Call It What You Want 2 – Drama Review & Ending Explained

Bas

The story in Call It What You Want 2 is all about Bas. One of the biggest improvements between the first and second seasons is that it focuses on his character more. In Season 1, Bas is just a supporting character until his breakout episode near the end. In Season 2, he's in the spotlight and the plot revolves around him.

Being a hardcore Bas fan, I obviously love all the attention that he received during this season. However, a lot of the story is so emotionally heavy. I don't mind the dark and gritty tone, but it weighs on you after a while. It sucks that I have to watch Bas suffer, cry, and endure emotional trauma every episode. Only in the last few minutes does he finally find his bliss. 😟

Watching Bas heal from his trauma could've been just as interesting as his downward spiral. Evidently, Call It What You Want 2 didn't feel the same. Episode after episode, they pushed Bas to the brink of a breakdown until his mental state was completely destroyed. In contrast, his recovery process was condensed to maybe half an episode. Clearly, they were more interested in depicting his pain and anguish rather than his happiness and healing.

Trauma & mental health

Call It What You Want peaked between the last episode of Season 1 and the first episode of Season 2. Both episodes featured Bas prominently, as he coped with the psychological trauma of his sexual assault. The drama felt intimate, hitting the right emotional tone. While some other episodes in Call It What You Want 2 were too overwrought, the premiere showed restraint and achieved that perfect degree of melancholy.

In the first episode, my favourite moment was when Bas had that abstract nightmare. He dreamed of being stranded by the seaside, surrounded by pitch darkness, with no one else around him. It was an effective piece of symbolism, capturing the state of his deteriorating mental health. The actor also did a great job at conveying the desperation and desolation of his character.

This reference is kinda random, but did anyone watch the original Digimon anime? There's a concept of the "Dark Ocean", where the sea is like a physical manifestation of trauma and negative emotions. Bas' nightmare reminded me of the same wistful vibes, resonating with me extra powerfully. Any time I see a ~sea of darkness~ imagery in a show or movie, my mind always jumps back to that Digimon episode, haha. 🤓

Suicide attempt

In my opinion, Bas' suicide attempt in Episode 5 was a gigantic misstep. If you're going to depict suicide in the series, you better be able to follow up on the aftermath in a thoughtful and nuanced way. I don't get that feeling from Call It What You Want 2, which rushes through the incident and diminishes the emotional impact.

Suicide is a very extreme event, taking the plot to such an extreme. When portrayed correctly, it can lead to a powerful surge of emotions. On the flip side, you run the risk of trivializing what happened if you don't handle the aftermath delicately. I don't think Call It What You Want 2 was THAT bad, but the storyline wasn't handled with as much care as it needed.

Basically, Marco had one conversation with Bas, they jumped to sex, and then his suicidal desires vanished overnight. I thought there'd be more of a nuanced mental health journey, consisting of therapy, support from friends & family, with Marco by his side along every step. Instead, Bas' recovery felt insignificant when it should have been the highlight of the series. I never got the feeling that he took any necessary initiatives to heal from his psychological trauma.

Healing & recovery

Call It What You Want 2 would be better off excluding the suicide attempt altogether. Showing Bas hang himself on the noose took the story one step too far, crossing into the territory of tasteless sensationalism. The narrative suffered because it wasn't able to de-escalate smoothly from the intensity of the incident. There were more effective ways to depict mental distress without resorting to suicide.

The series also missed an opportunity by not using Marco more in the storyline. Yes, there were a few great moments, and one of the series highlights was his sensitive chat with Bas after the suicide attempt. However, there was so much potential left unexplored. I wanted even more scenes with them together, such as:

• Get Marco to help Bas with his family situation, improving the relationships with his brother and father.
• Show us Marco's exhaustion and frustration as he tries to stay positive around Bas.
• Explore their romance in a slow, sensible way, as Bas cautiously opens up to intimacy with another individual.

Unfortunately, Marco's involvement never reached the depth that I expected to see. It's annoying that he jumped into bed with Bas straight away. After his sexual assault, Bas could've struggled more about opening up to physical intimacy, a plot that easily fills up an entire episode. Instead, all the storytelling potential goes to waste when there could be so much emotionally riveting drama.

Bas and Marco

The quality of each Call It What You Want 2 episode is proportionate to how much screentime Bas and Marco receive. Any time the two characters interact, their on-screen chemistry is palpable. Whether they are having a cute lighthearted chat or a more serious and heartfelt exchange, their moments together are captivating. I'm always giddy and excited to see how their relationship will progress.

What I like about Marco is his compassion. He's the only character who shows kindness towards Bas, helping him cope with his trauma. Throughout the series, Marco is sensitive, caring, and empathetic with an open heart. He knows how to lighten the mood around Bas and not dwell on the negatives. At the same time, Marco remains firm when Bas shows moments of vulnerability and weakness. For instance, he sticks to his guns and refuses to delete the incriminating video of Tee.

