A schoolteacher and a rake. Just those two characters would be enough to make me want to watch this, because who doesn’t love a playboy giving up his wild ways to commit to one person? And a prim and proper schoolteacher to boot. Plus, the bonus of his being her childhood enemy. Unfortunately for me, “Jaipisut,” the third installment of “Heart of Dhewaprom,” fell flat in the romantic storytelling and acting.

Jaipisut (Oom Eisaya), also known as Nupook, was adopted into the family of the headmistress who runs a renowned private school. She doesn’t know who her mother is, but her adopted father left her with an heirloom inscribed with the letters D.P. before he passed away, instructing her to find her mother. Her adopted father has kept this a secret for over twenty years. One day, she encounters her grade school bully, Captain Momluang Ronnajak Juthathep (Tate Myron), who doesn’t recognize her because she has grown up and out of her awkward childhood features. Jaipisut is now a teacher at the school they all attended as children and Captain Juthathep is sending his new sister to their school. He feels guilty for his friend’s death during their mission and adopts Somjid into the Ronnaphee household to fulfill his promise to take care of his friend’s little sister.

Khun Jak, one of the five monkeys of Juthatheps, is known for being a ladies’ man. He is particularly popular with one lady, as her mother has set her sights on the noble family. He goes along with it, feeling it would be ungentlemanly to call her out on it. However, his lack of response backfires when he meets a new woman who immediately catches his eye – Nupook, whom he has liked ever since they were children (although he does not recognize her at first and mistakes her plump older sister for her). Nupook dismisses him immediately and pays him no attention, much to Khun Jak’s disappointment.

Eventually, he convinces her that he isn’t the bully (Khun Phu started it), and she allows him to assist in her search for her mother. A mysterious woman they refer to as Aunt Lai hovers around Nupook whenever she is in trouble. We can tell that she is her birth mother, but Show spends most of the time (all the way up to the ending) making us believe that she is Wilairampa. That is probably my biggest issue with this show. Anyone who has read the books or seen the teasers knows who Wilairampa is. To string everyone along for the whole show, with the final minutes of Aunt Lai stating that she is indeed NOT Wilairampa (plus the whole bit about DNA testing), it was all just rather painful.

The only plotline that made sense was the drug dealing aspect that tied into the reason why Aunt Lai had to abandon her baby. Her husband, a doctor, was accused of drug dealing, which led to the villains killing him and going after her. In order to save her daughter, she left Jaipisut with her husband’s doctor friend, who then adopted Jaipisut. Captain Jak was able to reopen the case and prove her family’s innocence. However, throughout the entire time, Nupook only feared that her mother would turn out to be Wilairampa, showing little interest in who her birth father was.

I am curious about the series’ fascination with the idea of a Dhewaprom marrying a Juthathep. In this story, Jaipisut turns out to be a cousin because Great Grandfather Dhewaprom had a sister. Why does it have to be Dhewaprom? Just throwing it out into the void.

I did enjoy the scenes with the five monkeys, and I squee every time I see Khun Petch and Khun Chat on screen. This ensemble of five never fails to make me smile. I started watching Jaipisut for research purposes, but I came to have a much greater appreciation for scriptwriting, chemistry, and acting. All of these elements are essential for making a good, long-lasting show. Because without it, maybe like me, you’ll just tune in to see the other characters.