Revamp: The Undead Story 1×03 Review: Episode 3

Ramil pulls out all the stops to convince Punn to stay, while Ciar sets out to prove that Punn is hiding something. Elsewhere, the Hunters work on expanding their armory.

Look, if you think I won’t start this review with the Big Reveal, you don’t know much about me. I shouldn’t be at all surprised that Punn was a Hunter; there were multiple signs pointing in that direction. And yet somehow, I still gasped when the truth came out. I feel like that’s the mark of a well-developed story.

In retrospect, there were context clues in the trailer that I failed to grasp. It’s clear that Jett, Elise, and Punn have a history. When we get that first scene with Jett and Punn, it’s obvious they’d had a falling out. And Punn has been too blasé about the existence of vampires to not have already known. I thought perhaps Punn had found out that they were Hunters, and wanted nothing to do with it.

The first scene of episode 3 smashes that theory to bits. True, we don’t see the face of the Hunter who finally dispatches Mariah (guest star Ciize Apichaya), but look at that hair. That’s obviously Punn. Later, when Paul hangs his photo on the bulletin board at Orion (aka Hunter Headquarters), he covers up another photo – that of Jett, Elise, and a third person who is quite clearly Punn. I’d figured it out by the time we get the coda, and Jett texts Punn to take out the target, but the confirmation is nice. Especially since they went to such great lengths to obscure Punn’s identity in these moments.

Ciar was so suspicious of Punn from the outset that I thought he must have known it was Punn who killed Mariah. We’ve seen that his birds do a good job of gathering intel. But given Ramil’s explanation of Ciar’s history, I think he’s just naturally suspicious in general, and protective of his family. Still, he was right. I did think it was odd that when he shows the photo to Methus and Mekhin, his thumb was covering Punn’s face.

However, I think it does pack a greater punch when the official confirmation comes from Jett’s text to Punn. This scene does two things. First, it confirms that Ciar’s suspicions (and probably those of the audience, who have been putting together the pieces throughout the episode) are accurate. Punn is, or at least was at some point, a Hunter. Second, it reveals that the favor Jett asked of Punn was not restoring the painting – it was to take out Ramil.

I actually had been thinking about that the entire episode. At some point, it clicked for me that the restoration could not have been the actual favor. I even mentioned in my review of the first episode that Punn must be a terrible restorer, given he intended to fix the painting at night, in the dark, while it was on the wall. But if Punn’s mission had been to eliminate Ramil, going in at night, when the gallery is closed, makes perfect sense.

This puts Punn’s call to Jett after he brought Ramil home in an entirely different context. When Punn calls Jett in episode 1, Jett asks, “Is it done?” I always thought that was odd. There is no way anyone could restore a ripped painting in the few hours it had been since Punn started. However, if you’re actually trying to kill a vampire and not restore a painting, then that time frame is reasonable.

(Plus, Jett hasn’t once mentioned to Methus that they want the painting back. It was supposed to be the crown jewel of his exhibition. The fact that he doesn’t seem concerned at all would be a red flag to anyone who knows anything about gallery owners.)

Punn being a Hunter also puts his relationship with Pokpong into perspective. Pokpong is continually hurt that it seems like his brother doesn’t want anything to do with him, to the point of actually wanting him to move abroad. But if Punn’s life is dangerous, and he doesn’t want Pokpong caught up in it, he would be trying to put distance – metaphorical and literal – between them. Obviously, he would want Pokpong as far away from him as possible.

Add to all of this how Punn was entirely unfazed by the car chase in episode 2. I thought he must have some kind of experience, given that he immediately recognized that they were being followed and was just like, “Ugh, fine.” And when he, Methus, and Mekhin arrived at Ciar’s compound, Punn immediately went to the Hunters to check if they were still alive.

So yes. Punn is a Hunter. He’s supposed to be killing Ramil. And he’s not.

I am so intrigued by Punn as a character. I can understand if he was a Hunter at some point. It’s clear from the trailer that there was an inciting incident in his childhood. Or maybe something is going on at that church. Maybe it’s like The Heart Killers where they were brainwashed and raised that way. What I want to know, and what I hope we learn soon, is why he left. Because it’s obvious he did; his relationship with both Jett and Elise is too tense for him to still be an active member of the group.

