Netflix’s new Thai “Succession”-inspired drama, “Master of the House” (Season 1), dithers and stumbles on its way towards a predictably satisfying finale. The seven-episode miniseries often overstays its welcome when it comes to contextually depicting sex, violence, and sexual violence. However, by its seventh and final episode, creator Kulp Kaljareuk and director Sivaroj Kongsakul get “Master of the House” to the conclusion that the show promised to arrive from its inaugural episode. And it does that with the moderate satisfaction of “Eat the rich” nature.
Master of the House (Season 1) ‘Netflix’ Recap:
Diamond Tycoon Roongraj (Teerapong Leowrakwong) is fed up with his two sons vying for the top spot in his vast empire. The eldest son, Phuphat (Chatayodom Hiranyatithi), is drug-addled, and Roongraj suspects him to be unserious about his business. Whereas the younger son, Mavin (Thanavate Siriwattanagul), is straight-up psychotic and a sex maniac. Phuphat’s wife, Phatcha (Nusba Punnakanta), seems the only sane person in the family. In contrast, Mavin’s wife, Araya (Claudia Chakrabandhu Na Ayudya), is portrayed as someone who can only be described as a ‘Stone cold bitch.’ Phuphat and Phatcha’s daughter Kita (Narupornkamol Chaisang) and Mavin and Araya’s son Shutter (Thitinan Rattanathitinan) complete the family.
To serve the family in one gigantic mansion, we have an army of servants. And this is where we meet our protagonist, Kaimook (Narilya Gulmongkolpech). Kaimook is Roongraj’s exclusive servant. She almost immediately establishes herself to be the timid target of the entire family as Roongraj announces his marriage to her. The family despises that and fears that their cut of the loot could get shortened. To make matters worse, Roongraj falls from his balcony and dies on the very same day. The Police brand the incident as an accident, but Kaimook believes it to be a murder.
The entire family, except Phatcha, starts to viciously insult Kaimook in public. It becomes clear to both sons that Roongraj never fully intended to give the mantle of his precious Theva Gems Inc. to either of his sons. Mavin, being the cleverer and the crueler brother, coerces the family lawyer to create a false Will. A Will that portrays Roongraj giving the majority of the shares to his younger son. Mavin and his wife, Araya, use their ill-gotten power to torment Kaimook as well as Phuphat. In Mavin’s defense against Phuphat, Phuphat did try to rid Mavin of the directors’ board before. So, Mavin now returns the favor and keeps Phuphat out of Theva Gems.
Meanwhile, Araya tortures Kaimook to the point where she relinquishes her status as the wife of the late Roongraj and goes back to her household duties. Araya literally and figuratively crushes Kaimook with her stilettos. Each of the episodes highlights how cruel the ‘masters’ are towards their ‘servants.’ In that household, slavery has become ubiquitous. Bee (Latthgarmon Pinrojkeerathi), another maid, designs unique patterns for Kita, who then passes those designs off as her own in her high-society circle.
When some of her friends find that it has been Bee all along, Kita punishes Bee by running her fingers under the needle of a sewing machine. Mavin keeps on sexually torturing another maid of the household. He even forces her to abort when she becomes pregnant with her child. Joke (Kittisak Patomburana), Mavin’s driver and Bee’s boyfriend, was forced to take the blame for Shutter’s drunk driving and had to spend some years in jail. The series repeatedly paints the line that separates the rich from the working class.
Master of the House (Season 1) ‘Netflix’ Ending Explained:
Who Attacked Shutter?
After Kita’s attack on Bee, Joke becomes understandably bewildered. Bee takes revenge on Kita by exposing Kita’s incestuous relationship with Shutter. Mavin would heavily punish Bee for the same. However, an unknown biker attacks Shutter in an empty street. This attacker beats Shutter to a pulp. Shutter has to be hospitalized to battle for his life. Mavin would later find out that the attack was done by Tian. Another employee in their household. Tian is the brother of the maid whom Mavin raped every other day. The abortion of the child was the final straw, which made Tian attack Shutter. So that Mavin would feel the same loss of a child that his sister is feeling.
How Did Mavin Die?
“Master of the House” pulls a fast one on its audience when it comes to killing the main antagonist, Mavin. It teases with the visual ruse where the tormented maid is shown to finally break free and slit Mavin’s throat. However, it is quickly proven to be a part of the roleplay that the maid did before succumbing to the ‘resurrected’ Mavin. One could argue that it might have been a better end for Mavin. It definitely would have been more satisfying.
However, life does not always work like that, and the show probably tries to remind us of that. Instead, Mavin dies in the hands of his older brother, Phuphat. Conspiring with Kaimook, Phuphat seizes his chance to usurp Mavin. Phuphat drowns a sedated Mavin and tries to make it look like a boat accident. But Mavin still survives. Knowing immediate hospitalization might save Mavin’s life, Phuphat cleverly diverts the ambulance to not go to the nearest clinic. Instead, it takes a longer route for a supposedly better hospital. Phuphat succeeds in his scheme, as Mavin succumbs to death in the ambulance.
Who Killed Roongraj?
After Mavin’s death, Phuphat becomes the new head of the family. Phuphat always hated his father and liked to destroy objects that his father cherished. So, he tries to destroy Theva Gems as well, just to spite his father’s ghost. He tries to sell the company and the house to Theva Gems’ rival “Gentle Gems.” Just when he is about to succeed, he is confronted by Kaimook. The lawyer whom Mavin threatened to prepare the fake will returns and shows that Roongraj actually wanted Kaimook to have it all. In fact, Kaimook was aware of this as the Will was made in front of her.
It becomes clear to Phuphat that Kaimook played a long game. She was aware that Mavin got the company via forgery. But, she did not oppose, as she planned for the same. It is, in fact, Kaimook who killed Roongraj to begin with. A flashback shows Roongraj being as much a prick as his young son was. Roongraj had the habit of picking one of his maids and then torturing them sexually. The maid chosen by Roongraj before he chose Kaimook killed herself after one night of vicious abuse. Kaimook contemplated the same but decided against it.
Instead, she plotted for revenge. She feigned interest in Roongraj’s sexual desires. She also showed genuine interest in Roongraj’s other less-disgusting hobbies, such as collecting butterflies. Roongraj confided to Kaimook that he had no desire to leave his empire to either of his sons. Kaimook gave him the idea that she could still provide him with another son. Roongraj liked that and, as a result, named Kaimook in his will.
Then, on the day Roongraj announces the marriage, Kaimook drugged him. Kaimook also had Roongraj write a sacking letter to Mavin so that Mavin would come to his father’s room outraged and take the blame. A drugged and hallucinating Roongraj is made to fall from the balcony. In recent times, Kaimook has had all the household employees work for her plan. Nobody liked the masters, so it was easy. The boat where Phuphat killed Mavin had cameras that had been fitted by Joke. Using the clip, Kaimook can prove that it was Phuphat who killed Mavin. In association, it can be proven that Phuphat drugged Roongraj to have a fatal fall.
What Happened to Phuphat? What Happens to Everyone in the Family?
Phuphat tries to kill Kaimook after she reveals her plan. But the household workers beat him. The predictable rise of the workers happens. Phuphat has to leave the country to avoid murder charges. He is shown to be stabbed by a random junkie. Phuphat dies alone, in a foreign country, without any of his family members. A comatose Shutter also dies in the hospital. Araya loses all her arrogance and goes back to her struggling actor days. Kita stays in New York and avoids her mother, Phatcha. Phatcha, the only one who was shown to be the lesser evil, is spared by Kaimook.
The house is now under Kaimook’s name. In turn, she makes it a paradise for all the workers who work in that house. Everyone is treated equally. Bee gets her own line of fashion. Joke takes over a travel business. Kaimook does not shed her maid uniform to remind everyone of her origin. And how she still remains one of them.
Master of the House (Season 1) Netflix Review:
“Master of the House” juggles with multiple layers. Firstly, we have the Succession-like infighting among family members gunning for the top spot of a business empire. Then, we have the classic revolution of the working class, which is often known as “Eat the rich.” Then, there is an undercurrent of mystery that is right out of a Golden Age detective novel. In fact, Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” would also come to mind. The show, stretching out for seven long episodes, juggles with these layers. Sometimes it does that with dexterity, sometimes it fumbles.
The vision to augment a family drama with an additional layer of the impoverished and exploited folk standing up against the rich masters is a commendable one. However, “Master of the House” struggles to maintain a balance, especially when it comes to depicting the same over seven episodes. For instance, a lot of the middle episodes resort to the repetition of violence simply because it can. We have characters like Mavin, Araya, and Kita established as wildly cruel. These characters provide an excuse for the show to repeat the shocking violence, which does nothing except underline the already “bold and italic” statement that these rich brats do not consider their servants as human. As a result, a majority of these scenes come across as fillers.
To its credit, “Master of the House” starts well and almost ends in the same manner. The cast, with special mention for Chatayodom Hiranyatithi and Claudia Chakrabandhu Na Ayudya, does their job well, even if it sometimes borders on high melodrama. “Master of the House” tries to provide a satisfying finale with a fitting conclusion for all of its arcs. Whether it’s the familial feud, the “Eat the rich” layer, or the actual murder mystery, “Master of the House” chooses the inevitably right conclusions for all three of them. They are predictable but enjoyable. In the end, the same could be said about the show itself.
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