368. Web-series Reviews – 183

More web-series reviews…

Mirzapur Season 3 – 3rd season came out in 2024.  The iron-fisted Akhandanand Tripathi is a millionaire carpet exporter and the mafia don of Mirzapur. His son, Munna, is an unworthy, power-hungry heir who will stop at nothing to inherit his father's legacy. An incident at a wedding procession forces him to cross paths with Ramakant Pandit, an upstanding lawyer, and his sons, Guddu and Bablu. It snowballs into a game of ambition, power and greed that threatens the fabric of this lawless city!

A review from IMDB...

"Mirzapur," created by Karan Anshuman and Puneet Krishna, is a popular Indian web series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video. Set against the backdrop of the lawless town of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, the show has garnered significant attention for its gritty portrayal of crime, power, and politics. With its mix of intense drama, complex characters, and intricate plotlines, "Mirzapur" has established itself as a notable entry in the Indian web series landscape.

The series follows the story of the Tripathi family, led by the patriarch Akhandanand Tripathi (played by Pankaj Tripathi), who is a powerful and influential don in Mirzapur. The narrative revolves around his empire of illegal activities, including drugs and weapons, and the subsequent conflicts that arise when his sons, Munna Tripathi (Divyendu Sharma) and Bablu Tripathi (Vikrant Massey), become embroiled in the family business. The tension escalates as the show explores themes of ambition, loyalty, and betrayal.

Pankaj Tripathi delivers a standout performance as Akhandanand Tripathi, embodying a blend of charisma and menace that anchors the series. His portrayal of a ruthless yet shrewd gangster-turned-politician is both compelling and nuanced. Divyendu Sharma, as Munna, brings a volatile energy to the role, effectively showcasing the character's dangerous mix of insecurity and aggression. Vikrant Massey's portrayal of Bablu Tripathi adds a layer of vulnerability and moral complexity, making his arc particularly engaging.

The show's strength lies in its intricate storytelling and robust character development. The plot weaves together multiple storylines, including power struggles, personal vendettas, and political machinations. The narrative structure is well-paced, allowing for a gradual build-up of tension and drama. However, the show does sometimes suffer from pacing issues, with certain episodes feeling overstuffed or drawn-out. Despite this, the overall plot maintains a gripping momentum.

One of the most notable aspects of "Mirzapur" is its depiction of violence and its impact on the characters. The series does not shy away from graphic content, and its portrayal of violence serves to underscore the brutal realities of the world it represents. This unflinching approach can be both shocking and compelling, though it may not be to everyone's taste. The violence is integral to the show's themes, reflecting the lawlessness and moral ambiguity of Mirzapur.

The series also benefits from strong supporting performances. Characters like Guddu Pandit (Ali Fazal) and his wife, Sweety (Shriya Pilgaonkar), provide emotional depth and context to the central narrative. The interplay between various factions and individuals enriches the story, contributing to a complex and multifaceted portrayal of the criminal underworld.

Visually, "Mirzapur" captures the gritty, rural essence of its setting with a muted color palette and stark cinematography. The depiction of Mirzapur's rough streets and oppressive atmosphere enhances the series' sense of realism and immersion. The use of music and sound design complements the visual style, creating a tense and immersive experience for viewers.

Despite its many strengths, "Mirzapur" is not without its flaws. Some critics have pointed out that the series relies heavily on genre clichés and archetypes, which can occasionally feel predictable. Additionally, the character development for some supporting roles is uneven, with certain figures feeling underexplored or one-dimensional.

In conclusion, "Mirzapur" is a gripping and intense series that offers a raw portrayal of crime and power dynamics in rural India. With its strong performances, intricate plotlines, and realistic depiction of violence, it has carved out a significant niche in the Indian streaming market. While it may not break new ground in terms of genre conventions, it remains a compelling watch for those interested in dramatic crime stories and character-driven narratives. The show's success has cemented its place as a noteworthy entry in the growing landscape of Indian web series, making it a significant cultural touchstone for audiences both within and outside India.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Came out in 2024.  Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town. But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day.

A review from IMDB...

An interesting but uneven mystery drama that never quite manages to firmly find its feet. There's lots to enjoy in this series from the lovely shooting locations, the very good lead performances to the actual mystery itself and the almost cold case style investigation which follows. I haven't read the book so can't comment on how accurate it is. The series sometimes starts onto territory that feels familiar and a couple of bits feel slightly shoehorned in, including a I Know What You Did Last Summer style accident.

A certain tall blonde young woman will also appear exactly when our protagonist needs her to in order to help. The friends at times get some development at other times feel superfluous. You start to realise soon all the white men in the series are bad in some often vile and criminal way, ethnic men though are mostly kind hearted and caring, imagine if the BBC did the opposite. It's become almost weakness and trope now you actually start to roll your eyes at. The casting is mostly quite good though one actor playing a pressured 17 years looks not a day over 40. Smart phones get used a lot in the series but usually to advance the plot along. Our main character gets to give lots of self-righteous rants at different point meanwhile her Watson friend somehow seems to be entirely void of anything approaching a realistic life, often just appearing by a lake with his hands in his pockets in order for our protagonist to talk with him, how longs he been stood staring at that tree?

