Series / The Rich Man's Daughter

The Rich Man's Daughter a.k.a. TRMD, is a series aired by GMA Network in the Philippines. It is the first lesbian series in the country and also has the same head writer and creator of the first Philippine gay series, My Husband's Lover. Suzette Doctolero is the head writer and Dominic Zapata serves as the director for both series. It premiered on May 11, 2015. The principal characters are Jade Tanchingco (Rhian Ramos) and Althea Guevarra (Glaiza De Castro).

Jade Tanchingco is the favorite daughter of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino family that owns several businesses. At her brother's wedding, Jade meets the wedding coordinator, Althea Guevarra. The two have an immediate attraction and develop a close friendship which turns into a deep relationship. However, this bond threatens Jade's relationship with her traditional, patriarchal family.

The series is loosely based on the true story of lesbian Hong Kong socialite Gigi Chao, whose father offered roughly 65 million American Dollars to a man who could marry her. The series discusses the intersection of different cultures namely Filipino-Chinese traditions, arranged marriages, coming out in an ultraconservative family deeply embedded in tradition, the search for identity, and the role of women in such familial arrangements.

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Tropes:

• Abusive Parents:
  • The Tanchingco family has no shortage of this starting from John Tanchingco especially to Oscar.
  • Oscar also became one to his children most especially to his gay son and lesbian daughter. Guess you really can't give what you never had.
  • Tommy, to his son Miggy.
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • Jade and her brothers call their father "Dada".
  • Before their falling out, Paul used to call Jade "Shobe" an affectionate term for little sister in Chinese.
• After Action Patch Up: Althea puts ointment on Jade's cheek after she was slapped by Wila and serves as one of the first scenes where their intimacy is displayed.
• All Lesbians Want Kids:
  • Althea and Jade.
  • Batchi and Abby. Subverted in the end when Marinelle and Abby went back to Lester.
• Almost Kiss: Jade withdraws at the last moment when she thought Althea was about to kiss her and she humorously tells her to relax and that she leaned in to remove a piece of toilet paper from her hair.
  • The entire show is filled with Jade and Althea's Almost Kisses due to censorship.
• Amicable Exes: Wila tries to. She apologizes to Althea for slapping Jade in the club and asks her to forgive her to mend their friendship but is still quite antagonistic to Jade though not to the extent that she will hit her again.
• Anguished Declaration of Love:
  • Althea's tearful reaction to Jade upon knowing that she withheld her engagement to David, and citing the reason that she declined to be their wedding coordinator was that she refused to witness the person she loved the most get married to someone else.
  • Jade confesses her feelings to Althea as well as her fears for their relationship and their future:
  I'm scared. Paul and I are actually the same. I'm scared of loving you, but I do. I really do, and it scares me so much. But I can't NOT love you. You're always in my thoughts, even if I say I don't like you: "I don't like you! I'm disgusted of your world!" But I still can't do anything. I still love you. It's like I can't control myself anymore. I'm so scared of you, Althea. Because you're the only one whom I loved like this. And I'm dead scared of this world that I'm about to enter because I love you. But I have no choice. I have no choice because I can't marry David. I can't. I can't because I can't lose you.
• Arranged Marriage: The series serves as a deconstruction and how those who seemingly were in happy marriages came to regret the decision in old age as told by Jade's grandmother.
  • Gabriel and Pearl. Played straight then subverted when they renewed their wedding vows as a symbol that they are doing it for love this time.
  • Jade's grandparents.
  • Averted with Jade's parents, Oscar and Amanda.
• Babies Ever After: Gabriel realised that he's in love with Pearl just as he learned that she's pregnant. He initially used this to win her back but he realises that his wife is not easily won by his affection as he was accustomed to. He resolved to love her and to rectify his mistake for the rest of their life together and marked it with a renewal of their vows.
• Berserk Button: Making homophobic remarks within Batchi's earshot presses hers.
• Bifauxnen: Batchi has delicate looks and maintains a tomboyish appearance and pokes fun at this trope by telling Althea it is better if she ditches her clothing and shoes so she can look like her since she's "handsome".
