The comedy show The Afterparty returns to Apple TV this week with a new murder and a majorly new cast. The TV comedy is a whodunit with some interesting genre-bending episodes where each character tells the story the way they see it personally. One of the best parts of the first season has to be an animated version of Zoë’s version of the tale, where she navigates through her four internal personalities and comes to the conclusion that she can be all of them at once. It was definitely one of the more serious episodes of the show too (not lacking in comedy in any way though). The first season began with the death of famous pop superstar Xavier (read X-avier), who was murdered in his own home at an afterparty following their school reunion. The prime suspect was Aniq (Sam Richardson), our resident lover boy, who happened to be at the reunion only to rekindle with his high school sweetheart Zoë (Zoe Chao). Aniq also happens to be great with puzzles, considering he designs escape rooms for a living, so with his skills, he’s able to exonerate himself and help the lead detective on the case, Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish). The killer happened to be Yasper, a close friend of Aniq’s, and Xavier’s ex-bandmate. We witnessed a rom-com and a tale of revenge with some jealousy, a musical, and a murder mystery that ended with Zoë and Aniq finally getting together.
Spoilers Ahead
Zoë
The woman of the hour, a party starter, Zoë was married to another classmate named Brett, and they had a kid together. But Brett had messed up by cheating on her with Chelsea, leaving Zoë with no choice but to get divorced. This is why Aniq saw his chance and tried to conquer it until Xavier got in the way. Zoë always liked Aniq, and ultimately, she came to realize that he’d had a thing for her the whole time, finally choosing to give him a chance that he deserved. Now, one year later, Zoë and Aniq are going strong, and the man has plans to propose. The perfect opportunity arises when Zoë’s sister Grace is getting married in a countryside vineyard. He can possibly finally seal the deal. Unfortunately, as we know, things don’t go so well at afterparties, and there’s another murder (not in the building, in a cottage). According to the trailer, protective Zoë could also be a suspect in this new murder and we will find out soon enough.
Aniq
The hero, the one who leads the show, Aniq, is charming, funny, and madly in love with Zoë. He’s great at solving mysteries and has an eye for detail. Aniq decided to solve Xavier’s case himself so that he wouldn’t get arrested for it. He was able to find a way to listen in on the stories of people, connect the dots, and ultimately corroborate the detective’s story! Now, with another case at hand and with only one exciting option, Aniq calls on his favorite detective Danner to solve Edgar’s case. Will he be a suspect again, even though he’s the first person trying to solve the case? Like Danner, we’re here for the sequel to his love life, but how far will Aniq go to get into the good books of Zoë’s family, and will he be able to solve the mystery of Edgar’s murder? Danner is certainly impressed by Aniq, though, as we see him seated next to her and listening in on the stories this time around, like a partner rather than being a suspicious eavesdropper.
Detective Danner
The detective is much more capable than she’s considered to be, and she had a point to prove back in season 1. Especially because her sworn enemy from the police academy was rushing in the next day just to solve the high-profile case. Danner is witty, she loves to have fun, and she’s got it all down when it comes to solving mysteries. As a black woman, it took her a long time to become a detective. It looks like Aniq’s call has evoked old memories, and she will be able to put on her glasses and a new kind of detective hat to solve this new case. It looks like this time, there’s no one to interfere with her case as per the trailer.
How Much Do We Know From The Trailer For The New Season?
It’s an afterparty of a wedding, specifically Zoë’s sister Grace’s. The person who has died is the groom, and there are many interesting factors at play. Edgar looks to be a rich tycoon, an eligible bachelor of sorts, so the first suspect is his wife Grace. Edgar’s mother is extremely strange and wouldn’t put it past her to be a suspect either. He has a friend who looks suspicious, a single mother, and a shady sister too. On the other hand, Grace’s family includes Zoë, their parents, and their funcle (fun uncle). An ex of Grace’s is also at the wedding (we’ve got a crasher at hand), and lastly, Aniq, the sister’s boyfriend. We sure think there are a couple of sour thumbs in the mix, but we’ll wait for the show to begin to theorize further.
Final Words
The Afterparty is a classic whodunit comedy that has the perfect blend of mystery, humor and some moral messaging inserted here and there. The cast is great and Aniq and Danner are especially fun to watch working together, which is definitely something we look forward to doing this season. The new cast has some veterans in the comedy scene making it clear they didn’t come out to play. It would be interesting to see some cameos and we’ll surely be watching The Afterparty season 2.
