My Ride – Series Review & Ending Explained

Story

Love triangle

My Ride doesn't begin terribly. The first few episodes are an enjoyable slow-burn, building a comfortable connection between the leads. Mork is coming out of a fresh breakup, just as Tawan enters a new romance with his longtime crush. The story establishes the narrative tension early on, making the viewers wonder how the star-crossed lovers will navigate their attraction. My Ride maintains the compelling dynamic for a while, intriguing us with teases of explosive relationship drama.

The love triangle drags on for too long. Ideally, I would make Tawan and his boyfriend break up by the end of the third episode. Maybe the storyline can extend to Episodes 4 or 5 at the latest. However, it's beyond ridiculous the relationship conflict doesn't get resolved until Episode 8. That means Tawan is saddled with his cheating boyfriend for most of the series, more than he spends time with his actual love interest. Also, Por and Tawan's scenes go in circles after Episode 3. We suffer through a vicious cycle where they argue, mope around, and almost break up without it happening.

The longer the love triangle drags, the worse the senseless drama gets. Perhaps the lowest point of the storyline is when Por's lover visits Tawan at the hospital to meet the competition. Oh my god, what is this soap opera bullshit!? Por receives too much focus for a character with little development. He's a lying scumbag, sucking everyone into his vortex of unpleasantness. Tawan also irks me for acting so weak and oblivious. Your boyfriend clearly doesn't want anything to do with you. Please gather your self-respect and leave the jerk already.

Charming leads

As much as I hate the love triangle, I genuinely love the two main characters and their budding romance. Tawan and Mork have endearing personalities, radiating warmth, compassion, and sincerity. My Ride becomes enchanting when it focuses on the two leads. Their interactions are wholesome and delightful, from cute bonding moments to sweet exchanges where they provide emotional support.

Part of the appeal comes from how down-to-earth Tawan and Mork are. There's no arrogance, posturing, or toxic behaviours. They are simply sweet, modest, and sensitive guys with winning personalities. Some doctors have a superiority complex, which we witness from a few characters in this series. That stereotype doesn't apply to Tawan, who remains humble and sweet-natured. Likewise, Mork might not have a prestigious job or an advanced education. Yet, he's emotionally intelligent and acts enlightened around his gay uncles.

I enjoy My Ride because it's a cute love story where two nice guys fall in love. Many BL dramas begin by making the lead characters clash over their differences. In contrast, this series takes a gentler approach. Mork and Tawan get along because they are very similar. They think alike, share the same values, and treat each other equally regardless of their backgrounds. The romance between a doctor and a driver may initially seem like an odd match-up. As we know the characters better, their comfortable rapport makes them a very compatible couple.

Tawan

Tawan is like an angel. His character exudes a rare purity, as if he's untarnished by the evil influences in the world. Episode 2 is an excellent showcase of his best qualities, from saving animals to consoling a crying stranger. He's an altruistic person devoted to helping others and treating everyone kindly. The world would be a better place if there were more guys like Tawan, inspiring us to do good deeds. His kindness is attractive. We can understand why Mork develops a crush on him at the end of the episode.

Tawan comes from small-town roots, raised in a supportive family. His positive upbringing influences Tawan's humble personality. One of the central themes in My Ride is the class division between a doctor and a driver, two occupations with different social standings. Yet, it never becomes an issue with Tawan. He's comfortable around Mork without any prejudice or superiority. Tawan acts like a regular, down-to-earth guy all the time. He eats food from street vendors and gets rides on motorcycle taxis rather than fancy cars. It makes sense he gets along with his blue-collar love interest perfectly fine.

Despite being well-educated, Tawan can be a bit naive. He trusts his cheating boyfriend too much, oblivious to Por's growing disinterest in him. After Por suggests they ~take a break~, Tawan sends a pathetic message along the lines of "I still love you." Oh, c'mon. I understand it's his first relationship, but Tawan suffers from a desperation to be liked. Fortunately, Tawan finds a more suitable love interest in Mork, who supports him and shares similar values. I'm glad because Tawan deserves a partner who reciprocates his love equally.

Mork

Mork is also an angel. Much of what I wrote about Tawan above can apply to Mork too. Both protagonists are sweet and sensitive guys, like perfect boyfriend material. The main difference is their backgrounds. Unlike Tawan, Mork comes from a working-class upbringing and doesn't have an esteemed education or a high-paying job. His social status has denied him opportunities, like a stable relationship with his girlfriend. Basically, she breaks up with him after finding a wealthier partner.

Compared to Tawan, Mork is dealt a tougher hand and faces more challenging circumstances. Nonetheless, Mork maintains his cheerfulness, optimism, and genuine warmth throughout the series. He's more than happy to help a stranger in need. He's also great with kids, taking care of his nephew every summer. Despite not having many privileges in life, Mork is still eager to act charitably towards others. He's a sincere, selfless, and straightforward guy with no agenda. Mork enjoys doing good deeds simply because it's his nature.

