Netflix’s Afterlife: An Obsessively Funny Story Of Sadness
Heartbreaking could be termed as an over-used word to define anything that’s even moderately sad, but there isn’t a better word for the latest Netflix series, Afterlife.
Afterlife: A Perfect Dark Comedy Series
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Afterlife, directed by Ricky Gervais and produced as a six part dark comedy show about a suicidal widower named Tony Johnson, also played by Gervais.
Tony becomes an angry, cynical and cruel man after he loses his soulmate and wife, Lisa. He reosrts to his life without a filter. Sometimes he can be heartlessly cruel but that gets redeemed by the immense love he had for his wife Lisa, which the viewers are shown in form of flashbacks throughout in form of Lisa’s 13-reasons why like video message.
While each episode consists of Gervais-renowned moments of comedic absurdity and sarcastic gold, they are often shared by existential, poignant and raw observations of sadness and death.
Afterlife: A Lesson On Anguish
There is one moment in particular which Tony shares with a journalist at the local newspaper, that gives us an insight at the anguish he’s in.
“It’s not a waste of time, you working here. It is a good stepping stone and you can go on and do anything you want,” he says to her.
“I didn’t, because I didn’t want it. I didn’t do over time, try and get promoted or get a a better job in a better town, I just wanted to get home every night and spend every available minute I could with Lisa.
“And I made the right decision.”
And Afterlife is filled with moments like these.
From its beginning to end, Afterlife spans only 3 hours and you can binge watch the whole series in its whole. Despite all of this, the quips, scenes, and pieces of wisdoms will go along with you for long.
The way Tony handles the death of Lisa is least graceful. He’s not a martyr to the ride he has and this honest and unflinching portrayal of anger, hurt and hope is what resonates throughout the show.
Here are best audience reactions to the series:
Jane, I lost my partner suddenly when I was 41. From personal experience, I can tell you that it is eerie just how well @rickygervais captures how profound grief affects your life. It is neither lazy nor unrealistic.
Once you've grieved like that, opine again.
— Preverbal Banana (@fakegreatdane) March 22, 2019
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I have one episode of #AfterLife left. I binged 5. Now I know @rickygervais is writing another series I can watch the 6th episode. I was saving it for a day when I needed a reward.
If you haven’t watched it you are so lucky you’ve still got it to come.— Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) March 20, 2019
“I’d rather be nowhere with her, than somewhere without her.” Ricky Gervais is the last person I expected to make me cry but fucking hell #AfterLife is a masterpiece.
— Sarah (@sarah_liza21) March 22, 2019
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