The Air EP5 Review: When Feelings Stall and Patience Runs Thin

There is no easy way to say this, so we’ll just be direct — The Air EP5 left us bored.

After last week’s momentum, we expected sparks, shenanigans, emotional chaos, and maybe — just maybe — our heroines of the lesbian era learning something meaningful about each other.

Instead?

We got longing stares, avoidance, mutual pining, and enough emotional circles to make us wonder if anyone planned on actually saying how they felt.

OPENING REACTION + QUICK TAKE

Coming off EP4, our expectations were high.

The chemistry was chemistry-ing. The tension was tension-ing. The possibility of chaos? Delicious.

So naturally, we walked into EP5 expecting movement.

What we got instead felt like watching very beautiful people emotionally pace around a room.

Lom continues beating around the bush. Princess Blew remains adorably, painfully oblivious. And somehow both women manage to have romantic tension so obvious that everyone around them notices — except, apparently, the two people involved.

Yes, there are cute moments. Yes, there are laughs.

But this episode moves slow.

Like, “checking if the timestamp on the player is broken” slow.

Honestly, if Bua had simply walked into frame during the first five minutes and said, “By the way, Lom likes you,” we could have wrapped this episode up significantly faster.

And the wildest part?

That basically is the plot.

By the end, Bua finally tells Phat that Wind — or rather, Lom — is clearly into her, which ultimately becomes the only real moment that significantly advances the story.

We hate saying it because the cast is working hard here, but for a series starring the duo who helped launch this industry into the stratosphere, we expected stronger pacing.

Lom and Princess Blew lean in for an intimate kiss as Princess Blew drunkenly imagines a romantic moment between them.

THE MOMENT

The only moment.

Bua finally telling Phat that the person Wind is interested in is her.

Full stop.

That’s the turning point of EP5.

And honestly? We had been waiting for someone — anyone — to say it the entire episode.

Becky absolutely sold this scene.

She spent most of the episode expertly playing confused, oblivious, and emotionally unaware, so when that realization finally starts to land, you can visibly see the shift. The wheels start turning. The confusion becomes contemplation.

And Becky handled that beautifully.

We also appreciated Wind immediately sensing something was off.

That instinct felt incredibly on-brand for the character. There’s care there, attentiveness there, even if no one is communicating like functioning adults yet.

Meanwhile, Phat taking a moment to sit in her feelings before reacting?

Honestly, respect.

Good boundaries. Emotional processing. We love to see it.

Did it take an entire episode to get there?

Unfortunately, yes.

But it was still the scene that finally made us perk up.

WHAT WORKED

a. Freen and Becky Continue to Deliver

Here’s the thing about The Air: even when the pacing frustrates us, Freen and Becky remain incredibly watchable.

Freen, in particular, continues proving just how much range she has.

The last time many viewers saw her, she was playing a softer, humbler royal cousin. Lom is the complete opposite energy — cool, confident, smooth, quick-witted, emotionally restrained, and quietly magnetic.

It suits her.

There’s an ease to how she plays Lom that feels natural, and she carries even the slower scenes with charisma.

As for Becky?

What continues to impress us is how she balances duality.

She’s essentially playing two people who look alike but feel completely different in personality, mannerisms, and emotional energy.

And she pulls it off.

One minute she’s vulnerable and scared as Helena. The next she’s confident and regal. Then clueless. Then tipsy as she portrays Princess Blew (aka Phat).

It’s a lot of tonal ground to cover in one episode, and Becky handles those shifts seamlessly.

Honestly, #FreenBecky chemistry remains the reason we are still fully sat.

b. Looknam Continues to Be an MVP

Can we also talk about Looknam?

Because Bua continues to steal scenes.

Her comedic timing remains some of the best in the industry, and every time she enters the frame, the energy immediately lifts.

We especially appreciated how naturally she play a flirt. There’s an effortless charm there that makes Bua feel warm, fun, and believable.

And frankly?

Thank you, Bua, for finally telling the Princess what literally everyone else could see:

LOM. LIKES. YOU.

Someone had to do it.

WHAT MISSED

a. The Story Needs to Pick Up the Pace

We have one question: Why are we moving this slowly?

Outside of the island leader updating Lom about mainland events, a few cute interactions, and the eventual realization that Wind likes Phat, this episode felt overwhelmingly like setup.

And setup is fine.

Filler disguised as setup?

Less fine.

Because with talent like Freen and Becky, the show has the chemistry and emotional foundation to do more.

The issue is not the leads.

The issue is pacing.

Last week had us replaying scenes. This week had us checking how much time was left.

That’s a problem.

Especially when viewers are emotionally invested and eager for progression.

You can absolutely do a slow burn.

But the burn still has to move.

BOLD TAKE

After replaying EP4 on repeat, we had high hopes for EP5 — and unfortunately, this one lost momentum. Next week’s preview has us hopeful again, but now the series owes us a payoff.

FINAL VERDICT

The Air EP5 ultimately feels like a bridge episode — one designed to inch the romance forward and position the story for bigger emotional moments ahead.

The problem?

It could have gotten there faster.

The chemistry is still strong, the performances are still excellent, and we’re absolutely seated for what comes next. But after such a promising EP4, this installment felt more like emotional traffic than emotional progress.

We’ll be back next week — hopeful, cautious, and still rooting for these two to finally get it together.