Until We Meet Again (2019)

Everything About This Was Done Beautifully

I'm not terribly active on this page as of yet, but I had to come here to give credit where it is due for the tremendous story and production that made this series unmatched in any country or by any studio.
I know that it has been three years since the cameras were set up for this series, but after I watched it, watched it again, and back for a third time, I can recommend this show to everyone, especially those who are willing to feel the strong emotions these episodes will make you feel every four minutes.

The acting talents, the storyline and the subtle details that were all brought together in one place made this series one that unexpectedly found a way to make me fall badly for this show. I can guarantee that compared to any film you've seen, you will not go away from this one unaffected.
I was completely astonished at how well these characters were played convincingly and was impressed all of the way through the series at how many times I felt very emotional.

In other words, I cried. Many times. Which I'm not in the habit of doing for any movie, show or good book.
This series, however, pushed all of the buttons on me at once, and it has produced more tears from me than the times where I've lost family members and pets.
Anyone who can direct and act to do this to me multiple times in one episode alone has my undying respect forever.

The plot built around soulmates finding each other drew me in right away, and the acting talents took over from there.
Add in the musical score, the locations and the way each scene was built, and I was hooked by Episode Three.
Besides the number of tears this series commands, I was touched at how many details were carefully put into each part of this story, some of which I didn't even catch until I watched the whole series for a second time.

One example that can be used to describe the care given to this whole story was in how many things were going on at once in just the one scene at Pharm's condo with the Sour Curry.
First, you had Dean bringing dinner to Pharm, which was a switch because Pharm had been doing all of the cooking for everyone.
Then, you had Dean being doting and attentive as always and trying to get close to Pharm, and still letting Pharm call the shots and take things at his own pace.
Then, Dean serves dinner, and Fluke's great acting as Pharm tells you instantly that he knows something isn't quite right without any lines being said, especially when he tries the first bite and knows exactly what Dean has served him.
When you peel back the layers of the 30 years leading up to that dinner, you will be crying as hard as Fluke was every time you see it.

Add into the same scene that this dinner that Dean's grandmother put together for them was the Sour Curry that she had made for Intouch on his birthday when he never came home, and you feel like you're sitting there with them experiencing it, too.
As if I hadn't cried for enough reasons in this episode, it wasn't until a re-watch of the series that I noticed that Dean's grandmother had sent him off to Pharm's condo with her gold set of containers.
These were the same ones that Intouch had served to Korn 30 years ago when he showed off his cooking talents by burning the omelet. More tears. . . .thanks.
Having Dean's grandmother finally get to serve the birthday dinner to the little brother she had lost was one of the tougher moments of this show to get through. Fluke's acting to make it believable was incredible.

I'm still wondering. . .who writes a screenplay out there that can have all of things hitting you at once in just one scene, and then keep doing that to you 60 other times throughout the series in other scenes?
And, by the time you get to this scene, who wouldn't love to be in a relationship where someone looks at you the way Dean looks at Pharm, includes him in every part of his life, and treats him like a living treasure at all times?

There are a few comments on this board about a few of the dislikes that took away from the quality of the series, and after taking a step back, I can see why everything is fine just the way it is and doesn't need any changes.

I noticed that the pace of things could often seem slow, but I saw there was a good reason for all of the pauses, and they belonged there.
Like the scene at Sorn's restaurant where Sin has the police report to go over with Dean.
No one says a word for big parts of the scene, and I felt like I was in suspense at the table with them, not really ready to be told what was in the envelope, too. Everything leading up to this scene several episodes back made the pace here rightfully so.
I noticed that many times in the series, and I thought it was just important for the character development as any of the faster-paced scenes.

There was discussion about why the scene was done where Pharm finds the photos, the keychain and the gun, and that the scene didn't belong in the plot.
To me, the scene belonged there because there was still so much story to tell leading up to it, and Pharm was still a bit elusive about his past life, and only at that time was all of it crystal clear. For a few good reasons, the series needed that scene, especially when it involved Korn's father directly.

