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March 28, 2024, 08:01:50 AM

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Ricky Gervais's After Life series 2

Started by Blue Jam, February 13, 2020, 08:56:47 PM

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Blue Jam

On the subject of grief: The weirdest thing for me was the praise from Russell T Davies, of all people. Now, I know RTD lost someone dear and part of that might be him relating to the character of Tony, but I just don't understand why he seems to resonate with so many people who have been through the same thing. Plus RTD is a far superior writer.

As someone said here,  we don't get any of the stages of grief apart from anger, and we just get that one incessantly. It's not a complex and subtle performance, and speaking purely from my own personal experience, it's not realistic or believable either. Trying to think of examples of grieving characters, pretty much every one from any other drama or sitcom seems better.

JumpAction

Quote from: phes on February 14, 2020, 09:14:45 AM
They were odd. Sat there waiting for him all series like Zoltar. The back and forth between Wilton's professionalism and Gervais tooth-itching efforts to add very serious weight to the character, while unconvincingly explaining everything to the audience like a teacher standing in for another subject

The messages were very ham-fisted but it was a respite in giving the character some tangible humanity. Not that it entirely paired up with what else the character was up to...

mojo filters

Quote from: Blue Jam on February 14, 2020, 12:30:06 PM
Rocket Man.

And yes, Ricky smoking heroin in a cigarette was bizarre enough to be amusing.

I was surprised by the predictable and prominent use of Rocket Man as foreground music, to soundtrack the protagonist's first experience of an opiate high - especially considering how thematically important his relationship to both the drug and the addict, within the context of the story.

If Gervais has one relatively consistent redeeming quality over the whole course of his writing and directing career, it's arguably his generally decent taste in music and specifically the ability to draw on that for effective, complimentary scoring purposes.

For example, a rather rare highlight in the final episode of Derek was Gervais using Keaton Henson's You during the hospital scene. The fragility of the music was well matched with Kev's particular predicament, along with the sincerity of Hannah's sadness and concern.

By contrast, using Rocket Man in that pivotal After Life scene appeared embarrassingly lazy and lacking in imagination - an overtly cringe worthy cliché of a choice. Absolutely nothing subtle going on there!

The smoking of powder heroin in a joint was jarringly bizarre. I'd never thought of it before as so unrealistic to become amusing, though I can potentially see it that way now you reference it.

I appreciate that not every viewer will be familiar with the intricacies of imbibing such substances. However I'd have thought the traditional tin foil method would resonate to some degree with most folks watching.

Furthermore from a cinematographic perspective, I'd expect a fraught depiction of an inept novice attempting to chase the drug around on foil -- with precious potent smoke frustratingly wasted, whilst blackened fingers illustrate the potential darkness of such activity -- to read far better on screen, in respect of both literally and symbolically showing the inherently dirty aspects of such behaviour.

Blue Jam

ARE YOU READY, CABBERS?



Is that his dead wife or the woman he had a date with near the end of series 1? I genuinely can't remember.

Twit 2

The first series of this was awful. Literally offensively bad: I was offended by its utter superficiality and laziness. Repugnant tosh. People doing very poor work indeed doesn't normally bother me, but when it comes to RG his charlatanism is somehow viscerally abhorrent, like a chemical irritant or an intestinal infection. A grubby programme made by a grubby man. Wanker.

chveik

it's Kerry Godliman I think. maybe he'll bring her back from the dead

It's a prequel in which a screeching man humiliates his wife until she dies, at which point he deifies her and opts to kill a tramp.

BritishHobo

Maybe it's a prequel and we'll get even a shred of evidence on what on earth she saw in him

EDIT: FUCK

Consensus. This is definitely a prequel.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on February 13, 2020, 09:04:40 PM


Fuck is this?

It's mad to think how perfectly The Office captured the drudgery of life in an Office yet this looks like a time capsule from an office in 2008.

mojo filters

Quote from: Blue Jam on April 09, 2020, 10:57:55 PM
ARE YOU READY, CABBERS?



Is that his dead wife or the woman he had a date with near the end of series 1? I genuinely can't remember.

It's Ashley Jenson to my eyes. She was great in Extras. Now he's gonna ruin her acting career.

It's unusual to put out a promo shot with no press release. Even THR only has a pro forma entry, reporting Netflix commissioning a second series dated 6th April 2020.

For folks who want the latest news in this area, I suggest subscribing to Brian Stelter's insider newsletter - which normally ends with all the typical unimportant media fluff.

Alternatively check in with columns from Stelter and Oliver Darcy on CNN.com, where they keep up to date with industry news.

phes

Quote from: Blue Jam on April 09, 2020, 10:57:55 PM
ARE YOU READY, CABBERS?



Is that his dead wife or the woman he had a date with near the end of series 1? I genuinely can't remember.


Is that a wand? What fuck is he doing to that dog. Look at his face, that is some perverse shit

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

I watched the pub quiz episode of The Office yesterday. It's so well-written. Funny, sad, thoughtful, subtle.

What in the name of juddering fuck happened to this man? We've been around this particular garden time and time again, I know, but the vast gulf in quality between his one great piece of work and pretty much everything else he's ever done is staggering.

It's not a simple case of "Oh, well Merchant obviously made The Office what it was." Merchant also co-wrote and directed Life's Too Short. He was the funniest thing in Extras, but that wasn't a great show either. The Office, I think, is a masterpiece.

