Dead Friend Forever – Series Review & Ending Explained

Episode 1

Episode 1 Review

I love how both couples decide the cabin balcony is the best place to hook up. At least Tee and White moved their naughty antics to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Jin and Phee did it on the spot. They dropped trou, grabbed crotches, and gave head. I laugh nervously when the group realizes they can see the outdoor surveillance footage. If Tee and White felt embarrassed for kissing on camera, imagine what must be going through Jin and Phee's thoughts then.

I have an early favourite character: it's Tan. Firstly, he has asthma but still smokes compulsively. His self-sabotaging duality intrigues me. Secondly, I love his interaction with White in this episode. Tan praises his companion's intelligence: "You're so smart! No wonder you're a computer engineering student!" But White replies, "Uhhh, all I did was charge a walkie-talkie." Oh my god, this socially awkward moment is killing me. The murders hadn't started yet, but I already died of second-hand embarrassment on Tan's behalf.

Episode 2

Episode 2 Review

OMFGGGGG. Uncle Dang's over-the-top death is sending me to orbit! WTF just happened!? Did he get beheaded by a deadly wire? Oh, goddamn. (I subconsciously put my hand around my neck to ensure it's still intact.) The poor guy got killed, even though he wasn't even involved in whatever happened in the past. Rest in peace, but I can't stop laughing at his morbidly funny death. After this scene, I'm switching to Team Murderer. Whoever the killer is, I admire his creativity!

Tan has to be the mastermind, right? Based on what we learned, one of the three new guys holds a vendetta against the other five in the group. White and Phee are love interests, whereas Tan is some random character with no relationship to anyone. By the process of elimination, his role is likely to be the villain. Okay, Detective BL Watcher has solved the case once again~ 🕵🏻 After suspecting Tan as the culprit, I study his reactions carefully. It's so funny when he pretends to be shocked by Uncle Dang's death. Dude, you killed him! Stop faking it lol!

Episode 3

Episode 3 Review

Honestly, it's a miracle that Por has survived for this long. I'm no medical expert, but that wound looks pretty lethal. There's literally a gigantic piece of wood stabbed into his stomach! How is he still alive by the end of Episode 3? Even if Por doesn't die from his deadly injuries, I'm pretty sure Fluke will murder his ass soon. The agitated little twerp is already cracking under pressure. It's only a matter of time before Fluke silences his dying friend before he gets incriminated.

Tan is so obviously the culprit lmaoooo~ Every scene, he behaves sketchy as hell. He must be the one who attacked Top and left him for dead. My current theory is that Tan has an accomplice. He and the masked assailant are working together to kill the others in the group. In the temple scene, the group could have physically overpowered the villain. The fight was four against one, so the odds were in their favour. However, I don't blame them for running away from an axe-yielding murderer. Damn, I'd dash out of there too!

Episode 4

Episode 4 Review

OMG, Top is the masked guy!? But how!? Is Tan a sorcerer who put an evil voodoo spell on Top? Why is he acting so strangely? Damn, Top killed Por! I didn't think Por was going to survive. However, it's still chilling for the group of friends to turn against each other and murder one of their own. Por's death scene is sadder than I expected it to be. Hearing White's crying in the background evokes despair. White's wails sound so weak and helpless, making me feel bad for his suffering.

OMFG, I hate Fluke so much. This nasty little twerp needs to be the killer's next target! Fluke enraged me when he held a gun at White and threatened him. How dare you! Leave White alone! Honestly, I'm not intimidated by the masked murderer. Instead, I'm more frightened by someone like Fluke because he represents humans behaving inhumanely. When placed under stress, this ordinary guy wants to kill others for self-preservation. This series taps into the horror of human nature, showing how easily people can become cold-blooded monsters in desperate situations.

Episode 5

Episode 5 Review

Before this episode, I still wanted a few characters to survive their massacre. Now, no more. I'm on Team Murderer! I'm rooting for Non and his brother New (who is masquerading as Tan lol~) to take down these bullies. The group treated Non so terribly! Hearing the nickname "Greasy" makes my blood boil. Non hasn't done anything to offend them. Why can't they be nice to the guy working on their script? Ugh, I despise them for using Non as a scapegoat for the broken camera. THEY ARE THE WORST!!!

Por, Top, and Tee are straight-up bullies, constantly tormenting Non or exploiting their classmate. Fluke is a bystander who doesn't contribute to the harassment, so his culpability seems less severe. Yet, his inaction still makes him complicit in the mistreatment. Fluke fears bringing trouble upon himself and doesn't protect the victim out of self-preservation. Likewise, Jin frustrates me. Despite defending Non occasionally, he doesn't do enough to stop the bullying. Jin cozies up to Non while still enabling his friends' toxic behaviour. Jin, you need to step up and take a stronger stand!

