A swindling act becomes fate’s poetic way of bringing two young lovers together in this charming rom-com series that serves as KathNiel’s reunion to primetime television.
ABS-CBN Entertainment | RGE Drama Unit
Actors: Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Ronaldo Valdez, Gloria Diaz, Irma Adlawan, Gellid de Belen, Romnick Sarmenta, Cris Vaillanueva, Earl Ignacio, Smokey Manoloto, Bianca de Vera, Pamu Pamurada, Matt Evans, Gillian Vicencio, Yves Flores, Alyssa Mulach, Mary Joy Apostol, Hyubs Azarcon, Via Antonio
Genre: Romcom, Drama
Premise: Being the key to putting a name to a faceless trickster, a young woman comes forward to help solve a sensational case. Whilst identifying a wanted man through his scent alone seems impossible, destiny has its own way of bringing the two together. (iWantTFC)
Running Time: 35 minutes
Director: Mae Cruz-Alviar
Watch it on: TV5, A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, Netflix, iWantTFC
Why You Should See It:
Serendipity—that magical moment when you stumble upon something or someone good, by chance—has always been one of the most fascinating plot lines in movies and TV shows.
It has endeared millions of hopeless romantics and destiny-believers, alike. It continues to do so, even after it has been practically retold a thousand times. It is that magical feeling that somewhat gets us convinced it truly does happen in real life; we fall in love during the weirdest of circumstances, and we dive into that feeling, amid that sense of being schemed by fate, itself.
By the time 2 Good 2 Be True hits the local television, thousands of eager fans have long been sent to cloud nine. The series makes its historic debut on the streaming mammoth, Netflix, 72 hours ahead of its TV5 and A2Z airing. Like La Luna Sangre (2017), the reel-to-real couple’s previous TV series, KathNiel’s comeback drama cruises around and delves into the mysteries of fated romance. The lighthearted and breezy tones of 2 Good 2 Be True, however, makes it an even more inviting spectacle.
The heartwarming romcom, helmed by Crazy Beautiful You (2015) director, Mae Cruz-Alviar, has hardworking nurse Ali (Bernardo) and aspiring lawyer-slash-con-artist, Eloy (Padilla), as Cupid’s subjects. To a sucker for romcoms, these two characters are as familiar as any lovable pair in a romance story; but that familiarity itself may be the biggest reason why they are easy to root for.
We learn from the first three episodes that Ali has been working extremely hard to provide for her family and fulfill her dream of being a doctor. A part of such an effort involves accepting extra work, that involves providing care and assistance to the elderly, beyond office hours. One of her clients is a certain diabetic called ‘Lolo Bart’, who enlists her help one day, to watch over his condition while meeting a prospective client.
It is during that meeting that she crosses paths with Eloy (Padilla), a handsome, aspiring lawyer, who may be as mesmerizing as no other trickster has ever looked alike.
Eloy and his team work as swindlers; their clients—are members of the working classes or the poor, who have been aggravated by the wealthy and the elites. Their mission leads them to the luxury hotel where Ali and Lolo Bart are meeting a potential business partner. It is also where Eloy and his team are meeting their target, a wealthy business mogul played by Jenny Miller, who denied the man she hit by her car of proper monetary compensation.
In their first encounter, Eloy very well left a lasting impression on Ali, as evident by the many times she sneezed due to Eloy’s revolting perfume. That scent will what makes her convinced she is in a perfect position as a woman in need when news about an apparent theft at the hotel broke out. But will it also be the one to lead her to his arms? The stars seem aligned to make that a reality.
Bernardo has already been long identified as one of the most skilled actresses of her generation, although in charming roles. While she already has her share of pulling off singular dramatic performances, it feels necessary this time for her to return to playing easy-to-root-for heroines.
As Ali, the movie queen who has recently been given the ‘Asia’s Superstar’ title, reminds audiences of her brilliance and versatility, even though the character never truly presents high-strung qualities—at least not yet. It is those small but easily recognizable nuances that she employs to Ali—who may be as a template as any rom-com teleserye protagonist can be—that allow the audience to catch glimpses of her unquestionable talent.
Already a jury-prize winner, Padilla may not be able to exercise his immersive and powerful dramatic chops in this breezy rom-com. That said, he is certainly as astute as his real-life sweetheart, in turning the simplicity and familiarity of his Eloy, to his utmost advantage. He is charming, cunning, and vulnerable, at the same time, which makes the character an even more intriguing spectacle than the already absorbing environment it operates.
2 Good 2 Be True seems to be about the rare clash between fate and those who try to be the masters of destiny. Here we have Ali and Eloy, who are equally independent people, who strive to carve their path in life but found each other’s arms through fate’s manipulative design.
While it appears to be merely a blithesome incarnation of what is previously loved, it is that one classic romantic tale that audiences will be more than willing to witness over and over again. They see it from miles away, and yet there is this uncontrollable excitement that prevents them from giving up in waiting. It is a big ball of sugary fire that audiences won’t mind getting pounded by, and it won’t be surprising if they even race towards it to get hit.
2 Good 2 Be True can be streamed in advance on Netflix and iWantTFC. Catch new episodes on free TV from Mondays to Fridays, after TV Patrol (A2Z and Kapamilya Channel) and after Sing Galing (TV5). Watch the official full trailer below:
