Even though I agree with virtually all of his takes on politics, religion, and pop culture – I often find actor/comedian/director/writer Ricky Gervais a bit smug. Self-satisfied, cackling in a loudly annoying bray, mostly at his own jokes.
But his show After Life, which has just concluded after three seasons (by design) really elicited a wide range of emotions – loads of laughs that are built into the characters, not written as jokes, as well as melancholy moments as Tony (Gervais) who recently lost his loving wife to Cancer, reaches the depths of depression and finds himself having a lot of “what’s it all about?” conversations.
Tony gets a job at a small, small village newspaper that covers the eccentric citizens and their small town news bits (a woman who claims she can speak to her cat, etc. – too many to spoil), but it’s the collection of oddballs and misfits with whom he works and shares as neighbors that make the series feel comfortable and predictable, in a good way.
My theory is that the TV sitcoms in history that have earned the most affection from fans are the ones that bring a sense of comfort – a reliable format, sometimes variations of the same themes – from I Love Lucy to well,, you name it. After Life gets this bit right.
For example, at least once per episode, Tony visits his wife’s grave and sits on a bench nearby. A bench almost always occupied by a widow (veteran English actress Penelope Wilton) who also visits her late husband and frequently gives Tony a wise word or two, or sometimes just listens and lets him vent. Predictable? Yes, and most welcome.
The scripts are cheerfully profane – you will hear the “C” word in one episode more than you have in your life, but somehow these vulgarities coming from the mouths of Englishmen sound positively poetic.
The episodes are short and move along quickly. The final episode is moving without being maudlin and I wish the idea of series knowing how not to overstay their welcome would catch on. This 3 season arc was just right.
Yeah, the smirky roastmaster with the too clever vibe turns out to have a heart hidden underneath the snark. And surely if he weren’t a decent guy in real life, he wouldn’t have been able to assemble such a wonderful cast.
The entire After Life series is now streaming on Netflix
