I wasn’t particularly excited for Incognito when it was announced. I thought the premise and the cast were interesting, sure, and I knew it was bound to be a hit. I just didn’t think I’d be among those who’d be tuning in.

But then I needed something to play in the background while I was doing my chores, some white noise, and the first three episodes were already out on Netflix so I thought, “Fine! Why not?” I pressed play.

Let’s just say my dishes didn’t get washed and the floor remained unswept. Because for the next hour and a half, I remained seated on my couch, invested as hell.

Ragtag Bunch of Misfits

Star Creatives pulls out a classic trope in their newest teleserye about the disappointing, disgraced, and dishonorably discharged teaming up for another shot at a purpose and a possible redemption. 

Strong Ensemble

The format is very reminiscent of the Ocean’s franchise, Suicide Squad, or The Avengers. Films about assembling a team of different personalities and skills to reach a common goal. And mad props to the writers, because five episodes in, and these characters (who are named after our national heroes) are gray, intriguing, and all with a promise of depth.

But while my queer self is queening out for Kaila Estrada’s badass Max and I’m already sure Baron Geisler’s regretful Miguel can make me cry, the backstories of Daniel Padilla’s Andres and Richard Gutierrez’s Jose intrigue me the most.

Bigtime Guests

This capable ensemble aren’t the only ones worth watching here, though.

First few seconds, actually, and I thought I played the wrong show because what’s Belle Mariano doing here? (Also, Yangdon? Princess and I reference?) But apparently, she’s just the first of many bigshot guests on the show that include Agot Isidro, Raymond Bagatsing, Elijah Canlas, Jane De Leon, and many more. The flex feels excessive at times, to be honest!

Picturesque Locations

Speaking of flex, one moment we’re in Recto, the next we’re at the rice terraces in Mountain Province, then what looks like Puerto Galera? And the story hasn’t even taken us to Italy!

I’m managing my expectations because the teleserye format isn’t exactly conducive for sustaining these many locations and this level of production throughout its entire run, and yes, pilot weeks are always a flex, so I shouldn’t be surprised, but still! This scale is pretty darn impressive and I honestly can’t think of any serye that has operated on this level before.

Impressive Fight Scenes

And yes, I’m both glad and relieved that they delivered even in the action sequences. I’m not a fan of that explosion at the end of week one, but overall, the show manages to keep their action sequences dynamic, and well-shot, and they even feel true to the characters involved.

And by that, I mean there’s recklessness and chaos in the way the younger, inexperienced Tomas fights, which is absent in the more precise and experienced JB. Tomas also carries himself even in action scenes with more calm and composure compared to Andres, who seems to be quelling a wealth of anger at all times.

Real-world Problems

And I know Andres’ anger is justified, considering what we’ve seen so far from his backstory. And this, along with the rest of the crew’s stories, is where I believe Incognito could truly be an important piece of television today.

It’s not often that we see the plight of indigenous peoples depicted in primetime television, not this up front, at least. The biggest leading man of our time portraying a member of a minority group standing up to big money, fighting for their ancestral land, was a potent visual, and I hope the show does not hold back.

Also, seeing Richard Gutierrez play someone from a family of soldiers defying a corrupt president to the point of being discharged is quite interesting. That his real-life dad is playing a general who’s blindly loyal to his commander-in-chief makes it even more fun to explore in the future.

Possible Growing Pains

As the serye enters its second week, I hope that it is able to sustain not even the scale and grandeur of its locations but the tightness of its writing and the deftness of its direction.

But if they do require big sets and stunt-heavy scenes, I hope they’re afforded ample time and budget to pull them off. We’ve seen it so many times, unfortunately, where a teleserye that started really strong dwindled in quality as it reached its last few weeks. It’d be a shame if Incognito plummeted to the same fate.

Second Chances

The Filipino teleserye viewer has pretty much a clear-cut idea of what a bida and a kontrabida are. Black and white. Good and evil. The bida can never do wrong. The kontrabida must burn in hell.  

And to me, this is where Incognito’s true strength comes in. Not the fight choreography, not the camerawork or lavish locations, not its long list of talented actors. Its true strength is that it doesn’t feature a messianic figure that does no wrong. It features characters just as flawed, if not more, as the rest of us, striving to do good despite their past. 

It is important that we see heroes who have done bad things, so that we may be reminded that we can still do heroic things despite having done bad things ourselves. It is important to see villains doing good things because it reminds us that goodness can be performed by our truest enemies. 

May we know the difference.

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