Step by Step (2023) Thailand Episode 2

Episode 2 of Step by Step starts with Jeng and Ying anxiously waiting for Pat to finish preparing the presentation. During the speech, the client notices some mistakes, which they point out. Ying pushes Pat under the bus, blaming him. Pat admits to the mistake, however, he angrily tells the client he has always cleaned up his colleagues’ mistakes on their slides. The colleagues, including the manager Mr Jeng, are unhappy with Pat’s retaliation.

Like mature people, Jeng confronts Pat and asks him to control his emotions better. His retaliation damaged the credibility of the team. Pat showed the executive that they are not good team players, which may make them assume that the company does not need the digital marketing department. Jeng’s words hurt Pat, and he rushes to the bathroom to cry it out.

Aoei calls him out to attend the meeting requested by Mr Jeng. During the meeting, Jeng partners with the team members and assigns them new tasks. Pat is not assigned any work, and Jeng asks to see him at the office after the meeting.

Jeng mentions what Pat had said before about pre-ordering. He thinks Pat’s idea might solve their clients’ current challenge so Jeng gives Pat a chance to prove himself. He assigns him the task of researching how his idea can be used in the department’s current campaign on Lively+. If Jeng likes his idea, he will allow Pat to handle the product.

Jeng introduces Pat to Nan, a digital marketing specialist brought in as an advisor to the team members. Nan and Pat spark a good work relationship, and Nan helps Pat out with his work. His office colleagues misunderstand their working relationship though.

Jeng calls in Pat to make some comments on his presentation. He approves the presented information but criticizes the presentation layout, which frustrates Pat. Jeng asks Pat to make the presentation cleaner and change the images. Jeng also warns him that the people in the office might get the wrong idea about his closeness to Nan. Jeng asks Pat to keep a distance from Nan.

After the meeting, Pat notices that what Jeng said was true about what people think about him getting close to Nan. Jeng sends Pat an email and asks him about the digital trend event.

Pat visits the bakery after work and meets Ae, who is having a meal with Put, his ex-boyfriend. Pat storms out after seeing Put. Put confronts Ae for not telling him that Pat was back in Thailand. At the digital trend event, Put is among the influencers invited to the event. Put discusses the importance of influencer marketing.

At work after the weekend, Pat receives flower delivery. The sender signs their name as P. Jeng asks Pat for the meeting. Pat notices that his work has been edited. Jeng says he had taken the liberty to edit the slides since he felt Pat would not finish the work on time. Pat asks for an explanation of what he had done wrong, and Jeng explains that his presentation did not look clean and that the images he used were too direct.

During the meeting, the client is impressed with the work, but she asks for some changes. Pat has a different presentation on the proposed changes made, which he presents to the client. The client likes his proposal.

Prem approaches Pat after the meeting and talks to him about how impressive Pat is, since he has a girlfriend and is still talking to Nan. Prem seems impressed, but his sentiments annoy Pat, who tells him he was not dating Nan because he was gay. Prem makes a sexist joke about Pat’s body. Pat is super annoyed and almost hits Prem. Nan comes just in time to tell Pat that Jeng is calling him.

The already angry Pat gets a scolding from Jeng for presenting something to a client before consulting with him. Jeng suggests that Pat did that to get back at Jeng and tells Pat that he must not mix personal emotions with work. Unable to hold himself, Pat cries in front of Jeng. Jeng continues to scold him, telling Pat that crying undermines his credibility with others, making Pat look immature. Pat claps back, telling Jeng he is only worried about how he would look. He apologizes for breaking down in Jeng’s office and storms out.

Pat is so angry that he almost smashes his laptop after work. He screams into his pillow in frustration and anger. He starts writing a resignation letter when he receives a peer review form for the manager. He calls his friends and tells them about a red alert. Ae and Kanun join him at a drinking party, intending to give the boss an anonymous peer review. Ae encourages Pat to curse back at the manager while Kanun tries to reason with them that people around him probably pressure Jeng, and that is why he pressures the subordinates.

Ae gets Kanun to agree with their point of view, and they advise him to speak his mind. Pat sends it, but Kanun mentions that since Pat responded in English, Mr Jeng will figure out the review was from Pat, and he might get fired. Pat starts to rethink his decision, but Ae startles him before he can change, and he accidentally sends the response. The episode ends with Jeng already receiving and reading the review.

The Episode Review

All the subtle crush moments noticed in the first episode are not wherein this episode, as we are introduced to the stern and headstrong Jeng character. Pat seems to always get on his wrong side, which strains their manager-subordinate relationship. The introduction of Jeng in the office makes things even more frustrating for Pat. He might not be the errand boy now, but his work is constantly harshly criticized, and he seems to do nothing right.

It is difficult to understand Jeng’s actions in this episode, and one is heavily irritated by his harshness. As Pat says, he seems inconsiderate as a superior and wants to micro-manage everything. Will Pat’s review help Jeng become a better boss, or will it further strain their relationship? The episode introduces the ex, the very famous digital influencer, Put. At this point, trying to figure out what might happen in the next episode is unlikely.