai is escorted safely home and Daniel informs the family that his men will take care of their safety. But dad snaps that he doesn’t need their help because he intends to take his daughter out of dodge. Daniel argues that it’s too dangerous right now, they can wait until he catches the bad guys first.

Chernming tells Daniel over the phone that he agrees to do whatever Daniel says. He makes a last remark that he hopes Daniel can look after Fahsai while he’s away.

Pui Fai makes a case for Daniel that she’s sure he’s still in love with Fahsai because when he heard that she was in danger, he sure was restless. But Fahsai states her sticking point, that he has chosen to marry Kwan, which means he has chosen the person who is the best fit for him over the person he loves. Nuth questions whether that means Fahsai intends to get over him. Fahsai replies that it’s the best route for her, she feels badly enough for implicating her parents in this mess. Nuth reminds her that she was willing to fight for their love but Fahsai tears up and says that it takes two to tango. Can’t fault her there.

Daniel shows up at Kwan’s house to make his amends, but Kwan says that if he’s here to apologize he can forget it, since everyone already knows that she got jilted at the altar. Daniel wonders what will make it right, and Kwan replies that she wants the truth, does he truly feel that Fahsai is better than her? And if so, why did he agree to marry her? And you’re asking this now because… Daniel relents that he wanted to believe that suitability can overcome love. Kwan guesses that he couldn’t do it and Daniel wants her to know that he’ll feel guilty for the rest of his life. Kwan suggests that they give it another go, she takes his hand and says that they should be together for love and not because they are a perfect match. She’s determined to make him love her, just the way that Fahsai had succeeded. She thinks of an excuse of their broken engagement and envisions a new wedding.

Daniel however, tells her that he truly came today to apologize because he doesn’t want to wrong her for a second time. Her dad watches this from the sideline but finally goes to his daughter as she gets her heart handed to her. Dad promises that one day she will find a man that truly loves her.

Eit intercepts Fahsai on the road but she gives him the cold shoulder. Eit admits that he has hurt and disappointed her in the past, so he can understand that they can’t come back and love each other again, but he doesn’t understand why when it comes to Daniel (who has made her cry again and again) she can’t seem to stop loving him. Fahsai relents that she doesn’t understand it either, but that sometimes when you know why you love someone, it could also mean that it’s not true love. So is she saying that because she doesn’t have a reason, it is true love? I’m going with it. As she walks past him, a tear does roll from Eit’s eyes and he remarks that one day Daniel is going to hurt her physically and mentally.

The gossipmongers lament that Fahsai is a bad omen in their company, she has caused them a lot of opportunities, namely this most recent event. They surmise that maybe she ought to just get herself stranded on an island so that Daniel could go rescue her and they can be alone. Not a bad idea.. Nuth and Pui Fai go to bat for her and ask if they need to provide evidence that the bad guys were truly after Fahsai. Another fight is about to breakout until Nuth reminds Pui Fai that she’ll get her butt fired if she gets in another altercation with Nu Dee. BUT Nuth relents that she doesn’t have the same stipulation so she will go ahead and slap Nu Dee. Haha.

Chief is at wits end with the marketing girls and fires both of them. He argues that Jane and Nu Dee had been the one to start shit this time around, and he means business. Serves them right! But the three Lola girls do feel badly that it had to come to this.

Boss assigns A-Jo to oversee Fahsai’s safety, so he shows up reporting for duty. Fai and Nuth squeal over Daniel’s orders. He seems to have foreseen that Fahsai would reject his offer, so A-Jo lament that Boss will take care of her himself if she declines the offer. But we see that she tries to find a way out as Officer Thep reports to Nuth that Fahsai has requested his protection. Even though he’s over the moon about it, he has his own work to do, paid for by the people, so he can’t just throw everything aside to take care of one woman. Aw, that’s why I kinda like you, lazy cop or not. Lol. Officer Thep is curious though on what transpired with Fahsai and whether it had anything to do with Daniel. Nuth shares that Fahsai is trying to get over Daniel, which is the best news to Officer Thep’s ears. Nuth pouts and takes her appetizers away from him and tells him to run along if that’s all he came here for. Haha.

