In March of 2024, Netflix gave us an interesting new Thai crime thriller in the form of The Believers (not to be confused with the Korean movie Believer). The show follows 3 young entrepreneurs, excited to make it big, until out of the blue their tech company fails after they’re hacked, and they’re sent straight into unbelievable debt. The first season saw Game, Win, and Dear find the perfect way out through Buddhist temples. Essentially, the trio start to use faith to make money by renovating a temple and spreading Buddhist philosophy. That sounds okay, no? But this is just a money laundering business, which eventually leads them into political drama and a lot of complications. The first season established the main characters and gave us an idea of what they were each like, individually and in a group. But season 2 is more complicated than that.
Season 2 of The Believers splits the group up because of their individualism. As they get involved with a political powerhouse named Ae, the daughter of a politician eager to impress her father, they start to look for ways to get out of this mess on their own. Forget all the team effort they put into creating this business; now, all they want is to keep their families safe or simply escape. This season is more unhinged, because it focuses on bigger projects while Dol and Dear go off on their own separate paths. Dear is genuinely interested in starting something of her own. At the beginning of the series, she regains her sense of purpose, and she has the perfect plan. Meanwhile, Win and Game get stuck making marketing arrangements for Ae, but this isn’t just your average social media campaign; this is creating a Pho Tree that is the largest in the country. This is a tree where people can get their merit by buying a leaf to hand on a tree.
I think I personally enjoyed the second season way more than the first, because I found the idea of the show quite intriguing, but by the end of season one, it felt like it was just created to establish whatever was coming next. However, the second season actually focuses on what’s happening now rather than setting up what’s coming in the future. It’s more exciting, there are higher stakes at play, and the characters are each way more contemplative than before. On the other hand, some of the other characters, including Monk Ekachai, get expansive storylines too.
While I haven’t seen the final episode of this season, I think Win might be getting some closure by the end of it, regarding a family secret. Each episode begins with some black and white flashbacks from the past that keep you more interested in what these connections are. Something I didn’t know about in the first season was that Dear is half Thai and half White. A few people pointed out in the comments that that’s why she gets called “falang,” which doesn’t translate well in the subtitles. In season 2, Dear’s identity comes into play, helping her figure out what she wants to do now that she’s split from the other two. Meanwhile, Dol is on his own journey out of monkhood, too. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, and I think because there are already so many characters to deal with, his storyline sort of takes the backseat, which is quite annoying, but there’s a chance in the final episode we’ll know more. I mean, I know he’s a mysterious monk who doesn’t talk much, but seriously, what’s going on with him, and why does he keep flipping on Dear (yes, it’s his inner monologue)?
Visually, this season is just as busy as the first. There’s a lot more going on, and the Pho Tree CGI is pretty cool. It definitely looks beautiful, though slightly out of place. This is something I point out every time I watch international TV, and it’s about cultural relevance and referencing. The unfortunate trend in K-dramas recently has been that, in trying to appeal to a Western audience, they’re losing the thing that makes them so likeble—their Korean-ness. This hasn’t happened with Thai dramas despite the rise in global popularity, and I hope it stays that way. The thing that makes this drama so fascinating is that it’s steeped in Thai culture, yet any youth in the world will understand the pain of unemployment and wanting to do something of their own. Honestly, the concept is genius, and I might regret having given the first season 2.5 stars now (forgive me, Thai drama lovers!).
Anyway, there’s something quite fresh in The Believers, and if you’re looking for a thriller that’s actually different, pushes you to steer clear of the double-screen viewing experience, and leaves you concerned about the world we live in, then this is the show for you. At the end of the day, this is a show that’ll keep you hooked, and it delivers on the thriller aspect of things too. I’m excited to watch episode 8 and can’t wait to see what The Believers has to offer next. There’s a chance you might’ve forgotten some details because the show came out all the way in March of 2024, but that’s okay. Once you get in the groove, it’ll be easy to put things together. However, I do recommend checking out our recap so you have a better understanding of what’s going on. With that said, I give The Believers season 2, 3.5 out of 5 stars.
