4 Elements: The Water - EP 1

Lada is such a menace I love her antics around Nam 😅 safe to say, I despise Lada’s father…also Heng what are you doing here? 😂

„The Water“ starts with a fakeout, or rather a test: Nam is held with a knife by a man who seems to want to get into her hotel, the “Monarch”, but the staff of the hotel focuses rather on mundane stuff like transporting luggage or cleaning the floor. But the police catches the man as the want to use an elevator. The we get her introduction: Enga plays Apo (we know her by her nickname Nam), the VP of the “Monarch Hotel”, who claims the incident wasn’t real, but rather a training exercise with the police to test their security system in response to an emergency. Later, she talks with her assistant Preem (played by Bam who was MaFai in “Unlimited Love”) an error in the test, because the was no security guard present. Where was he? Wadee (played by Michelle Behrmann who played Pie in “Unlimited Love”) knows that he was trying to make up with his girlfriend. We learn that Apo gives people second chances but never a third one. Wadee later remarks that Apo is an only child which many people cite as the only reason she is a VP as a woman, and argues that she could act less like a workaholic, it would be fine. But she only lives for work. Then, Apo runs into Lada (played by Charlotte Austin, of course). She scold he for ruining her phone, but Apo just tells Preem to deal with it and leaves. Lada complains to Nade (played by Meena who was Greece in “Unlimited Love”) that all she got out of staying three days at the “Monarch” was less than 3 minutes with Apo. She wants to know if she is not pretty, dressed up like this, and she must be deficient in some was if Apo barely glanced at her. Nade thinks she might not be into girls, but Lada says the Watinwanich cousins all seem to be into girls: Kasama (Din) is married to a girl, and Wayo (Lom) used to date a woman she knew, And Atchima (Fai) has neither dated nor showed any interest in men. Nade thinks that just by relation, she can’t assume that all Watinwaniches are into girls, and posits their plan will not work - but then, let’s change the plan, Lada proposes. Nade remarks that Lada’s plan to discredit Apo didn’t work so far, and her hotel is luxurious, but reasonably priced and not a rip-off like they expected, but Lada points out that she took her there to complain about the hotel and not about her. But Nade remarks their plan to discredit the Watin Group won’t work because their hotel is top-notch. Lada point out she sounds exactly like her dad… …and we get a flashback to a week earlier when Lada was at the father’s with her brother Phat (played by IDF staple Heng) apologizing to him for not getting land they bid on, but lost to the Watin Group, but to favoritism Lada cites Phat’s theory, but her father Pheemdech doesn’t listen to his daughter, and mandates that Phat learn from his brother who never let him down, and didn’t lose to Adisorn’s daughter – Apo – of all people. He sarcastically recommends that he put an a skirt instead (proving his misogyny). Lada thinks he is too harsh, but Pheemdech thinks a girl who doesn’t know how to work should keep her mouth shut. Lada remarks that she never got a chance at his company, but he thinks his company would have gone bankrupt if he did that, her only “job” is to get married to a man he approves of. She should use her face to increase his wealth and leave the decisions that require brains to the boys. Lada later complains to her mother about her father, but her mother thinks it’s because she’s the mistress, but her mother thinks he has taken good care of them and never let them struggle. But Lada remarks she never legitimized them as his wife and daughter. He even forbade her to use his last name. But her mother thinks she should be grateful for him, nevertheless. Lada thinks he would have to let him marry her off to show her support – but Phat thinks there is another way. And that’s how she got to help her brother, by spying on Apo. Lada thinks the Watin Group played dirty during the bidding, and she will expose them, no matter what it takes, by getting close to Apo and stealing information – wouldn’t that be doing the same as Apo, Nade mentions, but Lada wants her father to finally see that hid daughter isn’t just an object for marriage, and as valuable as his sons (well, good luck with that…) Apo meanwhile cancels a party given in her honor and rather uses the amount for the year-end bonuses of her employees. Then, she tells Preem to cancel the date that her father scheduled for her. He tells her