Imortal: review of episode 43

Review written by: Angeladik

Pacing and episode 43 is an example of a compact, simple, focused script and when our main actors do it so well then the effect is so contagious.  For episode 43, they focused more on Mateo and Lia, the Waya sect of Lucille after Lia, and Sam's turn as Lia's new adversary all because of Mateo.  Now it's Sam's turn as Clarisse is momentarily set aside.  So here we're not tackling them all in just this 30 minutes or so episode.
 

Episode's recap:

Lia finally tells all to Mateo and the reaction, he runs away again.  It's a repetitious reaction actually, he runs but when he remembers all those happy moments with Lia, the confusion turns into something that draws him back to Lia. It's really love so that's easy and why can't the writers do these more often as viewers always enjoy that.

Run he does riding a jeep only to catch another jeep to get back.  Meanwhile we saw Lia so hurt and just as we thought she left the rented house, she was just walking around the area hurting but trying to draw strength from within herself.  As she finds Mateo, running back to embrace her, and finally they have several kisses and after the drama, which I like the way the directors handled the scenes, it looked so real and everyone here could feel it.

Then a very Pinoy light moment for the two reconciled lovers when Mateo concerned over Lia being undressed when she transforms back to human form.  That was one of his questions when he asked Lia to help him understand about those transformations and he loves Lia more than anything else.

In the meantime, Lucille has Abraham and Nanay Tabs arrested and just misses BFF Miriam while Magnus engages Sam in a dad reprimand when she admits to him she's in love with Mateo.  Sam does her own sleuthing finding out about Lia being Mateo's companion in hiding.  Now she's really brewing suspicion and jealousy.

While the new character makes her introduction, what gives you the right what's her role here is effect, trying to be motherly there? when she hugs Sam?  Of course after having a father daughter argument, this new woman of Magnus, she looks to have had something with him in the past?

So now, we have Mateo and Lia officially so back in each others arms.


Next episode.  Moving on with the teasers, kinda fast but we see more lighter Mateo and Lia moments. Now they're really hamming it up.  Okay hopefully we get the right light mood, let's not make this a romcom yet, even if the writers look tempted already to explore that.  Bearing in mind that would alter Imortal's genre.

Remember they just got the right romantic mood for episode 43 so let's do it right without loosing touch that still this is not one of those romcom movies of John Lloyd Cruz.  Although I will see first how the writers treat the light mood.  That's next.

Back at Dara's, her niece is excited about Mateo and Lia but Sam who's around isn't at all.  Then Lucille orders her men to make sure to capture Lia, a scene of Miriam in an argument in defense of Lia and Mateo and Lia spotted by Lucille's men while Sam sees Lia in the last frame.


Thoughts.   The best parts for me are the show of emotions of Lia and Mateo and the last part when they reconcile has to be my favorite, and the best part of the entire episode not only for me but all of us viewers here, the best for romantic kilig, drama or light.

Do you remember that sofa scene episode as the one I enjoyed the most?  Then add episode 43 to that.  Now if the writers can do it twice, why not do it on a more regular basis?  [how can i forget that sofa scene? angel locsin looks so adorable there ...i think i used those scenes in my two latest fanvids hehe -nicky]

Episode 43 is just the right mix, even scenes of the other characters like Lucille even a constant with Albert and this time Magnus and a rebellious Sam, they just got the right mix there and exposure time.  It was really moving this time.  Less of the drag I tend to feel as the series wore on and yeah Clarisse isn't even shown here and thank God no more Lucas since clearly we can do away with him for now.  It's not like we have to know all the time what's happened to him at the expense of the Mateo-Lia romance arc.

As in the case of Clarisse then, this time its Sam who will go between Mateo and Lia.  But the thing which is different from Sam's previous episodes is her character now looks to be in the mix of our two leads and for this episode the fact that they established the relationship of the leads so well, we appreciate more what Sam's role is.


Side stories.  Sometimes I feel the writers focus on too many characters per episode and giving their side stories extensive exposure that the story sometimes lacks focus on the leads, it kinda lessens the impact.

When you do that routinely each episode, it can sometimes appear like a direction less made TV series, you can't make up your mind who you're trying to focus and it looses impact big time.   So okay let's just say I'm an Angel's fan but the writers have to realize she and JL are the leads here.

Sometimes they really have to focus more on them rather than creating so many side stories that tend to have that scattered effect.  That's when it sometimes looks like they are direction less, lacking in focus with story development

Okay, we've heard of the so-called ensemble cast, yes but as far as I have observed ensemble productions you usually find the actors interacting a lot together.  It's not like I noticed with Imortal that they put in those side stories of each character giving a bit of too much exposure wise and unnecessarily.

If they really wanted exposures then the webisodes are there for that.  In the meantime, we want writers to know how to focus on a certain theme and we know Imortal mainly revolves on the love story of Mateo and Lia and the obstacles including those people aside from the war between the Vampires and Lobos which happen to be where they are a part but on different sides.

Their journey is intertwined so we want the presentation going a more compact direction.


Central focus.   The heart of Imortal belongs to Mateo and Lia and now for a change, the writers decide to show it's loyal viewers that Imortal is not just a passing presentation.  But we want to see the heart of Imortal and by obliging and really giving it the right time exposure this time, compared to past episodes when they hurry too much because they need to show the side stories of other characters.  This time they gave more attention to the heart and soul of Imortal which is to make the audience feel why Mateo and Lia have this undying love.

Okay, this is something Koreanovelas do so consistently with more thought of plots, yet simple, but because they know where and how to focus on the stories of the main characters they have this more lasting, unforgettable effect. [so true, i can immerse in a drama only when characters became real like for me and you can have that sense of connection with characters with good plot development ...i want writers to make me watch Imortal because of Lia and Mateo and not because of Angel -nicky]

You can't just hurry important scenes to make way for the important scenes given to all the rest of the cast.  It's like watching a buy 2 take 12 for free thing and you can imagine it will look so disoraganized and lacking the focus and direction.  We just really want to tackle plots one at a time and the writers better decide if they want to focus on the leads because cmon you loose a lot of momentum for the main leads every time you decide to show a side story for a character extensively.

It's like a romance novel, you were to describe the two lovers and then you start describing the other characters in their lives and when you go back to the two lovers, you only have just a few lines to write about them, nothing much.

We want these writers to give these two more exposure time together.  Viewers don't need to know for a short 30 minute episode what's happened to the entire cast at the expense of what they should be doing, establish Mateo and Lia.

So I hope we have more focused presentation and not too many prolonged distractions that moves a bit too far from where the focus should be.  Episode 43 was such a happy well received episode even here.  Suddenly Imortal is alive again thank goodness.


Angel and John Lloyd tandem.  Episode 43 shows us why Angel and JL rightfully belong to one of the best loveteams they combined and why their combination should be given more exposure.  Please stop this reluctant attitude of the writers. They interact so well as actors.

Besides both Angel and JL really make a charming, lovable pair to watch showing us all the emotions.  It's a blockbuster episode for sure gauging from viewers reactions here I tell you.  Suddenly Imortal's really so alive again.

Angel is so adorable and charming aside from really pretty and JL makes charming look as natural as can be as well.  Both are a charming pair of actors.

-end-

 

Nicky's note to Angeladik: you mentioned koreanovelas, have you noticed that their dramas have good variety of OST and even released OST albums in the mid-airing of a popular drama.  It's a good marketing strategy too because apart from the extra earnings, people will be reminded of memorable scenes while listening to those songs outside the drama and can make them miss their fave characters more.  I dunno why Imortal seems to know only one song.