In the past six months, we have witnessed how the once peaceful and simple life of the Sicat family turned upside down after firstborn Rica, compellingly played by Charlie Dizon, figured in a controversial sex scandal and how they and the people who believed in them courageously fought despite the odds.
And in the finale week of Viral Scandal, we’re able to see how all their efforts and sacrifices paid off as the justice they’ve been yearning for was finally served, and how women empowerment and happy endings reigned in the end at the same time.
Thrilling and satisfying finale week
After being able to escape from his crimes, Jigs (Markus Paterson) finally got jailed, while Ella’s (Aya Fernandez) rape case versus him was already approved by the fiscal after waiting for a long time.
As the developments in Rica’s rape and anti-voyeurism case continue, his boss-slash-boyfriend Kyle (Joshua Garcia) also relentlessly searches for answers behind the real cause of death of his father Philip (Bart Guingona). And after looking for contractor Joseph Laurena, the sole witness to the crime, his former partner approached Kyle and handed him the letter Joseph left that contained the answers to Kyle’s questions. According to him, Philip didn’t commit suicide as it was Mayor Troy Ramones (Jake Cuenca) who killed him during their supposed meeting that day.
Upon knowing this, Rica accosted his biological dad, who confirmed that he’s actually in the Constantine building, but strongly denied that he had something to do with Philip’s tragic death. He may not have killed Philip himself, yet he blamed him for being the reason why Philip’s life and reputation got destroyed as he hid the anomalies done by his father, Alberto Ramones (Jong Cuenco). Troy confronted his dad afterwards about this, but the latter insisted that it was suicide and implied that he better be thankful as it also lessened the things they had to worry about.
Little did we know that shocking revelations that were exposed that day served as bad omens of the more appalling things that would happen that fateful evening.
Kyle suddenly lost his consciousness on his way out of the club where he was chilling with his friends Axel (Jameson Blake) and Chino (Aldrin Angeles). Apparently, his drink was spiked, just like what happened to Rica before. He then found himself at the rooftop of the Constantine Building and saw that Troy was there as well – and was unknowingly holding a gun. It was revealed that someone hit a hard object on his head while he was alone at his office.
Meanwhile, what was supposed to be a cheery evening at the Sicat residences was filled with terror after Romeo, who used to be Kakay’s (Dimples Romana) customer during her escort service days, went to their house and held Bea (Karina Bautista), Nico (Louise Abuel), and Pogs (Aljon Mendoza) as hostages while Kakay and Dan (Miko Raval) were outside. Shocked by their unexpected visitor, Dan attempted to save his family from him, but got shot in the abdomen, which gave Romeo an opportunity to take Kakay away.
Fortunately, Realyn and their other neighbors were able to stop Romeo, which forced him to take Kakay back to their house. As Nico failed to topple the goon down from the back, Kakay tried with all her might to snatch the gun from Romeo, which almost shot Bea if not for the agility of Dan, who was able to knock Romeo off his feet by kicking him while he was then lying bloody on the floor.
On the other hand, Bobby (Gian Magdangal) suddenly appeared and told Troy and Kyle that he was actually anticipating some action between the two, but that didn’t happen. He finally confessed that it was him who really killed Philip as his way of winning the favor of his dad Alberto Ramones. It ensued to a heated argument between Bobby and Troy and their struggle for the possession of the latter’s gun along with Kyle, after Bobby almost shot Rica, who arrived on the scene with a wood in her hand. As he once again failed to accomplish his mission, Bobby pushed himself to death by letting himself fall off the building.
Fast forward to one year after the bloody Sidero tragedy, we’re able to witness how the lives of the remaining characters have changed and become better.
The Sicats were able to survive that horrible night as Dan is alive! Pogs efforts to win Bea’s heart paid off as she finally confessed that she loves him too and agreed to be his girlfriend.
