Destined to be yours Episode 22 #DTBYViralHugot
Wednesday, 29 March 2017 11:55![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catatonic_17Recap
Benjie reaches Bahay Obispo only to find its burnt remains. As he freely roams around the house and the radio station, his guilt and remorse piles up. He “speaks” to Sinag in the radio booth and apologizes for the umpteenth time, bearing his heart out in the open.
At Rosales Development, Elton finally gets it that Jason was pulling his leg about Benjie’s whereabouts. I think Elton thinks that it was a suave and “smart” move to appropriate Jason’s words for his “intimidating” line (it wasn’t. He basically gave an adult version of “Isusumbong kita sa nanay ko. Bleh.”).
Back in Pelangi, Benjie rushes to the mayor’s house (because apparently he doesn’t go to the city hall to actually do work) and confronts him about what he did to the Obispos. Of course, he has no evidence but this is a teleserye; the culprit is blatantly obvious. Catalina joins in the fun and not only is Benjie getting another scolding from Don Vicente when he gets back (c/o Catalina), he has to watch the bad guys gloat about their victory. Catalina even goes “Everything is falling into place. It’s like destiny!” (and that is why she is the ultimate kontrabida and she is enough).
As Benjie rushes back to the bus station (in hopes of catching the Obispos maybe?), we find that the bus they are on was only about to leave town. Sinag goes on an internal monologue and we find out that Pelangi is derived from the local term for “rainbow.” Benjie boards a bus to Manila, and he looks around, as if expecting he’d find Sinag and her family there.
The Obispos arrive in Manila and immediately head to Nanag Puring’s art gallery. She’s surprised to find the whole family outside her store’s doorstep and Sinag immediately goes for the kill, appealing to her sympathy. Here is the same woman who took in a young Benjie struggling with his mom. Surely she would help this family of artists, right?
Nope, she gives them a technicality: I can’t shell out money arbitrarily. But the Obispos press on.
Amanda is surprised to see her son come home from Pelangi, and Benjie gives her a forced smile before he heads to his room.
Nana Puring ends up taking them in her home, at least for the night (It won’t be a filipino teleserye dining scene without the glasses of orange juice). She tells Teddy that she liked his “comeback” piece after a 15-year hiatus. She asks them where they will go now, and Sinag gives an honest appeal-to-emotions answer: “We’re still going to look for a place. Maybe we’ll just lay down a sheet on the street or find space under the bridge. I just hope Lolo Elvis and Lola Delia could stand the cold. And then the next day, maybe we can knock on doors to ask for food.” Depressing but realistic. It works and Nana Puring commits to take them in temporarily while they work to get back on their feet. Lolo Elvis’ out of bounds request for dessert is like a cringe-worthy punch line to the scene.
Slumber party in the Nana Puring sala. Tala gripes about Nana Puring being “masungit” and Sinag reminds her that they owe her for her hospitality, no matter how reluctant it was. They get ready for bed.
At the Rosales mansion (which looks as cold and uninviting as the residents in it), Don Vicente complains about Benjie’s ungrateful attitude towards the second chance he was given (which is so true. And it’s ridiculous that Lola Helen keeps on defending her grandson. Newsflash Lola Helen: you don’t have to retain Benjie in the company to “accept” him in the family. Invite her over for dinner or something. Stop glossing over the fact that Benjie is taking this second chance for granted). Lola Helen uses another excuse: Benjie is just going through a rough time. And Catalina speaks up and makes a valid point, while slipping in her own hugot. “Look at me. I’m still unmarried because you are my priority.” Lola Helen keeps appealing for a one last chance, even going so far as saying that she’ll fire Benjie herself if he fails to turn up for work the next day (By this time, Don Vicente should be drawing up a legally binding contract that states should Benjie betray their nth chance yet again, Lola Helen can no longer speak up for him).
Sinag chats with her parents, regretting that they weren’t able to say a proper goodbye to everyone. Her parents check up on her heart and she tells them that she will not waste this new opportunity (which is a stark contrast with what Benjie is doing). They reaffirm to each other that they will work hard together to get past this setback as one united family.
Meanwhile, Benjie is in bed, unable to sleep, playing with clay dough. His mom checks up on him, forms a heart with the red clay and gives him a pep talk. (Okay, first of all, your separation from Gabriel is way way different from Benjie’s heartbreak. His death was an accident. Sinag’s hardship was caused by Benjie and exaggerated by Catalina. Your son is heartless manipulator who just recently grew a heart that can feel. He’s like a couple of steps away from Catalina’s level of scheming. Stop babying him.)
We finally get to hear what’s up with Nana Puring and her cold treatment. Apparently she just feels frustrated that despite the talent and potential of the Obispo couple, they have amounted to nothing (to be fair, they could’ve received world renown if Teddy trip to Manila 15 years ago had been successful instead of ending up in an accident). Her niece gently entreats her aunt to help them out, reminding her that she once was also the recipient of gracious help.
At Rosales Development, Benjie returns to work and reports directly to the boss. And oh look, it just happens that both Catalina and Lola Helen are present to witness his renewed pledge of allegiance (the cartoon angel and devil on Don Vicente’s shoulder. They’re even dressed for the part). Benjie starts with saying that he needed that trip to Pelangi and will not apologize for it bit that now he knows his priorities (He could’ve gone through it professionally but this is a show. There is no drama with an approved leave). And Don Vicente lets him off the hook again. Not even a memo from HR or a salary deduction. Unbelievable.
At Nana Puring’s house, Badong (after a day from his unapproved discharge from the hospital, his wound still fresh) tries to get up on his own, not caring that forcing himself could make his injury worse. Sinag of course comes to the rescue (because that’s the whole point of his injury in the plot, to get Sinag in the same frame he is in as much as possible) and scolds him while giving him a pep talk at the same time. Badong tries to get cheesy with Sinag and moves from the friend zone to the sibling zone. Hurray for progress.
Jason tries to make Benjie feel better by bringing out the destiny card but Benjie tells him that he is not Sinag’s “the one” and another man deserves her. His best friend then says, “I’m sure the one meant for you will also show up,” and lo and behold who shows up: Marjorie (totally ignoring the commonsensical corporate dress code. I mean black-lacy-camisole-in-the-office level of inappropriate). Yes, don’t mess with Catalina.
Marjorie gets orders (like literal coffee run orders) from Catalina and Elton (I bet he’s jealous that someone else has taken over his former stint as Catalina’s personal errand boy assistant). The Escobar girl is giddy as she heads out to complete the errand. Of course this gives Elton the opportunity to talk about Marjorie and whether or not she was qualified for the job. And of course Catalina is unapologetically candid about how lowly she thinks about the girl (“I don’t think she has the brains”).
The talk shifts to Benjie and Elton brings up the high possibility that she will not inherit the Rosales Empire despite being highly qualified, being 200% loyal, being the direct spawn of the owner, and all the years of service she has rendered. All that will be all for naught because for some reason, all-potential, erratic, idealistic Benjie Rosales is here. It’s insane. Even if Catalina is evil and possibly a criminal, Benjie does not deserve to head the company. I don’t even get why she would feel threatened. But then again, this is a teleserye. Logic does not apply in this universe.
Random thoughts
* Am I the only one who finds it ludicrous that a big and suspicious fire occurred in the dead of the night and NO ONE is even investigating? Not even a fence yellow “keep out” ropes for show? Or is that how it is in small towns in provinces? Apparently small provincial towns are small oligarchic kingdoms in the Philippines.
* OH MY GOD!!! WHY DID THEY LEAVE LOLO DORO’S PICTURE IN THE RADIO STATION???
* Call me petty but that scene where Benjie paid the trike driver with air money is so ridiculous.
