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scoups4lyfe · 2 years

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VegasPete and Stockholm Syndrome

Okay so….just obsessively scrolling through the KP and VP tags every Saturday I end up seeing everybody and their brothers takes. (And if not on Saturday then I will the entire rest of the week because I check that tag like checking the morning newspaper 🤪)

And seeing “Stockholm Syndrome” for the tv series (esp cause I read the VP side story lmaooo rip) really amused me for multiple reasons,,,

Lemme just start right from the bat and say that it is perfectly valid to be confused on Pete’s actions, especially as he’s been held hostage.

“Why didn’t he leave?? He should of left???”

Obv the thought process here is: Pete hates Vegas —> seen what Vegas goes through and empathized —> worries about his captor —> doesn’t leave when presented the option —> therefore he has Stockholm syndrome.

Mhm mhmmm I can understand how you could come to that conclusion. However, I firmly disagree. I saw a post that said they wanted to label Vegas and Pete’s relationship Stockholm sooooo badly but knew that wasn’t entirely it and that there was something more complex but they couldn’t understand what.

Haha let me explain to you just what that “what” is.

Having read the book, I have a bit more of a foundation when it comes to comparison, making it easier to see and understand the intent behind the way the Director and writers have adapted the novel into the series. I’m in the middle of writing an essay about these changes and why the tv show is hands down (no competition) a million times better (written) than the book.

In the book, yeah I would say Pete and Vegas have a Stockholm relationship. Hmmm maybe not even then? Because if we’re defining Stockholm as a coping mechanism of empathizing with the captor during times of stress and harm in order to help make it through a traumatic situation; then I say: So~so. See, Pete’s mindset in the book is completely different than it is in the series.

In the book there was no understanding for why Vegas is a fked up lil maniac. “Parental abuse? Tough, but people out there have had it tougher 😶✌️.”

That was Pete’s mindset.

It was really “well that sucks for you but I don’t care — cuz you’re a henious villain” thought process.

In fact Pete only started being nice to Vegas/doing what he said so that Vegas would get bored and either kill him or let him go. That’s it. That’s like 92% of their novel relationship. Pete being fake asf so Vegas would find him boring.

Even prior to being captor and captive Book!Pete could not and did not see behind Vegas’ mask. In his own thoughts during his time captive, he thinks about how he had always perceived Vegas as y’know “just some guy” even with Kinn/Tankhun’s warnings — these warnings being the only reason he knew to be wary of Vegas in the first place.

Chef’s kiss 💋 👌👌 to the show for the way they made specific and subtle changes from the source material that would greatly change the entire dynamic of all the characters and their relationships with each other. (But that’s an essay for a whole other day 👀)

Now, how did the show change Vegas and Pete’s relationship into something entirely new, even more fked up than it was in the narrative, and yet somehow a million times better?

Simple.

(1) Pete’s observation skills and ability to see through Vegas mask from the very beginning. AND his “there’s no heroes or villains” mindset

(2) Pete *choosing* to sneak in with the knowledge and preparation of his torture and death should things go wrong.

(3) The shared experience of both having abusive fathers.

(Pete being the more mature and introspective and aware one between the two, aKa giving Vegas some solid therapy and enlightenment.)

(4) The clippers that have been left in the room with Pete. These writers have been intentional to the *T* — if all these damn essays and meta aren’t proof enough to yall of that then 🤷 idk what else I could give to prove that to you.

(Listennnnnnn,,, you don’t have all these intentional choices for every little thing and then accidentally leave bolt cutters on set of an important scene. Would make no damn sense.)

(5) The hedgehog 🦔

(Vegas didn’t have a pet in the novel…not one I remember at least.)

(6) The Key 🔑

(7) Vegas not initiating the Kiss

Okay. All of the above 1–7 are just a few of the changes made that have major importance for both Pete and Vegas’ relationship.

With Pete being able to see under Vegas’ mask we know that Vegas’ fake masks don’t fool him. There’s something about Vegas that Pete can see through. So when Pete chooses to sneak into the minor family compound — vocally stating before he does it that he knows the consequences— this informs the audience that he’s prepared for them. For capture, torture, death. Which is why when Vegas comes in to torture him and Pete knows he’s foiled his plans and will most likely die? Dude has nothing to lose, so he’ll be damned if he’ll let Vegas see his fear.

Not only does this give Pete a lot more agency. (In the book it was just, wrong place, wrong time); but — as fked up as it is — it also lets the audience feel less bad when he does inevitably get caught / tortured.

It’s not that he asked for it, but at least he knew what was going to happen. An unsuspecting victim is a lot more pitiable than a suspecting victim. Especially if it’s a consequence of a choice he voluntarily made — compared to being forced to investigate via ‘boss’s order.’ So already the writers are setting us up to not hate Vegas as much as we would if Pete truly stumbled into the situation on accident.

Now one of the most important differences — that shared trauma of having an abusive father, and using it to relate to Vegas. Unlike Book!Pete, our Pete recognizes Vegas’ situation. He’s been in the same place — while having the actual affection of his grandmother to fall back on (which Vegas obv didn’t have); therefore he also understands why Vegas tortures him the way that he does — he understands that Vegas is only feeling pathetic and lousy and is taking that out on him.

But in that tender and melancholic moment when Vegas decides to be vulnerable after patching up Pete’s wounds, Pete talks to Vegas with an understanding only someone in his position (or a therapist lol) would have. Even then, objectively knowing something is different than having experienced it yourself. And it’s the fact that Pete’s *also* experienced that sh*t that lends credibility to what he’s saying — at least in Vegas’ eyes.

This is why Pete knows there’s no good or evil, hero or villain, black or white binary in this world.

Because when you get down to it: we truly are shaped by our environments and the things we experience as we grow (obv not ignoring genetics but that’s not the point). And it’s this reflective and mature/observational outlook that helps him empathize with Vegas.

More than empathize — it’s *this* outlook that helps Pete not hold lasting grudges or hate for past hurts.

It’s always easier to forgive someone when you know where they’re coming from.

And Pete never really took it personally (for the most part) considering Vegas is on an opposing side. When an enemy gets captured on the enemy’s base of course they’d get either killed or tortured, esp for information.

That’s not something special to Vegas.

Vegas refusing to kill Pete tho? Lol. That’s enough for a dislike to sour. But I don’t think it sours all that much once we put in the consideration of Pete’s observations recognizing what Vegas is — a victim of an abusive home/situation.

(Not that it excuses him, but nobody’s trying to do that here LOL.)

Now getting down to the nitty gritty.

The hedgehog, the key, and why Pete isn’t a victim of Stockholm syndrome.

First, I think the hedgehog 🦔 is very important because it gives the audience (and Pete) another reason to empathize with Vegas — humans might not mean sh*t to him, but he loves and takes care of his pets.

He loves something. He cares about something. This humanizes him.

