The penultimate week of Pulang Araw was another pretty good encapsulation of the highs and lows of the series.
The week started out with our main hero on the verge of death, but of course we know he wasn’t going to meet his end just yet. If anything, I more believed little Juan had died. It would’ve been one of the few characters whose death would have a legitimately big impact. A perfect example of the tragedy of war. But alas, the show wanted to maintain that little bit of hopeful dream with the children as our future. 🎶🎶
Perhaps the biggest focus of the week went to Teresita being pregnant. On one hand, you can brush it off as the show employing another teleserye trope. But on another hand, it’s something that really did happen. Considering the countless number of victims at the hands of the Japanese, it’s hard not to imagine that the abuse resulted in pregnancies.
At the same time, I didn’t really care for the whole drama about Teresita wanting to abort the baby automatically thinking it was Yuta’s. Though I suppose she wasn’t in a position to really think that potentially, it could’ve been Eduardo’s.
But now I think about the timeline and we don’t really know how much time has passed between different events. Has it been weeks or months since she and Eduardo had sex. Heck, has it been weeks or months since Col Yuta last raped her. We have no idea. Especially with this the final two weeks of the series, we assume that we are near the end of the war (1945). So it would be impossible for Teresita to be pregnant for a year or two. Lol
Anyway, I get it, all this “I’m not Pure” victim’s guilt. That’s important to talk about as well. But with the lack of balance with other things and this being the penultimate week, I’d rather they spend it on other things. Especially when they just erase the whole thing at the end of the week when they show her to have had a miscarriage lol
It’s the same thing with the whole Hiroshi killed Papa Julio plot thread. I feel like it’s unnecessary soap drama when there’s so many other things to focus on. Nice performances from Barbie and David. But their talents could be best used in better material. So, at the very least, their performance in Episode 103 elevated that otherwise contrived scene.
They did another fast forward at the end of Episode 103. Skipping through a year via another history lecture instead of actually showing us things that happened during that year. Using the characters to continue to depict the struggles and the fight of the Filipino during the war.
Episode 104 was maybe the best episode of the whole week. If they wanted to have a character-driven story, have more focus on them surviving during the war. More opportunities to meet actual historical figures. Or composite characters representing historical figures of the war.
The ramp up to this moment took so long and yet they just speed through the actual interesting stuff. Why does everything feel rushed now? Which shouldn’t be the cast in a 110 episode series.
As another example of the awkward pacing, the various reunions feel hollow because of that lack of sense of time.
We see Teresita and Adelina share a heartfelt reunion after a year. But in the show, it’s only been a couple of days. So there is no proper emotional impact there. We didn’t see their struggles during that year apart. And that should be the most engaging material.
Another is with Eduardo and Teresita. They had that fleeting reunion last week. And then the one this week at the church. But not much has happened between then and now to build up that sense of being apart.
Anyway. Episode 105 is one that would really work well after even just a week of episodes depicting that year in between. Show the Japanese growing demoralized. Show the Filipinos with a continued fighting spirit and renewed hope once Gen. MacArthur returned. Show Adelina killing more guys. Things like that.
Show us more of that. Not just tell is in a few minute recitation of a history book.
Well, it’s been a looong journey. But one more week left after this one.