#onlyfriends — Public Fediverse posts

BOSTONNICK

Saving these two for last because they were the true MVPs of the episode for me. Their trajectory this episode was so bittersweet, but also to me the realest and most nuanced of all the pairing resolutions -- because sometimes you really love someone, but at the end of the day your needs and theirs are fundamentally incompatible, but still you both try to make things work and be the other person's perfect boyfriend even if it's not who you really are BECAUSE you like them so much. I really felt how much they cared about each other this episode, even as they were painfully breaking up, especially as they were painfully breaking up.

Until said breakup, I could have seen them making a go of an open relationship (and I could maybe still see it working years down the line, when they've both had some time to grow and get a better sense of their own needs). But then Boston went and impulsively picked up Boeing in that bar and then lied about it to both Boeing and Nick, and it was like, oh, this is a guy who's still totally out of touch with his own feelings. Like, we the viewers might deduce that hearing Nick's list of couple-y things he wanted to do together triggered Boston's fight or flight reflex and filled him with an overpowering need to escape that drove him to hit on Boeing, but I don't think BOSTON is aware that that's what was going on in his brain. From his perspective, he just does these things that have ruinous social consequences without knowing why he does them, and then afterwards he's like "why did I do that?" (Or occasionally, "Why is everyone making such a big deal about the fact that I did that?")

TLDR, I feel like he could really benefit from some good therapy! But Nick was not wrong to clock that right now, he's not ready for the level of commitment Nick wants/needs. (Even if he does genuinely love Nick. And Nick genuinely loves him.)

Their scenes together later in the episode (Nick rebuffing Boston's attempted kiss at new years, Nick declining Boston's photo gift) made my heart hurt in a good way, because who hasn't lived through that part of a breakup? In general, Boston's yearning/lost energy in these scenes made me feel for him so much. I've glanced briefly at socmed, and it seems like a lot of people are coming away from this episode feeling like the narrative served him up an unhappy ending as punishment for his supposed sins? But his ending didn't strike me as any kind of authorial condemnation of his character, just a snapshot of a young guy at a time in his life when he's supremely adrift, that I'd hazard a guess is based on someone's actual experience of being that age.

(Again, I would so watch a hypothetical spinoff of him navigating his twenties in New York.)

This is all focusing on Boston so far, but I also really feel for Nick and want him to find happiness in the future, though realistically speaking it might be good for him to work on building up his self-confidence first before getting into another relationship. I think it will probably take him a long time to get over Boston, but many years later, when his heart is less raw, I hope they can be friends again. I love them both so much. <3 #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

TOPMEW

These two continue to be the platonic ideal of that couple who would be mildly insufferable to know in real life, and who in that sense are perfect for each other. They're going to be the first among their friends to get married, and then ten years later they're going to be the first of their friends to get divorced, and in the interim a friend suggested and I absolutely agree that they're going to co-parent a small yappy dog.

I roast them because I love them. But really, I'm proud of them that they're growing (and that Mew has been learning more about himself!), even as I also feel like they're still roleplaying what they think a mature adult relationship should look like when they have these earnest discussions like Should We Move In Together? and Let's Talk About Our Relationship Dealbreakers. It's kind of adorable to watch.

Also adorable: the fact that Top's understanding of Mew's interests starts and ends at "books," and he's so proud to show this knowledge off at every opportunity by e.g. designing a reading nook for him

I also really liked how their sex scene against the bookshelves was so much more spontaneous and organic and no doubt hotter to both of them than their Slow and Gentle First Time had been. (The upside of playing things by ear instead of living your life according to carefully plotted milestones!) The sex may have involved Top manhandling Mew, but I hope that in the future they also explore their mutual kink for Mew being mean to Top and bossing him around. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

SANDRAY

First, great choice on Ray's part to suggest a three-way pool makeout. A terrible idea that was so hot to watch. It's for the best that Sand snapped back to himself before they got any further than kissing, but imagine if he hadn't.

Second, I'm proud of Ray for a) realizing he didn't want Sand to pal around with Boeing, b) telling Sand he didn't want him to pal around with Boeing, and c) telling Boeing to back off Sand. He's come so far in his journey towards emotional literacy!

