When The Broken Marriage Vow landed on Philippine national TV in January, the mold-breaking rework of the acclaimed British drama Doctor Foster has become a huge hit for teleserye-loving Filipinos. (If you’re a fan of Korean dramas, you probably know of its equally intriguing Korean version, The World of the Married.)
Photo from ABS-CBN Entertainment Official Website
The Filipino adaptation of BBC’s ‘Doctor Foster’ gives us all the feels—the good and the bad!
The Broken Marriage Vow is a tale of lies, betrayal, resurrection, and eventual revenge. It tells the story of how the seemingly perfect life of Dr. Jill Ilustre (Jodi Sta. Maria) turned upside down when she discovered her husband David (Zanjoe Marudo) is having an affair with Lexy Lucero (Sue Ramirez), the rich yet naive daughter of an influential business tycoon.
Since the show is based on a British series, it follows a pretty Western pattern in its storytelling. Breaking free from other local kabit-serye conventions, The Broken Marriage Vow has no cartoonish catfights or over-the-top Marites-style public confrontations. Instead, the series focuses on its characters by giving them depth—with room to grow and nuances to their flaws and strengths.
The story itself is a maelstrom of emotions, with each episode effectively shifting between dramatic, thrilling, and downright upsetting. And when we say upsetting, we mean those gigil, fist-clenching moments where we feel for the wronged Jill Ilustre. Check out our picks for those gigil moments you can’t help but watch!
WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Broken Marriage Vow!
Screenshot from ABS-CBN Entertainment Official Website
- The fireplace and the lies
This is the first time Jill confronts David if he has an affair—the first time he lied to her face. It happened at the culmination of Jill’s hunches after discovering strange items in David’s belongings, such as a used lip balm and a strand of blonde hair. Jill also found out David has been consistently clocking out early from work. While snuggling in front of the fireplace, Jill confronts her husband regarding her suspicions, which he denies. David’s answer was one that Jill was probably hoping for, but not one that she needed. David even had the nerve to swear his faithfulness in their son’s name!
Screenshot from ABS-CBN Entertainment Official Website
- David and Lexy get steamy
This happens several times in the series, but the first time was right after the birthday party where Jill confirmed David’s affair with Lexy. It’s juxtaposed with Jill’s breakdown in their house to make the scene more agitating, while Morissette Amon’s “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” plays in the background. Seemingly out of impulse, Jill took off her wedding ring, packed her bags, and considered leaving before ultimately deciding against it.
Then, 20 episodes later, this would happen again, but it was much more painful. Jill would catch David and Lexy brazenly doing the deed inside Lexy’s parked car in broad daylight. In a sick twist of fate, this happened just a few hours after she was suspended from her job at the hospital, which brings us to our next moment…
Screenshot from ABS-CBN Entertainment Official YouTube
- Jill vs. Enzo
If you think David and Lexy are the most deplorable characters in the series, you better think again. Meet Enzo (Joem Bascon), Dianne’s sociopathic ex-boyfriend. Dianne (Jane Oineza) is Jill’s university student turned accomplice. Jill saved Dianne from Enzo’s abusive behavior by threatening him, and she even helped Dianne start over by giving her a new place to stay and making her realize her worth. In return, Dianne agreed to be Jill’s spy and prove David’s unfaithfulness. However, this would all come back to bite Jill as Enzo proves how dangerous he is. He used Jill’s assault on him to ruin her reputation and her life. He even gathered details about Jill to strengthen his case against her.
If you’ve religiously followed The Broken Marriage Vow, then you would know the details of Enzo’s revenge and what happens next. If not, then it’s easy to catch up on past episodes on Viu. Stream exciting Asian TV shows for free or get premium access for an uninterrupted and ad-free watching experience. You can get Viu Premium through PLDT Home for only P80 per month charged to your PLDT Home bill.
Screenshot from When in Manila
- The birthday and the BIG reveal
This is probably the most iconic moment in the entire series. Acting on Dianne’s tip, Jill rummaged through David’s car and found a secret second phone containing a ton of evidence of David’s unfaithfulness. As if to rub salt on her wounds, she also realized that the people she calls friends knew about the affair but kept it from her. Jill was murderous, but, thankfully, she came back to her senses. The scene trended on social media the same night it was released. Viewers emphasized Jodi’s exceptional acting, further cementing her position among the greatest Filipino actresses of all time.
Screenshot from ABS-CBN Entertainment Official YouTube
- Dinner turned disaster
This scene brought Jill’s apparent rebirth into fruition. Following her metaphoric drowning, she emerged like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Stronger and more confident, Jill arrives at the Lucero house with David. Jill reveals David and Lexy’s affair to Lexy’s parents without batting an eyelash, which was followed by an emotional and physical confrontation. To further complicate things, Lexy’s father, Fred (Art Acuña), also happens to be David’s business partner and a major investor in his real estate development company. When it was all said and done, the victorious Jill coldly leaves the Lucero house like a campy action star walking away from an explosion she triggered.
Do you have your own favorite gigil moments from The Broken Marriage Vow? Share them with us in the comments!