Our Skyy 2 (2023)

A lot of wasted potential

“Our Skyy 2” was meant to give us more of the good stuff (for those who – unlike me – enjoyed all the shows it was based on), but with a twist. At least that’s what I thought after watching the official trailer – which led me to believe, that some (or maybe all) episodes will be somehow connected with an overarching plot. That was proven as false very quickly; what we really got were 16 episodes of similar or lower quality than the original shows; see my thoughts on each special below - in the order in which they aired.

“Never Let Me Go” was a terrible show and its “Our Skyy 2” episodes aren’t better. For about 30 minutes of the 1st episode Phuwin’s Nueng continues to be the same annoying jerk he was for almost the entire original series, while Pond is the same boring, stiff Palm. Again, there’s no chemistry between Pond and Phuwin – something I got used to by now; GMMTV should seriously rethink pairing those two together. The twist, plot and basically only new thing this special brought – the time-travel induced role reversal – wasn’t interesting nor amusing; it wasn’t important either. Both episodes suffered from surprisingly low production quality. I rated NLMG at 2.5 (overall) and see no reason to rate the special any higher.

“Star in My Mind”. The original show wasn’t great, it was at best decent (and a good study on why communication matters in relationships), with a few finer moments (the script of the original show had much more potential; the show could have been a much better one). The special had almost no substance; fluffy, but dragged on forever and got boring very quickly. Easily forgettable piece of BL entertainment. Dunk and Joong always seem to be more interesting off screen, but at least there was something between them – not full blown chemistry, but a spark. The Satang-Winny thing came – show-wise – out of nowhere, as their characters had no interaction in the original series; it looked like an attempt to copy their good dynamic and decent chemistry from MSP. Overall rating: 7.0.

“The Eclipse” wasn’t my favorite BL (with the plot often bordering on idiocy), but Khaotung and First did a very good job there and deserved praise. Same happened with the special – which, by the way, was the first bit of “Our Skyy 2” that I enjoyed. Overall rating: a solid 8.0 for the chemistry and originality.

“Vice Versa”: the original show was okay, albeit it was a bit disappointing with the whole parallel universe thing being merely a canvas for a BL love story (rather than an important part of the story itself). I appreciated the special for standing on its own, with a self-contained small story. Jimmy and Sea look good together, but I was never fully convinced by their acting; I won’t be the first to say that they give off buddy vibes rather than BF vibes. Overall rating: 8.0.

MSP was great (I rated it at 9.5) – which can’t be said about the special. We got more of the same fluffy and cute goodness as in the original series with some minor twists and tweaks as well as some fan service added for a good measure (#TiwPorisreal). Unfortunately all of that goodness came from recycling the original show and reusing its plot. Even the title of the special – “Multiverse of Cuteness” – was misleading, as it was implying that we’ll see a different story, a new approach, familiar characters in a new setting, facing new problems etc. None of that happened, as all we got was a rehash of what we knew. We didn’t get episodes 13 and 14 of MSP; we got episodes 1-6 again, but condensed into 2 episodes. Some will say that it was great, as many have missed those characters – and now got them for 2 more episodes; other (like me) will feel disappointed by lack of any originality. Overall rating: 7.0 due to the disappointment.

“A Boss and a Babe” was a weird, partly successful attempt at comedy merged with a BL story, mixed (very poorly) with more serious stuff; tonaly the show was all over the place. The special is more consistent – It’s a comedy. It also drags a bit and feels like 1,5 episodes stretched into 2 episodes. Overall rating: 7.0.

“Bad Buddy meets ATOTS”: I won’t event try to separate the stories of episodes 13-16 of “Our Skyy 2” and will have to rate them together – which isn’t easy. “Bad Buddy” and ATOTS are wonderful (two of my all-time favorite BLs), but very different shows and merging them is a tricky business. It should happen for a reason – and I don’t see one. Pat and Pran’s plotline isn’t a continuation of “Bad Buddy” – as we already know how that story ends; this makes their part of the special seem unimportant and a bit pointless. There’s no character development and very little of what we could consider added value. OhmNanon are in good form, but have to work with too much of (deliberately) rehashed scenes and lines – hence the freshness of Pat’s and Pran’s relationship I remember from “Bad Buddy” is absent. The 4 episodes special seems much more about Tian and Phupha and their story. The script is far from being perfect, with some key issues handled in an incomprehensible way, but the main message (eventually) does come across. I got all teary during the second half of ep. 16; EarthMix did a wonderful job there, while P’Aof actually wrote a new (but not final) chapter to the Tian-Phupha story. That saved the special, making it a worthy successor to the terrific original ATOTS. Overall rating: 8.5.

Overall rating for “Our Skyy 2”: 7.0.

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Sky's the Limit

I had high expectations for Our Skyy 2, too high, it turns out. I was looking forward to a continuation of stories I had come to love or at least tolerate. Unfortunately, the powers that be decided to get creative or lazy, depending on the case, with a number of these stories and those mostly failed to deliver. It's not all bad, there are some that are absolute gems, but it's not what I was hoping for and I am a bit disappointed in how it turned out.

Episodes 1 & 2 - Never Let Me Go - 5.5 Stars
Of the dramas being continued with Our Skyy 2, Never Let Me Go is my least favorite. I didn't think it was a great drama to begin with and it's one that seemed to have a pretty conclusive ending that didn't need any further embellishment so I didn't have high hopes for these two episodes. That turned out to be a very good thing as they were completely underwhelming and frankly, quite tedious to watch.

The story just seemed ridiculous. To go from the more serious tone of Never Let Me Go with being hunted down and trying to survive to these two episodes where we suddenly have fortune tellers and magical bracelets and curses and jumping through time, it was incredibly jarring. There are far too many plot holes, too many questions left unanswered and not nearly enough time to properly flesh everything out.

The few things that I liked were that Palm and Nueng did communicate. Not necessarily well all the time, but they made the effort. It was certainly an improvement over their almost total lack of communication in NLMG. Despite not feeling like it really fit with the drama, I was intrigued by the historical setting. If the special had fit in better with the original drama, I think I could have liked it. The power swap was interesting with Palm suddenly being the rich and powerful one and Nueng as a servant. It created a different dynamic between them at times though I think it could have been played with to a greater extent. I liked the side couples of Phum/Petch and Kan/Kla. I found them more compelling than Palm and Nueng, particularly as Petch and Kla. And while they couldn't be together due to the time they lived in, it was gratifying to see their descendants able to be together without fear.

These two episodes were just a mess. They didn't add anything of value to the story and just felt really out there and disconnected from the drama. If you're like me and not a fan of Never Let Me Go, don't waste your time on these episodes, you won't be missing anything.

Episodes 3 & 4 - Star In My Mind - 7.0 stars
Between Star in My Mind and Sky in Your Heart, I much preferred Sky in Your Heart. So going into watching these two episodes, I didn't have high expectations. Imagine my surprise when I found that I actually overall enjoyed them and found them equal parts funny and endearing.

These two episodes are essentially just fluff without a whole lot of substance. Nothing dramatic happens, it's basically just Khabkluen and Daonuea being in love and telling each other how much they love the other. I liked that what was showcased was a healthy relationship. They actually communicate with each other and when things turn romantic, Khabkluen makes sure that Daonuea is okay with what is happening.

Their friends were entertaining. Their antics and the way they teased their two friends was amusing. I also liked the way Typhoon was handled. They could have made him sad or bitter, unable to move on from Daonuea, but instead they not only showed him moving on but even revealed that he was able to be friends with Daonuea.

These two episodes exceeded my expectations which, to be fair, wasn't hard since they were pretty low. Still, they made me laugh and smile and delivered some good moments. I think they demonstrated how to write a romance without the need of a lot of skinship to distract from the substandard plot or characters. I would recommend these episodes as they just tell a feelgood story.

Episodes 5 & 6 - The Eclipse - 8.5 stars
The Eclipse is one of my favorite BL dramas and I was really looking forward to these two episodes. I found what they did interesting and creative and even though it wasn't a hit with every scene, the characters are what really made these two extra episodes special. It was the characters that I fell in love with in the drama and they are what made me really enjoy this continuation of their stories.

Of the episodes that have aired thus far, I felt these two had the best combination of story and fluff. I thought going with a continuation of Wat's moviemaking was a unique choice since it played a relatively minor role in the original, but a good one. The scenes with the characters imagining themselves in various movies was incredibly cheesy, but also somewhat entertaining. It does feel a bit rushed at times, but with just two episodes, they didn't have a ton of time to fully flesh out the story and it's still good as is.

I did like that there was a clear progression in the characters' growth. They were not exactly the same as they were in the original. I liked that Akk and Aye were shown as having to actually work at their relationship. They were always a study in opposites, but with the drama from the series behind them, that comes to the fore, and they need to learn to communicate and compromise. I do wish there was more of a focus on them learning to communicate. Akk keeps things bottled up and there's no way for Aye to learn from or try to rectify the problem when he's being tight lipped. Kisses are great, but they don't solve the problem. On the flip side, I liked that Thua did communicate his feelings to Kan. There was still the element there that kisses solve problems, but I felt it was a better progression than with Akk and Aye.

