Cubicles (Season 2) review: A relatable tale of a young man struggling to make it in the corporate world

The Viral Fever (TVF) has built its brand on content that is relatable to the millennial demographic. The latest season of Cubicles is themed on growing up, moving on and career growth. Realistic, sensible and entertaining, it checks all the boxes in terms of one's expectations from a TVF creation. The only flaw is, perhaps, that it sometimes comes across as too simplistic.

This season sees Piyush Prajapati (Abhishek Chauhan) entering his second year as a programmer at the software firm Synnotech. With his friendship with Gautam Batra (Badri Chavan) and Naveen 'Gambhir' Shetty (Niketan Sharma) firmly established, he is slowly getting into the groove of corporate life. But time moves fast in this world, and he has to adapt accordingly. Also, the arrival of the sharp, ambitious and competitive newcomer Sunaina Chauhan (Ayushi Gupta) feeds Piyush's insecurities.

Mistakes, potentially career-ending moves and even a dalliance with a competitor occur, and the way these experiences unfold and Piyush attempts to overcome obstacles make for an interesting watch.

Director Chaitanya Kumbhakonum attempts to steer the show past its initial phase of immaturity and strips away the college flavour of the first season. Piyush's struggles, insecurities and clashes with HR will strike a chord with any working individual. Each episode captures a separate feature of each character while managing to stitch it to the story's progression with ease. It also helps that the episodes are built around simple, efficient story ideas. 

The complex and redundant HR jargon, politics, silly office banter and the occasional moment of emotional depth add to the viewing experience. The series taps into the growing segment of the youth that is trapped in dead-end jobs and encumbered by overbearing dreams. 

This second season also marks the evolution of characters like Gautam and Naveen who fill in as the outliers of the story. Shivankit Parihar and Nidhi Bisht return as Piyush's colleagues Angad and Megha, although their screentime is kept to a minimum. The two key characters are Sunaina and Piyush, whose contrasting ups and downs make for an enjoyable arc. 

While entertaining, the decision to make Piyush the narrator of the series feels a little too pretentious. There are moments where the audience could do without the moralizing provided by the voiceover. The nuggets of 'wisdom' dispensed by the young professional feel like vast oversimplifications on the part of an otherwise interesting character. 

In a time where OTT series take themselves a little too seriously and seek to touch upon all the burning issues of modern times, Cubicles (Season 2) is a simple and enjoyable tale of a young man working his way up the corporate ladder.

Cubicles (Season 2) is being streamed on SonyLiv.