Last Twilight (2023) Final Impressions

I’m writing this before the last episode airs because I don’t want to include it. I think it’s more important to discuss what they did with the Series. We can talk about visually impaired people and examine the progression and plot points. And we must be sensitive to a group whose life experience differs from that of sighted persons. I will apologize now if anything I say is considered offensive or inconsiderate. Please correct me in the comments if I get anything wrong. I believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity.

From a mom of a neurodivergent child, an Asperger kid, and a mom whose kids have friends who are neurodivergent, I understand a bit about “neurodivergence.*” The average person without any issues is considered ‘neurotypical.’ But what does that have to do with visual impairment and the story?

(*Neurodivergence is an ‘umbrella’ term that describes people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. It can include conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Tourette’s syndrome. These individuals have different strengths and challenges from people whose brains don’t have these differences)

I have always told my children to embrace the positives; being neurodivergent means their brains are just differently ‘wired.’ There can certainly be challenges with this, and I feel this very profoundly; there are also gifts. Look at the challenging condition as a whole. Sure, what is hard is sometimes apparent, but then, what are you better at?

I’m trying to say that when someone has a challenge, or what some consider a deficit, there are gifts that can be found in the same condition. Day learns to use smell, taste, touch, and sound to rediscover his environment in a new and enhanced way.

Jimmy and Sea give masterful performances as Mhok and Day. It’s very apparent that they understand their characters deeply. I’ve watched the Behind the Scenes episodes found on GMMTV’s main channel. The director (the very capable and experienced Aof Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon) explained what emotions he wanted from each scene and how the three of them chatted during different takes. The camaraderie between the director and the actors is also significant to the series success. Having this ‘back-and-forth’ of ideas and good communication helps the series flow smoothly through a thoughtful and cohesive narrative, providing a deeply emotional engagement for the viewing audience.

Initially, I was worried about how they would portray Day’s visual impairment. Would it be handled with care and compassion without being maudlin, or would we get the stereotypical caricature of a blind person? It’s an important plot point that Day doesn’t lose his sight all once but in degrees. A gradual loss of sight can happen when someone has a traumatic injury or eye disease. The only thing I found frustrating in Sea’s portrayal of the man going blind is the lack of movement in the eyes. As someone who hears and previously had sight, his eyes would naturally turn to respond to the sound of where someone was as if he was expecting to see them, even if he couldn’t. Instead, Sea stares straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Maybe this affectation was included to give the audience an easy visual cue that the character is blind.

Let’s talk about the characters. They are mostly nuanced and well-balanced, including those we don’t like. There are no villains in the story, but people who are deeply human, warts and all. Day and Night’s mother is someone we tend to dislike until the last few episodes. She is not perfect; she’s a pretty flawed person until the last few episodes. She favors one son for always doing what he’s told and being successful in whatever he does. The other son, the odd man out, is left alone, drinking his sorrows away and desperate for attention from a busy mom who only has time for his brother.

Her response to the injury would be many mother’s first response to their child losing their vision. We swoop in and shield them from the big bad world. We want to lock them away, protect them from further harm, and give them only love and attention. But this approach does no one any good. She also places the burden of the caretaker role on Night, so he transforms into a different person in an effort to meet her expectations. He feels guilt over the situation that wasn’t his fault – not really. She attempts to hire caretakers for her Day, but they don’t understand him, and truly, neither does she. For all her smothering, she never asks what he wants or considers his future. It’s like she’s going to lock Day away until he gets a cornea transplant. Then, his life can be returned to ‘normal,’ along with everyone else.

What Day needs is what Mhok provides: a swift kick in the pants and to treat just him like anyone else. It’s not a ‘disabled or less than’ situation. It is differently abled learning how to navigate the world again. I enjoyed watching Day emerge from the darkness into the light because of Mhok. Even though he hasn’t eyes to see, he can see more clearly the man Mhok has become, who is not the violent, troubled young man but the newly released man trying to make his sister’s memory proud. And Mhok doesn’t pity Day. Day just needs to be shown how to adapt and thrive in this new situation.