And a small and fragile pet can often humanize a character more than a human. A real sicko kills animals. But Vegas’ care for his hedgehog 🦔 shows that he isn’t that. He’s human too—albeit a really fked up one, but human nonetheless. He’s capable of love too, but perhaps humans have hurt him so much that he knows only an animal would be something he can trust.

This kind of trust and love he can only find in animals is also a very isolating existence. It highlights just how trapped Vegas is — the Hedgehog is literally a mirror of himself and his situation.

Yes he cares for Macau — but it’s “easier” to care for a human than an animal. Easier to empathize with a human. So while yeah, his care for his brother, while subtle in the show, is important, it isn’t as important to the audience as his love for his hedgehog. Especially when it comes to convincing an audience to forgive a character’s past villainy and long list of crimes.

But here’s what’s really important — the key.

Vegas leaving the key there (intentional or not; but imo, I think it’s obv intentional. Dude is way too meticulous for that to be accidental), gives Pete the agency to either escape or stay.

This, again, helps the audience be more okay with the idea of the two of them ending up in a relationship. It’s one thing if Pete has no choice and goes along with things to survive or cope with trauma — but it’s entirely something else if he’s allowed to leave, but doesn’t.

But Pete’s reason for staying has to be rational in some sense so the suspension of disbelief doesn’t attack the audience going 900 mph on the logic freeway.

So him escaping but seeing Vegas sitting pathetically on the grass, alone in the dark, and holding his dead pet?

The person there isn’t the dude that tortured him. Naw, that part of Vegas — is the child trapped in a cage and left isolated in the dark while anything that had ever brought him light or comfort in his life leaves him. He may be sitting on grass, but for Vegas it could’ve been the equivalent of sitting on broken glass.

It’s such a stark difference too from the versions of Vegas Pete’s used to seeing. Yeah he had that conversation about dads last episode, but even then Vegas wasn’t totally broken and left in despair.

But this Vegas?

This Vegas was someone so broken he couldn’t even cry until Pete touched him to provide comfort.

This Vegas isn’t just a sharp edge that can cut you if you get too close, now’s he’s much too broken for that — and his sharp edge has twisted inward from attacking others to attacking himself.

At this point, Pete’s beyond empathizing with his captor — esp because he isn’t a captive here. He’s not chained anymore. Vegas has no interest holding him captive. Pete at any point after he got out of those chains could have left and Vegas would do nothing to stop him.

Vegas is broken. He’s depressed. And he’s numb because it hurts too much to do anything but sit in his own despair. Pete touching him in comfort might’ve opened the floodgates of that hurt, but that doesn’t mean it changed how Vegas felt. Dude is still in despair when he heads inside.

Anyways this is getting too long so I’ll make a part two — getting more particular in the psychology of why Pete stayed, and why he kissed Vegas.

Closing words to end on:

Pete doesn’t leave because he knows what it’s like, and he’s sees the humanity and pain in Vegas and he cares. He cares because no broken and abused kid should be left isolated in the dark, not even knowing how to cry. He cares because he wants to do for Vegas what his grandmother did for him. What he wished more people would have done when he was in that pain and darkness.

He cares because he looks at Vegas and he sees himself.

#man this episode made me mentally ill y’all #rip to my usual followers but KinnPorsche has pervaded my brain #y’all know this because I start writing essays on it 🤪💀💀#getting a new battery for comp today #and maybe then I’ll continue my live-blogging <333 #until then tho excuse me while I lose my damn mind #KinnPorsche #vegaspete #KP analysis #meowfiaso 2 electric boogaloo #kinnporsche the series #vegas x pete #tw: abuse #tw: depression #tw: torture #kinnporsche spoilers

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ichigokeks · 2 years

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Colour Symbolism || golden light

love, protection, generosity

#kinnporsche #kpedit #kp meta #kp analysis #kinnporsche the series #apomile #mileapo #apo nattawin #mile phakphum #kinnporsche ep 8 #nanatalksaboutkp

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kinnspocketporsche · 2 years

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Juxtaposed: KinnPorsche vs. VegasPete

How our established understanding of KinnPorsche makes VegasPete all the more painful :)

Have we talked about how in the early episodes Porsche was hurt by Kinn because he didn't understand him, while Pete is hurt by Vegas because he understands him all too well?

Kinn, who seemed harsh - but was doing his best under circumstances that Porsche didn't understand as he adjusted to a new world. It's frustrating, to be left in the dark, but that darkness was little more than an illusion for these two. Kinn's world may be dim, but Porsche just needed to look a bit closer to see Kinn's light.

Vegas, who lashes out intending harm - because he holds more pain than he knows what to do with. Because the world that he lives in is the same as the one Pete came from, the filthy, greedy kind that sucks all the goodness from you that it can get, and choosing to be with Vegas in that struggle means choosing to return to the darkness that's always threatening to swallow them both whole. It's so much worse when you understand that the darkness is real because it has a hold on you, too.

——————————————————————

More on KinnPorsche/VegasPete parallels from @misspoetree here

Related ep 13 posts from me

Pete’s Humanity: No legacy is so rich as honesty

VegasPete Dialogue callbacks as audience insight

As always, my inbox and DMs are very much open for further conversation/questions/etc. and feel free to check out my Master Post for more of my meta! :)

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liyazaki · 2 years

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I know, I know- I went right for the jugular with that title. at first glance, this might look like a KinnPorsche finale hit piece...an "oh, y'all thought this was a HEA?" before I throw a bucket of gore all over your warm fuzzies, Carrie-style.

in reality? this is a long-form love letter to perhaps the most meticulously-constructed show I've seen in years- Asian, Western, European, etc., et. al. period, fin, full stop.

if there's an idea that KinnPorsche has driven home over and over again, it's that more than one thing can be true at once. that idea has never been more overt than in the finale.

something can be immensely satisfying, hella romantic, quietly appalling, empowering, and like a waking nightmare- all at once. for me, the finale was every one of these things- just maybe not for the reasons you'd expect. in summary: have a little faith before reaching for the pitchforks (thanks in advance).

but first: a little history, a little fandom

some background before we jump into the, as @dancinbutterfly likes to say, "it's about the DRAMATURGY"- of it all. I've been going into every piece of media for years now with as close to the inverse of expectations as you can get, because she has been burned and then some. I've been in fandom of all sorts for many, many moons. perpetual disappointment followed by headcannoning fixes are old friends, and I know them well.

I dumbed this show down before it even began, at no fault of the story or crew or anything else. eliminating my expectations before the word 'go' is just something that happens automatically. if you had told me pre-KP that a quasi-porn-with-feels, Thai-BL-meets-the-mafia show would shock me out of my media coma, I would've just giggled and said "sure, Jan".

that's exactly what happened, though: week after week, this show gave and gave and gave some more. unapologetic queer horniness on full display? here; take it. you want a light, joyful relationship in contrast to perhaps the most intoxicatingly-toxic one you've ever seen? sure, we got that too. how about fascinating moral quandaries and a dark, twisty thread of mystery running throughout? we got you covered and then some.

and oof, that mystery. the possibilities, the implications? the personal ramifications for these characters we were falling in love with? crumbs were suddenly being dropped from a table I forgot could have so much food on it, and I grabbed onto as many morsels as I could get my greedy little hands on.

we all did: the sheer amount of god-tier analysis and meta this fandom created is a testament to that. this show awoke something in our brains that made the collective talent shine brighter than I've seen in a fandom in a long while (Bad Buddy is a close second).

and then- the Finale™

but the real pièce de résistance here: the part of this horny, batshit beauty of a story that puts this show front and center in my mental hall of fame? that finale. pardon the crassness, but it's very much warranted here: that FUCKING FINALE. it was more than the sum of its parts, while simultaneously being the EXACT sum in a whispering, "are-you-paying-attention?" kind of way.

it confirmed little red flags I didn't even trust I was really seeing, which, sure- that's just good writing, solid storytelling. but then it said "nah- we're not done", and stuck the landing so intelligently, it elevated the rest of the story past my wildest expectations. thanks to the finale, I know that my rewatches (yeah, it'll be plural- move along) will be a perpetual mind-fuck affectionate.

it set up us for a likely-explosive second season, with as much potential for greatness as there is for Shakespearean levels of tragedy. without that 81-minute magnum opus, I doubt I would’ve been compelled to write this monster in the first place.

so let's get into the impact of the finale by taking a closer look at the most important players- starting with our sex-on-a-stick (I had to), second-in-command himself.

without further ado: you ready for a deep dive?

kiss me so that I forget myself. I close my eyes & fall in the abyss. -Kamand Kojouri

the title for this meta- Tragedy Dressed Like a Daydream- was inspired by Porsche's iconic walk down the hallway, cementing his new status as he symbolically ascends his throne.

my first thought during this scene- besides the obvious serve-CUNT-king- was, "that's a man who's walking to the gallows- he just doesn't know it yet."

Porsche also embodied raw, effortless power in this moment- but it carried even more weight than just that. this was an easy, almost-royal kind of stride- like he was born to it.

from Porsche's unforgettable presentation to the visual callbacks (more on that in a minute), this is the definition of a full circle moment. it felt less like the victorious kind and more of the snake-eating-its-tail variety, though. again, more on that analogy later.

my doom-and-gloom reaction to this scene has nothing to do with the fact that Porsche is not only staying in the Family, but rising to the top of its ranks. this is a mafia tale: I signed up for bullets, bloodshed, moral ambiguity and as much be-gay-do-more-crime as possible.

once I started to drill down into what exactly about this moment made me feel so unsettled, the reasons turned out to be much more nuanced.

a couple interesting details about this scene before we get into the nitty-gritty: we've seen this kind of oozes-power walk before. it's what I opened my Kinn character analysis with:

Kinn carries himself with the relaxed ease of an heir born to inherit a throne, and the singular, brutal focus required to keep it.

this is how Kinn walks into every room he enters- when anyone besides the people he's closest to are present, anyway.

there's so much I want to say here about the choice to film Kinn from behind versus Porsche head-on, the framing, etc., but I promised myself I wouldn't get too far into the weeds in this meta.

one more tidbit I noticed in this scene: Porsche never blinks- not once. a neat little trick I learned in Psych 101: blinking less communicates ease, confidence, lack of anxiety; while frequent blinking says "I'm afraid/nervous/lying." if you want someone to see you as more confident than you might feel, look them straight in the eye- or straight ahead and past them, like Porsche is here- and blink less. I doubt this was intentional, but it adds (subconsciously) to the powerful aura radiating off of Porsche.

when you know what a man wants, you know who he is- and how to move him. -George R.R. Martin

belief can be manipulated. only knowledge is dangerous. -Frank Herbert

the triumphant veneer on Porsche's ascension starts to crack as soon as we ask, "how did he get here?" the answer- the rot at the root, discreetly leeching off all the life it touches- is Korn.

we're well-aware that Korn is a master manipulator. he knows his sons' strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand.

what really makes Korn a force to be reckoned with is his patience. he's been using his knowledge of how to utilize his sons- like the tools I believe he sees them to be- for a very, very long time.

it took years-worth of quiet, methodical consistency to orchestrate the events we arrive to in the finale- and to best mold his sons to carry out his purposes. we've also been getting hints at this the entire time- some of which weren't made clear until the very last moments of the finale.

galaxy-brained @dancinbutterfly caught a god-tier hint at just how deep Korn's machinations go, and it happened in episode ONE- yet it's impact in the finale is enormous. if you aren't convinced that Korn has been planning on using Porsche from the start, you're gonna want to hold DB's/my beer for this one. I'm going to be giving the CliffNotes version, but you can read DB's epic finale analysis here.

the last scene in the finale- with Kinn and Porsche declaring their commitment to each other on the boat- is a callback to episode 1 already, bringing us back to where Porsche jumped off the deck. after Porsche escaped, we cut to Kinn and Korn in conversation. I'll quote DB directly here:

Kinn is asked why he didn't procure Porsche- and we see Korn playing chess. he's playing as white, and white always goes first. Korn always has the information needed to make the first move. he takes the queen [Porsche]- and he uses it to get checkmate.

back to the finale: right after Kinn and Porsche's final hug on the boat, we cut over to Korn. he's sitting at a desk with two betta fish in front of him (my theory on that in a minute). Korn stops to look at his phone, smiling at the picture of Kinn and Porsche that Tankhun just sent him.

Korn's expression is that of a warm, loving father, by all appearances happy to see his son happy- but it kind of just made my stomach roll. and then, we reach the line that takes us all the way back to Korn's first game of chess, right after the other boat scene when he won the game using the queen:

"history is only written by the victors."

not to lapse into tag speak in the middle of a semi-serious meta, but are you crying screaming throwing up yet? someone throw me a thesaurus because "chilling" doesn't cover the level of twisted we're witnessing here. the juxtaposition of these scenes in particular casts such a deep shadow over Kinn and Porsche's happy-for-now ending, it's impossible to ignore (again, all credit to DB for catching it).

Korn didn't just make Porsche's sudden meteoric rise happen- he orchestrated it all. this hint was just a standout one of many. I don't think Korn ever expected Kinn and Porsche to get romantically involved, but did he ever switch gears masterfully when they did.

there isn't a single event in the course of Kinn and Porsche's story that Korn didn't either 1) make happen himself or 2) expertly adapt and work to his advantage.

riddle me this: what could be better for Korn than having his ever-loyal but soft-at-heart son on the throne? let's dream even bigger: how about having his son's heart as his second? as smart as Porsche is, this isn't a world he's known for long- at all.

Porsche doesn't fully understand the rules or know the players- and he certainly doesn't have the benefit of experience required to see the bigger picture. Kinn's biggest weakness is now right out in the open, ready for Korn to exploit when and if needed.

for a man like Korn, what could be better than that?

back to the fish, and what could be our last hint the finale at Korn's next move. betta fish- or fighting fish- are known for their aggression towards other bettas. Korn has the fish in two bowls, separate but still in each other's line of vision- and able to antagonize the other.

before he looks at his phone, Korn is tapping on just one of the bowls, almost like he's deliberately trying to rile the fish up. he's also watching them very intently- and Korn is the most intentional character in this show.

the meaning here is wide open to interpretation, but this moment doesn't feel accidental- next to nothing in this show is. I don't see how pitting Kinn and Porsche against each other at this stage in the game would work to Korn's benefit- they're the most obvious explanation- but I'm calling it now: there's something there, and I have a nasty feeling that it's important.

so- Korn is pulling all the strings. Kinn and Porsche are in power in name only. they’re simply pieces on the gameboard and they always will be, as long as Korn is alive. they’re only there because Korn wants them to be.

Porsche and Porchay were only reunited with their mother because Korn made it so. I could write pages of meta on those scenes alone- the combination of intelligence and fear in her eyes, her catatonic-seeming (but were they really?) reactions, ad nauseum.

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the Namphueng plot here, but I have to mention that something about her reveal feels reactionary. the timing and suddenness of it feels more akin to thinking on your feet than it does to a long-game strategy. there has to be so much more happening here than we're aware of yet.

the main evidence of this for me: Korn left Namphueng essentially locked up in a tower for years. Korn is nothing if not brutally efficient. he could've used her just like he uses everyone else right out in the open. it would have been a million times more practical for him to go that route, but he didn't. that choice says something.

I don't know if I can buy into the idea that his only reason for pulling off this years-long kidnapping-in-plain-sight was just to time her reappearance in order to control Porsche (and Kinn by extension). we're missing a puzzle piece here- really, I feel like it's a lot of them.

which leads us to the million dollar question: what the hell does Korn know? how far down the rabbit hole does the history- and crimes- of this family go? Korn methodically knocked so many threatening pieces off the board, there's now history that ONLY KORN is privy to. let that sink in for a minute. if knowledge is power, Korn's is now near absolute.

Korn's inescapable influence takes what otherwise looks like a beautiful triumph- Kinn and Porsche, united, back where they started- and makes it look more like walking into an abyss.

when and if we get S2, I can guarantee that none of us are prepared for whatever Korn is planning next. like I mentioned in the beginning, the potential fallout for our players left on the gameboard is, in a word- catastrophic.

I'll wrap up this section with a chef's kiss quote from my beloved @elnotwoods:

I got so blinded by the metaphor and the symbolism [playing chess] that I overlooked the fact that the pieces on a chessboard only ever do what the player wants, because there are different ways to play, different moves and strategies- but it’s ultimately up to the person moving the pieces to decide.

so the story of man runs in a dreary circle, because he is not yet master of the earth that holds him. -Will Durant

there's also the issue of who Porsche is, and the question of if he did possess full autonomy here- i.e. if Korn wasn't making his moves for him from the shadows- would this be the choice he'd make? does it align with who he is- or, at least, with who he used to be?

because no one- outside of the people in the Family itself- have been more directly affected by the brutality that comes with the criminal underworld than Porsche and Porchay.

their parents: slaughtered in their home. debtors harassed and threatened them both for years, to the point that Porsche went to beg for mercy on his uncle's behalf. they had to feel like they were living in a semi-constant state of fear- likely with plenty of righteous anger and resentment mixed in, too.

so rather than just a cycle that repeats, we have a true tragedy here in the form of the metaphorical snake eating its tail. the Kittisawasd brothers' lives, loves, even their life's purpose (for Porsche, at least) are now inextricably linked to the cause of the greatest trauma they ever experienced. they're not just a part of the Family now- they sit its throne, either directly or by association.

love- especially the new, fresh, starry-eyed kind of love- has a way of blinding you. of bending you in ways you never thought you would, without either lashing out or getting out first.

is Porsche capable of thriving in this world? absolutely. will it require depths of compromise he can't even fathom yet? undoubtedly yes.

I also don't believe Porsche would have put Porchay within 1000 miles of everything Kinn's world brings if it weren't for love. the "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" argument could be made here- the enemy being the world of the Family, not Kinn himself- but it doesn't ring true for me.

plus, we have Porsche's own words to fall back on:

I'm not on the main family's side. I'm not on the minor family's side. I'm on your side.

Porsche is here for love and love alone. Kinn is here because he is ever-loyal...Porsche's love is a bonus. a life-changing, beautiful bonus- but just a bonus nonetheless.

I have to pause to address what Kinn did and said right before this moment. he doesn't know his father is alive, but Korn's influence- or maybe more accurately, Kinn's indoctrination- is still SO strong, Kinn pulls a gun on the man he loves at the mere possibility that Porsche MIGHT believe Korn was responsible for murdering his parents.

and do you believe him? if you believe him, you have to be on the main family's side. if not- we're on a different sides.

more on this when we talk about Kinn, but this is bone-chilling stuff.

to circle back to Porsche and how he got here: at the heart of it, his decisions aren't all that different from the things anyone who's been stupid-in-love have done or come close to doing: compromising your values, making exceptions- being blind to the bigger picture.

what could catapult Porsche's ascension into a full-blown tragedy (gay gods, let it not; I mostly like being alive) ultimately rests on the gorgeous shoulders of our next major player.

the proverb warns that 'you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you.' but maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself. -Thomas Stephen Szasz

while pretty much all of Korn's scenes gave us glimpses of his manipulation, they showed us something else equally important: the depths of Kinn's devotion, specifically to his family and the Family. in Kinn's mind? I don't think he can tell the difference between the two.

this isn't Kinn's fault- he never stood a chance. how could he? Korn's had an actual lifetime to subtly shape and mold Kinn into the obedient foot-soldier-in-a-Gucci-suit he is today- and did he ever get started with him young.

remember Kinn's fireside confessional? he told Porsche about his dream as a kid to be a singer, but he seemed to let go of that dream almost as quickly as it came. where did Kinn get the idea of having to step up to take the burden off of Tankhun if not from Korn?

he was a child, but the walls of his cage were already closing in- and he was none the wiser. cut to all of these years later, and he STILL isn't aware. Kinn is incredibly kind, caring and soft with the people he loves, so he just said "yes- I can carry this great and terrible thing." he took on the burden, and his life is forever changed because of it.

he can't get that time back, that dream, or take back all the things he's done in service to Korn since. he's left with wistful "I wonders" before shaking himself off and moving onto whatever task is assigned to him next.

Korn is incredibly aware that love- romantic or otherwise- is Kinn's Achilles heel. all he has to do is casually mention how much the Family needs him (e.g. the apple scene) and boom- Kinn immediately falls back in line. Kinn would move heaven and earth for Porsche, but his blind loyalty to Korn is just as strong, if not stronger- the ultimate question, really.

and it bears repeating: Kinn's blindness is through no fault of his own. he's been systematically manipulated and groomed into becoming the man he is today. the fact that he's retained as much of his humanity as he has is a small miracle- however compartmentalized that humanity might be (read: being able to assassinate someone on the spot without a sideways glance).

if Porsche was walking to the metaphorical gallows unaware, Kinn is living on the knife’s edge, not realizing how incredibly precarious his newfound happiness is. he has faith in a foundation that doesn't exist. he's been drinking from a poisoned well all his life, and he's unwittingly invited Porsche to partake, as well.

