Virus 2062 Season 2 Podcast Review: Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha reunite for yet another season of Virus 2062, an original podcast by Spotify, and this time, they have taken things a notch higher. An adaptation of Julio Rojas’s Caso 63, Virus 2062 brings Dr. Gayatri (Richa Chadha) but this time, instead of Peter Perera (Ali Fazal), she is in the same room as Dr Vivek (played by Ali) and tables have turned.
In the new season, Dr. Gayatri turns into a time traveller and heads back in time. She finds herself in 2012, 10 years before the timeline projected in the first season. Much like Peter in season 1, she too ends up in the psychiatric ward in Mumbai when she travels back in time and is questioned by Dr. Vivek.
Having listened to four episodes before penning this review, it is safe to say that Virus 2062 season 2 takes off on a good note, keeping audiences hooked almost instantly. The new season has Ali and Richa switching places of sorts, giving them a challenge and they seem to be enjoying it. While Ali held the torch in the first season, controlling most of the narrative there, the second season is shouldered on Richa.
In the first two episodes of the new season, Richa has you invested in her character all the more than in the first season, making you wonder if her character would react like Peter or if would she carve a new path for herself. On the other hand, Ali takes a backstep in the first two episodes, allowing Richa to root her character strongly enough. Ali takes charge and begins to level up with Richa in the third and fourth episodes.
Like the first season, the adaptation of Julio Rojas’s Caso 63 into the Indian context is impressive. Narrowing down details such as ‘dolphins being spotted’ in Mumbai and masked-up people in the streets made the tale not only relatable but also helped create an image in the mind.
The sci-fi podcast makes a good attempt at scaling things up in the second season. The first four episodes don’t spend time in exploring Gayatri’s background and agenda like the first season did with Peter, and it works in its favour. Given that the listeners are already aware of the agenda and threat the series is trying to establish, Virus 2062 season 2 dives into the business from the get-go, thus focusing on the main character of the new season and the task she is given. Ali and Richa have clearly got a hang of the format and sound more confident in the new season.
However, one issue I faced was when the new characters were introduced to the new season. Unlike the first, the second season doesn’t include the new characters as smoothly as expected. Given that the supporting roles are limited and the writers don’t want to spend an extra minute or two on establishing passing characters, it becomes a little difficult to place them and thus impacts the listening experience.
Nevertheless, Virus 2062 Season 2 is worth your time. Much like the first season, the second season has maintained the time limit to 15 mins, making it an easy listen.
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