The Gifted Graduation (2020)

Wonderful sequel with a rushed execution

I had mixed feelings when I started watching this season, because the ending of season 1 was amazing and written in a way that in my eyes didn’t easily allow for a sequel that wouldn’t ruin the story. Turns out, season 2 was in part an improvement over its predecessor, although it unfortunately also had some weaknesses.

There was one major problem with this season: it was packed with a variety of characters and many complex storylines, but the storytelling was extremely rushed. Without having researched the production details of this season, I strongly assume that something went wrong during production, forcing them either to radically cut scenes that had originally been filmed or to skip parts of the screenplay already during filming. Probably GMMTV had to rearrange their schedule due to the pandemic and this series ended up in an airing spot it was not designed for. In my opinion, the screenplay was probably aiming at a format similar to “Who Are You”, with 18 episodes à 60 minutes (maybe a little less, 16 episodes or so). That would explain why many characters were underused, there were huge gaps between scenes, many developments lacked explanation and the opening credits were left out or radically shortened. It’s a shame, because what ultimately ended up in the series was extremely promising and exciting, only disturbed by the rushed storytelling. 13 episodes of this length are a joke for this story.

With that being said, the material that we got to see was great. They seemingly were not afraid to push their criticism of the Thai education system even further, digging deeper in the political environment allowing for all of this to happen in the first place. Including the gruesome red drum killings from Thai history was not something I would have expected from a kids’ show. The story was pretty strong, with many unexpected plot twist (which actually made sense, unlike those in “Blacklist”), a healthy level of tension throughout and an interesting shift of “leadership” between several characters. The antagonist was again very convincing, while on the side of the protagonists the roles of various characters were rather “blurred”; this made it a little hard to sympathise with the kids, but in the context of the story it still worked. The acting was generally fine, although I felt like Nanon was a little spaced out sometimes. As an improvement over season 1, I liked that the story didn’t need several slow introducing episodes, but started right away. On the other hand, the ending, while still strong and unpredictable, lacked the kind of build-up of the finale of season 1, probably due to the overall rush.

In short: this is an extremely strong second season! If the director had been given enough time to tell all of the story and that in a proper pace, it could have been a 10/10 for me; like this it is still 9*, as I can't find anything to criticise besides the rushed storytelling.

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You'll be appealing for a Season 3 or just a BL with Chimon and Nanon...

Ok so I am a huge gifted series fan and it is hands down my most favorite non-bl thai series. Everyone who thinks season 1 was bad or unsatisfactory needs to get over themselves (There was going to be S2 so obviously S1 ended in a sort of cliffhanger). Therefore obviously I watched the series as it was streaming and I watched the finale weeks ago when the season ended. So why am I only now posting a review? It's because I was and still am pretty upset about my Pang X Wave ship getting wrecked. Let me hash it out first.
The Gifted Graduation was a very much awaited series for me. When I watched S1 it was in 2019 and it had already been released for almost a year and I binge watched that sh*t during a single weekend. And then I had to wait a whole year for S2. As you can guess the expectations were high from everybody. Then the trailer dropped which showed the series going from treasure hunt mystery to murder thriller level dark which was pretty exciting. The Season started perfect. The 1st gifted to be shown on the screen were the twins who were not given their own episode in S1 making them a fan favorite in an underdog kind of way. So obviously their entry was perfect and well deserved. The whole intro with Punn's piano playing in the background was thrilling. The planning and the new kids was fun too. And obviously since it's The gifted series, the twists were surprising and very well written. So where was the problem? I'll tell you.
- Despite the twins making the 1st entry and having screen time initially, they were once again neglected by the end of the series. And the worst part was so were some of the others. In the later episodes many of the gifted became simply a footnote in the whole story. Many characters like Mon, Korn, Ohm, Joe and Jack were visibly absent in the episodes after the Gifted Class 8's sort of disbandment.
- Miss Darin's background should have been explored or there should not have been a mystery in the first place. It was shown as if she had powers but nothing was clarified and then her character simply disappeared.
- I didn't like the Claire Punn breakup as Punn's episode is my fav in S1 but I did like his character development as he went from needing just Claire's love to maintain his mental stability to believing in himself and his friend's love and affection for him and being fine.
- I didn't think there was much exploration of Third's abilities. There were many other gifted in his batch other than him, Time and Grace but the 3 of them were the main characters so obviously Third's powers should have been explored a bit more.
- I liked the suspense behind Grace's powers but was kinda disappointed that after the whole mystery and sh*t, she simply got rid of her potential (I don't hate that part but I don't love it either).
- Wave's potential did not seem to advance that much. As for Pang I liked that at the end he was able to control the Director which was impossible before but his potential did not have much exposure either.
- I feel like at the end the Director should have lost his powers like Korn and Grace because all his arrogance was from the fact that he was a gifted but I'll accept the current ending too.
- Lastly I'm pretty upset about the ending. Like not that they should have taken out some parts but rather they should have added some parts. I love Namtarn but her coming in the end in this Season did not seem as impactful. The whole season there were very heavily implied that Pang and Wave had feelings for each other and Wave even decided to go to a lower level college for Pang (Classic boyfriend move). The end should have been them going to college together or something. Even if it wasn't that they should have atleast put in a graduation scene with all the Gifted given that the Season was named freaking Gifted : Graduation.
Apart from these details everything else from story to reveals to acting were all pretty perfect for me. I would totally love a season 3 but I feel like there isn't much that can be done storywise. Maybe some special episodes would be better and definitely very well appreciated. I would also like it if there was a separate BL series with Chimon and Nanon. I know Chimon has already played a BL character (incidentally Nanon was in it too albeit they weren't coupled together). I hope they get their own BL series, I know all the thai BL fans are gonna freak the f*ck out.
Anyway as far as the gifted series goes there is no question that regardless of how it turned out, it's one of the best thai shows to watch.

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Numerous plot twists!

I watched this immediately after The Gift Season 1, and it just took me by surprise how good Season 2 is (I've watched a couple of Thai Season 2s which didn't live up to expectations).

Season 1 was good and interesting, but definitely not perfect, with many logic lapses unanswered. Season 2 took the basic plot from Season 2 and soared. Rather than see Season 2 as sequel to Season 1, I feel that Season 2 is the meat and Season 1 was the prequel.

The start of Season 2 was slow and introduced several annoying characters from the new batch of Gifted students (so naive and trusting of the system! Why aren't they questioning what the teachers tell them? Why didn't they ask for their seniors' side of the story when they had direct access?). It didn't help that Third's potential was portrayed in such a scary manner - the lighting and angle. Wave was also anti-social, but he wasn't portrayed in that manner.

It's not just the new Gifted students. Even Pang got on my nerves with his indecisiveness.

But from ep 5, things got wilder and wilder. The plot went crazier and crazier.

[SPOILERS]
Ep 5 - The scene when the Gifted confronted Korn about what he did. The tears which overflowed Pang's eyes when he asked Korn the reason for his action.

Ep 6 - Where everything went crazy. Like, OMG WTS they killed off Korn just like that. And as if not enough, they killed off Time just like that. (Those were my thoughts at that moment, but we know that they survived)

This was where Nanon's acting shone most for me in Season 2. The scene where he stood in silence when Korn jumped off the ledge before his eyes. The single stream of tears rolling down his cheeks when Time died. And finally the outburst he had in his room, shouting and choking on tears on the floor. That was very convincing.

Ep 6 - I agree with the ladies that they should find Korn first to find out the truth, since given the authorities' track record, the fact would probably be glossed over if they found Korn first. However, I don't understand the ladies' blind support for Korn, because regardless of his reasons, he did spread the virus (in his own words) and that is a criminal act to be punished for. I don't get why Claire doesn't understand Punn here. To be betrayed by a friend, to be stabbed by a friend, isn't it normal reaction to get angry? I empathised with Punn here, but following his change in character in subsequent episodes, I felt angry with him for losing trust in his friends so easily.

[/SPOILER]

I think that was what worked for me in Season 2. There might be some gaps in the plot still, but those could be easily overlooked as the plot charged onwards with tons of plot twists in each episode.