I have no doubt Kinn’s intentions are good, and that his love for Porsche is as true, deep and real as any. it's the same sort of unquestioning, all-encompassing love- for his family, THE Family- that could be their ultimate undoing.

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me. -Charlotte Brontë

we're going to stick to the surface streets where Vegas and Pete are concerned, because to the shock of absolutely none of you who know me, I could write a book on them.

however, I have to highlight the stark contrast their story provides in the finale against Kinn and Porsche's. they were the only characters who walked away with complete autonomy.

what felt like the final nail in coffin to Vegas- no longer being in line to assume his father's position, gain his power and prove himself worthy- was his saving grace. again, this isn't because they got out of the mafia, but because they got out from under Korn- which, irony heaped upon irony, was still Korn's doing.

for now, Vegas, Pete and Macau have been set to the side of the game board by our main player. they're out of the game, but they'll still receive some of its benefits (likely financial). it's probably the best outcome they could have gotten.

regardless of how it came about, or whatever the future holds for Pete and Vegas- it'll be a future they author together from start to finish. they're going into this new chapter with their eyes wide open, their feet on the ground and with a mutual purpose- to somehow be a family- based exclusively on what they want and need most.

I wish that wasn't more than I could say for Kinn and Porsche, but with where we leave them in the finale, it is- for now.

we aren't one story- we can change our stories. we can write our own. -A. Poehler

and so, we reach the end. Kinn and Porsche are silhouetted against/almost swallowed by the darkness behind them (intentional? I'm thinking yes) on the deck of the boat where it all started.

everything has been leading us to this moment- even their final lines are a callback. Porsche is gazing at Kinn with so much warmth and affection, declaring that his life is Kinn's. Kinn assures him he'll treasure it, clearly in bliss- probably feeling like he finally has everything he's ever wanted.

the parallel- along with Porsche repeating again that he's there for Kinn and Kinn alone- gave me chills at all the high-romanticism, coupled with deeply-ominous foreshadowing.

Porsche's life is now Kinn's, and Porsche would give him absolutely everything (he already has). can the same be said for Kinn? is he capable of rising above a lifetime of submission to Korn for their relationship's sake, for Porsche's sake- or most importantly, for his own? Kinn and Porsche are on equal footing on the surface only, and Porsche couldn't be at a more dangerous disadvantage.

as @dancinbutterfly put it to me so eloquently:

there can't be equanimity when one person is standing on earth & the other is in chains, looking up at him from the heart of hell.

I have to use our catchphrase one last time here, because it's never been more applicable: this scene is the definition of many things can be true at once. when we step back to look at the state of play, the bigger picture- Kinn and Porsche's final moment is as tender and heartfelt as it is potentially heart-wrenching.

we're watching these characters we've come to know and love teeter on the edge of a precipice they don't even know exists- but we do. Korn knows- he created it, and he even gets the literal last word- not counting the small bit of dialogue in the final-final scene with Porsche, Porchay and Namphueng.

I was so distracted by the beauty of the relationships between our main/side characters and how they were developing, I didn't go over many of these small- but, in retrospect, crucial- details too deeply, until the finale left me feeling so uneasy, I had to figure out why. even that might have been intentional.

not to go crazy conspiracy board here (but I will): how poetic would it be if the intention all along was to 'dupe' (but not really, because we're talking about it here) the audience into being in exactly the same mental boat as Kinn and Porsche?

i.e. we're so distracted by all the pretty, shiny things (love! HEA! they're in power together! etc.) that we don't see the forest for the trees? I really hope- and dread- that we might get to see it all come to awful, angst-ridden fruition in a second season. because that, my friends? truly god-tier level story telling.

even with all this possibility for heart-wrenching fallout, I've never felt 'safer' as a viewer as I do in the hands of these writers. they left some plotlines under-developed or unaddressed entirely (for now), but the unforgettable story this team managed to create from the mostly-trash heap that is the source material is a testament to their professional prowess, and evidence of all the thought and care they poured into KinnPorsche.

this show has consistently delivered on every promise it made, and managed to surprise me at every turn. I don't know exactly where we're going from here, but if we get to see Kinn and Porsche's story continue? I can't wait to see where they take us- even if it rips our collective hearts out in the process.

what a way to go, no?

special thanks to @dancinbutterfly for going full-on Pepe Silvia with me through half the night (more than once) while I slogged through this thing, and to my wonderful wifey @elnotwoods for helping get my ideas off the ground 💖 tagging some lovely peeps who have been patiently waiting for this behemoth to drop: @patprans @ellaspore @bengiyo @snimeat @rainbowcolored7 @maleficent-cannoli @i-got-the-feels @shinwoonoh @risu442.

as usual whenever I write long-form, I’m doubting whether I actually said anything at all here? either way- thank you for reading this far & I hope you enjoyed it 🖤

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ghcstvalleychief · 2 years

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Kinn humbling himself before Porsche in this episode is the single best thing we’ve ever gotten from them as a couple. I mean, Kinn went against his own father because of his love for Porsche. He chose Porsche over and over again. When Porsche confronted him about the lies, he didn’t try to make any excuses. He just kept apologizing until Porsche finally gave in. Kinn didn’t care about his pride. He wasn’t going to allow his pride to force him to lose Porsche so he apologized and took responsibility for what he’d done. Even when Porsche tried to tell him that his life is simple and not as lavish as what Kinn is used to, Kinn didn’t care about any of that just as long as he had Porsche in his life. He can be happy anywhere as long as he has Porsche.

Kinn has been so soft for Porsche in the last couple of episodes and I can’t even put into words how feral it makes me. Kinn went from being the guarded mafia heir to being a lovesick fool willing to stand up to his own father for the first time in his life. Kinn legit didn’t give a single fuck about chasing Porsche and leaving the compound just to be with him. He didn’t care how it looked to his father; he didn’t care if it made him look weak in front of his father either. His love for Porsche is way more important than any of that stuff. I know we have more angst coming due to Korn’s lies and shenanigans, but there’s nothing that makes me feel as if Kinn and Porsche’s love for each other will be threatened.

#kinn x porsche #kinn theerapanyakul #porsche pachara #kinnporsche the series #kinnporsche #kinnporsche meta #more like a ..#mini meta #my meta #my analysis #tv: kinnporsche #1x12 #kp spoilers #spoilers

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crystallinemoonlight · 1 year

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Just saw a great post about Vegas' hedgehog and the symbolism of its ill-fitted enclosure, and I can't stop thinking about it; it's a hedgehog in a birdcage, an enclosure it was never going to thrive in no matter what because that cage could simply never meet its needs, and in that cage the hedgehog grew sick and miserable, until eventually, it died. Vegas is the hedgehog in the birdcage; his home and life were never going to meet his needs. It was never going to be a healthy environment where he could thrive. Just like the hedgehog, Vegas grew sick and miserable, and almost died because of it.

