I need a Life...can I have yours?

 Sinag has fallen. Marjorie finds out about Benjie’s game. Benjie is still a scheming jerk.

Recap

Ninay corners Sinag into admitting that she has fallen for Benjie, aghast that she still has not.

Sinag sits at the radio station, musing about love. While Benjie arrives at their room, confident that he was a step closer to getting the Obispos land (for someone who is trying to hide his real intentions, you’d think he’d be more discrete with his secret mission. Cork board with names of the families in Pelangi just screams “smoking gun.”)  

The next day, the Obispos are at the kite flying event organized by Tala’s school. Sol makes a move on the girlaloo he’s eyeing. Benjie arrives and immediately borrows a kite from a complete stranger so he can make a move on SInag. So what’s his plan? Get Sinag’s kite to fall.

Sinag goes on an internal monologue about the heart being like a compass, and it’s obvious from her tone that gone is the bitter Sinag. She is falling faster than Tala’s kite (oh hey! Maybe that’s the point of this kite festival, to use as an analogy for Sinag’s heart?)

Benjie picks it up, pretending like he wasn’t aware that it was Sinag’s kite that fell. He even volunteers to help her get it to fly again. She continues her internal monologue: “And if you really are meant to be for each other, even if you get separated, even if you try to avoid him, destiny would still bring you two together.” As the kite is dancing in the sky, we are treated to a montage of Maichard SinJie moments from the past episodes. “Have I found him? Could it be Benjie? I don’t know how it happened, but am I falling for Benjie?” And Benjie gives her his megawatt smile.

Sinag’s internal monologue quickly becomes vocal as she tries to stop herself from falling completely. Unbeknownst to her, her parents and Ninay are watching her on the sides as she is watching Benjie. Enter the DTBY OST as SinJie give each other loving gazes across the field. At Bahay Obispo, Sinag stares at Benjie’s mural, giving it an air kiss.

Next morning, Benjie is text-pestering courting Sinag, as Jason teases him. Sinag gets engrossed in texting him as her siblings stare at her. And yes, the eggs in the pan get burnt. Jason compliments Benjie for his skill in pambobola, and he gets defensive, saying he wasn’t. Sally and Teddy come down to find Sinag giggling by herself and unusually in high spirits, making them puzzled.

Benjie gets a call from the mayor, asking him for a meeting, breaking the happy mood.

At the radio station, Sinag is still in her happy bubble. Arman (with Ninay watching him) pretends to be a caller and asks her “how does one know that a person is in love?” Her answer leads him to ask if she herself was in love, but Sinag immediately denies it, knowing that it was Arman on the line, hoping to trap her into admitting her feelings.

At the mayor’s place, Benjie and Jason have a chat with the mayor, who is ranting about how excessively close he is being to the Obispos. Benjie assures him that he is working on getting the Obispo property. And since this casual meeting is held in the mayor’s living room, look who was openly eavesdropping? (The word “discrete” is obsolete in Benjie’s lexicon)

Ninay still tries to get Sinag to fess up to what she feels and say yes to Benjie. But Sinag fees like the time isn’t right to entertain romantic feelings, especially since they were in the verge of losing their town to the Rosaleses. Also, she still can’t wrap around her head why city boy Benjie would fall for a simple barrio lass like her (and you just want to cross the TV screen and give her a hug to tell her she is gorgeous AF). Also Ninay was super funny with her Donna Cruz song and dance.

Marjorie and Yaya have a field day when they find out about Benjie’s real scheme. Although Marjorie wants to humiliate Sinag again, her yaya stops her and talks some sense into her. (To be fair, that siopao analogy was pretty havey)

At the radio tower, Sinag sweeps while singing along to the DTBY OST. Of course, Benjie will catch her in an awkward moment, singing her heart out. Sinag tries to get Benjie to leave because she has too much errands to do but our Romeo is determined to worm his way into her heart. So he tells her that he’ll accompany her and heaps cheesy lines on Sinag to get her let him. She agrees and gets him to continue sweeping the floor. Of course, Benjie uses that as an excuse to hold her hand and make a move.

Benjie accompanies Sinag as she delivers paintings to a buyer, where he gets schooled about the culture and community in Pelangi, pointing out to the traditions and landscapes that will be destroyed if the Rosaleses build on their land. “There are things that are more important than money.”

They reach her next “racket” and Sinag gets teased about being accompanied by a handsome non-boyfriend. They pick berries, Sinag lets Benjie taste one, and the city boy is impressed with how much Sinag knows about the town. They pause their picking when they get called for a group meal, surprising and delighting Benjie at the same time.

         

Random thoughts

* Why does Sinag use the radio station as her personal audio diary of sorts?

* That compass analogy is like super off-tangent, I cannot even make sense of it. “They say that a person’s heart is like a compass. Countless of times you would fall, trip and make a fool of yourself. But as long as you believe, your heart will bring you to the right person.” The person in this analogy doesn’t know how to use a compass? The writer could’ve used a kite to illustrate how a person’s heart can go through so much, soaring one moment and getting twisted and tangled in the next, until it plummets to the ground. But don’t lose hope because who knows, the person who helps you pick it up might be the right person for you. Or something like that.

* Benjie flying the kite is sooo adorable. It’s like a kid having fun at a picnic.

* Isn’t it strange that Marjorie is not text-pestering Benjie? I mean her dad knows his number, it’s easy for her to get her hands on it.

* “For sale na po ang itlog ko.” Deym. That one line makes up for all the awkward cliché in the past episodes.

* Since Maine and Sec Maine-nunal have already “met” in a dance showdown, wouldn’t it be epic if DJ Sunshine and DJ Mae “meet” as well?

* Still no Catalina OOTD. Ugh. I need my fix of classy kontrabida fashion!

In conclusion

The feeling of kilig and dread get mixed in my heart as Sinag starts to fall head over heels for Benjie. Sinag in love is such a burst of positive vibes that you’d curse anyone who’d dare rain on her parade. It’s like watching a train wreck waiting to happen. No matter how much you want to divert your eyes, you can’t help but watch because Alden and Maine Benjie and Sinag are too adorable together.    

