Dear Dreamscape, give TIMY/TIMYllenials the ending we deserve

Instead of doing recaps for #TIMYToxic and #TIMYDelusion, I’m writing this open letter to @dreamscapeph to emphasize how sorely disappointed I am about the trajectory of this this show, especially since its in its final three weeks.

Its one thing to stick with the show even despite an annoying, irritating villain because the villain is just so effective in her part that you can’t look away. Case in point: Princess Punzalan as Celina, Jean Garcia as Madam Claudia, Senyora Santibañez in Mari Mar and countless others. These villains compel you to watch to see just what type of torture they can dish out and what challenges they have in store for the hero/heroine.

But its another thing to have a character, who is not depicted as a full fledged villain (because he/she has a backstory to justify why he/she behaves in a certain way) but is so detrimental to the show that viewers choose not to watch altogether, even despite a strong love for the show.

This was specifically what the Madison arc resorted me to last Wednesday, and I find that unforgiveable, because everyone who has ever read this blog knows how much I love this show — son much that its become a habit for me to do daily episode recaps.

As a matter of fact, I write during the commercial breaks and polish the piece only a few minutes after the episode is done. That’s how much I love TIMY because I believe that that its not the typical teleserye trope. I believed in its message, and in its courage, and in its storytelling. I believed in the team from the directors, to the writers, and of course the stellar cast of hardworking actors who have endeared the characters to the viewers of TIMY.

Throughout the issues about the ratings, and censorship, I never faltered in supporting this show. It broke my heart countless times. It made me laugh out loud, it scared me, it excited me and through it all it remained consistent in serving up episode after episode worthy of praise.

No, of course, it wasn’t perfect. but up until now, it has always remained true to its core — friendship, relationships, family,  the plight of the LGBT. But this Madison arc seems like an ill timed conflict in a show that is set to wrap up its strong run. I wasn’t a big fan of the Madison arc at the beginning, because of course I didn’t want anything to come between Basti and Iris so soon after they have hurdled the most difficult and painful challenges of their marriage. But I gave it a chance, thinking that it was going to last one week- tops. After all, the baby issue, the in law issue, losing the baby and countless other arcs were dispensed with within a week. But no. This Madison arc kept dragging on and its now on its third week, parang blockbuster movie lang, except, that its not funny, or thought provoking or even good television.

Injecting this Madison arc so late in the game seems like a lame attempt to belong to the mainstream, to the cliche when TIMY has worked for months to deliver a show that is out of the ordinary.  The sad part is that the show is dragging things along with this character even though she’s not bringing something new to the table. Is this to showcase newbie Loren Burgos as a rising star? Perhaps. And I have nothing against shining the spotlight on new stars. However, the character is basically doing the same thing over and over again with every episode. She schemes and she drinks wine. She wears flimsy outfits, she attends dinner parties. Go ahead, count how many episodes Madison has been in and how many scenes she has had doing these things. Sad to say, Loren Burgos is not yet as seasoned an actress to deliver the role of a woman in pain who has resorted to find love in the arms of a married man. I feel no sympathy for Madison, this shallow, selfish character and wish her the worst of fates. Sorry, not sorry.

And by dragging this along, the characters of Basti and Iris are the ones taking the hit. Basti is smart but he’s not gullible. Well, at least he wasn’t. Wasn’t it he, after all who cautioned Iris about conflict of interest? And what about Iris, willingly playing second fiddle to Madison and ignoring the fact she is baiting her to doubt her husband? I have no doubt that the show will address this in time but time is running out and it seems that this is going to become the last major conflict that the couple will face. If this was the case, it would negate what the show has worked so hard to build in its four-month run. And it will be the last sour taste left in the mouths of viewers who have embraced the show for what it is.

And what has the show done to Tita Val? A woman who could have stood up for the empowerment of women, she has continued to deteriorate into a desperate heartbroken woman and is now on the precipice of becoming the evil stepmother material? Throughout the show’s four month run, Tita Val has shown signs of being jealous and sometimes petty but not evil to the point of breaking up Basti and Iris just so she can have her way and get Nestor in the end.  At this point, the show is willing to destroy a character it has worked so hard to build just so it could have a final villain, which makes no sense at all.

I do not presume to know what the writers have up their sleeve for the finale nor do I presume to know better than the writers but if this drivel lasts for another week,  there may be no more viewers tuned in to watch it, no matter how much we love JaDine. Don’t do this to James and Nadine. Don’t do this to the show. Don’t do this to us. Give us the ending we deserve para naman umabot tayo sa “Tayo Hanggang Dulo.”

As for me, I will watch this show to the end because I have not yet given up hope that it can still come back from this late slump. Pero please, make it quick. Its getting too stressful already. Hindi ko isinusumbat ang pananatili kong supportive sa show na ito pero utang na loob, por favor, lets finish strong and lets prove the naysayers who have been waiting for the show to falter, wrong.