Average to slightly-above-average episode. Alright... retrospection in order!
Pros -
* Not really a part of the episode I guess, but the opening 15 years' celebration music video was pretty freakin' cool! 👏 👏 😃 The editing was a bit jarring at times but the scene selection, though from recent episodes, was pretty neat and the unused portions from the Aakhri Chunauti trailer blended in remarkably well. Decent song and accompanying arrangements as well. Props to the fellas who put this one together! 👍🏼
* Not a particularly remarkable story, but it was acceptable I guess. The investigation was much too straightforward but the inspection of the crime scene and connected places was okay-ish, and Nandu sir's direction was decent for most of the part. The highlights of the episode for me were definitely the disguise scene at the bar (the drug dealer's sudden change of manners after being busted was hilarious 😆 ), the couple of brief chase sequences by Daya sir and Vivek, and the final scene of the team with Ballu.
* ACP sir was the star here. 👏 👏 ⭐️ I truly love the scenes which feature ACP sir reproaching young would-be criminals and help them turn over a new leaf, and this time with Ballu, though brief, was no exception. He also led the investigation wonderfully in much of the episode and was portrayed decently enough in the forensic scenes as well. So a thumbs-up from me on this. 👍🏼 Daya sir's disguise (rather, semi-disguise) scene with the drug peddler in the bar was entertaining and I liked how he first baited in the dude and then presented the nasty surprise. 😆 (Wonder why the guy doesn't recognize him when he knows all their names, though?) The dialogues were rather poor but his chase scenes, apprehension of the culprits/suspects and motivational support to the kid at the end were delightful to watch nevertheless.
* It was nice to see Vivek get a more active role in the proceedings of the investigation! His brief hospital scene was cool and he was impressive in supporting the seniors and checking up on the bad guys, in whatever scene he was in. 👍🏼 Sachin was okay in his part, and Purvi did very well in every scene she got to participate actively in, most notably the aforementioned bar scene. 😃 Okay, I gotta say it... she was looking darn beautiful in that one. 😳 😳 The guy playing Ballu's role was alright too.
* Ending the episode on a positive note always gets a +1 from me, so there, even though it felt sorta cheesy. The background music seemed slightly better than usual in some portions as well.
Cons -
* Abhi sir was vastly absent from the episode. Me not likes! 👎🏼
* The pacing seemed kinda off today - the opening was fast (maybe a bit too much), and while the subsequent investigative scenes were decent the middle portion dragged a bit. And just when it picked up, the culprits seemed to get caught a bit too quickly. Ah well.
* The forensic scenes were okay-ish without any pointless arguments or clashes, but they were kinda dull and uninteresting at the same time as well. The overall investigation was a bit too simplistic and mundane, without any particularly trying points or anything. The dialogue department needs some good makeover as well, too much cheese and OTTness.
* What's up with that revolving camera in normal discussion scenes (the lawyer's room in this case)? This is a pretty annoying and distracting element I hope they do away with in the forthcoming episodes. The shaky cam during the chase scenes is a bit off as well... I dunno if it's inspired by Paul Greengrass or something, but it's pretty raw.
It had its share of problems, but had some decent moments as well. Most notably the new anthem! 😊 Now let's have the rest of the episode live up to that!
Cricket
Health and Fitness
5