At first, I thought Sammy's character as Manaow was over-played and exaggerated, but by the middle of the series, I got to see how perfect the character was to bring balance to the whole group, and how great she was to be the perfect partner-in-crime with Del.

The only dislike I would hold on to yet would just be the product placements and the 35 bags of Lay's Chips I saw by Episode 17.
But, I'm not from Thailand, and my opinion from 11,000 miles away isn't really valid for the ways Americans conduct themselves, especially in these last several years. So I can forgive the abundance of Lay's and cosmetics.

I can't do a review here without calling out a few members of the cast that made this work flawlessly.

Koi's role as Dean's grandmother Ahn was absolutely terrifying.
That level of acting ability should not be restricted to just Thailand.
I will be one of many to admit that as soon as she appeared on screen, I was crying.
Her role wasn't as big as the other actors', but it was searing and profound.

Ohm's role as Dean was great for many reasons, one being how he made his character evolve from just Episode 1 to Episode 10.
Dean was cold, detached and all business early on, and by half-time, he was smiling, posting things on Facebook, and relaxed around almost everyone.
Seeing him completely emotionally spent showing up late at night to Pharm's condo was in complete contrast to who we saw at the beginning.
I also liked how his character was in contrast to Korn's personality 30 years earlier.
Korn was elusive, unsure and at odds on how his relationship with Intouch could ever work.
Dean, though, was attentive , first to make a move, and absolutely doing whatever it took to make the relationship with Pharm survive and work.
Kao, being in his first role, did a great job showing the tension between happiness and family duty with Korn's relationship with Intouch.

Fluke playing Pharm was phenomenal, not just for the raw emotions he put into the character, but for the way it balanced out Intouch's personality traits from his past life.
Intouch was ready to dive into a relationship on Day One, was openly excited, and couldn't even manage to cook an omelet or Instant Noodle.
Pharm, by contrast, was gifted at cooking, shy about his feelings and conduct around others, and was willing to go as slow as needed in the relationship.
There were mentions that Pharm's character needed to be less rigid in his standards and more cheerful, but the way Fluke played it was perfect to play against Dean's character and to contrast Intouch's.

I can't say enough good things about Earth and how he played Intouch.
Chilling and real to start with, and probably followed by impressive on a big scale.
The best actors in the business are the ones who can act a whole scene with just their eyes and expressions without saying a word, and Earth is one of them, and I can't imagine this role of Intouch going to anyone else and making it work as flawlessly as it was in this series.

There was a comment somewhere here on the board that when Earth cries, everyone starts crying.
I am living proof of that through these 17 Episodes, for both Earth and Fluke and their ability to turn on the strong emotions.
It was sometimes hard to watch some of these scenes because I didn't know which of them was going bring me to tears the hardest.
I don't know whether I should thank them both for that, or to be angry.

Boun and Prem playing Win and Team worked great in this series, and I'm glad that the relationship was picked up for another series to come.
I had to re-watch the series to notice that it was practically love at first sight for Win, and that he spent the next 9 episodes getting Team closer and closer to sitting under the mistletoe for Christmas.
These characters are a good match and I liked the chemistry.

Pineare as Dean's sister Del was a great addition to the cast for a lot of reasons, with one being that she was wonderful at showing her character's thoughts with just one expression and few words. You could look at her in a scene for just three seconds and sense what the entire mood in the room was.

Mean playing Alex was a small role, but had lots of good acting.
I've seen Mean in other roles and he really turned up the talent here by playing more of a villain type.

To those of you who haven't had the chance to watch this series yet, I am jealous of all of you for the fact that I can't go back to seeing this for the very first time again.
When you see it, it will quickly become a favorite, and if you watch for all of the details and get into the character's roles in any form, you will probably be crying for the 18th time by the time you get to Episode 4.

I am still in awe at how this series affected me in ways that other films and shows couldn't, even with the fact that they had 15 hours of material to work with.
I fell for this one really hard, not because of the storyline by itself, but because there were great actors working on this to make it perfect.

I wish you luck for your experience to come when you get to see it for yourself, and I challenge you to make it to Episode 12 with any of your Kleenex left in the box.

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