'The Afterparty' Episode 1-3 Review: Mix of genres and cast make a great comedic stew
Spoilers for 'The Afterparty' Episodes 1-3
We have a brand new comedy to indulge in as Apple TV+ finally premiered the much-awaited murder-mystery show 'The Afterparty' and you're in for a treat as the streaming site dropped not one but three whole episodes to binge on!
'The Afterparty' is a funny whodunnit that revolves around the mysterious happenings before the death of a pop star and actor Xavier (Dave Franco). First to the scene is Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) who will attempt to find the killer before morning comes. With a mix of comedians who play the suspects, Apple TV+'s new series is well equipped for the funny scene. Read on to know what happens in the premiere and our thoughts on the show.
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The series begins as we see various classmates arrive at their high school for their reunion as we cut to a Xavier falling to his death from his clifftop house at the beach. Detective Danner arrives first and despite not being the best person for the job, lies and starts investigating as the lead detective. Present in Xavier's house, at the afterparty, were his old high school mates, each of whom had a reason for attending and are the prime suspects in the murder.
Episode 1 is focused on Aniq (Sam Richardson) who is the prime suspect. He tells his story through the lens of a rom-com where he is the lovable lug who attended the party for a second chance at love with his high school crush Zoe (Zoë Chao). Richardson is adorable and funny as the mumbling Aniq who is first accused. Haddish is quirky as the ridiculous Detective Danner who's thoroughly enjoying her time here even throwing in her personal opinions, snacking on popcorn and engaging in banter as she listens to each of their 'mind-movies'. We also meet Xavier played by Dave Franco, with him making an excellent sleazy, arrogant, and dumb star. The second episode revolves around Brett (Ike Barinholtz), Zoe's ex-husband as we see him be the hero of his own action movie. Barinholtz is fun as the doting dad with a wild streak making for a comical episode. Introducing another movie genre we see Yasper (Ben Schwartz) narrate his version of the events in the form of a musical that is very Bollywood-esque, filled with songs and a cast that join in for a perfectly choreographed number. Schwartz is extremely likable as Yasper and brings a child-like innocence to the character as he sings of his dreams. Yasper and Aniq's bromance is a highlight with Richardson and Schwartz making an excellent comedic duo that goes together like peanut butter and jelly.
Each character in the series has their own version and agenda with their various shades and perspectives making for a fresh, entertaining watch every episode. The Apple TV+ show hasn't attempted something new, but although it is a tried and tested genre, this whodunnit shines with its storytelling and hilarious cast. The sheer silliness in some scenes will leave you amused as each character confuses you. 'The Afterparty' is a winsome watch that is light and funny making for a comedic stressbuster and should be on your watchlist.
'The Afterparty' premiered with three episodes on Apple TV+ with new episodes to follow weekly.