Officer Thep relents that he’s not leaving until she tells him what’s wrong. Nuth can’t avoid his gaze as he takes her face in his hands, so she declares that she loves him, in fact, she has loved him for a long time. She adds that it hurts when he says he loves someone else. Now that is a shocker of the century for him, as his hands fall to his sides. Nuth wonders if he hates her now that he knows the truth. Officer Thep shakily gives her a smile and says he doesn’t hate her, he’s happy actually, and encourages her not to hide the truth from him again. He takes her hands and teases her, asking why she loves him.

Daniel receives a video message from Tian Kong, threatening to kill big bro if Daniel doesn’t give him the black book. Chern Piu wonders if Daniel is going to succumb.

Pornchai makes his rounds and demands payment from the interest. Instead of meeting Tian Kong, Daniel shows up before Pornchai and hires him to rescue big bro from Tian Kong, he just need to name the price. I love that Daniel knows how to speak people’s languages. For Pornchai, he speaks money and notoriety: he’s doing Tian Kong’s dirty work because he wants to be bigger than a thug in Thailand. Daniel laments that Tian Kong could barely take care of himself, he won’t be able to see to Pornchai’s needs. He adds that Tian Kong uses people, even those who raised him, so what makes him think that Tian Kong isn’t using him.

Pornchai tests Daniel’s theory, he starts to question Tian Kong on what his plans are after obtaining the black book. Tian Kong says that those big bosses are pulling out now that they heard Chernming is still alive, but he intends on killing them all once he gets his hands on the black book. Pornchai thinks it’s not easy to obtain the book otherwise he would have gotten his hands on it eons ago. Tian Kong does not like Pornchai questioning him and throws him against a post, which angers Pornchai who says that he’s not Tian Kong’s underling. This seems to validate what Daniel was saying. We see Pornchai order his men to escort big bro out of the holding. But before they could even drive away, Tian Kong intercepts them and finishes them all off. Mungkorn Thong’s men descends upon Suer Khao and guns them down, then rescues big bro. Well done!

A-Jo gets a call as he’s driving Fahsai. He tells Chern Piu that he’s happy to oblige, and next thing we know, they are picking up desserts and A-Jo makes an excuse that he needs to use the restroom. Fahsai hears Daniel’s voice coming out of the elevator and is momentarily shocked. Haha, is this a matchmaking attempt by our guards? Too cute. Fahsai thinks quickly and hides behind a table, but she can’t hide from Chern Piu’s keen eyes. He alerts Daniel of it, and the man wonders out loud who she’s hiding from. Lol. Fahsai stammers around for an excuse. The moment does give them an opportunity to talk, Daniel asks after her parents. Fahsai relents that her parents are well and so is she, he need not have A-Jo tail her everywhere, but Daniel just looks at her and finds an excuse: he has given his word to Chernming that he’ll protect her. Pfft.

Chern Piu, the voice of reason, tells boss that if he loves Fahsai, he doesn’t have to sacrifice his love for Chernming. Daniel questions Chern Piu that if Pui Fai is the last woman on earth who could make him (Daniel) happy, would he sacrifice his love for Daniel? Chern Piu could not answer. Or maybe silence means yes. Noble idiocy runs deep here.

The ex-marketing girls make a case for their employment opportunity at the hospital, they offer to use their marketing skills to help the hospital. Kwan merely says that she’ll put in a good word once the hospital is hiring again, but the girls don’t stop there, they lament that she’s the owner, she could find jobs for them. They add that she owes them for helping her get closer to Daniel. Wrong thing to say. They realize that Kwan is using them (who argued that they used her too to get back at the people who annoy them) and that she doesn’t consider them as friends. She shoos them away with disgust. Nu Dee doesn’t let go when she bites though, and pours salt on wound by telling Kwan that she’s not surprised why Daniel picked Fahsai over her, because she doesn’t have a heart and any man who’s around her would feel like they’re surrounded by cement. She puts a mirror up to Kwan’s face (figuratively speaking) and says that she doesn’t have friends because she’s arrogant and self-serving. Nu Dee does relent that the only strength she has is in being a doctor. Kwan’s tears stream down her face.

Next we hear the marketing girls begging Chief to take them back. Feeling badly for the girls, Pui Fai and gang speak up for the marketing girls that their department is struggling and they won’t be able to find skilled workers like these two. Chief wonders what they want since they always fought when these two were working here. Pui Fai says she just wants her coworkers back. The two look at them with tears in their eyes. Chief warns that if they get in a fight again, he’s going to fire them all. Lol. The girls make up and things go back to the way they used to.  The marketing girls even flirt with A-Jo who later shows off his son. Man, all of this teasing of his son’s picture is giving me a bad feeling, I mean, he even bought a cute stuffed animal for his son. Fahsai suggests he drop if off at a post office since she’s not in a rush.

