When it was announced to the public that the beloved dark teen drama series “Senior High” will have a sequel, now airing as “High Street,” viewers were thrilled, especially with the prospect of seeing again the endearing BL pairing of Zaijian Jaranilla and Miggy Jimenez, known to their fans as TimPoch based on their character names.
After their BL (Boys’ Love) storyline went viral, Zaijian and Miggy express thrill about the journey of Tim and Poch in “High Street,” which picks up five years after their graduation from Northford High.
The actors opened up to Kapamilya Chat about feeling a mix of pressure and excitement, as, just like in the first instalment, they are once again clueless about how the narrative will unfold in the new season. However, they are really looking forward to working with the cast again—it's like reuniting with old classmates for another intense school year, with some new faces on set this time.
For Zaijian, “High Street” confronts him with new challenges since their character dynamic has changed. He now paints Tim as a young professional, specifically as a police officer in the forensics unit. Building Tim's character this time around is much tougher for him, as he navigates traces of Tim’s identity crisis from his high school years intertwined with his new journey in the workplace. Playing the role of a cop who is also a member of the LGBT community is a different kind of ball game. When asked how he prepared for it, Zaijian shared that he based his portrayal on Tim's journey alone. He immersed himself in the character—his experiences, his traumas. Zaijian believes that Tim will give voice and inspiration to LGBT members in the police force or those struggling to come out due to fear of judgment.
On the other hand, Miggy considers "Senior High" a more difficult assignment as he was already 25 years old portraying a 17-year-old high school student then. The challenge for Poch this time around is portraying the crisis that young adults experience as they search for their place in the world. Miggy draws inspiration from Poch's experiences, specifically the traumatic ones, to ensure an authentic portrayal. He recognizes that Poch imparts lessons about self-love, which is why he takes on the role carefully.
Zaijian and Miggy emphasized the importance of obtaining consent when filming ‘kilig’ scenes with physical contact. They discuss it beforehand to eliminate awkwardness during filming.
Honestly, they did not expect the TimPoch following to grow this large because even they were unaware of how the chunks of scenes would be weaved together. As Miggy puts it, “We didn’t even plan it at all. We’re just really storytellers at mga karakter lang din talaga ‘yung gusto naming buhayin. So, baka doon talaga nag-work kasi we’re just living our own characters.”
When asked about the traits they admire in each other's on-screen personas, Zaijian praised Poch's understanding, determination, and loving nature. Meanwhile, Miggy appreciated Tim's career-driven attitude, strong family values, and role as a source of light for Poch. As for the traits they dislike, they talked about each other’s characters with familiarity. Miggy mentioned that he hates Tim's lack of time when it comes to their relationship, while Zaijian expressed his dislike for Poch's tendency to become overly obsessed.
In recent episodes, the evolving dynamics of TimPoch are highlighted by a growing sense of jealousy, sparked by Tim's closeness with his former high school sweetheart, Roxy (Xyriel Manabat). Miggy aptly notes that competing with a first love is exceptionally difficult, making Poch's insecurity evident whenever Tim and Roxy are together. Although Tim and Roxy experienced a painful breakup, they have remained best friends, which only heightens Poch's feelings of insecurity.
The journey of TimPoch is just beginning anew, with a long road ahead and many dreams for their characters, including Miggy’s hope for Tim and Poch to get married. Zaijian echoed Miggy's sentiments, saying that he’s rooting for the tandem’s happy ending, albeit he can’t say for sure because of the conflicts surrounding them. But, with or without the romantic endgame, they hope Tim and Poch will ultimately find genuine happiness and acceptance in society.
Just like us, viewers, the original cast members are impressed by the performance of the new additions, such as Harvey Bautista, who was recently revealed as Sky's (Andrea Brillantes) stalker. While the new cast members are tasked with adjusting to the established family on set, the original cast goes out of their way to make them feel at home. This effort has created a strong bond behind the scenes, breaking down any barriers among them.
For fun, Zaijian and Miggy were asked which character they would like to portray or switch places with. Both chose Governor Acosta, finding the role challenging yet enjoyable. They admire Mon Confiado's exceptional work in bringing the character to life, especially with his intense and creepy facial expressions in scenes during the pilot week where he was revealed to be under hospital arrest. Additionally, Miggy expressed admiration for Harry Aguerro, played by Baron Geisler, and mentioned he would hypothetically enjoy portraying that character as well.
Since the pilot week, the storyline has introduced a new element involving stalkers and hackers. TimPoch offered practical tips to help avoid these threats, starting with enabling two-factor authentication on all devices. They also cautioned against opening suspicious links, warning that a single click could compromise your identity or expose personal information stored on your device.
Such matters and more pressing issues about adulthood will be further addressed in "High Street," which airs weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.