There was no particular person who won my full support throughout Season 2. There were moments where I empathised with a character, and moments where I disagreed or feel angry with him/her. Rather than lose interest, I actually felt more engaged in the series because the characters were multi-layered and realistic. It's actually easier said than done, because it's easy to make the viewer feel annoyed with the characters to the extent that they stop caring and drop the series all together. Well-balanced in here!

I think another reason I found Season 2 better executed is the storytelling style. In Season 1, over half of the series was presented in an episodic style where we were introduced each student's potential in each episode. It wasn't easy to build a strong connection between episodes and make sure each character remains relevant to the plot beyond their episode. Season 1 didn't manage to do this well.

However in Season 2, woah. There was a strong central conflict delivered from ep 5 onwards and every episode goes to pushing towards the final resolution. Every single episode had a plot twist that caught me by surprise.

The acting of all of the cast members this time round was very impressive. Nanon, Chimon, Gun, Fiat had very intense scenes to act out and they fully delivered, going beyond their usual range of emotions and facial expressions.

I appreciate that the final episode gave closure, but was open enough to create thought provoking questions about the aftermath. Season 3 please! I think Pang opened a can of worms, and the gang should return to solve it!

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A SERIES THAT GOES OUTSIDE THE BOX

When I said that it goes outside the box, i mean it really surpasses your expectations. Acting Performance of the casts is excellent, kudos to Patrick (Time) since this was his first ever TV Series (aside from the 5-episode side story of Angel Beside Me). As for the story, kudos to the director for his excellence in delivering the great story of The Gifted Graduation. Plot Twists is superb here and sometimes its a bit disturbing especially where Lee Thanat turns out he is not the real Supot because Tay Tawan actually is but it does have a great impact to the story. Grace's character is also unique, she is not a typical introverted student you'd encounter, she's a "duck" and it really reflects to her potential of being able to project her consciousness into her past self. As for the finale episode, i am not satisfied with it. The finale doesn't have much story it. Like i feel like there are many things that you can add up to it but they just stopped there. With as much as thrill and surprises to the previous episodes, you would expect the finale episode to have much surprises as well, but it does not. One last thing, the series does reflect to certain problems in the society and you will definitely recognize it when you watch it.

Overall, the story is something that is worth rewatching over and over again. If your into something Sci-Fi Fantasy Series that is more attached to science and is more realistic, this is definitely a great one to go. But, you may wanna watch the original season if you wanna hype up your surprises.

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Chimon is the love of my life.

I love Chimon. I may seem basic but Wave is the best charcater. I have emotional attachments to every actor but Chimon is my favorite. Wowie. Yes. Wow. Excellent! Interesting! Why doesnt this have 500 characters yet?! Just fucking post!!!!.!&#&#&@*!*@&$&# bdhzbs gdhsbsvshsbs Because this needs 500 characters and i dont have anything else to say, im going to talk about my day. I had a pretty good day. I didnt leave my house even though its spring break. My friends offered for me to go somewhere with them but i declined so i could sit in my bed and waste my life away. Is this enough characters yet??

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Unlike the first season, The Gifted Graduation doesn't really excites me. Overall, it is good but not better than the first. Storyline is the keypoint of the series and I love how they added new gifted students to the cast but I just hope that some of the cast specially the twins have given enough screen time to displays their potential in a helpful way on defeating the minister and the director. In terms of the plot twist, it doesn't really amaze me anymore maybe because of the enemy-turn-to-alliance-then-back-to-enemy-again type of twist. I just want that everyone can use their potential in a realistic way. For example, the director can easily use his power to gain control of the students but he didn't hahaha.

I'm hoping for a third season but with a new cast and story so that we can witness various gifted potential with different goals this time. I love this series so much!

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A precious hidden gem really .

I am blessed to come across this drama . One of the reasons i love thai dramas now. The acting of all the actors is amazing. After season 1 i was compelled and crazy exited for season 2 . I have to say it definitely reached upto my expectations and the plot twists were mind blowing. I got super giddy every time i was able to guess whats gonna happen next. The character development was amazing too. This drama kept me at the edge of the seat till its end. I loved how Pawaret did not follow in the footsteps of the principal and stood by his morals. Definitely a must watch.