We get a fair bit of drugs in the series, a slightly unsettling list of professions you think you can trust like teachers and policemen who are very much not trustworthy to say the least. Plot holes are simply gigantic, a certain accident involving an animal makes no sense, nor the motives of people really. Some bits are also unclear but for the most part I could follow it. Its all very idealised at times the perfect cottage england homes, the traffic free streets, the dog that never barks or gets too excited, or causes any mess or problems. The parents who exchange witty banter, it's all a bit tv land. I do like a good mystery though, the thing moves along nicely, it's fairly well done technically and so I give it a 6 overall. Despite its slightly funny character overall its not a comedy touching on some interesting themes relevant to young people about racism, parenting, friendship, drugs, consent and integrity.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Law & Order – Running from 1990 onwards!  502 episodes so far.  Lives hang in the balance as detectives and prosecutors pursue justice in New York City. In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place -- and keep the worst offenders off the streets.

A review from IMDB...

Here's how you can tell, (sort of), which season a rerun of this show was originally part of. Most of us watch the reruns even more than the regular show and even discovered the regular show through the re-runs so I thought this might be helpful for the newbies.

1988: The pilot has a grainy look to it. The offices of the lawyers are more proletarian that the wood-paneled hives they now work in. The big thing is that the DA, (as opposed to the Executive Assistant DA- let's call him the EADA, or the assistant DA- let's call her the ADA), is played for the one and only time by Roy Thinnes, who must have finally escaped from 'The Invaders'. It's about the Masucci Crime Family, (who will be back), corrupting public officials and ends will a lengthy scroll about the ongoing fight against corruption, etc.

1990-91: Short, heavy-set, balding George Dzundza is the cynical older cop. Dzundza left because he preferred to live and work where it was warmer and his character, (played by his stand-in), gets bumped off in the first episode of the second season.

1991-92: Paul Sorvino plays his replacement, nice-guy Phil Cerretta. The show actually began the next year with the same cast but Sorvino wanted to leave to become an opera singer so poor Phil got shot by a black-market arms dealer in November, 1992 and was replaced by the classic dog-faced flatfoot, Jerry Orbach as Lenny Briscoe.

1993-94: It had been an all-male cast so they brought in Jill Hennessy to replace Richard Brooks as the ADA. But Brooks was black so they had to bring in another black character, (my interpretation) so out went the excellent Dann Florek as Lt. Cragan, to be replaced by S. Epatha Merkerson, (I can always remember her name but not the characters).

1994-5: Michael Moriarity had come apart due to, (from what I've read), alcohol and chronic mental problems that resurfaced. He was replaced this season by Sam Waterson, who came over from 'I'll Fly Away' as the EADA. Meanwhile perennial malcontent, (again from what I've read), Chris Noth either wanted out or was wanted out and his character, Mike Logan, slugs another corrupt public official on the steps of the courthouse, (after the smug perp gets off), and is banished to Staten Island, later to return in a TV movie.

1995-96: The year of the first true 'Homicide' cross-over, (Noth as Logan had done a cameo the previous year), and the rare L&O episode that was about the regulars, who witnesses an execution and then spend the day and night drinking it off. It all ends with Hennessy's character, Clare Kincaid, dying in an auto accident. RIP.

1996-98 Carey Lowell replaced Hennessy. Dick Wolf had apparently decided to get ready for the next abrupt departure by creating a sub-plot for each character to explain why they might leave: Adam Schiff was facing a tough election, (and his wife was dying), McCoy was up on ethics charges, (finally). Jaime Ross's sleazy ex-husband was trying to win custody of their child by claiming she was working too hard. Van Buren was suing the city for discrimination in promotions. Lenny Briscoe's daughter gets rubbed out by a dope ring. Rey Curtis' wife has MS. So what happened? Nothing. Everyone stayed.

1998-99: Lowell DID leave, for a similar reason as her character's- she had a baby with Richard Gere and wanted to spend time with her child. Angie Harmon, a real firecracker, came in to replace her.

1999-00: Bratt left to spend more time with HIS movie star other half, Julia Roberts, (it didn't last). Jesse Martin replaced him.

2000-01: Hill finally left to be replaced with Diane Wiest.

2001-02: Harmon left to be with her new hubby, football star Jason Sehorn, to be replaced by the much maligned, (and under-rated), Elizabeth Rohm. 9/11 made it an interesting season to come in.

2002-04: Senator Fred Thompson replaces Wiest.

2004-05: By bye Lennie Briscoe. Hello Dennis Farnia. Does it even matter that his character's named Fontana?

SoooThinnes= '88 pilot. Dzundza = 1st season (90-91). Sorvino = 2nd season or early third, (91-92). Orbach reporting to Florek = 3rd season, (92-93). Moriarity working with Hennessy = 4th season, (93-94). Waterson and we still have Noth= 5th season, (94-95). Bratt and we still have Hennessy = 6th season, (95-96). Carey Lowell is either the 7th season, (96-97) or 8th season, (97-98). Harmon and we still have Bratt = 9th season (98-99). Martin and we still have Hill = 10th season, (99-00). Wiest working with Harmon = 11th season, (00-01). Wiest working with Rohm = 12th season, (01-02). Thompson and we still have Orbach = 13th, (02-03) or 14th, (03-04) season. Farina, so far = 15th season, (04-05).

My dream cast? I'll take the crusty but forceful Thompson over the merely crusty Hill as the DA. I like Moriarity's Stone somewhat more than Waterson's McCoy. They are two of the finest actors of their generation but I prefer Stone's idealism to McCoy's 'winning is everything' attitude. Actually, I wish the series had both of them and had them alternated, with their different approaches. Hennessy's intelligent sensitivity and expressive face made her the best ADA. Florek is the classic middle manager who gets it from both sides. Orbach fits like an old glove. Noth's emotionalism made him more exciting that the other young cops. There was never a season when they were all together but the fourth season, 1993-94 was about the best.

My Take – Worth a watch. Watched the entire Season 1 and stopped!

Adios till next time😊!