A "Tragicomedy"/Black comedy from esteemed British writer/director/comedian Ricky Gervais. After Life focuses on the story of Tony (played by
Gervais himself) who had the perfect marriage to wife Lisa
(Kerry Godliman) until she tragically falls ill and passes away. The viewer sees Lisa through a series of video diaries she recorded for Tony and flashbacks throughout the series.
Tony becomes suicidal and hateful toward the entire world after losing his wife and openly discusses his hatred for the world and his constant thoughts of suicide. Between his menial job at the local free newspaper, dealing with his father's end-of-life care, and managing relationships with his brother-in-law and nephew, Tony tries desperately to pick up the pieces and move on with his life while combating his suicidal ideation.
Absolute emotional bombshell of a series. I've never seen anything that has made me cry as much as this show, or laugh and cry at the same time. As I get older and my relationships with my wife and family continue to grow it is hard to imagine living without them sometimes. I can't fathom the pain of losing a spouse, and from reactions I've read from widows/widowers who have watched this series it is very accurate in its portrayal of the pain and grief.
I was already a big Ricky Gervais fan going into this series, but I was blown away by After Life. The raw emotion and solid directing/acting of the series is on-point. The cast is varied and the supporting characters are so absurd and comical that it helps to show the complexity of the relationships in Tony's life. The classic dark humor that is prevalent in British comedy is used perfectly to lighten the mood.
Really love this series a lot. Third season takes a bit of a dip, but still very solid IMO.