I'm tired and half-pissed. You know what I mean, lads.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

That's not Ashley Jensen, it's Kerry Godliman, who played his inexplicably loving dead wife in the first series.

Godliman is a good actor, she'll survive this debacle.

mojo filters

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on April 09, 2020, 11:33:17 PM
That's not Ashley Jensen, it's Kerry Godliman, who played his inexplicably loving dead wife in the first series.

Godliman is a good actor, she'll survive this debacle.

Is this a forum first - caring about the subsequent careers of complicit Gervais alumni?

I agree Kerry Godliman is an excellent actor. She was compelling viewing, at the heart of Gervais' ill-judged and much hate-watched Derek.

If that's the dead ex-wife, this will be truly inexplicable. There was an acceptable premise to S1, even though it failed to deliver.

I see all signs pointing to S2 failing badly, unless Gervais has magically made time for some editorial restraint between his brain-farted ideas and production.

If you're asking what happened to Gervais - look no further than the laziness in writing and the lack of editorial intervention, post Extras.

lankyguy95

There's already a second one coming out? I haven't even hate watched the first yet.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on April 09, 2020, 11:30:37 PM
What in the name of juddering fuck happened to this man?

He had one good programme in him but people kept blowing smoke up his arse and giving him money for 15 years instead of telling him

Cold Meat Platter

He's comedy's George Lucas. In 10 years he'll be putting CGI muppets in Derek.

Blue Jam

Quote from: mojo filters on April 09, 2020, 11:56:48 PM
I see all signs pointing to S2 failing badly

Pffft, did you not see how his fawning fans lapped up the first one? The only way this could possibly fail is if it shows Tony finding God and deciding he really wants to have children after all.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: lankyguy95 on April 10, 2020, 12:14:05 AM
There's already a second one coming out? I haven't even hate watched the first yet.

Me neither. Is it bad enough to be bothered with is my question. I never watched that film where he's a reporter or that piece of shit TV show with kids in it. Or four of his Golden Globes presenting jobs. Can't remember watching any Gerv post series 2 Derek to be honest. I want the right project to watch him again and it has to be truly Derek level egg smell. Anything remotely passable just isn't enough.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on April 10, 2020, 12:16:01 AM
He had one good programme in him but people kept blowing smoke up his arse and giving him money for 15 years instead of telling him

I know, you're right, but watching The Office for the first time in ages just brought it all home.

Hand Solo

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on April 10, 2020, 12:35:04 AM
I know, you're right, but watching The Office for the first time in ages just brought it all home.

I listened to the Rule Of Three podcast with Joe Thomas analysing an episode of The Office for over an hour the other day, and I think they mentioned Merchant once.. if Gervais himself had been on, I doubt the once would have even happened.

BritishHobo

It's easy to say 'all the bits I like were Merchant' (which I'm about to do), but I do think it's undeniable looking at Gervais' post-Merchant career that the Gerv was absolutely the one who brought all the 'ironically laughing at black/gay/disabled/Chinese people' obsession to their shows. Hello Ladies and Fighting With My Family show Merchant is capable of writing a range of great comedy with real emotion without having to constantly talk about how different different-looking people look, while everything Gervais has done is mired in HAHAHA CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE BEING FAT OR NOT WHITE, OR BEING FAT, OR NOT ABLE-BODIED, OR BEING FAT, OR BEING A WEIRD ODD-LOOKING DIFFERENT DISABLED WEIRD ODD PERSON IN AN IRONIC WAY THOUGH'. You can kind of assume from there which of the two was more responsible for the endless disability rubbernecking in every one of their projects, and which one was responsible for literally everything else.

BritishHobo

All we can hope is that series two is to Brian Gittins what the Life's Too Short special was to Chegwin, Dennis and Barry from Eastenders.

mojo filters

Quote from: Blue Jam on April 10, 2020, 12:29:51 AM
Pffft, did you not see how his fawning fans lapped up the first one? The only way this could possibly fail is if it shows Tony finding God and deciding he really wants to have children after all.

I was speaking more in the direction of valid critical acclaim.

I could care less about the common man / woman, and obvious base instincts therein.

Ferris

Too banal to merit even a cursory hate-watch, plus the last time I did one of those (the revelatory Derke) it fucked up my Netflix recommendations for months.

Never did make it through the second season of that, but that's for another time.

Crabwalk

There's a trailer out there lads.

Have a slug of something atomic-strength before approaching.

I couldn't possibly link to it here as I don't want to be responsible for any mental health breakdowns.

You have been warned.

Ferris

Quote from: Crabwalk on April 10, 2020, 02:07:34 AM
There's a trailer out there lads.

Have a slug of something atomic-strength before approaching.

I couldn't possibly link to it here as I don't want to be responsible for any mental health breakdowns.

You have been warned.

God help me, I watched it (in an incognito tab to preserve my YouTube algorithm).

Could be a return to "kindness is magic" form.

lankyguy95

The comments make me glad Covid exists.

mojo filters

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on April 10, 2020, 02:14:03 AM
God help me, I watched it (in an incognito tab to preserve my YouTube algorithm).

Could be a return to "kindness is magic" form.

[My emboldening]

To be fair, there's potentially good material that can be wrought from the "kindness is magic" genre. Unfortunately Gervais is the polar opposite of the person who might achieve such!

I watched the promo: From the mind of Ricky Gervais > paper > production, fast and furiously.

Bypassing any editorial, production intervention, or quality control.

I'm curiously compelled to watching and hating it, just to see how truly awful it turns out...every cloud etc.