A look at Ricky Gervais' After Life

My friend Owen first suggested we sit down and watch this together. In a word, apprehensive. That’s how I felt about watching this newest addition to Netflix. Knowing the issues it was to cover, I wasn’t sure how delicately someone like Ricky Gervais would present them. Suicide, cancer, death, depression, the pitfalls were endless. However, I tried to approach it with an open mind. While Gervais has been criticised in the past for his insensitivity, I was hoping he’d see some sense and take more care when exploring these themes.

It’s not easy to accurately portray such sensitive topics, but I was pleasantly surprised I have to say. I’m not going to sit here and tell you it was all sunshine and roses though, it was a tearjerker to say the least. Upon watching the first episode, I cried for a solid ten minutes. Here was a man who had lost the love of his life and was now deeply depressed. Immediately, Gervais throws you into his constructed world, making it appear real by flooding it with negative emotions that we've all felt at some point. It shows you just how shit life can be at times, making us face up to the realities of the world we live in.

After losing his wife to cancer, Tony (Gervais’ character) looks at how he can carry on and, ultimately, if it’s even possible for him to live without her. Throughout, he deals with the trials and tribulations that face people in the same situation as him. From merely washing the dishes to the bigger things like wanting to talk to someone when you’re down, but the one person you want not being there. I’m sure we can all relate to that one in some way. Quickly, it becomes apparent that Tony has become devoid of human emotion after he’s lost the only thing that, to him, provides happiness. He makes it clear that he feels depressed and that going on seems like the worst possible idea, even reliving moments of him trying to take his own life. Humorously, the only reason he doesn’t is because of his dog, Brandy. This kind of comic relief is exactly the reason I think After Life is the best cinematic example for representing mental health problems. It points them out so bluntly and makes no attempts to shy away from the reality of issues like suicide or self-harm. However, rather than dwell in the pain and despair, it uses comedy to turn some arguably uncomfortable moments into manageable scenes. At the same time, he gets a point across without making you squirm. Although, if you do struggle with mental health, maybe this isn’t the first thing to be watching. Whilst he does a great job of pointing out the problems that people suffer wit, the blatant images of self-harm, drug abuse and suicide make it a difficult watch at times. Having said that, it goes beyond the typical attempt to tackle the behemoth that is mental health. He doesn’t just point it out and let it rumble on in the background, he keeps it at the forefront of the series but doesn't make a song and dance about it. This idea of making mental health a spectacle is the biggest problem I had with shows like 13 Reasons Why. Ultimately, Gervais normalises depression and mental health problems, showing us that it’s a common problem that people deal with. He doesn’t put it on a pedestal for people to stare at, he makes it an issue that coincides with the struggles of everyday life. By doing this, it becomes a topic people can feel far more comfortable talking about.

In regard to death, he does a great job at seeing how we can make it a celebration of someone’s life, rather than constantly mourning their loss. For me, this aspect had a huge impact. After losing close family members, it becomes difficult to see their passing in a positive light, always asking yourself “what if”? Gervais does this in places, but towards the end of the series (no spoilers I promise) he shows us that it is possible to move on and that death shouldn’t keep us stuck in a rut. The most poignant example of this is when he’s talking to Anne, a widow who he meets in the cemetery. When he comes asking questions that we all think in times like this, Anne brilliantly injects happiness into the situation. She calms Tony down, reassuring him that everything will be alright. Anne acts much like Brandy the dog, helping Gervais to couple hard hitting topics alongside their antithesis to state that it’s not all doom and gloom. Whilst this may sound simple, the level to which he succeeds is simply unrivalled. For example, I’m a huge fan of the film Perks Of Being A Wallflower (POBAW). The way it deals with hard hitting topics is questionable at times, but by using love as a relief from them it tells the world it’s something that can be managed. However, what After Life does that the other doesn’t is make it seem real. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure we all dream about the love of our lives coming to save the day and whisking us off into the sunset, but sadly that’s not always the case. POBAW does exactly that,don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no to Emma Watson kissing me, but it’s just too utopian in my opinion. After Life knows the harsh realities in this world and deals with them accordingly. It’s great to see a series that is believable, as if someone's life is actually playing out in front of you. That’s the magic of this whole thing, not once did I sit there and think to myself ‘Yeah, but would that really happen?’

By integrating huge topics like mental health, cancer and death, Gervais gave himself a tall order, but I think he managed it perfectly. Injected with the classic humour we’re use to seeing from him is a heartfelt sentiment that we can’t just bury our heads in the sand when life gets tough. By the end, Tony is a different man to the one we see at the start and the character development only furthers the message Gervais tries to get across. No matter how much shit comes your way, there’s always a good time waiting. In all honesty, I think this is his best work, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.

I couldn’t end this without my favourite quotes though:

.’You’re lovely, but you’re absolutely fucking useless’

.’I’d rather be nowhere with her than somewhere without her’