As Manila's current Babaylan-Mandirigma (Warrior-Priestess), Alexandra Trese of the Trese series maintains the fragile balance between the human world and the Underworld. She also serves as the go-to consultant of Police Captain Beau Guerrero for supernatural cases. However, Trese's adventures in the Netflix adaptation take her cases beyond ghosts and urban legends.
Netflix's Trese animation adapts the acclaimed komiks (Filipino comics) of writer-illustrator duo Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo. Director Jay Oliva gives a modern twist to Trese's crime procedural presentation. But how much did Netflix's Trese deviate from the source material to make its adaptation work?
13 Interwoven Cases
Fans may notice throughout the Trese series that each episode is a mixture of two seemingly-unrelated cases that diverge into a common point. That's because the komiks actually tend to focus on standalone cases with tragic elements, a trope common in noir stories.
The Trese series often removes the regular "perpetrators" of the original cases. Instead, the series takes characters from later issues and positions them as key players early on. This gives the adaptation an overarching plot.
12 Nuno & Choc Nut
The Nuno sa Punso remains an iconic side character, who debuted in the first Trese komiks. In Filipino folklore, the Nuno (literally "old man of the mound") are mound-dwelling nature spirits that inflict curses upon trespassers. Superstitions state that anyone near mounds should ask permission to pass. This explains why Trese says "tabi tabi po" ("please move aside" in Filipino) when calling Nuno.
In the series, Trese regularly bribes the informant Nuno with Choc Nut candy. This peanut-flavored candy bar is a classic snack among Filipinos. Interestingly, Trese in the komics doesn't bribe Nuno with Choc Nut. Instead, she does this to the Duwende, another supernatural creature.
11 The Elemental Showdown
EP2 ends in the same way as "The Association Dues of Livewell Village" (#8) did in the komiks: Trese and the Kambal lead a rowdy showdown against Bagyon Kulimlim. Apparently, Kulimlim started "demanding" sacrifices from Livewell villagers in exchange for good luck. However, this confrontation happens differently in the komiks.
In the adaptation, Kulimlim confronts Trese as she exits the Bagyon Clan's offices – the local power company – after finding it devoid of Kulimlim's father, Bagyon Lektro. However, in the komiks, Kulimlim reveals himself after Trese stumbles upon a substation near Livewell Village.
10 The Haunted Mall
Dr. Gallaga worked in Magna Mall in the komiks. Trese realized this after discovering the original victim, after which Gallaga immediately went to the nearby Robertson Mall to confront Jeremy Gotianleung - a humanoid dragon living under the aforementioned mall.
Despite Dr. Gallaga's appearance in EP4, Jeremy never made an appearance in the series. However, Jeremy's origins may stem from an interesting urban legend in the Philippines. Apparently, a humanoid snake creature resides on the premises of a mall in Metro Manila. This urban legend has seen adaptations in some Filipino horror films, too!
9 Duwendes & Favors
EP4 marks the first appearance of Amang Paso, a Duwende. These elf-like creatures appear throughout Filipino mythology. Compared to Duwende in other cultures, Filipino Duwende are "color-coded" depending on their conscience. Amang Paso in both of his iterations portray the more benevolent side of Duwende, those that bless or grant favors to their benefactors. However, their courses of action also vastly differ.
In the series, Amang Paso is the favor-granting Duwende that takes care of Nova Aurora. However, the komiks revealed another Duwende who became the actress's benefactor. Amang Paso is a Duwende with a huge love for chocolates, and an old friend of the Treses.
8 Hank & Zombies
Trese walks among the walking dead in episode four of the animated series. Captain Guerrero calls for Trese's assistance, as missing corpses in his investigation attack their precinct. In the series, these zombies attack under the orders of a vengeful prisoner seeking justice for his brother's murder. However, in the komiks, the innocent brother's death happened under the watch of the warden (not Guerrero) managing the Outpost.
Meanwhile, Hank Sparrow – Trese's friend and bartender of the family's The Diabolical bar – starts asking about who might be betraying the Treses and upsetting the balance of the worlds. Hank's investigation doesn't occur in the source material. However, the episode's ending in the Diabolical happens during "An Act of War" (#13).
7 Alexandra Trese's Baptism
When a series of bombings attack metropolitan areas and supernatural dwellings, Trese must act fast before hell breaks loose. This episode also explores Alexandra's coming-of-age, interspersed with her past slowly creeping up to the present.
