Posted:
NOTE: I'm focusing more on the positive aspects of the episode tonight as the CVs deserve recognition for character development [Raghav, Viraj] in the episode. I will return to my more critical approach from tomorrow.
Well, I'll be damned. Can I just say that tonight's episode rocked my socks? Toward the end of it, I wanted to do this:
This was a frigging fierce episode in the sense that the hero really stepped into character tonight. His scenes were not only given time to play out, but he was proactive. I mean, I'd been frustrated for a long time that they'd introduced a hero to counter the villain, but they kept pushing him out of the picture, making him weak and useless. However, tonight I felt like Raghav was powerful. Powerful enough to counter V both in wits and strength.
I don't know what happened to the writers. Were they struck by lightening? Did they, all of a sudden, have an epiphany and realize that they'd been going down the wrong track? I have no clue why they've decided to switch tracks and make Raghav stronger, but I won't complain because I've been waiting for this for three frigging months.
Now I'm just nervous that they'll suddenly lose their minds and ruin it again.
Well, moving on...
>> Pros:
1) V is confused and feels out of control
I loved seeing him running around like a headless chicken. He'd no control of the situation tonight. He had no clue at all, and it was driving him insane. Plus he was surrounded with, in his words, idiots that couldn't help him solve his problem. I just loved it. You see, evil is glorified so much on this show that when they show V just a bit confused, losing out, even if it's just for one episode -- you gotta relish it.
I especially loved it when Shekhawat was on the phone and V had no patience.
V: Will this guy ever stop yapping?
Addition: I have to admit that I liked how the confusion added a kind of depth to V. You see, when one thing slips out of his control [Sia], then everything starts slipping and he can't control anything. Thus the confusion. But this is interesting because it points to his issue with wanting everything to be orderly. In control. In fact, if V felt that he was in control, then he would've been able to catch onto Raghav's hiding her from the start. It's only because he feels out of control that he cannot see the obvious.
It's refreshing to see this in V's character because things were getting too repetitive.
I think that this is a good, solid build-up to his character turning completely and becoming even more vicious and merciless -- especially when he finds out that he's been tricked.
2) Raghav plays V
YES. For once, the hero played the villain on this show and not the other way around. Oh, God, I loved it. First thing, I loved how you could see a really smooth change in Raghav's attitude. Usually, he's so sweet. Tonight, he was all spices, all fierce.
Watch him here as he watched V walk obliviously into the ashram to check it for Jahnvi. I mean, Raghav got out and there was this ghost of a smirk on his face, like "gotcha, loser" and that total confidence about it -- to die for. This is what I wanted to see in Raghav. The confidence, the coolness, the glint in his eyes as he knows that V won't find Sia in there.
Plus, the entire conversation with Shekhawat on the phone was awesomely phrased.
3) Shekhawat and Raghav compromise
I absolutely loved that Shekhawat double-crossed V. I mean, it's about time that everyone doesn't dance to V's tune all the frigging time. With all the losses Shekhawat has suffered due to V's plans, the most natural thing for him to do as a small don is cut V out.
Shekhawat's character is well-sketched in the sense that he's not your typical gunda. He's kind of dumb, because he doesn't think things through. Like Raghav told him "don't think" when just a moment earlier he'd told him that Shekhawat had just done what V had asked him to do without thinking of asking any questions.
I loved the irony here. Shekhawat did the same thing with Raghav, even after Raghav had pointed it out. It was kind of funny. Plus, the actor who portrays Shekhawat is awesome.
He and Harshad have fantastic chemistry.
4) Raghav processes what Sia told him and the how, how, how
This entire scene was a mercy from the writers. Much awaited. It should have taken place earlier, but at least we finally got it. We got to see Raghav processing Sia's revelation and getting more and more pissed about it. I liked the way that the scene had been shot. They could've played it out in many ways, but they chose to have Raghav unleash his anger on his punching bag which was a very Raghav-ish thing to do as well.
Best part for me though was when he asked how and kept asking it. I think that the shock of his Sia having been through all that was something that he couldn't quite fathom, even though he believed it. He was trying to understand how it was possible. Plus, as we saw later on, it was a religious-themed question too. Raghav, believing God so much, had a hard time digesting Sia's past and present.
5) Raghav tames Fury
I'd like to compliment Harshad for his performance in this scene. It was something else -- entirely. I've mentioned before how he can switch from expressionless to furious/sad and basically any emotion that you ask of him -- but tonight he showed me scary.
