Director Prin explained that another angle of this scene that audience may or may not have caught is the point of view of Vee. Vee had seen that Nong had 'bought off' the manager/waiter so he could be given a tip/heads up on when Vee would be there so Nong could show up and talk to Vee. Even when Vee had raised his hands to pick up the check, Nong used his power to stop the waiter from coming to get the check since he's bought them off so he could talk to Vee.

The way that Nong uses both money and power is a key point of the series, one which Vee has lowkey noted (this series fucking loves foreshadowing so much it's INSANEEEEEE) since EP 5. For Vee, his biggest fear is that Nong will become a politician like his dad. And so by the time, they get to this point of the story (EP 8), the things that Nong does to survive like compromises and tricks whatnots, only reinforces Vee's fears that Nong is turning out like his father

There are a few other similarities but one of the biggest ones is that if in EP 2, Vee's dad was hypothetically blackmailing and threatening Nong and his family, in EP 8 Nong is unafraid to blackmail and threaten Vee's dad PM position once he's got 'leverage'. Also I love @jjsanguine's observation about this visual trope subversion for Nong where he becomes more 'clean shaven as things spiral for him because that's the politician look'.

But in the end, Vee still has hope for Doc 🥹. He still has hope that Nong can be the one to change politics, that is if politics doesn't change him first ಥ_ಥ.

Very random but I love how they used words that has ใจ/jai (the abstract word for heart/mind that has plenty of different meanings when combined with other words). Vee says he knows some people can't be trusted using ไว้ใจ/wai jai (which means trust) but he has already ให้ใจ/hai jai (which means given his heart to [Nong]).

Them confirming that the show ended with Vee wearing all black suit was a DELIBERATE CHOICE.

Thank you Director Prin and Producer Jong, I feel #seen.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?!?!!?!?!?! MANDATE S2 WHEN!?!?!??!?!

when the actors aren't in a koojin so the crew is actively defending the ghostship and the endgame likeeeeee... they're sooooo funny 🤣

lowk realised someone was going to be thrown in the firepit when Vee asked "will you do whatever it takes?"