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fantastic

As always, these are just my own opinions and not intended to offend :) (if we’re honest, it’s just me rambling)

I’m still rather mad at myself for taking so long to watch The Gifted series, as this has been one of the most enjoyable but stressful series I’ve seen to date.

Before I started Graduation, I read a comment that it felt like there was a plot twist every ten minutes, and boy, is that an understatement. I have emotional whiplash from these characters.

The show picks up two years after season 1, with the gifted seniors still trying to fight back against the school director and the education ministry. However, we also are introduced to a new class of gifted juniors, all with their own unusual and differing powers.

I feel like people don’t talk enough about how great this series has been at showcasing the talent of many young actors. I said in my previous review that season one really opened my eyes to how great an actor Gun Attaphan is, and season 2 has just cemented that. Gosh, I was constantly swinging back and forth from whether I liked Punn or not, because it reached a point where I wasn’t sure what was his real personality anymore, and again really just owned this role. He is absolutely fantastic at just changing character in an instant and I really have to hand it to him for that. Ohm’s character really grew in this season, and I really enjoyed watching him go from a kid who just wants to enjoy his life to also wanting to protect others like him. Chimon as Wave was brilliant, again, and it was something special to see his character growth, too. Nanon…well, there’s not much I can add to what everyone else says - that boy really is one of the best actors of his generation. I won’t lie, when Pang started to comply with Supot I felt my heart break a little; I loved that he was doing it because he wanted to protect his friends (and obviously I knew he had a plan up his sleeve) but at the same time it always hurts to see the strong characters fall to the mercy of their oppressors.

Something I absolutely loved about this season was getting to see more of the support cast. Mek Jirakit as Chanon was just heartbreaking; seeing this boy who never really got to live his life because of what happened to him in high school going from wanting quick revenge to actually avenging gifted kids was amazing. (I may or may not be bias as I adore Mek, and I really love him playing angsty scenes.) I do wish we’d got a little more backstory or flashbacks between Chanon and Pom so we could actually feel more connected to their friendship, but I understand that the writers may not have wanted to over so it, especially when there were so many other characters and storylines to work with.

I had originally been worried that I might not enjoy the new gifted kids as much because of the love I had for the original squad, but I did really enjoy them. Time was a nice addition to the little rebellion, and I feel like Phuwin really made a mark with his performance as Third. Prim as Grace was great - her character was so much more complex than I thought it would be. The finale episode had me clutching my pearls, honestly.

I loved this series, and I’m sad it’s over. I know I’m 3 years behind, but I really would love if we got another season at some point.

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Graduated Without Honors

I loved season 1 of The Gifted. The story didn't exactly break new ground, but I felt it was overall well done, the characters were interesting, the acting was well done, and in general it was a well rounded drama. So going into season 2, I was hoping for more of the same. I have to admit though, I was a bit disappointed. Season 2 felt like the team was just trying too hard. It didn't have the same flow that season 1 had, characters seemed to make foolish decisions repeatedly, explanations were rushed, it just didn't quite work for me. It's not bad, not by any means, but watching both seasons back to back, season 1 is definitely superior.

Graduation has a much different tone to it from the first season. It's much darker, more mature. The potentials are dealing with adult problems at this point so there's less focus on their school life and there are significantly fewer lighthearted scenes. A big focus is on ethics and character's morals, how the potentials should be used, should they be controlled, how and by whom. It's a valid dilemma and the way it's played out is interesting.

While slow pacing is often an issue in dramas, it certainly isn't here. It starts out fast and never really slows down. And this is where I feel like they were just trying way too hard. This drama has a number of plot twists, more than are necessary, in my opinion. But there's a point where a series of plot twists hit just one after another and you're left reeling. At that point, the pacing was almost too fast to actually be able to process what was happening and what I'd just seen. The plot twists make it worse, but even without them the story is convoluted which is useful to hide the plot holes, but annoying when you're the viewer.