My favourite Bas and Marco moment would be any of their three kisses:

• Their first kiss was full of sexual tension. Bas showed some apprehension before he leaned in for a surprise kiss. I felt my heart beating a little faster, not knowing how Marco would've reacted to this advance.
• The second kiss was steamy as hell. Clothes were flying off, bedframes were being rocked, and kisses were being swapped like rapid gunfire.
• Their third kiss was really sweet. Even though the last episode was a mess, I liked how empowering the kiss felt. Bas broke free from his abuser's control and finally took control of his narrative.

Bas and Marco sex

Call It What You Want has an unfortunate history of including sex scenes at the most questionable times. In the first season, James and Ait had sex right after they learned about Bas' sexual assault. In this season, Bas has sex with Marco in the same episode where he tried to kill himself earlier. I swear to god, how does an episode start with a character hanging himself from a noose, but ends with him getting lucky in that same bedroom where he tried to off himself!? 😬

I feel conflicted about this. On one hand, the scene is so tactless and tone-deaf, with terrible implications that sex can resolve suicidal tendencies. On the other hand, it serves as a powerful release of repressed emotions. Bas needed a productive outlet to expel all his negativity. Having sex is one possible way to take him out of that downward spiral, I guess…

Even though the timing could be much better, the sex scene between them is pretty hot. Those two actors really went at it with gusto. Their steaminess was enough to make me stop clutching my pearls and just enjoy two guys making out. As Marco pinned Bas to the bed and ravished him, a scene that should've annoyed me ended up arousing me instead. 😚

James and Ait

Compared to Season 1, James and Ait took more of a backseat in this series, but still occupied too much time with their mundane plots. I got annoyed with Ait's character, whose childish reaction to Marco's love confession was such a turn-off. I mean, I understand why he might be upset, but he still irritated me with his silly theatrics and immature tantrums. Stop whining, ya little twerp!

James and Ait also have a subplot about hiding their relationship from the public. It's an okay storyline with some relevant points, but doesn't introduce anything new to the plot. A better storytelling angle would've been getting James and Ait to conspire as a couple, uncovering proof of Tee's misdeeds together. They can try to locate other victims, or Ait goes undercover and baits Tee into doing something incriminating. These subplots already sound more interesting than another repetitive round of "I want people to know we're dating!"

Sadly, the chemistry between James and Ait is still weak. After twelve episodes, I'm just not invested in this couple because there's no spark between them. Honestly, my preference would be to keep their scenes to a minimum, focusing more on the Bas and Marco relationship instead.

Love triangle

I'm not a fan of the love triangle between James, Ait, and Marco. However, I understand they needed to wrap up this storyline from the previous season, so I tolerated all the annoying relationship drama. As they untangled this complex web of relationships, there was a lot of mundane dialogue exchanged. Something along the lines of I like you, but you don't like me back, so let's stay friends, yadda yadda yadda.

There was one interesting plot development that came from the love triangle drama. In Episode 2, Bas and Marco got into a disagreement. Bas felt jealous after Marco admitted that he was going to see James. In the heat of the moment, Bas retaliated by OUTING James and Ait's secret relationship. 😮 Once the scandal was publicized, Ait blamed Marco for the anonymous leak until Bas confessed to being the culprit.

Understandably, Ait got annoyed and said some unkind words to Bas. It was this argument that pushed Bas to the edge, triggering his suicide attempt. In Ait's defence, he was being a little rude, but didn't say anything THAT provocative. Nonetheless, the disappointment from upsetting a friend was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Ait remained oblivious to the impact of his words, unaware that he almost caused Bas to take his own life. 😟

The love triangle itself wasn't interesting, but it ended up having dramatic consequences that I didn't expect. I wished they highlighted the dynamic between Ait and Bas after their quarrel. Imagine the guilt that Ait feels upon discovering Bas' suicide attempt. It would've given Ait's actor some substantial material instead of just pouting and whining about his relationship.

Good acting

The only actor who gets to shine in Call It What You Want 2 is Bas' actor (Michael), who has the juiciest scenes for sure. The rest of the cast don't have much material to work with, making it hard to judge their acting skills. I guess they're fine, but nobody comes close to stealing the spotlight from Bas. He carries the bulk of the emotional drama in the series.

As with last season, Michael is stupendous in his role. He conveys the powerful feelings brilliantly, capturing the fear and vulnerability of trauma. With that said, he overdoes it in a few instances, pushing himself too hard to exert the emotions. I also think there's fatigue from watching him be miserable all the time. I didn't keep the exact count, but it felt like his character had a dozen crying scenes in Season 2. I got numb from watching his emotional distress after a while.

