After each scandalous, horrific turn the narrative made, viewers truly had the ride of their lives—crying, fuming, and even cheering on the characters in their tiresome yet fulfilling journey.
But then, destiny sets in, and Halik offered a rewarding, fulfilling finale that should delight those who witnessed it.
After that grueling encounter with Ace (Sam Milby) and Helen (Almira Muhlach) that left her bloodied and sick in a hospital, Jade was now truly remorseful. As Jacky was at her bedside, Jade knew she risked her life in saving her son CJ, and asked her for genuine forgiveness after all she had done that ruined her life, which Jacky said may take time before she actually bestows it. Yet Jacky sincerely wished Jade well.
Heartbreaking moment
As Jade recovered, she faced justice for her actions and was brought to prison. But before she is led away, Jade sees Maggie (Jane de Leon), Nanay Dolor (Amy Austria), and Lino (Jericho Rosales) with baby CJ in his arms. She also asked them for forgiveness and would plead if she could hug her child one last time. Nanay Dolor did not even need her to ask for it, and even told her that they will take care of CJ well and would never forget that his mommy loves him. But the best of all, Lino embraced Jade tight as well, in one heartbreaking moment. Yet it’s quite clear how Lino’s mind was focused on someone else.
It’s his childhood friend, first and true love, Jacky whom he meets at a scenic place. There they profess their love for one another, yet Jacky tells him that she needs to spend some time away to recover from all the desolation. And before she left for the US, she would also make peace with his incarcerated and reformed adoptive father Mauro (Romnick Sarmenta), who has since become repentant of all his transgressions against her.
Pure, forgiving heart
We then see Lino’s pure, forgiving heart as he continued to foster a healthy, loving relationship between Jade and their son CJ. They would visit her at prison in every important occasion, still giving her an important role in their son’s life.
And when Jade had served her sentence and was released from jail, it was Lino and CJ who fetched and welcomed her back. This showed how much Lino put the past truly behind them and allowed Jade to start again, even giving her more time to spend and bond with their son CJ as he grew up. But of course, their paths had already gone separate ways.
Yes, destiny had other plans and they were good and just.
Ace, who had been serving a longer sentence for his heinous crimes together with mom Helen, was also on the road to transformation and this could hopefully bode well for his future.
Being a mother
Jade is also satisfied with the time she is spending with her son CJ, all because Lino never denied her that role despite all the sins and crimes committed and truly forgave her for them. And even if a second chance at love was never an option, her being a mother was more than she could have ever asked for.
And of course, there’s Lino who finally got what he always wanted—the destiny he sought even as a little kid—spending the rest of his life with the girl truly in his heart all along: Jacky, whom he meets once again in that idyllic rendezvous now reassured and certain about the man she loved ever since.
The conclusion to this gripping teleserye was neither unexpected nor shocking, which could have extended the controversy further. But the execution was impressive, leaving a profound mark in our hearts and minds, all with the lessons about forgiveness and love well taken.
Grandiose finale
We are astonished with impressive camera work and cinematic visuals that led to an exponential appreciation of this grandiose finale. A masterful musical score also helped in the effect with several variations of that unmistakable Aegis theme.
But we are mostly admirable of the single performances of the main cast. Sam Milby didn’t appear that much during the finale, but we are astounded as we are appalled by the evil he depicted as Ace in the events leading to the conclusion. And this made him more versatile and accomplished as an actor.
Yen Santos was visually captivating and her brilliant performance in that those scenes in the finale made us all understand what she went through, even if she had few lines to say. And her affirming her love for Jericho Rosales’ character Lino was well delivered and impactful, delightfully resonating to all of us.
Eloquent
Jericho showed just the right amount of emotion yet remained exceptionally eloquent in highlighting those special, profound moments. His connection with Yen was more than natural, it was actually electrifying, leaving us at a loss of words on how to make of it.
And of course, the series’ biggest revelation Yam Concepcion didn’t fail us in giving yet another performance for the ages in her portrayal of Jade. While we are all aware about her wrongdoings, we still commiserate with all she went through; she continued to play Jade with utmost relatability as she personified the character with genuine emotion and sincerity.
Yes, we will all miss this series for a very long time.
So will these netizens…