Episode 1

Unexpected is yet another do-it-yourself (DIY) Filipino (Pinoy) boys' love (BL) series. With the current BL craze in the Philippines, there's a proliferation of low-budget Pinoy BL series such as Unexpected. Like the Pinoy BL series Safe Haven, Unexpected suffers from very weak plot, performance, and production. Basing from Episode 1, the plot/storyline seemed very shallow. The screenplay required refinement to make it more natural. The script lacked gender sensitivity as well. Even the series description referred to having a bisexual chat mate as unfortunate. I can only wish that the cast and crew have undergone a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) workshop before doing this Pinoy BL series. While Norman has his own charms and his acting was tolerable, the support cast needs to really improve their performance. They were generally unnatural with pointless hand movements and unnecessary vocal intonations. Editing also needs a lot of improvement. There were lengthy scenes that could have been shortened to make the scenes more compact. Even the English subtitles require editing. Indeed, the increase in the production of Pinoy BL series contributes to the normalization of same-sex relationships in Philippine society. While the efforts to produce more Pinoy BL series are laudable, producers should also strive for quality production. That's really the main challenge for a low-budget Pinoy BL series such as Unexpected. I hope Unexpected progress in succeeding episodes.

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