Life After #OTWOL

After what seemed to go on forever, On the Wings of Love finally bid adieu from our TV screens last Friday of February. Not leaving its faithful fans and supporters of Jadine (James Reid and Nadine Lustre), disappointed, they gave us our most awaited ending: A happy and memorable Pinterest-inspired (lol, it does look like one, doesn’t it?!) wedding for the love birds. ..and a glimpse of the newly weds inside a hotel room/do-not-disturb-us-we’re-lovemaking scene to cap off the night. It’s a nice ending, open to interpretation of what could’ve been or what had happened next, either way would be favorable for the viewers! 😉

Other than the show was more in touch with the realities of modern relationships, the team up of James and Nadine really, really worked in this show. Also let’s chip in that maybe there were no expectations enforced on them when they began this show (it’ll only be a lighthearted show about our OFW workers, with a little romance, maybe?) that resulted them to work well with it and unexpectedly bring success it achieved now. That and teamwork.

Call it their big break if you will (but Diary ng Panget will always be my favorite from them!). Surrounded by rumors, controversy, writeups and tweets since the moment they shot into fame, there was never a time that they weren’t asked if they are really together in real life. The two were adamant to give in to the public’s demands to just admit it because according to them, they are just friends. Sure, even though there were times that their actions around social media seem otherwise.

On screen, they had chemistry.. but will it surpass the screen and become real? Much to everyone’s (especially to the haters always mouthing that he will never like her) surprise, James admitted in public his feelings for Nadine during their concert and confessing to the media they’ve been a couple for a few days.What’s different with this relationship, he says, is that they started as friends to being best of friends.. and falling just happened naturally. Aw, yes that sounds like a solid foundation for a relationship indeed. Everyone just couldn’t help themselves but gush at that very moment. A “finally? finally!” moment for most who have been behind this duo since the beginning.

If you ask me, I was content with them just being close friends. BUT OKAY, NOW THAT THEY’RE REALLY/ACTUALLY TOGETHER – big yay! Just don’t be overly PDA because it sends the wrong message, alright?

I also didn’t follow the show from day one to the very last day. There came a point that it became too draggy that I stopped watching for a few weeks or more. I only came back when there’s about 2 weeks left for it to end. I don’t think I missed a lot though, since I was there in the very beginning when the two were just getting acquainted… and their feelings were getting prepped up to falling in love. 😂 Those are the key moments y’all needed to be there to witness for yourself.

I’d like to think the first 6 months were the best and important, because the hilariousness x kilig of it was there. My least favorite parts of the story and forgettable, can do withouts were the Simon chapter, and the one about Jigs becoming too obsessed with Leah (that made his mom fly back to the Philippines from USA only to find out he faked an injury to get Leah’s attention). The San Fransisco and their roadtrips are also instant favorites!

But anywayyyy… We will probably see more of them from this point on! I believe there’s even a summer movie in the works.

At the moment, now that it’s over, I think I miss the show a little. Let me tell you why:

1. Nothing to look forward to in its usual timeslot: Seems like it has become a habit that around the time this show would be around, my TV would be set to CH2 already. There’s a new show that replaced it now, but I don’t find it as interesting as OTWOL. Maybe it’ll get better, as with most shows do, but as of the moment, it’s not clinging on to my interests.

2. Twitter timelines are less noisier and busier than it used to: Okay, so I am not on Twitter that frequently anymore (on my old account anyway) buuut during OTWOL hour, it would always be filled with livetweets about the show.. and they were always entertaining. From people’s angry tweets towards Simon (Paulo Avelino’s character) parts of the story, to people’s quotable and memorable tweets related to the OTWOL universe, to how Tita Jack (portrayed by Cherry Pie Picache) represents the OTWOLISTAs feels.

3. Life is a little less kilig than it used to: Just because there’s less visuals of James Reid on Primetime now, am I right? 😛 Still amused how he’s this guy now, from the stick-thin, asthmatic boy from the PBB house some years ago I don’t remember how long ago that time is.

4. Our nights feel a little less optimistic and positive to start a better morning the following day: The thing I liked about this show, in the beginning anyway, was Leah’s perseverance and uber-positive attitude. Her phrases such as “push” and “achieve” were easy to remember, catchy, rolls off the tongue easily that people eventually started to use it in their day to day conversations too. Now we’re back to to our boring reminders to self that tomorrow we have school or work to get to in the morning and that we should sleep early, or that we have to be early tomorrow or else we’ll be stuck in traffic.

5. The need for more REALatable stories on air: Part of the show’s charm was how it was a balance of realistic and non-realistic factors in a relationship. Their fake marriage? Happens in real life, every day and to many people. Leah’s struggle with balancing her career, family and relationship with Clark towards the end of the series? Happens in real life. Choosing to make ends meet for your family first rather than your future with your husband? Happens in real life.

I’m tired of watching recycled teleseryes, recycled stories, rebooted shows that’s not even 20 years old and failing to match the original. This may not be the moooost original but the overall vibe was pleasant and positive and for now, that’s good enough for me to wrap my nights in ultimate good vibes.

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It was a breath of fresh air that a nighttime teleserye did not end with someone dying (accidentally, or tragically by getting shot) or the need to have an Action genre in it. At first I thought teleseryes like this are restricted in the morning timeslot, but I’m glad they went beyond and put it at a later time.

Looks like the TV network is pushing for more variety in their shows. Trying to stray away from the usual recipe in a local TV series and opting for a more lighter and fun approach for Primetime.

Now, if only they would stop creating shows about mistresses and cheating which by doing so, in my opinion, glorifies it. Also, it’s a very gasgas theme. We get it already. Please make shows about social issues next to better inform everybody since you have this much power to attract viewers of all ages.

Surely, I will get over missing OTWOL soon.. and on to the next show I will obsess about. Maybe I’ll go back to watching cartoons or something. But thanks for making us kilig for 7 months, Clark and Leah!