 Benjie is proving that he is the master at making girls fall, Sinag’s impenetrable wall is cracking, and Tatay Teddy stands his ground against the Mayor. And our destined couple finds out a shared memory involving ice scramble.

Recap

Benjie and Sinag continue to slow dance, and seem to get lost in the moment (or maybe that’s just Alden and Maine being off-character and going off in their own world captured onscreen).

Meanwhile, Teddy receives bad news when a neighbor tells him that they are planning to sell their property. He says that he was being practical, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to earn that kind of money even if he stayed in Pelangi and worked all his life. A valid point but one that solely benefits his own family and not the rest of the community (and by community, that also includes the indigenous animals living in their town who will also lose their homes when construction starts in their town.)

Teddy turns his attention on Sinag and Benjie who are still dancing, close by. Sally assures him that if they go too far, she can easily stop them. Their moment is abruptly interrupted when overhead moon and stars prop-designs fall on Benjie and Sinag’s heads. Teddy immediately grabs her daughter away from Benjie while Sally tries to calm him down.

Marjorie gets Jason to talk by getting him drink. Good job Jason. Now Marjorie has ammunition to humiliate Sinag in front of a ton of people.

Back at the events place, Sally subtly reminds Sinag about what she said about the moon and stars falling from the sky. At a far corner, Benjie stands by himself, looking at Sinag. Eboy approaches him and asks if Sinag was okay. He tells the boy that no matter what happened between them, she was still his first love and thus she is still important to him. Benjie starts to feel a tiny teeny bit of guilt when Eboy starts talking about feeling at ease that Sinag has finally found the one who’ll love her. To deal with the uncomfortable feels, he goes and looks for bestfriend Jason (who looks more stoned than drunk, sitting alone outside). That’s when he finds out that his bestfriend told Marjorie about their pretend relationship.

Like any second-rate kontrabida, Marjorie immediately uses the information to humiliate Sinag in front of the Indakan peeps (instead of storing that information for future use, like what a classy kontrabida like Catalina would do). So Eboy asks Sinag straight up if what Marjorie announced was true and she lets out her feels and ends up punching him in the face. This rouses a cheer from the crowd for Sinag, a complete opposite from what Marjorie intended.

When Marjorie (still on the mic) tells Benjie to stop faking it with Sinag, he publicly declares that though they were not in a real relationship, he was courting SInag and was just waiting for her “matamis na oo.” As the crowd cheers for her to say “yes” to Benjie’s courtship, Sinag internally muses whether or not she is ready to give her heart to someone else (looks at Benjie).    

The mayor’s staff abruptly interrupts the cheers to turn their attention to the mayor (who has been standing in front for a while now, before his daughter made a scene). Mayor makes an announcement regarding free scholarship for children of the families who would choose to sell their land to the Rosaleses, as well as free medicines for the elderly. As the Mayor does his sales pitch on behalf of the Rosaleses, Benjie tries to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Tatay Teddy interjects and calls out on the mayor’s attempt to bribe them into selling. He then tells his fellow citizens to not be swayed. But unfortunately, practicality wins. The Obispos and some allies leave.

Benjie recounts to the drunk Jason (as they walk back to Bahay Pag-ibig) what happened earlier, when Sinag punched Eboy. Meanwhile, another bestfriend pair also have a talk, as Ninay tries to convince Sinag to say yes to Benjie. While Benjie denies feeling anything but pity for Sinag, the latter keeps mum about her real feelings.

At Bahay Obispo, Tatay Teddy is enraged at how the Mayor used Indakan in his political agenda. Sol tells his dad that if he gets the scholarship, his dream of studying in Manila could come true, so why can’t they consider the offer. His father again goes for the “lupa” card, and Sol walks out, feeling that his family gives no care about his dream or his education. Sinag volunteers to talk to her brother. Sally asks her husband if what they’re fighting for is still worth it if it means putting their children’s future on the line.  

Sol steps out the house to cool off, and Sinag follows him to try to talk to him. Sol asks her “Am I selfish for wanting to study in Manila?” Sinag explains that she would also want that but at the same time, they can’t give up the land their grandfather worked so hard to buy and develop for his family. Then she goes all “sage mode” dishing wise words about how life works. For some reason, the conversation shifts to Eboy and Benjie and Sol tells his sister that he was rooting for Benjie.

The next morning, Sinag greets Benjie’s mural a “colorful morning,” as well as the townsfolk she meets on her way (channeling serious Belle vibes). She is delighted to see the ice scramble peddler pass by their house and buys a cup of the icy treat (for breakfast).  Surprise, surprise! Benjie also calls out to the peddler, running after him, to buy a cup as well.

While they wait for the peddler to serve them their cups of ice scramble, Benjie shares his childhood memory of helping a lost little girl and buying her ice scramble to get her to stop crying and panicking. Sinag recognizes the tale and hooray! Instant connection. *fist bump*

While Sinag is amazed about their childhood meeting, Benjie asserts “Sinag, this is destiny.” He adds that if they had met as kids and it was destiny that brought him to her, that means that they have to end up together.

Meanwhile at Radyo Pelangi, Badong gets pissed over what happened last night at the Indakan. Arman assures Badong that Sinag could handle herself very well, which she did. Ninay gushes over Benjie’s public declaration that he was courting Sinag, puzled why her best friend still hasn’t said yes to his suitor despite all the signs that point to him being “the one.”   

Now that it’s established that they are childhood friends of sorts, Sinag becomes more warm and friendly towards Benjie. She asks him about his mom as they take a walk and he tells her that he is really close to his mom. She asks about his dad and he tells her that he died when he was young.

Apparently a sudden reunion with a childhood friend forces one to forget her scheduled work, because Sinag’s friends start to wonder where she is (she is running late for her radio broadcast), when her house is literally a few steps away from the radio tower. 

So where are Sinag and Benjie? They’re seeking shelter from the rain at the Lovers’ Cave. How they got so far from her house, I have no idea.

 

Random thoughts

* My eyes hurt during the disco scenes. Either I need a new eye glasses prescription or the camera work is not that good.   

* I loved that Sinag was able to handle herself after being humiliated by Marjorie in front of Eboy, his fiancee, and the rest of the town on her own, without needing to rely on Benjie to save the day. Although, the part where Benjie kinda puts Marjorie in her place was kinda awesome.

