Incognito

My recent viewing experience with this series started with promise, but quickly veered into a familiar and frustrating territory: that of a story simply refusing to end. What began as an engaging narrative soon became a drawn-out exercise in patience, making me question the prevailing trend in Philippine television to prioritize sheer length over tight, impactful storytelling.

The Good (Initially): To its credit, the series initially captured my interest. There were intriguing character dynamics, a compelling premise, and the early episodes hinted at a well-structured plot with a clear direction. The initial pacing felt appropriate, allowing for character introduction and plot development without unnecessary filler.

The Dragging Reality: However, as the series progressed, the quality began to noticeably decline. The central conflict, which should have been the driving force, became diluted by an endless stream of tangential subplots and repetitive scenarios. It felt less like organic storytelling and more like a deliberate attempt to stretch the narrative thin. Moments that should have been concise and impactful were instead drawn out with unnecessary scenes, and new "side quests" emerged without serving the overarching plot in any meaningful way.

The "Cash Cow" Conundrum: This brings me to the core of my frustration: the palpable sense that the series' longevity was prioritized above all else. It's as if the primary goal shifted from telling a compelling story to simply occupying a time slot for as long as possible, presumably to maximize advertising revenue. This "cash cow" mentality, while understandable from a business perspective, ultimately sacrifices artistic integrity and viewer satisfaction. When a series feels like it's designed to be long rather than genuinely needing to be long, the engagement suffers significantly.

Why So Long, Philippines?

This experience highlights a broader question about Filipino teleseryes. While there might be cultural preferences for intricate family sagas and daily viewing habits that support extended runs, the constant drive for quantity often seems to overshadow the potential for quality. Instead of delivering a concise, impactful narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end, many series opt for an open-ended structure that allows for indefinite extensions. This approach often leads to plot fatigue, character stagnation, and a general sense of the story "dragging."

Final Verdict: While I appreciate the initial effort and the talent involved, the series ultimately became a casualty of its own ambition for longevity. It's a prime example of how an otherwise promising story can lose its way when the focus shifts from narrative integrity to maximizing runtime. For future Filipino productions, I sincerely hope to see a greater emphasis on crafting tighter, more purposeful narratives, where every episode contributes meaningfully to the story, rather than just adding to the clock. Quality, not just quantity, should be the ultimate goal.

After "The Iron Heart", ABS-CBN brings out a new action-drama series through Star Creatives Production titled, "Incognito". Directed by Lester Pimentel Ong, the series stars Richard Gutierrez and Daniel Padilla-in his first action lead and comeback series on ABS-CBN.

So far, "Incognito" has an impactful storyline with great execution of action scenes plus impeccable acting of the cast, from the lead stars to the secondary characters. The series' theme song, "Liwanag sa Dilim" performed by Pablo of SB19 fits the lyrics. The cinematography is faultless, features many stunning drone shots of various parts of Benguet, Palawan, and Italy. The plot is giving and there is a good balance of heavy drama, with notable performances by Belle Mariano as Takako Rai, the only daughter of rich businessman. Daniel Padilla and Richard Gutierrez have great on-screen presence and they have showcase some well-crafted stunt work. What also helps bring the series to new heights are stellar performances by Ian Veneracion, Baron Geisler, Anthony Jennings, Maris Racal, and Kaila Estrada, as well as Jane De Leon who is really stunning in the series, Elijah Canlas, and many more. A high recommendation for those who love a decent solid action and adventure storyline.

"Incognito" is currently streaming on Netflix and iWantTFC. Also airs weeknights at 8:45 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, Jeepney TV, and TV5.

I appreciate the effort, the concept and the production value. However, there are small important details in every episode that doesn't make any sense and it negatively affects the show overall. Whether it's a missing explanation, an impossible gun fight scene, or a script that does not support the character's (supposedly) natural reaction, this show failed to capture the realism we hoped for a big budget Netflix Filipino series like this. It still has a long way to go to get on par with the good international series' on the mentioned platform. The cast and production value carries everything for this show though.

Incognito was marketed and promised to be the next big action show in the Philippines-something with world-class acting and fight scenes that could compete with top-tier action series from other countries. Naturally, I had high expectations. But the moment the first episode dropped, it became painfully clear that the show was nowhere near that level.

The most glaring issue? The action sequences. They feel unpolished, awkward, and in some cases, downright laughable. One scene that stood out for the wrong reasons was when Aljur Abrenica fired his gun at the exact moment an extra conveniently walked past the barrel-seriously, where was the fight coordinator or choreographer?

And then there's the acting. The script and dialogue were already weak, but Richard Gutierrez's performance made it even worse. He was completely outclassed by his co-stars, making his scenes feel stiffer in comparison. The show as a whole suffers from this lack of energy, making it clear that while it aspires to be a high-stakes action thriller, the execution just isn't there.

Plot-wise, Incognito is nothing special-just your typical action show. But what makes it even more frustrating is that even the most basic scenes feel like they were shot on a shoestring budget. There were scenes that should have been executed with precision, but instead, they come off as lazy and poorly planned, as if they were just there because the plot demanded it, not because they actually wanted to craft something good.

The overall production quality just doesn't match the hype. If they were truly aiming for a series that could stand alongside the action shows of neighboring countries, they missed the mark completely.

Honestly, Incognito blew me away. This isn't just the best action series from ABS-CBN. It might just be the best action series ever made in the Philippines. The production quality is on another level. You can really tell they invested in the training, the locations, and the cinematography. Every episode feels like a movie. The fight scenes? Solid. The stunts? Intense. And the cast? Perfectly chosen. Richard Gutierrez and Ian Veneracion nailed their roles, and even the younger cast like Maris and Anthony really held their own. Baron Geisler brought that signature intensity, Daniel Padilla completely transformed into a legit action star, and Kaila Estrada impressed me with her quiet strength and presence onscreen.

Every episode keeps you hooked. It's not your typical teleserye. It's fast-paced, smart, and emotionally grounded. Incognito proves that Filipino-made action can be world-class. ABS-CBN just raised the standard, and I'm here for it.