Does it have to do with the dreams? We still don’t know when they started. Have they been happening for weeks? Months? Years? Are the dreams why he ended up not killing Ramil? Because now that I know why he’s really there, I find myself unable to determine if he’s actually drawn to Ramil, or if he’s simply trying to get close to him. (Or… the necklace. Oh wait, is it about the necklace?)

I always wondered if he recognized the subject of the painting as the man from his dreams. I mentioned before that in both flashes of Punn’s dream in episode 1, we never get a direct look at Ramil’s face. I posited that perhaps that meant Punn himself had never gotten a good look. But in episode 3, we get a different flash, and we do see Ramil’s face.

This all goes back to Ramil somehow choosing Punn. When? How? Please tell me we find out soon. I’m dying of curiosity.

Plus, I’m starting to think that Punn’s nosebleeds mean something specific. Originally, I thought that he only got them when he dreamed of Ramil, but he’s gotten two now that were unrelated. Are they a sign of something, like he gets them when he’s stressed? Or are they a symptom of something, like he has some kind of disease?

Anyway, I am squeeing so hard at Ramil trying to woo Punn. The fact that he went in for a kiss and they were interrupted again actually makes me so happy. I mentioned last week that I hope they continued that for a bit longer, and they did. The actual kiss, when it finally happens, is so tender and sweet that I could barely contain myself.

Their scenes together are so cute. Ramil surprising Punn with a rose garden, when roses are Punn’s favorite flower? Omigod. (Also, props to the production department for capturing that perfect shot with the rainbow.) Ramil having Punn beside him in bed and wanting to pinch his cheeks? Omigod.

But now I sit here wondering… how much of all of this is an act? If Ramil can read minds – which he neither confirms nor denies – then he would know that Punn is a Hunter. Could Ramil be acting harmless and goofy in order to, I don’t know, have Punn not see him as a threat? Is his telling Punn exactly how to kill him a test, or a genuine show of trust?

I mean, I think part of this is how Ramil is normally. But there was a moment, after Methus attacked Punn in episode 2, that Ramil seemed surprised to realize that Punn breaking the curse means that he is who Ramil will love for eternity. So did Ramil choose Punn, or didn’t he? I can’t imagine he just forgot the terms of his curse.

Honestly, I think it’s a mix. The way Punn smiled at Ramil’s contact in his phone was genuine. He was alone in his room with no witnesses; there’s no one to put on an act for. But then there are moments like him wanting to take a photo of Ramil. As a Hunter, he would know that isn’t possible, but he probably recognized that a partner, in that situation, would do the same thing.

Likewise, Ramil is pretty consistent in his affections. He may be hiding something (like mind-reading???), but he has no reason to hide any suspicions from Methus. Of course, the narrative might still be trying to hide something.

While we’re on the subject, I love that Revamp is bucking the tradition of flashing back to something that just happened. This is super common – not just in BLs, not just in Asian dramas, but in American soap operas as well – and it’s annoying. I know it’s a narrative device, to show the character’s thoughts since we can’t see inside their heads. But still. I just saw this scene.

Revamp, on the other hand, is utilizing flashbacks, but to reframe context or introduce new information. The scenes we’re flashing back to are new to the audience. They’re ending the scene early, to keep narrative flow, and then showing us later what happened after the scene cut. I like this a lot.

I don’t know which of the vampires’ backstories is more tragic. That’s a lie. It’s Mekhin. To be an army medic, desperate to make it home to his family before he dies from infection, only to lose control and kill them all is just heartbreaking. It explains a lot about why he stays a doctor, but also makes me appreciate his hesitance at performing the ritual a bit more. I made the joke that he didn’t have the PTO, but he is genuinely concerned for the rest of the staff and the patients in their care. This makes sense when you consider his history.

Given everything they’ve gone through, I totally understand Ciar not liking the “not killing humans” rule. I can understand having some rules, but if they’re trying to kill you, you should be able to kill them right back. I would love to hear why Ramil has this rule, and maybe if it perhaps led to him being trapped in a painting for a century.

Oh, there’s just too much to talk about and I don’t have the time. I’m so invested in this show. I want to know everything, but I love getting to hypothesize so much. I can’t wait to find out which, if any, of my theories are true.

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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