Episode 6

Episode 6 Review

I feel bad for Non's predicament, but his terrible decisions exasperate me. I wanna jump into the fictional universe and stop him from doing the money laundering scheme. Oh my god, that's like pouring fuel on a fire! No matter how desperate his financial situation is, there are better alternatives. Talk to the parents for help, beg Por to show mercy, transfer schools, or start a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe. Don't turn to a life of crime over some rich kid's camera!

OMFG, Tee deserves the worst fate possible. I EFFING HATE HIM. Por and Top were in a tight race to be the most vile character, but Tee pulled ahead of them both. All his actions are unforgivable. He tricks Por into joining the money laundering scheme, threatens his victim's life ("you gotta sell your organs" WTF!?), and treats him like a subhuman. As awful as the teenagers may be, the story emphasizes how the parents and adults are culpable. They add to the mental strain, perpetuate the abuse, and lead the children astray instead of guiding them on the right path.

Episode 7

Episode 7 Review

Wow, I didn't expect Phee & Non to be ex-boyfriends! The story teased a NonJin ship, only to do a switcheroo. The couple's early relationship scenes are impactful, capturing their whirlwind romance. Since the past episodes depicted Non's life as joyless, I'm glad he had a hidden source of happiness. At least someone comforted him. Phee initially seemed like Non's knight in shining armour, rescuing him from the criminals' wrath. I'm sad they broke up! The episode began optimistically, whereas the ending feels hopeless.

"Move to another school." OMG, I was so happy when Phee suggested this. At last, someone in Non's life looks out for him and gives sensible advice. Unfortunately, he continues to be self-destructive and makes the worst decisions. After Tee had set him up to be killed by criminals, Non should transfer schools ASAP. However, I know he worked hard on the script. The screenwriter in him wanted to bring his creation to life and finish what he started. From a misguided teenager's perspective, there's an incentive to keep hanging out with his bullies.

JIN SUCKS!!! In every episode, I have a new character to hate. They're all despicable! Leaking the sex tape is vile. Just because Jin's feelings got hurt doesn't give him the right to retaliate. Besides that, I'm bothered by his fake allyship. Despite knowing his friends treat Non awfully, Jin downplays their nasty antics. "Playing the villain is the best role, hehe!" He pretends to be nice to Non, luring him to their group. If Jin had Non's best interests at heart, he'd try harder to stop the bullying and protect his friend. Jin shouldn't expose Non to the toxic environment.

Episode 8

Episode 8 Review

I understand why Non snaps mentally because he suffers so much. At home, his parents scold him. At school, his classmates bully him. Online, strangers mock him. In romance, his lover abandons him. Any one of Non's misfortunes would be enough to be his villain origin story, yet he has trauma on top of trauma. I feel bad when Non is teary-eyed as he reads those online hate messages (and writes EVIL FANFICTION afterwards). He has no support system whatsoever. The whole world is against him. 😢

"I'm the one who should apologize to you the most." That's the last line Jin says to Non. As much as I hate him, Jin is one of the most fascinating characters. He committed wrongdoings, like leaking the video and enabling the bullies. Yet, he shows a conscience. Unlike his friends, Jin is the only one who treats Non kindly. He refers to Non by his name instead of the dehumanizing nickname. Jin is self-aware enough to realize his culpability in Non's pain, whereas the others ignore the blame. Jin has a lot of moral ambiguity since he's capable of both cruelty and empathy.

Episode 9

Episode 9 Review

This episode's revelation feels gratifying because I pegged Tan (aka New) as the evil mastermind since the start. However, I didn't expect his backstory to be so outrageous. New gives up his promising future, pretends to be a highschooler, and infiltrates his brother's group of bullies. Yet, his deceitful actions inadvertently cause his parents to die. OMFG, seeing your father hang himself at your mother's funeral is the ultimate trauma. Losing your whole family like this is fucked up! 😨

"He's with those assholes, so he's also an asshole." Exactly, New! Don't let Jin get off the hook! I was already on Team Murderer before learning New's backstory, but now I fully support him getting revenge on the culprits. He must execute this vendetta and avenge his loved ones. Destroy them all! Despite the morbid events, New's villain era cracks me up. I love those scenes in the chemistry lab where he concocts magically overpowered drugs. I also laugh at New taking a puff out of his cigarette and saying theatrical lines like, "YOU CAN FUCK ALL YOU WANT, BUT DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM."

