The Family Man Season 3 Review: 4 Years Wait Fails to Pay Off
After a never-ending wait of four years, Amazon Prime Video India has finally released its MVP, The Family Man Season 3. But is the new season of India’s one of the most decorated shows worth the wait and hype? Let’s find out.
The very first teaser, promos, and photos of this show promised us another banger from Raj and DK due to its exciting star cast, headed by the returning Manoj Bajpayee and Sharib Hashmi, along with new faces of Jaideep Ahlawat and Nimrat Kaur. But the show, which revolutionized the Indian Web Series scene courtesy of the makers and the unique story, has fallen into the third-season trap.
Amazon Prime Video India tends to ruin its shows in the third season. Like previously done with Panchayat and Mirzapur, which also had a very underwhelming third season, The Family Man has also fallen into the pit.
What’s It About?
Agent Number One Srikant Tiwari is tasked with bringing down tensions of uprisings influenced by external powers in the North East. But while visiting Nagaland with Kulkarni, things turn out bitter. Tiwari is now a prime suspect and is being hunted by the TASC, while the country also faces danger.
What’s Good?
Performance
When you have such a great star cast, then it is guaranteed to have epic performances. Manoj Bajpayee and Sharib Hashmi reprise their roles with finesse. It seems like they just closed the shooting of Season 2 yesterday and began shooting this one today. Jaideep Ahlawat proves himself again with a masterclass performance. Nimrat Kaur also shines in the very limited screentime that she got.
Real World Connection
I liked the first season more than the second because it connected very well with real-world incidents. Be it the brainwashing of Muslim youths by the terror groups or the lynching and thrashing of people due to their caste and beliefs, which was missing in the second season. In the new season, we can see the banning of Chinese-funded applications and how people are facing online trolling and abuse for voicing their beliefs. This was enjoyable in the first few episodes.
Vulnerable Side of Srikant Tiwari
In the previous season of The Family Man, we saw the cool, slick, and smart side of Srikant Tiwari. But now we are exposed to his vulnerable side. As a wanted criminal, he is confused and on the run with his family. Manoj Bajpayee plays this side with utmost conviction in his extraordinary performance.
Shooting Locations
This time, the story travels multiple locations. Be it the United Kingdom, Myanmar, Mumbai, Nagaland, or Chiang Mai, every location has been shot extremely well. North East India has been shot so well that even in the tense moments, you will be lost in the scenic beauty.
BGM and Music
Raj and DK have always done a great job with the BGM and music. Remember how they changed the title track in the second season by adding the Tamilian touch? They did the same this time, too. They have also used several indie songs from the Northeast, which sounds great and gives a great platform to the artists, too.
But sadly, that’s all I can say about the good parts!
What’s Bad?
Too Much Fluff
There’s a saying that “too many chefs can spoil the broth”, and this is the perfect phrase to describe this season. We can see many big names joining the star cast, and the writers take us on a worldwide trip with numerous events unfolding. But ultimately, nothing works as it should. The story started with a great promise, but ultimately, nothing pays off. There is a flat curve with no twists and turns in the middle portion, focusing more on the unnecessary drama. We are here for a thriller, right?
Flat Twists
The story has absolutely zero ups and downs. The twists that appear are very predictable and not shocking. What’s more disgusting is that they are not explained and closed as they should be in the finale! We are left again with a cliffhanger. Last time I checked, Season 2 ended with the onset of COVID-19 and a Chinese agent lurking in Kolkata. What happened to that?
Underwhelming Character Development
Moosa in Season 1 had a great character arc and backstory. But what is a man from Northern India doing in the North East in Season 3? How did he become such a dangerous assassin who can fight off trained special agents and even fly a plane? What’s his backstory? What is Nimrat Kaur’s motive? Who exactly is she? We don’t have any answer, only because of poor writing. Instead, most of the time is spent on unnecessary drama with some romantic angles that felt unnecessary.
Zero Comedy
This show stood out from the crowd because of its mix of comedy, action, and thriller. But this time, they seem to have completely struck out on comedy. I can hardly find any comedy blocks except one in the primary episodes regarding Gen Z terms. This made this season duller. With a similar star cast and shoot locations, you can mistake this season with Paatal Lok Season 2!
No Action Sets
The Family Man Season 3 seems to have blocked out everything that worked in their favour over the years! In the first season, there was an amazing action setpiece involving a hospital, and in the second season, it was in a police station. They were shot exceptionally well and were highly entertaining. This time we don’t have a single one! There’s a little action in the finale, but till then, you are already bored and disappointed.
Wastage of Talent
I don’t know why the characters of Darshan Kumar, Jugal Hansraj, and Nimrat Kaur were brought in in the first place. They have very little screen time with nothing extra to add to the curry. Jugal is absent in the middle episodes, and he suddenly appears again near the end. Nimrat is wasted despite giving her best in a very limited role. We deserved more from them.
Final Words
The fate of The Family Man Season 3 feels similar to India’s cricket team’s performance in the recent Test series. The team doesn’t have a fixed batter lineup, and the show didn’t have a fixed director. Raj and DK took the backseat and brought in new directors who previously worked as writers. This didn’t pay off, and we are left with a very average season, even after a long wait of four years. It’s a season of too many’s with too many directors, too many actors, too many going on, but nothing working.
With the news that The Family Man Will Get A Season 4, I hope the makers get the message and come up with a much better Season 4. You can stream this on Prime Video right now.
Rating:
What do you think about this series? Do let us know in the comments below.
Avik
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