* Although Mang Teddy’s passion to protect their town is admirable, simply staging protests is not enough to convince people not to sell their land. He must team up with an NGO or any organization that would provide his co-townsfolk an appealing alternative to the mayor’s offer. Because all his protesting is doing is polarize the town, making those who sell feel like they’re the “bad guys” for choosing to think about their families’ welfare. And let’s face it, compared to the others, the Obispos are kinda well-off (not stinking rich, but not dirt poor). They live in a nice house, have their own radio station (which they could profit from through radio commercials), and their kids are healthy and go to school. So compared to them, the common folk are in greater need of the offered money. And you cannot fault them for that.

* What I don’t like about teleseryes tackling political issues like these is that there is no such thing as “compromise” in their vocabulary. Cause rallies are more dramatic and cinematic than civil roundtable talks between parties. (*facepalm*) And Teddy’s arguments are all appeal-to-emotion without substantial meat to drive the point. Instead of repeating over and over again, “what about Pelangi? What about the sceneries, etc?” he and Sinag should elevate the discussion by pointing out (for example) how the destruction of their town would impact the environment or how the proposed infrastructures would erase the town’s cultural heritage. They should get to know exactly what the Rosaleses plans for their town was and counter them, point by point, why that is bad news. Instead of uploading a protest video, they should make these points viral instead to make noise and get picked up by NGOs and partylists which were formed to fight for such causes. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE FORM OF ACTIVISM, PEOPLE!

* I was right about Sol! There is an underlying issue about him feeling neglected.

* Ahhh…classic middle child move: putting on headphones to shut out the world. I feel you Sol. I feel you.

* Both Sinag and Benjie are fighting for the grandfather’s “legacy.” She wants to protect her grandfather’s land and properties while he wants to be acknowledged as rightful heir to his grandfather’s legacy.

* I feel like Sol’s concerns are simply swept under the rug and mislabeled as simply “emoting.” His outburst is not merely about his dream but the enduring feeling that his family pays little attention to him. This is a legit concern that needs to be addressed because it will fester as Sol grows older.

* One sure-fire way to make romantic leads fall in love with one another: finding out that not only have they met before as kids, one of them also “saved” the other in one way or another.

* I am so pissed at Badong’s character too. The nerve of him to think that Sinag was “waiting” for him when he is not even making a move. Normally, I would root for the torpe best friend (especially since the lead guy is turning out to be a jerk), but GAHD! Just because you are loyal and “quietly” loving her from a distance does not mean you deserve her. All talk. 

* No Catalina OOTD again. Boo.  

In conclusion

It’s easy to see how and why Sinag would let her guard down. Not only was Benjie there for her during an embarrassing moment, she also finds out that he was also there for her even when they were kids. (She has a soft spot for guys helping her out when she gets into a tight spot. Eboy was there to help her when she fell and sprained her ankle, and Benjie was there when she fell and got lost when they were kids) And to be fair, Benjie’s act is really convincing. Will Sinag also have the same effect on his heart as well? We shall see.

Next week, Sinag allows Benjie to come closer and we can look forward to more romantic scenes.  Also next week, $h!t will hit the fan. And it’s gonna bring on so much tears because Sinag will have been emotionally invested on this jerk. Ugh, I already feel my heart breaking already.

So is this series still worth watching and recommending: Hell yes!  Sinag and Benjie’s kulitan onscreen is kyahhh! Which will make the upcoming hurt-pa-more scenes all the more gut wrenching. 

Since Badong is such a bland third-wheel (I don’t know if it’s the writer’s fault for writing him that way or the actor himself for being too cautious of being linked to Maine offcam; usually you’d root for the underdog loyal guy bestfriend-with-secret-unrequited-feelings-for-the-female-lead character, but in this story, he’s so…meh. His secret glances towards the unsuspecting Sinag have no spark. Even the pambabakod scene from the previous episodes came out as a joke rather than a major turning point in the story), the writers had to bring back the ex that broke Sinag’s heart to thicken the plot. Since Sinag’s walls were too high and formidable for Benjie to breach, she has to be put into an unexpected vulnerable situation so Benjie can sneak his way through. It’s a win-win situation for everyone: we get to see Maichard be as harot as they want without the writers having to deal with the plot holes and character inconsistencies. Also, in this episode, we get to see more of Sinag’s past.  


  

Recap

Sinag goes through mementos of the past, as she tearfully recalls how and why she fell for Eboy. (Why she holds on to these things despite her heartbreak, I have no clue.  And take note, they’re well preserved and neatly stored).

Sinag and Nanay Sally have a heart-to-heart talk. Nanay Sally makes valid point.

DJ Sunshine is back and as bitter as ever (You’d think that she’d use 100% of her radio air time to argue against Rosales Development but noooo). And oh look, Benjie is also not over his ex. (Stalker mode on!)

Ninay delivers the fresh news about Eboy to the outwardly uninterested Sinag. Ninay drags her off to find out for themselves whether or not Eboy had a girlfriend.

At Bahay Pag-ibig, Benjie tells Jason to go on ahead to the company meeting without him, since he was still in the process of getting the Obispo land. Right on timing, he gets a call from Catalina, asking why he still hasn’t gotten the property. She gives him an ultimatum: either he gets the job done soon or she’ll find somebody else to do it.

To be fair to Benjie, he has only been in Pelangi for four days. But Catalina is correct in assuming that he is wasting time and resources (on top of the money for the repair of the radio antenna, his and Jason’s food and lodging fully sponsored by the company).  Eboy is actually more effective in convincing townsfolk in selling than him, and he’s only been back for less than a day.

Ninay and Sinag sneak around to follow Eboy, since Ninay is so hung up on the possibility that Eboy wants to rekindle his past with Sinag. Benjie happens to see them and decides to sneak up on them too.

Sinag and Ninay finally got what they came for: they found out that not only was Eboy in a relationship, he was also getting married. (they became unwilling witnesses to Eboy’s proposal at the same chapel that held special memories to the ex-power couple of Pelangi).

While this is happening, Marjorie decides to do some creepy moves of her own. She goes to Bahay Pag-ibig, hoping to catch Benjie (why she hasn’t clung to him the very next day she met him, I also have no idea.) She gets incensed when she found out that Benjie has been courting Sinag so like all kontrabidas, she heads to Bahay Obispo and makes a scene.

She gets angrier when he sees Benjie’s face painted on their wall. She goes, “Benjie will never fall for Sinag because he’s mine.” (Oh, please take him. He’s all yours!)

She demands Sally to erase the mural but when she attempts to throw paint on it herself, she ends up spilling the can of paint over her head.

She complains to daddy dear and like all telesreye kontrabidas, assure his daughter that their enemies will pay. (Enter senseless kontrabida laugh)

Nanay Sally and Tatay Teddy get into a heated discussion over Benjie. Teddy suspects that the reason for Marjorie’s outburst was that Benjie was courting both girls simultaneously. Sally adamantly defends Benjie, saying that he could never do that to Sinag because she’s his soul mate. Teddy can’t help but wonder about Benjie’s background after hearing Marjorie say that he was rich. He decides to have a proper talk with the young man to get the facts straight.

Back to Sinag, the besties try to quietly sneak away but this wouldn’t be a teleserye without the ugly confrontation. The fiancee insults Sinag as the “ex that never got over him.” 

Just when Sinag was about to get cornered for stalking Eboy around town, Benjie comes to the rescue and presents himself as Sinag’s boyfriend (another cliché, but it works because Alden and Maine are too cute together).

Looks like there’s a new power couple in town: Sungs and Yabs.

Random thoughts

* Highschool Sinag is so cute and relatable.

* WHY DO THE OBISPOS HAVE A FIREPLACE???? And why did Sinag choose to preserve the frickin scrap book with their pictures if she was angry enough to tear and burn their couple-fie? 

* Benjie has so much baggage—losing his father early, being estranged from his father’s family, his mom being the center of his world, and now this ex. Why don’t the writers also add irrational childhood guilt, his mother suddenly becoming critically ill, or other cliché male lead emotional baggage to top the cake? Jusmiyo.

* I don’t get how getting Sinag to be his girlfriend could help Benjie’s plans in acquiring the Obispo property. Did he really think that if he gets Sinag to fall in love with him, he could fool her into selling their land immediately? Even if Sinag did become his girlfriend, it would take more time (months!) to discuss with her and her family about selling their property. It’s preposterous how his mind works. 

* Yay! Catalina is here! Her ootd is slaying, as always.

*Even with the paint-spill-scene that was supposed to be gratifying, nope. Still cannot stand watching any scene with this Marjorie girl.

* I totally feel Sinag. It’s so annoying that this Eboy guy just recycle the same script he used with Sinag years ago. And the fact that his fiancee referred to Sinag as someone who never got over her ex means that Eboy has been telling stories about Sinag in front of his girlfriend, painting an unflattering picture that, although accurate, was a major jerk move. 

* How adorable is Alden kissing Maine? He always closes his eyes as if savoring the moment, and his lips pucker up, his hands gently cradling Maine. It makes one feel fuzzy inside.

* Benjie's distracting cuteness screen cap gallery 

In conclusion

Maine brought her A-game in this episode. She wasn’t “acting;” that’s exactly how a real person in her situation would cry and act (okay, maybe not as pretty). And clap claps for Ms. Janice de Belen’s performance in this episode. Sally is the kind of mom that you do not mess with.

I’m wishing that this series would be available in a DVD box set, because these daily 30-minute episodes are not only bitin, they are too compact that production and story shortcomings become magnified. Whereas getting to watch a week’s worth of episodes allows the viewer to see the bigger picture and not mind the details.  

This episode is a relevant turning point in the story. Since it would take years for Benjie to chip away at Sinag’s wall, they are presented with the perfect situation to accelerate their relationship. Sinag is now forced to accept Benjie’s company, giving him the opportunity to worm into her heart. There’s something about proximity that leads to attraction. (Hooray for Maichard skinship!)

Sinag’s and Benjie’s paths have finally collided, and now their story is going full throttle. In this episode, we’ll see how Benjie continues with his farce as a blogger (with no camera to document his travels) and irritate Sinag to death with his breeziness. And we get to see the beauty of Pelangi as Sinag is forced to tour Benjie around.

Recap

Benjie is invited to join the Obispos for dinner, and he wastes no time in complimenting the chef. (I can hear Alden saying, “Kaya ang taba lagi sa screen eh.”) The Obispos gang up on Sinag, taking Benjie’s side.

He sneakily inserts the topic of selling their land to the real estate investors from Manila (which he “heard” from random townsfolk), and Sinag goes on a passionate rant against the Rosaleses.

Nanay Sally asks Sinag to tor Benjie around Pelangi, to show him the beautiful sights she is so passionate about, and to make up for his almost death on the hanging bridge. Sinag has no choice but to comply.

Back at Benjie’s home, Mommy Amanda is eating alone, missing her son. Benjie calls her like he said he would but the signal is bad so they could not talk for long.

Sinag approaches Benjie to apologize for what happened earlier, adding that her father told her to. He accepts her apology and he offers a handshake so they can be “friends.”  (insert the OST as their hand shake lasts longer than it should)

Tatay Teddy shows up to break the handshake. He offers to escort him back to the hotel where he is checked in, and Nanay Sally tells Sinag to come up to their house.

Mommy Amanda spends time in her son’s room, and finds Destiny’s Promise. (We don't know why this is relevant, but the production team won't put so much effort on this scene if it is not important, right?)

Back at Bahay Osbispo, Sinag finds sleep elusive and Tala asks if she is thinking about Kuya Benjie. Of course, Sinag denies it to death, telling her that they cannot be sure if Benjie is genuinely a nice guy. “But what if what he said was true, that it’s destiny that brought him to you?” Tala asks. Sinag answers her sister, “Destiny is not real. Go back to sleep.”

In Bahay Pag-ibig, Benjie shares to Jason his plan on how to get the Obispos to sell their land: destiny. “But you don’t even believe in destiny. You once said that girls are just a distraction for you to reach your dreams.” Jason points out. “But what if destiny is the way for me to fulfill my dreams?” (I really hope tadhana kicks you where it hurts the most, for taking advantage of innocent people.)

