AfterLife Series 3 Netflix (contains spoilers)

[MadisonAvenue]

I’ve just watched it all. I’m a sobbing wreck now.

Anyone else watched?

• * [Title edited by MNHQ to add spoiler alert] **

Can honestly say that this is the first time I've ever cried watching something
Absolutely excellent

@Bravenheart I read a interview where he said it was like no matter what ,that hill will still be there and life will always go on even when we have gone

Ratty and the nonce were RG having a dig at toxic masculinity I thought, in the same way the therapist did. He's also very clearly anti anything woo and highlights the hypocrisy for example in laughing yoga (fake feelings are okay, anything real is not.)

I think it was a different dog this series?

I thought the ending was beautifully done, it would have been too easy to have matched Tony up and given him a happy ever after. I thought this was more realistic, he would never find anyone he loved as much as Lisa.

Loved series 1
Liked series 2
Struggled with series 3

Perhaps I should have rewatched the first two again first, like others have, but third series I found too mawkish and melancholy.
Not necessarily because I felt he should have moved on (although statistically many widowers do, the happier they were) but it felt very samey, I missed Roisin Conarty and Mandeep Dhillon, disliked Brian and James's characters, Valerie is underwritten, the misogynists add nothing, and certain points just annoy me including him coming and going from a care home when Covid has been mentioned by Ken (also given Emma is a nurse, that could have been written in: Tony at least was able to say his goodbyes and grieve).
I liked many of Diane Morgan's scenes.
Penelope Wilton started to feel like an elderly wise woman trope equivalent to the magical negro cliche, which is a shame, as I have a lot of time for her.
So no - time for it to end and at least, Gervais recognised that and did not milk it further for a fourth series.

Not suicide, no, although with his bestowing cheques and having a last walk around as long as David Tennant's (RIP ), I did feel it was heading in a Natural Death ending.
All the characters including the author agree that it was meant to represent Life Goes On. We all stop being eventually.

I too was disappointed. I loved the first 2 series but this just didn't match up. The overuse of the cunt word and the constant sexually explicit content particularly from Brian ruined it for me. It was like RG was trying too hard to be shocking. The scene on the children's cancer ward so touching and beautiful and I did have a tear in my eye but it failed to have the poignancy of the previous two series.

I thought he’d committed suicide after the death of the dog but he’s said it wasn’t the case, the clue is the seasons changing in the trees - life goes on.

P.s I thought it must be a different dog

I agree some parts were over the top but overall I loved it. Managed to get to the last episode without crying but then sobbed through the last one. Thought it was a nice way to end it.

I loved it! Sobbed in the last episode - brilliantly written RG!

I held it together right until the very last scene. That was beautifully done.

Enjoyed it. Watched the whole of series 3 in one hit. Didn't cry. Thought it was good.

I agree with Crinkle here. Disappointed. Should've ended Series 3.

Crinkle77

I too was disappointed. I loved the first 2 series but this just didn't match up. The overuse of the cunt word and the constant sexually explicit content particularly from Brian ruined it for me. It was like RG was trying too

There were about 3 episodes worth of great material and some boke-worthy overly explicit padding.

i didn't think it was as good as season 1 and 2 but i couldn't stop the tears in the last episode
did anyone else think the fortune telling lady was impersonating kim woodburn

I was disappointed. I’d waited so badly for this as the first and second series were masterpieces but this one seemed rushed almost. Key characters gone (Roxy and the mad therapist who was my favourite character). Postman Pat had no meaningful story which is a shame as he was great in the other series. Ratty and The Nonce were just ridiculous. Way over the top and unrealistic. Even the dog didn’t seem as into it this time around! You could see it constantly looking to its owner/trainer for cues!! This didn’t seem as obvious in the other series.

I love RG and most things he has done. He's brilliant. I LOVED the first 2 series of After Life, but this last one was a huge disappointment. It just wasn't RIGHT. It was all wrong. Some glimpses of brilliance, a few laugh out loud moments. It's just not good enough. Still tears at the end, but a lot of it was clumsy and misjudged. Yes the dog was always looking into the distance!

I binged last night.
Like others, I thought that the first two series were the best thing I had ever seen on telly - I loved them.
But the 3rd series just hasn't matched up to them. I really think the ambiguity of him making it work with Emma at the end of series two is where it should have ended.
I can't see what the third series brought to the table in all honesty. I had such high hopes for it.
Yes I laughed at points but I didn't cry in the way that I did previously. As a widow the first two series were very poignant.
The overuse of 'cunt', the graphic language of Brian etc - just unnecessary.

I thought it was a mixed bag - I am no prude but as PPs have said, did "cunt" have to feature quite so prominently? And what was the point of Brian? He was ok in small doses in the previous two series but was utterly disgusting in this one and I don't know why the boy (can't remember his name) still chose to live with him. Kath deserved better than the postie too.

On the other hand I thought the lack of a HEA between Tony and Emma worked as it was more true to life. And the friendship between Tony and Len was well done. And the children's cancer ward scene 😭 I properly blubbed when the little boy asked Tony if he'd come and see him every day until he goes to heaven.

I could listen to Penelope Wilton all day long.
Needed more time on the bench and less wacky characters having cringe moments.

I did laugh out loud at "they said they didn't have any police officers with 'Made in Britain' tattooed across their forehead"!

I haven't seen all of it but I am so far finding it less moving.
The first 2 seasons are amazing.
Ricky Gervais rather underestimated- the show is such a love letter to his partner (know wife, I believe?).
The way it shows love as having found your favourite person in the world and not having anyone else that compares? It's so lovely.

@youcancallmeow I'm so glad you said it , I thought it was her at first dear 🤣🤣

I didn't know RG had got married. I really think he's great and am a huge fan, but he said that he'd never read any of Jane's books, which I find so mean and unsupportive. I just can't imagine being like that.

Agreed with many of the post , but it was still wonderful.

The overuse of the cunt word and the constant sexually explicit content particularly from Brian ruined it for me.
I don’t get the point of Brian in this series. Are we meant to feel sympathy for him because his wife cheated on him/left him? He is actually disgusting.

@Andylion The wife's new partner was no Prince Charming but he was still an upgrade from Brian. I kept waiting for him to get his comeuppance from James but it never happened! And then he hits it off with Coleen at the end? Not sure I got the point of her character either.

I didn't think RG had actually got married? I do enjoy Jane Fallon's books - they have a sharp edge to them which sets them apart from others in that genre.