[Recap] Long Khong Series EP 1: Let's Go, UB!

We open with a creepy seemingly abandoned building with a girl blindfolded and tied up to a chair. A child walks up to her. The girl begs not to be hurt and screams. Well, I guess we're not watching a cute school romance in this series.

Cut to the University of Bangkok (no relations to the real Bangkok University, I'm assuming) where a bunch of college kids are praying, which would've looked innocent if it weren't for that scary music in the background telling me otherwise. Nothing gets explained as we quickly move on to the next scene that feels like the 6th straight-to-DVD sequel to Bring It On. Let's go, UB! (No relations to the real University of Buffalo, I'm pretty sure.) 

But unlike the people on Bring It On, these kids have fans! Like, actual fans who have come to see them perform and stuff. A fan asks Aya (pronounced Ayyyyy-ya) and Brave for photos. They're supposedly a popular couple online. Speaking of a couple, there's another in the form of Kin and Nat as they tease about being a couple but not really because according to Kin, just thinking about being with Nat makes him cringe. He insists he only dig chicks and Nat supports this by saying they're not together.

Kin repeats the idea of being with a man is making him cringe because that's his character apparently. They talk shit behind Praewa after she had entered the locker room to collect laundry. According to Kin, Praewa is a super weirdo who wanted to join the squad but was unable to because they were full so she asked if she could still be part of the team by being part of the staff aka a watergirl. They joke that Praewa has a crush on Aya (still pronounced as Ayyyyy-ya) but Brave sorta kinda but not really defends her by saying that she's probably just another fan because Aya is popular. Aya doesn't give a shit as long as Praewa leaves her alone.

Praewa is rooting a doll's hair on a doll based off of Aya over creepy music in a dimly lit room. Strangely, that's the opposite of doll repaintings I've seen on YouTube.

The cheerleaders are trying their best to live up to the stereotype by continuing to talk shit about Prawa the next day. Kin mentions how he saw her practice dancing to Aya's routine the other day. Ping is like, that's super creepy cause she wouldn't want people to do that to her as though a fan doing cover dance to their favorite kpop group is the worst thing in the world. A voice of reason via Dan speaks up, "At least she's not bothering Aya. The more you make fun of her, the more attention she gets." Okay, so maybe Dan only thinks Praewa is an attention whore. Not exactly sure if that's better or worse. Praewa spills a container of water over Brave and falls on top of him drama style. They didn't exactly linger but it was long enough for Kin to snap a photo. He wonders how Aya would react if she were to see this. Spoilers, exactly how we all think she would. 

KinNat stan aka Glasses Camera Girl aka Khaimook is at the practice. She has her own dolls and she takes photos of Mini KinNat with actual KinNat. The two know how to play it for the camera and their fans which Aya points out. Kin insists that he's not really putting it on and they've always casually played around like this. Sure, JanSport. Off to the side, Praewa is seen watching and sketching in her notebook.

The same notebook shows up and Lilin is all "Wow, who drew these? They're beautiful" and Kin points out that they all look like Aya. Nat had picked it up after he saw that Praewa left it behind. Aya tosses it aside like it's a garbage. They debate on whether who has creepier fans between Praewa and Khaimook. At this point, I still don't understand what makes Prawa so creepy but they keep saying it so it must be true.

We cut to Khaimook and her roommate's comedic relief and we're thrust into the next scene where some pervert dies a horrible death with no explanations. I'm sensing a theme here.

The next day, Nat tells Dan and Lilin the news about the dead perverted dude. He says that it has something to do with yesterday being a holy day and therefore curses and hexes were extra powerful. I don't get it either. I never went to school for that stuff. Anyway, Lilin looks disturbed which prompts Nat to ask if she was okay. She says she has a little headache and leaves with Dan. It's clearly a lie to the viewers. Why else would that be in the script? By the end of this series, we're gonna find out she was the villain all along. It's always the nice and quiet one. She probably had an unfortunate run with the pervert dude. Anyway, Nat reminds them about Aya's birthday party tonight.

Aya's looking through some photos of her friends while experiencing some fomo since she wasn't there. She happens to see the photo of Praewa on top of Brave and throws a fit. This is why you don't let random people swipe through your photo album, people. Apparently this photo has been passed around. She is pissed and tells her friend to delete the photo. She goes to the restroom and sees Praewa who had a makeover. She looks like Aya from head to toe. It's like that spider-man meme pointing at each other. Or when India Ferrah walks in and sees Phoenix in the Werk Room. Prison, honey. Aya leaves in a huff and Praewa chases after her to the gym where everyone is there.

Praewa: 

"Aya, why are you mad at me?"

Aya:

"You even have to ask? Why am I mad at you?"

Aya looks at Praewa from head to toe.

Aya:

"Isn't it exhausting having to try this hard?"

Aya looks from side to side.

Praewa: 

"Try doing what?"

