Review: 'TVF Pitchers' Season 2 lives up to its legacy & excels in delivering another great season

TVF Pitchers New Season

From 'tu beer hai b**d' to now, 'tu whiskey hai b*d', we all grew up. Apart from being one of the first web shows ever in India, TVF Pitchers became a gamechanger in the way content was perceived here. Only growing in its cult status, the wait for the second season of this memorable show has been long, agonizing yet exciting. As the team returns with a second season after seven long years, I had the privilege of watching the new season beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

Living up to the legacy

Any returning season has a monkey on its back - matching up to the originality and innovation that made the first season iconic. Probably, a show like Pitchers has that pressure more than any other. But having seen the entirety of the new season, the one thing that they definitely do - is live up to its legacy. Right from frame one to the last sequence of the finale episode, everything is as intricate, well-thought, planned and written almost as perfectly well as the first season. The story is set well in its continuation where Naveen (Naveen Kasturia), Yogi (Arunabh Kumar) and Mandal (Abhay Mahajan) are now running their 24-employee start-up business, 'Pragati' sans Jeetu (Jeetendra Kumar). The challenges this time around are actually a lot bigger and tougher than earlier in every manner. Right from getting capital for their company to being unable to meet even the daily expenses in their ailing company and internal conflicts, TVF Pitchers Season 2 encapsulates the reality with utmost precision and brilliant execution.

The Length

One of my biggest worries was that the show will be focusing on altering its runtime this time around. That happened with Tripling Season 3 where in order to maintain a sitcom length runtime, the story felt rushed and inorganic with several plotholes. To my absolute relief, TVF Pitchers Season 2 has not altered on its runtime at all. In fact, it has punched in more than Season 1 in a way. With three episodes clocking an hour each, one being around 45 minutes and the finale being almost 1 hour 15 minutes, you are in for a long commitment. The burning question though is - does it bother? Absolutely not. A show like this needs long form storytelling and the length doesn't become a hindrance in any manner. It only helps in making sure the entire graph of Season 2 meets the desired climax.

The Intricacies, Jargons & Other things

There are moments when the business language in this season might seem overpowering for a few viewers out there but one can't blame the writing for it. The entire season is set in the world of a start-up that is fighting to raise capital from multiple venture capital companies and hence it only enhances the authenticity multiple folds.

What is amazing though is how everytime one might even feel that, it sucks you right back in with a following dialogue that is funny or pensive. What TVF is best known for and achieves the same here its signature humor. A lot of it is at the expense of Yogi (Arunabh Kumar) but it works brilliantly. TVF's knack of managing the balance of every flavor is unbelievable and TVF Pitchers Season 2 is no different. Do not miss out on the freaking fantastic Gopal Dutt, who reprises his role as Rastogi but the humor he is playing with this time is umpteen times funnier.

The Performances & Setting Up for Season 3

I mean just how they manage to do it, i cannot fathom - but to be able to extract one brilliant performance with another is just something TVF does effortlessly. Naveen Kasturia as the central face delivers an absolute knockout of a performance in every emotion he exhibits. Arunabh Kumar is brilliant with his traits as Yogi as well and Abhay Mahajan manages to rise up from the comic relief in Season 1 to the founder face with responsibility in this season and he is amazing. It was pleasant to see Abhishek Banerjee's Bhati get more to do here and he is immaculate in his recurring roe. Ridhi Dogra, pretty much being the only female face (apart from the employees) is also amazing with her restrained yet subtle performance as Prachi. Each and every actor in any capacity is convincing and suck you into the world with their performances in the best possible way.

And finally, what is even better is that the climax perfectly sets up things for Season 3, especially in the last 15 seconds literally. This is genius storytelling and execution at its best.

The Verdict

TVF Pitchers Season 2 somehow manages to not only live up to the tall order its first season achieved but also give absolute justice to every iota of its story progression. There are instances of slow burn but they aren't too problematic in the manner of affecting the viewing experience. I am infact, already willing to re-watch it.

Rating - **** (4/5)