Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Master Of The House’ On Netflix, Where The Suspicious Death Of A Thai Diamond Tycoon Sets Off A Family Battle

There’s a reason why Succession was so successful. Yes, it was funny and well-acted. But it was also the story of three spoiled adult kids of a media magnate vying to take over his company, and all the viciousness involved in that battle. Similar stories have popped up in shows from all over the world, and in a new Netflix series from Thailand, part of the battle involves a murder.

11 Best New Shows on Netflix: July 2024’s Top Upcoming Series to Watch

Opening Shot: We see a butterfly trapped in a jar. A man looks longingly out the window, then he’s overwhelmed by butterflies, to the point where he falls to his death from his office’s balcony.

The Gist: The man who died is Roongroj Thevasaitipaisarn (Teerapong Leowrakwong), aka “Tycoon Roongroj”, owner of diamond merchant Theva Gems and its $200 million empire. His death is ruled an accident, and its unclear who is going to be tapped to take control of the company: His older son Phupat (Chartayodom Hiranyasthiti) or younger son Mavin (Thanavate Siriwattanagul).

We see both of them, and their families, at Roongroj’s funeral. But there’s one more person there: Kaimook (Narilya Gulmongkolpech), who is sitting up front until she’s told that section is for “family only.” She goes to the back and stands with the servants.

First Trailer Drops for Sapphic Thai Film ‘Uranus 2324’

Going back to Roongroj’s last birthday, we see Kaimook among the housekeepers, butlers, cooks and other members of the family’s extensive house staff preparing for a formal dinner. She goes into Roongroj’s office as he discusses some important business with his sons, and he asks her for advice. It turns out that the relationship between Roongroj and Kaimook is more than just boss and housekeeper.

During the dinner, his sons try to one-up each other with gifts for their dad, but the only gift he wants from them is to “behave properly.” He then makes a bombshell announcement: He and Kaimook are getting married, right there at the table. She comes out, they sign the marriage license, and it’s all legal.

CLICK HERE TO GET EMAILS FROM DECIDER

Back at the funeral, both sons wonder who will get control of Theva Gems, but the company’s lawyer won’t give the details until the will is read. Given that Roongroj got married to Kaimook shortly before he fell over that balcony, they’re both ready to challenge her claim to the company, if she has one.

For her part, Kaimook is pretty sure that Roongroj’s death was not accidental, and she sets out to prove just that.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Master Of The House is more or less reminiscent of the final season of Succession , with the children of a tycoon vying for control of their father’s empire.

Our Take: Master Of The House is a show that has a big cast, and there are going to be people around the main players who have keen interest into what’s going to happen with Theva Gems. But in essence the story comes down to Kaimook, Phupat and Mavin. We’ll also be seeing lots of Tycoon Roongroj in flashbacks, because creator Kulp Kaljareuk has set up a scenario where those flashbacks will establish just how much the tycoon became disillusioned with his sons and came to trust Kaimook more than anyone in his family.

Layered in this is Kaimook trying to find out what happened to Roongroj. It’s pretty apparent that his death wasn’t accidental, and it’ll be interesting to find out just why officials deemed it an accident. In the minds of everyone, she’s still a housekeeper, and she’s going to fight against the family challenging the legitimacy of her marriage to Roongroj. Of course, she’s likely the only voice of reason in the entire group, but we know from the first minutes of the episode that she’s fighting an uphill battle.

Sex and Skin: Mavin has sex with one of the housekeepers, though much of the potential nudity in that scene is hidden.

Parting Shot: Kaimook tells the police chief, who’s attending the funeral, that she suspects Roongroj was murdered.

Sleeper Star: Nusba Punnakanta and Claudia Chakrabandhu Na Ayudhya play Patcha and Araya, the wives of Phupat and Mavin, respectively. We’re sure they’ll have significant influence on their husbands and how they go after their father’s company.

Most Pilot-y Line: Mavin snidely tells Roongroj and Kaimook to take a few months’ honeymoon. When Roongroj asks him who will run the company if he’s gone that long, Mavin says he’ll do it. His father’s response: “I know how you are, Mavin. I’d rather have a servant take care of it.” Oof.

Our Call: STREAM IT. There is potential for Master Of The House to spiral out of control with all of the characters it has to service, but the show’s potential as a succession story layered with a murder mystery gives us hope that it’ll be a pulpy delight instead of a confused mess.

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

For more entertainment news and streaming recommendations, visit decider.com