The synopsis of Brother (apparently, that's Ang Probinsyano's international title) on Netflix reads: "When his twin is betrayed and slain in the line of duty as a police officer, a solitary military man takes his place on the force to avenge his death." But we all know that Ang Probinsyano is so much more than that.
It's the story of a policeman named Cardo Dalisay. A literal epic is what it is. A hero, pure of heart (and a killer smile to boot), that fights against the forces of evil, which include drug lords, human traffickers, corrupt government officials, rebels and terrorists.
It has heartbreak, explosions, plot twists, and very, very extreme close-ups. It has such a big cultural impact here in the Philippines that it has become a staying phenomenon in the minds of people who don't even watch it.
All Filipinos get the appeal of Cardo Dalisay, even if they may not like it. Filipinos love watching a hero struggle only to ultimately save the day and bring justice to the world in the end. Its these types of stories that makes us feel like everything is going to be alright despite what kind of shitty reality we're living in.
Though, this makes us wonder if people from other countries could also enjoy Ang Probinsyano as much as Filipinos seem to enjoy foreign series like KDramas, despite Ang Probinsyano or Brothers being heavily reliant on previously bringing watched in a Filipino context in mind. Are foreigners actually ready to see our boy Cardo Dalisay makes Chuck Norris look like a lost toddler in a playground. Are they ready to commit to watching 50 episodes, each one at least 40 minutes long, just to get finish the first season?
We aren't sure and we think it doesn't really matter as long as it's actually making it. Filipino shows are slowly itching their way into the mainstream; call it Filipino pride but that gives us hope.
But honestly, we're just happy that we can finally binge-watch the series on our own time. There go about twenty full-weekends.