Aya:

"Trying to copy me, duh! I never said anything to you so you took that as permission to do whatever you wanted, is that it? You copied my hairstyle. You're wearing makeup so you'd look prettier."

Praewa:

"It's not like that, Aya. I never meant to copy you."

Praewa tries to approach Aya. Aya backs away.

Praewa:

"I just admire you. Honestly, it wasn't my intention to copy you."

Aya:

"I see now. So maybe you don't want to be me. You just want who I'm dating."

Praewa: 

"No, it's not like that, Aya!"

Aya shoves Praewa to the ground.

Aya:

"Get this through your thick skull. That even if you die and are born again, you'd never get to be like me in your next life."

Aya walks off with Brave on her arm and Ping follows her.

And for some ungodly reason, Praewa begs Justin to take her to Aya's birthday party because that's what you do after you were verbally abused and physically attacked by that person. What kind of Stockholm Syndrome bullshit is this? No, girl, no.

I suppose you can't say Praewa lacks nerve because she shows up with a present and wishes Aya a happy birthday. Aya isn't too thrilled but she ignores her and parties. The crew gets drunk, no surprise there. Praewa takes Lilin to rest upstairs. They're both wasted. Brave gives Ping a look as she goes upstairs herself. Actually, Brave is just eye-fucking every girl at the party includes the passed out Praewa. He said he'd hit that if she weren't so weird. What a real gentleman.

Next morning, Brave is seen with a busted lip. He says he probably walked into the door, he can't remember. I guess a door punched him. He shows his own sex tape to Nat because that's what men do.

Praewa gets a call from her mother. It's a one sided conversation where we learned nothing. It's the recurring theme of this episode. PS: the background melody of this sounded like IZ*ONE's Welcome in the beginning for some reason.

At practice, Ping shows the now viral sex tape with Brave and an unknown individual. Brave confronts Nat. Nat says he didn't do it on purpose and that he lost his phone yesterday and whoever found it must've leaked it! Brave gets called to the main office because he's in trouble with Professor Pat who was there when Ping showed Aya the sex tape.

Aya begins accusing Ping of being the girl in the video because she saw him hugging Brave at the party. Ping says that Brave is her friend too. It was platonic. Nat and Brave return with glasses around his neck like a grandpa. Aya yells and slaps him. She wants to know who the bitch was! Well, the rest of the university runs with the rumor that it was Praewa because of that photo Kin took the other day. Praewa gets cyberbulied so she goes to Professor Pat for help.

Praewa runs into the office in flats instead of heels she copied from Aya the other day.

Praewa:

"Professor, you have to help me! They're spreading lies about me!"

Prof. Pat:

"Praewa, I think you need to calm down first."

Praewa:

[Doesn't calm down] "The girl in that clip isn't me! I'm not even close with Brave!"

Prof. Pat:

"As long as you continue to get emotional, no one will believe you even if you come up with a million excuses. And another thing. He already came clean to me."

Praewa:

"Come clean to you how?! I'm telling you that it wasn't me!"

Prof. Pat:

"No one's going to believe you anyway. Unless you can find something to prove your innocence. And as the cheer team counselor, I refuse to allow anyone or anything to destroy the squad's good name and bright future. Is that understood? I have to go, I have other things to take care of."

Well, she's a bitch, isn't she? Anyway, Praewa finds Brave and confronts him. He doesn't admit to anything. She tries to steal his phone and he shoves her to the ground. I guess that's why Aya and Brave are a couple. Lilin tries to comfort her and help her up. Praewa leaves crying. 

Kin drives up with Aya, Ping and Khaimook with camera in hand. Aya attacks Praewa. Praewa tries to run but gets stopped by Kin who gets elbowed in the face. He's in shock because he's bleeding and Ping takes over. Ping holds Praewa while Aya beats the shit out of her. Khaimook films the whole thing because it's a good idea to have evidence against yourself when you commit a crime. The four drive off leaving Praewa bloodied and passed out on the ground where a bunch of men come by and pick her up with a stretcher.

So they can sexually assault the girl instead of taking her to the hospital. This series is not doing any favors to the "all men are trash" tropes. They run off after Praewa begins to experience an attack similar to what happened to the perverted man by some witch doctor. Again, with no explanation other than the director's guilty pleasure of wanting to see Praewa suffer even more at this point.

Somehow Praewa manages to survive and makes her way home on foot. She calls out for her mother to help her. Her mother looks at her as though someone had left a bag of dog pop at her door. The witch doctor continues his ritual because the director wants to see more pain. Praewa's mother still manages to help (?) Praewa by holding her down and covering her eyelid as if she's dead. But Praewa is not dead. She reopens her eyes like she's Bella after Edward gave him his blood and turned her into a vampire.

Next week, queerbaiting continues and presumably more plot lines go unexplained until the episode before the last one or something. But I understand. It’s the first episode and they're doing a bunch of set ups and character introductions. Aside from the awkward cheerleading routines from the guys, the acting is great and I can't wait for next week’s episode.