Troy resigned as mayor of Sidero, while his nephew Jigs was still in jail. Alberto is still persistent to win his grandson’s case by compelling him to continue with the stories they’ve made up.
On the day of the hearing, Rica’s family, friends, boyfriend Kyle, colleagues in Balai Arkitektura, and other victims of Jigs were in full force in showing their support for her. But what surprised us all was the appearance of Audrey (Maxene Magalona), who finally expressed her opposition to her former father-in-law and apologized to Rica for all her wrongdoings.
As expected, Jigs continued to lie, which made everyone in the courtroom emotional as they listened to his statements. However, his conscience has finally taken over him and he finally confessed the he indeed raped Rica – much to the surprise of Rica’s camp. This infuriated the Ramones patriarch, which triggered his heart attack.
Audrey and Kakay made amends, with the former even making an effort to bring to the Sicat residence the self-help books she bought for Rica in Paris, where she’s about to pursue a degree in fashion design. In return, Kakay expressed how happy and proud she is for her, and even handed her gift baskets.
After stepping down from the mayoral seat, it was revealed that Troy took the responsibility of taking good care of Alberto, who was suffering from a stroke. He even decided to manage their family’s chain of hotels and put up and work for charity, while being a father to his daughters Raven and Rica.
There’s seemingly something going between him and Atty. Laura Dizon (Ria Atayde), based on their actions in the finale episode. The same goes to Raven and Axel, who have apparently developed feelings towards one another, too. Kakay and Dan have gone sweeter and more in love with each other after everything happened, as well as Kyle and Rica.
Astounding performances of the Viral Scandal ensemble
Charlie has indeed proven that she’s not an award-winning actress for nothing. She’s able to make us feel the emotions of Rica through her compelling portrayal and attested that she’s really the next Kapamilya leading lady to watch out for.
Her fellow headliners Joshua Garcia, Dimples Romana, Jake Cuenca, and Miko Raval were also able to astound us with their respective performances, especially when it comes to showcasing their dramatic prowess. New breed of artists Karina Bautista, Aljon Mendoza, Louise Abuel, Jameson Blake, Kaila Estarada, and Markus Paterson, had their own shining moments, too, which truly impressed us.
Seasoned actors Ria Atayde, Maxene Magalona, and Gian Magdangal astounded us with their dramatic prowess, while veteran character actors Ana Abad Santos, Jong Cuenco, and Bart Guingona were also effective in the respective roles given to them. Aya Fernandez, Arielle Roces, Vance Larena, and Sky Quizon didn’t only get us smitten with their visuals, but with their promising acting talents, as well.
Of course, the impressive performances of the rest of the Balai Arkitektura team – comprised of Hasna Cabral, Apey Obera, Jessica Marco, and Aldrin Angeles – should not be overlooked, too.
With how they’re able to create and pull off a totally relatable, timely, and refreshing teleserye amid a pandemic, the directors (Dado Lumibao and Froy Allan Leonardo), writers (Chie Floresca and Alpha Fortun), and creative and technical teams of RCD Narratives all did an amazing and commendable job!
Valuable takeaways
The Viral Scandal has indeed imparted a lot of valuable lessons throughout its six month-run, which we should take by heart.
Rica and her family have inspired us to never lose hope and to courageously stand by our ground as we fight for what we know and believe in is right and for the welfare of the people who matter to us and of others as well. It has also encouraged viewers to always seek for the truth and not be easily fazed by fake news and scrupulously fight disinformation, especially now that we’re in the age of social media, where everything can be immediately shared in just a few clicks.
Besides, it’s also high time for us to speak up on various issues and empower each other. And these do not only apply to women, but to men and other genders as well.
These are also some of the things that our Kapamilya netizens, who were able to watch the finale, have said on their posts on Twitter. Thus, “Viral Scandal” and “#TheEndOfScandal” made it to the Top 2 and Top 11, respectively, of the top trending topics of the micro-blogging site. Here are some of the rave tweets that were able to spot: