Review written by: Angeladik
Episode 39 is the exciting aftermath of episode 38. They complete episode 38’s action scenes with Lia on the run chased by Albert but not after subduing his henchmen. That was way short if you ask me Nicks but nevertheless a well executed and a visual threat to see Angel Locsin do her action moves. And it’s a big added attraction that they make her look chic for this one fight scene in above the knees skirt and heels and the blue blouse more for office wear was also nice for that fight scene. Now that’s what I meant by wearing something that looks nice on Angel. But of course, it’s the moves and the look that complete the package and why Angel’s the real deal action heroine.
Lia’s little “bugging” device gets discovered so Lucille orders Albert to arrest Lia. Since she was able to avoid getting caught by Albert, the plan’s to get Mateo which Lia hears about and so as she usually does, looks for Mateo to warn him. We know Mateo just called the wedding off so thinking they’ll be after Lia as was the threat, tells Lia they need to be together to run away from their captors.
Meanwhile everyone’s anxious and tense not only Mateo and Lia, Abraham and family were immediately informed by Lia.
Abraham approves Lia to be with Mateo first who has unfortunately chosen Dara’s neighbor friends’ relatives place in the province as hideaway.
Unfortunate because everyone knows already about Dara’s neighborhood, Simon, Clarisse and Sam have all been there. That’s exactly what happens for the teaser as Sam uses her hypnotic abilities to make Dara tell her Mateo’s whereabouts although we don’t see Sam yet in the teasers getting there. In the meantime at home with the Zaragozas, mother and daughter engage in another altercation.
Nina Dolino a revelation as Clarisse. Some scene every time Clarisse is around, it’s always a high strung show but yeah this local actress is always in control. Really Nicks, do you remember a local actress who does this high strung drama this way but still come out not OA? I dunno Clarisse is OA right? but Nina is actually smooth and it’s just the right level there. [were you referring to my comment at epi36? …i was referring to Nina’s good control of voice, not all out high pitch loud which i prefer actually -nicky]
I think Nina is really a revelation in her role as Clarisse, she’s all over the place when she does this caricaturish role . Really I can’t recall a local actress who can do this high strung acting with no OA tendencies. Would you remember a local actress doing it just the right way at this high strung level? Maybe I’ve not watched enough local movies/ TV dramas but when we know she’s still new doing what she’s made to do in an otherwise repressed characterization of roles by a lot of the characters of Imortal.
We know eventually Mateo, Lia and Sam were assigned roles where somehow they have been repressed. Mateo and Sam are still discovering emotions and Lia’s character has been under scrutiny since her mom died. She needs to suppress and not show a lot of herself to others particularly the present Waya hierarchy responsible for her present belittling position among the Wayas.
It’s this contrasting roles which defines more why Clarisse role is free to be as open as and as uninhibited unlike the repressed characters of the other threesome main actors of Imortal. In a way, Nina is tasked to spice up Imortal. While we have ‘kilig’ romantic scenes from Mateo and Lia, we notice also being suppressed like now.
More spice. I think it will help spice up Imortal more if the other main characters’ roles get as spiced up too. Otherwise, writers, unknowingly you are leaving all the spice to the character Clarisse. She owns the meaty role here it seems because the writers are all out with her, no holding back, which cannot be said of our other main characters.
The good thing though is Nina D. is really delivering. You cannot help notice her because her character always has scenes where there’s no avoiding her to be noticed and indeed she does and if the writers keep up with this she might as well steal the show from the entire cast, ‘afraid to say it.
I mean John Lloyd Cruz, Angel and some of the supports are doing well in their roles but when you have a well written role like this one who attracts attention and the actor doing it is delivering really well then that’s the effect you get especially if you’re just an interested viewer and not exactly a fan.
Pay attention to right pacing. Imortal’s plot is moving alright and in this episode they’ve actually done enough to increase the suspense and tension with that nice running action scene from Angel but writers have to play close attention now to the pacing they are achieving.
They kinda slow down when Mateo and Lia are all alone in the room and Lia’s still in a foul mood. Then there’s the scenes at Lia’s home with family and visitor Lucas. Okay, let’s just say not every character has to be written in hi-fi. But when it’s always ‘bitin’ which you can say is, we’re not getting the flow momentum we want then. It’s like the hot water writers are using to avoid dosing off especially with all the commercials in between.
We need scenes that are constantly moving the story and not scenes where okay, we just want to kill the TV air time. Like the Lia on the run was actually nice and we find her talking to “family” using her cell phone riding a taxi to meet up with Mateo, chase scenes sure add momentum and suspense.
Pacing writers, when the tension build up is created, keep the momentum going.
Next episode. The last scenes we have, the one inside the room with Mateo and Lia and then teasers. The little girl daughter of the owner of the house apparently saw a lobo around and points at Lia. We don’t know what’s it about but trying to imply something. And then on the run is Sam in that Ninja inspired getup being chased by Albert and henchmen.
Thoughts. Let’s see how the plot moves because we know Lia knows there’s something wrong with the Wayas and why she’s being arrested and they’re using Mateo to get her. Of course what Mateo believes in is just about him needing to marry Clarisse to protect Lia from harm.
In the meantime, the stage is set not only for a Lia-Lucille Waya faction battle as well as Sam and surely Clarisse also are after Lia’s head. While Mateo believes Lia’s capture has only got to do with the wedding being called off and clueless yet about the other real reason why all of them are after Lia.
There are a lot of reasons why this can be explosive. We just need the right mix so it’s up to the writers. Are we sticking with our comfort zone that has become of Clarisse or are we moving on and using well planned pacing to move the story plots which for now seems not much.
Just to establish conflict, I don’t think we really need to make Lia always in that foul mood over Mateo. Of course we understand why but the story plots have also to make an effort to make things build up more interest. So moving on I think is a better idea unless they have a good battle coming up of Mateo and Lia. Then let’s see what the writers have in store.
It better be than the Mateo-Lia romance angle because viewers want to be entertained, prolonging scenes viewers don’t usually like is not the way to go. Writers have to be reminded this is entertainment.
Okay, let’s see what’s next. Both Mateo and Lia are in danger but also it seems Mateo might just find out about Lia being a taong lobo and where will that lead to? If somehow because their story plot now has to be everyone in conflict.
I mean writers we know you want viewers so definitely you can’t just rely on caricaturish emotes from Clarisse all the time and please if Clarisse can be amusing, to watch, the other supposedly main character here Rico Blanco is not achieving the same viewer pleasure so kindly be reminded less of him will do viewing pleasure a big favor. You people just showed Simon in the teaser getting an attack with Lucas around, ‘cmon we don’t need Lucas drama here so viewers wont get the Mateo-Lia developments right away.
Stalling is so off and a bad idea. Writers need to establish momentum and know when to fast pace and slow pace. When Mateo and Lia are so ‘kilig’ then I guess give it to the fans to slow the pace otherwise quarrel scenes between Mateo and Lia, ‘cmon I don’t particularly go for that unless they do some nice nifty action scenes that would be interesting.
Okay, that’s it. Let’s keep Imortal interesting all the time writers.
Loving an ANGEL 