Mr. M.

Netflix has gone above and beyond again in bringing exceptional original content with their new original series, After Life. Tony Johnson (Ricky Gervais) is struggling with the recent loss of his wife (Kerry Godliman) to breast cancer. Saved from taking his own life only by a creature more helpless than himself, Brandy his German Shepherd, Tony is disillusioned with the world, society, his job at the local newspaper, his coworkers, and his life. He goes about making everyone else’s life miserable until he sees a glimpse of himself in his drug addicted coworker Matt (Tom Basden) and begins to take another look at the pity party he’s been throwing for himself. Contrary to the lazy phoned-in reviews of some critics, this is not a warmed over version of Scrooge, indeed far from it. Ricky Gervais has checked all the boxes on this one and quite frankly, he’s hit it out of the park. In typical Gervais style, the writing is refreshingly honest, politically incorrect, a bit abrasive, and brilliant. The casting is as good as the writing, and powerful scenes between Tony and key characters like Matt, the widow Anne (Penelope Wilton), the Sex Worker Daphne (Roisin Conaty), and his Dad (David Bradley) will take you on an emotional rollercoaster that will have you laughing, crying, happy, sad, and introspective during the same episode and occasionally at the same time even. It is truly uncanny. I found myself very uncomfortable and sad at times, and then caught myself smiling that smile you make when you’ve seen someone do or say something sweet for someone else. By the end, what shone through brightest though was compassion and human decency. I’ll be waiting patiently for season 2 to drop. Maybe Kevin Hart will make an appearance. That’s a good girl Brandy.