Premiering on Prime Video on March 31, 2023, with the next chapter in the lot, Happy Family Conditions Apply Episode 10 stars the stunning ensemble of actors including Ratna Pathak Shah, Raj Babbar, Atul Kulkarni, Ayesha Jhulka, Sanah Kapur, Meenal Sahu, Raunaq Kamdar, and Ahaan Saboo. The Hindi family dramedy series is directed and created by Aatish Kapadia and Jamnadas Majethia, under the banner of Hats Off Production, the same production house that brought us the classic sitcoms of the early 2000s – Khichdi and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.
Episode 10 out of the 10-episode series is out, as each one of them follows the usual sitcom trend of having a runtime under the 30 minute mark. Amazon’s Original Series follows the highs and lows of four generations of the joint Dholakia family living in Mumbai. Despite their respective quirky personalities and the arising dysfunctionalities, the family’s dynamics are just as relatable as they’re humorous.
-Happy Family Conditions Apply Episode 10 Review Contains Spoilers-
The latest twist in the final moments of the penultimate episode is carried forward to the last episode of the season. This supposed plot twist is so disruptive and abrupt that it makes you feel like you’ve changed TV channels and started watching a different show altogether.
Anyhow, the fatal dangers of a terrorist attack are comically reduced to slapstick, and while it could’ve worked well dramatically, it doesn’t work for the Happy Family finale as far as I’m concerned. Perhaps, the only ‘moral of the story’ that the show wanted us to leave with is that such dysfunctional families never catch a fairytale-like happy ending. While the thought goes a long way and is relatable and life-like, the execution renders it all inconsistent and erratic. Ultimately, no sense of cathartic satisfaction is derived from the episode.
Several jokes are pushed for as the Dholakia family tries its best to stay hidden in the banquet hall’s depths while dealing with Hemlata’s flatulence on an empty stomach and Jatin Kumar’s capricious switch in character. In the midst of it all, Jacky and Sanju are able to steal some warmhearted moments with the latter’s family during the initial minutes of the episode. However, those heartening memories also get lost in the mayhem ahead.
The one possible interesting and humane connection with enough gravity in the show that has remained constant throughout is revealed to be that of the Dholakias with Kanakavalli, who’s been accepted her as their family member after her devoted 21 years of work for the household. Although the family attempts to stay out of sight, they’re ultimately caught by the terrorists and held as hostages for ransom. With their deaths confirmed and looming in sight, the entire family begins a game of Truth and Dare, as they all start spilling out their respective well-hidden truths one by one to make peace with their fated doom.
All the truths outed in the process include Mansukh opening up about Suresh’s adoption and Jatin Kumar divulging that Falguni is his second wife. In response, she reveals her act of double-crossing him when she made him sign over all his property and wealth to her. Pallavi speaks her heart out to Hemlata about being a pescatarian and not a vegetarian; Ramesh, too, brings up a revelation that barely generates any reaction. This finally brings us to the ultimate and much-awaited truth about Sanjuoy and Jacky’s relationship (which they’d seemingly ended in the previous episode).
All eye-opening realities were let out on the table, remembering that they’d all be dead after the final ten minutes of the ultimatum were over. However, as expected, they’re eventually saved by a task force, which is where the irony and hilarity kick in momentarily.
Happy Family Conditions Apply Episode 10: Final Thoughts
While the series began on a mellow note, almost as if testing the ground for such a concept’s comeback, the last few entires exuded the energy this family comedy-drama series needed. However, hoping to leave things open-ended (for a possible Season 2 in the future), the final episode takes the highway.
Instead of bringing the story to its closing statement by resolving everything, the game of Truth Or Dare (spilling the Truth becoming the ultimate Dare in this case) ends up spilling more secrets on the table as each character takes turns to divulge an unknown fact associated with their life, which may also be affecting someone else’s existence in the same breath.
While it makes sense that they’d only disclose these truths in fear of their impending deaths, the entire arc leaves a sour taste in your mouth once the episode concludes. Like young Aryan, we’re left with the same futile observation of them running away while bickering.
In that sense, the show never sought to bring us full circle.
After witnessing immense emotional maturity in characters like Ramesh during the penultimate episode, all those attempts to end the chapter on a warmhearted note slip down the drain. Although it serves as a norm and chain-breaking development compared to the previous dramatisations of family comedies, the whole comedy act is rendered hollow.
Frankly, and unfortunately, the last episode turned out to be the most forgettable entry through the series. The 30-minute-long episode is filled with hilarious drops; however, barely a few of them land, while others get lost in the solemn context of the situation that is never fully actualised on either front of comedy or drama.
In the end, the season has left us with many laughs and punch lines, each character’s signature dialogues and some life lessons. I would love to see it return for another run, pick things up again, and sort out the chaotic mayhem that has been left unresolved.
All episodes of the series are now streaming on Prime Video.
Also read: All of our Happy Family Conditions Apply Season 1 Reviews