Posted:
Great episode tonight.
Character wise, there was focus on the internal happenings in V's mind. But in relation to last night's episode, it was necessary to show what was going on with him. We need to know. Thus the writers showed us tonight.
I feel like they're building his character up to something bigger [villainously bigger because he's already a villain], but before he can reach that stage of transformation, the build-up must be established. Such as how he's trying every trick in his book to get Jahnvi back and how it's all failing. Eventually, desperation will overpower his patience and his transformation into becoming the darkest villain on Indian TV should commence.
Tonight, we once again had a balanced episode. Suspense was on a low and characters were in focus, their development/growth, etc. This is what makes the show thrive. SB? is not like other shows in style. From the start, the show stood out because of how it wasn't driven by suspense and illogical drama, but the characters and their story.
I'm relieved that the writers have returned to the essence of the show, to their unique and hit style. We've been given consistently great episodes for a week now.
>> Pros:
1) Sia/Sriti connects more with her dialogues and character now
I've noticed it for a week now. I used to feel like Sriti just delivered her dialogues before in a manner that seemed almost surrendering. Sia had become a flat character, no depth or layers, shallow and kind of brainless, lifeless. This had nothing to do with Sriti's capability, skills, as an actress and everything to do with the sketching/dialogues of her character. If the writers wouldn't challenge her character, wouldn't strenghten it, provide her with great and powerful dialogues -- then as an artist/actress, a character becomes bland.
I always blamed the writers for holding Sriti back when there was so much that she could do with her performances. It must've been frustrating even for her.
But for just over a week now, I feel like Sriti has started to really love her scenes, love her dialogues and character again, adding subtle layers to her -- such as head movements or hand gestures, expressions, and a stronger voice modulation. Furthermore, I feel that the writers have revived her character. Established it. They've been giving her deeper, much more powerful dialogues now, challenging Sriti and her character. And Sriti has just been embracing this challenge with open arms.
This is evident from her performance lately. Finally, she has been allowed to explore and convey Sia's thoughts, emotions, and strength. She has become proactive, too, and very clever. Now it feels like she connects with her character and the dialogues as well. I have to point out here that I did feel she connected with Jahnvi back when the show started, but I don't know why I feel like the writers made her a weak puppet and invisible along the way from around March and up until last week.
Kher. This has changed now. She's back in character, back in focus, and it's good to see Sriti's talent be fully explored rather than oppressed.
2) Raghav calms the crowd down and The Apple
This was an interesting scene. It would've turned out a bit over-the-top if it hadn't been for the subtle nuances and earthliness [if that's even a word] that was given to the scene. For instance, the whole Raghav standing there, people supporting him, and his "you've got a sick mother, go home", etc., would have seemed cliched and a bit over-the-top if it hadn't been for the following nuances...
- Raghav joked about the cop getting beaten by the crowd...
- Raghav perched on the ground, eye-level with the crowd, not superior to them...
- Raghav asked Kaka for his apple...
These three points and Harshad's easygoing performance made the scene earthly, quite literally kept it from seeming overdramatic. Plus, I noticed the twist that Harshad gave to Raghav's character -- the twist he has been giving for a while now -- which was this kind of nicely balanced attitude. Like the way that he perched on the ground, the teasing way that he asked for his apple, etc.
The thing about Raghav's character is that he's so sweet that he could have been on the verge of becoming boring -- but he isn't. Because Harshad spices him up by adding that trademark smirk of his now, using his facial muscles to express more [his eyes, as well]. This gives a subtle twist to Raghav's character, making him a bit spicy. Even when you're dealing with a sweet character, it's important to keep the right balance and not go to an extreme in order to show that he's a positive character. You can be positive and spicy at the same time as we've witnessed Harshad do with Raghav.
3) V enters in white and his manipulative Book of How To Lure "Jaan"
When he entered in his white shirt, it became obvious to me that he'd switched tactics. He had planned to lure Sia again, convince her by seeming less intimidating. But I liked how the writers emphasized that nothing had changed inside of him.
He can manipulate with his appearance, but his mind remains the same. He still uses the same tricks from his book. He still has the same mentality. He's still the same man as he always was. This is a detail that was important to me that the writers showed/made clear. You cannot change a man like V. Not even with a slap. He will never surrender. He won't ever give up.
His approach in relation to Sia switched a lot -- he tried to apologize [but being V, he had to blame her for everything once again as in "if you hadn't run, if you hadn't done this and that, you have to admit that you're at fault here too, blah blah"], but she didn't buy it. Then he tried to manipulate her with "I've changed" and "couples fight" and "we can be perfect together", etc. He tried to woo her with roses [red roses, because he dislikes white ones].
None of it worked on her.
Later, he switched tactics again, going for ultimatums and threats. "If you do as I say, then I'll help Raghav" and "I have supreme power over his life" and so on. But once again, she didn't surrender to his manipulative behavior.
At some point, he'll become desperate and do something -- like maybe kidnap her.
4) Sia is upset about what Raghav said to her
I loved this entire scene. You see, Sia was back to cleaning the house like a maid, but the reason for her pillow-adjusting wasn't actually that she was cleaning. It had to do with the fact that she was upset and needed a distraction. Raghav's words had upset her. That he might think she was still weak. That he might think she hadn't faced V.
But more than that it was about her own feelings for Raghav that she was struggling with. She wanted him to see how strong she'd become. She wanted him to know that she had taken what he'd given her and done her best with it. She wanted him to believe in her.
It was important to her. Why? Not just because she wanted free of V for herself. Think about it. If it was only about her ending things for herself, then she wouldn't have actually cared for whether Raghav believed she'd faced V or not, because she knew that she had faced V. No, it was about Raghav, too.
