#firstmark

"The idea was so lame. Are you okay?"

"I am. Don't worry about it. It's funny. We're still friends."

Only Friends (เพื่อนต้องห้าม) - Season 1, Episode 09: The Return (2023)

Bonus:

Oh, Anon... You shouldn't have sent this, now it's your fault if I can't stop. Deal with me, please 😂.

A lot of people are talking about how Sand possibly manipulated Ray but few people are talking about this. I personally believe that Sand knew which buttons to press to elicit a response in Ray but it's debatable whether Sand expected to see Ray explode or not. However, what's not debatable is how Sand betrayed Nick.

Nick and Sand have known each other for a long time, in EP2 it's suggested that they used to spend time together. They even trusted each other enough to get to live together.

In the present, Nick trusted Sand enough to confess that he recorded two people having sex without their consent, only asking him not to disclose it. At the same time, Nick also confessed that he was in love with Boston and Sand was able to see the slow progress in BostonNick's relationship (even though he knows Boston never compromises with anyone) and how much it affected Nick.

These two were the only ones who could really be considered "friends" (without any other feelings involved) and yet Sand betrayed Nick's trust and showed that he doesn't care about what happens to Nick. Sand even revealed to Ray who had recorded the audio, something completely unnecessary if you ask me.

I really don't know if Sand didn't think about the consequences of his actions because his hatred for Top blinded him or if he did think about the consequences but decided to ignore them. I think it's important to think about the level of obsession that Sand has with Top, because he didn't care about the way his actions might affect his relationships or the relationships of his relationships. This is certainly something to ponder. Either way, Sand not only hurt Nick (because Nick knows what Sand did), but he put Ton and Nick's relationship at risk (which is also going to hurt Nick) and Nick could have to face legal consequences.

Now, many may say “deserved" to Nick because Nick also went through Ton's phone, Nick was the one who made the decision to record TopBoston and, of course, Nick is also questionable and manipulative. However, both Nick and Sand have acted problematically in certain situations and it's important to evaluate their actions individually rather than comparing them directly. Each action must be considered in its own context and with respect to its consequences. Same with those people who complain about putting Sand and Ton on the same level saying that Sand is not as bad as Ton. There is no such thing as who acted better or worse, both acted badly and to say that a character isn't problematic just because he isn't as problematic as certain character is to minimize and justify based on comparison. We're allowed to criticize the actions of each character without having to compare them with other characters' actions. Each character deserves an independent evaluation based on their own development in the series.

1st June 2023:

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