Kidnap – Series Review & Episode Guide

Min is a stunt actor struggling to make ends meet. His job pays poorly and has an unstable income. After his parents passed away, Min feels responsible for looking after Mhen, his younger brother. Since Mhen has health issues and requires a pacemaker, the medical expenses are overwhelming. Desperate to cover the bills, Min borrows money from loan sharks. When he fails to repay, they turn violent.

Min struggles to land acting jobs, failing audition after audition. Noticing his desperation, his coworker James suggests a shady opportunity. James has been hired to abduct Q, the only child of a powerful police commander. Q's father, Kacha, recently made headlines for leading a major drug bust in a high-profile narcotics case. During the operation, he arrested Pond, a warehouse owner accused of storing heroin. However, Pond's father, Phum, insists his son is innocent.

Yada, a wealthy businesswoman, visits Kacha. She offers him a briefcase full of money to drop the case and cover up the evidence. He refuses and insists on moving forward with the investigation. With deep criminal ties and a loyal group of underlings, Yada has no intention of backing down. Her most trusted ally is her personal bodyguard, Suea, who stands by her side. Yada is determined to evade the law and will do whatever it takes, no matter how hard Kacha tries to stop her.

Min has no idea who hired him to kidnap Q, but desperation pushes him to accept the job with James. When Q gets drunk one night, Min seizes the moment and carries out the abduction. At first, the plan is simple. Take Q, collect the money, and walk away. But the client changes the deal at the last minute, offering double the pay to have Q killed. James urges him to proceed, but Min struggles with his conscience. Despite holding Q at gunpoint, Min can't pull the trigger.

Instead of killing Q, Min comes up with a plan. He stages Q's death, faking the assassination to deceive the client. In reality, he hides Q in his house and keeps him alive until the payment is secured. Q tries to escape multiple times, yet Min catches him every time. Min assures Q that he won't be harmed as long as he stays put. Reluctantly, Q begins living with Min and slowly gets to know him. Over time, their hostility starts to fade, and Min develops feelings for his captive.

Kidnap is a shockingly awful drama from GMMTV, the biggest BL studio in the world. With their talent, experience, and resources, you'd expect a certain level of quality, yet they churned out this garbage. A romance between a kidnapper and his captive already leaves me skeptical, but the sloppy writing stifles any remaining potential. From the start, the story seems absurd. Instead of improving, each episode finds new ways to get dumber. This idiotic series has abducted common sense and held my brain cells hostage.

Kidnapping someone is an extreme act of desperation. The story must explain why Min believes he has no choice, yet his internal conflict is portrayed shallowly. Despite his financial hardships, he gives money to Jeen. That tells me his crisis isn't urgent enough. Also, has he tried finding other jobs, selling his items (including that damn guitar), or cutting back on expenses? I never sense that Min has explored all his options before committing the crime. Being kidnapped is terrifying, yet he doesn't hesitate to put Q through that trauma. Min seems like a morally weak protagonist, which destroys my sympathy for him.

After the abduction, everything that happens next is ridiculous. Min fakes Q's death using red juice as blood, like that would fool anyone. He takes Q to his house, letting the captive learn his face, name, and address. Q's actions make even less sense. He shows no survival instinct and doesn't escape despite the opportunities available. After one day, he develops Stockholm syndrome and stops seeing Min as dangerous. He doesn't hold the kidnappers accountable, even though James literally ordered Min to kill him. Q even befriends the same criminals who threatened his life.

Falling in love with your kidnapper is a tough sell. The leads meet under such bizarre circumstances that I can't imagine a romance happening. The story hardly explores the psychological complexity of a hostage-captor dynamic, which could have been intriguing. Instead, Q forgives Min quickly and acts carefree about his abduction. Their instant bond feels so unrealistic that it breaks my immersion. No matter how much they flirt, kiss, or declare their devotion, this connection never seems genuine. IMO, Q & Mhen make a cuter couple. I also ship Q's dad & Suea lol.

After his Bad Buddy fame with Nanon, I was excited to see Ohm do a BL drama with another partner. I want GMMTV to mix up the pairings more often, especially if it means giving newbies a chance in the spotlight. However, Q's actor (Leng) is underwhelming in his debut. He needs to learn how to manage his expressions better. To be fair, Ohm also seems lacklustre and exposes his limitations. Despite his handsome looks, this isn't his finest performance. But honestly, the story is so abysmal that even the most talented cast won't shine working with this material.

The middle stretch aggravated me so much. The plot is mindless nonsense, the characters make stupid choices, and watching this feels like it causes permanent brain damage. I wanted to quit midway, but I was held against my will by the need to finish it and write this review. The last few episodes are slightly better as Q fixes the relationship with his father and heals from trauma. While not explored in much depth, at least these arcs make sense. I was close to giving this BL drama a failing grade until the ending barely saved it. Even so, Kidnap is still a painfully bad series.