Sacred Games seemed more interested in conveying a vibe than it did in telling a story. This show felt like it was trying to be a Robert Langdon tale by Dan Brown, with the grittiness of Narcos..accomplishing the latter more than it did the former.

The plot of the show is oriented around Gaitonde warning Sartaj that Mumbai is doomed in 25 days, but never makes it clear how Mumbai is doomed. Sartaj and Anjali chase different leads, episode after episode. Neither of them get anywhere though. They just meet different characters from Gaitonde's past who affirm that something terrible will indeed happen to Mumbai...without shedding any light on what the terrible thing actually is.

Now and then, there's some backstory given to Sartaj, Anjali, and Zoya. The backstories don't seem to go anywhere though. Sartaj wants to be a good cop, but he struggles to be one. Anjali wants to prove that she could be a field agent and she could eventually find her Dad. Zoya wants to move past her past and move up in her career. We learn all this information, but it doesn't really take us anywhere in Season 1.

Gaitonde's timeline in the 80s and 90s is much more interesting to watch than Sartaj's. I didn't understand the point of it though. Gaitonde climbs the ranks of Mumbai's crime scene. He doesn't want to get involved religious disputes, but ultimately does because his adversary stands with the Muslim community.

This show is fun to watch, but it's just like...where is it going? Watching it feels like reading the journal entries of a random criminal and police officer.