(I'm also delighted by how sanguine Sand is about being Ray's dog. This should be a thing they explore further, with Ray pampering Sand and giving him treats.)

Third, I love the scene where Mew dares Sand to kiss Top and Sand goes for it 1000% and Mew and Ray are like "very funny, guys ... guys, you can stop now ... NO REALLY GUYS"

Final verdict: the show successfully convinced me that these two can make it work, so I'm happy they're endgame and that they got a lot of sweet moments to just hang out and be happy together in the finale. I'm rooting for their future together, going to music festivals around the world while Ray uses his dad's money to subsidize Sand's artist lifestyle and everyone else they know is like "are these two ever going to get real jobs?" (No.) #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Finally watched the #OnlyFriends finale! I'm going to divide my thoughts into four parts, one general part and then one per ship.

THE SHORT VERSION

I found the ending really satisfying! If we were going to have two couples stay together and one couple break up, these are the ones I would have gone with, and I thought the acting this episode was great from all quarters but especially from Boston and Nick.

Writing-wise, my only real wish is that we'd gotten a glimpse of Boston in New York in the 2024 flashforward, just because I think that was needed structurally -- it doesn't even need to be a full scene, just a shot of him at a club or looking wistfully up at the sky or something. (I also would have enjoyed a shot or two of Nick, but that's less because the narrative demands it and more because Nick is my precious darling.)

Re: the possibility of a sequel, I have no sense of how likely this actually is to happen, but if there was one I'd want it to focus on a mostly new cast (including Mix) with the existing characters showing up as cameos. I would also be down for a spinoff show about Boston finding himself in New York, in an alternate universe where Neo and all the Only Friends writers spoke fluent English and had the budget to film on location halfway across the world, but as it is I'm just going to cross my fingers for someone to write the fanfic version of that. #Caesliveblogging #ThaiBL

And that's a wrap! Re: the next episode preview, Boeing what are you doing. Boeing stop that. (But no, I'm so on board, Saturday can't come soon enough) #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Intake session, take two! Emotional honesty!

Ahhh, Khaotung's acting is so good here

"Ever since you walked into my life, I've been so happy" <33333333

Ahhhhhh T___T This is the sweetest and most heartbreaking imaginary heart-to-heart ever! I hope Ray can manage to say it to Sand's face. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

You're a jerk, Ray's dad, but I appreciate that you at least don't want your son to die like his mom. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Aww <333333333

They see each other at last! Two lonely creeps in love!

Crying while kissing <3

Missing each other so much <3

Having slow and tender make-up sex <33 #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

And now we cut to Boston and Nick. Boston comes across as so uncharacteristically small and sad, curled up on himself on this pier. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

He invited Boeing! Top is so helpless in the face of their mutual wiles. He's not a schemer at heart and he's only now starting to realize this fact, too late. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Mew and Top are near yet another body of water.
Top is like, Mew, have you stopped being mad at me? :)
And Mew is like, No :)
Help, I love them
#OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Ahhh, they're both crying now T_T (The actors' performances are so good here) #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

"Everything I've done is because I care about you!" Sand says.
"No one could possibly care about me!" Ray is clearly thinking.
And then he lashes out, hitting Sand where it hurts most, the way he's so good at doing :( #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Sand: Your dad did hire me, but I did also genuinely want you to go to rehab, if that helps
Ray: It does not #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Ray looks so luxurious in this bathrobe, I think, before DRAMA breaks out in the form of Ray's dad bribing Sand to help his wayward son. Fandom was right! #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Mew is evidently not ready to sleep with his evil doppelganger. But props to Boeing for giving it a shot. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Boeing is such an agent of chaos. Who or what does he even want, except to sow unhappiness wherever he goes? (Mew just asked the same thing! Apparently Boeing wants to see Top suffer, and has clocked Mew as a promising ally in this cause) #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Evidently Boeing went to the Vegas Theerapanyakul school of homewrecking, as he's now attempting seduction via plant #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging

Oh, Ray is so far out of his comfort zone with this intake therapist. He is not ready to face his own demons, much less talk about them with a total stranger. #OnlyFriends #ThaiBL #Caesliveblogging