• Big Brother Instinct:
  • Gabriel is compassionate towards Jade and understands her conflict in marrying someone whom she doesn't love since he also is in the same situation with Pearl.
  • Paul. He is a very noble character and was willing to sacrifice himself to ensure that at least Jade would obtain happiness even if it meant sacrificing his own.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Right in the final scene where Jade and Althea reunited and not shown on-air to avoid censorship. Also considering that it happened more than three months after the finale but it's no less satisfying and gratifying.
• Big Heroic Run:
  • Jade, when she escaped from Pearl's car in order to elope with Althea.
  • Althea is fiercely protective of Jade that she ran after the car while in heels which has Jade and her abductors in it and would have been unstoppable in pursuing them, until after a car knocked her over. She still insisted to continue and only relented to seek medical attention when she found it necessary and that Oscar's minions have a huge lead ahead of her.
  • Althea dodged airport security and ran through the terminal while still healing from her injuries to thwart Oscar's attempt in sending Jade to China for good. The episode is aptly named #TRMDRescue.
• Birds of a Feather:
  • Jade and Althea may come from different backgrounds that while Althea works to earn a living and Jade practically never has to learn a skill to earn her own money since her family is among the wealthiest, they both have mutual admiration for each other. Althea is actually quite envious of Jade's luxury and doesn't resent her for it, while Jade admires Althea's independence and self-assurance. They practically have the same perspective on the concept of soulmates and Love at First Sight.
  • Gabriel realizes that he has far more in common with Pearl and only started to appreciate her when he felt her absence in his life.
• Blatant Lies: Althea telling Batchi that she has no ulterior motive in continuing her friendship with Jade and that she is merely contented in being her friend.
• Boyish Short Hair: Batchi sports a short hairstyle and it's used to highlight her more masculine manners in contrast to her friends.
• Break the Cutie: After possibly losing her son permanently, getting beaten up by Oscar's lackeys, her ex-husband, a couple of thugs that would make one believe that she'll grow to hate men, nearly losing her company, and every imaginable upheaval that no one would even conceive of happening to them all for being an out lesbian, Althea became emotionally unstable and experienced hallucinations which is not dissimilar to PTSD.
• Brutal Honesty: Wila is a walking sieve of inconvenient truths on which she has no qualms of expressing these to her friends, with varying success.
• Bury Your Gays: Paul chose to end his life rather than to live the rest of it being married to a person whom he doesn't love and overcome with guilt for not reciprocating her affections. He also used this to serve as a cautionary tale for Jade to live her life away from her family and also to his parents on what is ought to happen when they discriminate their gay children.
• The Bus Came Back: David reappeared later in the series and is seemingly intent on helping Jade reconcile her wish to have her family and Althea without alienating herself from the other, by offering to marry her as a solution and assuring Jade that she will get to see Althea whenever she wants and that she can get an annulment when she so wishes. Of course, David has his ulterior motives since he conspired with Oscar to get his daughter back.
• Butch Lesbian: Batchi is labeled as butch and acts more masculine than her friends Wila and Althea.
• The Cast Show Off: Glaiza De Castro gets to display her singing talent in an episode where Althea visits her father in the hospital.

• Color Motif: Red is used in Chinese tradition for birthdays and major celebrations.
• Contrived Coincidence: It is almost intentional that the chances of Jade and Althea bumping into each other are too convenient that upon seeing Althea for the second time in the mall, David invites her to hang with him and Jade.
• Cool Old Lady: Alzheimer's disease doesn't define anyone most especially Jade's grandmother who is supportive of her granddaughter's decision and is worried that she will be married to the wrong person. She also still provides words of wisdom to her granddaughter in spite of her mental illness.
• Cure Your Gays: Paul is said to be counselled regularly by his uncle who's a priest to cure him of his "immorality" according to his grandfather.
• Daddy's Girl: Althea is very close to her father and Jade is considered as the princess of the family as well as the most precious among Oscar's children.
  • Later subverted in the latter episodes when Jade defies Oscar and truly sees him for who he is: a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to ensure that his daughter will be straight and will accord with his wishes.
• Determinator: Althea.
  • Okay, where to begin: internal conflict on being a lesbian since childhood which resulted in marrying the first guy who showed interest in her and through the worst luck turned out to be a Domestic Abuser, her son forcibly taken from her and enduring relentless fears on whether she'll find him again. Falling in love with a woman from an ultraconservative family and being hounded by them, losing her apartment and nearly losing her company, getting her son back then taken away by the very dipshit of an ex-husband, getting beat up by Oscar's lackeys in retaliation for her defiance. The things that this woman went through. Oh, and in her teens, her mother died. She also lost her father to cancer. But still, this lady doesn't have a chip on her shoulder.
  • If not for her respectable demeanour, relentless determination, and steadfast nature, Althea would definitely count as the Butt-Monkey of the series. Her upheavals and trials are seen as noble and worthy of admiration that it is mentioned as the root of her strength and fortitude. Notwithstanding her reasonable fears of abandonment, she's motivated in valuing her relationships.
• Deus Angst Machina: The Trolling Creator is determined in cooking up ways to ensure that her characters will experience four times the angst for every half of the happiness that they experience.
• Disappeared Dad: Lester, Marinelle's dad who left his family when Marinelle was born and who unexpectedly appears to win his family back
• Domestic Abuse: Tommy, Althea's ex-husband. He hit her at the slightest provocation such as disliking how she cooked their dinner and he threatened to kill her when she attempted to escape with her baby. She also still suffers from residual psychological trauma that even if she's able to stand up to him, he managed to extort money from her in exchange for getting her son back. Later in the series, he kidnaps Miggy again and exploits her anxiety over losing her son as a means of extorting more from her since he knows that he still has a hold over her emotionally.
• Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: Sally's rape of Paul hasn't been treated as a grave immorality especially by herself and Oscar as long as it will get him to be straight. What's equally deplorable are Sally's attempts of kissing Paul and copping a feel while he's passed out from being drunk and are actually treated as comedic scenes. It doesn't help that Suzette Doctolero was flippant with viewers' disgust and that she kept defending this double standard.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: Jade's explanation that love isn't based on gender was turned on its head when Sally used the very same thing to justify her need to convert Paul and to uphold heteronormative standards as if homosexuality can be switched off.
• Dysfunctional Family:
  • The Tanchingco Family may be seen as enviable since they are successful and are constantly featured in high society magazines but actually has a well-hidden reserve of secrets starting from Jade's grandmother who regrets not being married to her true love.
  • Also, the eldest brother Gabriel's infidelity, the family's revulsion toward Paul's homosexuality, and Jade being burdened by marrying someone that she doesn't love and disappointing everyone in the family.
• Earn Your Happy Ending:
  • Jade and Althea finally got together at the end of the series after every imaginable worst case scenario thrown at them such as Paul's death and Althea becoming emotionally unstable at her lowest point. They met at a gay pride parade three years after they last saw each other with Jade finally earning her autonomy, being accepted by her family and Althea is apparently healed from the trauma that she experienced for most of her life.
  • Gabriel and Pearl have a child together and are happily married.
  • Batchi found her Second Love in Wila.
• Enemy Mine: Wila conspired with David to separate Althea and Jade from each other.
• Exact Words: Jade denies to David when he asked if there is someone else that she loves and she adds that he is the only "guy" in her life.
• Fanservice: A lot of the actors are very attractive and their respective characters are also recognised as such in-universe.
  • Jade wears a lot of form-fitting dresses and numerous shots are taken to emphasise Rhian Ramos's jawline, athletic body, and a split second just before she was kidnapped by Oscar's minions, the camera focused on her behind.
  • The production team are seemingly intent on having Althea wear a lot of shoulder-less blouses and other kinds of tops that expose her collarbones and toned shoulders.
  • Batchi is definitely not lacking in this regard. Her clothes and bearing show off her effortless ability to glide between her feminine and masculine qualities. Her first scene with Wila on where she good-humoredly talked to her deeply embarrassed neighbours (of which they utterly deserved after cat-calling Wila), had her actress Chynna Ortaleza with no-make up, in denim cut-off shorts, sleeveless shirt with large armholes and managing to look badass, graceful, and self-confident with her slight frame and cool attitude. Badass and self-possessed are commonly attributed to masculinity but Batchi showed that no gender has a monopoly on it.
  • Paul is definitely no slouch either and even in scenes where it's actually ridiculous and guilt-inducing to notice such as Mike Tan's impressive pectorals when Paul's corpse is shown in the hospital.
  • Amanda is a naturally beautiful woman and continues to be so in middle-age.
• Female Gaze: Of the lesbian variety. The queer female characters Jade, Althea, Batchi, Abby, and Wila are shown in clothes, scenes, and in other ways possible that appeal to women-loving women.
• Flashback Echo: As Althea puts ointment on Jade's cheek in the car after the incident with Wila, she recalls a similar moment where she caught Paul in an intimate moment with his assistant. Jade was very bothered by this that she recoiled from Althea.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Althea's dog is named Miggy even though she's female and referred to the pup as her child. In the fifth week, it is revealed that Althea has a son named Miggy whom she named the dog after to remember her son by.
  • Batchi's rant to Althea about men's compulsion to cure lesbianism through marriage, is actually a sign of things to come especially when Jade agrees to marry David in order to merge her irreconcilable conflict between pleasing her family and her unfailing devotion to Althea.
  • The second episode shows more of Gabriel and Pearl's wedding reception as well as Jade and Althea's instant attraction to each other. While the newly-weds toasted to Oscar's wish of everlasting love, union, and grace to weather through life's difficulties and through the Power of Love will let them soar through it all, Jade and Althea smiled at each other tenderly which reflects their ultimate fate together as a couple.
  • This also applies to Gabriel and Pearl even if they were initially betrothed by their families but eventually ended up together and Gabriel realised and appreciated Pearl's efforts to save the marriage.
• The Gadfly: Batchi certainly loves to tease her friends Althea and Wila. Though this is seen as entirely good natured and to lighten the mood of her more emotionally heavy-handed friends.
• Gaydar: Paul smirks when his dad asks about his daughter's friendship with Althea and wondering how quickly it developed while clarifying if the latter is a lesbian.
• Gayngst:
  • Paul suffered from this when Jade outed him to the family and she felt remorse after witnessing her grandfather and parents' disgust over him and the indignities that he received.
  • Althea also went through it when she was younger and only ended in adulthood when she fully embraced her lesbianism.
  • At one point in their relationship, Jade, she thought it might have been the karma that she deserved after outing Paul.
• Generation Xerox: Oscar also fell for Amanda the first moment that he saw her, like Jade is with Althea.
• Gilded Cage: The Tanchingco family may be rich and have all kinds of possibilities and commodities that money can buy, but they are horribly bound by stifling traditions that are inconsistent with their own values and how they should care for their children's well-being all to preserve their good name. The trope also applies to David and the rest of his family.
• Girl on Girl Is Hot: Of an actual uncomplimentary note, David was visibly pleased when he learns that Althea is a lesbian and says that it's infrequent to see women like her who are sexy to star in pornography.
  • Deconstructed, when David learns of Althea's relationship with Jade and refers to her as a disgusting, revolting, and vomit-inducing lesbian which is painful and enraging.
• Good Parents: Althea's father has nothing but good intentions for her and wishes her to find someone whom she truly loves because it is only then that he can go in peace knowing that there is someone who loves his daughter unconditionally.
  • Like her father, Althea is a loving mother to Miggy.
  • Amanda, as part of her character development.
• Handshake Substitute: Like its predecessor My Husband's Lover, the actresses stated that the Headbutt of Love and their nose to nose scenes are meant to be in place for kissing scenes in order to comply with censorship rules.
• Headbutt of Love: One of the ways that Jade and Althea show affection for each other.
• Heel–Face Turn: Paul decided not to rat out Jade to their mother about her relationship with Althea after witnessing Jade's attempt to break up with her at the doorway of her apartment.
• Held Gaze: Between Jade and Althea, the pivotal moment of the show.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Jade and Althea both love dogs so much that the former refused to get another one after she was deeply heartbroken when her dog died.
• Heteronormative Crusader: Jade's grandfather, her uncle who is a priest, and Jade's own parents most especially her dad.
• Idle Rich: Played straight at first with Jade. She hasn't thought of being unemployed as a drawback at first, but was then inspired by Althea by getting a job in one of her father's offices. Althea invoked this earlier in a humorous manner when she asks what she does aside from being a wealthy princess.
• Incredibly Lame Pun: Invoked by Jade when she says that her job is to photocopy documents and to sort them and she can now be called a "photo copier".
• Incompatible Orientation:
  • David is genuinely in love with Jade but she realizes that she has no feelings for him after discovering her attraction to Althea.
  • Invoked by Batchi in the second episode when she notices Althea's attraction to Jade and teases her that she shouldn't go for her since Jade is "straighter than her hair."
  • As a foil to the heavy handed episodes, Sally's (Jade's best friend) attempts of getting Paul to fall in love with her certainly qualify as Cringe Comedy.
• Interrupted Intimacy: How Jade caught her brother Paul in a gay relationship and proceeds to out him to the family.
  • Played for laughs, when Althea is about to kiss Jade and Batchi opened the door just as they were about to complete it.
• Irony: The most moral characters are actually the avowed homosexuals such as Batchi, Althea, Jade, and Paul, most notably in a scene where Oscar and his father are lamenting that the prevalence of gay and lesbian women coming out added to the increase of immoral people in the world. This coming from the people who would rather have their child beaten up for the sake of honour and leaving them to suffer in poverty for disobedience.
• Ironic Juxtaposition: The narration in Angkong's 80th birthday of the promise of life and prosperity is heavily contrasted with Althea walking to her father's hospital room just as nurses and doctors were rushing to and fro in desperate attempts to revive him. Althea absently dropping the fruit basket is the apex of this dramatic scene that signified her father's death.
• Ironic Name: Jade is considered as the most precious among the grandchildren and is the most doted on member of the family but will be later considered as the one who brought shame by choosing Althea.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: David filed for annulment so that Jade can pursue Althea without any impediment.
• Jerk Ass Has A Point: Wila may be bitchy but Althea and Batchi rarely denies that she always makes sense whenever she sizes up the tricky situations that she and her friends get into.
• Karma Houdini:
  • Tommy's acts certainly warrant multiple counts of arrest and if put to trial can ultimately spend the rest of his life in prison but is never punished for his actions. He's still wealthy, lives in comfort, and is fully capable of committing the same atrocities to any hapless woman he'll get in a relationship with.
  • If Batchi knew that Wila was behind the mind games and paranoia that David inflicted on Althea to separate her from Jade, they would never have ended up together and Althea just might find a limit on her seemingly endless capacity to forgive. Then again, Wila's hapless run of unrequited love for several years with Althea finally ended as Batchi returned Wila's affections and she still had both women as friends, chosen family, and to her favour, both of them none the wiser.
• Kick the Dog:
  • Played for laughs, after Wila looks distressed that the woman who is rival to Althea's affections is a rich, well-connected, and beautiful woman, Batchi rubbed it in by saying, "She (Jade) says that you can die in envy" while giggling.
  • Wila added insult to injury to David's predicament when Jade didn't show up for their engagement party as he inquires where she and Althea were. Wila said that she remembers him as the dumbass boyfriend alluding to his unawareness that Jade is already in love with someone else and that it's actually Althea.
• Lampshade Hanging: Amanda, Jade's mother, finally tells Paul to stop his habit of walking out from the dinner table.
• Lipstick Lesbian: Althea and Jade.
• Love at First Sight: Jade and Althea for each other.
• Mama Bear: Althea to Miggy, even when she is confined in the hospital after getting beat up by Oscar's droogs and thought of ways to contact Tommy so that she can get her son back.
• Manly Tears: Happens multiple times since no one is spared from anguish in this show.
  • Paul in a heartbreaking scene where he is outed as gay and declared as shameful and a disgrace to the family which also marked his fall from grace.
  • When David realized just how much Jade is deeply in love with Althea. After listening to her impassioned confession which barely scratches the surface of the full extent of her love, David understands that he can never achieve even a fraction of what Althea makes her feel. Jade emphasised that what Althea does is borne out of genuine love, caring, understanding, and for appreciating Jade for who she is and not as a scion of an upper class family.
  • Gabriel, when he was reminded of his lost opportunity with Angeline.
• Meaningful Name: Jade is named after the most precious gemstone in China since she became the catalyst for a reconciliation between her parents and her grandparents.
• Meet Cute: Jade and Althea in the bathroom where she helped get her lipstick cap from an occupied bathroom stall.
• Men Act, Women Are: The Tanchingco family have an archaic belief in the role of women. Men are the providers of the family and women are meant to preserve harmony at home and to ensure that the children will grow up to be capable professionals. Gabriel's wife Pearl is starting to have reservations when her father-in-law advices her to discontinue her medical practice.
• Missing Mom: Althea's mother died when she was young and subsequently raised by her father as a single parent.
  • Though it is completely unintentional, Althea was this to her son Miggy which is actually Tommy's fault.
• The Missus and the Ex: More than a year after Althea saw her last and just after Jade's marriage is annulled, the latter attempted to reunite with Althea only to meet her new lover Kathleen with whom she's co-parenting for Miggy.
• Mood Whiplash:
  • Jade is in cloud nine after receiving a text message from Althea replying that she misses her too then cut to David waiting at her work station with a ring and ready to go down on his knees to propose to her.
  • Jade and Althea are having a nice time at the club then cut to Wila pulling Jade's arm to slap her.
  • A recurring element in this show which is consistently used for dramatic effect or to depict escalation.
• My Greatest Failure: Jade considered her severed relationship with Paul as her biggest mistake for she thought that the damage she did may be irreversible though it didn't stop her from reaching out to him. It worked. He was compassionate over her ordeal in her relationship with Athea making Paul see himself in his sister and not wanting her to experience the same punishment that has befallen upon him by his own family.
• Nice Girl: Jade, Althea, and Batchi.
• Nice to the Waiter: The Tanchingco family has a good reputation among their domestic employees most especially seen when the grandfather is the one who's giving ampao, a Chinese tradition of giving money on one's birthday to their employees to ensure luck and good fortune. This is also consistent to their tradition of maintaining their good name and to avoid looking bad.
• Non-Idle Rich: Due to the business oriented nature of the Filipino-Chinese community, this is actually a usual occurrence since the children are meant to inherit the business.
  • Oscar, Jade's dad is the youngest son and the CEO of the corporation. He has since been demoted by his father for being unable to control his "wayward" children. Although, he still plays a role in the company but to a comparatively lesser degree.
  • Jade's uncle, Lucky is a Casanova, yet is the COO of their company but in recent developments, he's now the CEO.
  • Gabriel, who is set to take after his father's footsteps. And Paul formerly, before his suspension because of being gay.
  • Averted by Jade but played straight later on when she took a job even in the entry level.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Jade tearfully acknowledges to Althea that she is also gay like Paul.
• Obnoxious In-Laws: Jade's grandparents were this to Amanda but lessened when she was born and they were reintegrated into the family. However, in times of major conflict regarding the family honour that involves Jade, the grandfather becomes this to her once more though it has completely disappeared with Jade's grandmother.
• Oh, Crap!: Jade's reaction as she "accidentally" sent an emoji saying "I miss you" to Althea.
• Official Couple:
  • Jade and Althea
  • Amanda and Oscar
  • Gabriel and Pearl
  • Batchi and Wila
• Once an Episode:
  • It is almost a running gag that Paul walks out of the dinner table whenever he finds the conversation unpleasant. Subverted in the fifth episode.
  • It has almost become a habit for most members of the family to tell Paul to shut up.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Batchi is normally calm in conflict and is a reliable reserve of emotional support to her friends but she cries after seeing Marinelle preferring to spend time with her father that she sought the comfort of her friends and realising that maybe her worst fear of losing her family has come true.
• Open-Minded Parent: Althea's dad.
  • Possibly Gabriel, since he declared that he will accept his children even if they are gay because his only concern is for them to be happy.
• Opposites Attract: Wila's fiery temperament actually made her attractive to Batchi. They ended up together in the series end.
• Pair the Spares: Wila and Batchi ended up together.
• Papa Wolf: Althea's father upon learning that his son-in-law is beating up his daughter and swears that the moment this happens again, he will make sure that he regrets it.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Double subverted. At first, it appears that Jade's grandmother was fine with marrying her husband but it was not until Jade learned that she is not actually in love with him and that she regrets not being married for it although Jade reminds her that she's already married to John Tanchingco, her grandfather. Granted that her grandmother is already afflicted with Alzheimer's, it doesn't make her words less true when she said that their duty to the family is stronger and more important than to be with the person they truly love. However, she realised that she grew to love her husband after he died. She visited her First Love and realised that she no longer has feelings for him.
  • Played straight but downplayed with Gabriel and Pearl. He realised that in the course of his marriage to her, he came to appreciate her actions and dedication to the marriage and that they have a lot more in common than he thought. Subverted with their second wedding since it signifies that they are marrying for love this time.
• Pet the Dog: Literally happens when Paul shows his softer side for the first time when he sees Jade's puppy given by Althea.
• Pinocchio Nose: Jade bites her finger every time she lies.
• Plucky Girl: Althea's determination has saved her in a lot of ways and continued even in despair. It paid off in the end when she was reunited with Jade.
• Put on a Bus: David was initially resolute on never returning to Manila after his failed engagement with Jade and did not appear for the next few weeks of the show.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Wila is the red oni to Batchi: short-fused, impulsive, reactive, and emotional. Batchi is calm, sanguine, self-possessed, and good humoured.
• Running Gag:
  • It is also acknowledged in-universe about Jade and Althea's interrupted intimacy of almost completing the kiss that Althea openly showed her frustration towards Batchi which also reflects those of the viewers.
• Sarcastic Devotee: Wila is this to Althea. She's a loyal friend and maybe self-serving in her actions for helping her but she is unnervingly correct about her situation with Jade and the possible consequences of their elopement and Althea being accurately described as Jade's mistress even if she insists that there's no consummation in her marriage, despite the fact that it is recognised by the state.
• Self-Made Man:
  • John Tanchingco, the grandfather, immigrated from China to the Philippines in search of better opportunities and started a business which expanded beyond their dreams and is flourishing across the years.
  • While Althea is not as wealthy as Jade, she is financially independent and owns a spacious and well-furnished condominium, and also has a good reputation as a wedding coordinator. However, after being hounded by the Tanchingco family due to Jade abruptly leaving them by eloping with Althea, Oscar had her evicted out of her apartment that Althea had no choice but to move in with her friends with Jade. Althea still has her company running as shown when she still has enough funds to rent her office and to still keep her employees.
• Shipper on Deck: Batchi first advised Althea to go for Wila but when she realised how deeply attracted Althea is to Jade and appears to reciprocate her feelings, she started to encourage Althea to pursue her romantic interest and rained them with confetti when Jade approached Althea at work as she gave her a lucky charm bracelet in return for giving her a puppy.
• Shout-Out: Numerous references are made to lesbian movies, namely Imagine Me & You and Saving Face
  • The meet-cute scene
  • The held gaze as the protagonist walks down the aisle though Jade serves as a bridesmaid and not as the bride herself
  • The dance scene at the club where it becomes a bonding moment between the two women which is reminiscent of Luce and Rachel dancing to an arcade video game.
  • Jade's musings about Love at First Sight
  • In reference to Saving Face the intersection between Filipino and Chinese traditions are discussed as well as how far one can go against said traditions to be with the one they love.
  • The "I heart you scene" and the subsequent dialogue is a throwback to Orange Is the New Black.
• Spoiled Sweet: Jade may be born into old money and is quite naive but she is certainly not entitled and acts kindly towards their domestic employees. She was also inspired by Althea's work ethic that she asked her father for a job even if her job description merely states that she only gets to sort documents and to photocopy them. She also uses her own resources such as her lawyer to help Wila out from being imprisoned when she hit back in revenge on the man who nearly raped her.
• Stepford Smiler: The Tanchingco Family with the exception of Paul and Jade. Gabriel is less keen on the "smiler" part but is just as keen on keeping up appearances as an upstanding son, businessman, and husband.
  • Subverted by everyone in the latter episodes, especially Gabriel when he rages that he can no longer live in torment while lying to himself that he's fine with his marriage and he attempts to rectify it by asking Pearl for an annulment. She refuses.
• Straight Gay: Paul, Jade's brother.
  • Gerald, Paul's boyfriend and now recently became his ex.
• Team Mom: Batchi, to her friends Althea and Wila and also serves as the anchor and glue of the group.
• Tears of Joy: Althea does this upon seeing Jade visit her just as she was about to leave the hospital. Jade apologises profusely for hanging up on her and reassures her that she's there to console her in her most desperate need.
• The Tease: Wila accuses Jade of this since she's perfectly aware that Althea's deeply attracted to her and there would be no other reason for her to help with the funeral arrangements if she was merely teasing Althea, unless...
• Tomboy: Batchi
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Batchi is the tomboy to her feminine friends Althea and Wila.
• Troll: Wila, good-naturedly to her friends, but even less so with Jade and with almost everybody that she talked to in the series.
• Troubled Fetal Position: Althea does this as she breaks down in tears after she called Jade in desperation when her father died and implores her that she needs her. Jade, in an extremely difficult dilemma in choosing to celebrate her grandfather's 80th birthday and her own engagement party, and deeply wanting to be with Althea, quickly hung up in mid-conversation bringing Althea to her knees.
  • Althea does this as she weeps after telling Jade to never see or speak to her again when Jade expresses her decision to continue her engagement with David.
• True Companions:
  • Batchi has always been a supportive friend to both women and while Wila has a bitchy side and continues to discredit Jade to Althea, the women provide unconditional support and love for each other in times of need.
  • The Tanchingco Siblings. Gabriel may have his own flaws but he's loyal and supportive to his gay siblings and he continued to financially support Paul when he was disowned and thrown out of the house. The siblings do everything they can to help with each other's problems and provide unconditional positive regard for each other.
• Tsundere: It seems mandatory that every conversation with Wila has to involve taunts and arguments but she has a soft spot for her friends, is extremely fond of her godchild Marinelle, and is still very much in love with Althea.
• The Unfavorite: Paul, for being a homosexual.
• Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object: Jade offers a prayer at the temple and asked what she should do with her dilemma of choosing her duty or to pursue her relationship with Althea. The geomancer says that the gods are laughing at her question since love is an unstoppable force and that she shouldn't fight it.
• Uptown Girl: Jade is considered the princess of the family. Beautiful, rich, and seemingly has no difficulty in attracting someone as indicated when she was shocked when Althea said that she's not her type.
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: Althea is naturally protective of the people she loves and this extends to Jade especially when she punched a thug when he and his friend made rude, sexually overt comments to her and their relationship.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Batchi and Wila to each other. Batchi teases Wila that she can die in envy after the latter sees who she's up against in winning Althea back: Jade and her family in a magazine cover.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Sadly, Althea's dad.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy:
  • Paul still wants to get the approval of his father even if he's resigned that maybe he has stopped loving him after finding out that he's gay.
  • Oscar will probably never stop overcompensating for his inferiority over not being the son that Angkong wanted him to be that he does what he can to ensure that he'll live up to that image. He'll have someone beaten up, extorted, or endure the suffering of his children thinking that he's doing right by himself and most of all, to his father.
• Wham Line:
  • Althea asked Jade if she wanted to be her type
  • Wila asking Jade the real reason why she is helping Althea with her dad's funeral arrangements if she merely wasn't there to lead Althea on.
  • David asking Jade if she will ever forget Althea even if she agrees to marry him which led to the failure of their first engagement. Also counts as an Armor-Piercing Question.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Dog, actually. Althea gives Jade a chihuahua in episode two, which has yet to reappear after we see Paul playing with it prior to running away from the Tanchingco Hell Household.
• Woman Scorned:
  • Averted with Althea, she just dumped Wila and was not vindictive and still welcomed her sympathies in helping with her dad's funeral arrangements.
  • Played straight with Wila when she saw Jade dancing with Althea although the latter dumped her by that time. Also, in the latter weeks of the show, Wila conspires with David to separate Althea and Jade from each other.