Thai Cave Rescue – Season 1 Episode 4 “Lucky Baht” Recap & Review

Lucky Baht

Now that the water levels have gone down, daily supply runs can be made. But the problem now, in episode 4 of Thai Cave Rescue, is that they don’t have an exact plan.

The Thai SEALs and American forces have come up with a plan to insert a flexible tube inside the cave and teach the boys to scuba. They would set oxygen tanks in each of the chambers to make sure there’s enough juice for them to go in and back out. John and Rick think it won’t work. The boys won’t be able to learn scuba in this short period and the conditions underwater are some of the worst they have ever seen.

A Seal brings an important message from Dr. Pak. The oxygen levels have vigorously decreased. The plan forged by the special forces will take far more time to happen. The boys will die because of a lack of oxygen by then. Sam Kunan, a retired Navy SEAL is asked for help to bring in more oxygen tanks.

He is once again called to duty. Kelly says that they have been able to lower the levels and will be able to keep them low for the divers to go in. But they’re fast running out of places to dump the excess water. Pim shows farms where they can successfully manage the levels but the entire crops will be destroyed. The governor sends them to talk to the farmers.

Rick and John go in and ask how many of the boys could swim. Many hands are raised but none when they ask about scuba. The boys are scared when they learn they’ll have to dive out of there. But they have a session and feel more confident. Kelly and Pim are able to convince the farmers. When tee goes in for a test dive, he can’t be underwater for even a minute before panicking and diving out. He has another go but encounters the same problem. Rick and John deduce they cannot do it this way. The supply of oxygen tanks isn’t as expected either. They need a new plan.

Sam tells his wife that he coming back the next day. The ranks aren’t enough and the children can’t be rescued. She is happy that he will be back but sad for the kids. Kelly talks with the farmer who convinced the others to flood their fields. She is upbeat and says she’ll feed her family on Khao Soi instead of rice.

Out of nowhere, back at the camp, they get the tanks they need but don’t know who sent them. Baitoey talks to Tee alone. The young boy has guilt over his mistake which has forced his father to leave his job and be here.

His family barely makes ends meet and they’ll have to move when he gets out. He has failed everyone around him. But Baitoey comforts him and says he only needs to breathe and make it out alive.

With the tanks now in place, Chet asks Sam to go for another dive. But unfortunately, Sam doesn’t make it back. He is the first casualty in this rescue mission.

The Episode Review

Officer Kunan’s death was a national event and a hard truth for the rescuers. The margin of error was simply non-existent. It was indeed a game of life and death and there was no grey area in the middle. Kunan’s demise united the movement and truly turned out to be a pivotal event in the rescue story.

Without his sacrifice, probably, getting the emotional motivation to honor his legacy would have been absent from the effort. Episode 4 sincerely pays tribute to the national treasure and his remarkable service to the cause of its people.

One stark difference in Thai Cave Rescue’s narration is the fact that it sort of democratized focus on the entire group effort. Rick and John, who were probably the most capable of diving and bringing out the boys, haven’t been seen playing the enforcer in this series.

With such a huge cast, managing time for everyone is a difficult task. And that is why probably the creative choice to go the other way seems a better idea.

The feminist representation and undertones of inclusiveness probably became a peril of the times for Thai Cave Rescue. It truly is annoying how Kelly, Pim, and Noon have gotten, all fictional characters based on real-life people (all men), such bucket-loads of attention.

This aspect of the series has been disappointing until now. But on some level, we do understand why this decision was taken.