sister that she told her assistant to do that, and wonders if he called her mother. And her half-sister – Fah (played by Mew as in “The Earth”) – thinks he just fears that she is too much of a workaholic to live her life. She herself has moved back to the family to take a break from her job (investigative journalism) only to get constant nagging about her job, which is too dangerous. But Apo is almost 30 – isn’t it time to find someone, she argues. But Apo doesn’t reply to that, but takes another call – from Din, who also got a call from her father. She wants her to consider anyone for a date, but Apo thinks it’s such a burden, but Din can’t wait to see the person who makes her heart waiver. Apo thinks she should put that hope on Lom. Din tells her (as Rose hugs her) that her life shouldn’t be all about work, but Apo pretends to have a bad connection and hangs up. We see that Apo kept a rose from the bouquet she caught at Din/Rose’s wedding and dried it up within a book. Lada wants to talk directly with Apo, but Wadee tells her she’s gone abroad for two weeks. Lada wants Nade to find ways to kill two weeks, but she think she wouldn’t let her meet in a fortnight, because she is a guest, but Apo is the CEO. Lada agrees that it’s useless to keep waiting like this. They drive off, just as Apo returns, as her meeting got postponed. Wadee informs her of the guest that wanted to talk to her which has just gone and that it’s the guest with the broken phone. Apo asks Preem to take care of it, as she doesn’t want to waste her time with it. Lada got a job – at Apo’s hotel, and Phat want her mom not to tell has dad until can stand on her own legs and vows to do the same. We see that Nade is pretending not to wait for a text by Lada, but Lada ends up thanking Nade for her idea. Phat has organized some lodging for her at a place close to the “Monarch”; she vows to get to close to Apo in time for the next land bidding, and this time they will surely beat Watin Group. She gets Wadee for the introduction to the hotel business; she tells her to call Apo “Boss Lek” while on the job. Her colleague Maythawee tells her not to be that obvious, it’s the her first day, and she’s already asking about the hotel owner. Then, they meet their mentor Nuch (played by Arm who was the maid in “Unlimited Love”). Lada fakes going to the toilet to make a phone call, then runs into Apo again. She remembers the lady with the phone then wonders why she is wearing a hotel uniform. Lada explains she is employed by her now. She tells her she has already instructed Preem to take care of her phone, but Lada thinks she should be more responsible for this, but she doesn’t get to finish her though as Apo gets a call and cuts the conversation short. She tells her that she’ll get a new phone, but Lada rather wants to have dinner with her, and Apo tells her that she can put the bill for the meal on her tab, as she doesn’t have time for it. They get an electric shock while they touch hand, but Apo rather focuses on some defective outlet than her, then tells her she doesn’t eat with strangers and leaves her. But Lada promises to make Apo see her. Lada later asks Nuch what Apo is like as a person, she doesn’t like rule breakers, Maythawee tells her, and Preem repeats that she gives seconds chances but no third ones. The next day, she comes to work in red high-heel boots and wearing her hair openly, and causes quite a stir among her colleagues. They want her to change her looks before Apo sees her, but she poses for a few photos for the guests instead. Then her plan has worked: Apo notices her, and immediately takes her to her office. Apo wants to know if anything she wears complies with the hotel rules. Lada argues that beauty is important, but Apo claims that they don’t employ beautiful people without a brain at her hotel. Lada maintains that she has both beauty and brains, posits that say paid attention to the cleanliness and hygiene part of the rules, and invites her to check for herself, getting close to her. And she shows her the posts guests made of her online, getting exposure for the hotel, and argues that’s a good thing. But Apo tells her assistant not to let her see this employee ever again, but Lada follows her and calls her a loser, and Apo tells Preem to leave it to her. She calls her by her full name (thereby remembering it as her name tag shows only her first name) and asks her if she read the employment contract she signed, pointing out that violations to the rules and regulations would result in immediate termination, and if she had brains like she claimed, she would know she was