After several episodes of repetitive house arguments and vile conversations, Lock Upp Season 2 Episode 19 has two tasks, a new direction and some hope that just might be some strategy that is about to come up. After a shocking eviction, things get tense, the episode brings forth a new concept wherein the inmates are divided into two and have to compete against one another for house supplies. This injects a fresh strategy and allows the contestants to focus on the gameplay, shaking up the personal relationships a bit as well.
The second season features Ram Kapoor, Shivangi Joshi, Sunita Ahuja, Dheeraj Dhoopar, Akanksha Chaudhary, Sufi Motiwala, Varun Yadav, Yogesh Rawat, Pamela Sarena, Shreya Kalra, Riyaz Aly, Shresta Iyer, Akanksha Chamola, Madhuri Jain Grover, Shilpa Shinde and Harshad Chopda, while the hosts are Ritesh Deshmukh and Farah Khan.
Lock Upp Season 2 Episode 19 Review
Yogesh’s Eviction Delivers an Emotional Goodbye
In a rather surprising turn of events, Dheeraj votes against Yogesh and evicts him against Sufi in this episode, resulting in a shocking turn for the series. While this episode finally saw Akanksha Chaudhary once again back in the jail, now she will have to play alone, leaving her in tears. The rest of the jail is shocked as well, and Shreya and Shilpa don’t leave a stone unturned to bring their feelings home. Varun, Chamola and Pamala console Akanksha, reminding her not to make the same mistake that Yogesh had made and ruin her game for him. While Yadav is equally disappointed, it’s interesting to watch him hold back his emotions and push Chaudhary to do better as well.
The emotions feel heavy, as Yogesh is quite a strong player and having him eliminated this early in the show affects the contestants deeply.
The Team Format Finally Refreshes the Competition
However, the show quickly turns around with Ritesh Deshmukh introducing a new challenge for the week, dividing the house into two and giving power to two contestants to be the leaders of their group. Akanksha Chamola and Shivangi become the two leaders by voting and are immediately given a task to hold two dumbbells over their heads, and the one who gives up first loses. The two women hold on for 30 minutes, after which Shivangi comes out as the winner, giving her team breakfast while the others are given emergency supplies.
The change of pace is refreshing and takes time away from petty romantic subplots and fights to something tense and worthwhile. While it’s a test of endurance, viewers can’t help but be proud of both the women for performing this task for so long. It might look easy, but it definitely isn’t! Either way, the reward system adds to the thrill as viewers can’t help but sit on the edge and watch the time pass by.
The Clock Challenge Raises the Stakes
Immediately afterwards, the leaders are given another task – they are taken to a room full of clocks and have to stop the hands from moving from 9 to 12. The person who scores the least out of 10 loses. The set itself is quite interesting and adds to the confusion of the situation. As the two contestants run around the room, trying to keep an eye on so many clocks, it adds to the tension and makes everyone sit on the edge. This task was particularly well done, as it’s not only unique but also interesting, as it tests the contestants’ observation skills. The meaningful consequences also add to the tension.
Shivangi wins this round as well, which pushes the house into celebration. While Chamola’s team has to cook this week, Shivangi and the others enjoy good food. The survival aspect of the task makes things unique and raises the stakes for once. And, in an interesting turn of events, Shilpa, who is in Chamola’s group, behaves quite nicely with everyone, even after her team’s loss!
Harshad and Shivangi Continue to Be the House’s Oddest Duo
One of the most confusing aspects of this episode is the relationship between Harshad and Shivangi. While their friendship is termed a lot of things over the weekend, even going as far as to call Harshad Shivangi’s caretaker, the episode sees both of them trying to play their individual games and failing miserably. It’s like watching high school kids being scolded for trying to woo someone but doing it anyway. It’s bizarre watching their interactions, with both of them crying at the drop of a hat as they continue to claim that they are just friends.
Although being concerned for a friend makes sense, and it’s sweet as well, their behaviour oftentimes stops being friendly and becomes more romantic than anything, and viewers will understand the rumours floating around thanks to their own behaviours.
Final Verdict
The episode is quite entertaining thanks to the two tasks that test the contestants’ observation skills and endurance. While a surprise elimination leaves the house in shambles, everyone bounces back quite quickly. The refreshing change of format makes the episode feel watchable and makes it less depressing. Moreover, the interactions in this episode remain civil, as no one spews hate on each other unnecessarily. Overall, while I don’t have high hopes, there’s still some expectation that the coming episodes will continue to be equally entertaining.
Watch Episode 19 on Netflix. What are your thoughts on the recent episode of Lock Upp Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!