Is Dirty Linen changing the face of teleseryes in the Philippines? Dolly de Leon thinks so.
The internationally acclaimed actress recently talked about the trending series in an interview with Mega Style.
Dolly said, "I really believe that Dirty Linen is changing the landscape of how we make teleseryes
“Ang ganda-ganda ng Dirty Linen—from the way it's written to the acting, the actors, the direction.
"It gives me a lot of hope in the industry, kasi this is really something I can be so proud of.”
Dolly has first-hand experience about the trending Kapamilya series because she guest-starred in it.
And her role was iconic. She appeared only a few minutes in the first episode, but she left an impact.
Dirty Linen is a prime-time drama in the long line of successful Kapamilya revenge dramas, like Wildflower in 2017 and The Killer Bride in 2017. In this genre, a scorned woman takes on an elaborate revenge plan against a mega-rich family that wronged her.
Here's a sketch of what Dirty Linen is all about.
WHO ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS OF DIRTY LINEN?
Alexa Salvacion (Janine Gutierrez)
She is a young woman who has to work as a maid in the Fiero mansion to investigate the death of her mother in the mansion.
Rolando Sinag (Joel Torre)
Alexa’s father figure. He works in the mansion as a driver to investigate the death of his wife Riza.
Lala Millado (Jennica Garcia) and Max Dionisio (Christian Bables)
Two friends who are helping Alexa to take down the Fieros. They also have family members who were murdered by the Fieros.
Nico Sinag (Seth Fedelin)
He is Rolando’s son who falls in love with a young Fiero.
Chiara Fiero (FRANCINE DIAZ)
She is the young Fiero who gets to know Nico
Doña Cielo Fiero (Tessie Tomas)
She is matriarch of the Fiero family.
Carlos Fiero (John Arcilla)
He is Doña Cielo’s son. He heads the clan’s gambling operations, and is a womanizer.
Leona Fiero (Janice de Belen)
Carlos’s ruthless wife. She has a secret brutal fighting business.
Feliz Fiero (Angel Aquino)
Doña Cielo’s daughter. She is addicted to gambling.
Ador Pavia (Epy Quizon)
He is Feliz’s husband who used to own an online porn business.
Aidan Fiero (Zanjoe Marudo)
He is the kind son of Carlos and Leona.
Tonet Pavia (Xyriel Manabat)
She is the ambitious young daughter of Feliz and Ador.
SYNOPSIS
Dirty Linen premiered on January 23, 2023, with a shocking performance from Dolly de Leon.
The story immediately begins in 2007 with the murder of Dolly’s character, Olivia, who works at the Fiero mansion, and is shot to death for still unknown reason.
Members of the Fiero clan who discover her bloodied body all conspire to hide her corpse, along with three other househelps who witness the murder, and are also killed to avoid scandal.
The Fieros concoct a story to the police that Olivia and the other househelps were thieves that ran away with their jewelry.
Alexa, the daughter of Olivia, along with Lala and Max, who are all then kids, refuse to believe the Fiero story and vow to get answers when they get older.
Years later, the three reunite. Together with Rolando, they hatch a plan to uncover the truth about their missing relatives.
Rolando and Alexa are able to infiltrate the mansion as a driver and a maid, respectively.
Lala and Max, meanwhile, work outside to gather information about the Fieros that they can release to the public.
SCANDALS
Here are the Fiero family’s scandals that the show’s protagonists have uncovered so far:
Ador’s Online Porn Operation
Alexa finds a container van in the Fiero compound where Ador abuses the maids in the house, and makes videos of them to sell them online.
This operation has been ongoing for a long time with Alexa uncovering a video with Riza, who died in 2007.
Feliz’s Gambling Addiction
Max tails Feliz to an illegal gambling den, and finds that she’s deep in debt.
Leona’s Lioness Den
Lala discovers Leona spends her evenings at an illegal fighting ring, where she livestreams fighting men and rewards them with huge money when they win their bouts.
And here are the other scandals that are yet to be discovered.
MYSTERIES TO BE UNRAVELED
Dirty Linen’s fans have several speculations about these:
Who are Chiara’s parents?
Chiara’s mom and dad are supposedly Leona and Carlos, but Leona is always cold to her.
Fans speculate that she was the baby that Olivia was carrying before she died, and, therefore, is not Leona’s daughter.
Who Killed Olivia?
It is still a mystery who shot Olivia that fateful night, but some fans speculate that it is Feliz that did it after learning it was Ador who got Olivia pregnant.
The Fiero Inheritance
Recently, Feliz has been asking Doña Cielo for her inheritance so she can migrate with her family abroad.
But the matriarch doesn’t want to give it to her.
Fans speculate that there’s a problem with the last will and testament of the clan’s patriarch.
VIEWERS' RECEPTION
Dirty Linen episodes constantly trend online, and several of its controversial scenes have gone viral.
Many viewers have agreed with Dolly about the show being game-changing.
The pace is fast, and twists can happen in midweek. Some of the storylines can be outlandish and unbelievable, but they are still fun to watch.
Viewers also praise the subtle nods to real-life issues, such as the ill effects of gambling in a community, mental health concerns, and government corruption.
Some of the characters also allude to real-life figures, like Doña Cielo, who seem to embody Imelda Marcos. (An aside: Tessie Tomas used to mimic Imelda in her comedy sketches before.)
Fans also laud the performances of the actors.
Jennica Garcia, in particular, is getting rave reviews because she is acing her comeback role after retiring from showbiz momentarily.
Do you also watch Dirty Linen?
What are your favorite scenes and what are your theories about the show?