'Cubicles' S04 review: Endearing, but doesn't realize its complete potential
What's the story
The Viral Fever's workplace drama Cubicles is back with its fourth season on SonyLIV.
It continues the story of Piyush Prajapati (Abhishek Chauhan) and his colleagues Neha, Sunaina, and Shetty, at Synnotech Innovations.
Endearing in parts, well-acted, and relatable, it has some factors going for it.
However, it fails to realize its true potential due to predictable narrative arcs and anti-climactic storylines.
Story
Piyush and his team are confronted with more challenges
Picking up from where the third season concluded, this fresh installment focuses on Synnotech Innovations's possible acquisition by Piyush's dream company PIC.
The fear of lay-offs and terminations loom large over his team, and Piyush is once again wedged between the company and his friends, who accuse him of being the "management's puppet."
What will Piyush eventually do?
#1
Captures the nuances of the corporate world well
Beginning with the parts that shine through, Cubicles hits the nail on its head in the way it showcases both the joys and the darkness of workplaces.
The good days can be excellent, but the bad ones can be disastrous, and Cubicles understands this all too well.
The makers depict the realities of the multi-layered corporate world in a near-perfect way.
#2
The friendship between characters is endearing
We spend half of our lives working, so why not be friends with the people we share our desks with?
Cubicles once again reiterates why it's necessary to blur the lines between friends and colleagues.
Workplaces can be a safe haven when one cements solid friendships, and the endearing conversations between Piyush and his team are the most stunning aspect of the show.
#3
The acting department doesn't disappoint
Acting has always been one of the biggest strengths of TVF's shows, and Cubicles, too, doesn't disappoint on this front.
Apart from Chauhan, his boss Vikram, played by Nimit Kapoor, lives and breathes his character extraordinarily well, and all his scenes are consistently outstanding.
If Piyush represents the employees, Vikram stands for the company—the two are at loggerheads at times—yet, neither is completely wrong.
#4
Negatives: What spoils the experience
My biggest gripe with Cubicles is the extremely unnecessary, annoying voiceover by Piyush.
It doesn't add much to his character or the storyline, is a chore to sit through, and exposes the makers' inability to trust the viewers to understand Piyush's psyche.
Also, ironically, Piyush says he doesn't read at all, and yet, these voiceovers teem with motivational quotes by authors!
#5
The payoffs are not entirely satisfactory
This season also fails to completely hit the mark because it doesn't feel like Piyush, or the entire show's storyline, has made much progress.
Some characters seem superficial and alien, we turn weary with the sense that we are seeing just more of the same, and there are several occasions when Cubicles Season 4 feels like a tragic shadow of its former self.
#6
The characters find too many easy solutions
Cubicles follows a predictable, upsetting pattern.
New concepts, characters, and conflicts are regularly introduced but they fizzle out quickly, slipping through your fingers like sand.
Each time you start investing in a new conflict, a solution comes along just two scenes later, and then you feel cheated and manipulated.
If the solution had to happen so easily, why establish the conflict anyway?
#7
Doesn't give us many memorable supporting characters
Another way in which Cubicles Season 4 fails to mine its true potential is how it treats the character of Angad, played by TVF veteran Shivankit Singh Parihar.
He has always been kept at the periphery, and by the fourth season, the show should have found a way to include him in the central narrative.
Alas, that doesn't happen.
#8
Gets a bit too serious several times
A show like this could have been a breezy, refreshing comedy infused with drama, but too many times, it feels fatigued, completely missing the opportunity for humor.
Contrast this with TVF's Panchayat or Gullak, which strike a delightful balance between comedy and drama, leaving little room for complaint.
With Cubicles, sadly, something consistently feels amiss.
Verdict
Watch without too many expectations
Cubicles deserves plaudits for demonstrating how people are stripped of their identities and reduced to a 'resource,' as if they only exist to meet targets and drive profits.
The series could have been among India's best if the characters weren't painted in broad strokes and the story had more depth.
There are glimmers of excellence, but overall, the show remains above average.
2.5/5 stars.