When it all boils down to having life at stake, and saving it all costs, screaming to the heavens and wish for magic to do its trick,
All of Me really has one spectacular ending for everyone to talk about.
In fact, in the hours leading to this death-defying episode, the show’s accompanying hashtag #AllofMeAngPagtatapos had already become a top trending topic on social media platforms. No, it’s not the handiwork of concerted tweet brigades but real audiences who were excited with what happened next.
And more than that, the show’s mystical, fast-paced, action-packed, and provocative story lines and twists have drummed up national interest, with consistently high ratings during the six-month run of this fantasy-drama-romance Kapamilya Gold offering. And even, the ship AlYen for the show’s lead actors.
Yes, that shocking scene when Dr. Henry Nieves (Arron Villaflor) gunned down Dr. Manuel Figueras (Albert Martinez) in cold blood surely instigated that immense trend, with people on the edge of their seats finding out what destiny awaits Manuel and his wife Lena (Yen Santos) and son Ivan (Dentrix Ponce). The final episode, indeed, showed this brilliantly. And it all boiled down to love and sacrifice—how one would accept the hardships and difficulties in life for the sake of those he or she loves.
As always, the mix of fantasy, romance and drama had been so well-crafted, orchestrated and merged seamlessly throughout the tale that no one was puzzled over the series of events that unfolded.
Manuel’s unconscious body was taken to the island where he got his first lease on life, courtesy of a fairy named Salvacion (MJ Lastimosa). As Lena and Ivan with their cop friend Marlon (Rayver Cruz) faced Salvacion and pleaded for her mercy and help to spring Manuel back to consciousness and health, the fairy first did not heed as Manuel had broken an agreement between them about revealing his true identity and took him into her world for retribution, despite the tearful pleadings from Lena and Ivan.
But, as flashbacks of a true love with Vicente Avila (Patrick Garcia), who gave Manuel the amulet that spawned his magical yet troublesome journey, came streaming into her mind, MJ realized how such sacrifice is important in making those we love happy. And, with her heart racing with Vicente on her mind, she did what she needed to do. That is to let Manuel live. And, the final scene was visually impressive as it was lyrically compelling. From that portal where Salvacion resides came first the young Manuel (Dentrix Ponce), then his teenage self Edong (JM de Guzman) who walked towards a grieving Lena by the breathtaking seascape. Then as she turned and tearfully saw Edong at first, she witnessed him transforming into Manuel, leaving Lena in utter jubilation as she confirmed what she always knew that Edong and Manuel were one and the same and that the love of her life is alive!
After this dramatic reunion, it was all the happiness every character in the program wished for—Manuel, Lena and Ivan being one family again.
While Albert Martinez is very much commendable for his spot-on portrayal of that barrio doctor, Yen Santos delivering a remarkable performance as Lena, and Arron Villaflor surprising us as an exceptional villain, it was MJ Lastimosa who really impressed us the most in the role of the supernatural fairy. The beauty queen, our 2014 Miss Universe candidate, indeed has a great future in acting as she gave a riveting performance, at most, even without any lines to say. Her face acting was astounding, delivering the best emotion, either in a fit of rage or moments of despair, to unspoken lines. And, when she does use her voice, she was likewise effective and impactful.
Hats off to director Dondon Santos and the creative team, led by head writer Willy Laconsay, for creating this compelling work, a great number of people watched in the afternoon. Indeed, it was an overwhelming success in terms of storytelling and creative execution. Here are some reactions from netizens on #AllofMeAngPagwawakas: