Only You EP13 — Marriage, Martyrdom & Missed Milestones

😳 Umm… We Need a Minute

We’re still processing this one, y’all.

On one hand, thank every deity in the sapphic pantheon that no one died — we were bracing for a “bury your gays” backslide that would’ve set visibility back a decade. But on the other hand… that ending? That marriage storyline?

Only You is the first sapphic-led series to air in a prime-time slot on Thai TV, and this is the narrative Ch3+ decided to roll with? A legal wedding that doubles as a goodbye letter? Oof.

So instead of a standard recap, let’s unpack this emotional rollercoaster — and see if the fandom’s feeling the same way.

Aira and Tawan celebrate with friends in a hospital chapel after signing their marriage certificate in Only You EP13 — laughing and posing for a playful photo.

🎬 1. The Setup vs. the Stakes

So here’s where things start to wobble. Only You dropped a medical-crisis bomb in EP12 — and by EP13, we find out it’s not just a random fainting spell but full-blown kidney failure. Suddenly, we’re talking dialysis, transplants, and life-or-death stakes.

That’s textbook third-act whiplash. It’s what writers do when they don’t trust the emotional arc they’ve built — reaching for shock value instead of earned payoff.

And maybe it’s not just about storytelling; maybe it’s about ratings. Let’s face it, Thai TV — especially the GL landscape — is cutthroat right now. A last-minute illness twist guarantees buzz, hashtags, and cliffhanger retention.

But when your leads are carrying a historic milestone for sapphic visibility, those choices carry extra weight. Instead of growing their story naturally, the writers pivoted to crisis mode — hijacking weeks of relationship depth for one dramatic Hail Mary.

In short: the twist wasn’t earned, and it shows.

💍 2. The Marriage-Divorce Bargain

Yes, seeing two women legally sign a marriage certificate on Thai TV is monumental — a sapphic first fans have been dreaming about since episode one. And to be fair, this marriage was earned. Aira and Tawan have wanted this from the start; they’ve talked about it, fought for it, and loved each other through everything.

But the way it finally happens? Gutting. After Aira is diagnosed with kidney failure, Tawan does what any partner would do — she offers to donate her kidney and save the woman she loves. The obstacle isn’t their love; it’s Aira’s father, who still refuses to bless the marriage because of an old feud with Tawan’s dad.

So Tawan strikes a deal. Out of love — not manipulation. She agrees to sign a divorce decree in advance, promising to walk away after the surgery if Aira’s father allows them to marry. It’s a selfless act from a woman determined to put Aira’s life above her own happiness.

And that’s where the problem lies — not with Tawan, but with the message.

The series takes what should have been a triumphant moment and ties it to tragedy. Instead of celebrating equality and enduring love, Only You presents marriage as something sapphics can have only through suffering or sacrifice.

Tawan’s actions are noble. The narrative framing isn’t.

That’s not empowerment; that’s martyrdom dressed up as representation. It’s giving: “You can be gay, but you can’t be happy.”

⚖️ 3. Representation vs. Responsibility

When you’re the first, you carry more weight. Only You didn’t need to hand us rainbows and roses, but it did need to avoid dusting off the “queer love equals tragedy” trope.

This storyline risks reviving tired narratives:

• That sapphics must suffer to prove their love.

• That queer relationships can’t end in joy.

• That visibility still comes with a price tag.

Considering how far Thai GL has evolved — from GAP’s iconic trailblazing to Roller Coaster’s emotional realism — this twist feels like a step backward, not forward.

Representation doesn’t have to be sanitized — but it does have to be self-aware. There’s a difference between giving your leads depth and making them perpetual martyrs.

🌈 4. What They Could Have Done

Imagine this instead.

Aira’s diagnosis still hits — but rather than turning it into a secret bargain, she and Tawan face it together. Two women against the odds, fighting for love, life, and each other. The medical crisis could’ve strengthened their bond, not tested it through separation.

Or picture this: they confront both fathers head-on, forcing the men’s decades-old feud into the light. Reconciliation through courage, not sacrifice. The drama would still be there — the tension, the tears, the stakes — but it would center on love’s persistence, not its punishment.

Or imagine the writers flipping the script completely. The marriage becomes a symbol — a public declaration that says, “We choose each other, no matter what.” The transplant still happens, but instead of ending in goodbye, it ends in healing — both literal and emotional.

That version of Only You would’ve made the wedding not just historic — but hopeful.A sapphic love story rooted in courage, not compromise.

Because here’s the truth: drama doesn’t have to mean despair. You can keep audiences hooked without teaching them that queer happiness is conditional.

💔 The Bottom Line

No one died — small mercy, thank the sapphic gods — but Only You fumbled what could’ve been a triumphant second-to-last episode.

This series has made history: the first sapphic-led show in a Thai prime-time slot and now, the first legal marriage certificate between two women shown on national TV. That deserves recognition.

But let’s be real — how they got here matters. Dropping a sudden illness in EP12 and turning the long-awaited wedding into a bargaining chip in EP13 feels like drama-for-ratings more than authentic storytelling. And that’s a shame, because CH3+ had both a historic opportunity and a responsibility to model what sapphic love could look like when treated with the same care and depth as any mainstream romance.

We’re still holding out hope that the finale redeems all this — that this article becomes gloriously moot because they deliver a happy, healing ending. Truly, we’re rooting for it.

But even if they stick the landing, these last two episodes will still feel like emotional turbulence designed to keep viewers hooked, not honored.

Historic? Absolutely.

Empowering? Not quite.

Memorable? Unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.