There was an element with the character's that they'd gotten both smarter and stupider in the time between seasons 1 and 2. Obviously their potentials had grown, so from that point of view, they were smarter, but the ease with which Ms. Darin and Supot were able to influence and manipulate them, Pang and Punn, especially, just seemed a bit ridiculous after their past experiences. It seemed weird that Pang, in particular, was duped by both of them. I understand wanting to believe the best in people, but also there needs to be a limit and I would think he would have figured that out. He seemed much smarter in some regards in the first season. There were also some difference in characters, notably Korn, from season 1 to season 2 that were pretty much skated over and never discussed. Obviously there were extenuating circumstances, but there were some aspects there that seemed like they needed to be discussed. I did like seeing the potentials working together more as a group this time around, particularly towards the beginning when things are a little more lighthearted. It's fun to see them interacting together. I especially liked the friendship between Wave and Pang. They've obviously become very close and there are a couple of moments that showcase that bond really well that I liked. I did miss Namtarn though. I'm not sure why she wasn't included in the main cast, but she was one of my favorites from season 1 so I was very disappointed that she was relegated to a guest appearance, especially since the cast was already pretty thin when it came to the ladies.

The product placement was over the top and annoying and distracting. Does it actually work on people? I get so annoyed by it that I vow to never buy whatever it is they're touting, if I could even get it in the US. In any case, they're there and there's a lot of them. You literally couldn't miss them if you tried.

Ultimately, Graduation is worth the watch if for no other reason than it's fun to see the cast back on your screen. It doesn't have the same brilliance as season 1, but its still good. It is not one, however, that I will be rewatching. Season 1 is absolutely worth rewatching. Season 2, once you know what happens, its not worth going through it again.

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MY OPINION

This serie really gives u trust issues if u hadn't had them already but it makes u more interested in the serie. But the ending was a bit rushed in my opinion, the story was good having said that I thing it's such a shame that they didn't let Korn's powers develop his powers had potential to grow. Also I think they should have explained Grace's power more and what she could do with it. I know she could place her future self in her past self but we never know how she controles it and if she can put her past self in her future self. In the beginning Grace said she should be classpresident because she knew most about their powers but we never saw her help others they could put that in for a bit relaxing parts. Nevertheless I really loved watching tgg.

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overall its good

this season is not bad, but if we compare it to s1 of course it loses, s1 was perfect i had nothing to complain about, no flaws imo.
this season is not great but not bad, i gave it a good rating because its still good, its just that i feel like its a bit messy,and dragging, i loved the first half more than the second half
i want to mention what i didnt like:
i feel that there is a lot of plotholes, i have seen some comments and its not only me who think that the start of this season didnt make sense why the director deleted Pang's memories but left wave and everyone else , they will of course make him remember his memories back ,no? or maybe it wasnt explained well im not sure but i see that im not the only one confused about that.
then we had one ep full of one flashback and it felt like too much time was wasted, they also introduced the minister and Darin as if they are important characters, but they suddenly disappeared? hello?
Pang , i love him but the whole show the missions were failure after failure, he refused the director's help to make his potential stronger but in the end he was able to control the director? im sorry but i wasnt convinced, i mean if they showed him caring to make his potential stronger id be convinced, but he was like "no i cant" while the director has his power at full capacity but because of a moment of weakness he lost it all? its not that i want him to win, no of course i want Pang to win ,but maybe if the events were more convincing it could have been better, it also doesnt look like Pang have the strongest potiential even when they kept mentionning that, its Grace who have the best one, without her they werent about to win. even his power of controlling minds doesnt work on her
i want to say i wish we got the story of the twins, we got one for almost all the main characters but not the twins (just a wish)
i want to also say i did love the ending tho, that they will not lose their power unless they want to, that they can choose btw an ordinary life or not, they have a choice
the main thing i loved about this season is Pang and Wave friendship, it was so good i almost started to think that they maybe have a crush on each others
if there is more shows like this one, supernatural etc (with a good plot) dont hesitate to recommend to me, i like shows that have a story like this one, and thank you

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