Black Sheep and ABS-CBN Studios are back with the second season of their queer reality dating series Sparks Camp. Beating major competition from their Korean counterpart, “His Man Season Three”, Sparks Camp 2 has grown bolder and versatile. The contestants this season seem much more mature and yet vulnerable; that’s as real as it gets on reality television. They had some interesting stories to share and I like the Season Two contestants far better than the prequel; it could be because of the slight change in the format too. Most dating shows follow a formulaic concept, tried and tested, which gets boring as time passes. The first two episodes had some surprising elements, so let’s get down to the business of reviewing. After all, “First Impressions” are important!

Set in picturesque locales, Spark Camp is being hosted by Miss Trans Global 2020 Miss Mela Habijan, an avid advocate of LGBTQ+ rights and directed by Theodore Boborol (guess, this combination works like magic). This is one of the few things that I like about this show; the presence of Mother Camper certainly soothes the frayed sensibilities of the contestants, that’s a huge consolation on their part.

Before embarking on this journey, it is a must that you get acquainted with the contestants (loving the diversity).

☆ Allan Pangilinan (29), Gay, Geek

☆ Ejay Dimayacyac (29), Gay, Clean-cut, Drag

☆ Kyle Adlawan (27), Gay, Otter

☆ Martin Chua (27), Gay, Geek, Twunk, Chinito

☆ Miggy Ruallo (27), Gay, Femme, Twink

☆ Pipoy Oreiro (25), Gay, Chub

☆ Universe Ramos (29), Gay, Clean-cut

☆ Zuher Batista (28), Bisexual, Rugged

☆ Seichii Ozaraga (24), Bisexual, Gamer

☆ Paco Laurel Sanz (27), Bisexual, Dashing, Hot

What Happens in the First Two Episodes

The first episode was a fun-filled quirky mix of introducing the contestants, testing their compatibility while spilling their darkest secrets. It displays the contestant’s vulnerabilities, and they seemed genuine and honest about their convictions. The first contestant to enter was Ejay, full-on drag mode, and I was pleasantly surprised, the spunky attire really matches his attitude and I loved it. The only other contestant on this show whom I could recognize was Zuher Batista; he has worked in quite a few Pinoy BL dramas. His quote struck a chord as he talked about fan service (here, I thought that only Thailand suffers from this dreaded disease, but no, it seems to be spreading to other Asian countries as well). Using this show as a platform for “Coming-Out”, Zuher is searching for his better half, so he won’t have to do obligated fan service with his onscreen partners. The other contestant who promptly caught my attention with his honest thoughts and opinions was Pipoy Oreiro, his matter-of-fact statement below will surely make you appreciate his courage.

There wasn’t much happening in the first episode except for the game where the contestants had to grab a beach bag containing goodies for the Welcome Pride Party at night. The contestants were given time to mingle and socialize first instead of straight up pushing them headfirst into games. Mela Habijan then led the team to the “Moment of Truth” challenge, where each camper’s juicy secrets were revealed. The campers were asked to raise the card of the contestant who they think owns that particular secret. In the end, the owner of the secret was revealed. This setup is quite similar to the prequel, but the contestants this season seem way more mature and brave. The contestants were later given a chance to drop their sparks in the bin of those they like.

The second episode was even more interesting, given the fact that we had a mutual spark right off the bat. Zuher and Universe shared a mutual spark; their fondness and curiosity for each other is pretty apparent. Two new contestants were introduced, and they certainly bought more flavors to this already delicious potboiler.

First Impressions

We are definitely not comparing the sequel to the prequel, because as Mela mentions this season has a whole different vibe. It’s obvious that both Zuher and Universe are favorites of this lot (Universe received 5 sparks on the first date itself, it’s like half of the men are already in love with him). We have atypical love triangle brewing between Zuher, Universe and Martin; Universe already seems to be possessive of Zuher. Also, I love Pipoy’s unabashed honesty, he really impressed me in the pilot episodes, it could be talking when he was being candid about the “Coming out” phase or talking about body shaming. I love his courage and honesty, that’s a major plus in my opinion. The first two episodes weren’t focused on games, the campers were given time to socialize and form their opinions about each other first, before we dive into challenges next week. Here’s hoping that all campers find their Sparks, because they are all so endearing (we don’t want anyone to lose).

Rating- 4 out of 5

Streaming on- Black Sheep YouTube Channel