So much ‘Dirty Linen’ (Latest Sabong News)

Just when it seemed that thrillers on Philippine television were supplied solely by streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, along comes a new local series to remind us that when it comes to densely plotted ensemble pieces, the Pinoys remain in fighting form too. ABS-CBN’s Dirty Linen , the pilot episode of which aired last month, has shown promise and has continued to enthrall audiences. In the revenge drama (if you plan to binge-watch this show via iwantTFC, like I did, and would be loathe to encounter spoilers, skip the next few paragraphs), Alexa (Janine Gutierrez) infiltrates the household as a maid of the wealthy and extremely influential Fiero family after the sudden disappearance of her mother Olivia (Dolly De Leon), whom Alexa suspects was killed by the Fieros after they made it appear that Olivia ran away and stole jewelry worth millions. To execute her grand plan of exposing the Fieros’ dirty secrets, Alexa takes justice into her own hands and connives with her second family—Rolando (Joel Torre), Lala (Jennica Garcia), Max (Christian Bables), and Nico (Seth Fedelin)—who are also seeking justice for their family members who suffered greatly in the hands of the Fieros. Alexa changes her identity to Mila and exhausts all means to take down the Fiero family led by the matriarch Cielo (Tessie Tomas), Feliz (Angel Aquino) and her husband Ador (Epy Quizon), “sabong king” Carlos (John Arcilla) and his wife Leona (Janice de Belen), and their children Aidan (Zanjoe Marudo) and Chiara (Francine Diaz). However, love unexpectedly gets in the way of Alexa’s revenge game as she grows closer to the unsuspecting and charming “golden boy” of the family, Aidan. In her quest for justice, Alexa will slowly uncover that the Fieros’ reputation is actually tainted by scandalous affairs, sordid issues, and far more dirty secrets than she ever imagined. Will Alexa succeed in exposing the Fieros and uncover the truth about her mother’s disappearance? Is it still possible for Alexa and Aidan to fall in love? Dirty Linen may just seem like a clever retelling of numerous revenge plotted dramas that have flooded the country, but its grand themes of  hope, justice and forgiveness make it more than a little implausible as a modern TV drama. But leaving aside its bombast, it has already proved itself to be neatly plotted and has delivered a few clever twists and turns. Dirty Linen ’s stunning first week aired a couple of weeks ago had us hooked with its various subplots. And the usual problem with stuffing so many twists into the pilot week is that you then have to deal with the consequences in the following weeks, and you’d better make it good if you want your fans to stay happy. One way to deal with this is to pick up right where you left off, giving you a chance to explore the stories—which the show does extremely well. Another thing that Dirty Linen has done well is make us care more about the characters, including the protagonists Alexa and Aidan, two of the most magnetic characters of the show. Janine as Alexa has the right mix of girl-next-door sweetness and buxom vampiness to have us believe she’s a scheming woman but not despising her. Then there’s the social commentary of the show as evidenced in the matriarch Cielo (magnificently played by Tessie Tomas) as she shows how the upper echelon lives. And then there’s the social media-conscious Tonet Fiero (the comebacking child actress Xyriel Manabat), whose concerns about losing her followers after the porn business of her father is exposed, may seem vapid offhand but is actually valid in real life for a lot of its young viewers. Dirty Linen airs on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC, and Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Viewers who use any digital TV box at home such as TVplus only need to rescan their device to be able to watch Dirty Linen on TV5 and A2Z. The show is also available to viewers in and out of the Philippines on iWantTFC, while viewers outside of the Philippines can watch on The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and IPTV.