The side characters added many layers that don’t feel rushed but are fully fleshed out with their own storylines that progress over the series.

We have Mhok’s ex-girlfriend, Phojai. She stood by him when he was in prison, even after they broke up. She is truly a ‘best friend’ to him, giving him shit when he needs it and praising him when he earns it. She’s also someone who, due to circumstances, becomes closer to Mhok and Day as she watches their relationship progress.

There is also Gee, Day’s friend from school. They played in the badminton club together for many years. When she runs into him again, she gives him shit for abandoning her due to the fact he was losing his sight. She’s another friend who is willing to listen, adapt, and call bullshit when she sees it. Gee brings Day back to his friend group, the one he abandoned and hid from when he began losing sight. She doesn’t pity Day or treat him as immensely fragile.

I love seeing strong female characters that are equal to their male counterparts. Women are often portrayed as raging bitches in BL, trying to cause problems between the main protagonists. Both Gee and Phojai are women that I would befriend. They are down to earth, approachable, and with a no-nonsense attitude. Despite Day’s blindness, Gee is determined to show Day that friends are still friends. Phojai reminds Mhok that being a provider of care for Day doesn’t mean Mhok needs to talk about him constantly. She sees Mhok falling for Day and encourages him to be truthful (and with himself.)

On is another side character who stole my heart. On is Day’s blind friend and mentor in this new world. He’s wise and funny, offering insight into living a different type of life without letting it define him as ‘less than.’ He gets around independently, talks to everyone, even strangers, and finds a girlfriend on Tinder. He wants to run a marathon in tandem with a sighted partner. This desire leads On to his sighted partner, who eventually becomes his girlfriend. On shows Day a world in which he can have a fulfilling life. Kudos to the actor for a standout performance.

The marathon opens up a new path for Day. After choosing August, Day’s first crush, as his running partner, the two become closer. August realizes Day’s feelings for him and tries to accept him out of pity, not love. However, August isn’t attracted to Day – it’s not who he really is. This causes him to push Day away after encouraging his feelings earlier. I felt the same anger as Mhok in this scene.

August’s pity breaks Day’s heart.

Day’s sadness causes Mhok to kiss him later, not out of pity but out of the desire to show Day that he is wanted. He pulls him close to his body to show the physical reaction to their kiss. Mhok wants Day to understand his feelings and desires.

(Spoilers) I know there has to be darkness before the storm. That is part of the hero’s journey. Day loses sight but adjusts, trying to remain positive and not lose everything he has gained. When we get the news from his mom that there is a cornea waiting for him on Christmas Day, it feels as if it’s the miracle that everyone has waited for.

Please don’t come for me in the comments for the following unpopular opinion. I wasn’t happy with this plot twist. Let me explain why.

(Spoilers) The show has spent its entirety exploring what it means to go blind and to be blind. It does a bang-up job of showing the characters adjusting to the change, learning to live joyously again, and finding that life doesn’t have to be limited because you don’t have sight. To have this be swept aside as a plot construct by having Day regain his sight and everything go back to normal for everyone would do an injustice to those who have gone through similar ordeals.

(Spoilers) Also, the cliffhanger they left us with made the show that much more meaningful and beautiful. Mhok transitions to a boyfriend. The desire to protect leads to lies that come to light from a source that isn’t Mhok. In lying, he shifted the dynamics of their relationship to that of being unequal. It’s the one thing Day cannot forgive. So he makes the heartbreaking decision to split from his lover. They both have to learn to be whole people without each other. I think they will end up together, but after both have learned to be confident in themselves, realizing who they are and what they feel for each other is worth being together as equal partners.

Should you watch Last Twilight? If you are on the fence, definitely start this show. Jimmy and Sea make you fall for the portrayals of their characters, Mhok and Day. You will laugh, swear, smile, and cry. These feelings are the mark of a truly exceptional show. Kudos to Jimmy and Sea. I can’t wait to see where they go from here. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. [See our Review Guide]