Let’s reflect on how far Tony has come since we first met him. His original “superpower” — that he doesn’t care about anyone or anything — is on full display in Seasons 1 and 2, after the love of his life, Lisa, passes away from cancer. But in Season 3, he appears reformed, and he realizes that his real superpower is the ability to make someone else happy. 

The major themes of this season are communication, compassion and what happens when you die. Tony’s friend Anne tells him it helps to talk to your passed-on partner out loud, and through this process, Tony recognizes his true purpose, which is caring for others. In episode 6, Lisa, in a video she’d recorded from her hospital bed, implores Tony to be kind to others and to be himself, and he takes that to heart. When Tony sees a child with cancer in the hospital, and the child asks if he believes in heaven, Tony replies “definitely.” He’s a different man than he was in Season 1.

KEY PLAYERS:

Tony Johnson (Ricky Gervais): A widower and the head features writer at the Tambury Gazette. As prickly, sarcastic and short-tempered as he is, there’s a soft, animal-loving side to him, too.

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Lisa Johnson (Kerry Godliman): Tony’s late wife. Though she’s dead, Lisa appears throughout the show via recorded video messages addressed to Tony, as well as in home movies that Tony has stored on his laptop. 

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Matt Braden (Tom Basden): Lisa’s brother and Tony’s boss. His marital issues have been resolved, but he runs into some serious health problems that land him in the hospital. 

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Anne (​​Penelope Wilton): A widow Tony meets at the site of Lisa’s grave. She now has a bit of a boyfriend, thanks to Tony.

Paul (Peter Egan): The owner of the Tambury Gazette, who is now boo’d up with Anne. 

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Lenny (Tony Way): A photographer at the Tambury Gazette who often accompanies Tony on his assignments. Their relationship has become more of a two-way street compared to last season, where Lenny was often the butt of Tony’s jokes. 

June (Jo Hartley): Lenny’s fiancée. 

James (Ethan Lawrence): June’s son and a new hire at the Tambury Gazette. He has a flair for theater but office work, not so much. 

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Emma (Ashley Jensen): Emma is a caregiver at the Autumnal Leaves Care Home, and she’s now firmly in the friend zone alongside Tony.

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Pat (Joe Wilkinson): Tony’s mailman. He very reliably shows up at Tony’s door at the top of every episode this season. 

Ken Otley (Colin Hoult): Head of the local drama company. Responsible for the 500-year anniversary of the Tambury fair (big deal!) 

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Brian (David Earl): An odd man and aspiring stand-up comedian. 

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Kath (Diane Morgan): She works in advertising for the Gazette.

Coleen (Kath Hughes): New intern at the Gazette, and a replacement for the previous new hire, the bright-eyed Sandy. Coleen is kind of a bummer, at first, but also pretty funny. (Tony much?) 

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Brandy: Tony’s German shepherd. Still a good girl. 

KEY LOCATIONS:

Tambury: The small and quaint fictional town in England where everything seems to be within walking distance. 

KEY PLOT POINTS:

1. Tony has some insightful realizations this season. It’s almost like he knows this will be his last chance to do so. “Maybe I’m not grieving, maybe I’m just an asshole,” he says to Lenny after yelling at a driver who doesn’t yield to pedestrians. While talking to Lisa at the cemetery, he says he hasn’t gotten over losing her, and that he’s still going through the stages of grief. Coming to terms with his depression, Tony talks about his suicide attempts and how he feels better now. 

2. Tony and Matt come to a new understanding. The two duel in multiple sports: ping-pong, tennis, squash, and Tony smokes Matt in each one. When Matt gets mad at Tony for puking during a match — Tony had a beer beforehand — he ends up having a heart attack. At the hospital, Tony apologizes to Matt for his behavior. Since Matt had to look after him, Tony says, Matt couldn’t properly grieve, and this pent-up emotion may have led to his heart attack. This seems to give Matt some closure, and he visits the cemetery to place a childhood picture of Lisa and himself on her grave. Per Ray’s wishes, Matt drives Tony to the pub where Ray proposed to his wife to scatter his ashes. On the way, Tony throws Matt’s Susan Boyle and Michael Bublé albums out of the car before settling for Radiohead. Tony ends up throwing his dad’s ashes in the pub owner’s face. Closure. 

3. Emma concludes that she’ll never replace Lisa, nor does she want to. She manages to take a peek at Tony’s laptop to see the old home movies of Lisa that he’s been watching, which solidifies that he’s not moved on from his late wife. She expresses to Tony that she hasn’t been as lucky as he — she never had a Lisa in her life to miss. She bumps into an old flame from college, and the two date — and Tony is completely at peace with it. 

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4. Poor Kath has a series of very unfortunate dates, including one with a man who continuously commands her to keep her elbows off the table. She cries during “laughter yoga.” It’s hard to witness. Tony tries to be supportive and takes her out for coffee. Continuing the communication theme, he tells her to stick to the truth and to always be herself. Kath, while considering dog adoption, is told by Tony that there’s no such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners. Treat them poorly, they’ll behave poorly. Treat them with kindness, they’ll be kind. Same with people, Tony says. Tony tells Kath something we already know: Brandy saved his life. 

5. We learn this season that Lisa took out a life insurance policy before she died, and as a result, Tony is entitled to a payment of 150,000 British pounds (about $201,000). He can’t bring himself to deposit the check, because he’s troubled by how he got it. Eventually, with some convincing from Lenny, he accepts the payout. But Tony decides to spread it around to others: He gifts portions of the payout to Matt, Lenny (as a wedding present) and Coleen, so she can move to a better apartment. He also uses it to pay the adoption fee for Kath’s new dog and secretly gives cash to a woman he meets on a reporting job, after learning she was robbed. 

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6. The season concludes at the outdoor Tambury fair, complete with carnival games and a carousel. Tony sees his friend Emma happy with her old college boyfriend, and he’s genuinely satisfied to see her enjoying his company. He also runs into Anne and Paul. Anne is happy to see Tony happy, and Paul thanks Tony for introducing him to Anne. Everyone is happy and showing gratitude. Tony walks off with Brandy, and, for a moment, you see Lisa is walking with them, holding Tony’s hand. Then she disappears. Then Brandy fades away, too. Then Tony disappears. That’s the end of After Life. Go do something nice for someone or something! 

Key Questions: 

1. Will Kath and Postman Pat become a thing?

2. What happens when you die? 

3. How much are you crying?