Kidnap, episode 11's title card - Die For You

Me

See, what not finna do . . .

We’ve been foreshadowing Min dying for Q all season.

But this is a Thailand BL so it will be ending happy!!

I can’t watch until this afternoon. But I believe.

From Joong’s mouth:

So, I guess don’t worry? 😅

Like this @firstkanaphans? Insp

The Concepts of Community & Family as it Relates to Thai Buddhism in Peaceful Property

I really really enjoyed watching this series. I am someone who grew disillusioned with Buddhism at a young age for very personal reasons, only to find my own version of a relationship with it as I grew older and learned to appreciate it from a different perspective. So the spiritual meaning behind this series really resonated with me.

I can only explain things to the best of my personal knowledge, so my apologies if anything is factually incorrect.

There are four basic tenets that one must cultivate in order to achieve true happiness. They are known as the brahmavihara (พรหมวิหาร). 1 - Metta (เมตตา): Literally translating to mean 'goodwill', it is a genuine concern for the well-being of others. 2 - Karuna (กรุณา): Literally translating to mean 'compassion', it is the recognition of another's suffering as one's own and a selfless desire for that suffering to end. 3 - Mutita (มุทิตา): Literally translating to mean 'kindliness', it is the feeling of experiencing sincere gratification from the happiness and success of others, regardless of self-contribution. 4 - Ubeka (อุเบกขา): Literally translating to mean 'equanimity', it is the ability to remain impartial combined with the understanding the we cannot mitigate the personal karma of others.

Essentially, the brahmavihara teaches us to always place others above ourselves... while realizing that they will be responsible for facing their own consequences if they fail to do the same.

How does this play into the "family" dynamics that exist in PP? Oddly enough there are certain facets of Buddhism that preach 'anti-family' values, as family can be one's primary source of attachment and suffering. There is a quote that states, "Family is the blood that burdens you." However, when a familial bloodline has lost its way (or in this case, has been "cursed"), Buddhism encourages surrounding yourself with a community that is organized on a familial basis... what we would call 'sangha' or 'found family'. Valuing the members of that found family above corrupt ideology would realign one's path toward enlightenment. Or in simpler terms, the people we choose to surround ourselves with can spiritually save us from ourselves.

Home's family has been "cursed" by the three poisons of Buddhism: greed, hatred, and ignorance. Phon's greed and value of worldly possessions over others has led her down of path of literal darkness, toward a belief in the occult. Somkid's hatred toward his father has fueled his deceptive behaviors... which he saw as a way to reclaim a father's love (that he believed he never received) from the people who didn't deserve it. Home's grandfather was ignorant as to how his actions, or lack thereof, affected the family that surrounded him.

Home's own version of ignorance would have led to his own karmic downfall. The series does a great job of having Home slowly discover the true meaning of home by integrating him within a 'found family' that teaches him the values of the brahmavihara... which ultimately leads to his spiritual 'awakening' (in a sense).

Metta/Karuna: Communicating with and healing the souls of the spirits the group encounter, requires compassion and understanding... a sense of community/sangha that these spirits and Chobkol (the magician) were lacking.

There were several instances of compassion born out of goodwill, the most obvious being between Home and Peach. Forgiveness is a big deal in Thai Buddhism. It is one of the cornerstones of what we refer to as "harmonious justice", as it promotes ideals of true selflessness. Peach forgiving Home because he's seen the changes in Home and how this one action does not define who Home actively wants to become was really really important. Home and Peach exist in balance of one another... keeping them on a shared karmic path where Home can no longer 'turn a blind eye' to his family's injustices (we could get into that more, but that'll make this even longer than it already is 😜😜😜). I think having Tay and New take on these roles to almost ease the minds of non-Buddhist viewers toward a more Buddhist ideology was actually quietly genius.

Sangha is also what heals the vengeance in Kan's heart, born of the teachings of Metta: "We must refrain from inflicting suffering upon one another and be free from vengeance." It could have been woven into the narrative with a bit more finesse... but I digress.

Ubeka: Home accepts the rightfully directed anger and complaints against him and his family for the harm they have caused. His partiality toward his family, simply because he is related to them, disappears. He stands against his aunt and fights against his uncle at the risk of his own life. And he does so by still allowing them to face the karmic consequences of their own terrible crimes... whether they are at peace with it or not.

Mutita: Home celebrates Peach's dreams above his own wishes... without knowing that they would eventually coincide. I could even argue that their eventual correlation could be a result of Home's 'good karma' paying forward.

Home had to reevaluate his core morals in order to be free of his family's curse (meaning within himself). All these representations of Buddhist notions, born from within his newfound family, are what define Home's idea of the true meaning of home... and happiness.

Why is the curse on the rich people never that they made shitty choices and chose to hurt people with their money and use of resources and always that they hate each other too much and don't give enough money to other rich people?

I mean, I suppose the curse is that frankly the grandfather sucked at being a parent and making his child feel loved but that's a shitty curse and it's not even the real curse. Sigh.

The real curse is that these shows are so determined to make the rich boys pitiful that they forget to do the part of the story where they give back to the places they hurt or help the people their money keeps hurting because if they admit the money is what's hurting people then you have to face what that means for the wealthy as well as the poor.

Respectfully, because I feel the criticism of wealth is important: Home did do that. Multiple times.

One of the key parts of healing most of the ghost’s wounds was uncovering how they died and healing their hurts. Giving respect to the construction worker who died. Finding out the truth about the wig and punishing the manager. Fulfilling the rider’s last delivery to the woman he loved. And with each round, Home’s demeanor became more respectful and less callous. The contrast of the very fake mediums for the construction worker to Home and Peach sitting very quietly as they deliver the crispy pork house from the rider to make sure his message of love and community was received.

But they didn’t stop just with the dead.

They didn’t sell the magician’s house. They made sure he was able to stay in his home where he was happy with his daughter, regardless of him not having the money. Home and Kan put that house into a trust for him, so he never had to leave.

Home saved Chef’s restaurant for Peach to eventually take over because that’s what Chef would have wanted and is likely to have been her plan had things not gone the way they did. Part of what Home owed to Peach is the three years of misunderstanding and missed opportunities that largely stem from the hit and run. He makes up for this through the uncovering of the truth of Chef’s death, the chef’s table and eventually opening their own restaurant. It’s also why he encouraged Peach to go to Chaing Mai even if he didn’t want him to go.

When confronted with the development, Jan’s betrayal, and the broken promises to Kan’s community, Home spent the entire back 1/3 of the story trying to fix that and nearly got murdered by his family twice for it. They hunted down the contract that proved his family had fucked over the community, twice, as well as uncovered his aunt’s crimes, Uncle Somkid’s crimes and Lawyer Yai’s crimes. And in the end they did change the tenancy laws of the development to get the community back in there. They had an entire montage of it.

Ultimately, the curse was their greed and their isolationist ways. Every member of that family, including Home at the beginning, was more focused on themselves than being in actual community with each other. His aunt was full of greed, even killing her maid and binding her in chains, evoking literal slave imagery, to fulfill her aims. She stole and bribed “for the family” but it was really for her own pockets. Uncle Somkid was so focused on the money he couldn’t see what his father was actually saying or see any of the love and joy his father found in him. I think it’s very telling the only child we see Gramps gift things to without being given something first is Somkid. And he gifts something Somkid values, a place to save money. Gramps isn’t innocent here. He was so focused with the ways he felt it important to connect and how he found joy in his relationship with Somkid, that he missed that Somkid wasn’t getting any of his messages of love. Ultimately the family was so isolated and self-centered they didn’t actually see each other. They were not in community and actively worked against community, including the one Home built with his friends. They undervalued it so much, Somkid and Yai underestimate our ghost hunting crew.

Home’s journey was to learn something the wealthy often ignore: the value and purpose of being in community with others. It’s in building his relationships with Peach, Pangpang and Kan that he learns to give without taking. He risks his life in order to bring justice in the face of his family’s crimes. He takes the deserved vitriol of Kan’s community without any complaint or argument and promises them to repair the harm, and does in the end. When the family points out this will be their undoing, Home welcomes the change. He doesn’t stop Peach from moving to Chaing Mai even if he wants to, because Peach’s dreams are more important to him. It is no surprise that the people they helped in earlier episodes were brought back to support taking down Uncle Somkid and on the board in their new restaurant. They participate in community.

It may not have been in all the ways that people wanted or not centered in the way that people might have liked. And I think that’s fair. We don’t explicitly know what he does with the money, aside from a few anecdotes as well as starting a business with Peach to help people find peace in their grief. The questions about is it enough or is there more he could have done are also important.

I also think it’s necessary to examine why there are so many stories that center the wealthy and their journey, because Home uncovering the meaning of his name made him the main character who had the most to learn and grow from (peach’s journey was mostly resolved in the first half). And I think objecting to that is fair, but that’s also how the story is written. And if you don’t like the story centering a wealthy character who needs to learn how to be in community with others, you shouldn’t watch.

I feel like Jack and Joker is doing a really interesting job of telling a very different side of this story right now that has wealthy characters learning to be in community but also centers the struggles of poor people who are being exploited.

But to say Home did not work to repair the wounds his family made through greed, or give back financially I feel is not textually accurate.

The Heart Killers: Character Interviews (Kant/Bison Focus)

So this proved to be super interesting. Let us see what can be gleaned from these brief little interview segments with Kant and Bison.

Immediately, I'm struck by how serious and stoic Kant comes across. He has a very mature aura, and is quite hard to read (which I guess is a plus considering what he gets up to). I didn't expect this, based on how flirty and forward he appeared to be in the trailer, and that makes me wonder if it's all part of a persona he's playing. That the real Kant is more measured and introspective, or whether Bison brings it out of him.

A notable trait that gets mentioned repeatedly is Kant's care for his brother Babe. I believe Khao has made a similar comment about him being family-oriented. It makes a tonne of sense to me as to why Bison would be drawn to a 'family man'; someone who has strong family values, when Bison's essentially been rejected by his own.

"My goal in life is to make sure my brother grows up into a good man. I want to make sure he doesn't feel like he's lacking anything. We're all we've got right now." "I just live day by day, just keeping with my goal which is making sure my brother grows up well." This is so telling of Kant's mentality. Not only does it suggest that Kant is a stand-in parent of sorts, but that he doesn't live for himself. (Which could be something of a parallel to Bison - who is unable to live by his own rules). His goals centre entirely on his loved ones' needs being met and supporting them. This definitely gives provider with self-sacrificing tendencies.

"I feel like my goal is just to make sure my loved ones get to live their dreams. For now, I just want my brother to have a good life. But one day, if someone comes into my life and I love them, my goal would be to make sure they get to achieve their dreams." This again is such a selfless, touching sentiment. The desire to aid your loved ones to actualise their dreams, possibly before or over your own. I expect Kant will be a very doting, nurturing soul. (Lucky Bison).

I wonder if Kant and Fadel will empathise with one another over their respective little brothers, and the sense of responsibility that comes with it. Bonding opportunity perhaps?

The most mysterious thing Kant says is "One more thing I'm not a big fan of is the beach." (The reason is personal). Curious. First has specifically talked about filming on the beach, where they were able to do a lot more improv. Any speculations on the above are wide open.

Now let's move onto our resident Murder Kitten. Bison comes across as a real sweetie-pie based on everything we've seen thus far. He's very animated and expressive. Khao very deliberately uses a softer, lighter vocal register as Bison, which just accentuates this darling image. A real child at heart who wants to make up for a life he didn't get to lead. "I go out, I'm just trying to live outside the burger shop." His childhood dream about seeing the northern lights is just another example of a boy who has daydreamed of escape, and welcomes any excuse to be as far away from his actual life as possible. He also mentions being fond of a stray cat who resides near their burger bar, who he enjoys feeding and playing with. (Note: I need to have scenes of this in the show PURR-LEASE).

Everything about Bison as a person is so at odds with his violent lifestyle, which seems to be a pivotal conflict of Bison's character arc. It does beg the question of what if Bison had never been adopted, what kind of life would he be living instead? And I think this correlates to Kant's desire for Bison to have a new start.

Another note that's we've heard before in the pilot is "I also don't like liars", no doubt foreshadowing the fallout when he finds out Kant did exactly that. I do think it's likely that whatever drives Kant to take the detective job has reasons to do with his brother. He may wish to clear his record of anything untoward for his brother's sake. Based on this premise, when Bison does find out Kant's underlying motivations for doing this, I think that will help soothe any hard feelings.

On a side note - I've seen a comment mention that Kant apparently calls Bison 'kitten' in the novel. ERM HULLO?!! I will allow one spoiler, and that is whether this is true or not. And if so, I DEMAND that it is a featured pet name in the show, because why on earth would you miss an opportunity like that?