* If Benjie really really feels remorse over what happened to Sinag and her family, you’d think that he would distance himself from everything that caused this disaster in their life. But no, he is still with Rosales Development, working under Catalina, the main architect of all the bad things that forced the family to throw in the towel. And I swear if you bring up this issue with the fictional Benjie, he’d go “But they’re family. Family is important. I cannot erase the fact that I am a Rosales.” Which would prove that not only is he a jerk, he is also a spineless man with no principles. He has no qualms with accepting a paycheck from the very same people who forced families out of their homes for the sake of making more money. So those tears, the sad soliloquy, that “show” of indignation, that’s all it is: a show. It may be heartfelt but it’s just a water show without action.
* I get it that Benjie will transform as the story progresses, from this sorry excuse for a man to a cliché male lead (well at least that is what I am hoping for) but why do I feel like Sinag is getting the short end of the stick? She is destined to be with this man, and no matter how much this man screwed her over and her family and get away with it, she will still end up with this man. Because destiny is a b****
* Awww…Benjie wants to move on but can’t. Oh boo hoo you big baby. You have the gall to want to move on without even making amends for what you did. He thinks that this heartbreak he is feeling is the “consequence” of his actions. Uh, newsflash, it is not. That is merely the reaction of having a heart and a conscience. The consequence should’ve been you losing your job because not only did you waste time and resources playing Casanova because you thought that that would help you convince a family to sell their land, you also sabotaged the company’s opportunity to obtain the land through a peaceful and justified means. Like what Sinag says, “ang kapal ng mukha mo.”
* Why do I have a feeling that we would be meeting this “Madame Oswalda,” the lady who helped Nana Puring rise up from poverty? Because this is a Filipino Teleserye. All downtrodden leads need a rich person to help turn their situation around and help them plot their revenge of sorts. Whether it’s a rich long lost parent, a random “kind” doctor, a rich eccentric. There has to be a rich sponsor (who is richer than the richest person in the lead’s world).
* I know that Catalina is evil but I am totally sympathizing with her. I bet when she was just starting out, she got chewed out for the smallest mistakes, which is equated to “tarnishing the Rosales name.” And then Benjie comes waltzing in and no matter how much he messes up (he hasn’t even been with the company for half a year), he gets away with it. It’s so unfair.
* I still don’t get why his foot was injured and not his back when the beam from the burning Obispo house fell on his back. Ah, he got it when he fell from the balcony. Because he is not Benjie. The male lead can fall and land on his back from the same height and get away laughing but he gets injured because he is a negligible third wheel who needs a leverage of sorts to get the female lead to notice him. Not even his affection. Just his presence. Baby steps ya’ll.
* Elton orders a nonfat americano, no sugar, no whip and fattening belgian waffles. It’s like an inside joke the writers slip into the scene.
* It is so easy to root for Catalina than to side with Benjie. It’s ridiculous that the past episodes keeps painting him as a victim. He is not. He is a perpetrator and he is still working for the bad guys. Who in their right mind would sympathize with him? *sees Alden in tears* Oh yeah.
In conclusion
After weeks of staying away from social media, I decided to take a peek and come across a plea for ADN to stop complaining about the story and just ride along. It’s like KS all over again. This is why I’ve avoided twitter after DTBY aired. I feel like my cynical view would just add to the hate and discontent, which bashers and naysayers would use against the show and Alden and Maine themselves.
I believe that some fans didn’t leave because KS was going downhill and the story became bleh. They left because they were attacked for feeling that way and expressing their opinion. The nation has become a dictatorship. And I’m afraid it’s happening again.
The plot didn’t live up to the hype, but we’re only just in the first month. We’re merely in the pre-“aggrieved lead metamorphosis” stage. So much more will happen. Every actor and actress (save for one) in the cast are brilliant in each scene. That’s why I am so affected because they are so damn good. I acknowledge all that but you can’t fault me for pointing out plot holes, inconsistencies, and pure ridiculousness when I see them.
I will still love and support DTBY until the last episode but that doesn’t mean I will turn a blind eye when something glaringly ridiculous happens. I’m not Lola Helen you know.
