Ron Does Stuff

I know, I know I said I would watch this along with everybody else but now this is a day late. But I’m old and I was waiting for it to show up on Netflix yesterday and it still wasn’t showing up and I fell asleep. My old ass will try to do better next time!

Thame asked Po for help to get the band back together in the previous episode but before we get to know how that’s turned out, we see Po having to deal with missing his alumni gathering. Baifern told everyone that he was with a guy which isn’t a lie, technically. He tells her that work came up unexpectedly, which also isn’t a lie.

The night before, Thame showed up at Po’s uncle’s suit place to ask for help in bringing the band back together, but in doing so missed his flight to Korea. The company is blowing up his phone with messages but he ignores it as the show presents us a scene of Po teaching Thame how to sew a suit as a metaphor of bringing the band back together.

Not to be a hater here, but the two leads are struggling with the chemistry here. Maybe the acting I was impressed with in the first episode was a fluke because Po in particular is looking a little dead in the eyes here. Okay, maybe not that dead, but there’s not a variety of expressions there.

The next day, the aftermath of Thame’s decision isn’t looking too good. Jun, one of the Mars members, punches him in the face because he feels Thame should have just gone back to Korea. Remember when I said K-pop should have idols act in shows again, even for web-only? I changed my mind, maybe they shouldn’t be made to act if they can’t act.

Pemika is pissed with Thame too because while he may have missed language training — that was what the flight to Korea was supposed to be — she already knows that Thame is trying to bring the band back together. She tells him that she’ll let this pass but he can’t practice with the rest of the band. I’m sorry but I’m just not getting it.

If Mars is the company’s biggest moneymaker right now, why are you breaking that up? Especially for a career in South Korea that’s notoriously racist towards Southeast Asians? Lisa is from Blackpick and she still gets called Southeast Asian as an insult by South Koreans. Nickhun had to deal with it when he was starting out as well but I think it’s mostly gone now. For him.

It would be a different case if the band was flopping but the way the show has set this up, it would seem that they’re doing okay now as opposed to before, when they were flops. The decision to break them up would be more understandable if they were still flopping.

Also, if money is the object here, why go with this plan and not the tried and tested overworking of the idols? If they want to show the company is being abusive or is the enemy there are simpler ways to do it. The only reason I can see them going this way is because it feeds into the fan savior narrative of the company not wanting the group to succeed and only you as the fan (wannabe manager) can save them. Newsflash: companies are about money. If the group is making them buttloads of money they’re going to keep a tight grip on them. And if they’re going to break them up they’re going to make sure the can squeeze money out of every member.

And now they’re sending Thame home, sending out a statement that he’s sick and canceling all his schedules? That’s money lost! I…I don’t understand! None of this makes any sense! What kind of money-hungry corporation are you?

Turns out that Jun — I think it’s Jun — is willing to work with the company so that he can be released from this contract and finally sign with an acting agency. Which, again, I don’t understand! If both the members and the company don’t want to continue the band anymore, why not just put them in the dungeon then? Or just plain and simple disband them? Why is all of this so unnecessarily complicated?

After a sunscreen product placement, we get Jun flirting with what I guess is the producer for the shoot he’s three hours late for? I don’t think this is a product placement shot either because the product isn’t clearly displayed. Then Thame’s at the shoot with a food truck in support of Jun and I just don’t get it! What is happening? Is this so they look like they get along and the company will be forced to keep the band together because the fans will revolt? As if a company hasn’t disbanded a band even with fan support?

Then with some prodding from Po there’s a nice-off between Thame and Jun and maybe I’m just stupid but I’m not getting any of these. What’s the endgame? Well, I know what the endgame is, actually, but how does this help? Also why can’t the company flatout disband them when there’s clearly friction within the group and they’ve got a member willing to go along with their plans? Why is it so complicated? And yes I know I already said that a couple of paragraphs back.

Jun’s figured out that Po is helping Thame bring the band back together and is going to report him to Pemika. On the way there, Jun reveals that Thame signed an onerous contract when he pursued a solo career to keep the band afloat, and Jun saw Thame’s Korean career as a way to free Thame from the burden and stop carrying the rest of Mars’ careers. I don’t know, I just feel like there’s a less complicated way to tell this story. There’s got to be a simpler way to get a documentary director and his subject to start boning each other.