Last year Ricky Gervais gave us a brand new show called After Life, it was quite frankly the best piece of television writing I have ever seen. When he announced he was going to make series 2, I was concerned, because there was no way on this planet he could improve on what he had done. At 8 am this morning, when it hit Netflix, I was proved so wrong,
After Life series 2 was a rollercoaster of emotions, this morning I have howled in laughter and cried tears of pain as I got drawn into Ricky’s character Tony’s story.
Some time has passed since the end of Series 1, relationships are not how it was left last year, so we have potential divorces, desperation to find a date, reluctance to commit to a relationship, a misjoined yet happy family. The over riding story line is however based around Tony and how much he was still greaving for his late wife. Ricky plays Tony so well that you can’t help but believe he is real and not a fictional TV character. I promise you now that you will cry along with him. This is the man who you see presenting the Golden Globes, making people laugh and crawl under their tables with embarrassment, but yet again he has shown his diversity. We are living in an age with someone who will go down in history for being one of the best writers. We’ve had Shakespeare and Dickens, now we have Gervais and you my readers have the pleasure of witnessing it.
I am trying hard not to add spoilers, but I must give an example of how After Life series 2 will battle with your emotions. At one point we go from an obese young adult doing some ballet after farting and following through, to a death. We go from laughing so hard it hurts, to shedding many tears. The writing here is genius (a word I used to describe series 1), but the acting from all the cast is absolutely superb. Ricky has a group of acting friends he casts in many of his shows, but I can see quite clearly why he chooses them
Some things I can tell you, Brandy the dog is back and NO Ricky does not kill the dog off, he promised his fans he wouldn’t and didn’t let them down. Postman Pat is back, annoying Tony by knocking on his door, and you shall see in the trailer at one point Postman Pat asks if he can use the bathroom, when he doesn’t appear for a while Tony goes up to find him in his bath. Emma is back, remember her? The lovely care home nurse looking after Tony’s dad. You will also see a reappearance of the most bizarre psychiatrist in the world, this time he’s not baffling Ricky’s character Tony, instead he is helping….ish someone else.
This has been a TV show I have been eagerly waiting for, it’s been a show I have been concerned about as Ricky Gervais had set the bar so high in series 1. I have not been disappointed, Ricky Gervais has quite frankly caused a miracle, he has surpassed the amazing series 1 and given us the best piece of TV in history. I have to say this Ricky, I know you’ll read this review, I am an author, I have been commissioned to write 3 books this year, you are an inspiration, if I can get to within 10% of your talent I will be pleased.
Finally thank you, Ricky, we are in lockdown due to a deadly virus, but for 3 hours this morning, I was able to completely switch off to the problems outside.
Gervais does the impossible for series 2
Name: After Life 2
Description: After Life follows Tony, whose life is turned upside down after his wife dies from breast cancer. He contemplates suicide but instead decides to live long enough to punish the world for his wife's death by saying and doing whatever he wants.
Comedy writer with Steve Smith. Author of the book & Satire Website, ‘The Daily Skid – The best bits’ also Beat About the Bush