And just as Fahsai waits alone outside, Tian Kong and his men show up and try to abduct her. A-Jo rushes out of the building to fend them off but Tian Kong pulls out a gun and shoots at him point blank. NOOOO! Not A-Jo! The teddy bear falls to the ground and we all go through a moment of shock. But he hasn’t met his son yet! I start to think, well it’s only one bullet.. but Tian Kong kills all of my hope for A-Jo’s survival as he empties his bullets in the man’s chest. Gah.

A-Jo sputters blood and manages to see the last video of his wife and child before he takes his last dying breath. Lakorn life is so unfair.

During the big four gangsters meeting, Tian Kong leads his men through the establishment and starts opening fire. Face off: Suer Khao versus the Big Four. Tian Kong says it’s not so fun if they don’t wait for him. The Big Four asks him what he wants and he just shoots at them one at a time, taking their lives, lamenting that he wants them all dead. Goodness gracious. A brawl ensues as Daniel tries to protect his dad who has been shot.

It’s downpour now as Tian Kong tells them it’s time they confront his bullets. How is one gang overthrowing three other gangs? Where are the minions? How did Tian Kong recruit so many men?

Chern Piu, A-Jiw, Boss and Dad all stare at Tian Kong and his men as Tian Kong aims his gun at them and orders them not to leave. First they beat the crap out of Chern Piu and Tian Kong says that if he kills Chern Piu, there will be no more Chern family member left. And its Chernming to the rescue! Chernming brought backup and they attack Tian Kong and his men. Daniel orders A-Jiew to take dad away while he and Chern Piu join the fight. Dad clasps his son’s hand, and in a moment of truce, tells his son to be careful. In the car, dad thinks back on what his wife said to him, that she wished he would have more time to spend with them, to tell her that he loves her before they are separated by death. I guess in a moment of near death, dad sees the light, so to speak.

Daniel gets a call from Officer Thep regarding A-Jo’s death, which shocks Daniel to the core, but he remembers Fahsai. Officer Thep pales, realizing that Fahsai must be in danger. Daniel races back to the brawl, where an all-out fight (worth of gangsters) ensue.

Chernming preface his gunshot to Tian Kong that he reserved the bullet to shoot the traitor, but he never thought the traitor is a member of the family. Tian Kong scoffs at this, but Chernming says that he’s greedy that’s why he never saw them as family. Just as Chernming is about to shoot, Daniel calls out Tian Kong’s name and does a jump kick to Tian Kong’s head. He proceeds to pummel the man’s face, questioning where he kept Fahsai. Chernming tells Daniel that Tian Kong must have kept her near and instructs his friend to go search for Fahsai, he’ll be the one to finish Tian Kong off.

When Fahsai comes to, she’s in the back seat of a car. There’s smoke (is that carbon monoxide?) funneling into the car. She starts choking. Daniel finds Tian Kong’s minion and demands to know where Fahsai is, they wrestle for the gun. Meanwhile Chernming gets handcuffed to Tian Kong and they take turn punching each other. Tian Kong starts to laugh and we see why, he has a fricking bomb strapped to his chest.

Daniel manages to fight off the minion until he points to the car right behind them. Daniel fishes for the keys but the minion does not give up until Daniel puts a bullet in his chest. When Daniel opens the door though, he finds Fahsai who’s smiling painfully back at him. We soon see that she has a bullet right in her chest, in a flashback, it’s from the gun wrestle between him and the minion. Omg. Fahsai passes out while Daniel shouts her name.

Tian Kong laughs and prepares to push the bomb button, lamenting that he isn’t going to hell alone. Out of nowhere, Chern Piu jumps between them and slashes the cufflinks, Chernming pushes Chern Piu down for cover and Tian Kong gets blown up into smithereens. The cousins give each other a nod before they fall back in a fit of exhaustion.

