The Afterparty

I have to say I'm actually shocked by how much I enjoyed The Afterparty. Is it one of the best shows I've ever seen? Absolutely not. But for a show I put on because I was bored and thought what the heck, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I binged both seasons over the course of a few days. The episodes are only 35-40 minutes apiece so it didn't take that long but I just couldn't get enough. It seems most people seem to agree with me, it has an excellent 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though both seasons were good I prefer the first one a little more. If you're looking for a good murder mystery with some comedy then give this show a try. You won't be disappointed.

I've seen quite a few murder mysteries lately, so I'm glad this series does something different. By shaking up the murder mystery genre, each episode is...a different genre. Seeing a mystery unfold from different characters perspectives isn't entirely new, but the way it's presented in the show is. All the characters are pretty interesting and all have motive. The cast has great chemistry with each other. The show isn't quite excellent but it's a fun mystery to solve and I was genuinely surprised by the ending.

This is a funny, clever whodunnit with smart writing and an A-List ensemble of comic actors - but I had never heard of it - I am bombarded by trailers and promos for shows 24/7.

I don't know what the folks at Apple TV+ were thinking by slipping this ingenious gem under the promotional carpet.

It's a playful, smartly constructed mystery from The Lego Movie guys, with each episode being told from the point of view of a different suspect - each in a different movie genre style: romcom, action, thriller, musical, animation, and so on.

Everyone in the cast is at the top of their comic game, and they all seem to be having a great time. Now stop reading this and go watch it.

This show is super fun to watch, likeable characters, detective lady is so cool y'all, no laughter track and clever jokes. Yasper (Ben) is my favourite character (for now). Ben schwartz was super awesome in Parks and Recreation too. Xavier is kinda like Justin Beiber. Can't wait for the 4th episode!

I almost watched season 2 first because it had all the actors I had been seeing in the advertisements, and I didn't even know there was a first season. I kind of wish that I had watched in reverse, because season 1 was so good and season 2 fell flat. While season 2 appears to have a bigger budget, and it is more cinematic, it just doesn't have what season 1 had... humor.

Actually if I had watched season 2 first, I probably would have just turned it off. Season one feels like a real murder mystery, but it's also funny, the characters are likable, the music is great (Xavier's closing credits track is a legit banger), and it pulled me in so well that I binged the whole first season in a day.

Season 2 has been difficult to get interested in. After finishing an episode I have no desire to watch another, so I turn it off for a few days. You do not feel as attached to the characters as S1, so you don't really care who is the killer. In S1 I found myself guessing, but also hoping that it wasn't a character I liked. Also, in S1 I felt that any one of the characters could potentially be the killer, same way I felt watching Scream as a kid. But in S2, no one's motive seems strong enough to kill for really, and again, I don't really care enough because you do not feel as attached to the characters as S1.

Maybe it is because S1 takes place after a high school reunion, so the bonds feel more real. The story of these people having history and long term grudges is more believable and better explained. S2 takes place at a wedding where virtually everyone is a stranger, even the bride and groom. The relationships are flimsy, the grudges are silly to none existent, and the sense of urgency is gone.

As of writing this, only 7 episodes of S2 have been released, and I've watched them all. By the 7th episode (not counting the whole S1 I just watched) I should care about the characters and the story, but I don't. This is not to say they're bad, because they aren't. The actors are great, and they've done some cool episodes which are each a nod to a style of film, but the magic isn't there.

I highly recommend season 1 and the song from it "Imma live Forever" by Xavier. Season 2 is neat but meh.