The Gone Game (Season 2)
Introduction
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been quite a few filmmakers who have been inclined towards showcasing the pandemic as a part of the narrative. It all began with the Malayalam film C U Soon where the pandemic was for the first time shown as a part of the screenplay. Since then, time and again we have seen films and shows showcasing the same. One such show was The Gone Game on Voot Select which made a brave choice of filming the entire web series during the pandemic. As a result, the pandemic seems very organic in the screenplay and it added to the ambience of what was a brilliant thriller, something that I was very pleasantly surprised by. And so when its season 2 was announced(and they had to given that season 1 had ended on a cliffhanger), I was quite curious as to how the series will shape up. And with that I finished watching the second season of The Gone Game on Voot Select. Is it worth your time, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
The Gone Game 2 picks up from the same point where season one had ended. The story here is good but there is no build up which I feel was fair considering that a lot of the buildup had already taken place in season one. The screenplay standing at 5 episodes of roughly 25 minutes each means it can easily be binge watched.
One of the most difficult aspects for a writer to to rebuild the world in subsequent seasons of the show after a successful season one. This is different from character build up which makes it even more tough. And I felt it is here that the writing suffers ever so slightly. The audience did not get a chance to settle into the drama as the story kickstarted right from the very first scene. It took me a good 10 minutes to recall the character dynamics although I did remember some portions from season one. But from there on, it was smooth sailing!
The twists and turns will keep you hooked and booked throughout the series. There is a major twist at the end of episode one which adds a whole new dimension to the drama. From that point, the drama branches out into two parallel subplots and both of them are interesting. The fast nature of the screenplay ensures that you need to be on your toes throughout and absorb all the twists which come your way. There is a twist at the end of every episode which makes the drama consistently exciting.
The writing here may not be as sharp as season one but there are several moments which will make you curious. The events lead up to the twisted final act which was better than what I had expected to be. Now some of you may have guessed the ending too but this time I wasn’t able to guess it(oh well towards the end I did but not sure if that counts😊), and so the end deserves a few brownie points as well. Overall, the screenplay is fast paced and quite thrilling!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are fairly well written and seldom over the top. The BGM is scintillating and it does more than enough heighten the drama and the tension. The cinematography is pretty good as well. Director Abhishek Sengupta does a pretty good job here. Although the direction is rough around the edges but he is able to maintain the pace of the drama and make it consistently watchable with it various twists and turns which makes for a good day in the office as far as direction is concerned.
Performances
The performances comprising of a couple of new characters in the mix along with the old ones are terrific although there is no real depth to any of the characters. Indraneil Sengupta as Prateek and Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Subhash both have their moments to shine in a limited screen time. Amit Jairath is quite good although his character seemed convoluted and half baked. Harleen Sethi as Sharmila is outstanding and delivers a well restrained performance. Shriya Pilgaonkar as Suhani(she is just everywhere ain’t she?😊) is pretty good and does justice to her character. Rukhsar Rehman as Sunita is first rate. Arjun Mathur as Sahil is such a natural onscreen, it is a pleasure watching him every single time. Sanjay Kapoor as Rajeev is excellent and makes his presence felt. Shweta Tripathi Sharma as Amara is probably the pick of the actors for me and she does a phenomenal job here. She is able to express so well without going overboard and that for me is a sign of a great actor.
Conclusion
The Gone Game 2 is a twisted thriller with some solid performances which is definitely worth your time. Available on Voot Select.