Have we all survived the long weekend without Buppae Sunniwas? I know some of you are rewatching for the umpteenth time and probably has memorized all of Khun Meun’s swoony stares, his close proximity to Katesurang every chance he gets (like dude can’t get any closer and I love it) and Katesurang’s ever constant vigil of staying exactly the same, which is why I love her. She’s strong, confident, sassy, and as fearless as they come. I wouldn’t wager to say that she’s a woman of our modern time, because she’s so much more than that. Her clever rebuttal, quick wit and knowledge seeking personality has really done a number on Khun Meun, you can slowly see how she has unraveled him from the inside out. It’s a thing of beauty to behold.

Khun Meun started the show prepared to throw a funeral for his fiancée. The ritual he performed with his dad – when you think about it – will KILL the guilty or punish them to insanity. We’re not talking about kicking Karakate to the curb here. So we’re introduced to our hero at his lowest of low, and I like that Show isn’t afraid to make us believe (almost fervently) that he isn’t our typical hero – my first impression of him was that he’s an idle rich guy, loves to pass his time waxing poetries, drinking and wiling away his time. He’s strict and every encounter with Karakate was fraught with tension and hatred. But slowly, as if the ritual expunged all that bad mojo away, Karakate was practically reincarnated overnight and not only saved this fated relationship, but she showed us the beautiful side of Khun Meun that we so desperately needed.

Another kudos to the writer is that the romantic arc between Katesurang and Khun Meun was done so realistically. Show really took the time to dispel all of Khun Meun’s reluctance in allowing his heart to open to Karakate. The beginning of Katesurang as Karakate was very dark and the only thing that made it bearably light was the comedic overtones, without that, we’ll have our heroine stuck in enemy territory so to speak. Karakate was hated (and for good reasons) so it took Katesurang some time to finagle and adjust to her new body. I love her attitude of, I’m stuck here anyway, I might as well make the best and most of it. I mean, to be stuck in your dream body, what’s a girl to do right? So Katesurang sets out to right all the wrong that Karakate has done in her life. It’s no easy feat, and Show does a good job allowing Katesurang to navigate this new (old) world while making a muck of it.

Katesurang changes this new world and its people for the better. I think it would be terribly difficult to inject a modern woman and not have anything change – ripple effect has yet to be seen – which is keeping me up at night. I adore Team Katesurang and its ever-expanding members. Her loyal maids and people who adore her is growing, because how could they not? She’s winning them over (bulldozing is another apt word) with her kindness, her treatment of servants as if they are her family, and just her curious personality. She has taken their traditions, their views and turn it upside down. Khun Meun used to sneer and criticize at her strange use of language, her convenient excuse that her memory is not what it used to be since the ritual, and her 180 degree difference from Karakate. This has prompted him to be curious as to who she truly is, because even though she may look like Karakate, her essence is entirely different. During a boating incident where he almost died, Katesurang brought him back to life by giving him mouth to mouth resuscitation, and this near death experience gave him an out of body experience! He suddenly saw a different woman in Karakate’s body. One with spectacles and share a similar face. From this point forward, he begins to investigate and piecing the puzzle together in his own, quiet way. Although the realization may be out of this world, and he doesn’t exactly know who she is, one thing is true: she isn’t Karakate. And boy does that relief come out like a whoosh. Khun Meun’s whole demeanor towards her changes completely, granted he’s still an Ayutthaya gentleman and will chastise her for misbehaving or being unladylike, but even her normal buoyancy and outspokenness has gotten him smitten. He finds himself secretly smiling to himself, pleased with just looking at her, and finds himself gravitating towards her. Every scene together, I slowly die of happiness. And this is just their falling in love stages, I’m not sure I can handle we’re-in-love stages, not to mention the inevitable, confession of who-she-is and painful realization that she’s-my-love-from-another-star stages. I mean, I just can’t accept an ending that is not happy. Nope, not even in my vocabulary.

Because when I’m thinking about Katesurang and the life she left behind, it’s already tragic. This story isn’t so much as time travel, but a reincarnation of her soul in another time. It appears that she actually died during that car crash in present time. Her mom and grandmother has mourned her and wished her well in her new life. During Khun Meun’s inquiry with the teacher, the older man has mentioned that no one knows how long or how much time she has in Karakate’s body, and that it’s up to fate to decide. I mean if you leave it up to fate, that’s like tossing a coin. You never know what you’re gonna get! What if fate feels especially morbid? Well, it’s a good thing the title is Fated Couple and not Ill-Fated Love. I still have hope, but I’m still scared, especially now that we’re a little more than halfway into the story. (The show is slated to end with 15 episodes, so there’s still time yet to see Khun Meun and Katesurang on our screens, whew.)

We are also getting into the historical figures in this time, and start to see who’s the bad guy and whether Katesurang’s meddling with history will change anything. There are two other secondary love stories unfolding, Mae Malik-Constantine, and Khun Reung-Mae Ying Janwat. What I love about the writer is that she is allowing the women in this show to choose their love. There’s consensual love or marriage that is thoughtfully trickled throughout the theme. Although Mae Malik likes Khun Meun one-sided, she chooses to marry Constantine because his love for her seems genuine. This may result in ruin or heartbreak for her because Constantine is betraying Kosa Lek. While Mae Ying Janwat has deeply hoped that her love for Khun Meun may result into fruition. But the Karakate they all knew suddenly changed and made the pending nuptials all the more ironclad, which resulted in Mae Ying’s despair about her chances (if there were any). But slowly the proximity of Khun Reung and his kind and thoughtful acts may turn things around her for. I am curious to see how their relationship will develop.

But more than anything, I am so enamored about the front and center relationship of our duo, Khun Phi and Katesurang. Their arranged marriage is becoming more of a real prospect. Khun Meun is falling more in love with Katesurang every day as he strives to make her proud (his ghastly reaction to her thinking he doesn’t have a job is hilarious), he hates to see her cry, and the gentle way in which he looks at her, it is as if he is looking at her soul. So there’s no surprise that Katesurang is shaken and affected by him. During their first “real” fight, when Khun Meun is jealous because she’s friendly with Khun Reung, he retaliated without thinking. He said that marrying her would be his sacrificial act, which made Katesurang furious and declared that she will tell her uncle to call off the wedding. Because as much as her comedy has gotten her through tough times in Ayutthaya era, let’s not forget HOW tough this is all for her. For when she finally got her feet firmly beneath her (people don’t hate her as much) and when she realizes that maybe she has a place in this world, beside this man, he brought her back to square one. So Khun Phi better collect the pieces of that broken chain, repair it back to its original form, and apologize for his brusque words that were spoken out of anger and jealousy.

Because they are so cute together and I know causing her pain is painful for him too.

Gah, I’m dead, just thinking about them making up in the upcoming episode. I have died and gone to heaven you guys- wait, scratch that- I have died and gone to Karakate’s body. See ya on the other side.