And there's even more to it: the hedgehog couldn't be saved, but Vegas did. Vegas got put in a better environment suited to his needs where he could heal. He is the hedgehog of his father that didn't die. And see, the series sets Vegas as the owner and Pete as the pet, but I think this goes just as much the other way around, because Pete took the hedgehog out of the birdcage, Pete made sure Vegas' needs were met.

#the hedgehog has so much symbolism its killing me #its a direct freaking parallel to vegas #the hedgehog in the birdcage vs vegas in the mafia im not okay #THEY ARE BOTH IN THE WRONG ENCLOSURE. THEY ARE NOT THE RIGHT ANIMAL. THEY CANNOT FUNCTION #gun gave vegas the hedgehogs... vegas is his father's son.... vegas couldn't save his pets.... pete saved him...#vegas is the hedgehog that got away im not okay🥺#kinnporsche will be the end of me #kinnporsche #vegaspete #vegas theerapanyakun #vegas kp #pete kp #kinnporsche analysis #vegas' hedgehog #kinnporsche the series #kp the series

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wardog-of-the-endless · 6 months

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Jeff Satur Black Tie Fashion Breakdown

I can do all things through spite, which sustains me.

I love the fashion in Black Tie. Jeff's really living his best Valentino life, and I wanted to break down what I could determine. Granted, his coats almost all seem to be custom, and while I worked in the industry it was not with Valentino, so I would hesitate to guess. (I mean, I will if you want, my DMs are open). But everything else I could more or less find on the website and I thought, why not? My besty already got slapped with it, why should you guys escape?

Let's Do This.

Opening Look

Coat: Full Length Likely Custom (Ostrich)

Top: HEAVY COTTON POPLIN LONG SLEEVE SHIRT $ 950.00

Tie: WOOL AND SILK VALENTIE TIE WITH METAL V APPLIQUÉ $ 520.00 (*See Author's Note)

Slacks: LANA STRETCH PANTS $ 1,250.00

Shoes: M-WAY ROCKSTUD ANKLE BOOT IN CALFSKIN LEATHER $ 1,550.00

Earrings: VLOGO SIGNATURE METAL AND GLASS BEAD EARRINGS $ 850.00

Secondary Look:

Coat: Half Length (Assumed Custom) Jeff Satur Chevron Feather

Nose Stud: ROCKSTUD METAL NOSE RING $ 190.00

Lip Wrap: VLOGO SIGNATURE METAL LIP RING $ 190.00

Tie: WOOL AND SILK VALENTIE TIE WITH METAL V APPLIQUÉ $ 520.00 (*See Author's Note)

Top: Unknown

Shoes: ROCKSTUD M-WAY SINGLE MONK STRAP SHOE IN CALFSKIN AND MATCHING STUDS 50MM $ 1,150.00

Tertiary Look

Coat: DOUBLE-BREASTED WOOL AND CASHMERE COAT WITH EX CHESS ALL-OVER INTARSIA PATTERN $ 8,850.00

Tie: WOOL AND SILK VALENTIE TIE WITH METAL V APPLIQUÉ $ 520.00

Top (assumed): HEAVY COTTON POPLIN LONG SLEEVE SHIRT $ 950.00

Slacks: LANA STRETCH PANTS $ 1,250.00

Shoes: M-WAY ROCKSTUD ANKLE BOOT IN CALFSKIN LEATHER $ 1,550.00

Earrings: VLOGO SIGNATURE METAL EARRINGS $ 1,370.00

Final Look:

Coat: Full Length (Assumed Custom) Jeff Satur Red

Nose Stud: ROCKSTUD METAL NOSE RING $ 190.00

Top: Existence Cannot Be Confirmed

Shorts: LANA STRETCH BERMUDA SHORTS $ 1,250.00

Shoes: ROCKSTUD M-WAY COMBAT BOOT IN CALFSKIN WITH FEATHERS 50MM $ 2,850.00

Author's Notes: (Image from Jeff's Instagram)

The finale red look seems to have at least 2 iterations, the heavier solid piece that may involve a tie (social media) and the lighter almost-chiffon that Jeff got rained on in the MV.

Author's Note: At least one of the Valentie ties in the opening/secondary look appears to have been customized (embroidery) per social media images (Jeff's Insta) rendering it priceless. (He does wear alternate Valentie Ties in appearances that do NOT appear to be embroidered with JS).

Not to be all The Devil Wears Prada about it but:

"Are you wearing the-?"

"The Valentino Feather Boots? Yes, I am."

p.s. hi @markmybirds. love you marmar.

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lavinialost · 1 year

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category five dghda meta post incoming:

I'm obsessed with the kitten-shark being a metaphor for todd's character in that things aren't always what they seem on the surface, but in a bad way.

the first time we see the kitten, it's presented to the audience as just a regular kitten who just happens to find itself at a crime scene (presumably) by no fault of its own. it's just a kitten, right? and from there, we immediately cut to todd in his apartment (if we ignore the main title sequence, which I am because it doesn't drive the narrative).

todd is presented to us in the narrative as this normal, everyday guy who's life is falling apart, and you should feel bad for him because he's just some guy. he doesn't deserve this right? but no, because he's actually made some terrible, horrible decisions.

and what happens in the scene right before todd finally confesses to dirk that he faked pararibulitis for his parent's money? the kitten is revealed to have had a shark soul in it the entire time. this seemingly harmless, normal animal is actually a deadly creature-- the murder weapon, a predator.

but that doesn't necessarily make either of them inherently bad? the kitten shark isn't irredeemable because it killed patrick spring and a lot of other people. and todd isn't doomed to just be an asshole for the rest of his life, because he's capable of change.

#dghda #dghda meta #shoutout to kp and corvid on the dghda discord for leading me to this analysis after we discussed what animals everyone in the show would #be for like two hours ksadjfhalksdh

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the-wayside · 2 years

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So, I'm gonna lay here on the floor and think about how Tawan probably betrayed Kinn with a lot of fancy words and flowers and "baby" and then there's Porsche.

He's never been in love before, he doesn't know what he's doing, other than the sex part, he isn't suave at all like he is with the ladies, instead he's cute and bumbling on himself and he plans this date but he goes into full caretaker mode because caretaking is the deepest love/way to show affection he knows.

Not only that but he wants to go on this date to make memories. This is when we started. I didn't really see anyone talk about it but this is a character who specifically has memory gaps, so of course he would want photos and things to remind him of their first date. He wants things he can look at and recall how happy they were because he has so few of those and what if he suddenly loses that again? He has a very specific stake in wanting to have trinkets and reminders of things that are important to him.

That to me is the biggest show of Porsche's love, his want/need to keep Kinn because he's never really felt like anyone was his. He's just borrowing them and he has to give them back or they were never his in the first place.

