Summary
Ricky Gervais delivers again providing a heartwarming continuation with After Life Season 2, which has the theme of kindness running through its veins.
This review of Netflix series After Life season 2 contains no spoilers.
After following Ricky Gervais from the start of his career, I’ve always been surprised by how many people I know who do not like him. Yet the comedian continues to knock it out of the park, selling-out shows and producing good stories. There’s no denying, whether you love him or hate him, that Gervais is an extraordinary writer and director, with the keenest eye for casting.
And as we embark on After Life Season 2 it’s formula is the direction and the cast. Gervais has sold the characters over the story, with each person representing a different type of human. Tony, who is miserable 99% of the time, is a character that likes to observe and understand a person, even if he does not necessarily understand what they do. The story isn’t Tony’s world, more that he’s navigating in other peoples’ worlds and trying to piece where he fits.
After Life Season 2 is an immediate continuation, with Tony still deeply depressed about the passing of his wife. The main difference is that he’s vowed to be kind to people who are kind to him in his life. Last season he struck his venomous words at anyone, but in Season 2, there’s a concerted effort by Tony to really try with people, and help out those who he can immediately help.
Mental health continues to be the cornerstone of After Life, with Tony trying to “live on”, but the story is realistic. Depression and grief are not that simple. It’s not something that can be placed on your bedside table before you go to work. Season 2 provides the reality of feeling this low, and how it’s a constant uphill battle. Tony is a defining example in television of a character not understanding how to handle what his mind is telling him.
After Life Season 2 does not have a final plot objective; Tony is still trying to figure out his feelings for the nurse at his father’s care home. His brother-in-law is having marital problems, which is an added dimension to the mental health theme of the Netflix series. All the other characters add a little extra to the story and it is easy to love each and every single one for different reasons, even the intrusive postman that decides to go to Tony’s house whenever he wants.
Like its predecessor, Season 2 is relatively short and can be watched in over two hours with only six episodes. It’s short and sweet. What’s compelling with the story is how easy it ramps up the emotions. From one moment to another you can go from laughing to crying. That’s how well-directed the series is; it somehow reduces you to tears in the simplest of scenes and it catches you off guard. Maybe it is the dog.
Once again, the main message in After Life Season 2 is to ‘be kind’ and with everything happening in the world right now, that’s the best message to relay to the audience.
