Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a dream so sweet you didn’t want to wake up. Because that’s exactly what Patrick (Joshua Garcia) just gave us in Episode 50 of "It's Okay to Not Be Okay." Forget the drama for a second because this is Patrick in his cutest 'lover boy' form.
Picking up from the very physical and childish fight of the Gonzales brothers in the previous episode, this one opens with its aftermath. Patrick is seen chuckling while Jason (Francis Magundayao) tends to his wounds from his “wrestling match” with Matmat (Carlo Aquino). It’s as if he's amused that it’s the first time he has ever fought back against his older brother’s tantrums, instead of silently enduring every hit, shout, and outburst like he always used to.
Patrick smiles as he comes to understand that he needs to widen the world he shares with his brother. He says his life belongs to him and not solely to Matmat, though his care for him will never change. Jason understands this means Patrick is ready to open up his world to Mia. When asked why Mia of all people, Patrick answers that it is because she is the loneliest person he has ever met.
On the other side of the ring, err, the compound, Matmat keeps sulking while Gemma (Kaori Oinuma) and Nanay Li (Rio Locsin) patch him up. He stubbornly denies Patrick as his brother until Nanay Li quips that maybe she should just adopt Patrick.
Just as expected, the day doesn’t close with anger between the two. Even without words, the look in Patrick’s eyes and the small gestures from Matmat show that they remain brothers bound by love. That night, Patrick watches over Matmat as he sleeps and smiles as he fixes Matmat's blanket—a smile of affection—before he receives a dinner invite from Mia.
Over at the mansion, Mia arms herself with a long umbrella, ready to strike at whoever is knocking at her door. To her surprise, it’s Patrick, arriving for the dinner she asks for. The scene feels like that of teenage lovers, with Patrick reminding her not to open doors too easily without knowing who’s on the other side.
During dinner at a restaurant, Mia spots the bruise on Patrick from his scuffle with Matmat. Since she can’t convince him to be the one to reach out first to his brother, she changes the subject and asks about his dreams. Patrick says two have already come true—traveling, even for a while, and finally fighting back against Matmat. And there’s one more, but he never gets the chance to say it as the scene cuts to a different kind of dream, literally, Patrick’s dream while he sleeps.
In the dream sequence, he and Mia are high school students who cross paths at an internet shop. Patrick ditches Jason inside to chase after Mia outside, where Matmat arrives in his work attire. In this universe, Matmat doesn’t have autism and he’s actually the one pushing Patrick to make a move on Mia.
“Gusto ko siya,” Patrick mumbles in his sleep. The murmurs wake Matmat, who studies his brother’s face closely before walking over to the emotion chart on the wall, tears falling as it dawns on him that Patrick’s expression is one of happiness. Matmat is deeply moved as it's the first time he has ever seen his brother truly happy. Do yourself a favor. Watch this sequence closely and marvel at Carlo’s beautiful performance that deserves a standing ovation.
The next day, Vincent (Enchong Dee) presses Mia for updates about the book she is working on. She has none to give. Instead, it’s Vincent who brings news about Samuel (Michael De Mesa)'s worsening cancer. As Vincent leaves, Mia takes out a photo tucked inside her planner notebook. It’s a photo her younger self with Ingrid and Samuel, but with Ingrid’s face ripped out of the frame.
The characters will soon have to face their past and traumas head-on.
Catch “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and TV5, weeknights at 8:45 PM. Watch it in advance on iWant.