Suzhal The Vortex Season 2 Review: Pushkar and Gayatri’s crime series gripping in parts, but gets caught in whirlpool of middling ideas

2.5/5

Suzhal The Vortex Season 2 Series Plot:

Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh) is serving her jail sentence for having killed her abuser and the person responsible for her sister’s death. Outside, SI Chakravarthy alias Sakkarai (Kathir) is working with public interest activist and lawyer Chellappa (Lal) to bring Nandini out. But all hell breaks loose when Chellappa is found dead at his home, and a young girl Muthu (Gouri Kishan) is hidden in a cupboard with gun in her hands. But sooner, seven other girls also confess to killing Chellappa. Who is the real killer and what’s their motive?

Also read: Suzhal The Vortex S2: What to expect from second season of Pushkar and Gayatri’s crime web series

Suzhal The Vortex Season 2 Series Review:

Early in the eight-episode second season of Suzhal S2, Sakkarai says it’s not their job to classify who is good and bad, and that anyone is capable of evilness, is the lesson learnt from his earlier case. It is particularly Sakkarai who keep reiterating this idea through the series, as he is once again at the helm of a murder mystery. Thanks to his previous case which kept teasing him with the culprit only to have reached a dead end and kept the killer mostly covered safe throughout. Yet, he keeps zeroing on the usual suspects, only to crack a clue after a strenuous process. By the end of Suzhal S2, Sakkarai learns a lesson that everyone is capable of goodness. It feels Sakkarai has turned from viewing glass being half empty to being half full. Somewhere, Suzhal 2 also feels like this, that it may have a similar start like its first season and kickstarted on a slow note, but picks up to set a larger scheme of things, and yet falls into the same template of its predecessor.

Pushkar and Gayatri, who also crafted the first season, retain the core element; a murder mystery set against the backdrop of a rooted festival. Last season, it was Mayanakolai of Sambaloor where the dead were celebrated, and now, coastal village of Kaalipattanam’s Ashtakaali festival for the second season. Which is why, It’s easier to connect why eight young women are involved in a murder case of a man during a festival which involves that many numbers of goddesses to finish off a demon. Very much like the first season, we are tipped off into believing who would be possibly the bad seed, but thanks to the barrage of murder mysteries off late that ensure audience always keeps the eye on the least suspected to have possibly done the heinous crimes.

Also read: Suzhal The Vortex S1 recap: Ahead of second season premiere, here's what happened in Pushkar- Gayatri's series so far

Suzhal 2 has gotten bigger and better, for it hosts pockets of sub-plots and commentaries as the murder probe progresses. It acknowledges how traumatic it would be for a survivor to keep recalling their experience time and again as with the case of Nandini. Or when the series shows the disparities and brutalities unleashed in women’s jail, where even young girls are not considered safe even among their folks, and a little bit of upgradation in terms of investigation when Sakkarai says they can get to know about the eight girls only through their social media accounts. Suzhal 2 talks about a larger network, that of an organised crime, and what the eight girls have to do with a lawyer who is righteous and bats for anti-oppression. But somewhere, the series also feels that it is getting a bit too comfortable in baiting the audience with the wrong accomplice with breadcrumbs that soon get nullified in the next episode. We are already ruling out the usual suspects, and Suzhal 2 doesn’t manage to outsmart its audience.

In terms of genre, Suzhal 2 operates within the crime drama and feels it doesn’t push the boundaries even as it gets the luxury of a huge canvas and timely breakdown with episodic nature. But at the same time, there are elements in storytelling that has gotten better with the second season. There are intricacies, and the seamless nature of the episodes adds a great value. The multi-character arc to helps the story to move forward, but when it comes to Suzhal having that X factor to intrigue you, it falls short of it. Towards the end, you almost feel underwhelmed when coming to know of the killer, and Suzhal 2 feels like a rushed ending to tie the knots together.

The season has its highs and lows, very much like Kaalipattanam’s coast which is both a boon and bane for its women. It can be the livelihood for its fisherfolks, but also the threat to those who operate a mafia. Similarly, Suzhal 2 manages to keep you gripping in parts but sucked into the vortex it had created.

Suzhal The Vortex Season 2 Series Verdict:

Suzhal 2 borrows the setup from its previous season, but only makes it grander and more appropriate for having to use a festival background to tell a crime drama. While it may not completely rely on its first season’s storyline, Pushkar and Gayatri attempt to give more freshness in the storytelling. Suzhal 2 is gripping for most parts but also comes with fair share of shortcomings.