Dhruv Sharma
For the first few minutes of season 6, you wonder whether ‘Sacred Games‘ has become a victim of Netflix’s mid-show lethargy. But just like all other episodes of this season, this one takes a serious turn midway and leaves you stunned by the end. This is when it becomes clear that however the show ends, it is going to be explosive.
While the entire episode doesn’t have much to offer and for the most part has scenes that don’t add much value, the ending of this episode is absolutely bone-chilling. For a very long time, I was under the false impression that this episode would just stick to its positive nostalgic feel and would be filled with mere recaps of old episodes. But the last few minutes are a complete game-changer for this one and it leaves you with an unforgettable cliffhanger.
Sacred Games Season 2 Episode 6 Recap
Sartaj Singh somehow gets the hint that Guruji is still alive and he rushes into the Ashram to look for him. This is when he meets Batya again who calmly offers him an explanation. She then gives him the same drug again but he refuses it this time knowing about its side effects. She goes ahead and shows him Guruji’s sinister plan of destroying the world by sparking a nuclear war and even tells him that his own father was right there when the final plan of Satyug was being briefed to all the devotees.
The story then shifts towards Malcolm and shows how significant his contribution is in Guruji’s master plan. He is the one who gets in touch with Shahid Khan and asks him to wage an attack that will spark a war between India and Pakistan. He even provides him nuclear fuel and a place of assembly for the bomb. The whole movement starts off in the Middle East, where the warring groups are provided guns and bombs. Amid recession, American school kids are provided guns for free.
Soon, the entire world starts to crumble while Guruji finally finishes his 20-year-old book that will later teach them survival during Satyug. Ganesh is convinced that he would be above God once he reaches Satyug and even describes his last few days with Guruji as the best days of his life. While Guruji “sacrifices” himself and moves away from all his followers, the movement starts to spread like wildfire. Batya travels to different ashrams all over the world and convinces close to 100 more Kalyugs to join them. Even Bhosale is manipulated into believing that only Pakistan is plotting an attack against India and this convinces him to allow the transportation of weapons and nuclear fuel.
Strangely, the episode changes its entire pace when Gaitonde revisits Mumbai and meets his old friends and family after ages. He also meets Jojo who finally reveals that her sister had committed suicide because of her and she still feels guilty of murdering her. Ganesh convinces her that she should stop blaming herself and the two end up making love. Though this scene isn’t all that graphic, at that moment, it represents Jojo’s freedom from guilt that was trapped inside her all these years.
As Ganesh starts to question the whole idea of Kalyug again, he also starts to build his own bunker that consists of all supplies. In the meantime, Sartaj feels betrayed by his own father and ends up throwing away the “Kada” that he had inherited from him. Towards the end, Sartaj experiences something that brings back his memories of all the innocents who lost their lives for no reason. This makes him believe that maybe Batya is right about Kalyug. In the last few minutes of the episodes, he goes back to the Ashram and this time around accepts the drug when it is offered to him. A tear rolls down his eye and his pupils slowly dilate and a dull yet depressing closing theme fades in.
Sacred Games Season 2 Episode 6 Review
For the most part of it, this episode disappoints as it forcefully adds drama to the story. The episode gives a deeper explanation of the whole “Kalyug” plans and portrays all the different ways in which it is being executed. Though this is quite necessary, all of it comes off as a little boring and because of all the repetitive information being shown to us.
Gaitonde returns to Mumbai which slightly lightens up the growing somber tone of the show. Even his meeting with Jojo acts like a break from all the dark revelations that have been made earlier. But what really brings you back to the reality of the events is a brutal portrayal of a mob beating. This violently impactful tiny scene will make you question your own opinion on whose side you’re on. Just like Sartaj, even you will start believing that in a world where innocents are brutally killed, maybe Guruji was right about everything.
Also, though Saif Ali Khan has done a pretty commendable job throughout the series, the last scene where he only uses his eyes to portray what he feels is by far one of the most brilliant pieces of acting in the series. This scene not only represents the sudden shift in Sartaj’s opinion but also shows that Saif is indeed a great actor.
Rating: 3.5/5