Daniel rushes through the hospital with Fahsai in his arms, yelling for a doctor. They meet with Kwan, and I almost cringe, but Kwan says it’s her job to save Fahsai. Let’s hope Nu Dee is right about Kwan having the only strength in being a doctor. Dr. Eit spots this and his eyes get as big as saucers. Dr. Kwan operates on Fahsai and she thinks back on what everyone said about her, Fahsai starts to go into shock on the operating table and the doctor says she can’t die, she has to fight.

Poor A-Jiew, showing up at the wrong time.. he asks how boss is doing and whether they should treat his wounds first. Not noticing that Boss is severely agitated and at wits end. In frustration, he literally throws A-Jiew against the wall. Eit witnesses this and spats that he’s not helping anything by just standing there, she’s in good hands, but if he doesn’t get treated, he might not be able to see Fahsai again. Aw, is Dr. Eit really saying this? And how much do I like it that Dr. No Longer Scumbag is treating Daniel’s wounds? He regards Daniel’s face with concern.

Mom and dad make it to the hospital and they see Chernming waiting outside of Fahsai’s room. Chernming shakes his head, indicating no news yet. Meanwhile Chern Piu is at the mort, zipping open a body bag to reveal A-Jo’s face. Gah. A-Jiew kicks something next to him while Pui Fai stands by Chern Piu to offer comfort. He remembers how A-Jo wants to retire so that his son could see his face.

Surgery is successful as Dr. Kwan retrieves the bullet. Dr. Kwan shares the good news that the bullet didn’t hit the heart and she’s safe now. Parents celebrate the news by hugging each other while Chernming listens on with relief.

Dr. Eit tells Daniel that he had told Fahsai that Daniel would hurt her and yet she still chose to love him. Daniel sits lifelessly and gets up to go to Fahsai. Dr. Eit warns him that if Fahsai is alive, but Daniel wants to continue hurting her physically and mentally, he should just let her go. Can’t argue there.  Ah, but the look on Daniel’s face kinda kills me a little inside.

He spots Dr. Kwan and she shares with him the good news. Daniel thanks her but Dr. Kwan relents that this is the most meaningful surgery for her and sends her regards to Fahsai. Dr. Eit overhears this and smiles. Dr. Eit invites her for a meal together and Kwan wonders if he’s trying to make up to her, but Dr. Eit relents that he’s going to court her anew. Well, good for you. Dr. Eit thinks Kwan has changed and Dr. Kwan adds that her new self is quite hard to court.

Chernming apologizes to mom and dad for causing them any harm in the past and dad says let bygones be bygones. He just hopes that Chernming won’t bring any new trouble to them.  As a former gang leader, he promises that won’t happen again. The news shock the parents and we see Daniel walking in to hear the last bit that Chernming would be moving to France and caring for his brother there. He asks for Fahsai’s hand in marriage. Daniel walks away upon hearing this but Chernming stops him to say that he can never run away from the truth.

Three days later Fahsai finally comes to. She asks how she got there, which got dad all panicking that Fahsai must have amnesia. Lol. She remembers getting shot and asks after Daniel. Everyone tries to change the subject but she repeats her question. Pui Fai relents that nobody knows where Daniel is, ever since that fateful day, he has disappeared.

A-Jo’s grave. His wife and child finally get to meet him.

Chernming visits Fahsai at the hospital, to her pleasant surprise, and shares that Chern Piu is the leader of Suer Khao gang now, so he can finally tend to the business of his heart. He asks if Daniel has visited her yet, which is a sore spot and her face falls. Chernming guesses that she must miss him. He promises to make her stop missing him. She gives him a half smile.

A week goes by and Fahsai is discharged from the hospital. Her friends pretty her up which makes Fahsai wonder why since she’s only getting discharged. Fai says in case she gets interviewed by the media, she needs to look pretty. They take her to Lola office next, lamenting that they had forgotten something at the office. But it’s a stairway paved with white roses and as she looks up, she calls out Daniel’s name, but it’s Chern Piu with a bouquet of roses. Fahsai smile fades realizing that it’s a surprise for Pui Fai. Ah, the disappointed look on her face. Talk about getting one upped by Chern Piu.

She walks over to the car to grab the camera, but as she turns back, she runs right into Daniel. Everyone from the top hollers “surprise!” Fai says that Chern Piu asked her to marry him a while ago so this was all a show. Ok, to make Fahsai feel let down and then surprise? Got it. Fahsai stares up at Daniel in surprised shock.