Although he questions his sexuality, Mork is close with his gay uncles, highlighting his open-minded views on diverse relationships. In addition, Mork is emotionally intuitive. Whenever Tawan feels down, Mork knows how to encourage the doctor with corny jokes. Overall, Mork seems more well-adjusted than a character like Dr. Por, even if the latter is educated and works in a celebrated profession. My Ride makes a case your background doesn't dictate the type of person you are. Regardless of your standing in society, you can have a positive attitude like either Mork or Tawan.

Romance

Tawan and Mork

Mork & Tawan make a compatible couple. I resonate with their heartwarming BL romance, adoring every interaction except for one exchange. In Episode 8, Tawan discovers his boyfriend is cheating on him and realizes Mork knew about the affair. Tawan angrily accuses Mork of hiding the truth. I don't like this conflict because he's directing his anger to the wrong person. Don't blame Mork because you managed your relationship poorly. However, I'll excuse Tawan since he's overemotional and not thinking clearly in the heated moment.

Otherwise, the Mork and Tawan romance hits a pitch-perfect tone for me. Their best scenes come after the love triangle finally gets resolved. Those last three episodes feel like the romance has made progress again after stalling for so long. In Episode 9, I love seeing Tawan interact with Mork's family, bringing their two worlds closer together. I giggled when Mork introduced his nephew as his "son", freaking out Tawan for a few scenes. 😆 Their amusement park date was cute too, highlighting the magic of their romance for me.

As much as I enjoy the ship, their storyline doesn't satisfy me entirely. My Ride wastes so much time on the love triangle and crams the best relationship moments into the last few episodes. The series rushes to catch up when it could've solidified the couple earlier and developed the romance leisurely. We missed out on so much content that explores new material. I wanted more emphasis on their class divide, backstories, families, personal growth, and the dynamic after dating. Instead, we get incessant soap opera melodrama with the cheating ex. Sigh.

Tawan and Por

We all knew Tawan's romance with Por wouldn't be endgame. However, I was shocked and appalled at how long this relationship lasted, dragging out miserably until Episode 8. WHY!? I don't understand what compelled the storyteller to stretch out the worst plot for eight episodes in a ten-episode series. All the love triangle scenes are as tedious as they are ridiculous. The characters are caught in a vicious loop of arguing, moping around, telling lies, and being oblivious. 

Por starts acting awful since Episode 3, and the next five episodes cover the same repetitive territory. His character's behaviour is senseless. Por doesn't try communicating with Tawan at all. Yet, he won't break up despite losing interest in him. If you must make excuses to avoid spending time with your boyfriend, why hold onto this relationship? Por's boyfriend is also an unnecessary twist, making the storyline even worse. It's so silly when he visits Tawan at the hospital and doesn't expose the truth. Ugh, can Por take his trashy drama elsewhere and leave Tawan alone? GTFO.

The turning point in their relationship was when Tawan seemed preoccupied during an intimate moment. Por loses interest in Tawan for not having sex on a first date. In my opinion, that should have been enough to end their pairing. There's no need to introduce unnecessary adultery, accusations, and arguments into the storyline. Simply make Por dump Tawan for not putting out quickly. Por comes across as a jerk, Tawan feels hurt about the breakup, and then he rebounds through a new relationship with Mork. It would wrap up this relationship saga concisely. 

Boss and Toy

I'm pretty ho-hum on the secondary romance between Boss and Toy. I kinda like the actors, but the characters are meh and their relationship dynamic doesn't stand out. Nothing really clicks. Most of their scenes are either annoying or leave me with cold indifference. When they clashed in the beginning, I didn't sense sparks. I only saw two medical students butting heads over their wounded pride and bruised egos.

I can't pinpoint a particular issue with this pairing. Generally speaking, the storyline feels incohesive and doesn't excite me. With that said, I like the final scene where Boss confesses his feelings in front of the classroom. Boss is a reserved character throughout the series, so it's a bold departure for him to behave theatrically. Even if I don't feel passionate about this couple, it's a cute BL moment to wrap up the romance.

Nadia and Mayom

I like Mayom! The actor looks cute and his character has an inoffensive personality. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of his love interest, Nadia. I find her pretty irritating throughout the series. Nadia complains about not finding a suitable boyfriend, but then she overlooks the dreamy barista who confesses his love. After she rejects him, Mayom is embarrassed and keeps his distance respectfully. Yet, Nadia doesn't seem sensitive to his feelings, acting rudely around him.

I get the impression Nadia is hesitant to date Mayom due to his job. On paper, he exceeds all her criteria for a dream guy. Mayom is attentive, attractive, successful, and smitten with her. Yet, she doesn't consider him a viable love interest, possibly due to implicit biases over their social class differences. Mayom isn't in her league because she only dates doctors. I don't have enough evidence to confirm the allegations, but it's the ~vibe~ I get from Nadia. She excludes Mayom from her romantic prospects because her ideal boyfriend isn't an ordinary guy who runs a coffee shop.