I love the friendships here, especially between Akk, Wat, and Kan. The way they support each other is just so wholesome and I really love that even though Akk and Kan aren't into the indie movies that Wat is, they are still willing to encourage and support him in his dream.

My biggest qualm, honestly, was Aye pretending not to remember it was Akk's birthday. I know he was trying to surprise him, but every time I see that come up in dramas, I can't help but think it's just a recipe for disaster as it nearly always leads to issues.

I really enjoyed this special. Some of the lines from it just really hit home, like when Aye talks about the difference between "place" and "space". I think its safe to say that The Eclipse and many of these other dramas became a space for a lot of us where we feel warmth and love and I think that is just beautiful. This was a wonderful addition to The Eclipse story that you don't want to miss.

Episodes 7 & 8 - Vice Versa - 8.5 stars
Of the stories told thus far, this was the most wholesome and the most well done. It had twists and turns that were fairly well done and entertaining, good character development, good music and generally just told a very endearing story. I wasn't sure what I would think of this one based off the trailer but it completely surpassed my expectations.

I loved that the story didn't go where I thought it would. I honestly thought it was going to revolve around Tess or Pakorn's love child and Talay and Puen left having to raise the kid. And that's certainly the initial impression. But then there's the twist that he is actually Tup's nephew and he and Tou had the brilliant idea of having the kid pretend to be Talay and Puen's son to help them reconnect since work has been pulling them apart. And then there's an added twist when it comes out that Puen is in on it and a further twist when Talay overhears Puen, Tup, and Tou's conversation and puts the pieces together. He and Jigsaw plotting together was the cutest thing ever. Though I would have loved to know how Tup convinced his sister to let him kidnap her kid for who knows how long.

Again, everything about this special was so wholesome. I appreciated that Talay and Puen recognized that there was a problem and actively sought to fix it. Focusing too much on work and neglecting a partner is a fairly common issue, I feel, and I liked that it was addressed. I loved the creativity of the calendar and giving each day of the month a theme of sorts. And then when Jigsaw landed in their laps, they pretty much took it in stride. They worked together to take care of him and even when he went missing at the zoo, they really didn't blame each other. Things weren't blown out of proportion, they each took responsibility for the fact that they got distracted and apologized to Jigsaw for neglecting him.

I was impressed with the character growth of Talay and Puen. It's nothing astronomic, but it's there and with such a limited time frame, it was well done. I appreciated that they communicated with each other and had an actually healthy relationship. I loved getting to see more of Tup and Tou in this universe. They added a good dose of entertainment.

This was an excellent follow-up to the drama. I really did enjoy every moment of it and any complaints I might have are miniscule. I loved the relationships both romantic and platonic, the family dynamic between Talay, Puen, and Jigsaw, the realistic challenges faced, and the way that the characters interacted. This is one that I may come back to in the future.

Episodes 9 & 10 - My School President - 7.0 stars
There is one reason and one reason only these two episodes are getting as high a rating as they are and that is solely because of the cast. I had serious concerns after seeing the trailer for MSP and those concerns were absolutely valid. This special could have been so much more than it was and I'm truly sad at the lost opportunity.

I cannot even begin to explain how lazy the premise of this felt. They could have jumped to them in college or after college, though age wise that would have been a stretch, or, heck, the summer after they graduate. Just about anything else they could have come up with would have been more interesting and creative than what we got. It's not a word for word or scene for scene copy, but it's close enough that I struggled to stay invested because it's already been done.

Everything felt rushed, probably because they were trying to fit a 12 episode drama into 2 episodes. It also felt choppy for that same reason. The continuity was lacking and it just felt like we were jumping from one scene to the next. There needed to be a bit more filler to join everything together. I also felt like the quality was just lower. The music was pretty decent, but there were multiple times where the instrumental parts overwhelmed the vocals to the point they were very hard to hear. There was also the ballroom dance exam scene which dragged on far too long and it was painfully clear they hadn't had nearly enough time to practice because their movements were so stiff and clunky.

Now when I say the cast was the one saving grace, I am not even kidding. They were literally the only reason I persisted through both episodes. They are all so charismatic and they do have that ability to draw you in. But even they seemed to be lacking the energy that was present in the drama. Everything just felt subdued. I think I really noticed that with Sound and Win. They were such firecracker characters in MSP and it felt like the fire had gone out of them and they were a shadow of their alter universe egos. Same with Tinn and Gun to an extent. They just didn't have that same spark. I did like the Tiwson and Por got to be realized as a fully fledged couple. Their interactions were adorable and I'm happy they got more screen time. I do think trying to throw in Khajorn and Phat as another couple, albeit more of just a suggested one, was unnecessary.

