If different seasons were not enough, some Indian shows have recently started the practice of splitting one season into two parts. 

Scam 2003 is an example, followed by The Freelancer. While the former was a SonyLiv original, our subject of concern is the latter, which is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar. 

The first four episodes of The Freelancer were released in September 2023 and now the final three have graced the small screen.

Also Read: The Freelancer (2023) Series Review

It made waves across the country and went on to break viewership records. Is The Freelancer Part 2 aka The Conclusion a worthy successor? Read on to find out in my review.

The Freelancer: The Conclusion Synopsis

The CIA retracts from its earlier promise increasing Avinash Kamath’s challenges. Back home, the Intelligence Bureau stiffens the hold. 

Can Kamath surpass all odds to extract Aliya from the clutches of terrorists in Syria?

Image Credits: Disney+ Hotstar

The series is created by Neeraj Pandey. Based on the book A Ticket to Syria, it doesn’t feature any new characters in the second part. 

The cast includes Mohit Raina (Avinash), Kashmira Pardeshi (Aliya), Manjari Fadnis (Mrunal), Navneet Malik (Mohsin), and Anupam Kher (Arif).

What Works for The Freelancer: The Conclusion?

As a two-part series, it is tough to not compare The Freelancer with its earlier episodes. 

Focusing on the positive aspects, you will find the story still holding well. The plan to extract Aliya and the extraction itself are intriguingly put together. 

Instilling the plot with some captivating twists allows the show to hold your breath at significant stages as it did in the first part. 

The Conclusion maintains continuity from the very first frame itself. Moreover, the thrill quotient remains active, though in patches.

How are the Performances?

Setting aside discussions about the main cast, previously covered in-depth, let’s take this opportunity to shed light on some lesser-discussed actors who seize their moments in The Freelancer.

Manjari Fadnis plays Mrunal in The Freelancer. Her limited screen time doesn’t have many shades but she uses this as an opportunity to further the strengths of the character.

Image Credits: Disney+ Hotstar

She perfectly brings the inner turmoil of a grieving mother to the people, making sure the act never becomes ostentatious or too dramatic. 

Navneet Malik also finds less space in the story this time around. Still, looking at his performance in the whole show, you get a decent idea of how he amalgamates fierceness with shades of honesty.

Malik might as well become a well-known villain in the coming years in the Hindi film industry.

What Doesn’t Work for The Freelancer: The Conclusion?

In contrast to its predecessor, The Freelancer: The Conclusion lacks the captivating allure that defined the earlier part.

The show, unfortunately, falters in capitalizing on the buildup meticulously crafted in the preceding episodes.

And I don’t know who came up with the idea of splitting the season into two when you had to continue in the same fashion. It is a recipe for losing viewers.

Image Credits: Disney+ Hotstar

All the seven episodes together would have been the best way to go about it. Or, they may have gone for weekly episodes, which is also a pain but still better than a three-month break for three episodes.

This ploy only works if you have content in large quantities. For example, had there been ten episodes or more, two parts were understandable.

Here, what happens is you have the ‘conclusion,’ but emotions from the base material (Ep 1-4) have eroded.

If there were five more hours in the mix, the show had the chance to grow on the audience in a better manner, and then the concluding extraction part would have aroused more feelings than it does presently.

Moreover, there is some addition of drama as well in The Freelancer: The Conclusion. You get to see some weird, artificially rendered slow-motion shots, specifically made to enhance the buildup.

Image Credits: Disney+ Hotstar

In my review of the first part, I talked about the lack of action scenes in the show. The issue still persists.

You don’t get any worthy combat sequences and Mohit Raina goes underutilized. 

Especially, during the last episode, the adrenaline rush skips the screen, which may not have been the case had there been hand-to-hand combats.

More than anything, The Freelancer: The Conclusion suffers from the burden of expectations. 

It had a great start in the beginning and I, personally, expected a better execution, considering the makers took a gap to conclude the show.

However, it remains at lower levels.

Is it a Worthy Conclusion?

In my opinion, more was expected of the show. Still, you can go for it considering its performance in totality.

Will There be The Freelancer Season 2?

There is nothing official yet, but they can continue Mohit Raina’s character and adapt it for a longer tale with a different case.

He might go on another mission somewhere else but eventually fall prey to the Syrian brigade of terrorists who are dying to take revenge on him.

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