In the series, Trese's success in her baptism lets her start wearing her iconic black cloak. This is a slight deviation from the way her trials took place in the komiks. In the source material, the protective Cloak of Takipsilim (Twilight) was gifted to Trese during her birth, in preparation for her baptism. She wears this while wielding Sinag to protect her throughout her trials.
6 The Catchphrase
At the end of EP4, a seemingly-possessed man wearing a bomber vest enters the Diabolical while chanting "Sic itur ad astra" (roughly, "reach for the stars") before detonating. This catchphrase becomes a common point of the latter three episodes, with ex-mayor Santamaria's men chanting these statements. Santamaria's men soon reveal their association Datu Talagbusao, a war god.
In the komiks, Santamaria's men chant the Philippine National Anthem before detonating their vests. This alludes to their vision of forcing their control in a "passive" government. However, it does make sense that this part may have been removed in the series due to its potential of being offensive to audiences.
5 Revealing Allegiances
During EP5, Team Trese tries to stop Talagbusao, who was using Santamaria as a host, from terrorizing the country and upsetting the balance between the two worlds. In the komiks, Bagyon Lektro comes to Santamaria's aid, betraying Trese for "killing" his son in the Livewell incident. In the series, however, Lektro's allegiance happens after Talagbusao's full reemergence.
Meanwhile, in a shocking twist in the series, Nuno allies with Santamaria. Apparently, Nuno's information business suffers in times of peace. This is highly unlike Nuno in the komiks, who remained a constant ally of the Treses.
4 The Fifth Child
In the Trese finale, series antagonist Datu Talagbusao reveals the "true" nature of Alexandra Trese. As per Talagbusao, Trese's twin – Sinag Trese, the Fifth Child – also has a dark destiny. Sinag will burn the worlds to the ground while Alexandra Trese judges those deserving to live, all in the name of Datu Talagbusao. To save the world, Anton killed the infant Sinag and transformed her essence into the kris that would become the family heirloom.
This plot point largely diverges from the origins of the Trese siblings in the komiks. In Trese: Mass Murders, Miranda Trese birthed Alexandra normally, but Sinag was stillborn. Thanks to the help of their supernatural allies, Sinag's innocent soul was transformed into a kris. Sinag, as a weapon, can help the family save more souls from malevolent supernaturals.
3 Anton Trese's Characterization
In both the komiks and the series, Anton Trese advocated for peaceful coexistence between the human world (Terra Mundo) and the Underworld. In the komiks, Trese's role as guardian has been passed down through the Trese family for generations. Anton is not a prominent figure in Trese stories, adding an element of flair and mystery to his character.
However, the animation further characterizes Anton Trese. A self-righteous family man, the series reveals that Anton received visions of the Fifth and Sixth Child. He took it upon himself to set up the Accords to force peace and balance between the two worlds.
2 The Sixth Child Prophecy
The Sixth Child Prophecy is also a point of divergence. Both media state that Trese's status as Sixth Child would determine the fate of both worlds. However, in the series, Datu Talagbusao becomes the focal point of the Sixth Child prophecy.
In the komiks, Professor Alexander Trese explained to a young Alexandra that he sought the Seven Seers, who all foresaw the destinies of the Trese siblings. One of them was Miranda, who will soon mother all the Trese siblings. As the Sixth Child, Alexandra can either purge magic from the world, seal the gates of the Underworld, or rule it as its queen. Her destiny will unravel after a great upheaval when she turns 33 Years Old.
1 Trese's Avatar State
Alexandra Trese "rejects" her potential as a judge of Talagbusao's "new world," and unleashes a radiant aura of light akin to a split-second Avatar State. She defeats Talagbusao by trapping him inside the Dragon Gates, ancient magical pathways. While the series uses the finale to demonstrate Alexandra's power, the komiks takes a more grounded approach.
In the first komiks battle with Talagbusao, Alexandra realizes that he feeds off conflict. She forces a ceasefire to weaken him, before having Amang Paso bury the war god deep in the ground. In the present, Trese lures Talagbusao into biting her flesh – imbued with dragon blood – as she activates the Dragon Gates. She eventually traps him in a video game, forever "feeding" him with war – albeit against virtual foes.