“Jack & Joker” Has Stolen My Heart

Hello, I’m back with another Thai BL recommendation. Are you surprised? I’m sure you are. Anyway, today I’m here to tell you that you need to watch Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart immediately. Or, maybe not immediately, but soon. I could probably be more eloquent in this very important introductory paragraph, but I’m still in a semi-food coma, so it’s hard for me to be coherent at the moment.

Jack & Joker is the story of Joke (War Wanarat), the screw-up son of a wealthy family whose only real skills involve stealing and lying. As the infamous thief “Joker”, he basically steals from the rich and gives to the poor. He crosses paths with Jack (Yin Anan) and is charmed by Jack’s optimism and desire to help the kids in his neighborhood. When Jack is implicated in his latest crime, Joke turns himself in to the police.

Five years later, Joke is released from prison determined to make it up to Jack. However, the Jack he meets now is very different than the Jack from before, and this Jack blames Joke for the way his life has turned out.

I had always intended to check this show out. People were really excited about it, as it’s the first series from Yin and War’s production company, so they financed it themselves. And the trailer really grabbed me; I’m kind of weak for plotlines like this one. But it’s hard for me to keep up with multiple shows at a time, so I contented myself with following along with Tumblr gifsets until I had time to catch up. (And then episode 9 aired and I was like, “OK, I better make time for this fast.)

The final episode aired this past Monday, and I binged the show last weekend in anticipation. This is one of those times when I was both angry that I started late (thereby missing all the fun of analyzing and discussing what happens after each episode) and happy that I didn’t have to wait between episodes. (Some of those cliffhangers would have been brutal with a week in between.) I’ve since watched the last episode about six times.

Honestly, the main reason to check out this series rests in its leads, Yin and War. They ooze a kind of chemistry that I’ve not really seen replicated. (As someone on Tumblr put it, they can’t not kiss like they’re trying to devour each other.) They are just amazing together; their interactions are so natural. But on top of that, they’re both phenomenal actors. The scene where Joke breaks down in the hospital in episode 11 is a fantastic piece of acting; I don’t know what Thailand’s equivalent to the Emmys is, but whatever it is, give War one, please.

I love the dynamic between Jack and Joke. I like that they basically switch personalities; when they first meet, Joke is very down on himself and pessimistic, whereas Jack is cheerful and hopeful. When they meet again later, Jack has become much more stoic and serious, and Joke has basically adopted a “f— it, I don’t care” attitude.

They’re drawn to each other right from the start, but the five-year separation affected them in different ways. Joke is essentially in love with Jack and willing to do whatever, while Jack wants nothing to do with Joke… yet he still can’t help himself. Their dedication to each other, even when they’re mad at each other, is a big reason that their relationship is so compelling.

It’s also interesting to compare the relationships each has with their family. Jack is an orphan, raised by his grandmother, and is willing to sacrifice his own happiness in order to make things better for her. Joke grew up privileged, but pressured by his family to be more than what he was, constantly compared to his brother. When he gets out of prison, he doesn’t even tell his family that he’s out, but he goes immediately to Jack. The relationship Joke develops with Jack’s grandmother is so sweet, but it’s also extremely important for Joke, who never had a parental figure who loved him for who he was.

However, I do love that for once, the toxic parents are actually realistically redeemed. When Joke’s father initially disavows him, I was prepared to hate the man for the rest of time. But he slowly comes to realize that his son is not the man he once was, and that he is capable of accomplishing things – just not the things that his father had always considered to be important. The reconciliation at the end felt earned, which is not something I can say often. (I have a rant about the parents on 9-1-1 that multiple friends have been forced to listen to.)

Although, I’ll admit, considering that Joke was supposed to be a master thief, there were some times when I just couldn’t help but think, “Dude… seriously?” Like, I’m not going to lie; he came up with some really elaborate plans, and he really committed to his aliases, especially in the beginning when they were a little more involved. But this guy supposedly spent five years in prison and he didn’t even really fight dirty. He didn’t pick up any new skills in jail?

Jack & Joker also has a bevy of awesome side characters, some of whom maybe deserved a little more air time. Tattoo and Hoy are Jack’s friends, weighed down by the crush of generational debt. They – Tattoo in particular – make a lot of stupid decisions because they really have no other choice. Aran is the son of the local crime boss – Jack’s employer and the owner of everyone’s debts – who must reevaluate his life when he is disowned. Then you have Hope, Save, Rose, Grandma… This show is full of complex secondary characters who each add something vital to the mix.

When I said that some of the side characters deserved more air time, I’m mostly referring to Tattoo and Aran. Though they don’t have the best start – Tattoo steals Aran’s mother’s necklace, and Aran has Tattoo beaten up in order to get it back – the relationship they develop after Aran gets kicked out is full of enough little moments that indicate something much deeper could be just on the horizon. If only there were a few more episodes to bring it out.

And if you’re someone who likes something a little deeper in your dramas, the underlying message of Jack & Joker is about the cyclical nature of generational poverty, and how much power the wealthy have in society. Jack is still dealing with his parents’ debts, even years later; he blames Joke for what happened to him, but I think he knows he would have ended up there anyway. Almost every character is put into a situation from which they see virtually no escape that doesn’t involve doing something they hate or turning on someone they love. And that is the basis for much of the conflict in the series.

So, if you’re looking for something with great leads, well-written characters, a good script, and a nice mix of action, comedy, and drama, you’ll definitely want to check out Jack & Joker. For reference, I have at least two other shows that I’ve been meaning to write recs for, and I just finished this series like three days ago and was immediately like, “Nope, everyone has to watch this.”

Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart is 12 episodes and is currently streaming on iQIYI.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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