Is He Even Mine?
Episode 5 of Only Friends begins with Sand saying he has 24 hours and he spends every minute doing something productive and earning money. But it has all been messed up because of Ray. He says it is as if his 24 hours have been paused and Ray is his 25th hour. He leaves a gig halfway to save Ray from a drunkard and then takes him home.
The next day, he makes breakfast and tries to help with Ray’s hangover. Ray gets cheeky and says his remedy is to jerk off but before Sand can make a move, Nick interrupts them. He is about to go to the gym and Sand is surprised by the new development. Turns out, Nick is listening to a podcast on how to be better and he works out while it cuts to Top looking chic and toned as he gets ready.
Top takes Mew with him to look at sights and is grumpy that he has to work. Mew says it can also be a date and also helps Top with some ideas. But while cycling, a bike crashes into Mew. Top is enraged but Mew tells him to let it go. The only issue is that his glasses have broken.
Meanwhile, Ray doesn’t want to go back to the hostel and decides to tag along with Sand the whole day. Even if it means riding a bike under the hot sun and the dust. The first stop is at a thrift store and Sand makes Ray try outrageous outfits for his amusement.
Ray calls him inside the dressing room and tells him to help him. They flirt and Ray says they can continue from where they left off in the morning. It looks like Sand is going to do just that but he teases him and goes out.
Top temporarily fixes Mew’s glasses who is thankful as he says he has a prescription of -5. Top flirts with him saying he likes his nerdy look but also wants Mew to see him clearly. But Mew feels insecure when Top and their waiter smile at each other.
At the hostel, Nick is working on their website and Boston notices that he is wearing a new outfit and has been working out. Nick plays it cool but looks really happy when Boston asks him to swim. He uses the chance to ask if Boston is sleeping with other people. Boston says he doesn’t want to anymore as he feels empty.
He wants to only sleep with someone he can talk to and be sweet with…like Nick. Boy, you just described a relationship. Nick smiles and they make out but they are interrupted by Mew and Top. Top looks disgusted and doubts they are dating when Mew says he hopes they are as Nick is sweet.
Meanwhile, Sand takes Ray to an underground concert. They flirt as usual with Ray saying he only focuses on a certain bar singer’s face nowadays. Sand offers to buy him a beer and a girl hits on Ray. He is polite and Sand teases him. They are so engrossed in each other that the girl just gives a knowing smile and leaves.
Top takes Mew to a blind dining place where they will eat in darkness and visually impaired attendants will guide them. The host smiles at Top and Mew’s smile falls. Mew, get a hold of yourself! They have fun but Mew struggles. Top tells him to use his other senses and Mew is able to visualise it all in his head.
Sand and Ray are drinking and singing after the concert. Ray figures that Sand wants to be an artist and make his own music rather than sing covers to drunken customers. Sand gets enthusiastic as he shares his dream of going to all the music festivals. He suddenly gets a call that debt collectors are harassing his mother even though he has paid them off.
Ray insists on helping and Sand takes him to the strip club where she is the manager. But it turns out she made up the story to throw Sand a surprise birthday party. Sand pretends to be annoyed but gives in and enjoys himself. Ray wonders why he is hanging out with a drunk on his birthday and Sand says it is the next day but his mom is enthusiastic.
She joins their table and mother-son bicker about who is the adult while Ray is amused. They want Sand to do karaoke but he gives them Ray and laughs at his shock. As Ray sings a love song, Mom asks Sand if he is more than a friend and Sand says that they may be.
Top takes Mew to his place and posts a photo of them online. He adds that it is the first time he has posted with someone else. Mew then heads to the washroom and calls Boston to say he will give his all to Top otherwise he may get bored of him. Boston looks troubled but plays it cool as he encourages him. What are you doing calling him?
Top and Mew are clumsy and nervous but all smiles. Top tells him he loves him and Mew says it back after they have sex.
At Sand’s, he and Ray get stoned and drink as they talk about their parents. Sand doesn’t know his father as it was a one-night stand but his mother is his close friend. Ray says his mother was an actress and got knocked up with him so she had to quit. She drank herself to death and Sand is shocked. Ray changes the topic and they kiss.
Outside, Boston keeps hitting on Nick and asks him to let him in. They enter and are about to go to his room when they spot Sand and Ray making out. Boston is surprised and teases them while Ray just laughs and says they are friends which bothers Sand. Boston spots the edibles and other paraphernalia and says they should all party together. They all get extremely high and seem to be enjoying themselves till Nick asks about Sand and Ray.
They all play along as they ask Sand if he likes Ray. Boston, who has been giving them the side eye the whole time ruins it by saying he wants to warn Sand as Ray is obsessed with Mew. He goes on about how he saw them making out, took videos and thinks they are sleeping together. Ray gets furious and hits him. It escalates till Sand orders them to stand down.
Ray sleeps in Sand’s room where he tries to clear the air. But Sand simply says he doesn’t care and turns his back to him. Ray keeps looking worried and finally wishes him happy birthday which Sand silently acknowledges as he holds back his tears. He sounds sad as he narrates that he has no 25th hour. Everyone only gets 24 hours but he is not even a part of Ray’s.
The Episode Review
Poor Sand, he literally pauses his day, his way of living just to accommodate Ray. And this isn’t like the pool party scenario. Ray cannot do anything to fix it. Sand has realised that he doesn’t matter much to Ray who has not even promised anything. So, he has no right to act hurt but it hurts him nonetheless.
By the way, Nick, baby we can’t keep defending you. Why are you changing yourself so Boston will like you? The same goes for Mew. Why is he suddenly so insecure about Top?
But, if we may say so, Top and Mew are actually sweet minus Top’s shady past. And as some fans pointed out, if Boston isn’t there to add his spice to the mix, this show would turn into GMMTV’s usual fluffy rom-coms. And we anyway have enough of that. The messy drama is what makes Only Friends fun as evident with all the plot twists in episode 5.
And we have to talk about the lighting in the blind dining scene, it wasn’t great, to put it mildly. It feels really odd that Force’s Top is committed to pretending that they are really in the dark while Book’s Mew keeps looking at everything directly. So, glad they added Mew’s imagination to fix the darkness issue. But maybe a brownie point to the writers for shedding more light on visual impairment and doing it via Top’s redemption arc.
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