Summary
Shantaram continues to be painfully repetitive, promoting Lin as this slum doctor hero yet again while regurgitating old storylines with the gangster’s rivalry. The end scenes do, however, offer a sliver of hope though and look set to push the narrative forwards with some genuine tension.
We recap the Apple TV+ series Shantaram season 1, episode 5, “The Sin in the Crime,” so it will contain spoilers.
It’s easy to forget that Lindsay Ford (played by Charlie Hunnam) is a wanted man, what with the man parading around Bombay as a heroic slum doctor during the day and partying like a suave James Bond type at night. The fugitive has made as many enemies as friends in the short period of time that he has been in India. In “The Sin in the Crime”, Lin accepts great gifts from these so-called allies for all his hard work but makes himself more noticeable thanks to these heroic deeds. It’s a catch-22 situation for the runaway, who is slowly changing as a person and adapting to his surroundings, but maybe not for the better.
Shantaram season 1, episode 5 recap
Lin is painted as this legitimate hero and it is starting to really drag now. The episode opens with Lin at the usual watering hole, celebrating his achievements with his friends. Grumpy pimp Maurizio is clearly jealous of Lin and argues with his nemesis in public. Lisa thanks Lin for saving her life and then Modena grows jealous of Lin too. Didier hails Lin as this slum doctor hero and Kavita even wants to write a story on the man. It’s all painfully over-the-top, everyone is either balled over by this man or dreadfully envious of him. There is no in-between.
The next day the villagers queue outside Lin’s hut to shower him with gifts. It is ration day and they offer Lin their own food as a thank you for his medical expertise. They pile their presents up, higher and higher in his arms. Lin can’t thank them enough, but that is not all. Abdullah appears next with a brand new motorbike, which he offers to the slum doctor in front of all the slum dwellers. This shiny new set of wheels catches the eye of both Qasim and Prabhu, who aren’t best pleased. Lin feels pressured into saying yes and apprehensively does so, but I think he secretly loves the attention deep down.
Meanwhile, Khader and Walid continue their repetitive dance. Both sweet-talking Minister Pandey about that development deal. Walid states that he is bought and sold, end of the conversation, and yet we continue to be inundated with these scenes of the two rivals vying for the Minister. On their way back, Khader and Karla discuss Lin some more. Khader knows all about their simmering romance, but he agrees not to interfere in Lin’s life any further.
Lin takes his new swanky bike out for a ride and finds himself at the usual meeting spot. Here, Abdullah and Lin discuss their hopes and dreams. Lin is mystified by Karla, but can’t understand her hot and cold antics. Lin finds time to then insult Maurizio some more before Rafiq arrives with a gang of men to intimidate both of his enemies. Lin heads over to ease the tension, admitting that he is a neutral individual in this rivalry. But Rafiq isn’t convinced, saying that Lin has chosen a side. He spits at Lin and warns him to leave Bombay for good.
Back at the slums, Lin is cornered by Qasim. The de facto leader of the place passes Lin some more money for supplies. Qasim and the other members of the slum want to pay their own way, stating that they owe nothing to no one and heavily implying that they are not indebted to any criminal gangster types, unlike Lin. He warns Lin to stay away from Khader and his people. Lin then bumps into Kavita, who proposes the idea of an article about the slum doctor. Lin kindly refuses, but then flips when Kavita takes a photograph of him. He destroys the reel and damages her camera in the process. The uglier side to the convict comes to the forefront here, which is an interesting angle that needs to be explored in more depth. In his needless narration, Lin admits that this situation illustrated the fragility of his freedom.
Shantaram season 1, episode 5 ending
Prabhu convinces Lin to go and seek out Karla that night, so he pays the elusive woman a visit. Lin confesses everything to Karla, and she in return opens up a little more to him too. She talks of her father committing suicide when Karla was only twelve. The couple eventually kiss, although she refuses to take things any further. This tumultuous relationship finally starts to take shape, leading to an intriguing setup, one that can hopefully be explored in future episodes.
There’s more intrigue in store in the final moments too. Kavita’s altercation with Lin has provoked her investigative fight and Kavita starts to dig into the man’s past. Again, another exciting proposition starts to form, pushing the narrative into more thrilling territory. Kavita finds Lin’s passport details and then discovers that the actual Lindsay Ford has been dead for six years. The slum doctor is using a dead man’s passport, but why? Kavita’s sleuthing looks likely to garner the authority’s attentions.
What did you think of Shantaram season 1, episode 5? Comment below.
