LIFESTYLE
by Gabby Kuehn | 13th January 2022
Our favourite actress is back on TV this weekend and we can’t wait. The eagerly anticipated After Life series 3 hits our screens tomorrow, January 14th. We are very excited to see what Brandy has in store for us this series.
Despite the show being one of the most watched British comedies of the decade, with a worldwide viewership of nearly 100 million according to Netflix, I must admit being late to the After Life party.
We started watching After Life during the first lockdown, soon after the launch of series 2 in April 2020. One episode in and we were hooked on this story of love, loss, and the power of the human animal bond. After Life is a work of genius by Ricky Gervais, hilarious, heart wrenching, yet profoundly real in its depiction of death and depression.
The series follows Tony whose life is turned upside down when he loses his wife Lisa to breast cancer. When Tony loses Lisa he wants to die, but he stays because their dog Brandy wouldn’t be able to look after herself without him. He also knows that Brandy misses Lisa too, Tony chooses to live for Brandy’s welfare and she in turn saves him in many ways. Of course, the show is about more than just the love between man and dog, this is just one of the themes that moves us.
When the current pandemic turned the lives of billions of people worldwide upside down, one of my first concerns was my dog, Vinnie. What would happen to him if we couldn’t look after him. The idea that he would not understand why we left him or that he wouldn’t have the same care he has known his whole little life terrified me more than the virus.
Ricky Gervais has teased a big role for Brandy in series three. He wrote on Twitter, “One of the main themes of After Life is that a dog can save your life. This is ramped up in season 3 & she becomes as important as any other character.”
We love the cast of After Life, in addition to Tony we are big fans of Emma played by Ashley Jensen, Anne played by Penelope Wilton, and Roxy played by Roisin Conaty. That said, we have always considered Brandy to be the most important character in the show.
Brandy’s character reflects Ricky Gervais’s lifelong dedication to animal welfare and his ability to speak for the voiceless. This love and dedication radiates from our TV screens in After Life. Thanks for introducing Brandy, and the power of the human animal bond to millions of viewers in such a poignant manner Ricky.
After Life series 3 is available on Netflix on January 14th 2022.
Phones off, human and canine popcorn at the ready!
Gabby & Vinnie