Alex Rendell is a gay lad in “Rainbow Flame”

I’m very much looking forward to this series, I need a slap and kiss lakorn to make me happy and this lakorn might be it. And it will be quite interesting to see our little Alex Rendell playing a gay man. Sadly, it will be a brief appearance, he dies by committing suicide at the beginning. My guess is that by the 4th or earlier episode, he dies.

By the way, don’t think too much at the picture above of Louis Scott comforting Alex Rendell, they’re not in a gay relationship. Louis Scott is playing Alex’s supportive uncle in the series. Really, it’s just an uncle comforting his nephew scene. It’s rather cute actually.

“Rainbow Flame (Plerng See Roong)” airing after Rita Jensen and Andrew Gregson’s lakorn “Moonlight Crown”  on December 19, 2009 on Ch3 stars Mart Krissada as our pra’ek and “NamPueng” Nattharika Thammapreedanan as the nang’rai. Essentially, they are the main characters–their relationship is the focal point for all the drama in the lakorn.

Mart Krissadee plays Tinarat, a man who secretly harbors feelings for his stepmother Katleya played by “NamPueng” Nattharika Thammapreedanan. There was a time when they both secretly liked each other. She was a little older, he was probably in his late teens or early 20s. Because of ambition and wanting to live the secure life, Katleya doesn’t follow her heart, instead she chooses to marry a rich older man, who happened to be Tinarat’s father. She didn’t know that though.

They match, isn’t that obnoxiously cute?! Our pra’nang Mart and Susie and our nang’rai Nampueng.

Tinarat is devastated when he learned that his father married the woman of his dream, the woman he worshiped, and the woman who can do no wrong in his eyes.

After the wedding, Tinarat decides to study aboard because he knows he can’t live in the same house as his father and the woman he secretly loves Katleya, who is now his stepmother. His love for her was too strong, if he stayed, he knew he could not hold back his feelings. He didn’t want dishonor his father, so Tinarat went to study aboard.

Years pass, Tinarat returns to Thailand and starts working for his father’s company.

Even after all these years, his feelings for Katleya never subsided and he keeps his distance from his family and lives in his own house away from everyone else.

Tinarat immerses himself with work as a way to distract himself.  He becomes  a very successful businessman in Thailand.

All is normal at this point. Katleya and Tinarat’s father live a happy life, separate from Tinarat and even have a son together. Tinarat’s half-brother is named Khuat (Alex Rendell).

Years pass again, Khuat is now 10 years old. Sadly, Thepha, Khuat and Tinarat’s father dies. Tinarat is force to return to his father home and live with his stepmother Katleya and half-brother Khuat. Tinarat helps raise Khuat and continues to keep his distance from Katleya.  If his brother is not home, he stays away.

Growing up, Khuat is belittled by his mother to be more like his talented older brother Tinarat. Khuat grows up to love and worship Tinarat and even feared him because he felt he can never measure up. The one thing that Khuat feared the most was being in the same room as his brother Tinarat.

Khuat wanted to be a good student like Tinarat but he was terrible in his studies. He was lacking everything that his mother wanted him to be and he felt disappointed in himself for not being the perfect son like his older brother.

The one person Khuat could talk to was his supportive uncle Asanee or Mai (Louis Scott), his mother’s younger brother. Their closeness annoyed Tinarat very much and Tinarat even tried to break them apart. Tinarat also found it upsetting that Katleya paid more attention to her younger brother Mai  rather than her own son Khuat.

When Khuat started acting out and failing in school, Tinarat blamed everything on Mai. Really  Katleya was to blame, behind Tinarat’s back she was emotionally abusing her young son because he could not measure up to Tinarat. The more she belittled him, the more he acted out and started taking drugs.

During this time, Katleya begins to notice something odd about her son, she discovers he is gay and becomes even more disappointed.

Fearing that his older brother might find out that he is gay, Khuat begs his brother to buy him an apartment to live, near the university he was attending. Wanting to make his younger brother happy, Tinarat buys Khuat an apartment (condo) for his birthday.