The way that he closed his eyes -- I had goosebumps down my arms. I was like "omigod, he's gonna lose it" and then I watched him yank Fury back in control, taming it muscle by muscle. It was fascinating to watch and frightening. I loved it. What I found praise-worthy was also how, despite controlling his facial expression, the fury was still in his eyes and made them seem darker than usual. Fantastically done. He held on to the fury in his eyes as he turned to face V.
6) KriGhav returneth -- hallelujah
I rarely have words to describe their moments. I see Krish as Raghav's redemption and it makes me feel that their bond is something intangible yet conveyed through their smallest of gestures. It's like every movement speaks volumes and carries a deep significance to their relationship, their characters. It's hard to explain. They just have an unique ability to make me smile -- either tragically or happily.
I loved their entire scene tonight -- especially because it was allowed to play out to its full potential. From the moment Raghav strode in, furious, seeking Krish's calm and needing him to listen to the moment when Krish massaged his head and threw his arms around him.
It's just the natural flow of their scenes, the genuine emotions and conviction of them... I mean, tonight I frowned when Raghav ranted, I laughed when Krish massaged his head, I saddened when Raghav poured out his heart in relation to Sia's pain...
This gesture where Raghav casually takes his hand and kisses it, just awesome:
You can feel how stressed Raghav is, how frustrated and furious, and he's annoyed with Krish messing up his hair when he's so worried. But at the same time, he needs to talk to Krish, to ease his mind. I love how Raghav always seeks out Krish for a heart-to-heart.
Another gesture that touched me was this one:
There's no wall between those two actors. Their comfort level amazes me. Like, the way that Krish threw his arms around Raghav and the way that Raghav turned his head. This was beautiful, absolutely beautiful -- kudos to the actors and the director and the writers for this shot.
7) Unniyal, Google, and The Olympics
Unniyal is a breath of fresh air on this show. I actually enjoy his scenes a lot. It's so nicely balanced with everything else. He adds that balanced humor, not over the top, but kinda dumb-ish humor that makes me laugh. And I feel bad for him sometimes, because of the way V smacks him around.
But the actor performs the character of Unniyal so well... The Google comment cracked me up. I was laughing really hard. And then the Olympics comment on Jahnvi, LMAO xD
Unniyal wasn't of much help to V tonight, thus he got the kick:
V: Unniyal, you idiot.
8) Less glorification of Evil, more focus on the power of Good
Something that I appreciated about tonight's episode was that there was less focus on the glorification of V and more focus on the power of Raghav. I've had a problem with the way that they've kept pushing Raghav out of the picture and allowing V to win over and over -- it's about time that the tables turned and they showed how good is powerful and victorious in the end.
They're still not at the point where I'd say that they've stopped glorifying V. But for tonight, I'll say kudos to the writers for pulling Raghav's good fight to the foreground and allowing us to see a losing V.
>> Cons:
1) The order of the scenes
Still bugs me. Like, the punching bag sequence should've connected to the KriGhav one, but because they wanted to add suspense, V showed up, Raghav "calmed" down where I'd have liked to see the punching bag scene play out to Krish coming in instead of V and it continuing from there.
In addition to that, the processing of Sia's past should've happened before her so-called disappearance. The order of scenes right now makes the episode seem messy in terms of editing.
2) The flow in some of the dialogues
Some of the dialogues during the Shekhawat and Raghav compromise scene were a bit poorly written. The flow in them, that is. I do generally feel that the writers could work a bit harder on giving characters such as Raghav, Jahnvi, Gayatri, and Komal more powerful dialogues. V's dialogues need to be less repetitive too.
3) V has possibly caught on to Raghav playing him
I'm thinking that he has caught on to something. He's not stupid, after all. This is more like a half-con, because I feel things are moving at jet-speed and I'm not sure I'm liking it.
4) V's character needs to turn completely for the worse
It's high time that he reaches the point where it's "if I can't have Jahnvi, then no one will have her". He hasn't reached that point yet. But he seriously needs to turn completely now. We've seen him bring people to the brink of death and enjoy every second of it. We have seen him rape and torture and destroy people's lives.
He was supposed to have transformed into V 2.0, a more terrorfying version of V. But I fail to see where this version is. A ponytail doesn't make him scary, it just makes him pervy. We're all waiting to see V reach the official point of no return [which I personally believe that he reached a long time ago].
5) Sriti was AWOL
I missed her. I hope she's feeling better.
Basically, a great episode tonight. Raghav really stepped it up and became stronger and proactive. V was confused and losing control for once. Plus, it was nice to see interaction between the villain and the hero. They do have great chemistry as well.
i have to doff my hat at their professionalism... 👏 ⭐️