The next morning, Tala shakes her big sister awake for a surprise.  After much effort, Sinag dragged out of bed (literally). (From sweet dreams to rude awakenings)

Downstairs, Benjie is seated at the table with the rest of the family. Sleepyhead Sinag (Hustisya naman sa lahat ng di ganyan kagorgeous pag bagong gising) is jolted awake when she realizes that Benjie is seated at their breakfast table, looking like he just stepped out of a magazine. (Cliché but so true). 

Apparently, Benjie bought a small bakery to bring the Obispos breakfast. Although Tatay Teddy tries to not be impressed by the young bedimpled boy, Nanay Sally informs them that he also had the radio antenna repaired. (Di ka na-orient Tatay Teddy?) 

Although Lolo Elvis and Lola Delia are beside themselves with joy that the can broadcast once again, Sinag remains skeptical and asks Benjie where he got the money. He makes up a story about writing about their radio station’s broken antenna, and his readers sending him money. The story could have been plausible, if only they didn’t just meet last night. No matter how popular his "blog" might be, crowd sourcing for funds and withdrawing it would take way way longer than overnight. Sinag has no choice but to thank him for his help, but insists that she would pay him back.

As he waited for Sinag to get changed so she can give him a tour around town, Benjie receives a call from Don Vicente, who sent him the money for the repair of the antenna. He warns Benjie that he better succeed with whatever his plan was because he hated wasting money. (It's like destiny's sleight of hand that the company that rejected Sinag is the same company that provided the funds that to repair the radio antenna.)

While he was on the phone (which surprisingly was not as choppy as last night’s call with his mom), Nanay Sally and Tatay Teddy talk about Benjie and Sally’s warm impression towards the boy. Teddy still has reservations about the newcomer but Sally is convinced that destiny brought him to their lives.

Badong confronts Benjie, and gives him a warning about making Sinag cry. Benjie is unaffected by his threats. Sinag interrupts them to drag Benjie to go sightseeing. Badong looks like a puppy abandoned by its master as he asks Nanay Sally where Sinag was going with Benjie. He could only watch them as they walk further away.

Back at Rosales Development, Catalina talks to her dad about Benjie, who did not tell him why he needed the money. I can’t believe Don Vicente would send him money without a well-drafted proposal on where his money is going. That’s insane, given how calculating Don Vicente’s character is written. Catalina makes such valid points, I want to hug her. Don Vicente goes all soft on Benjie, saying that they should give him the benefit of the doubt. Ugh. I’m with Catalina on this one. 

Back in Pelangi, Sinag attempts to hide from Ninay and Arman, who have yet to meet Benjie. But when her best friends see her, she forces Benjie to crouch and hide behind her umbrella. When they ask her what she was doing alone in the field, she tells them that she was taking a piss (I swear, I am not making this up).

Her best friends finally meet Benjie, and Ninay gushes at his resemblance to Sally’s portrait.

Before Sinag could drag Benjie away from his friends, Ninay asks her how her soulmate transformed into a real person.

Sinag tells Benjie that he should stay away from Ninay because she was crazy and was once bitten by a rabid dog. Arman complains to his grilfriend for not telling him that she was bitten by a dog.

Back in Manila, Amanda is dragged by her friend to ride the “healthy living” business band wagon. Unbeknownst to her, she was heading to the Rosales Development company building. And to make matters worse, she bumps into Don Vicente outside his building. As expected, hurtful words are exchanged. He still blames Amanda for "stealing" Gabriel from them and causing his untimely death. (Wow, Don Vicente, ang tagal mong di maka-move on.)

 

Benjie and Sinag are in the middle of a forest trail. Sinag tries to scare the city boy by telling him that snakes were common in the area, cobras and vipers included. Although he tries to put on a brave front, he is reduced to a scaredy (albeit breezy) cat when he hears hissing sounds. Sinag berates him for being jumpy, adding that he will not survive in the province if he is easily scared. “You’re afraid of heights, you’re afraid of snakes. Don’t tell me you’re also afraid of me?”

Taking that as a challenge, Benjie leans in closer to Sinag, making the girl back away. (Somebody give these two another toothpaste commercial!)  

Random thoughts

* Jusmiyo! Alden’s dimple is so distracting!

* Oh hello Yago from Carmela! 

* Awww…Both Sinag and Benjie don’t believe in Destiny. I can’t wait for Tadhana to kick them both in the hiney.

* Nakakaloka that there are too many pa-pogi shots of Benjie scattered throughout this episode. Alright, we get it Direk. Benjie is cute and super pogi. It’s like watching a BTS shoot from one of Alden’s print shoots.

* How to tell that Benjie is a Manila boy? He keeps speaking in English in the middle of a Tagaog conversation. (which is kinda irritating)

* If Mr Gardo versoza played a character of a “sculpture-naging-tao,” Alden plays a character that is a “painting naging tao”

* Jusmiyo. Keharot ng dalawang magbibis. With or without script, their harot knows no bounds.

* Ugh, no full-body shot of Catalina’s OOTD. But her LWD is slaying!

In conclusion

Alden as Benjie is adorable. It’s so exciting to see him play a despicable character, which you can’t fully hate because he’s too damn cute. So far, Benjie has yet to show any desirable trait that would make Sinag fall for him. Their kulitan scenes are so natural, because that how they really are offcam. Excited for the next episodes!

 Last episode introduced us to the “kontrabidas” in Benjie’s life, people who would create hurdles for our male lead to overcome. In this episode, we will get to know (and hate) the kontrabidas in Sinag’s life, and the whole town of Pelangi. Namely, the corrupt mayor of the town and his spoiled rotten daughter. And we’ll find out how Benjie ends up in Pelangi.

Recap

I’ll try to make my recaps more concise and less detailed. *sigh* I'm relying on episode snippets uploaded by the official youtube channel of GMA Network. Excuse the sloppy screen caps.

Benjie complains to bestfriend Jason in the pantry on their less-than-ideal first day of work. Instead of doing work as architects, they are reduced to being errand boys. Ends up going on a coffee run. But he does get a glimpse of the proposed Pelangi project and he realizes that he could probably come up with a better design.

