Petrichor (Spoiler-Free Review)
Thailand’s first lesbian police procedural drama packs solid writing and heart.
Information
Media: Shows & Television
Genre(s): Drama, True Crime
Demographic: Adult
Representation: Main F/F Romance, Side F/F Romance
Do I Recommend? Yes!!!
Rating: 4.5/5
In Petrichor, rookie officer Tul Chanwimol meets Dr. Cherran “Ran” Trakulwipatkul on her first case in a new district. Tul takes a liking to Ran despite the other woman’s prickly personality and distrust of the police, and they begin solving murder cases together. When the murderer who killed Ran’s mother, known as the “Raindrop Killer,” begins hunting for victims again, Tul and Ran must work together to bring the killer to justice and navigate a hostile political system favoring the influential and corrupt.
As soon as I heard about Petrichor, I knew that the show was right up my alley. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m not much of a sapphic romance purist. I prefer stories where the relationship is the side piece to a greater narrative conflict. As a police procedural, Petrichor fits the bill perfectly. And while the show doesn’t innovate on the genre, it does everything it needs to do well, even if the quality of the writing does fall off in the later episodes.
To put it bluntly, in a show where thoughtful social commentary was one of the earlier episodes’ strongest points, the final antagonist's almost cartoonishly evil behavior—along with the main characters’ suddenly terrible decision-making capabilities—had me audibly groaning at my screen more times than I care to admit. I also struggled to connect with his motivations in a meaningful way. They were clichéd at best and problematic as well as perpetuating harmful narratives at worst.
In the end, I enjoyed Petrichor’s earlier episodes the most. The first few standalone murder cases all felt very classic, but they came with unique twists that gave even the most seasoned criminal investigation viewers something new to consider. Petrichor’s strongest moments are often the moments where the show isn’t afraid to explore sensitive topics, such as sex work, gender inequality, and domestic violence.
I also want to highlight the character of Wisut. If Petrichor was ever competing to be taken seriously as a police procedural, Wisut never failed to make me sit up in my chair. He was hands down one of the best suspects I’ve ever seen in any police procedural. In my opinion, the middle episodes where Wisut took center stage were easily the most well-written episodes of Petrichor, and I think that it’s a shame that the show did away with him the way it did.
But police procedural aside, I’m happy to say that, as a sapphic romance, Petrichor ate and left no crumbs behind. Tul and Ran’s relationship was refreshingly straightforward and drama-free, and actresses Engfa Waraha and Charlotte Austin have amazing chemistry together. I’m convinced they can make me watch anything they star in. I also fell in love with the show’s second sapphic pairing, and I’m really excited to see what the actress for Jiu does in the future.
Overall, while I don’t think Petrichor completely sticks the landing as a police procedural, I do think it’s one of the best sapphic dramas you can watch today. The romance is great, and the overall writing is for the most part solid and enjoyable. Petrichor comes close to breaking the “glass ceiling” in terms of not just romance dramas but also prestige television, and I’m really excited to see where the genre goes from here. In the meantime, go and watch Petrichor!
Have you watched Petrichor? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below!