Afterlife Series Two Episode 6 (Gervais)

[CelloMellow]

Very amusing, anyone else seen it?!

I’m a fan of RG in general, and this series in particular.

That said, I found the romance storyline with the nurse a bit contrived

I loved it! The transgirl scene was superb; very nuanced, sensitive and funny yet critical. I too thought the therapist (and friends) was over the top vile.

I binge watched both series between 10 last night and 5 this morning.

Absolutely brilliant but I have a serious headache from alternating between laughing and crying!

I also think it was clever of him to have the trans character be a 50 year old man transing to an 8 year old girl.
Because everyone can see the ridiculousness of that variation, which has not become mainstream, and (hopefully!) never will.
If it had been the usual case of M to F, it would have been more controversial, inviting far more backlash. In fact, I doubt Netflix would have allowed it.
So the character was able to say "I'm trans!" and all viewers can officially agree "it's bollocks" -- without having to admit that the other version of trans is also bollocks. It gives a comedic slant to the whole serious issue, without mocking transwomen and -men.

I'm not sure if I've got my argument right but I think you'll know what I mean.
Doing it this way was particularly brilliant.

I’ve just come on to this board to see if there was a thread like this, and here it is!
I agree with the pp who think Gervais dealt brilliantly with the trans character and his family. I think that the Paul Kaye character is Gervais’ way of having a go at the incels and the truly toxic masculinity that you find on Twitter & elsewhere, opinions and beliefs that seem to be tolerated far more readily than any lesbian saying she’s not interested in ‘ladydick’...

I thought that the therapist was being depicted as a man who embodied toxic masculinity and the message was how truly jealous he was of his quiet reserved client.

I agree with everything else said on this thread. It was truly outstanding and I was up and down laughing and crying.

I was very impressed with the quality - it really packed a very intelligent punch.

Series 1 - hilarious. Laugh out loud in parts.
Couldnt wait for series 2.
Series 2 - awful. Just awful. Not a laugh from me. And i really didnt understand that psychiatrist?? Just so nauseating. And didn't seem to fit in.
Maybe its too intellectual for me but i was really disappointed with series 2. As with many other follow ups i think it should have been left at one series.

I absolutely loved it. For a series like that (or two) to have a number of so incredibly well considered individual characters was just astonishing. His relationship with his bench pal Anne was the most gorgeous thing.

Just a perfectly written and acted story, packed to the brim with clever social and political observations. I couldn't ask for more.

Trans thing very well handled. I'm sure some people will take issue with it on basis that "there aren't many like that!" but they'll miss the point entirely, of course. It's about self-ID, no matter what form it takes. And there are plenty men like that....

Trans thing very well handled. I'm sure some people will take issue with it on basis that "there aren't many like that!" but they'll miss the point entirely, of course. It's about self-ID, no matter what form it takes. And there are plenty men like that....

Yes I loved the fact that Tony and the photographer weren't outright "this is bollocks", but asking questions, wondering, doubting if it's OK, unsure about the whole concept just the way many viewers will be. It's not in your face mocking, and they give hope to the wife and daughter, they ones who are genuinly torn apart because of having to validate him. So realistic.

Perfect!

Gervais is letting art imitate life.

Had anybody on this thread seen Derek one of Gervais other shows ?
Fuck me my heart when I watched that

Brilliant. I also liked the photographer pointing out there aren’t transvestites any more - everyone is transgender now.

In general, another excellent series with some heartbreakingly sad moments and brilliant acting from him

I’ve just watched this series 1&2. Im not generally a fan of RG’s work but I did enjoy this. The second series more than the first. One thing I felt really let it down was what can only be described as his total toddler tantrumming and pestering of Emma, his father’s nurse. And maybe I’ve missed what he was doing there and it was entirely deliberate and self aware. But it felt really bleaugh. I just wanted to scream “leave her alone!” He didn’t want her as a partner but wanted her to hang around and be available to him to make him feel good when he wanted it. And how dare he ask her if it was “just a drink” she had with Simon. None of his business. She can do what she likes with Simon. Disappointed she gave him and answer and totally disappointed she turned up at his house to accept “Groundhog Day”. How sad.

I loved series 1, thought series 2 a bit contrived and indulgent, with RG character dishing out kindly advice. - eg to the unfortunate daughter of the trans character. “He is still your father.....” as she listens attentively (as if). Also every day he went to sit on that damn bench in the cemetery and not once asked the bereaved woman who acted as his confidante, how SHE was. Her sole purpose seem to be listening to him.
The dog was fab, though the barking at him when he was about to OD was ridiculous.

