‘After Life’ Season 2’s realistic depiction of grief leaves fans in tears calling it Gervais’ best production
Spoilers for ‘After Life’ Season 2
‘After Life’ Season 2 is one of those shows that you can and will binge, but it stays with you long after you’re done watching it. The season sees Tony (Ricky Gervais) still struggling to move one after the death of his wife. And while he is less caustic and much less of an a*****e than he was in season 1, he’s still not quite there.
But Tony isn’t alone in his sadness. Everyone in his periphery has something they are trying to deal with. Matt (Tom Basden) struggles not just with the separation from his wife, but also with the looming threat of the Tambury Gazette shutting down. Emma (Ashley Jensen) tries to deal with Tony’s heartache being in the way of their future. The list goes on and on.
Season 2 displays as much heart as season 1 and then some. And fans of the show seem to generally agree with that. A fan took to Twitter to express his appreciation for the season. He wrote, “It’s probably the best piece of work Ricky Gervais has ever produced. It’s heartbreaking, heartwarming, hilarious, and most importantly real to life. What else can I say, it’s phenomenal.”
Viewers of the show have often been able to relate to the show’s depiction of grief and depression. A fan wrote on Reddit, “Just like season 1, I've never had so much of an emotional response to a TV show before. Absolutely brilliant acting and writing, as someone who has suffered from depression for different reasons I really feel that the show got what it feels like right, at least for me. I was struggling to stop balling my eyes out quite a few times and especially the last episode.”
The final chapter of the six-part season was particularly beautiful and sad. After the funeral of his father, Tony finds himself in a very vulnerable position. Drowned in sorrow, for a tense moment, he considers downing a bottle of sleeping pills, once and for all, giving in to his suicidal urges. But before he could act upon it, he gets a visit from Emma who finally decides that she would rather have Tony in her life on undefined terms than not have him at all.
Another Redditor wrote in that regard, “This one got me sadder than season 1. The part with the pills just made me cry really hard. Ricky Gervais is f****n excellent. Amazing actor and writer.”
The general reaction to the show can be summed up in the words of one Redditor, “It was way more emotional this time around, but I also laughed a lot. Overall it was insanely good.”
‘After Life’ Season 2 is available for viewing on Netflix.