TV Review - After Life Season 2
Kerry Godliman & Ricky Gervais in ‘After Life’ Season 2.
The first season of Ricky Gervais’ dramedy After Life landed in 2019 to a warm reception from the comedian’s fanbase. When we first met the cantankerous Tony (Gervais), he’d recently lost his wife, Lisa (Kerry Godliman) to cancer. Tony had discovered the “superpower” of saying and doing whatever he wanted, safe in the knowledge that he could commit suicide at any time. By the end of season 1, Tony had resolved not to kill himself, and discovered that he could “use his superpower for good” by showing kindness to others. The main emotional arc seemed mostly tied up, and when season 2 was announced, it was unclear whether it actually had anywhere to go.
This precarious launching pad for another season is evident, as season 2 is significantly let down by a weak plot. Gervais is as deft as ever at portraying the muddiness of human problems; the circular nature of grief, or the quiet humiliation of romantic rejection. But this is not enough to drive the show forward. Characters have vague problems like their marriage being “in trouble”, but they aren’t backed into a corner and forced to make game-changing decisions. Tony’s repeated missions to perform acts of kindness are rarely met with complications or setbacks, quickly revealing them to be a fairly ho-hum story device. Most of the season’s episodes could logically work as a final episode of the show, with very few loose ends or sticky predicaments to urge the viewer on.
One of Gervais’ comedic strengths has always been the space he gives his characters to ramble. Twenty years ago, he and his XFM co-host Stephen Merchant dragged a reluctant Karl Pilkington into their studio to grill him relentlessly on his philosophies, and that same amused inquisitiveness shows up in After Life. Tony’s job at the Tambury Gazette sets up frequent scenes of him interviewing locals who’ve been posting their mail in a dog waste bin, or botched their bodies with outlandish plastic surgery. His mate Roxy (Roisin Conaty) walks into his house unannounced, and the entire scene becomes him debunking what she would have done if he was naked. Gervais spots the holes in human logic better than anyone, and he’s still a master at tugging on those threads.
Godliman returns in her dazzling portrayal of Lisa, managing to exude warmth and cheekiness without sliding into the one-dimensional territory that deceased women on television are often prone to. Her performance is the emotional anchor of the show, often pulling a one-two punch to suddenly break the viewer’s heart. Some characters, however, are noticeably lacking a balance of light and shade. Tony’s former psychiatrist (Paul Kaye), now seen by his brother-in-law (Tom Basden), devolves into such self-centred lewdness that it’s actually inexplicable why he continues returning.
For all its weaknesses, After Life season 2 still has its surprisingly perceptive moments that deliver powerful messages about love and grief. And as is usually the case with Gervais’ work, it’s far sweeter, and also much cruder, than anticipated.
After Life season 2 is now streaming on Netflix