Daniel tells her that he missed her so badly. She wonders why he didn’t come to her if he misses her. Daniel says that Chernming told him to wait and make sure she knows that she can’t live without him. We flash back to that moment Daniel walks away from Fahsai’s room. Chernming had told him that he could not escape the truth, that no matter how hard Chernming tries or whether Daniel dies, there’s no way Chernming could earn Fahsai’s heart. Chernming promises to punch him good if Daniel hurts her again. Daniel wonders why he asked for Fahsai’s hand, but Chernming says he was asking for Daniel’s behalf. Chernming says that he told the parents that Daniel wants to step down from the gang and live a normal life, just as he had always wanted to. Chernming relents that her parents approve because they know, just as he knows, that Fahsai loves him.

Fahsai wonders where Chernming is now when he had told her he will make her stop missing Daniel. The man smiles and says that she will stop missing him because he’ll be by her side forever. She starts to cry and Daniel brushes a straying hair behind her ear. He asks, “Will you marry me?” She replies that she does want to marry him, but she needs her parents’ permission first. Cue, parents running into the scene and giving her their approval. Everyone chants “get married get married!” Fahsai does give her yes and he plants a tender kiss on her forehead. The crowd cheers.. and we get a picture montage of the after party at Lola firm where everyone is having a good time.

Sometime later, Daniel and Fahsai visit Botan’s grave. He tells Botan that Fahsai is here as his wife. He takes her hand and reports to Botan that they’ll soon have a child. He turns to Fahsai and asks if she can manage five, but Fahsai just smiles and tells him that he hasn’t told her where he has hidden the black book. Oh that. Daniel explains that he has already burned it to ashes the moment he had his hands on it. He didn’t trust himself to keep it safe and since everyone wants a piece of it, he feels it’s best to destroy it. Bad things will fall on Chernming if anything happens to him. Fahsai says that he always had other people’s best interest at heart, which is why she loves him. He tells her that from now on though, he will love her the most. Fahsai warns him to try and love someone more and he will see the wrath of a mafia’s wife. But didn’t you retire? Daniel relents that if she’s this tough, he should teach her a lesson.

Daniel lifts her in his arms and tells her he’ll weaken her resolve. Then he plants a long.. sweet.. kiss on her lips. He asks whether five kids is manageable and she negotiates down to three kids. He says they should get right to it then, and runs with her in his arms.

Don’t miss the epilogue!

Chernming is waiting at the airport to go to France but then he hears a voice that sounds familiar. He turns and sees a lady with familiar eyes but her face is blurred out. He smiles and makes his way to her. What? Don’t tell me we have ANOTHER Botan, Fahsai lookalike?

REVIEW

I felt Show could benefit with the initial 14 episodes instead of cutting it down to 12. I am all in when it comes to directors taking out unnecessary scenes and making Show stay true to its story. But in this regards, the director failed with the ending, well, he failed pretty much from episode 10.

Karn La Krang Neung was one of those lakorns that started out so great, it literally hit me like a ton of bricks. I was captivated, compelled and engrossed with the characters and world that were presented to us. The gangsters were interesting, the plot kept the story moving forward, I even liked the love triangle. And most importantly, Daniel’s character was responsible for keeping me rooted in the story from the first minute he open fired at his girlfriend.

It was a story about a gangster who lost his girlfriend because she was being used against him, even though at the time, he felt she betrayed him, he still did his best to save her. Thus, he took on the gangster mafia role with a renewed look at things: he created a rule that the Big Four will no longer dabble in illegal affairs. They are going to do it the straight and narrow way, even if it killed him. That’s his ideal and he wants to be the Boss that ensures his members can live a normal life like normal people. That’s great, right? So he meets a new girl who looks just like his late girlfriend, but what drew him to her was her big but strong heart. He told himself that he would not draw her into his gangster world and endanger her sheltered life.

But he threw caution to the wind when he realized her life is already endangered by getting mired in his gangster drama with his former bestie. Once realizing that he can’t stop himself from falling in love with her, from seeing her, Daniel decides he’s all in. But dad and Chernming has other ideas and implicate Fahsai to the point where she chooses to betray Daniel, and upon learning of this, Daniel feels a little dead inside. Understandable. So he decides to cut himself short of love and focus on front lining his gang. YET, when Fahsai’s life is at stake, there was no way Daniel could turn a blind eye, and he rescues her, realizing yet again that he could not live without her. He decides he’s going to fight for their love. That’s also great. Even though they go through some angst, one of them always fight for the other. It was a great moment to see Fahsai realizing that she has to go to bat for their love too.