wrong. She will either accept her resignation or terminate her contact. Lada follows her inside an elevator, and doesn’t let Preem in as well before the door close. Then, she begs Apo – going down on her knees - to keep her employed, claiming all humans make mistakes, and that firing her outright would be wrong. She asks her to give her a second chance like she usually. Apo doesn’t want to, but Lada gets close to her and promises to prove to her that she’s good at her and to follow every rule from now on. Apo still doesn’t want to keep her employed but Lada claims she will sit on her knees and let everyone see her ruining her reputation. But she can still fix this rumor for her – until the elevator stop at the lobby. Apo finally relents and gives her a chance, but Lada wants to record this before she gets up. Apo finally gives her a warning that she will keep an eye on her form now on, and if she messes up again, she will be fired. The next day, she handles a barrage of guests who come to her all at once gracefully, and gets kudos from her colleagues, while Apo just turns and leaves. Then, she comes to the rescue of Wadee who is harassed by a drunk customer. This look tense, util the wife of the customer appears and apologizes for his behavior. Apo respects her work ethics. The next day, Lada just jumps into the pool to retrieve a necklace that a customer lost there. Between meetings, Apo asks Preem how Lada s faring. Preem is at first surprised that she remembers her name, then gives her the evaluation by Wadee, and is grade “A” across the board. She wants her to keep reporting without bias. Lada remembers talking to Phat after Apo decided not to fire her, and she promises not to let her fire her before she can get more information for him. He wants to find out how Apo will keep business afloat during the low season, arguing that all those years, they have always been a step behind Watin Group, so they must do something different to attract customers. He wants to learn from the and earn trust from his father while waiting for the next bidding, and asks her to help. Lada agrees. Then, Nuch tells her that she will switch to the night shift, as always being on the edge and fearing Boss Lek will appear at any time doesn’t sit well with her. Lada thinks she has an eye on her personally to check whether she will mess up again, but Nuch thinks she will make it after this many weeks without screwing up. She thinks Lada is more talented that she thought, and she is sure their boss also thinks so. Lada asks then if there’s any position to get closer to the boos – to avoid it, of course. 😉 Then, Lom come strolling through the hotel, and Lada notices her. She wants to visit her cousin but Apo has no time , she claims. But Lom insists, and so they are having dinner in 20 minutes. Lada and Nuch are talking about Lom, and Nuch mentions that the night shift will definitely get to see the boss’s cousin. Lada want to try out the night shift, and Nuch thinks she has already fallen for Lom’s charm. She’s is her thoughts as Lom approaches and flirts with her. He recognizes her from high school, where she flirted with her friend Pui, but she claims to have noticed her passing by earlier, then calls her by her name Wayo. But who wouldn’t know Boss Lek’s younger cousin. Lom flirts with her, and wants Lada to be her friend. Lada gets closer and asks her: “Just a friend?”. Then, Apo meets them ten minutes earlier than expected. They talk about Lada, and Apo wants to know how she knew her nickname Lada, but Lom wants to know how she knew her by name at all. Lom wants to ask her out – but Apo claims she is off limits. Then, Lom asks the Million-Baht-Question: does Apo like her? And on that bombshell, the first episode ends. ___ That was quite an info dump, but we had to get to know quite a number of characters, as both families are quite big, plus the employees of the hotel had to be introduced which are mainly played by people loaned to North Star by MGI. This was essentially the first two chapters of the novel, a little embellished – but that Apo is interested in Lada could be seen directly, even as she denies it. The question this remains it: will Lada fall for her as well and abandon her plans. I like the bits of Din and Lom that we got in episode one, even if Lom was (even) more flirty towards Lada in the novel. But Lada's father is a misogynistic prick. I also wonder where they will go with Apo’s half-sister Fah, even only because she’s not in any of the novels. But that was a solid start to our second element.

Fah is Apo "Nam" half-sister. They have the same mother.