Whale Store xoxo: Episode 8 {Watch Party Wednesday #7-GL}
Hello, Internet, and good mornight to you all!
My name is Taffryne, shoppekeeper of Midnight on Memory Lane, and it is my absolute delight to welcome you to the GL-type post for this week's gathering of Watch Party Wednesday!
'Tis a pleasure, 'tis a pleasure indeed.
As the title of this post says, we're going to be talking about the eighth episode of the Thai GL drama by GMMTV staring MilkLove, Whale Store xoxo.
I humbly present my thoughts for your enjoyment and consideration. Accordingly, please mind that there will be spoilers ahead!
MyDramaList Link: click here!
Disclaimer: I apologize if there are any crucial cultural notes or nuances that I misunderstand or fail to recognize. I, unfortunately, must trust the accuracy of the translated subtitles to accurately represent the story and characters.
Trigger Warnings: Fear of Financial Ruin, Financial Sacrifice, Break Ups and "It's Complicated", Homophobic Behaviour from a Parent, Domestic Angst, Demotivating Talk from a Parent
Episode 8
Recollection
- The new Whale Store is very popular thanks to Som the Cat's fanbase and their various Som-themed events/social media
- Maewnam's Mom is skeptical of their success and says it's a "Honeymoon Phase" while her Dad is more supportive
- Chom's Mom is avoiding Chom and Tonnam so she doesn't have to face the fact that her daughter is dating a woman
- Turns out that Som's popularity came from Manmuk sharing Som and promoting the store on her social media (she's an influencer, it turns out)
- Manmuk showed up late one night to both make Wan doubtful of the help Mawnam's giving the store and try to get Wan in-debt to her so she can become her "friend" again; it does not work (hard X to doubt, personally)
- Wan and Manmuk originally met at university and became close, but the relationship fell apart after Wan was accused of copying Manmuk's thesis project and Manmuk dumped Wan
- Chom's Mom made the situation worse by throwing out the incense sticks that Tonnam gave her and also preventing Chom and Tonnam from sleeping in the same room
- Tonnam doesn't want to keep causing tension between Chom and her Mom, so she decides to move out and live separately for the time being
- Wan had to spend a lot more of her money to pay the clinic bill of the child who got scratched after scaring Som
- Cart-Guy pays off his tab with Wan and tells her that he has to shop at Mouse Mart from now on because of the discounts (we trusted you, Cart-Guy!)
- Wan's feeling pretty solidly defeated because she's 2-months behind on payments to the bank and stuck in a debt-cycle
- Maewnam gives Wan her savings so she can pay off the bank, but Wan demands that it be a loan with interest for fairness (the interest is collected by cutesy flirting and the final notice of debt repayment is a marriage certificate)
- Maewnam's Mother calls Wan out to a secret meeting to harshly discourage her from continuing with the Whale Store (rude)
- Tonnam and Chom are having a rough time
- Wan confronts Maewnam about how the money actually wasn't just Maewnam's savings and was actually supposed to pay for Maewnam's PhD tuition (her mom told her)
- Wan breaks up with Maewnam because Wan doesn't want to keep being a burden to Maewnam's life and career (her words, not mine)
- Maewnam tries desperately blowing through the whistle to make Wan change her mind, but it doesn't work.
I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN RIGHT NOW. What an absolute BUMMER of an episode, my word. Which part do I even start with???
To Chom's Mom - WHY, WOMAN, WHY??? You literally had absolutely ZERO issues towards Tonnam before and also have ZERO issues with your dating-a-woman clients!!! Why on Earth is it sooo different now that your daughter is the one dating a woman??? The dramatics as well! Throwing out the incense and lying about why, using her specific pillow as a leg rest and preventing them from sharing a bed, varnishing off the nail polish that was in otherwise perfect condition...My god, woman, stop throwing a tantrum! Your daughter is dating a woman. She's in a very sweet, good for her, and consensual relationship with a fellow adult woman. Why in the world do you feel the need to throw your ass in the air over something like that??? If you want a boyfriend in the family so badly, then why don't you go and date a man! So help me if you don't get it together....
T/N: We do not condone nor tolerate homophobia or other such discriminations here at Midnight on Memory Lane. As long as you are in a safe, sane, consensual, healthy, and legally-of-age relationship that makes you happy, then you date/marry/sleep with/etc whoever you want!
To Maewnam's Mom - Look, I understand (partly) what you're doing and why you're doing it...but jeez, could you ease up a little bit on the harshness? Now, granted, I do not have any children. I don't know what it's like to be a mother, but surely there's a better way to go about this than having secret meetings, constantly making mean comments, and seemingly praying for the downfall of your child's romantic partner?
To Cart-Guy, specifically - You have let me down. You've let all of us down. How DARE you.
To Manmuk - Stop giving mixed signals! If you wanted to be friends again, then just be friends again! Stop trying to do this weird leverage-play-whatever.
To Tonnam and Chom - I so desperately hope that you two can work through this and that her Mom comes around. You two were so sweet and devoted before...I want you to go back to thattttt.
To Wan and Maewnam - HOW DARE YOU LAST DITCH EFFORT BLOW THAT WHISTLE WHILE CRYING AND HOW DARE YOU WALK AWAY WHILE CRYING! How dare you make me cry alongside you both!!!
Maewnam, I know why you did it, but you should've told her when you did. If I had the disposable funds sitting around, I would absolutely want to go and pay off the debts of my loved-ones with zero strings attached. 10000000% But you didn't have the disposable funds; you had sacrificial savings meant for your PhD tuition. You not having an honest discussion about that with Wan was obviously going to cause issues. She wants you to succeed as much as you want her to succeed!
Wan, I would've chosen to break things and walk away too, honestly. I understand not wanting to feel like you're the money-pit or burden on your loved ones. That being said, I just hope that the two of you can move past this. I don't think it's something to burn a bridge over...but it's absolutely something that needs a thorough discussion before you both can move on and heal.
Episode 9 Preview
OH THANK GOD! Episode 9 should be the "we're sorry, we'll fix it" episode!
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you've been able to watch and experience the story for yourself!
What're your thoughts on our main four so far? Would you have done the same as Wan after finding out about the money? Do you think Chom's Mom will get over whatever her issue is?
If you haven't, that's okay too! My thoughts are here to keep you updated and entertained in the meantime.
This caps off this post, so off into the nighttime I go to publish the next one shortly!
May we meet again at Midnight!