The angst is so excessive, requiring the actor to cry, emote, and pull all sorts of strained reactions almost constantly. Under such a heavy workload, I don't blame him for missing his performance once or twice. Less is more, and his acting would have resonated better if the dramatic moments were kept to a few instances. I also would've liked to see more variety than just Bas being tormented all the time. If only there were more scenes for his character to display other emotions, it would've showcased Michael's talent diversely.

Happy ending

There's a happy ending in Call It What You Want 2. The main characters work together to expose Tee during a press conference and dismantle his production empire. Originally, Tee scripted everything in the press conference, so James and Ait only had to play along with the softball questions. However, Marco suddenly appears as a journalist, asking them to address their relationship rumours. James goes off-script, admits to the romance, and gives a meaningful speech about not wanting to hide their love anymore.

As the press conference gets derailed, Bas and Kaprao put their secret plan into motion. Amid the chaos, they broadcast the video evidence of Tee being predatory towards Bas earlier this season. Everyone is scandalized by the footage, as Tee quietly slinks off-stage before the video clip finishes. No, he doesn't get any comeuppance for his sexual assault. His character simply disappears and we don't hear from him again.

The media attention now shifts towards Bas and Marco. Marco gives his necklace to Bas and then smooches him in front of all the cameras. All the journalists and BL fans in attendance cheer excitedly as the two of them share a passionate kiss. In the final scene, we see that production has resumed on the BL drama. It indicates that normalcy has returned even after the two couples came out during the press conference.

Ending review

While Call It What You Want 2 has a happy ending, the last episode is a disappointing mess. Half the finale is filler, teasing about this ~big press conference~ with little subtlety. It's so obvious what will transpire, so can we hurry along with the plot already? Imagine how much smoother the finale would be if they start with the press conference and expose Tee right away. The rest of the episode can focus on the main characters, giving their stories closure.

Sadly, the actual finale feels rushed with almost zero aftermath following the events of the press conference. We don't address the fallout, abruptly ending the story right after the two couples came out. It's super annoying how Tee doesn't get his comeuppance after building him up as the villain for the entire series. The worst part is that Bas and Marco barely feature in the episode until the last few minutes.

Episode 5 was already sloppy in rushing through their relationship, but I had hoped they'd receive more development in the finale. Instead, Bas and Marco were largely missing in action other than a quick kiss in the end. Can we at least get a meaningful conversation between them? Also, why aren't we addressing Bas' suicide attempt, sexual assault trauma, or mental health recovery? So many loose ends are left unresolved by this unsatisfying ending.

Although I have a lot of gripes with both Call It What You Want seasons, my frustration comes from wanting to see the best version of the series. There are other BL dramas so mediocre that they don't inspire any opinions in me. In contrast, I feel strongly about the story, the characters, and the message in Call It What You Want. It succeeds in making me care so passionately, but it falters in delivering the quality that I believe this drama could achieve.

Ending explained

The best part about the Call It What You Want ending is James' speech, one of the only things I like about the final episode. Marco poses as a journalist during the press conference, confronting James and Ait about their relationship rumours. Ait follows the script and gives a diplomatic answer. However, James chooses this moment to come out and admit that he is indeed dating Ait. He then gives a moving monologue with a sentimental message about love.

His speech reveals the meaning behind the title Call It What You Want. James decides to go public with their relationship because he wants to celebrate love instead of concealing it. He wants to inspire other couples to be open, courageous, and prideful with their relationships. Love is a normal part of life. It's not supposed to be shameful or secretive. If you love someone, don't be afraid to admit this.

As James says himself: "Whatever you want to call our relationship… Just call it what you want." In other words, I love him no matter what you say about us. The speech demonstrates that he prioritizes his love for Ait over how others will perceive their relationship. Yes, others might gossip. And yes, it might jeopardize their careers. But no, he doesn't care about these consequences because loving his boyfriend matters most to him. It's a firm and decisive stance on romance, attached to a positive message that we can use more of in this world.

Final thoughts

Despite its imperfections, Call It What You Want has crafted a powerfully emotional journey throughout its two seasons. Bas' story concludes in a way that empowers him. Previously, he was afraid of the consequences of speaking up against his abuser. In his own words, he doesn't want to be seen as "the victim". By the final episode, he has gone through a dramatic transformation. Bas takes back control of his narrative, not letting the sexual assault define him anymore.

I like the symbolism of the empty birdcage in Episode 5, signifying his character is no longer a prisoner of his trauma. He wasn't ready to confront his sexual abuse before, but Marco has freed him from his psychological burden. As he approaches Kaprao, Bas looks comforted, reassured, and liberated. This is the Bas we wanted to see.

I'm glad Bas got a happy ending after everything his character experienced. While I wished his mental health recovery was emphasized more delicately, I'm just relieved that he broke free from his trauma. At the end of the series, he has an incredible boyfriend, his career remains intact, and he appears to be in a much better place mentally. Bas deserves to find happiness in this world, and I'll be rooting for him on his path to self-enlightenment.