Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece and contains major spoilers for ‘Shine‘
It’s rare for a Thai drama centered on gay romances to feature a female character who isn’t sidelined or unlikeable, so for an actress to hold her own in a world of men is a feat. In the 2025 series ‘Shine’, set in 1969 Thailand, Kob Pimolrat Pisolyabutr does exactly that as Dhevi, the wife of high-ranking military official Krailert (Son Yuke Songpaisan). The twist? Krailert is in the closet, forced into marriage by Dhevi’s powerful father. At first, we’re led to believe Dhevi has no idea about her husband’s sexuality.
Since ‘Shine’ wrapped, many fans have voiced disappointment that Krailert didn’t get his “happy ending.” But let’s be real, two gay couples riding off into rainbows in 1969 would’ve been a stretch. In fact, even the reconciliation of the main protagonists Trin (Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat) and Thnawa (Mile Phakphum Romsaithong) in picture-perfect Paris already felt too good to be true. By contrast, the final twist involving Dhevi was far more believable, wickedly clever, and made Krailert’s tragic fate feel inevitable from the start.
For much of the series, Krailert comes across as a cheating, deceitful husband, sneaking around with his lover Naran (Euro Yotsawat Tawapee), a reporter. When a flashback reveals how Krailert’s military boss, and future father-in-law, made his actor boyfriend “disappear” before forcing him to marry Dhevi, the arrangement felt chilling but not implausible. Women have long been pushed into loveless matches for political or social gains, and on paper Krailert looked ideal: tall, handsome, accomplished, and rising in rank.
As the episodes unfold, sympathy builds for both Krailert and Dhevi. He’s trapped in a society that refuses to recognize queer love, while she’s stuck in a marriage without affection. Kob Pimolrat Pisolyabutr plays Dhevi with quiet grace, the dutiful wife waiting for her husband’s return, and the affectionate aunt to main protagonist Trin (Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat).
Even when shown romantic attention by Krailert’s junior officer, Dhevi never strays. She clings to the hope of starting a family with her husband, while Krailert’s passion for Naran keeps growing. He begins to dream of escaping to America with Naran, leaving his suffocating double life behind.
In the show’s climactic episodes, when Krailert becomes embroiled in a military scandal, it’s Dhevi’s quick thinking that helps him clear his name. But when she uncovers his plan to abandon her, she finally reveals her own truth: she orchestrated the marriage. She was in love with Krailert all along, and possibly pressured her father into making it happen. Now, she demands he live up to the role of husband and threatens to make Naran disappear, just like his former boyfriend.
Faced with no good options, Krailert is forced to choose between losing Naran forever or resigning himself to Dhevi’s control. ‘Shine’ ends with Dhevi victorious, pregnant with Krailert’s child, while Krailert remains trapped in the closet, doomed to a life of repression.
Dhevi emerges as a chilling portrait of obsession: a powerful, selfish military daughter who sees Krailert not as a partner, but as a possession. Her love is ruthless, consuming, and unwavering, even in the face of his disinterest.
In the end, Krailert’s story Shine is less about forbidden love and more about the brutal compromises forced by power, family, and societal expectation. Krailert’s tragedy lies in being denied his truth, while Dhevi’s triumph is painted in shades of cruelty and obsession.
It’s not an end everybody would be happy with, but it’s a pretty solid end.
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