One common criticism thrown against local teleseryes is that the main characters never die.

It's almost always the same cheery conclusions with them ending up in front of the altar rather than six feet under.

This week's nail-biter of a finale for "Ngayon at Kailanman" proves to be an exception, as not only did Julia Barretto's Eva meet her death, she also met it at the same time as Joshua Garcia's Inno.

In a creative decision that will baffle writers of old, a dangerously confused Oliver (Jameson Blake), in a fit of blind rage, guns down both Eva and Inno, thinking that they had a hand in the death of his mother, who unknown to him is actually alive.

Inno fails to convince Oliver this, and the consequence turns out to be a fatal one.

A powerful sequence sees Inno try and take a bullet for Eva. When he opens his eyes, he wakes to Eva, whom he deeply loves, beside him bloodied and dying. He gets up and tries to carry her to a hospital but he stops to spit out blood. He, too, is dying.

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It takes until the morning for the police to arrive. Inno and Eva are long dead, and Oliver is stunned in place, in shock over what he did to his brother and the girl he used to love.

It was a depressing ending, but not without purpose. This has always been a show drenched in sin and guilt, with killing for the sake of money all too common.

Throughout the series, there have been hints that there is a price to pay if the families continue to exact revenge against each other.

It takes the death of Inno and Eva to hammer home the point that forgiveness is the key if they don't want the anger to extend to their children and the violence to continue for generations.

"Ang nagtatanim ng pagmamahal, aani din ng pagmamahal," a dialogue read --a realization that's perhaps a day too late.

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Fans can take comfort, however, in knowing that Inno and Eva are happy in the afterlife, in love with one another for eternity, or as the title suggests "ngayon at kailanman."

We finally got a different ending from the usual "kasalan" in the end of most of the teleseryes here in pinas. That was a good one. Kudos to joshlia 😊#DuloNgKAILANMAN

— Kaye 🐼 (@khryzilla) January 18, 2019

Bittersweet... It took inno and eva's lives for peace to happen...#DuloNgKAILANMAN

— Joshlia's tita (@TitaJoshLia) January 18, 2019

One of the best ending. Somehow they make it unique - main characters died. But for me, that was the perfect ending. The tragic ending will create an impact. Proven: Not all endings are happy. #DuloNgKAILANMAN

— Jayvz Dela Cruz Mangaliman (@CruzJayvz) January 18, 2019

Not a fan of this teleserye but the ending made me cry 😢Not your usual teleserye ending. A tragic but beautiful finale. Congrats JoshLia #DuloNgKAILANMAN

— B.E.L★ (@detteAC) January 18, 2019

"tragic and heartbreaking finale executed flawlessly👏👏👏" #NgayonAtKailanman #DuloNgKAILANMAN

— Prom (@prom_prom2011) January 18, 2019

A different,tragic and unique way of ending a story that captured the hearts of the viewers that will change the way how Philippine drama endings happen.💜 #DuloNgKAILANMAN pic.twitter.com/GTrXGsCb2u

— DORAEMON💖 (@francinecute9) January 18, 2019

The ending maybe a cruel twist of fate that goes against the mainstream endings. However, for me, the death of Eva and Inno is the best ending for them. It’ll stay in the viewer’s mind long after the sugar-sweet memory of yet another happy-ever-after.

#DuloNgKAILANMAN

— MissFD (@hiddenheartless) January 18, 2019

I love how they end it with the idea of forgiveness. Tbh, people nowadays can't forgive because no one said that they are sorry. How can you forgive someone who can't accept what they did wrong? #DuloNgKAILANMAN

— yeye (@exedencia) January 18, 2019