Upon their initial meeting at the airport, Brandan displayed a positive demeanor. Nonetheless, his optimism waned as he realized he had invested considerable faith and confidence in his Filipina partner, Mary. This disillusionment followed revelations from three male acquaintances of Mary, who disclosed that she routinely deactivated the WiFi router whenever she spent time with them. Subsequently, she would proceed to mislead Brandan about this behavior. Mary’s actions earned her the label of a hypocrite, given her strict stance that she would neither tolerate nor forgive Brandan for engaging in similar conduct. This condemnation of her hypocrisy resurfaced when a recent TikTok video captured her twerking, further fueling the criticism she faced.
On the other way season 5, Mary has presented herself as a virtuous and devout village girl, upholding strong religious values and maintaining her virginity as a reflection of her fear of God. However, her recent actions of twerking on social media for the sake of receiving tips and donations from strangers and unsavory individuals diverge greatly from the image she projected. This behavior seems incongruous with the persona of a virtuous young woman.
In a previous episode, Mary took Brandan to her local church, but her approach was overbearing and controlling. She attempted to impose her religious beliefs on him, exhibiting jealousy and excessive control by demanding that he only focus on her or the priest, forbidding him from even glancing at other females present in the church.
Throughout their two-year-long distance relationship, envy and control have consistently plagued Mary and Brandan’s dynamic. Their communication primarily consisted of phone calls and FaceTime sessions prior to Brandan’s move to the Philippines. However, while Brandan upheld his end of the relationship, Mary repeatedly fell short. Her fabrications and hypocrisy have been consistently exposed to viewers, both within the show and beyond its confines.
In the most recent episodes of The Other Way, it became evident that Brandan had reached his limit with Mary’s irrational treatment. Meanwhile, Mary appeared to believe she had found a compliant partner who would unquestioningly abide by her every directive. Concerningly, she resorted to using emotional manipulation, resorting to crying fits and panic attacks to regain control whenever Brandan attempted to reason with her.
Interestingly, Mary convinced Brandan that marriage and parenthood would assuage her deep-seated abandonment fears. Their marriage in April 2023 followed this premise, and rumors circulating suggest that Mary might be pregnant with Brandan’s child. As the show’s final episodes approach, viewers are on the cusp of witnessing their wedding and possibly learning about the impending baby. Should it be revealed that Mary feigned panic attacks for the purpose of coercing Brandan into compliance, she could potentially emerge as a new antagonist in the franchise, drawing the ire of the audience.