The premiere episode of Suptar 2550 (Superstar 2007) is nostalgic and warm and so much fun.

The biggest draw is obviously revisiting one of Channel 3’s favorite (old) pairing, the dynamic duo Ken and Anne. This lakorn is spearheaded by Citizen Kane Production, and directed by the actor himself, Ken Theeradeth, who also had a hand in writing. Suptar 2550 presents the parallel between real-life director/actor Ken and producer/actress Anne Thongprasom who plays Ryu and Kat respectively, who are also former onscreen pairing that are casted together again (after many years) in a show called Suptar 2550. The fact that this is like a fan’s dream come true, that their favorite pairing in their favorite shows get to end up together in real life. Squee.

While we know they are happy in their personal life, Suptar 2550 is like an alternate universe where we see Anne and Ken end up together. And to think Ken had a hand in writing this? I can imagine how this went down. You know he and Anne had a nice giggle about this. What if in another life we end up together? HAHAHA. But what if, really?.. Ken gets a lightbulb moment and races to his typewriter.

It will be hard to separate what is real and make belief, where Ken/Anne’s character begins and ends, since so much of their personality and attributes are part of their character’s. While Ken and Anne’s reunion is the main attraction, Suptar 2550 also tells a story about pursuing what you love no matter how old you are, there is a place for you and a story only you can tell.

And that is how we open the show, Ryu and Kat, the main leads, walking alongside Luna and Taro, the younger and more popular actors sharing the limelight at the red carpet. How did they get here? Big Channel is looking to launch their next show – Suptar 2550 – but they need to finalize the casting. As they go through a slew of potential leads, we get fun cameos from Cherry, Janie, Por Nattawut and even name-dropping Anne Thongrasom. If you follow any of these celebrities on their social media, Show is making funny inside quips about their hobbies – whether that is angelic Cherry learning about farm life, athletic Janie swinging from the ceiling, or Por Nattawut getting fitted for a suit and relenting that if they cast Anne Thongprasom as the female lead, he’s going to bow out because she goes all in and his face can’t afford to be wrecked. HAHAHA.

The last option for the channel is to ask about Ryu and Kat, the two actors who have either been MIA or working on her own line of business (skincare and clothing). Ryu has been contemplating his own future as well, after feeling obsolete in this profession, where the only people who show up to his meet and greet are grannies, and he gets literally and metaphorically shoved to the side when a new and hotter actor emerges. Ryu is semi unfazed by it, just merely scoffs, because he has a new passion to pursue, writing for his own show and directing it. When his manager finally manages to FIND him, Ryu shocks her by accepting the Suptar 2550 project with a condition. He would like to direct the show.

Meanwhile Kat, who had been focusing on her side hustle, learns that Ryu will be directing the show, she decides to throw in her name card but only if Ryu is the male lead. It has been too long, but she will never forget their rivalry, she promises to get her revenge, give it all she got and perform beyond the script. Pray tell, we know they have history, but what other history do they have? Curious minds want to know. So, Ryu just needs to say yes to her condition and the show can proceed. But first, comeback makeover!

The dermatology clinic scene was hilarious. Ryu’s girlfriend/wife, Risa, made a late appointment to beautify his face, only he nearly runs into Kat who had managed to sneak in for the last appointment. She quipped that who could be more important than her (lool). Ryu and Kat are of the mind that you can only show your rival the best side of you, so Ryu hightails out of there, face still full of treatment. We learn later that it is not a coincidence they ran into each other, Risa had wanted them to reconcile. What seems to be going on here is that Risa is the gay dermatologist’s partner (wife) and Ryu had been keeping their relationship a secret for them. Everyone else seems to think that Ryu is married to Risa, even Kat. What a good guy, Ryu.

Ryu thinks Kat will be getting married soon to her long-time boyfriend/fiancé, but Kat has her own secret. She broke off things with Nat who had a kid behind her back. One day as they were walking, a random boy called him dad and refused to leave, Kat was not the same since. I thought the scene with the boy’s mom was done so quietly and so well. Kat had asked them out to talk and learn things from the boy’s mom’s perspective. The mom said that they were over, and that Nat loves Kat very much, so she does not want to ruin things for them. The mom was merely concerned that Nat would ask her to pay back the hush money. Kat had already made up her mind to break things off with Nat and asked him not to take back the money, she tells him to consider it as charity to make up for his sins, and that she would find a way to gently inform the media.

While Ryu may think Kat is a perfectionist and high maintenance, but Kat always stays true to herself and knows that setting boundary is important to her. Before the two could start working together, they arranged a first (long time) meeting. I love the pettiness, the competitiveness, and the spark every time they meet. It is like there is this obvious chemistry going on between these two, and they can deny how they make each other nervous/feel, and they can go about it in the most immature ways, but I like their dynamic. But I just love how two people could know each other for so long, but get it so wrong about each other! Ultimately it comes down to the respect they have for their own privacy. In a world where people live vicariously through a celebrity’s life, it is easy to forget we only see what they want us to see.

Along those same lines, you can really orchestrate your own fame. We see that in Taro, the biggest star right now, with a slew of fans, his PR works overtime to show Taro’s life in the best light possible. Ryu says they know how to sell themselves, and he might be on to something. Taro’s manager (Chat Chattayodom) runs his life. We do not really know what Taro is like, and he does not have the luxury to be himself, which is glaringly different than how Ryu leads his life. I like how the characters shine a different perspective on the other characters.

Take Luna for example, through her we see that Ryu’s belief that he is obsolete is untrue. At first, we see through Ryu’s eyes that his fans are either old or they confuse him with another celebrity with similar names. The mention of Ken Pupoom HAHAHA, they should have referred to him as Ryu Pupoom and we would all laugh even harder. Luna remembers when she became his fan and mentions that he has not changed. That is probably the best compliment you can get. You stayed true to yourself (plus you still look HOT). I also laughed at Alek Theeradeth’s cameo. He was fanboying when he sees Ryu and says that his fans LOVE Ryu because they want to see him play Alek’s dad. LOL the burn. He even says bye dad as he exits the elevator. Wow they both look good in the same frame though.

I find myself smiling and laughing throughout the first episode. It all just feels so nostalgic, it makes me miss watching Anne and Ken’s old lakorns. Can you miss your favorite duo even when you are watching their new lakorn? Yes, yes you can. I like the direction the show is going, the characters are funny (even the side ones and ALL the cameos), so I will be catching this show weekly. I am curious to find out if they can make it through the scenes without laughing, can they finish the show without a hitch, and uncover the little mysteries hidden along the way about each other.

To my fellow Ken and Anne’s fans, will this be another one for the books? I know a few things to be true: they both age like fine wine, their chemistry is palpable, and they still know how to do this romcom thing right, giving us all the feels.

So, let’s cheers to that.