In her anger, she said that "I even ended my relationship to V." This is about Raghav and her. Raghav ignited a hope in her. There is a part of her, deep down, that hopes to have Raghav accept her one day -- even if she doesn't realize it right now. It's important to her that he believes in her, that she can show him she's stable now, unwavering from any of her decisions in relation to her past, because she wants him to know that she's changed. She's not V's Jahnvi anymore. She's not Jahnvi anymore.
If Raghav rejected her, refused her, that might break her and make her fall back into old habits. It's because she has him as her hope that she's fighting right now. Because she finally has someone to fight for. It's human nature.
I loved that Sia was angry at Raghav in this scene. It shows how balanced their bond and how equal their relationship is -- she dares to be furious with him, blame him, scold him, demand things from him like faith in her strength. You didn't see this in her relationship to V. In that relationship, she was an object who wasn't permitted to be angry with V, to even question him -- only obey.
5) Sia suspects V without a second's doubt
I'm so relieved that they showed Sia suspect V rather than fall for his "I'm so innocent and pure" act. Loved the expression on her face when she watched him walk upstairs. It made me feel proud of who Jahnvi had become.
6) Sia tells V that they're not in a relationship anymore and shoves his hand off
Fantastic scene. Loved how Sia repeated it clearly that they're no longer married and he has no right to touch her anymore. Beautiful. I hope that the marital rape issue will be put in focus at some point, though. It's important to highlight the scars that it can leave on a woman. But I'm thinking that this might show sometime post Raghav-Sia marriage -- if that should ever happen -- and how hard it will be for Sia to become physically intimate with a man again.
I loved how Sia raised her finger, stopping him from touching her face, and the way that she fisted her hand, then pried his fingers off her wrist with disgust. Personally, I wanted to cut his hand off and stuff it down his throat. Sorry for the graphics.
I really loved the split-second of insecurity on Sia's face right before she walked out as it showed how uncomfortable she was about turning her back to V -- what if he attacked from behind?
7) V burns roses and wants to take another 7 pheres
Interesting scene. Why? Because notice how V said that her taste had changed, and next started talking about remarrying her, taking another 7 pheres in front of the world.
In this, he included God. What's so interesting is why it's so important to him that God is a witness to this act. He doesn't believe in a superior power greater than himself. But this is a battle between him and God -- so he wants to prove something? What?
I connected this to the scene last night when he looked up toward the sky with hatred. I'm not sympathizing with whatever pain lingers from his past, because it doesn't justify what he's been doing and still is doing. Just because you had a troubled childhood doesn't give you the right to destroy people's lives. Most psychopaths have a sob-story to tell, but at the end of the day, they're still rapists and murderers and homewreckers.
I am, however, interested in knowing why it's so important to him to take those 7 pheres again.
8) Raghav and Gayatri moment in prison
Beautiful moment between RaYatri. God, I missed them. Loved how Gayatri admitted her limits and felt horrible for being unable to save her only son. It was nice to see Raghav be of comfort to her here. He seems so confident. I have a feeling that he's got an ace up his sleeve, or something.
9) Gayatri breaks down and Sia gives her a peptalk
This was the first time that I felt Gayatri and Sia connect as characters. From the moment Sia knelt down and grabbed her hand to when she asked for Mr. Agarwal's address.
There was amazing chemistry between the two of them tonight. I loved Sia's strength and how she didn't tear up, but gave Gayatri a peptalk, confidently so. I would've liked it if the writers, at some point, dug into Sia's thoughts on God again, because last time we heard her thoughts on him, she had existential doubts.
Returning to Gayatri, I liked how we got an insight as to what she was feeling. That she'd lost so much already, and she couldn't bear to lose one more son.
10) Komal remembers that Sia and Raghav spoke of an evidence
Once again, nice logical detail. What I didn't understand, though, was how Komal actually believed Sia's poor lie. However, I'm liking Komal's character a lot. She's observing.
I'd like to add here that Komal has immense potential as a character. There is so much mystery around her, layers, subtle glances that make you wonder what she's concealing and why. I still believe that her marriage wasn't a bed of roses and that there's more to her character than what meets the eye.
11) Sia asks to meet Mr. Agarwal and Gayatri trusts her
Nice initiative from Sia. She's not standing still, being passive. She's being proactive and fighting for Raghav's freedom every second. Something else that I loved was that Gayatri provided her with the address and number without question -- that shows her trust in Sia having manifested now.
12) Sia doesn't tell V everything at Mr. Agarwal's office
I would've been so upset with the writers if they'd done this just to add a twist/suspense. It would've been completely illogical and stupid of Sia, ruining her awesome character development lately.
Thank God, they didn't ruin it.
13) Sia's final line to V and her unwavering glare at Unniyal
Mindblowing performance by Sriti. She called V the criminal, shutting him up without any kind of hesitation, without falling for his trick again. I especially loved the way that she glared at Unniyal. It made him very uncomfortable. LOL. I have a feeling that Unniyal will, at some point, turn positive. He has a conscience. However fleeting it is, it's there.
Anyway, V doesn't know how to deal with Sia right now. It shows. And I'm enjoying his failing tries.
>> Cons:
1) Easy on Sriti's makeup, please
It was going well with lessening Sriti's makeup. But tonight, it was a bit heavy again. They need to keep it natural and as plain as possible, because Sriti is naturally beautiful and I'd rather see her simple than like a doll face. That was Jahnvi. Not Sia.
Sia is the simple, plain girl.
That's it from me tonight, peeps. I'm a bit unwell, so might not have rememberd all the details of the episode. Tried my best. Nite.
