‘Incognito’ REVIEW: Doesn’t Hold Back Its Punches
‘Incognito’ REVIEW: Doesn’t Hold Back Its Punches
A still from Incognito / Courtesy of Netflix
It has been a long time since I watched a local TV show. As a solid Kapamilya, my family and I used to binge all the classic ones when they were airing. But as I grew older, time went by so fast that I couldn’t even catch up with the latest offerings of Philippine television.
But despite the many challenges, ABS-CBN, through Kapamilya Channel, managed to adapt to the drastic changes that the age of streaming has brought to the media world. They have withstood not only their franchise trials but also the test of digital takeover, coming up with back-to-back series hits such as The Broken Marriage Vow, Dirty Linen, and Can't Buy Me Love that cater to diverse audiences.
And right on top of their 2025 catalog is the drama action series, Incognito, a new binge-able show that boasts of big names like Richard Gutierrez, Baron Geisler, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Kaila Estrada, Ian Veneracion, and Daniel Padilla. Directed by Lester Pimentel Ong, it deals with a group of misfits tasked with a series of confidential military operations.
A still from Incognito / Courtesy of Netflix
Watching Incognito was like a breeze. Each episode consists of 23-36 minutes and each time one ends, I see myself wanting more. As the show opens with its awesome OBB featuring “Liwanag sa Dilim”, you know you’re in for a ride. The first five episodes were enough to convince me that this show is worth watching.
What stood out to me was how refreshing the show was for a Filipino action series. Most of the time, we get a military man slash run-of-the-mill hero at the center, the main character who owes their life to the deus ex machina. This time, Incognito gives us an ensemble of fighters each with different quirks and specialties which makes it more interesting.
While watching the show, all I could think of was Money Heist, another Netflix series. This was not a bad thing; it was just fun to see the show's parallels with another one I liked. Col. Greg Paterno, played by Ian Veneracion, is a contractor who brings these strangers together for an important mission, just like El Professor gathering the robbers for his master plan.
The dynamics of the group make the show more entertaining. Richard Gutierrez’s JB is the serious one, and is easy to relate to. He’s someone who constantly wants to make their parents proud. Baron Geisler as Miguel is quiet and intelligent, a foil to Anthony Jennings’ inexperienced Tomas. Daniel Padilla’s Andres’ backstory of a kidnapped brother is a nice touch to his reserved and tough persona.
My personal “bias” from the group is Kaila Estrada as Max, who feels like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s second coming. Her mystery is her allure, and I can’t wait to discover more about her character. Though, the most mysterious of them all is Maris Racal as Gab, who is yet to appear in the show but has been marketed as part of the big squad.
Tying them together is dishonorable discharges and murky pasts, as all of them have been wronged for doing what’s right in their eyes. As early as five episodes, the show already gives some much-needed commentary on this broken country. We see Andres’ community being oppressed by landlords who will stop at nothing to steal their lands and JB’s radicalization due to a corrupt president. Then, we have the Escaleras, the burgis family archetype whose source of income only comes from illegal dealings.
One more thing that I appreciated from this is how nicely choreographed the action scenes were. They don’t hold back punches, and they don’t fear blood. However, there are still some absurd fight sequences. With Incognito, you can see the Netflix imprint with its slick style and quality action, but it never forgets its Filipino roots through family and camaraderie. I can’t wait for the rest of the series, whether they do multiple arcs (which I can see working) or just focus on Belle Mariano’s character’s abduction.
Incognito is now streaming on Netflix and iWantTFC. You can also watch the show from Monday to Friday on the Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, Jeepney TV, and TV5.