Back in Pelangi, Ninay gushes over the painting while the guys refuse to acknowledge the so-called soulmate’s attractiveness. Mang Elvis interrupts the squad’s conversation to inform Sinag that the town’s mayor is calling for a meeting the next day and wanted to use the radio to make an announcement. Quick thinking Sinag suggests that since their antenna is still broken, they can resort to the “umalokohan” (town crier) to spread the news to the whole town.

After Catalina and team’s presentation for the Project Pelangi, Don Vicente rejects the proposal, citing that the design was uncreative and run-off-a-mill. So despite his initial approval of Catalina’s design, he tells the team to come up with newer ideas to impress the investors. When he asks if anyone in the room has a fresh idea in mind, Benjie stand up to show him his design sketches in his handy-dandy notebook. Don Vicente is impressed and orders the team to re-do their proposal and use Benjie’s designs. Of course, this infuriates Tita Catalina, the principal architect.

And that is how Benjie ends up being involved in Pelangi, making him one long drive closer to his soulmate.

We finally meet the Mayor of Pelangi (and his spoiled daughter, who for some reason choses to stand behind his dad when she could sit somewhere out of sight. She makes no effort to show she’s bored, one wonders why she even came with her dad’s as he does his official duties as an elected official. She’s not even dressed appropriately. GAHHH!) The mayor Escobar wanted to inform the citizens of Pelangi that a big company (the Rosales Development) intends to buy off their lands and properties to turn their town into the next Tagaytay. They’ll get 5 M php for their land, he says. That’s a great deal since that is higher than the market value of their land, he says.

Mang Elvis asks, “what if we chose not to sell our land?” Our good mayor answers, “Most of you don’t pay property taxes every year. Some of you don’t hold real land titles to your properties. So if I were you, I’d sell.” WOW. The meeting adjourns with most of the citizens pissed off, some confused.

Back in Rosales Development, Benjie takes the helm of the Pelangi project. More high falutin technical terms to make it seem that they’re neck deep into planning. Jason gets Benjie to agree to treat the team to burgers while Catalina and Elton watch from afar, incensed at the newbie. Catalina reveals how hard she had to work to take her older brother’s place in the company when he left. She’d be damned if she lets his son take her place.

At Bahay Obispo, Sally and Teddy tell the kids about what was brought up in the meeting the other day. Nanay Sally asks, “What if we just sell our property so that our money woes would be solved?” Sinag immediately protests and points out that 5M is not enough to live in Manila. She further points out that no matter how appealing Manila is, nothing could beat the natural beauty of their town. “And what about the radio station?” The whole family agrees that they are not selling their property.

At Rosales Development, Don Vicente receives news that some residents in Pelangi don’t want to sell. “That can’t happen, dad. That’s where we’ll build the mall, hotels and theme park.” (I find it so ironic that they are uprooting people from their homes to build temporary residence for outsiders.) Catalina schemes to send Benjie to Pelangi to get him off her back. “So that someone on our end could help in the negotiations.” Suddenly Benjie is considered as “one of the family.” Nice, Catalina. Nice.

At a market in Pelangi, Sinag and friends discuss the pros and cons of the Rosales Developments plans. Marjorie, the mayor’s daughter, butts in (because she thinks she’s entitled to do so) and basically just insults Sinag, Bahay Obispo and the whole town for being “cheap.” (It’s like her character is written to just be a source of irritation.  I mean what is she even doing in the local marketplace in a night-club outfit, alone without her bodyguard and yaya posse? My gahd!)

Don Vicente informs Benjie of his assignment in Pelangi. Gone is the cold and intimidating Don he met during his job interview. “I believe that you are a very talented architect. And you can contribute a lot to this project.”(Watch Benjie’s eyes glisten with happiness).  

Trust Catalina to be the wet blanket to snuff Benjie’s fire. After giving him a veiled threat, spiced with subtle put downs and a perfectly drawn raised eyebrow, she leaves Benjie speechless. (His eyes though).

Back at Bahay Obispo, Nanay Sally is fuming mad upon learning what happened between her beloved daughter and the mayor’s daughter. A similar scene is happening at the mayor’s house, where Marjorie is throwing a hissy fit over Sinag. Her father placates her (to stop her tantrum cuz her shrill voice is sooo irritating, imho) telling her that when the plans with the Rosaleses pushes through, their town will soon be the new playground of the “rich and famous.” It’s clear that the mayor doesn’t care about his constituents. This deal with the Rosaleses is mainly to fill up his pockets.

Sinag and family plan to convince their neighbors not to sell their land to protect Pelangi. Tala suggests making a painting showing the beauty of their town, Sol adds that their town’s situation should become viral in social media, while Sinag proposes that they organize a protest rally. Oh here’s an ultimate despicable bad guy move: Lolo Elvis and Lola Delia are forced out of their homes in the middle of the freakin night by the mayor’s men because they cannot show them the title to their property. Heartless monsters.

Benjie catches his mom smoking (I swear my heart twitched because RFJ’s mom used to be a heavy smoker) and tries to allay her fears because of his out of town assignment. With an affectionate son like that, how can you stay mad and matampuhin? (Trivia: this is one of the first scenes A shot for DTBY. This was shot last year, a few days before the new year.)

Benjie gets his bestfriend Jason to come with him to Pelangi. On the way to the town proper, Benjie gets a feeling of déjà vu, remembering that he had been to this town when he was younger, meeting a young girl in a bright yellow dress.

Preview to the next episode:

( Read more... )

Random thoughts:

* I find it funny when they use highfalutin words that don’t actually mean anything when they show scenes that involve highly technical presentations.

* I totally get Catalina’s ire with Benjie. He’s such a cheeky little smart aleck. I’m with Catalina on this one.

* There’s a stark difference between Sinag and Benjie’s stuggles in this episode. While Sinag is fighting for the whole town’s environmental treasures, Benjie is fighting to get his grandfather’s acceptance and be acknowledged as an architect. Different scope but have the same gravity. Too bad that in order for Benjie to overcome his struggles, he would have to exacerbate Sinag’s problems.

