Rarely do we see such an exceptionally thrilling finish than the Asintado finale, with all scenes perfectly executed and crafted to really keep us at the edge of our seats.
But nothing was more impressive than the performances of the cast, who really gave their all for one last time, giving a fitting close to a gripping political action-drama that dominated our afternoon viewing.
Justice
And it all boils down to one thing: Ana (Julia Montes) won’t be denied the justice she deserves.
In a frantic search for her baby son JR, Ana would face-off with Salvador (Nonie Buencamino) in a monumental showdown that was surely the talk-of-the-town.
When they all gathered at a warehouse near the pier, where Salvador took baby JR and Hillary captive, Ana, together with Xander (Aljur Abrenica) and Yvonne (Louise delos Reyes), were able to outgun and thrash Salvador’s men. Samantha (Shaina Magdayao) was also with them, after Salvador took Hillary in her place as his abductee.
But when Ana finally found baby JR and was saved by Samantha who shot another of Salvador’s henchmen trying to kill her sister, the diabolical and crazed antagonist suddenly appeared and pulled the trigger. Samantha took the bullet instead as she embraced Ana as Salvador fled. As Ana was devastated to see her fallen sister fighting for her life and leave her baby to Xander and Hillary’s care, she would go after Salvador to finally “end it all.”
Final confrontation
In that final confrontation, Salvador had all the strength to pounce and thrash Ana, brutally manhandling her. But all the pent up anger over all Salvador’s misdeeds that made her suffer through those harrowing years strengthened her resolve to finally take him down, even with her bare hands. Terribly bloodied, Ana stood up and thumped, kicked, punched Salvador repeatedly until he lost consciousness.
And, when Xander (Aljur Abrenica) came, it was amusing yet laudable and enlivening to see him not saving Ana from harm but actually pacifying her and stopping her from further reducing Salvador to a pulp.
Yet after Ana heeded and stopped, Salvador got up and grabbed a gun on the floor. Before he could even aim it at her, Ana would take Xander’s gun from his pocket and shoot Salvador repeatedly until he fell off, landing at a protruding sharp steel bar that gored him to death.
Gruesome end
While his end was gruesome, Salvador’s death was surely poetic justice, even if he tried to elude the strong arm of the law to his last breath. Finally, Ana and Samantha, who recovered from the gunshot wounds and married Xander, found the peace they longed for—especially for the sake Ana’s precious baby JR.
Indeed, Julia Montes further reveals her incredible talent and acting versatility and intensity we don’t see in actresses her age. We all felt her rage and anguish, as her performance made an astounding impact on viewers. Definitely, we can’t wait for her next riveting portrayal.
Impressive performances
The entire cast complemented each other with their own impressive performances, Desiree del Valle effectively showed the heartbreaking dilemma that her character brings, while Agot Isidro superbly presented the troublesome position of having to contain a crazed monster with her role.
But definitely that monster was hands-down the most impeccable in delivering that kind of evil character viewers understood. Nonie Buencamino exceptionally breathed life to one sinister creature we all hated in a way that’s relatable to current realities people identify with. It’s not just the bad guy, the antagonist, but also real figure we all fear.
And with this, the entire production should be given credit for this compelling drama, most especially directors Jerome Chavez Pobocan, Trina N. Dayrit, and Floy Allan P. Leonardo, for their outstanding work.
Indeed, netizens found the finale remarkable.