By Affa Adi
Edited by Harith Syafiee
The Thai drama industry has delivered yet again, a touching story of how the start of deception leads to an unexpected forming of a deeper bond. Released in December 2023, Analog Squad is a classic fake-turned-found family series that is set in the year 1999, giving it a fresh twist as four individuals attempt to keep up the pretence of a picture-perfect family.
The story starts with a middle-aged man named Pond who hires Lilly, Bung, and Keg to be his fake wife, daughter, and son respectively to go visit his ailing father. His decision ropes the three into a tangled mess of lies after lies, humouring Pond’s ego to prove to his old parents that he has been well off without them for the last 20 years.
As a 02’s born, there are many things in the series that amaze me, from the Y2K problems to the craze of a small pet game. Everything looks almost different compared to now. But one thing that I am most drawn to is the use of an unfamiliar device called a pager that they use to “text” each other—or page, as a verb. Later, I learned that it was popular back in the 1960s up until early 2000.
The pager is the one thing that has been consistent throughout the story, establishing itself as a symbolic device that connects all the characters. It allows you to send a message to someone, but the catch is that you need to use a wired telephone to transmit your message to them. Thus, privacy isn’t guaranteed since you are actually calling the pager centre, and a paging worker would pick it up to type and send what you have said to the intended recipient.
As much as it seems fascinating to me, I’m pretty sure things can get messy sometimes since you can’t really send the exact text that you want because curse words are strictly not allowed. On top of the issue that a paging worker might manipulate your message for no reason. But hey, that’s how it landed Keg the job to be Pond’s fake son!
In an era where technology isn’t as advanced, who can tell who’s real and who’s fake? Yet, how far can one lie until it becomes too much? As the story unfolds, each individual’s secrets and issues are revealed. In the midst of it all, the pager serves as a way for them to reach out and convey the things they hold back from telling. Towards the end of the 2000 countdown, they all come together to face the truth and reconcile while also learning to forgive the past that hurts them.
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