My Magic Prophecy 1×09 Review: “The Moon”

“The Moon” finally brought an end to the mystery of who was behind the attempts on Thap’s life. It also delivered some of the best acting I’ve seen in quite some time.

Karn being one of the antagonists was telegraphed almost since the very beginning. He was just too obvious and suspicious. I had assumed, that since we already knew what was going to happen, that it would be anticlimactic. That could not be further from the truth. Knowing it was coming did not lessen the dramatic impact when it finally happened.

Honestly, the confrontation between Thap and Karn was some of the best acting I’ve ever seen from Jimmy and First. Thap purposely being obnoxious to provoke Karn into confessing was peak comedy, but Karn snapping was pretty terrifying. Seriously, First should get to play a villain more often. Once he dropped his mask, it was a treat to watch. He was so deliciously unhinged.

I’ve been wondering what Karn’s motivation could possibly be. Jealousy is such a pure and simple motive, so it makes a lot of sense. But considering how obvious they made his involvement, I feel like they could have dropped a few hints about this, as well. Was it mentioned that he liked Wan, too, and I missed it? They could have easily had a scene at the hospital where Karn ran into Wan when he was visiting Thap.

Don’t get me wrong, the payoff was great, but I feel like the build-up could have been better. There were quite a few places where they could have put in a line of dialogue hinting at why Karp was doing this. That said, the way he lays everything at Thap’s feet, and Thap is just like, “What are you talking about?” was pretty fantastic. Perhaps they left us in the dark because Thap was just as blindsided as the audience as to the one-sided competition he’d supposedly been in the entire time he’s known Karn.

I appreciate that Thap did not diminish himself or his accomplishments. So often we see characters sacrificing bits of themselves, or apologizing for perceived slights, and Thap refused. When Karn accused him of, essentially, stealing his career by taking the last spot in emergency medicine, Thap just said, “Should I have not done it just because you wanted it?” Which is a fair point. If two people want the same thing, neither should have to step back so that the other gets it.

Karn was such a delicious villain, primarily because it was so realistic. Here is a mediocre man who blames his failures on other people’s successes. As Thap points out, he could have worked harder for what he wanted. And with regards to Wan, Karn claims that Thap stole him, as though Wan did not have his own thoughts and feelings. It’s been ages since they broke up, yet Wan still loves Thap. Karn did not have a chance.

And even knowing that Karn had tried to kill him – more than once – Thap still raced like hell to stop him from getting hurt after In had a vision. I think it’s poetic that Karn was ultimately hit by a car, which was exactly how he first tried to take out Thap.

Another moment where Jimmy excelled in “The Moon” is the scene back at In’s house, where he essentially broke down and mourned the loss of a friendship he cherished. It was a nice role reversal where finally In got the opportunity to take care of Thap, after Thap had done so much to help him grieve.

While I think Thap and Karn’s confrontation is the standout of “The Moon”, the domesticity of Thap and In takes a very close second. Jimmy and Sea do domesticity like nobody else, and I loved the scene where In woke up after his drunken night out to Thap making him breakfast like they were back in Mae Hong Son. These two have been through a lot, and I’m just so happy that they’re happy and finally both on the same page.

Also, I have to say, is that the first time we’ve had a love scene in the daylight? Not to mention, they actually locked the door!

I just love Thap and In so much. There is such healthy communication, so much respect for boundaries, and they balance each other out so nicely. I’m so glad that In has been able to move past his insecurities and accept his place in Thap’s life. When he was telling Tul how much he loved Thap, I just about died from the sweetness.

It says a lot about Thap as a person and as a partner that he willingly turned to In for answers. With this mystery still hanging over their heads, their evidence had run out. Short of Kasidis confessing everything, there was no way the one responsible would ever face justice. And while Thap still may not like fortune tellers, he trusts In completely. Not to mention, In has proven to be correct on multiple occasions. Hard not to trust someone when they keep being right!

And I love that Thap has apparently just moved in. I suppose they spent so much time with each other in Mae Hong Son that it just seems natural to get back to the way things were!

One last thing I want to gush about is Pong and Ton. Yes, I wish we would have gotten more scenes with them, but I absolutely loved the casual way in which they finally got together. When Ton said he was worried about Pong, and Pong was like, “It’s OK, my boyfriend is a cop,” and the way Ton just shot up. That was so cute, I couldn’t stand it.

I also love the way Pong came through for Thap. Karn’s betrayal doesn’t cut him as deep because, as he said, Karn and Thap were closer, but it still would hurt that a close friend is capable of doing such heinous deeds. And for such a stupid reason, in the end.

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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