New developments reinvigorate ‘Hawak-Kamay’

CAMILE. Substantial promise.

Midway through its storytelling, we rapped the hit drama series, “Hawak-Kamay” for losing its firm focus on its key protagonists, played by Piolo Pascual and Iza Calzado, and fudging up its key issues and themes with the inclusion of too many subplots and subsidiary characters.

To make things worse, the popular show was sometimes being used as a launching pad or “popularizing” venue for raw talents, causing the overall quality of its performances to dip.

Thank goodness, somebody in command may have been reading and listening because, with the show now down to its last two weeks of telecasting, its focus on Piolo and Iza’s characters is back, and its storytelling has consequently improved.

Fact is, quite a number of new developments and themes have made the series the local TV screen’s most eventful viewing proposition this season.

Aside from adoption, it’s gone into organ transplant and donation, belatedly making peace with estranged parents and half-siblings, and child custody conflicts brought to court for resolution.

Along the way, the show’s potentially controversial dalliance with adolescent “love” (between the characters played by Zaijian Jaranilla and Andrea Brillantes) has been deferred or junked, prompting parents and educators to breathe a huge sigh of relief!

In addition, the series has honed Piolo and Iza’s acting chops, although veteran cast members like Tirso Cruz III still end up making the most vivid thespic impression.

One fly in the series’ ointment is its implausibly mature handling of its child characters, especially in the overly insightful and “wise” dialogue they are made to mouth.

The most obvious errors in this regard involved the series’ youngest character, Ningning, played by newcomer Yesha Camile.

She’s simply too articulate and “deep” to be believable, so we keep hoping that the show’s writers realize that they’re doing her a disservice by involving her in so many implausible thespic “moments.”

Yes, they’re moving and impressive, but kids really have to talk like kids, not pint-sized adults, because that’s their best and most endearing suit.

This is not to downgrade the wee actress’ promise, which is substantial, but to remind everyone of the true strength and emotive power of juvenile dramatic performances.

This is a difficult lesson for adult scriptwriters to learn—but learn it, they should.

How will “Hawak-Kamay” end in two weeks’ time? Most of its central conflicts, issues and themes have been resolved, so our speculative thinking cap is coming up empty. Will Piolo and Iza end up having their own baby to add to their already substantial adoptive brood? Hmmm—!