New soap on the block

Watched the premiere episode of ABS-CBN's remake of Gulong ng Palad last night, and so far, it's pretty good. The kids who played the young version of the leads weren't too pa-cute, and they held their own in scenes with veterans like Joel Torre (who's getting a bit more paunchy now), Juan Rodrigo (still good-looking as always), Rio Locsin, and the incomparable Cherie Gil.

I liked how the story moved quickly—usually, in local soaps, they drag the childhood years for a week or two before fast-fowarding to the "present." Last night, the episode ended with a shot of the grown-up Luisa (played by Kristine Hermosa), so I'm looking forward to an equally fast-paced plot for the rest of the season.

My only beef so far is how Cherie Gil's clothes, glamorous as she may look in all of them, seem a little too trendy to the point that it gets distracting. I mean, a backless dress and knee-high boots for her husband's funeral? Not really apt, don't you think?

I confess that part of GNP's appeal for me lies in the male lead, TJ Trinidad, who's cute as hell; and also I can't resist the urge to poke criticism at Kristine Hermosa's acting—ever notice that her voice gets all shrill when she cries? Hopefully she's a better actress now. In the meantime, at least now I'll have something to keep me occupied until the new season of American Idol airs.