* It is just mindblowing how the mayor is painted as someone so all-powerful, as if there is no provincial council or even a vice mayor to provide a check-and-balance or to at least consult with before doing a major move, like selling the land where his constituents live and thrive. I mean, hello! Before even signing with a big company, he should’ve consulted with the people first. What ended up happening is instead of consulting, the people were just merely informed that a big company from Manila is offering to buy them their land. (According to Catalina in an earlier scene, her team has already spent millions in “getting to know the site” without even securing the express consent of the constituents of the land who live in the areas they plan to build on) It’s insane but sadly, that does happen in most provinces in the Philippines. Instead of a government for and by the people, we have overlords who see their public office as an avenue to get rich. This is the kind of underhanded move that activists in UP go out to the streets for.  

* It’s heartbreaking how real the simple thinking of some citizens of Pelangi are. So short-sighted. “I’ll think about it when the money runs out.” What’s even more heartbreaking is that greedy capitalists and politicians take advantage of them, without them even being aware of it.   

* Catalina’s fashion ootds for episode 4. Still slaying. Show them who wears the pants girl!

* Are these big real estate companies really this egocentric? How can they make plans and grand designs over a large land mass inhabited by a community, without even consulting them? They want to bulldoze over properties without even considering the culture, the history, the rich natural environment of the land. It’s so infuriating.   

* Another infuriating element of this episode was how distasteful Marjorie’s character is. It’s not because she is written to be Sinag’s rival and to attempt to seduce Benjie, but because she is so unapologetically self-centered and self-entitled. “Why can’t you just make them leave? Aren’t you the mayor?” She complains to her dad. This statement is so wrong on so many levels, I cannot even begin to dissect it because my head hurts. (Another headache inducing statement: “Of all the places you can be mayor, why this place? Why can’t it be in Metro Manila?” MYGAHD!!! What does she think of public office, a typical corporate job? I’m so tempted to take the sayote from Sinag’s hand and stuff it in her empty head.) Again, what’s even more frustrating is that some (most) corrupt government officials have sons and daughters who think and act the same.

In conclusion

( ranting from me. you can choose to skip this )

Maine is such a natural in tarayan scenes, I pity anyone who would dare cross her in real life. And Alden was a treat to watch how he portrayed Benjie’s different emotions in this episode: when he was downplaying his success when Jason praised him for being chosen to design for the Pelangi Project, when he was trying to hold himself back when his estranged grandfather acknowledged his design in front of the whole senior architects of the company, and again when his grandfather gave him his assignment in Pelangi as an architect, and when he wordlessly took in Catalina’s putdowns. Speaking of Catalina, Ina Feleo is brilliant as usual. I can’t wait to see her make Benjie’s life more challenging (cause Benjie’s character is too arrogant and thinks highly of himself. He needs people like Catalina and Elton to put him down a notch.) 

THEY'RE FINALLY GONNA MEEEEETTTT IN THE NEXT EPISODE!!!

 DTBYPilot is done, now we have DTBYArchitectBenjie. In this second episode, we find out more about Benjie and how complicated he is. He is more than the confident and affectionate young man we saw in yesterday’s episode. If the pilot episode mostly focused on Sinag and her family, this episode now shifts to Benjie.

Recap (with screen caps galore)

After the usual look back on the previous episode’s highlights, the episode picks up from yesterday’s last scene, with Benjie discovering “destiny’s promise.” But the piece is too expensive for the young architect, so nope. The symbolic hands will not end up with Benjie…yet. Turns out that Benjie is leaving the art gallery in search of a new job in a firm. His oath taking ceremony is taking place that day. But Nana Puring assures him that she will always welcome him back should he need it. More cuddles for Ms Nova Villa (how to be you po?) Before Nana Puring leaves, she tells Benjie to take “destiny’s promise,” saying he can pay for it when he gets the money. So different from the haggling art dealer Sinag and her family faced in the previous episode.

Shift scene to the oathtaking and induction ceremony for architects, where Benjie is seen on stage as part of the top 10 board passers. (Alden in a barong: board passer or Governor of Laguna?)

The excited Benjie turns into a young boy as he hugs his mom. He dedicates his accomplishment to his mom, and they share a tight celebratory hug.

In Pelangi, Tatay Teddy and Nanay Sally talk about the kids and Teddy once again apologizes for his inability to give her and their family a “magandang buhay.” Sally reassures him that when she chose him, she knew that rough times were ahead but she believed in him and continues to do so, that he’ll overcome this setback. She promises to support him, in good times and bad. Sinag overhears their sweet conversation.

Back in Manila, mother and son head to a columbarium where Benjie proudly shows his dad his professional license ID as an architect. As Benjie talks to his dad, the feels come in waves, and our heart goes out to this boy who wishes his dad was still there to celebrate his accomplishments. That subtle break in his voice, his eyes glistening and sober despite his effort to smile, the poor attempt to joke to keep things light: Alden Richards is a master to scenes like these because he has this deep well of experiences from which he pulls from to get the mood.

Benjie then brings out the pocket watch shown in the opening scene in the pilot. Apparently, it’s a lucky charm he got from his dad before he passed away, a watch that originally belonged to his grandfather. As the flashback of that moment is shown, we find out why Benjie wanted to be an architect.  

Back in Pelangi, Sinag is alone in the radio booth at night. She talks to her deceased grandfather and asks him is she really looking for the one destined for her, despite her cynical and bitter views on destiny? After seeing her mom and dad, she wonders if she could do the same, to stand by her man no matter what.

Back in manila, Benjie meets Jason at a bar where we first encounter “playboy Benjie” who picks up pretty girls only to cut off communication after a while. Some people in twitter point out that Benjie was more of a serial dater than a play boy. I would agree but then again, I’ve never encountered either one so I wouldn’t know the difference. He immediately scouts the place for a lady to approach only to get the surprise when he finds out that his target was the bestfriend of his last fling. He gets slapped (twice!) but still remains charming, like he’s an innocent boy-next-door.

