Being accepted or loved need not entail physical features considered pleasing or at least normal. The goodness that shines from within counts most of all.
Beautiful soul
And while a beautiful soul like Badeth (Mary Joy Apostol) had suffered not only from a disorder since birth called Crouzon syndrome that led to face deformity, but also the sneering and ridicule of those who surround her.
When her loving father passed on and left with a mother Jona (Meryll Soriano) hesitant to accept her, Badeth tried to seek affection from other people. This lengthened the discord between mother and daughter until Badeth gets pregnant by one of Jona’s workers she thought was sincere and would take responsibility. She was wrong, leaving her devastated and suicidal even as she was expecting her child.
Since then Jona found the heart to become the affectionate, accepting mother she yearned for, pleading her for a new lease on life and instill hope, especially for her unborn child.
Supportive mom
Jona was supportive of Badeth as she gave birth, and even when her bundle of joy Shauna developed post-natal pneumonia four days after she was born. And when Shauna (Yesha Camille) grew up, she had since inherited her mother’s syndrome, which Jona and Badeth had initially played down.
But what hurt Badeth even more was that Shauna had also experienced the derision and jeering from her classmates as she started school. Yet, in spite of this, Badeth would encourage Shauna not to mind her classmates, as long she would believe how special she is, especially in her eyes.
And while Badeth already enjoyed the love of her family, a friend would emphasize something she also needed: a man who’d truly accept and love her for what she is. Her friend would then create an account for Badeth on an online dating site, wherein she surprisingly discovered a number of foreigners interested in her.
German bachelor
Here she met Alex (Teejay Marquez), a German bachelor whom since had since communicated with on a regular basis. And when they conversed on a video call, Alex also met Shauna, to whom he said I love you as a daughter, and then asking Badeth if she would accept his love. Badeth then responded that he needed to tell her in person by visiting them in the flesh if he was sincere.
And after having failed on his promise once, Alex would then prove his love by visiting the country and meet Badeth, Shauna, and Jona at last. Badeth would then ask him why he had been so relentless in pursuing her given her deformities, Alex told her that appearances don’t matter to him and only saw her beauty inside—something she always hear from her late father.
When Alex came back anew, he was so sure of having Badeth as his lifelong partner that he went down on his knees at the airport arrival area, asking for her hand in marriage—a fairy tale ending indeed, only that the events were real.
The episode, “Lotion,” was as saccharine as it was notably effective in having such a heartwarming story unfold. While director Eduardo Roy, Jr brought in a captivating mix of superb creative elements—from well-shot scenes to exceptional prosthetics, it was the stirring script written by Bing Castro-Villanueva that enraptured us.
Praiseworthy cast
But the most praiseworthy of all was the performances of the cast, who gripped us from beginning to end. Seeing Meryll Soriano at work is witnessing thespic artistry at its best, deeply imbibing the intricacies of a mother realizing and growing from her fallacies.
Returning actor Teejay Marquez likewise left a tremendous impact, portraying the profound prince charming every lady would want in their lives.
And, of course, the celebrated award-winning indie actress Mary Joy Apostol proved her distinction as she exceptionally personified the ravaging emotional conflicts of a deeply scarred victim of a medical condition beyond her control, and overcome it with an happy-ever-after we all enjoyed.
Netizens were likewise left enchanted…