Friday nights are gimmicks nights for many Filipino employees. But on July 12, Friday, many Metro Manila employees braved the weekend rush hour traffic to be home to catch the episode of the popular gay-themed soap opera My Husband's Love.

The reason behind the attempt to be home early was that night's episode was the one when Lally, played by Carla Abellana, caught her husband Vincent, portrayed by Tom Rodriguez, with his male lover and high school boyfriend Eric, essayed by Dennis Trillo, at the latter's condo unit.

Viewers were given a peek at the much-anticipated dramatic scene the night before with the following teaser.

Proof that the Friday night episode was a blockbuster was that widely accepted ratings service provider in the Philippines confirmed the July 12 episode was a blockbuster.

Nielsen TV Audience said the overnight household ratings it recorded in National Urban Philippines for that day for the bekiserye was 26 per cent, while the rival show from ABS-CBN, Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala, got 21.6 per cent and That Winter The Wind Blows logged 12.3 per cent.

In Urban Luzon, the bekiserye got 30.9 per cent and the two ABS-CBN shows got 19.6 per cent and 11.2 per cent, respectively. In Mega Manila, the distance between the shows of the two networks was even wider with the GMA programme getting 34.2 per cent while the ABS-CBN shows securing 19.1 per cent and 11.4 per cent.

Recent posts of the stars of My Husband's Lover revealed the reason why the show got the higher ratings. Even the contract stars of ABS-CBN and TV 5 are switching channel and watching the bekiserye on the rival station.

For instance, presidential sister and ABS-CBN host Kris Aquino texted Dennis to congratulate him for the success of My Husband's Love. "From dialogue delivery to body language, u r just so genuine in ur portrayal! I'm now a HUGE fan," Pep.ph quoted Kris, whose own personal life is like a soap opera, characterised by infidelity, separations and court battles against her former husband.

It is not just the male stars of the show who are reaping praises. Even Carla, who plays the martyr wife, received congratulatory messages from ABS-CBN and TV 5 talents.

ABS-CBN Gay comedian and host Vice Ganda tweeted, "Super acting Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez!!! I was moved."

Another ABS-CBN gay comedian, Chocoleit, pointed out in his tweet that "After Iza Calzado left GMA, Carla Abellana shines bright, proving she has all the makings of an ACTRESS in it's real sense."

From TV-5, respected director Joey Reyes wrote in his Twitter account, "Face it: #MyHusbandsLover is not only about Dennis & Tom. It is pretty much about Carla Abellana who is proving herself to be an ACTRESS."

The good words from talents from rival stations prompted Carla to ask in a tweet, "What network war?"

For those who were caught in traffic or had other appointments that day and didn't see the dramatic highlights of the July 12 episode, here is the full video courtesy of YouTube.

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