Khuat moves out which makes Katleya very happy because she feared that once Tinarat finds out that Khuat is gay, he will be disappointed in her and never give her a chance. Secretly, she wanted Tinarat to be her new husband because he has become everything she wants in a man–talented, wealthy, and respected. Katleya is roughly 5 years older than Tinarat and still very beautiful. She believes she has a chance with him and doesn’t care what people say. Her husband is dead and she wants to marry her stepson. Since Tinarat loves his younger brother Khuat very much, she uses that as a leverage.

While living at the apartment complex, Khuat meets Jomkwan (Susie Nanna), a young girl roughly the same age as him. Both have a lot in common, they have family issues, they have emotional issues. Both are problem child of their families. Quickly they become fast friends. Since Jomkwan is a runaway (she is from a rich family but ran away because of family problems) and has no place to go, Khuat takes her in as his roommate. Jomkwan becomes Khuat most trusted friend. He would tell her everything, especially about Tinarat, his perfect older brother. Hearing what a great person Tinarat was, Jomkwan began to worship and love Tinarat like Khuat.

Jomkwan becomes a positive influence on Khuat, she warns him about the terrible friends he kept and his drug use. When Mai (Khuat’s uncle) met Jomkwan for the first time, he was please that Khuat found a positive influence in his life. Though Khuat had Jomkwan by his side, Mai is still worried about his trouble nephew, he advices his nephew to go back home to live. Khuat still feared disappointing his family and was reluctant to do so.  Jomkwan told him that he is in the middle of being love and that love has value. Unlike her, Khuat still have people who love him. He should try to mend his relationship with his family and make them understand who he was.

Taking her advice, Khuat makes a visit to see his mother Katleya first. He confesses to her that he is gay and requested that she help him break the news to his beloved older brother Tinarat. Katleya is outraged by the request and told him he was a disgrace to the family. Emotionally battered, Khuat leaves without complaint and never came back home again.

After the talk with his mother, Khuat starts to live life carelessly. He commits suicide by driving his motorcycle into the ocean. He lives like a person who has lost all spirit. One evening, Khuat’s hoodlum friends invite him for a fun night of car racing. He goes, takes a lot of drugs, and then calls his uncle Mai. Khuat, completely high and emotionally drained ,tells his uncle the path he is choosing is the path that will not disappoint his mother and older brother. During his race, Khuat drives recklessly and flips his car. He dies during the crash. Though it was seen as a car accident, it was a suicide.

During the time of his brother’s death, Tinarat was out of the country handling business matters. He did not know about his brother’s personal issue and even blamed himself for his younger brother’s death. Also, Tinarat blamed the friends that Khuat’s kept. Tinarat thought they were a bad influence in his life and was a source for his death.

Wanting to vent out his anger and wanting justice in a way, Tinarat remembered a friend that Khuat always talked about…Jomkwan. Believing she was a bad influence in his life, Tinarat sought out Jomkwan at Khuat’s apartment and attempted to kick her out. Having no place to go and acting out of desperation, Jomkwan lies to him that she is pregnant with Khuat’s child.

Feeling pity for her and believing that she is one of those self-indulgent youngsters, Tinarat said he would take care of her until she gives birth. She can give the child to him and he will raise it like his own. And that is how their romance began, with a lie.

(There is more to the summary but I’ll stop here. I don’t want to spoil myself too much.)

The death of his younger brother brought them together, her lie of being pregnant kept them close because soon after he moved her into his vacation house to live. Chaotically they started their lives together. Of course not blissfully because Katleya is still around trying to win over Tinarat.

Mart and Susie.

Nampueng is the manipulative stepmother who secretly loves her stepson Mart. She is evil and selfish and emotionally abuses her young son played by Alex. She doesn’t accept her son’s sexual orientation which led to his suicide.  She is pursuant in her quest for fame, wealth, and her stepson. Lets just say we will hate her.

This family portrait can be deceiving, hidden behind those smiles lies secrets in identity and unrequited love. The stepson and the stepmother have feelings for each other. The youngest son (Alex) is a closeted gay, the father is clueless of everything and he dies when his youngest son is 10.

Bow plays Saowaros, first she dated Tinarat when he was trying to get over Katleya, later she falls for Mai when Tinarat found Jomkwan.

TEASER