Permanent Roommates Season 3 : Is the audio show at par with the original?
When the first season of Permanent Roommates came out, the idea of web-series was very very fresh, and that was one of the reasons for the show’s success. Season 2 came after a while, and was even better in terms of storytelling – using creative visuals, dream sequences, home-video sequences and a great soundtrack.
So when the much awaited third season was released as an audio show, the audience was skeptical about it, wondering if they could listen to entire episodes.
During this lockdown I have been consuming dark and heavy media, so I decided to cleanse my palate with some wholesome, light content. So, I finally listened to all episodes of Permanent Roommates Season 3. The season is available for free on Audible Suno.
The following is a spolier-free review :
What’s the story?
The story takes place between season 1 and season 2. Sumeet Vyas accurately called it ‘Season 1.5’.
So we get a glimpse of Tanya (Nidhi Singh) and Mikesh (Mikesh Chaudhary) living together, adjusting, fighting, reconciling and making us laugh.
I have the attention span of a goldfish.
(Wait, really? Okay, jump straight to the summary then if you wish!)
The story progresses at a slow pace, there are no heavy details crammed in. The episode length is good, and the plot of each episode is disconnected, which means you can listen to one episode today and the next one after a week. No pressure.
This isn’t the narration of an audio-book, it is an audio show designed to be listened to. You can listen to it as you clean your room or take a walk.
How can I enjoy the story without visuals?
Assisting you is Shivankit Singh Parihar, who serves as a brilliant narrator. There are audio cues, music and sound effects, which trigger the imagination.
The voice acting is remarkable, it isn’t the people you hear, it is always the characters. It also features characters we met in season one and two, such as Ritu (Nidhi Bisht), LLeo (Anandeshwar Dwivedi), Purushottam (Deepak Kumar Mishra), Gittu (Jitendra Kumar).
Anyone who is familiar with season one can enjoy it.
It is worth mentioning here that the voice acting is not over the top, which serves as a plus point for the show. No cringey, loud or forced expressions. No overacting to compensate for lack of visuals. Kudos to the creators for this one.
So, is it at par with season 1 and 2?
In terms of storytelling and production, yes!
In terms of entertainment value, yes!
The only problem is : There is nothing new added to the storyline, its just Mikesh and Tanya’s relationship.
Mikesh annoys Tanya. Tanya gets annoyed. Mikesh ends up making it up to her, both realize why they love each other.
The situation changes, the formula pretty much remains the same. So, people who have seen season two will feel a little disappointed, because they have seen the ‘future’ events. Have a look at two screen-grabs from season 1 and 2, and then the promo image for season 3. Its the same flavour. All three have angry Tanu and confused dumb Mikey :
Summary :
Its a good, light-hearted show. It was comfort-food for my ears.
To re-iterate, this isn’t the narration of an audio-book, it is an audio show designed to be listened to. You can listen to it as you clean your room or take a walk
A word of caution : It has strong language at times, and sexual themes (though they are more funny than erotic).
So next time you need a change from podcasts, audiobooks and jukeboxes – go for this one!
Rating :
