So the last scene we have of Danyok is this extremely sweet scene of their reconciliation.
For me the symbolism of them reconciling in front of Yok's portrait of Dan is just [chefs kiss]
Yok's portrait of Dan is the best version of Dan committed to paper. Its Dan as he wants to be seen. Dan as UNAR. Dan as the police officer who realized that he was part of a corrupt system and decided to save the world in the best way he knew how: through his art. This is the portrait of a man who is greater than the sum of his parts; greater than the sum of his actions. The Dan in the portrait is fierce and strong; unyielding despite the pressing weight of an unjust world. Its in his eyes. Its in every line of his body. And even though Dan wasn't able to stay unyielding in real life; Yok still see's Dan in that way. The Dan that comes to life under Yok's brush is the ideal that he wanted to be. This portrait is Yok giving Dan the forgiveness he will never give himself; because that's how much he loves him.
Yok's forgiveness is now Dan's baptism.
The thing that stuck out to me though is the background music as the scene plays out : which is an almost ethereal version of Auld lang syne.*
Auld lang syne is a popular drinking song used to bring in New Years all around the world. It was originally a Scottish tavern song but it got popularized by Scottish people who moved abroad. Nowadays its sung at New Years parties or basically any event that's meant to be part reminiscing and part looking forward to the future. This is exactly why I started crying when I heard it play over the Danyok reconciliation scene because its the series giving us this assurance that with time, they will be fine. That the memories and love contained in all their past days will be enough to carry them forward to bigger and better things.
I especially love the line in the song that goes :"And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne"; which to me is the embodiment of Danyok. Its them saying that despite everything that happened, the kindness they have for each other will be their saving grace. Yok has always had the option of thinking about the whole situation only from his point of view. After all, its because of Dan that the gang got caught, first by the police and later by Techit. Even Yok getting shot is indirectly because of Dan's betrayal. If Nuch and the protestors hadn't been there Yok would have died believing that his unconditional trust in Dan was the reason all his friends died. He would have died wondering how his mother would handle a lifetime of not knowing where her son had disappeared to. He would have died, heartbroken, thinking that he was the weak link in the gang that ruined the whole mission. No one would fault Yok for hating Dan for any of this. But instead, like in the song, Yok takes his cup of kindness and uses it to forgive Dan. Uses it to heal whatever fractures they have . Uses it to close the yawning distance Dan's betrayal put between them.
I love that this is the note that Not me chose to end Danyok on . This message that in the end Love and Kindness will be what holds our redemption. That its our capacity for forgiveness and kindness that keeps us unbroken in a broken world.
In other news though, as I was researching Auld lang syne for this post , I came across a very interesting piece of information. Apparently in Scotland Auld lang syne is sung at the end of weddings which ...of course Danyok's reconciliation song is also a fking wedding song.
Of course it is.