I like Ricky Gervais for the most part, but when he does non-comedy, it comes across as a little too in-your-face and pretentious. I swear, at least once every episode, the main character in After Life literally says, “I’m sad. I want to kill myself.” There are far better ways to convey your character’s struggles with depression than to have him spell it out like we’re too dumb to notice. Nothing about After Life is subtle, especially during the montages when super cheesy music kicks in to remind you, “Hey, he’s sad, remember? This is sad! Feel something!” But for as much as the show wants you to feel sorry for protagonist Tony, he never demonstrates that he is or ever was a “good guy.”
While we do occasionally see into his pre-dead-wife past via home videos and video diaries, it’s incredibly forced and insincere. He pulls a prank on her, and she laughs, or she looks at the camera and says, “You’re a good man, Tony.” But why? Because he pulls pranks? That kinda suggests he’s always been a bit of an asshole. Post-death, Tony’s mean to everyone, and everyone puts up with it, because they know he’s sad. But Tony has so much disdain for life that he even helps a local junkie overdose. So the revelation/reversal in the final episode feels completely hollow. Tony didn’t grow at all during the course of the show. Rather, the show was about to end, and we needed a sappy wrap-up, so… Tony magically got better, everyone!
Reviewer
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