Saturday, July 20, 2019

After Life


Taking a pause from my Ted Talks obsession, I wanted to bring another binge-worthy series to your attention. This one comes with a warning - it is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. 

Ricky Gervais created, produces and stars in the dark comedy After Life, available on Netflix. The first season consists of only 6 episodes; I have to admit that the story arc didn't compel me after watching episodes 3/4 and I almost gave up on it. I was then encouraged by a colleague to stick with it, and I am happy I did. 

The realism this series brings to the table when it comes to possible reactions to grief can be disturbing. But, at the same point, I think that is that very reason why it is important to watch. A dark comedy doesn't feel like a safe way to touch upon such a serious topic, but that too is perhaps what makes it even more relevant. 

The takeaway: in grief, there is no right or wrong, no rules, no norms. If this series feels very uncomfortable, maybe that is because it sucks to realize that grief can push any/all of us to disturbing extremes. And maybe to make each of us better at being human (and humane!) in our daily interactions, we need to stretch ourselves outside of that comfort zone and come to grips with that very reality.

Follow this link to the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_-cQVKI2X8

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