SAY Maricel Soriano, and you expect a lot: great acting, flawless skin, timeless charm and razor sharp wit, among others. The award-winning actress, who moved us in Saan Darating ang Umaga and Hinugot Sa Langit, is the same person who sparkled with electrifying dance moves in Maricel Live! back in the day.
And those moves are actually what are etched in my mind forever of Maricel. Particularly in the movie Jack en Poy, where she shimmied to “Shake Body Dancer,” the steps of which are forever engraved in pop culture. Jack en Poy remains to be one of my favorite Pinoy movies of all time. In fact, I can watch it over and over again. The many times I’ve seen it on Cinema One, I dropped everything, still laughing at the zany antics of Jack (Maricel) and Poy (Roderick), childhood friends in a bizarre arranged marriage by their more bizarre parents. It is a fun movie filled with Jack and Poy trading funny insults. I wish some movie producer would bring Maricel Soriano and Roderick Paulate together again in the big screen for some pure, unadulterated fun.
But that doesn’t mean I am not excited for Maricel’s return to TV drama via The General’s Daughter on ABS-CBN. The prime-time show sees Maricel pitting acting talents with Angel Locsin. I caught the pilot episode (according to Kantar Media, it scored a 38-percent rating) and it was there I got to know 2nd Lt. Rhian Bonifacio (Angel). She went on a critical mission to save a group of fishermen seized by Chinese coast guards in the West Philippine Sea but she faced peril in doing so. Luckily, her body was brought ashore to Elai (Arjo Atayde) and Nanay Isabelle’s (Maricel) home, who will give her refuge until she has fully recovered.
As the show progresses, Rhian will know that everything she knows about her family is a lie. You see, growing up, Rhian was led to believe that her biggest enemy is the family of the de Leons led by Marcial de Leon. To please her parents, she enters the military as a spy, and eventually infiltrates Marcial’s personal life. As she gets closer to Marcial and his family, Rhian also inches her way toward the truth that will redefine her life—her true father is Marcial, and that her foster family only made her a pawn to kill their archnemesis.
Aside from the lies she has to put up with, love will also be one of Rhian’s enemies as Franco (Paulo Avelino) and Ethan (JC de Vera) both fight for her affection. Rhian will also meet her biggest rival, Jessie (Ryza Cenon), the ex-girlfriend of Ethan, who will compete with Rhian to bring her former lover back into her arms.
The General’s Daughter also stars Arjo Atayde, Ronnie Alonte, Loisa Andalo, Art Acuna, Anne Feo, Cholo Barretto, Kim Molina, Kate Alejandrino, Luz Valdez and Nico Antonio. It is under the direction of Manny Palo and Mervyn Brondial.