Porsche is the definition of a giver, an empath (hypertuned to Chay; can't even turn it off for his shitty uncle), he's always experiencing life at warp speed with every single emotion to him happening at once but Kinn is the first time he slows and reaches out and takes this man's hand and says, I want him to be mine. I want his soft smiles, i want to snuggle in bed and walk hand in hand, arms wrapped around each other soft.

Kinn for Porsche is the ability to stop time and breathe, so it's no coincidence we see them in the water. Even when he's afraid, Kinn sitting him down and talking over his fears lets him breathe. Lets him calm down and feel more centered on himself.

I said about Porsche's wiggle feet (contact grounding him) but in truth it's Kinn's whole person. We see it in ep7 when he comes to see Porsche at the minor family's house. Sure, Porsche is cocky about dick, which is fun, but Kinn takes them to that soft space, the space where they breathe and everything calms and everything slows. When Porsche is justifiably angry from being hurt by Kinn and replaying his own barb, Kinn holds him in the frame of his arms, just breathe, until everything rights itself.

Porsche doesn't realize it, and maybe Kinn doesn't either that he himself is doing it, but he's making Kinn home in the form of a person. Somewhere where Porsche can feel safe, loved, taken care of. He's placing importance on someone outside of his family unit for the first time ever. He's building a future with a past of photos for the first time ever.

And he does all of it without words. He doesn't make it flowery, doesn't make up some bullshit. He just feels it with his good, honest heart. I know words are important and have a lot of value and both of them need to hear it like a metaphorical gush of water through a valve, oh, you love me, but Porsche's love is so much more than that. He is showing and experiencing love in so many different ways without words because words won't/can't make people stay. It can't keep them with you if it's time for them to leave. Porsche takes none of it for granted.

IDK, I just know that there isn't a purer best boy out there falling in love so innocently and wholesomely.

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #text #kp meta analysis

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magicaldreamfox1 · 2 years

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so i'm just thinking abt the reputation pete must have post-canon among main family bodyguards.

like as we know from pete himself, word travels fast amongst main family bodyguards and there must be a few who survived the ep 14, confrontation. obviously people would've known pete at least in passing, he's tankhun's head bodyguard that must mean something. and suddenly he's missing for a few days, rumour has it he went to the minor family's house (with the fit tankhun threw (rightfully so) surely people would've heard abt it right? right) and everyone knows what happens to bodyguards who are sent to the minor family's house. except pete returns and word spreads fast about that too. pete returned, covered in blood and injured but alive. then the family showdown happens, a lot of people die but surely a few main family bodyguards would survive. and they would hear abt it. pete left. he resigned. and they let him. which i'm sure not many bodyguards can say for themselves. rumour has it he went after vegas. and then shot a bodyguard of the main family dead for him. and that he's with vegas now.

vegas who has A Reputation, everyone knows that. so pete not only made it out of the minor family's house alive, he also managed to resign and then went to be with vegas.

and maybe they'd even see him sometime, pete coming to visit porsche or tankhun and he looks fine like he's doing well.

and like. they must be terrified of him. and like even when they get new bodyguards word would spread just as quickly. u don't fuck with pete bc pete has seen the worst of the worst of this world and not only come out alive the other end, he also willingly walked back right into it.

#thinking abt pete maybe this even qualifies as dark!pete #like i'm sorry i feel like i'm really bad at articulating my thoughts in a good and coherent way #but brain goes brrr #pete must have a killer reputation #like if they main family bodyguards aren't terrified of him then idk either #like mans survived the minor family literally resigned and they let him. and now he's just chilling with Vegas Theerapanyakul #u know the murderous evil cousin #like FUCK #people would be scared i know it #especially abt the part where pete quit To Be With Vegas #bc from an outsider pov it'd take a special kind of insane to want to be with vegas right #they're terrified of him i know it. some are even more scared of him than of vegas #and like him being super nice and polite and smiley makes people not believe it at first #they're like really this guy???? no way #but like there's moments in between where u can see how smart and calculating he is #and people would insist like no really this guy did all of that don't underestimate him #and people would be scared they would i know it #vegaspete #kinnporsche #kp analysis #bl shows #dreamy talks #pete

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pastelcheckereddreams · 2 years

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Aaaa I just- I love this gesture.

It’s so quick, considering the pace of the scene and the focus of it - Porsche and Korn - but it’s so telling.

Honestly, the first few times I watched this moment, I didn’t get the significance. I thought Kinn’s careful movement, the rigidity of his hand here, was a continuation of his hesitance in the previous scene: remembering Porsche’s rejection of his touch, the way he didn’t hug back although he allowed it (and isn’t that a lovely contrast - the way Kinn is so respectful and careful of Porsche’s boundaries now, when in the beginning he “crossed the line” without consideration).

But watch Chan in the background: he ducks his head at Porsche’s immediate exclamation, readying himself (perhaps against his personal feelings) to subdue Porsche the second he is shows aggravation towards Chan’s boss. Kinn attempts to place this placating hand on Porsche’s waist at the exact same moment.

So I can’t help but think that this gesture is actually a signal - Kinn, the family heir, immediately acknowledging the escalating threat in Porsche as he shrugs Kinn off, but signalling to the head bodyguard to wait.

To that end, consider how it’s not just a finger lifted in silent gesture by Kinn: it’s the finger that holds the Theerapanyakul ring, and the camera lingers.

It’s a silent command. A silent signal that this is a family dispute - Porsche is family, not a security threat.

Even though the focus in this scene is Porsche and Korn, and there is so much context to distract us, there is still this little moment reminding us of the power dynamics between the bodyguards and the family they protect. And it serves to remind us, too, that Porsche has transcended that boundary.

And just as Kinn trusts, Porsche defers to Korn’s power, even as he rejects everything he now sees has been bestowed upon him at Korn’s whim. (Even- Kinn? Porsche may think- but no, that’s whump for another day.)

Wait, is what this gesture says. I know Porsche - I know him. There is no true danger here.

And then that same arm grabs for Porsche as he suddenly rejects everything Korn has offered him (does that- include-?) Yet Kinn, despite the frown on his face, waits for his father’s nod to follow.

The subtext.

#nikkirewatches #kinnporsche episode 12 #kinnporsche ep 12 #kp episode 12 #porsche pachara #kinn theerapanyakul #kp chan #kp korn #korn theerapanyakul #nikkiwrites #kp meta #kinnporsche meta #scene analysis #detail analysis

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ichigokeks · 1 year

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To this day nothing can ever come close to Pete jumping when Vegas touches his shoulder. Within just a few seconds it foreshadows their relationship and manages to show us their true personalities. Vegas is cunning and will appear friendly but he always demonstrates his power and dominance indicating his inferiority complex - in this scene, he touches Pete not as a friendly gesture but to assert his dominance and "push" Pete out of the way. Pete looks submissive and polite and seems to fear Vegas but he is courageous and doesn't back down as he is the only one to address Vegas directly and remind him that this place is for bodyguards not the bosses. It indicates his unbreakable will and inner strength which makes him face Vegas in the torture scene without fear.

