Posted:
Maha episode tonight, peeps. Did ya'll watch it?
Good episode tonight. Not as awesome as the last ME, but definitely good. Balanced and with character/relationship development. But I have to admit that it was the performances that carried the episode throughout, hands down. Fantastic work by the cast.
>> Pros:
1) Raghav realizes the brakes don't work and insists that Sia put on his helmet
This guy is the most selfless human being ever. I mean, the brakes weren't working. And there was a chance that an accident would happen, injure them, kill them.
But then his first thought and reaction was to pull off his helmet and insist that Sia wear it. I loved their bickering here; how Sia kept arguing that he needed it more, not knowing the reason behind his persistence -- and then finally she gave in and put it on. I liked how he pointed out that an accident would happen if he kept looking back to argue with her. That made her stop bickering. Heh.
Hm. Strange how V allowed his "jaan" to get on a bike that he'd had Unniyal tamper with. The accident could've actually killed her. But then it's not about Jahnvi anymore. No, it's about winning and proving himself almighty.
2) Sia has a melt-down at the sight of Raghav's condition
Gah, fantastic performance by SJ at the hospital. She nailed it. The horror, grief, fear, it'd all mixed into one emotional cocktail and Sia couldn't control any of it. She had a panic-attack right there and then, thinking that she'd almost lost Raghav.
The scene was nicely played out, given enough time. Sia used her pallu to wipe the blood from his wounds, which was unnecessary, but it was to counter the helplessness that she felt at the sight of him just lying there, injured -- awesome detail and logical.
She needed to do something to ease his pain, to take care of him, make sure that he was alright. Beautiful performance, and very heartbreaking.
3) Sia scolds him for endangering his own life and Raghav pretends to faint
I was cracking up when Raghav did the dramatic eye-roll and pretended unconsciousness while Sia was scolding him. It only made her even more furious, and she started ordering him to open his eyes and look at her -- which he eventually did, reluctantly. Heh. Cute.
I loved how stubborn she was, unafraid of voicing her opinions to him, demanding that he listen. I loved how he kept provoking her, being careless, and joking in his usual straight-face manner. Their chemistry sparked, the emotions were high, but not overdramatic, the dialogues were hilarious, and the actors' performances were top notch.
It was sweet when Sia asked him why he didn't protect himself for once instead of others all the time. Raghav's response was just struck a chord in me -- he said that it was exactly what he'd done [protected her, saved her life -- because she's his life].
Beautiful symbolism used in the dialogue here, and Raghav's intense expression was just the final push that made the moment impactful.
Something that I especially enjoyed was how Sia asked him why he loved her so much -- and his answer: "I don't know. Love just happens." Especially the "I don't know" made me smile because it was so honest with a hint of confusion in his voice. He doesn't have an answer. He can't explain it. And the reasons don't matter anyway.
4) Sia's confession and Raghav's reaction
Slip of tongue? I liked it, and I'm gonna call it a confession of Sia's love for Raghav. What made me smile was the split-second's timidness that made Sia lower her eyes, and then she looked back up and locked eyes with him without wavering. That was beautiful.
Note Raghav's reaction. Realization struck him. He was shocked. Surprised. Hopeful. But he didn't say a word, or react otherwise as to not pressure her, influence her in any way. I think that he could sense that she needed some more time, and he gave it to her.
Fantastic scene. One of the best and meaningful love confessions ever.
5) Gayatri scolds Raghav and Sia defends him
Note how Gayatri's voice was soft here, even as she scolded him. She once again called him irresponsible and berated him for his mistakes, but her voice was full of love and full of concern. I liked how Sia tried to defend him and was quieted, and then Raghav tried to defend Sia in return. Cute.
You saw, again, how both are very protective of each other.
And also note the slight twitch of Raghav's lips when Gayatri was beating down on him for being irresponsible. He didn't take it to heart, but smiled at bit. Which was awesome.
6) Gayatri suggests that the wedding be postponed, Raghav/Sia shout "no!"
I couldn't figure out if they shouted no because of V and how they had plans, or if a part of it was instinctive -- as in "nooo, we want to get married". Heh.
Either way, it was hilarious.
7) Sia helps Raghav put on his shoes
Small, quick shot, but it had a strong impact. Nice detail.
Plus it was hilarious how Raghav suddenly got busy proving that he was alright. Gayatri watched with this skeptical expression that said she knew exactly what he was trying to do. That he was pretending to be all fine. But she didn't call him on it.
Also, Komal's airy/weak comment here "jo sab theek samjhe" was so funny. So much has happened recently. Can't blame her for being confused and tense.
8) Uma's anger at V and her unwavering strength
Uma's anger was justified. I'm glad that she wasn't scared, but rather furious. This was, in fact, the man who made her child's life a living hell. The hate and fury was obvious in how she couldn't stand to look at him, how she refused to back down, even when he got close.
What struck me and made me whistle was when she defied V and claimed that Sia wasn't Jahnvi. That was, hands down, a courageous and impressive act from Uma. I thought that she might expose Jahnvi to save Choti, but something I found interesting [and refreshing] was how Uma pointed out that she'd saved Jahnvi now because she could, but whatever was in Choti's kismat would happen and she wouldn't be able to stop it.
This showed that the Sharmas are people with a lot of faith and God-loving people. They hold on to their faith even in the worst of times, believing that things happen for a reason, and some things are out of your hands.
