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| Mismatched 3 review: Prajakta Koli and Rohit Saraf have grown beautifully as actors. |
Netflix's Mismatched Season 3, starring Rohit Saraf and Prajakta Koli, is trying to tackle an array of contemporary issues with a unique blend of romance and tech-driven storytelling. Does it succeed?
The coming-of-age drama has always been about the teenage aspirations, love, and challenge. Season 3 took a bold leap with this concept of a narrative shift towards AI, the metaverse-a creation called "Betterverse," and other tech-related storylines. While it enhances it with depth, the show finds difficulty to balance its growing thematic complexity with that kind of emotional maturity that's enough to sustain the charm for the audience.
Tech Meets Reality: A Bold Move
The third season takes viewers from the well-known streets of Jaipur to Hyderabad's state-of-the-art tech institutes, where innovation is king. The major subplot revolves around the concept of Betterverse, a virtual reality world in which characters seek solace, identity, and connection. For example, queer hacker Rith (Lauren Robinson) uses the Betterverse to deal with gender dysphoria, while Anmol (Taaruk Raina) explores virtual escapism as a way to cope with his physical disability.
However, these complex themes portrayed by the show often feel like a double-edged sword. While it brings in fresh and relevant narratives, it risks piling too much into too little time and overwhelming the audience.
Long-Distance Love and Virtual Frustration:
The heart of Mismatched lies in the relation between Dimple (Prajakta Koli) and Rishi (Rohit Saraf). Season 3 places their love under the microscope while they deal with a long-distance relationship. Their virtual interplay in the Betterverse is poetic yet frustrating, highlighting the dissonance growing between the digital and physical worlds.
This virtual-versus-reality tension underscores the central themes of the show: miscommunication, unmet expectations, and the fragility of human connection. Despite these promising concepts, emotional impact is often lost to a series of inconsistent performances and an unfortunate lack of directorial finesse.
Tackling Social Issues: Inclusive but Surface-Level
Mismatched deserves credit for dealing with issues like gender dysphoria, grief, body positivity, and childhood trauma. The presence of a queer hacker, Rith, feels real and earthy because of the subtle writing of Gazal Dhaliwal. The subplot of an AI chatbot used to reconnect with a deceased parent is a poignant look at how technology intersects with human emotion.
Yet, the series often prefers breadth over depth. These themes are introduced with sensitivity; however, they are not fleshed out enough to truly make a lasting impression on the viewer. This risks performing rather than feeling, as though the inclusivity is the check-off list rather than a natural extension of the narrative.
Performance: A Mixed Bag
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| Mismatched 3 review: Prajakta Koli and Rohit Saraf have grown beautifully as actors. |
The lead actors, Rohit Saraf and Prajakta Koli, carry the weight of the show but fail to bring out the emotional complexity of their characters. Taaruk Raina (Anmol) and Kshitee Jog (Dimple's mother) are supporting actors who shine with outstanding performances that elevate the material. Rannvijay Singha and Vidya Malvade's mature romance is a refreshing break from the youthful angst.
Yet, the overall lack of directorial vision is glaring. The season feels disjointed since Akarsh Khurana was not there to be the sole director in charge; the ambitious script often overpowers the execution.
What Works and What Doesn’t:
The strength of Mismatched Season 3 lies in its willingness to experiment. The move to a tech-centric setting, with diverse narratives, shows that the writers are committed to growth. The inclusion of real-world struggles, like work-life balance and societal pressures, adds layers to the characters' journeys.
Yet, this ambition is also the show's Achilles' heel. Trying to tackle too much at once, Mismatched loses the emotional intimacy that made its earlier seasons relatable. The pacing feels rushed, and the transitions between storylines lack fluidity.
However, the show refuses to entirely enter its themes regarding adult relations and intimacy as if to stay in an endless limbo. Sometimes it aspires to being daringly mature but devolves back into safe surface story lines.
Conclusion: Ageing Without Growing Up
Season 3 of Mismatched captures the chaos and confusion of young adulthood but fails to deliver a cohesive narrative. Its exploration of cutting-edge themes like AI and virtual reality is intriguing, yet the execution leaves much to be desired. As the show grows older, it doesn't necessarily grow wiser, leaving its characters and audience in a state of emotional limbo.
For fans, this season will offer flashes of brilliance but lack emotional depth and clarity of directorial vision that will make it memorable. The series has to choose whether it wants to merely age or actually mature as it continues to move forward.
In Dimple's words, "Love is when what you want is what you need." For Mismatched, what it needs is a clearer vision and a tighter grip on its sprawling narrative to finally come of age.
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