#and another thing #kinnporsche #vegaspete #nanatalksaboutkp #kp #kpts #biblebuild #kinnporsche the series #kinnporsche analysis #happy 1 year anniversary #bible wichapas #build jakapan

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kinnspocketporsche · 2 years

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Korn's Betta Fish

This fucking guy!!

Betta fish are extremely territorial. You can't put 2 males in the same tank without them fighting, literally, to the death - in fact, you shouldn't even put their tanks next to each other without something to block their view of one another because it stresses them out. It isn't healthy for them.

I can't tell for sure because the view isn't great but I think these guys are both males? Maybe someone who knows more about fish can tell me. Assuming they're both males, this is feeling a lot like Kinn and Vegas.

They can't beat each other, not really, and they're not even able to fight each other directly, but they look across the glass barrier and get stressed.

TL;DR: Korn, please be kinder to your son and nephew fish

#kinnporsche episode 12 #kp ep 12 #kinnporsche meta #kinnporsche #korn theerapanyakul #vegas theerapanyakul #kinn theerapanyakul #kinnporsche analysis #kp meta #winnie's words

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gewdmorning · 2 years

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The way he loves

I’ve wondered why vegas never counted macau when he said he had nothing left. I think I know now.

“Everything that I love left me”— has mostly been Vegas’s experience. Let’s see what his ideas about love are to get a clearer picture.

1. The hedgehog

Those who have a pet would know that pets might seem like an insignificant part of life to many, but they are actually your family. You love them. You have a sense that there is someone there. There is someone on your side. You are their support in return, you provide for them.

When the hedgehog died, he expresses that it left like everything (everyone) he loved, his mom, his other pets.

Pete in response says, “you still have macau”.

2. Macau

The problem is macau, to vegas, is not part of his support system. Macau is his little brother, someone he has to protect. Someone he has to love. Not someone he can receive love from. To truly love and be loved, you have to show your true side to someone. And while he has loved macau, he has never truly shown his true side to him. Hiding the abuse, the stress, the burden and possibly protecting him from their father’s true thoughts about them. Macau didn’t have the full picture. So vegas can’t really look to him for anything, except the innocent, unassuming love and affection of a baby brother.

(Doesn’t mean macau can’t love him or can’t support him, this is more about how vegas thinks and his idea of love)

He never considers that love to be reciprocated, especially not in the way that he gives it. Even though, we all know that it probably is. Regardless, vegas cannot be “weak” in front of him. Which also means not showing any sort of emotion, especially sadness or vulnerability. It is also why he reacted so strongly to Pete saying he’s “sensitive”. He was aware that he was, but he thought he was doing a good job of not showing it because it’s a weakness. To him, at least.

3. His father

As much of an asshole his father was. It’s very clear that vegas loved him. At least to the outside world, his father’s name was a protection. It was shade.

Even though he beat vegas. He kept the world at a distance. Because of his father, he wasn’t left vulnerable to the world.

So the next time he says “there’s nothing left”. He’s grieving the loss of his father who he loved and who has now left him.

He gave his love to his father by doing his bidding, by giving what he could to him as his son. With his father’s death, it’s another love, as fucked up as it was, taken away.

Everything he loves, leaves him. Proved right, yet again.

4. Pete

“I’m right here.” Pete says to vegas. Vegas is probably not in the best headspace at this moment. But vegaspete went through a lot in the safe house. Vegas learnt a lot, and while pete left him, he had also stayed. Pete taught him a different way to think. I’m pretty sure if the whole part with pete voluntarily coming back and staying had not happened. Vegas would not have listened to anything pete was saying in this moment. Pete staying when he was literally down on the ground, grieving, crying, being vulnerable, was a big moment of realisation to him. A realisation of what actual love and support felt like, what it meant to rely on someone. It was also a realisation that settled in through time, till he understood what loving pete meant, which was a more selfless kind of love than the one he displayed at the safe house.

(I feel like I sound like a broken record, but I just want to make it clear that it was a huge thing for vegas to feel any inkling of tenderness and gentleness)

Pete left his job, almost-family and friends and chose vegas, although I doubt vegas had any idea about it in this moment. (He didn’t see pete resigning)

I’m pretty sure by this point he loved pete but didn’t expect anything in return.

Then again at the hospital scene he says, that “he has nothing”. That “he didn’t want to be a burden”. Because to him love is giving, but never his true self. Love was giving things to others, providing what he could, and to have them in a way, rely on him— for his father, his pets, his brother.

So when he says, “I got nothing left”, he’s saying that he has nothing to give to pete. He’s just vegas now. Not vegas, the minor family heir, the mafia lord, kinn’s rival, etc. Things that, according to him, gave him value. To him, it would make sense, if pete ran. And he’s ok with letting him go, because he loves him. His love isn’t greedy anymore, or possessive. It’s freeing, to him and to the one he loves.

But pete, being pete, again shows him another side of love. A type of love where, vegas is on the receiving end. He knew this since the safe house and he also said it to vegas when he did the personality test thing. Vegas needs love.

Pete shows vegas, that he loves vegas, not for what he can give or what he can do. He just loves vegas. And I think many have made great posts about how pete was only conflicted with his love for vegas because he didn’t think vegas loved him back. He thought vegas was just using him for emotional projection and was attached to him.

But then vegas said he loved him. In the middle of chaos. When it was clear that there is a very big chance vegas might not make it. Vegas still said it because he just wanted pete to know. He didn’t even expect him to say it back or love him back.

That was all pete needed I think.

They are both giving when they love, now they both had someone giving it to them without expecting it in return. What a wonderful mindfuck for both of them. I won’t go in detail about pete and his viewpoint since there are posts about it already and because mine is focused on vegas.

Anyway, in conclusion, we have pete saying that he’s just following his heart— vegas. Him following vegas is him following his heart. And by this point I believe vegas knows about pete leaving everything. So technically, pete doesn’t “have anything” either. It’s just vegas and pete, as real and true, as they can get with each other.

(Vegas is his heart omfg pete you absolute sap *cries*)

And then vegas, finally gets what pete is saying and responds in his classic way of giving love— that while he only has himself to give, he does it fully, completely, in the only way he has ever known. In vegas style, he declared that pete is the most important person in his life. (He’s so relentless with his love, I love it)

He has someone he can give his love to, and also someone who will love him right back. He has someone who has seen him at his worst, someone he can rely on, and lean on. It’s a give and give love, that they both deserve. Not something that he got from anyone ever before. And that is why he kept saying he had nothing and no one left— he might’ve been loved before but it was never in a way where he felt loved.

Everything he loved left him, but not this time.

He loved pete and pete stayed.

#vegaspete #vegas theerapanyakul #kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #pete phongsakorn #biblebuild #kinnporsche analysis #kinnporsche finale #kinnporsche meta #kp meta

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