Over the past decade, a solid third season has proven to be a difficult accomplishment for most Indian web series, given how difficult it is to maintain quality in a streaming ecosystem that's straining under an abundance of options. For The Family Man, potentially, the most popular Indian web show to date, the third season arrives with expectations through the roof. Thankfully, the season lives up to the hype- relatable, enjoyable, thrilling, and sharp. However, the season does not make it completely clean, as it moves at a somewhat predictable pace, and is based on a reliance on cliffhangers. 

STORYLINE

Season 3 finds Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) at a tenuous moment in his life, attempting to navigate an unhappy marriage with Suchi (Priyamani) and confront two teenagers (Ashlesha Thakur, Vedant Sinha) that are increasingly more forceful with their demands. After a major player error in the North East, his livelihood is turned upside down while he is forced to elude his own agency because of the shenanigans occurring in the North East. His only means of clearing his name is by terminating Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat), an intense, layered, and scary smuggler, who is garnering help from a secretive international contact, Meera (Nimrat Kaur). What follows is a hilarious, top-level thriller, and espionage chase. 

POSITIVE POINTS

Despite its shortcomings, The Family Man retains its essential spirit. The signature balance of comedy and tension is once again entertaining, and Srikant–JK’s lively conversations remain one of the show's notable positives. The new season shines additionally for not shying away from deeper explorations of character relationships, allowing transitions to feel believable to the audience. Raj and DK successfully produce another complicated villain—Jaideep Ahlawat’s Rukma is vicious, yet it feels real and is not mired in caricature. Manoj Bajpayee is terrific as expected, presenting items and emotional range to an already beloved character. Sharib Hashmi also has great moments, and Seema Biswas elevates her limited screen time as the Prime Minister.

Also Read: Operation Safed Sagar Teaser Review: Netflix’s Patriotic Drama Takes Flight With Realism, Scale, and Emotion

NEGATIVE POINTS

That said, there are problems. Some of the humor and dialogue felt forced in a manner to incite attention on social media, meaning at least some of the story felt familiar. In some circumstances, the formulaic nature was glaring and it was especially so with a cameo that would have been more effective with less buildup. To add to this, the finale relied on a non-descript cliffhanger where should have felt heavy given the show did a good job building the plot leading up to it.

Overall: The Family Man season 3 is a fun, entertaining, well-acted television show that still holds to the show’s identity, however it is not able to become the best overall due to its familiar beats and lack of definitive closure.