‘Family Karma’ Season 2 Episode 5: Coming Out Again 

After teasing it since the season premiere, Family Karma Season 2 Episode 5 features Amrit’s long-awaited coming out to his Nani. And it was worth the wait.

At the top of the episode, Amrit confesses to various members of his family and friend circle that he’s finally planning to propose to Nicholas after nine years together. Everyone is obviously excited by the news, but Amrit’s mom in particular goes through a whole whirlwind of emotions. After Amrit confides about his engagement plans, she feels unsettled and it was heartbreaking to watch her question why she didn’t feel as excited by Amrit’s news as she had when her straight son got engaged. Amrit’s dad rightfully points out that while she has outwardly accepted Amrit’s homosexuality, maybe she hasn’t yet come to terms with it internally.

For how stigmatized homosexuality can be in parts of the Indian community, it was refreshing to see how supportive his parents are, even when they are still working through their emotions around it. The genuine honesty and love in their hearts shines through, and Amrit’s dad in particular showed an unwavering amount of devotion to his child. And by episode’s end— despite her initial hesitations—Amrit’s mom fully transformed into his cheerleader when it came time for the conversation with Nani.

The conversation itself, in which Amrit tearfully tells his grandmother that he’s “different” and that Nicholas is not just a friend, was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the exact same time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the buildup over the weeks, especially given that there were barely any hints as to how liberal Nani might be. So at first, when she is not happy with this news and says she “doesn’t like it,” it brought tears to both Amrit and my own eyes. It’s hard to watch someone go through the process of coming out and feeling rejected again, especially by someone whose blessings he seeks so desperately.

But after a lot of really good conversation, Nani comes around and accepts the truth and even pushes Amrit to get married sooner than later so that she can attend the wedding. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the conversation was over, because as much as I find Amrit to be an instigator of drama within the friend group, he still deserves to be out and open and happy with who he is.

Elsewhere in the episode, the gang celebrated Diwali at the Patel compound and the aunties went on a high tea date, complete with exaggerated hats. It wasn’t the typical event centerpiece that past episodes had, but was still a good excuse for the whole crew to get together. The producers seem to be trying to push for Monica’s dad to be more involved in the group as he finally starts showing up to the various events throughout the episode. I’m all for integrating him because he seems to have a bubbly personality that’s waiting to burst out. But with Monica’s storylines seemingly on the outskirts of this season, we’ll see how much of Raj Uncle we actually get.

Marriage was the theme of the episode, not just with Amrit and Nicholas but also with Brian and his girlfriend Monica 2.0. Brian is adamant about not feeling ready for the next step and honestly I can’t blame him—he confirms that they’ve only been dating for seven months, and in my opinion it’s far too soon to be pushing for a ring already. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes the big “drama” for the remainder of the season, because outside of Vishal and Richa’s will-they-won’t-they marriage, this season of Family Karma is light on the shocking spectacle of it all.

Other Observations:

• Bali continues to be a secondary character, but I love the energy she brings to every scene she’s in. She also had a heartbreaking moment in her confessional when she admits that she doesn’t want to fail in her relationship after going through two previous divorces.
• Anisha’s mom confessed on behalf of all mothers, everywhere: “I overheard you because I always eavesdrop”
• Any time the aunties are having fun makes me genuinely happy. Brian’s mom, Dharma Aunty, seems to be the life of the party with her head balancing trick. Invite her to all the things!
• Every time there is a religious holiday like Diwali, I always wonder…are these people actually religious??
• Because this week’s episode put marriage at the forefront, Anisha shared her predictions: Amrit will be the first to be married, followed by Shaan, Monica, Brian, herself…and Vishal and Richa dead last.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Brown Girl Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.

Watch Family Karma Season 2 Episode 5 on Bravo