Only Friends – Season 1 Episode 6 Recap & Review

The Birthday Party

Episode 6 of Only Friends begins with Mew and Top swimming and hanging out at the hostel. Mew tells him about his parents. Both of his moms look after him so he has always felt loved and didn’t feel the need to seek it elsewhere. Top says boyfriends are different but Mew doesn’t think they will last. He recalls that Top doesn’t stay with anyone for more than 3 months. Top is indignant but playful as he says he is trying to be better. 

The quartet meet with their teacher regarding their hostel project. Ray and Boston are tense as he warns about friends fighting while working together and Cheum says they can handle it. Later, during lunch, Boston smirks at Ray when Mew gushes over Top. Mew and Cheum switch to the topic of Nick and tell Boston to change his ways and date the guy. He laughs it off when they suggest inviting him to Mew’s birthday party.

Boston and Nick are water skiing and messing around when Nick calls him out for fighting with Ray. Boston blames it on the edibles and suddenly Gap, the stranger he hooked up with in episode 1 shows up. Boston is angry with him and tells Nick he is the guy who took a video of them hooking up. He is furious and Nick lightens the mood by saying that he will never be his enemy and tackles him.

Sand takes his mother to her appointment and she advises him to relax and be young. She asks about Ray and tells him to be careful if they are staying casual. He sees Top accompanying Mew for his Lasik appointment and heads out. Unfortunately, Top stops by the same juice bar and tries to make small talk. Sand is rude as he says Mew will find out the truth to which Top just shrugs.

Sand breaks his phone out of anger, and at home asks Nick to look into it immediately. He also asks for Nick’s phone to check on his mom and the roommate complies. However, once Sand is alone, he opens up the audio recording app and then pretends to be on call when Nick enters. 

Top takes Mew home after his Lasik surgery and looks after him. Mew is clingy and apologetic for giving Top a hard time when they first got together. Top doesn’t mind and as he sleeps, he draws Mew.

At Yo’s bar, Sand calls Ray and nonchalantly plays pool. Ray brings up Sand ignoring his texts and asks if he is mad. Sand talks indirectly about how he doesn’t care who Ray likes and how Mew is loveable. Ray tells him to stop playing games and Sand sends him the audio of Boston and Top he stole from Nick’s phone and says Top stole his ex.

Meanwhile, Nick is helping with Boston’s father’s campaign. While catching up, the dad laughs and is proud when Boston says he is not into relationships. He also reveals that Boston is lax with his studies since he is thinking about moving to USA where his mom lives. Nick is upset and in the darkroom, Boston tries to placate him by saying he is his #1. He keeps cajoling Nick till he gives in and they gently make out.

Later, Ray confronts Boston about him and Top. However, Boston doesn’t deny it, in fact, he acts cocky and says he was just needy and it was all bad timing. He provokes Ray by saying it can help Mew break up with Top and get with him. Ray punches him and doesn’t understand why he is doing it but Boston says he doesn’t hate Mew. 

It cuts to Mew’s birthday party and everyone has gathered at Yo’s. He is happy that he has great friends and a greater boyfriend as Top makes a custom drawing diary for him. Cheum is excited that everyone has found love including a player like Boston while thanking him for setting up Top and Mew. She calls Ray stubborn for staying single while Boston mocks him. She really can’t read the room, can she?

An annoyed Ray gets high in the bathroom and runs into Mew. His friend scolds him for not taking proper care but Ray just thanks him for being a good friend. Mew is amused and Ray is about to say something but instead just says he misses Mew’s glasses.

Outside, while everyone is dancing, Ray interrupts Sand, takes the mic and starts calling out all of his friends – Cheum complains about April being busy and making indecipherable short films; Boston sleeps around; and Mew deserves someone better than Top.

Sand and Yo try to stop him but he just lashes back that Sand doesn’t want to be a musician, he just wants to earn money which he can by sleeping with him. He finally confronts Boston and Top but he gets violent and has Mew punching him so hard he hits his head on the stage. 

He storms out and Sand follows him. Sand offers to drive him home as Ray gets in his car but the latter doesn’t listen. He asks Ray to focus on him for once as he cares about him. But Ray verbally abuses him and asks if he needs to pay him to back off. He drives off but Sand quickly follows him on his bike. Only if poor Ray knew Sand had a special 25th hour for him and never considered him a burden.

Elsewhere, April asks for space and Cheum tries to defend her lying by saying she just wanted to support her. April tells her that she doesn’t want fake compliments but honesty and Cheum agrees.

At home, Mew hits on Top and teases him to the point that he gets aggressive. Top seems to be enjoying it when Mew says he likes the sounds he makes while having sex. When Top asks what sounds, Mew plays the audio recording of him and Boston. In a flashback to the bar’s washroom, Ray sends the recording to Mew and says he doesn’t expect anything in return but that he is looking out for him. 

At present, Top tries to clarify but Mew snaps back. He wonders if it was a game between Top and Boston and if they meant to humiliate him. He turns and tears up as he says he was in love and Top gently hugs him.

The Episode Review

Neo and Khaotung do so well in episode 6 of Only Friends, even when the focus is on other characters, you cannot miss the tension between their Boston and Ray. Boston just wants to see everyone unhappy and miserable and we’re here for it. By the way, Top and Sand squaring off have more chemistry than Mew and Top.

Mew’s character just cannot give off the romantic vibes, it’s better for him to head in the direction of being some master manipulator and playing everyone. His baiting Top and then playing the audio was the biggest jaw-dropping moment in the series so far and he definitely plays the bad guy better than the naive, goody two-shoes.

Even Ray must not have seen that punch coming since at that point, Mew knew about Boston and Top. He possibly stopped Ray from exposing Top since he didn’t want to be considered a laughingstock as he felt humiliated that his friend and boyfriend lied to him. Or that he wanted to enact revenge in his own way. And it didn’t matter if he hurt Ray in the process.

And excuse me? Sand? Getting evil and using Ray as well? Okay, who knew he would be the one to get petty and snitch? But Boston and Top deserve it. Somehow, everyone thought it would be Nick or Ray who exposed them. Way to add the plot twist, writers! Boston would be so proud, Sand didn’t just take out Top, but unintentionally exposed everyone with one bullet via Ray who is not innocent either.

He knows Sand’s policy of not using love as a monetary transaction, and yet he chose such a low blow. Everyone’s selfish side is evident in this episode and just makes this group that much more messy and exciting. We also need more of April and Cheum, they are honestly the least red-flaggy couple in the group. This is their first proper scene alone after 6 episodes and they already have our hearts. Boys, learn from them, sigh…