Monumental by its compelling first two episodes alone, the historic collaboration series between ABS-CBN and GMA soars with sensational beauty and deep sentimentality.
Dreamscape Entertainment
Actors: Jodi Sta.Maria, Joshua Garcia, Richard Yap, Gabbi Garcia, Eula Valdes, Nikki Valdez, Laurice Guillen, Will Ashley, Bianca de Vera, Sunshine Cruz, Maey Bautista, Romnick Sarmenta, Jeremiah Lisbo, Victor Neri, Dionne Monsanto, PJ Endrinal, Mark Rivera, Marvin Yap
Genre: Drama, Romance
Premise: Romance blossoms between a young man and a woman who is searching for her estranged daughter in Europe. After their relationship failed, a twist of fate brings him and her daughter together (iWantTFC/Viu).
Running Time: 30 minutes
Directors: Emmanuel Palo, Dolly Dulu
Watch it on: GMA Network (weeknights, 9:35 PM), iWantTFC/Viu/GMA Network app ( 2 days before television airing)
Why You Should See It:
The idea of love being able to both complete you and crush you apart has been repeatedly tackled in countless stories before. There is both joy and sadness in any exploration of the topic. As local audiences tend to fall for the same subjects over and over again, it is no wonder that Unbreak My Heart strikes as something anybody won’t have difficulty falling for.
The pursuit of redemption, the chase for dreams that seem to drift away faster than you can get to them, and the hunt for your existence’s missing puzzle piece, are all relatable struggles, that make this new drama, squarely heart-hitting and soul-crushing, at the same time.
The story follows Rose Jacinto ( Jodi Sta. Maria), a mother reeling away from post-partum depression. She embarks on a mission to look for her long-lost daughter in Switzerland, where her estranged ex-husband and extremely disapproving in-laws do not expect her arrival. The beginning of her story was stark, with flashbacks of bickering and then a gunshot. In Zurich, she meets jack-of-all-trades, Renz (Joshua Garcia), with whom her life has been connected, in more ways than she may know. A few bottles of liquor, and there forms a connection, a spark, that inevitably confirms, fate has been at work to ensure they found each other’s arms. ‘There are no accidents’, a line repeatedly mentioned in the first two episodes, is another earnest idea that the series is set to delve into.
But there are accidents in this drama (at least in the literal sense), deemed historical and groundbreaking, by the two former free TV rivals, that collaborated to bring it to life. Rose has to endure heartbreaking tragedies, in her quest to find the missing piece in her life, and so has Renz. Some viewers may not find a gloomy and sentimental pilot episode, as a suitable start, but in Unbreak My Heart’s case, it worked. Two episodes in, and there’s an irresistible momentum, with both more romances and tragedies looming on the horizon.
One can’t deny, however, that the first few episodes of the series, largely soared through the compelling performances of both Sta. Maria and the male Garcia. Of course, Gabbi and Yap, are going to have their moments to shine sometime in the latter episodes.
Sta. Maria, who distinctively carries her historic Asian Academy Creative Awards win, as part of her billing in the show, delivered a gripping performance, her take on Rose, nuanced and intricately embedded with pain and all other emotions her character requires. Joshua Garcia, similarly impressed with Renz, who as early as the pilot episode, exploded with grief in an emotional breakdown scene, one Garcia aced with remarkable ease.
Beyond the wonder of this collaboration’s being a first in Philippine television, Unbreak My Heart, is monumental in having a compelling start alone. Thanks to the riveting performances of Garcia and Sta. Maria, as well as the picturesque and sweeping landscapes of its setting, this series has undoubtedly pulled off a sensational take-off, one that assures things are headed in the right direction.
Unbreak My Heart now airs on GMA Telebabad from Mondays to Thursdays, 9:35 PM, and on GTV, at 11:25 PM. Advanced and catch-up episodes are to be made available on iWantTFC, the GMA Network app, and Viu. Watch the official full trailer below:
