Anna Marie Lukban

What Lies Beneath: Erica, Alice, Beth and Mel draw strength from the bittersweet past with Louisa

Article (news)

Rianna Mae Santiago

<p>This time, with a gentle start, the November 19 episode brims with the ever-familiar tune of “Sabay-Sabay Tayo,” serving as the backdrop for a heartfelt memory of young Mel (Reich Alim), Alice (Eliza Borromeo), Beth (Allyson McBride), Erica (Krystal Mejes), and Louisa (Mutya Orquia) on the night they coined their friendship name, which they soon transform into colorful friendship bracelets.</p><div> </div><div><iframe width="966" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PsEl_3WoM-g" title="The symbol of the MABELs’ friendship | What Lies Beneath (with English Subs)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><div><strong>Grown-up MABEL finds strength in their old friendship</strong></div><p>Coincidentally, Alice (Janella Salvador), Mel (Sue Ramirez), Beth (Charlie Dizon), and Erica (Kaila Estrada) wake up at the same time, each haunted by dreams of Louisa’s (Mutya Orquia) murder.</p><p>The moment Erica regains consciousness, she glances toward the end of her room and sees a ghostly and bloodied Louisa, sitting in front of her television, staring straight at her with lifeless eyes. Despite her stillness, Louisa tells Erica to prevent more deaths like hers. Then, as if trapped in a layered dream, Erica wakes again, finding Louisa nowhere in sight.</p><div> </div><div><iframe width="966" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ImL5Ks29ZjU" title="Louisa delivers an important message to her friends | What Lies Beneath (with English Subs)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><p>Mel, who fell asleep in her office, also awakens and walks toward her cabinet. Opening one door to reveal a bright red jewelry case with their old MABEL friendship bracelet inside, she bursts into tears at its bittersweet familiarity.</p><p>Startled, Alice hurries to her luggage and searches through every jewelry container until she finds their friendship bracelet, sobbing uncontrollably as she clutches it to her chest and memories flood back.</p><div> </div><div><iframe width="966" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DRsg_y3ZdBc" title="Mel, Alice, Beth, and Erica wear their bracelets again as MABELs | What Lies Beneath" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><p>Slowly, Beth makes her way down to the attic and opens a paint-chipped wooden chest. Inside, she finds all sorts of nostalgic trinkets—letters, childhood photographs—which she smiles and weeps over, until she comes across their friendship bracelet. In a flash, the memory of her younger self confirming the watch not owned by Louisa as evidence rushes back, and she cries even harder, guilt seemingly welling up, before harshly throwing the bracelet back into the chest.</p><p>Behind her framed Juris Doctor diploma, Erica opens the back to retrieve their friendship bracelet, perfectly preserved as if untouched by time. Finally holding it after 14 years, she recalls the night of Louisa’s death, when she had found the same bracelet in a puddle on the ground. With eyes closed and a resolute will, she slips the bracelet onto her wrist and vows to Louisa that such a tragedy will never happen again on her watch.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Erica mistakes her neighbor for a stalker</strong></div><p>Denying the tension she feels over Edong’s (Jake Cuenca) escape, Erica (Kaila Estrada) feels fear creeping up as she suspects a stalker is following her from her condo parking lot.</p><p>She runs to hide but finds the entrance blocked by maintenance. In a panic, she pulls out pepper spray to defend herself—only to accidentally use it on her innocent neighbor, who is soon taken to the clinic by the guard.</p><p>Marco (Race Matias) arrives at the same moment Erica tries to protect herself. He assures her that she won’t have to face danger alone and offers to be her guard. Despite his offer, Erica insists on taking care of herself and sends Marco home.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Edong hides out in a deserted junkyard</strong></div><p>Indebted to Edong (Jake Cuenca), Usman, the officer who helped him escape from prison, drops him off in a secluded area leading to the old junkyard of his late uncle. After giving Edong the key, Usman reminds him of the time Edong saved him during the last riot at Bagumbayan Prison and urges him to avoid getting arrested again.</p><p>The place is undoubtedly the perfect hiding spot for Edong, abandoned by Usman’s relatives and cluttered with old, unusable vehicles, frogs, and crickets. He chooses one dilapidated room to rest, dusting off an old chair to read a Bible verse about the time for birth and death.</p><p>As Edong reads, he traces his fingers over a photo of Beth’s family, which he had taken the night he quietly trespassed her home. He then breaks down in tears as he utters the last word: the time for “celebration.”</p><div> </div><div><strong>Erica dares Edong to face her</strong></div><p>In the middle of a consultation with her clients—a mother accompanying her son, a victim of his ex-girlfriend’s stalking and false narrative—Erica (Kaila Estrada) suddenly remembers everything at once: Edong’s (Jake Cuenca) threats, Alice’s (Janella Salvador) and Beth’s (Charlie Dizon) fears about the life they’ll face with Edong on the loose, and her haunting dream of Louisa (Mutya Orquia) urging her to prevent any more casualties.</p><div> </div><div><iframe width="966" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Tr7cJbMsis" title="Erica bravely challenges Edong | What Lies Beneath (with English Subs)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div> </div><p>Soon after, Erica meets with media reporters questioning her about Edong’s whereabouts and Warden Morales’s denial of corruption at Bagumbayan Prison. She halts the barrage of questions, firmly clearing her connection to Edong by revealing that she was one of the witnesses to Louisa’s murder—the case that had put him behind bars for 14 years.</p><p>Publicly labelling Edong as a man seeking revenge, Erica calls for vigilance and assistance from anyone who might spot him. Unbeknownst to the crowd, Edong watches her on the news as she continues to speak, daring him to appear and making it clear that she is never afraid of him.</p><p>Don’t miss an episode of<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/what-lies-beneath"><strong><u> “What Lies Beneath,” </u></strong></a>weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5, and <a href="https://app.iwanttfc.com/dFR6MWHAcVb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>iWant.</u></strong></a></p>

<p>In the November 19 episode of “What Lies Beneath,” Erica, Alice, Beth, and Mel find their old friendship bracelets and reminisce about the cherished moments they shared in the past.</p>

In the November 19 episode of “What Lies Beneath,” Erica, Alice, Beth, and Mel find their old friendship bracelets and reminisce about the cherished moments they shared in the past.

What Lies Beneath: Erica, Alice, Beth and Mel draw strength from the bittersweet past with Louisa

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What Lies Beneath: Erica, Alice, Beth and Mel draw strength from the bittersweet past with Louisa

Rianna Santiago

Published November 20, 2025 02:53 PM PHT

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