Benjie makes fun of Jason being mushy with his girlfriend on the phone while Jason calls him out for having no steady girlfriend. He proudly says he doesn’t need a girlfriend (described by Jason as someone who’ll be his date in important life occasions, who’ll worry about him if he stays out late, who’ll take care of him) because he has his mother for all that. “Who’s the corny one now?” Jason asks the mama’s boy.

Next scene, we’re back in Pelangi. In the middle of Sinag and squad’s radio drama (complete with manual sound effects c/o Arman), the radio’s antenna breaks and the broadcast signal is cut off. Sinag is forced to search for company sponsors to finance the repair of the antenna…in Manila.

Benjie butters up to his mom (by praising her cooking, giving her a massage, telling her how hard it was to send out resumes, being soooo cute) to make her more accepting of the fact that he applied for a job Rosales Development. Of course it doesn’t work. Turns out that the Rosaleses that own that company is his father’s family, who disowned him when he chose to be with his mother. “I don’t know why you keep forcing yourself on people who don’t even want you!” You could just imagine how much worse the patriarch treated Amanda and Benjie when his father died in the accident (which is revealed in Amanda’s tearful flashback). We now understand why Amanda is so afraid for Benjie to cross paths with the Rosaleses: Don Vicente threatened to take Benjie away from her.

That scene where Amanda and Benjie are forced to peek around the corner during the funeral is so heart breaking. This is just cruel. To have your right to grieve taken away from you.

Young Benjie thus promises to his dad on his grave that he will always love and take care of her mother.

While Benjie’s mom is crying alone in the dark after rejecting her son’s dream of meeting his father’s family, Sinag’s mom, along with the rest of the family, discusses Sinag’s plan of going to Manila to seek sponsorship for the radio station.  Although Sally is reluctant to let Sinag head to Manila, she concedes when the rest of the family votes against her.  

The next day, Amanda gets an unexpected visitor: Donya Helen, Benjie’s kind and accepting grandmother. Total opposite of her husband. She knows that Benjie sent his resume and portfolio to their company and wants to convince Amanda to let Benjie pursue his dream. I like that neither Amanda nor Donya Helen sat down when they had the heart to heart talk. It further highlights how uncomfortable the conversation was to both parties.

Back in Pelangi, Sinag attempts to book an appointment with a company over the phone. Hilarity ensues.

While Sinag gets rejected in each call, Benjie receives an interview appointment from Rosales Devt. But he decides to take a rain check for the sake of his mom.

Sinag and squad are ready to head to Manila!   

Preview to the next episode:

( Read more... )

Random thoughts

* Alden proves yet again why his forte is drama. Effortless and effective. And nakakadala. You get swept away in his emotions.

* This scene where Benjie kissed his mother’s head. We almost missed such a precious moment. Thank God for YT uploads and screenshots.

* I’ve no experience with dating or flings so I cannot judge Benjie, but it’s kinda difficult for me to understand how a mama’s boy could treat women so casually, not minding if he hurts them emotionally. One of my twitter guy friends share that his playboy ways are just a façade to keep himself from getting hurt. Another twitter friends adds that he may be afraid to invest his emotions on a girl who might end up leaving him, like what happened to his mom when his dad suddenly died. They make so much sense.

* A moment of silence for all the ovaries that exploded when Benjie winked (09:30)

* I don’t get what’s appealing about guys running their hands through their overly-styled-with-hair-wax hair. It only works with Alden because biceps.

* Sorry, but I just have to get this off my chest: ang tambok ng pwet ni A.

* I sincerely hope that Benjie did not tell that girl “I think I like her” just to get into her pants only to lead her along then set her aside after he got what he wanted. Cuz that would make him scum. Unforgiveable scum. And I’d totally be against him being involved in Sinag’s life in anyway. Baka may STD pa siya no.  

* I’ve been screencapping Alden and Maine and I find it unfair that they don’t have any bad angles. Even awkward facial contortions look adorable.

* when you think about how much Sinag’s parents are struggling to make ends meet, and how costly running a radio station is, you wonder how they managed to keep it running after all these years without regular sponsorship. Don’t they have radio advertisements? Companies dealing with livestock feed and agricultural fertilizers I think would pay big money to tap into Radyo Pelangi’s loyal subscribers.

* When Badong volunteered to drive Sinag and friends to Manila, Sinag raises her eyebrows. “Drive us? Using your tricycle?” [of course, the line is in Filipino] I loved how natural Meng was in here. That’s exactly how real people react when they hear something preposterous.  

* Benjie in house clothes is so hot for some reason. I guess it’s because we’re so used to see A so glammed up, it’s a breath of fresh air to see him soooo…normal.

* That’s right mommy Amanda. Avoid Benjie’s puppy dog eyes or else all your resolve will melt away.

* A father (Vicente) is blaming an innocent person (Amanda) for his son’s accidental death. (The actor who played Benjie’s dad is named Matthew Mendoza). Someone is unfairly blamed for Matthew’s death. Is this in reference to God Gave Me You (Alden and Maine’s first drama presentation)?

* Young Catalina’s style has always been on point even when she was a teen. Slay gurl. (Of course, she’s played by the young Pirena of Encantadia 2016. Another tyrannical tita with childhood issues of being acknowledged as worthy by her parents).

* Ugh. Don Vicente’s lines are so generic kontra-bida. But

* Would Don Vicente have the legal right to take Benjie away from his mom? Oh right, I forgot. This is a Filipino drama. Money rules the world.

* The age gap between Gabriel and Catalina are huge. Is Catalina really his sister? Is that the source of her insecurities?

* Deym. This is exactly what Pirena looked like when she “comforted” her mom when she had to send Amihan away. So creepy. (Gurl your brother just died. And your parents are all emotional. What's with the RBF?)

 

* In fairness to Tatay Teddy. Despite his accident on the way to Manila that resulted in the injury of his arms, he did not develop a travel-related trauma. You’d think that he’d be the one against his daughter’s plan to take the same road he took when he got into an accident.

* I really like how they like to contrast how different Sinag’s family is to Benjjie’s. From the color of their clothes, to the background/set, the body language.

In conclusion…

(I am in the state of kilig-induced shock because I was writing this after Maine and Alden’s epic #DTBYLiveChat. All processes that require higher levels of thinking are hereby suspended until further notice.)