Where things fall apart though is when Daniel’s character slowly changes and turn into someone rather maddening. He believes for a moment that he could marry for match instead of love. When his bestie gets his ass handed to him, Daniel realizes that his friend needs Fahsai, so he GIVES Fahsai on a platter to his best friend. Forget the fact that Fahsai loves him and that he loves her, if Fahsai is the only person in the world that could make Chernming happy, Daniel is more than happy to drop her like a hot potato. Sure, he wants to keep her safe too, but “giving” her to Chernming isn’t going to make her any safer, as he soon realizes.

So back to the finale, he ends up severing his engagement with Dr. Kwan, but would have gone through the whole shebang if Chern Piu hadn’t alerted him that Fahsai was in danger. Then when he overhears Chernming asking for Fahsai’s hand in marriage from her parents, he was more than eager to step away. This man has been willing to hurt the woman he love over and over again, reject her, discard her and treat her with hurt in his eyes over and over again. That’s not the Daniel we know and love! The Daniel we know and love – who had forced himself from HK to save Fahsai’s company from bankruptcy – would have had the hero moment and lose himself to the love. So I honestly don’t feel that their love was hard fought or earned. They are both so ready to give up on each other, whether that’s due to noble idiocy or because it’s impossible to tango alone, that the last fifteen minutes of reconciliation felt rushed and glued together.

Yes, we only got 15 minutes. I’m glad that Show gave Chernming his moment of glory, saving everybody and being the glue that paired Daniel and Fahsai back together, because without him opting to do this, Daniel and Fahsai would honestly never get their happily ever after. It’s also great that Daniel could not control matters and we watch him flail and uncertain for once. It allowed authority onto someone else’s hand, but it also made Daniel a weaker character.

Show doesn’t have to tie all loose ends like a pretty bow, but there has to be some sort of pay off with some events or items that get introduced repeatedly in this show. For example, what’s the payoff for A-Jo’s death? What is the point of him dying than to show the gangsters that life is short? So the black book that we’ve all been talking about never really existed, it was burnt the minute Daniel got his hands on it? Sure, it sounds rather clever to spin it thus, but feels rather cheated that we can’t get our hands on that stupid black book that started it all. Did Chernming ever find out what big bro did to Botan? Perhaps Daniel feels like somethings are better left spared, but I felt like we totally ignored this one. There could be one whole episode to discuss gangster resolution, dad suddenly warmed up to Daniel’s ways after getting shot at? Where’s mom in all of this? What happened to her vow to make dad realize what true love really is? And what about Chern Piu, how did he take on the leader role? The doctors got back together fast.

The central romance story really took a hit in the finale. I was impressed by Daniel’s character all along, but  I am left disappointed and a little cheated that he could turn out this way. So did he quit the gang or not? Didn’t he want to lead a strong and ethical gang so that he could live normally and love like normal people? Did he get his cake and eat it too? Or just get the cake (Fahsai)?

I have questions Show, and I need answers! I need to feel like we’re sending our characters off in a healthy and complete manner. I don’t want to stay up all night worrying about them! We should feel rest assured that our characters would go on and live a happy life. Just kissing and promising to make babies in the last five minutes of the show isn’t making it up to me.

Sure, one can say, forget the last two episodes. But I watch a lakorn for the whole experience, I want to love it from the minute it opens to the last second it closes. That makes for a great experience. So I can’t forget that our favorite characters went down hill, and that the story got cheated and left me hanging with so many questions. It has so much potential, the potential to be one of my favorite shows, not one that left me sad for the way things turned out, even when it is a happy ending. It was my crack show and I looked forward to every minute, even the ending because I wanted to see how we’ll close this out, but to have my heart handed to me. Tis unfortunate.

But despite the lackluster final few episodes, Show managed to make me excited about a show again. It has been a fun experience recapping and discussing this series with you guys. I found Mick and fell in love with Daniel for a minute. But I surely woke up and with a renewed fervor that one day we shall find our perfect story and perfect hero soon. Sood Saneha’s spot is still up for grabs, but no show has managed to take its place yet. But I am optimistic that we’ll meet it one day. Just a matter of time.

They are so cute though, aren’t they?