...and yes, the therapist was entirely unbelievable

I hated the therapist scenes. I don’t like Paul Kaye anyway but hated every scene he was in and they seemed to get worse with every episode. Probably deliberately. I found myself picking up my phone to scroll during those scenes.

@ChandlerIsTheBestFriend Yeah the therapist totally ruined it for me too. He was crass, rude, disgusting, and I just don't understand the purpose of creating the character like that. It's not like he was even a parody of a therapist, they simply don't behave like that at all. I felt the whole series was clunky. Hope he leaves it there, I don't believe there's anywhere where to go with it. But the trans scene was good.

I also found it very strange when the lady from the bench came up to him after his dad’s funeral and asked how he was and he said “thanks for everything” and walked off. As if it say “that’s it, I’m done with you now, don’t need you anymore”. And she was left standing there looking so crestfallen. I don’t understand the point of that.

My one criticism of the series was that aspect of Tony's character needing those scenes for his development/narrative, but he didn't do much to flesh out her character beyond being a sound board for him. It was quite realistic in how someone needs another to unload emotions, but not thinking of the other person's own needs etc. But would have been better had he been a bit more aware of her own pain/loss.

Wasn't keen on the therapist but thought that was more a way that RG likes to push vile/uncomfortable things onto others - he's v amused by the recoiling of others when there's a line crossed, and the more extreme the better/funnier (to him).

Binge watched Series 2 last night with partner. We’d both enjoyed Series 1. Didn’t think it lived up to Series 1. Got a bit weary of his taking it to the knuckle then crying, then overstepping again and then crying.

And the psychotherapist was just appalling. We just wish someone had had the balls to tell RG that those bits just didn’t work. All those sequences could have been removed and they would not have been missed. It was like RG was really trying to offend as much as possible with this MRA-type character (yeah I know but there’s usually a cutting wit that goes with it) But just shoe-horning it in with no regard to the rest of the story or the characters. It was prolonged and repulsive. It was hideous and totally not in keeping with the rest of the show and then when they were in the pub? It felt even more odd when he took it out of the abstract setting of the therapy room.

The best thing about the whole show is when RG takes everyday realities/situations and then skews them with a bit of an outrageous outburst ie. the 100 old lady saying cunt a lot but even that got a bit tedious.

Even the adult/child bit, although staggeringly refreshing to see it even touched upon on TV, just ended up going on too long and all the bit outside talking to the daughter and then the rant about ‘where have all the TVs gone?’ Just felt like a bit of an indulgence. It lifted you out of the character of this lowly, grieving journo into a RG stand up routine.

And him taking the women in the office out to the coffee shop and acting like the office Oprah? Just too bloody saccharine for that character (I know he was experimenting with being nice but it all felt too schmaltzy) There were absolutely brilliant moments and writing, and he touched upon controversial subjects bravely and funnily (most of the time) but we both felt frustrated and disappointed at the end and both said we hope to god he doesn’t do a third series!

the 100 old lady saying cunt a lot but even that got a bit tedious.

I felt the same about Kerry godliman saying “cunt” too. It was far too try hard.

I think the problem with the therapist was that that type of man wouldn’t be a therapist. He just wouldn’t. He’d be an estate agent or in finance or a call centre team manager. But never a therapist. Someone who carries on like that in the pub hasn’t spent years learning about how people’s brains work and how trauma, abuse, pain etc affects thoughts and behaviours and then how to heal the disordered psyche. It was all wrong.

Tony was also absolutely horrible to Katy. To the extent that it was almost workplace bullying.

Not Katy, Kath.

And how much of a prick was he as a husband constantly soaking her with water and pressing air horns to scare the crap out of her. That’s not even funny the first time.

Fantastic series on a hard-to-tone subject that's so easy to pitch wrong. Gervais has broken my heart in parts of it, fantastically insightful writing and acting from him.

The trans thing was perfect, given the gravitas it deserves (i.e. none) and handled with no hysterics, in contrast to what I assume is going to come Gervais' way because of it.

Trans people exist, it's a real issue for a small minority. Opportunists also exist, and self-id is a gift for them to bully and bulldoze and impose their own brand of misogyny on born women.

I suspected early on that graveside woman wasn't real. But I think she was. My version is better!