Episode 10

Episode 10 Review

Phee is a filthy traitor! I hate that he switches allegiances from Team Murderer to Team Bullies. Besides backstabbing New, Phee betrays Non. Phee once claimed he loved his ex, but apparently ~not enough~ to avenge his death. One sloppy BJ later, Phee is loyal to Jin instead. Non would roll in his grave if he saw his boyfriend defending the guy who leaked his sex tape. Phee's moral code is: "I draw the line at physical murder, but those who psychologically torture someone until they kill themselves can be redeemed."

I'm CACKLING at New's delighted reaction after Fluke shot Top. Everyone else seems tense and scared, whereas New has the most excited grin as Top dies from his wounds. He's having the time of his life! LMAOOOO. In addition, I enjoy the flashbacks of New orchestrating his mastermind plan. From magical hallucinogens to lethal wires, New's convoluted scheme is hilariously BONKERS. I gotta respect him for mindfucking everyone before killing them all. Unlike Phee, I'm loyal to Team New until the bitter end. You can never make me hate this evil bastard~ 🫡

Episode 11

Episode 11 Review

Poor Non died so pitifully. At least an assassination (like Keng) would have been quick and sudden, whereas working until you collapse from physical exhaustion is an agonizing way to die. While everyone contributed to Non's demise, Tee played a significant role in introducing him to crime. Even though Tee grew up in unfortunate circumstances, I still can't forgive what he did to Non. I don't need his tragic backstory. I only want him to get his overdue comeuppance!

I hate Tee too much to care about his relationship, but the segment where he falls in love with White is impactful. It reminds me of the Non & Phee flashbacks in Episode 7. In both cases, a rapid succession of scenes establishes the couple's attraction, ushering fierce emotions. White is like a ray of joy in Tee's bleak life. I like how the series uses romance to humanize characters and alleviate tension in the story. Also, poor White. He and Uncle Dang are innocent victims caught up in this twisted revenge scheme. Out of everyone, I do want White to survive. Spare his life!

I like the intensity of the final scene, especially when New coerces Phee to kill the others. Phee argues, "Non wouldn't want you to do this!" But New replies, "I don't care about your fucking ethics. I don't give a shit. You all must die." LMAOOOO. Yes, king! Also, New's magically overpowered hallucinogen is such a hilarious plot device. Taking a whiff of the drug can make you lose your sanity and imagine self-destructive thoughts. There's also an antidote that can break the voodoo sorcery. The whole scenario seems ridiculous, but I go along with it anyway. 

Episode 12

Ending Review

ALL MUST PERISH! My ideal conclusion for this series is a cabin full of dead bodies. Phee tries to play hero and gets in the way of a juicy bad ending. Still, the finale has plenty of blood and gore. The series embraces its darkness by making the characters meet their grisly fates. Fluke goes blind before his brutal death, symbolizing how he overlooked injustice. Also, Tee loses his sanity after killing his beloved White. He must agonize while being barely alive, just like Non's final days.

Beyond a tale of bloodshed and retribution, Dead Friend Forever explores fascinating themes about morality. It asks viewers to examine whether the characters deserve to live or die. We also evaluate if they receive their proportionate punishment. The finale presents several ethical questions:

• Is New right or wrong to exact his revenge on the five people who bullied his brother? Should he have proceeded with his murders, even if it meant White and Uncle Dan would be innocent casualties?

• Does Jin deserve a harsher fate? Fluke suffered a gruesome death for being a passive bystander to Non's bullying. In contrast, Jin leaked the sex tape and actively contributed to Non's distress. Yet, Jin survives in the finale. Is his punishment equal to his misconduct, especially compared to Fluke?

• Do any of the characters deserve to die? Jin leaked a sex tape, Por bullied his classmate, and Top made false accusations. As despicable as their actions may be, do these teenagers deserve death for misbehaviours in their youth? Would you change your opinion if Jin shows remorse and the potential for rehabilitation?

Days after finishing the finale, I still ponder my answers to the above questions. The audience, including myself, is quick to condemn the characters for hurting Non. Yet, do they deserve execution as their punishment? As I watch this series, I feel like one of the Capitol residents in The Hunger Games. I'm fascinated by the morbid drama, yet I'm complicit in glorifying vengeance and death. This sobering realization makes me reflect on the story's moral complexities. If Jin & his friends were on trial in real life, how would I judge them? What would my verdict be?