Season 1 might have started slow, but the ending was good enough to make me watch Season 2. Right from the starting minute of the show, I knew where it was headed, which is exactly why I wanted to do a separate post for it.
Welcome to the second installment of Criminal Justice Review by Shreyalogy. This post shall follow the same flow and structure as my review on the previous season, linked here for you to check out if you haven’t already.
Criminal Justice Season 2 Writing & Plot Review
I’m not sure why this season struck me more than the first one – I’ve always heard people say the first season was the best. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl who is innately scared of the horrors that women face on a daily basis, or maybe because the main character here wasn’t as frustratingly dumb as the one in Season 1. Whatever the reason may be, my personal belief is that this season was better.
The show starts with our victim winning a case in court and going about his day after working hours.
The man is shown as someone slightly pompous, but also someone who tries – and succeeds – at hiding it well. At first, he appears to be a loving husband: buying his wife’s favorite flowers and speaking about her fondly to others.
His wife misses one call from him and he immediately starts calling her like a maniac.
Then comes a scene where he tells his wife that he’ll reach home late because there’s traffic. I don’t know if the show meant to do this, but the immediate next shot is of a completely clear road. This detail made no sense to me because it was never relevant to the story — it only made him look like a liar.
When he finally reaches home, things start getting weird.
He walks into the shower while his wife is bathing, checks her phone, saves the unknown number he finds in her call logs, fixes a hairbrush, and generally behaves like a complete maniac.
After conducting his little “investigation,” he discovers that his wife had visited her therapist’s house without informing him.
So he decides to punish her.
The punishment?
Not sure we want to talk about that right now.
Panicked by his anger, his wife starts touching him in an attempt to calm him down.
He asks her to go downstairs and bring Vaseline from his bag. When she goes down, she grabs a knife and hides it under the pillow before returning.
It’s never said explicitly, but we can figure out exactly what is happening.
He is raping her.
And the next scene is him being stabbed.
This story was a very clear plot from beginning to end. There was no mystery. Everybody knew everything there was to know about the story.
So the question becomes:
If there was no mystery, why is this a better plot than Season 1?
Because the real story here is society’s denial and betrayal of women.
The two police officers on the case are husband and wife — a husband who abuses his wife and firmly believes that a husband cannot “rape” his wife, and a wife who somewhere deep in her heart relates to the accused.
The story portrays men as a system, most clearly through the actions of police officer Harsh Pradhan. His beliefs don’t allow his mind to register the real victim as a victim simply because she murdered her husband.
The story also follows the misery of a woman who has committed the crime of killing her husband — and how society treats her once they find out.
Even her fellow inmates look at her differently when they learn she killed her husband. As if the life of a husband is somehow more sacred than that of a father or a sister-in-law — people whom some of the inmates themselves had killed.
Strong and influential women like Mandira Mathur and Vijaya Chandra also unintentionally nourish this behavior. However, once the truth comes out, they seem to understand and shift their stance.
The story also draws a stark contrast between Bikram Chandra as a husband and Ratna — Madhav Mishra’s newly married wife in their understanding of consent.
This season also successfully shows how narcissistic individuals paint the world. They isolate you from everyone around you while presenting themselves as flawless angels who can do no wrong.
It also highlights how certain environments can foster severe mental health conditions in people — conditions that may or may not let someone live normally.
The show does a great job spreading awareness about several issues, both domestic and societal, that exist even today but are rarely spoken about.
Criminal Justice Season 2 Acting & Character Performances
Forget the main characters.
My favorite character and actor this season was Ratna Mishra, played by Khushboo Atre.
As a straight person, I would marry her.
The woman is so cute that I am willing to reject Madhav Mishra for her. She deserves the best.
I also deeply appreciate how well Kirti Kulhari played Anuradha Chandra. She genuinely looked like someone mentally disturbed, abused, and scarred by life. Every second she was on screen felt authentic.
Ajeet Singh Palawat as the Sub-Inspector?
If I ever meet this man, I might stab him myself. He was such a hateable character.
Great acting — but he’s definitely making enemies.
Deepti Naval as Vijaya Chandra and Ashish Vidyarthi as the public prosecutor also nailed their respective roles.
The characters who returned from the previous season remain phenomenal as well, with Anupriya Goenka getting more spotlight and delivering an even stronger performance this time.
Criminal Justice Season 2 Pacing & Episode Structure
Eight episodes is progress.
Like I said earlier, the story itself didn’t really contain a mystery. So even eight episodes might feel slightly long.
However, the slow peeling of the onion worked better here than in Season 1.
Because this time we weren’t waiting for a reveal.
We were waiting for justice.
Criminal Justice Season 2 Ending & Climax Review
For me, the real climax was when Riya, Mandira, and Vijaya switched sides in the end.
Everything else in the story was already known.
But watching powerful women finally acknowledge the truth and stand with Anuradha — that was the moment that truly mattered.
Final Verdict – Is Criminal Justice Season 2 Worth Watching?
Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors may not have the suspense or mystery that made Season 1 so gripping, but it succeeds in telling a far more uncomfortable and socially relevant story.
This season strips away the traditional thriller formula and instead focuses on something much darker — the way society treats women who refuse to remain victims.
The writing doesn’t try to surprise the audience with twists. Instead, it forces the audience to confront a reality that most people already know but rarely acknowledge.
With strong performances, emotionally heavy storytelling, and a powerful social message about consent, marriage, and psychological abuse, Season 2 manages to create a story that stays with you long after it ends.
It may not be the most thrilling season of Criminal Justice, but it might very well be the most important one.
Rating: 8/10
Should You Watch Criminal Justice Season 2?
Yes — especially if you enjoy courtroom dramas that focus on social issues rather than mystery.
If you’re expecting a suspense-heavy thriller like Season 1, this season might feel predictable. However, if you are interested in stories that explore psychological abuse, marital consent, and the societal judgment faced by women, this season delivers a powerful narrative.
The show works best as a slow, emotional courtroom drama rather than a traditional crime thriller.
So if you’re willing to trade suspense for social commentary and strong performances, Criminal Justice Season 2 is absolutely worth watching.
Read more TV and courtroom drama reviews on Shreyalogy.
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