Another reason for why she protected Jahnvi, I think, was guilt. That she had had a hand in destroying Jahnvi's life and now she was finally piecing it together -- she, as a mother, tried to amend for her mistake.
Something that bothered me was how there was focus on V [camera angle wise] when it was Uma who was the victim, who thought she'd lost her daughter. She was sobbing and yet the camera focused on V talking to a hair. I wish that they'd focused more on Uma's pain and guilt here, because the lack of focus ruined what would've been an otherwise powerful scene.
9) The Blessing
Beautiful emotional scene b/w Uma and Sia. I loved the symbolism of the scene and how the silence spoke volumes, spoke more than words ever could. The silent communication and communication through touch b/w mother and daughter was beautiful.
Mindblowing performances by both actresses. The connection was tangible.
10) Gayatri shuts up V
I loved how Gayatri yelled Viraj and put him in his place for disrespecting Uma. I know I've said it at least a million times now, but I love the performances of the actress. It's just that her dialogue delivery and every expression is flawlessly impactful.
She is Gayatri Devi.
11) Raghav saves Choti and gives Unniyal a choice
This was one of my favorite scenes in tonight's episode. Raghav saved Choti. First, I just loved the first shot in which Raghav was perched on the floor, back against wall, looking calm and composed, gun pointed. The most commendable part was him covering Choti's eyes when he shot at Unniyal, and then asking her to go and play in another room. What added awesomeness to the scene was the way he sat -- with one leg pulled up and one leg eased down, casually.
I want to compliment HC in this scene. If you watch the scene closely, he did something awesome. He added layers to Raghav. He added mystery, strength, and something that made Raghav scary in an awesome way but at the same time held on to his essence. It was a dangerous balance that he managed flawlessly. He appeared powerful without as much as touching upon arrogance. He appeared scary but his eyes were soulful and the vulnerability in them spoke volumes.
His eyes were dark, intense, focused on Unniyal, and they held incredible power. It was a scary power -- the kind that comes from within. It was awesome, because it made him so strong as a character. It stripped him of any kind of weakness. The way that he stared at Unniyal, his calm but strained expression, his lowered voice, his body language [when he put his foot on the couch and leaned down, the way he cocked his gun, held it].
The reason that I'm pointing out these details is because you can tell how much work the actor put into adding these layers, and it's the layers that makes Raghav so intriguing. It's how he can wield a gun, calmly, but his expression and his eyes are so human.
Furthermore, I liked how Raghav pointed out that he'd trusted Unniyal. The fury of having misjudged him and having been deceived was obvious.
Yet he gave Unniyal a choice: "You or your boss."
12) Raghav provokes V
Something that I absolutely loved about this entire scene was Raghav's attitude. He wore a provocative smirk that kept pulling at his lips. His expression was taut but every muscle pulled in confidence. His voice held power in the way that it was dangerously low. And it's also commendable how he provocatively cocked his head.
I enjoyed the way that he removed V's hands from his collar -- calmly, deliberately, with a silent warning not to touch him again. Plus there was a recklessness in it. Fantastic shot.
Meanwhile, Sia stood close behind with a proud expression and smirk. You could see her strength and confidence stemmed from Raghav. She was drawing it from him, absorbing it, and she was proud of him beyond anything. I loved Sriti's expressions here, truly. Just outstanding.
13) Jahnvi's abuse exposed in front of everyone
What I loved about this scene was everyone's reaction to the violence exposed. But most of all, I loved Komal's and Gayatri's reaction. They were impactful, hands down.
>> Cons:
1) Suspense replaces logic
Throughout the episode, there was a lot of suspense -- which is fine, as long as it doesn't replace logic. Which it did in places in tonight's episode.
For instance, the doubles used to replace Raghav/Sia in order to fool Gayatri. That was a bit unnecessary in the sense that they could've used Raghav/Sia themselves and instead changed the order of the scenes. I.e. Raghav/Sia could've remained dressed in their wed clothes, gone out to get their hands on the CCTV tapes, and then reached back in time -- just as Komal and Taashu came upstairs to get them.
Furthermore, I failed to understand the point of Raghav being locked in that room and Sia being locked inside the trunk. For one thing, the suspense was unnecessary and could've been spent on character interaction, and another thing is how it doesn't make sense how they got out.
2) Editing
It was a bit choppy. There wasn't much flow. But I suppose that they're trying to rush and squeeze everything needed into the episodes before the leap. However, if they deserted suspense like the locked-in scenes, V's editing sequence, and the replacements for both Raghav and Sia -- I think they'd have had more time and it would seem less rushed.
Sometimes unnecessary suspense is added which messes up the logic and flow.
Something that I didn't understand was how V entered at the end, stopping the wedding, claiming that he'd prove Sia as his wife Jahnvi -- and all equipment was already there to his convenience, set up for his private show. Weird.
3) V's video editing sequence -- uh, why?
Unnecessary. They could've shown him slipping in the CCTV tapes and smirk knowingly. We would've guessed that he'd edited the video anyway when he publicly played it. Once again, long minutes were spent on his soliloquys and thought processes when there was nothing new or significant in the shot.
Plus, how did the domestic violence clips suddenly show up at the end? I hope that we'll get some answers in tomorrow's episode.
That's all. Do watch the ME if you haven't. Nite :-)
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