My Day the Series – Episodes 8 & 9 [Review]

I’m still uncertain about these episodes. After reviewing my notes (yes, I know, I’m old-fashioned), I realized there’s a problem with consistency. The episodes lack continuity of quality. I’m constantly weaving between moments that are good, bad, and meh. I’m getting whiplash between them. I kept trying to give this a fair shake, but I’m counting how many episodes are left. (Editor’s Note:  14 dear heart)

 —Edited by TheFNGee

Episode 8

The Good

So let’s dive in, shall we? Let’s get started with the positive moments in this week’s episode. There is a genuine moment of connection between Ace and Sky while Ace comforts Sky. Sky is crying over his feelings of failure. Ace tells Sky that he believes in him – that he is there to support him in his future. It’s a heartfelt, tender moment, and I enjoyed it. So remember that, because I do have some issues with the delivery of the scene in the next section. Also, we have Ace helping Sky sell his mother’s barbecue while she runs an errand. He is inept at this but learns quickly. He’s very proud of himself for helping sell all of the barbecue. It’s a chance for him to show that he is willing to roll his sleeves up and help out when it is someone he cares about. He’s not too rich or too snobby to do the work.

We then have Ace coming over early to eat breakfast with Sky’s family. It’s quickly obvious that he feels at home here now. He loves the warmth of eating together as a family since he’s never had that. Also, I found Ken’s flirting funny. How he eyed Ace like he was a lollipop was mostly meant to annoy his brother. He succeeded. 😁 The next good moment had to be them trying on clothes for Benj’s party – this was so cute. I loved the silly dancing moves and the fashion show. It showcased their growing relationship and let us see different sides of their personality. They let their hair down a bit, and it was funny to watch. You could also see how much more comfortable they were with each other, and it was nice to see Ace loosen up and be silly. The dinner date was romantic. And what followed was steamy.

There were good kisses, and the “NC” scene lived up to the hype. I wasn’t crazy about the choking bit, but that’s just not my cup of tea. They were both committed to showing us these two people couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The chemistry was good. It didn’t feel awkward or forced, so kudos to them. There was a moment, a romantic moment amidst the passion that was perfectly placed. You will know it when you see it.

The Bad

This bit may be picky of me, but in the scene where we have Sky pouring his heart out, we have Ace sitting there looking like he’s waiting for Sky to finish talking so that he can say his lines. I feel the actor is not reacting “in the moment” to what is being said. He’s just counting the moments until his time comes to talk – that interferes with the flow of emotion. It’s like they are both monologuing at each other, not a conversation flowing between two people who are sharing burdens and worries with one another. Ace could have even done a physical moment –  something to react to how his partner in the scene was feeling. The scene would have worked better if there had been more back and forth dialog, along with micro-gestures of comfort. Another issue for me had to be that damn party. I don’t understand why we had to have every rich person go dress up and buy clothes like the sugar mama and sugar daddy they are for their boy toys, whom they brought to the event. Sky didn’t protest at the clothes, and I’m assuming that Jake didn’t either. A college intern and a waiter can’t afford tuxes. Yet when they show us the party, we have people in the most inappropriate clothes. There are people wearing jeans and a jacket. Some women are wearing jeans, and I think I spotted some athletic wear. This party is supposed to be ‘fancy dress’ given by a very rich person.

Why can’t the showrunners dress up their extras appropriately to fit the scene? And then we have Jam. How the hell did he randomly get invited, cause he’s a college intern too, and where was Jelai? I was also confused as to how he could afford the fancy clothes as well. It didn’t mesh well for me. Also, at the party, we have people facing an LED wall with nothing but lights on display, no DJ to be seen and they are dancing facing a wall, not each other. It was so strange. It’s as if the director told them to pretend there was a DJ in that direction and to dance. It felt odd and out of place. Lastly, I had to burst out laughing at how insanely lame the first date was. It looked like we were walking in on a wedding with all the archway of flowers. And the fireworks when the first kiss happened was cheesy. I know it was meant to be sweet, but fireworks, really? So over the top, it took me out of the moment.

The Meh

Finally, the gangster man in the cake office speaks. He’s apparently a chef since that is what Jelai calls him when they are gathering to gossip about Sky’s dismissal. The only contribution he has to the scene is to say something like: we can’t do anything about it, it’s management’s decision. Dear Captain obvious, thank you for your insight. 🙄😁 It’s like they needed someone to say it, so they threw some lines his way. I still think he’s a lump, which is more suited to portraying a gangster than a pastry chef. 🤷‍♀️ Then we have the dad character who is uncertain about what he’s supposed to do in his scenes. He feels like a lost lamb who wandered onto the set and has been plopped down amid a scene without any clue how he got there and what to do.

He blinks a lot and looks bewildered.😁 Maybe that’s his character, but I would like just a little more from him. Also, I’m a bit annoyed at all the crying. I really don’t have a problem with men crying, but every episode feels like someone is in tears. It’s getting on my nerves. It’s overused, and honestly, they aren’t that great at crying. Maybe they could try to express regret and sorry another way? Maybe, and I know this might be a reach, through facial expression, body language, and actual dialog. Sorry for the snark, but I know I’m going to have to sit through more tears each episode.

