I never thought the concept of death can be explained in TV in the most raw and sincere manner, the way it was explained in the teleserye Dream Dad. Out of all the places, here in free TV, on a teleserye.
Just a recap of tonight's episode.
Dream Dad - Episode 03/25/2015
Alex's father is confined in a hospital after having a heart attack. In the hospital, their family had a happy day together, listening to Alex's father's and mother's theme song and dancing to its tune.
In this happy scene, Alex's father lies down to rest. He closes his eyes albeit for the last time. Her father dies in bed.
On the next scene, we see Alex and her brother's in front of their father's grave, sad and mourning. Baste stays on a safe distance just looking at her from afar. Baby stands close to her. Then Baby asks why Alex is sad and why people become sad when someone dies.
Baste explains that people get sad because when someone dies, they will never see that person again. The person will never come back. And they get sad that they won't come back because they love that person so much.
Baby gets sad as well. Baste asks why. Baby says she don'e want Baste to die. Baste tells her that she will not die. He promises.
Baby then tells Baste that she wishes Tita Alex will not close herself in her room, the way Baste did when her girlfriend, Angel died. Baste assured her that it won't happen. She will knock on her door every single day, the way Baby knocks on Baste's door every day as he mourns. She promises Baby that He will not let Alex down, that she will always be there for her.
Death has always been a very sensitive topic. There are many depictions, interpretations. In the movie 'What Dreams May Come', when you die, you go to a place almost like a painting, with all its colors and hues, sometimes bright and radiant, sometimes bright and gloomy. In the 'Gladiator', dying means meeting your dead families on a golden field. In most teleserye and films, dying is depicted as walking to a bright light with departed loved ones welcoming you in white, flowing robes. All these interpretation are geared towards giving those left behind a positive experience. Like sugarcoating a bitter candy.
But death is never sweet, and we should never pretend that it is sweet. When someone dies, they leave you forever, and they will never come back. They are gone forever. And if you love them, it will hurt, big time.
That's where I think 'Dream Dad' did a very great job of portraying. Baste explained the finality. He didn't add any color, like 'they are just sleeping very long' or 'they are with the angels now' or 'we will meet them soon beyond the pearly white gates'. Death is the end for the person that dies. That's it.
And there is a deep reason to be sad. Sadness is not something that should be coated on its surface with rainbows and ribbons.
Instead of sugarcoating, Baste moved forward. He told Baby that he will always be knocking on Alex's door every day until she comes out. He will always be there for her. Because that's the only way to handle death. We support those most affected and make them feel less sadder. Make them feel happier with those that are left behind. That's the most we can do to cope with death.
One of the best explanations of death on TV, and they even did it with a child as an actor.
I must commend the actors' performance in this episode. In that scene where Baste and Baby are talking you can feel Baste's sincerity thanks to Zanjoe Marudo's non-overacting. You can feel that Baby is really sad with the realization that Baste might die. That scene right there is topnotch acting. Looking forward to more quality writing and acting from this series and in TV in general.
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