Nadia changes her mind about Mayom after learning he's famous in Japan and highly desirable to other girls. It takes Nadia ten episodes to realize this handsome barista is a catch. Unfortunately, it further validates my belief that she only likes Mayom because of his fame and status. She hasn't spent time with him or gotten to know his personality. Instead, Nadia suddenly likes Mayom after discovering he's a celebrity. Her attraction seems vapid and shallow. Honestly, I think she isn't good enough to date him and he can do better.

Cheep and Dej

My Ride makes an inspired decision to include an older gay couple among their supporting cast. Uncle Cheep and Uncle Dej squabble frequently, but you can tell they have a solid, loving rapport. It's fantastic to see their representation in a BL series, showcasing a demographic of middle-aged gay men in stable relationships. Also, their characters have entertaining personalities and bring boisterous energy to every scene. I love how their characters exchange ~knowing looks~ every time Mork talks about Tawan lol. 

Uncle Cheep and Uncle Dej are excellent additions to the series. In fact, I wanted them to have more prominent roles. Instead of Boss & Toy or Nadia & Mayom, I'd much rather watch the subplots involving Cheep & Dej. Imagine a BL series with an older gay couple as the secondary romance. That concept seems revolutionary and would've elevated My Ride so much. A possible storyline is one of the uncles gets a health scare, and Tawan prepares them for the diagnosis. The drama could bring all the characters together while giving them emotional material to flex their acting skills. 

Acting

Dimples!!!

To be honest, both leads are a little shaky in some scenes. The actors (Fame & Fluke) seem inexperienced, unable to conceal the nerves or stiffness in their performances. However, they compensate for their shortcomings with a natural likability. Not every actor has the ability to appear on-screen and make me like them as much as these two have. They radiate warmth and sincerity, adding a distinctive aw-shucks charm to their characters. 

I also think the actors look good together! They are easy on the eyes and match the attractiveness I desire from BL leads. Mork's actor (Fluke) is such a dreamboat in this series, oh my god. Every time he smiles and flashes his dimples, I start to swoon~ I hope he has a long career in many more BL projects. 😙

Style

Cinematic kisses

My Ride is a polished production effort and looks decent in many shots. I feel like they put most of their effort into the kissing scenes. Every time the leads smooch, the cinematography steps up a notch. We get bright lights, close-up angles, and a little extra dazzling pizazz. They do a good job creating a romantic ambiance to highlight the chemistry between the leads.

The most stylish scenes are the three kisses in the final episode. The first kiss by the hills is so picturesque. You can tell the product team put a lot of effort into creating the magic for that moment. The second kiss by the hospital is effective because of its beautiful simplicity. I appreciate the symbolism of replicating a kiss outside the hospital, where the characters frequently their time together. The final kiss is like a cherry on top of a sweet sundae, a perfect way to close off the series tastefully.

Happy ending

My Ride has a happy ending where Tawan and Mork officially become boyfriends. They clear up the earlier misunderstandings and confirm their feelings for each other. Previously, Tawan made false assumptions after encountering an intimate reunion between Mork and his ex. While Fern wanted to get back together with his boyfriend, he turned her down gently. Mork explains he's in love with someone else, which she accepts and understands.

Tawan feels insecure, especially sensitive to being the "third party" in a relationship again. He returns to his hometown without talking to Mork. The driver discovers Tawan's anxiety and immediately goes to clarify the situation. He drives there on his motorcycle, but almost runs out of gas. Luckily, his friends help him continue his journey by lending him one of their vehicles. Mork arrives and confesses his love to Tawan by the picturesque hillside landscape. Both leads confirm their feelings and share their first kiss.

The rest of the episode is dedicated to lovey-dovey moments between all three couples. Boss makes a grand love confession to Toy before their classmates. Likewise, Nadia changes her mind and agrees to go out with Mayom. The series ends happily with Mork giving Tawan a ride after work, enjoying their one-on-one time as a couple. Suddenly, a time skip reveals they're still together years later. Tawan relocated to a smaller clinic, Mork opened his auto shop, and they shared a sweet kiss by the sunset during their ride home.

Ending explained

My Ride has a heartwarming happy ending that neatly wraps up all the romances. I like the closure of these storylines. The finale is packed with cute, cinematic kisses between Mork and Tawan, making up for lost time earlier. I continue to like their interactions and root for them as a couple.

My issue with the conclusion is that it feels rushed. I want to see Tawan and Mork's journey as they start a new relationship. In addition, Tawan relocating to a smaller clinic and Mork studying to become a mechanic are crucial milestones. They deserve full episodes dedicated to expanding on these storylines instead of a random reveal in the last few minutes. Despite the happy ending, I'm not satisfied with how we arrive at the destination. My Ride denied me many cute relationship moments and character development subplots.

Just two extra episodes dedicated to Mork and Tawan's time as a couple would make a world of difference. However, the series didn't even need the additional episodes. If it eliminated the dreary love triangle drama, there's plenty of room to expand on the more fascinating storylines. I see so much untapped potential. The characters could go through personal growth, their backstories could develop, and their relationship could have been highlighted more. I'm frustrated the series rushes to the finish line, barely capitalizing on its promising themes.