Wu 1×03 Review: Episode 3

Niran agrees to assist Fei in destroying the demon she believes is inciting discord against the Prime Minister. Pete agrees to let Niran use the demon inside him to help.

First, I want to talk about something I completely glossed over in last week’s review, and that’s the entire reason Pete has part of a demon inside of him in the first place. His parents had the ritual done when he was a baby because Pete was born deaf; the demon inside him, the Six-Eared Macaque (who I incorrectly called the Six-Armed Macaque in last week’s review, which should teach me to always double check), was known for the ability to hear everything on Heaven and Earth. And it is just a scathing indictment of the rampant ableism in our society that it was preferable to have a demon bound to their child rather than raise a child who could not hear.

I also think it’s a pretty decent metaphor for a lot of other things about our society. Now, Wu is very famously not a BL (I could go more into this, but suffice it to say there was a bit of controversy about this show before it even aired), but director/screenwriter Waa Waasuthep is gay, and Godji Tachakorn is trans and playing an explicitly trans character. A lot of Godji’s characters have been implied to be trans because she is, but it’s almost never specifically mentioned. (Usually because Godji typically plays a lot of supporting characters without her own definitive arc.)

Given that Wu has made it a point to show Fei pre-transition (even literally transitioning between Fei as a child and Fei as an adult), one could make the argument that Pete’s parents binding the demon to him to “cure” his deafness could represent something like, oh, say, parents sending their queer child to a conversion camp to “fix” their queerness. And the problems that Pete is currently dealing with – his bad luck, his anger issues – are almost certainly a direct consequence of the demon-binding ritual, the way trauma, especially childhood trauma, has lasting effects on a person’s psyche and behavior. (Just look at Niran.)

I believe I mentioned before that political commentary was not something I expected from Wu, although I suppose I should have, given Waa’s previous body of work. So I hope that this issue is something that we come back to. I have to believe, at some point, that the demon inside Pete will be destroyed, and wouldn’t that mean that he will eventually lose his hearing again?

While we’re on the subject of political commentary, I was not expecting the show to tell us that the protestors are the ones being possessed. We know that there is something evil going on. Li Pou is out here drawing patterns on his face in blood and sacrificing souls to Qi Rong; clearly, there is evil afoot. But I do have some concerns because the protestors are not wrong: Prime Minister Chaisak does have shady connections with Bao Cheng. Bao Cheng confirmed this himself in the previous episode. I don’t like that we’re apparently supposed to believe that all of this is because a supernatural entity is stirring up resentment, and not at all because the accusations have some merit. However, I trust Waa, so I have to hope we’re heading in a direction where there is no easy answer.

After all, we’re already seeing evidence that even among the Wu, who are supposed to help the balance between Heaven and Earth, there are no clear-cut “good” or “bad” guys. They all have their own motivations.

OK, to the plot. Niran, after declining in the previous episode, agrees to help Fei. I think this is largely due to Pete’s influence. Niran has a lot of complicated feelings about being a Wu – as we see in the flashback – and doesn’t consider himself to be one. He gets annoyed when Pete refers to him that way, even though it’s the most accurate way to describe his abilities. Yet Pete is so awed by Niran’s power that he can’t believe Niran isn’t.

Pete also presses him on his relationship with Fei, because Pete’s relationship with his own sister is strained, but he still could not imagine not helping her if she needed it. And Pete points out that Fei thinks about him and comes to him for help, and isn’t that what you want out of a sibling – blood or not? Hilariously, Niran’s complaint that she only comes to him for help is something he is shown to do with Jia Hao (Palang Rocksilp) later.

Because subduing a demon this powerful requires a full complement of Wu, Niran and Fei ask the others for help. The others are convinced not to help by Sira (Phuwin Tangsakyuen), who points out that everything going on is because of politicians, therefore it’s their problem to sort out. And you know what? He’s not wrong. (Also, Sira’s entrance in that scene, and the way Phuwin commanded that room? Gold.) However, I don’t think it’s that cut and dry.

The protestors are calling on the Prime Minister to resign, but as we’re shown, the protestors are being guided by the demon Qi Rong. And I can’t fathom that a simple resignation would be enough. We don’t know what Bao Cheng and Li Pou are after, so there’s no reason to believe that they would stop what they’re doing even if the Prime Minister resigned. I think we’ll be shown that, at some point.

But Niran isn’t waiting for the other Wu to change their minds. After tracking down Jia Hao, they learn that they don’t need nine Wu, they just need nine people. So they all go out recruiting. Jia Hao takes Niran to get Yok (Singha Luangsuntorn), who is a traditional Thai drummer. (I’m sure this has a name, but I don’t know what it’s called.) Fei asks librarian Tong (Great Sapol), and they clearly have some history that I really hope is explored at some point. Meanwhile, Pete ropes his three friends, who must be much better friends than I believed, if they jump at the chance to help Pete with demon hunting.

Still, it’s Pete – or rather, the demon inside Pete – who will be the most important part of the ritual. They need to tap into the Six-Eared Macaque’s power. And they need to figure out a way to do it without losing Pete in the process.

Pete has been shown to have absolutely no regard for his own life, so it’s not surprising that he doesn’t even hesitate to agree to whatever Niran’s plan is. But we’ve also seen that he has unwavering trust in Niran and his abilities. So yes, he knows he’s risking his life, but he fully believes that Niran has the power to save him, so I think he doesn’t consider it that much of a risk. (This will absolutely be a thing later; no way Niran doesn’t eventually get faith back in himself due to Pete’s faith in him.)

The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with the demon waking up inside Pete and Pete seemingly lost to its influence. This is, by the way, much earlier than I expected this to happen.

This show is intense. The disclaimer at the beginning of each episode reminds us that these are not actual religious practices, and I wonder if maybe that’s why they don’t bother to translate a lot of the chanting. But the way they film the scenes ramps up the tension; you can feel the energy building as they move through the ritual. Nani’s acting, in particular in that last scene, was phenomenal.

Because I have to mention this, and because I don’t know where else to put it in the review, let’s talk about the scene at the beginning paralleling the engaged couple wanting the soul binding ritual with Pete and Niran. Obviously, it’s no coincidence that Pete walks in right after the woman asks Niran if he’s ever met someone and known instantly that they were destined to be together. Clear foreshadowing that Pete and Niran are going to bind their souls together at some point – probably to save Pete.

After that scene, I couldn’t help but wonder. Are they destined for each other? Pete is able to see yao because of the demon inside of him. But he obviously wasn’t able to see them before he met Niran, or he wouldn’t have been so shocked in the gambling den. Is that because something inside Pete recognizes Niran, and woke that ability up inside of him?

Honestly, when I think of Sky and Nani characters, I think of Jay and Silent Bob – particularly Jay’s line in Dogma, when he introduces Silent Bob as his “hetero lifemate” – but the dynamic between Pete and Niran is particularly intriguing. Pete is so insistent that they’re friends, while Niran is so resistant to it. (I loved Niran referring to Pete as his friend, and Fei going, “You have friends?”) Niran inviting Pete out for drinks, only to want to sit in silence. Pete passing out drunk on Niran’s shoulder and Niran calmly sitting there waiting for him to wake up.

I also love how each episode has a coda with Niran and Pete that recontextualizes something we saw earlier.

Three episodes in, and I have yet to be disappointed. I’m so eager to know more. I’m dying for more of Pete’s backstory, especially after the glimpses we got during the ritual. How did having that demon inside of him affect his life? But also, I’d love to know more about the structure of the Wu. What’s the hierarchy? How do they train? I cannot wait for the next episode.

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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