While I enjoyed the scene where they tried on outfits, the dead-eyed drama queen stylist needs a bit more polish to be believable. Either sell the gay camp or make him the straight man, but please pick one. He did us no favors in that scene. Nor did the setting, which looked like scaffolding and some warehouse with curtains and a couch. It did not have the upscale boutique flair at all. Now we come to the last meh, Jam. What the hell is his purpose in this show? His appearance and lines appear so randomly, like an afterthought. It feels as if the character doesn’t add to the scene. It also doesn’t feel like he’s best friends with Sky. Why was he invited to Benj’s party? And why wouldn’t he have told his best friend about it? Also, when Sky was dead drunk, his best friend should have driven him home instead of handing him off to his boss. So what is his purpose in these scenes? No idea. Maybe before the season is over, we will find out.

Episode 9

Nine episodes into the show and I learn that Sky and Jam are apparently students of Manila International Cooking School. I guess that says a lot. I want more from this show. I keep seeing genuinely enjoyable moments, but the rest overshadows them.

The Good

We have a flashback moment where Sky is still moping around and dumps Moira but gets interrupted by his mom in an outrageous outfit – she’s on her way to Zumba. This scene leads to the first cute moment of this episode, the Zumba class. I laughed at the Zumba lesson with choreography and music. It was so joyful and fun; I wanted to join in. I don’t know if Zumba sponsored it, or if they just needed a break from the drama, but either way, it worked. I have really warmed to the mom. She started off slowly, but she’s grown on me. Another warm moment had to be the cute wake-up scene at Ace’s place the morning after their first night together as lovers. There were no self-recriminations or doubt – there were only happy, playful morning kisses. You don’t see this often in BL. The morning after usually has one partner shy or reluctant. But this shows them being comfortable and happy with the choices they made – it’s nicely done.

The actors have come a long way from the place they started in Episode 1, so kudos to their growth. They are also more comfortable with each other, which is good for showing the growing intimacy between the characters. The shower scene – cute, but a little over the top. The plug for the soap didn’t help either. Sky on his knees talking about Ace’s little friend seemed either risqué or cruel, depending on your viewpoint. It didn’t work for me, but it was over quickly. Skye coming out to his mother, was nicely done. It felt authentic and sincere. I was glad he said he knew from a young age that he had these feelings. Too often in BL, we see the “only gay for you” trope, which delegitimizes properly queer relationships. I assume, even though it’s not explicitly stated, that he is bisexual, since he dated Moira as well.

I love the fact that the mom says there is nothing wrong with love – it’s very supportive. The dad gives them time before he comes into the scene. After Skye leaves, we hear that he heard everything. He behaves like a true husband and father for the first time this season, and I live for the moment they have their arms around each other in love and support. The last good thing about the episode was the loving new couple montage set to the opening song’s piano score. It’s beautifully done. You can’t help but smile when you see them playing with Chuk Chuk. The honeymoon phase is always filled with smiles, laughter, and a growing closeness. It’s lovely to see.

The Bad & The Meh

I’m rolling it into one this time because I can’t distinguish between the two. I don’t understand certain scenes’ purpose and how they are thrown in without any obvious planning or prep work. For example, at the beginning of the episode, they take us back several hours before the first date. And they show us Sky’s professor coming to talk to Ace about his performance. This scene was unnecessary and boring. It served no purpose other than to show you that Skye was on thin ice with his school due to his issues with Ace’s dad. But it did nothing for the actors who were stiff and wooden the entire time. And does Jam not have a last name? The instructor talks about Skye Mercado and Jam. They should have at least given the poor boy a last name, right? But I guess it’s like the rest of him, an afterthought and forgettable, And why the hell was Ace behind the desk wearing socks and what I consider shower shoes? How is that professional at all? Did y’all notice that?

Then we have the scene at the university. People are lining up in the lobby of the building to hand in paperwork? Does the dean or professor not have an office? I felt very confused about watching this. And Moira crying after Sky is mean to her. Seriously, she doesn’t care at all about him, and I’m supposed to care that he made her character cry because they played sad music? Talk about overly dramatic acting. 🙄 The meh for me had to be when Skye and Ace are having dinner together, and Ace shyly asks Skye if he’s the first. To which Skye replied, Partner? No, but you are my first boyfriend. I love his line, “Love has no gender.” Then we find out that Ace is pretty much a demisexual. A demisexual is someone who develops romantic feelings first, and with that comes physical attraction. He’d never had any partner before Skye. Personally, I wonder how he knew how to do all that, but the internet is a glorious tool. 😁 However, these heartfelt moments’ conversation felt as if they were ticking boxes in the script. I didn’t feel the connection was there.

Which leads to the final dumpster fire that is part four. I don’t understand this damn show. We had some good moments. Then they ruined it all by bringing up snot, poop, and farts. Are you 12? Is your audience a bunch of prepubescent boys? If the answer is yes, then feel free to include them. If the answer is no, who the hell thinks it’s funny at all? Nobody but the writer, that’s who. What a waste. Then we have Moira and her friend bumping Ms. Becky on the head in their foiled dognapping attempt (I don’t understand, so I can only shake my head at that). It looks like something out of an old sitcom, but that’s giving old sitcoms a bad reputation. Then when we have Ace rushing to pick Ms. Becky up off the floor, they put dramatic music on, and he looks so worried. She was bopped on the head by this weak ass girl, fell, and I’m supposed to worry? 🤣🤣🤣 I’m sorry, I can’t help it. So all in all, I’d say these episodes were pretty messy. Some genuinely good moments, but overshadowed and outweighed by the bad and the meh. Please tell me your thoughts. Agree? Am I missing something? Thanks again for sticking with me…..😁💕 Jen

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars for Both. [See our Review Guide]