Glen M Osmond

I am not normally the sort of person who does this (writes online reviews of, well just about anything), but I have just watched the first episode of After Life and feel like I had to comment. Having recently lost my partner of seven and a half years myself, watching this show has actually scared me, not by anything particularly bad or horrific that was shown (or said), don't get me wrong, I am scared because of just how much and how closely I could identify with the main character (Tony, played by Ricky Gervais), especially in the scenes where he is talking to the post man at the front of his house (do your job and put the mail in the slot, at least that gives you some reason to exist (the postman that is)), and the scene in the park when he speaks to his dog (who I get is probably the best and only character he can have an open conversation with, and I am not being rude here, at the moment, our cat is the only one who I feel I can really have an open conversation with, who doesn't judge me) and makes the comment about the fat rude prick giving him attitude about the rules of the park and how it is for everyone (why can't people mind their own business and not stick their noses in where they don't belong), but it was the scene when he was confronted by the two juvenile delinquents demanding monies with menace, that I felt a feeling of extreme satisfaction, when he smashed the can of dog food into the face of the one demanding money. (Money in this case, but there are so many waste of space cretins like that in the world who think they can gain through fear and intimidation, I do hate bullies) There is, any one who knows me can probably confirm this, definite parallels between the Gervais character and myself, although it is not visible to the naked eye, I can feel that dark cloud overhead (and some days it can be a full on thunderstorm), I also want to basically tell the world to go (insert expletive here) itself most of the time, and i have no problems with words starting with F or with C (and i am sure you can guess the words are not Fun and Cheerful, no I won't swear in text, but in mixed company, who give a Fxxx..... (There is a reasonable amount of "good" language in the show, and I will give Ricky Gervais credit, he does not hold back) I decided to have a look at the show after people were talking about it on ABC local radio 774 this morning, now I am the first to admit I am not a fan of Ricky Gervais in general, I have no doubt he is very talented, but of the bit of his other shows I have seen, they just haven't sparked anything in me, but this show, and it is probably because I can so much identify with it through personal experience at this point in time, it really hit me at my core. Will I watch more, probably, but not yet, I am feeling so much emotion at the moment, while not being able to feel anything at the same time, that I just don't think I am ready to continue watching at the moment. Given that it is on Netflix, I can put it on my list for a future time and see if the character and I continue to evolve in the same fashion through our shared grief at the loss of the person who we loved more than life itself. My recommendation, to anyone considering giving it a look, do it and make up your own mind. GMO.