The one other aspect that I actually quite enjoyed was the inclusion of other BLs in their MV there at the end. I thought that was cute and clever.

These episodes have some cute and funny/cheesy moments. They do change some things up so it's not a carbon copy of MSP, but if they wanted to go with an alternate universe story, there were so many more creative ways they could have gone about it. I didn't hate it, but neither did I love it and I think I'll always be left thinking of what could have been.

Episodes 11 & 12 - A Boss and a Babe - 7.5 stars
Starting this drama, I had a moment of dread thinking they were going with a body swap story or even another alternate universe a la MSP. However, I was pleasantly surprised when that was not the case. Considering that I wasn't a huge fan of the drama, I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it was worth watching.

One of the biggest problems I had with the drama was the almost complete lack of sensical plot. Here, there was a more clearly defined plot and it worked pretty well. The focus on getting Gun to understand that he didn't have to be so overbearing and harsh towards his employees and that work is for work hours allowed us to get to know the characters better, Gun especially. It also allowed for some genuinely comedic moments with Cher acting as the boss and Gun as the intern.

Character wise, I liked getting to know Gun better, his way of thinking and perceiving people and actions. I also appreciated getting to know Cher more. He's more perceptive than you would think and sometimes his antics can make one forget that he's actually pretty smart. While that's not shown extensively here, he does have his moments to show that intelligence. And the length he went to both to help Gun destress and show him that he needed to be more attuned to his employees feelings and needs showed how much he cared. It was very wholesome to see. And of course he got to have fun bossing his boyfriend around and getting to be the boss for a day, but it's pretty clear Gun doesn't really mind. I also enjoyed the return of Cher's friends, especially Three and Zo. That scene with them pretending to fight was pretty entertaining. The group's friendship was one of the positives from the drama and it remained so here. The fact that they were so supportive of Cher, even agreeing to his ridiculous plan, just showcased that they're the kind of friends everyone should have.

I think this addition to My Skyy 2 is my favorite thus far. It was pretty much what I was hoping for from the entirety of the series and I have my fingers crossed that they won't annihilate Bad Buddy or Thousand Stars and will stick to this formula. I enjoyed the fact that these episodes were more than just pure fluff, they actually had some depth to them. It was a good way to conclude their story and it seems fitting that they're sent off with a dash of humor.

Episodes 13 to 16 - Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars - 8.5 stars
As these two stories were so tightly intertwined, I'm going to rate them together as it's difficult if not impossible to separate them. As every series previously had their own two episodes, I was not expecting the combining of these two and while there are aspects that I ended up liking, in the end, I do feel it was unnecessary and I don't understand why it was done.

These are two of my favorite BL dramas, so I was very much looking forward to the continuation of them. However, I found myself in many ways disappointed, particularly with the continuation of Bad Buddy. Rather than continuing where the drama left off, it decided to pick up after Pat and Pran pretend to break up. With all that goes on, it didn't really make sense from the stand point of them having to hide their relationship because they don't really seem to be trying that hard to hide it. And then trying to combine their story with that of Tian and Phupha's felt forced. There didn't seem to be a purpose for combining these two stories which made it harder for me to get on board with. After Episode 13 which was focused on Pat and Pran, the remaining three episodes felt much more focused on Tian and Phupha which means we didn't get to see as much of Pat and Pran as I would have liked. There also felt like there were multiple discrepancies between A Tale of Thousand Stars and these episodes which really pulled me out of the moment. The disagreements between Tian and Phupha felt poorly developed, ridiculous and not really in line with their characters.

Episodes 15 and 16 are where things picked up and I started to enjoy it more with Episode 16 giving us a solid ending. The story got a bit repetitive at times with them getting lost, but once that part was over, we started getting some of the sweet scenes that were generally lacking in the first two episodes. Episode 16 was my favorite both due to the play, which was very fun to watch and made me weirdly emotional, I don't know why, as well as Phupha giving Tian their thousandth star which was incredibly romantic. I also found it entertaining the nods to they gave to Bad Buddy between Tian and Phupha with Phupha asking Tian to rate his "performance" and the ending which was a combination of the endings from both Bad Buddy and Tale of Thousand Stars.

Character development felt a bit slim with all parties. Bad Buddy mostly because they didn't really have any way to grow since we already know how things end between them so it left them a bit stuck. I also didn't feel it much with Tale of Thousand Stars since I didn't feel like the characters were quite the same as they were in the series so there was a bit of a disconnect for me.

This joint venture started on a bit of a low note, but managed to end on a high note and served as a fitting conclusion for Bad Buddy/Tale of Thousand Stars and for Our Skyy 2 as a whole.

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