The Afterparty (2022–2023)
7/10
Season2 fails to capture the magic of season1
18 August 2023
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.
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