The Afterparty (S2/2023) Series: Whodunnit Murder Mystery With Comedy Elements

Home » Series Review » The Afterparty (S2/2023) Series: Whodunnit Murder Mystery With Comedy Elements
The Afterparty

The Afterparty series adopts a unique storytelling style in its genre-bending show that infuses whodunnit murder mystery with comedic elements. It is a fun show.

In this anthology show, each episode explores a different character’s account of one particular major incident when a murder takes place in the first episode of the season, all told through the lens of popular yet different film genres and unique visuals to match the storyteller’s perspective. Then in the last episode of the season, the murderer is revealed.


Synopsis (summary) of season two of The Afterparty series

A wedding is ruined when the groom is murdered and every guest is a suspect. Detective Danner (Haddish) returns to help Aniq (Richardson) and Zoë (Chao) solve whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers and business partners, and hearing each suspect’s retelling of the weekend, each with their own unique perspective and visual style.


Spoilers Free – review of season two of The Afterparty series

In this crime show, each episode of this mysterious whodunnit investigates the night from the perspective of a specific character or characters, as the title names of each episode suggest. Also, because of the changes in perspective, each episode has a different tone to it. In addition, one gets to enjoy the different genres of storytelling in the film world. Add to it the fact that it has a rare combination of Comedy and Crime in it.

In fact, show creator, writer and director Chris Miller must be commended for sharing this crime-comedy drama. Its fresh approach and unusual narrating style make it interesting.

In this show, the murder investigation is led by Tiffany Haddish (Detective Danner) and Sam Richardson (Aniq), we loved their hilarious comical touches even when they were trying to solve a murder case. Both of them are ably supported by a bunch of talented actors Ken Jeong (Feng), Paul Walter Hauser (Travis), John Cho (Ulysses), Jack Whitehall (Sebastian), Zoe Chao (Zoë), Anna Konkle (Hannah), Poppy Liu (Grace), Elizabeth Perkins (Isabel), Zach Woods (Edgar), Vivian Wu (Vivian), etc.

All of its actors force you to enjoy this crime show with a smile. And that really adds to its charm and appeal. Earlier, we loved season one of this crime series and its puzzles, so we looked forward to watching season two of the same. So, when it was released this year, we watched it and liked it. We think it is a good series to watch. A completely entertaining time-pass show.

Please Note:- we are not sharing the details about the murderers in its two seasons, not even in our spoliers, as we do not wish to spoil the mystery and suspense for you all. Hope it is okay.  

Poster of season two of this 2023 mystery series

The Afterparty (S2/2023) Show – poster.

Spoilers Alert – a peek into the episodes of season two in 2023

Let us peek into the ten episodes of season two

E1: Aniq 2: The Sequel

When Zoe’s sister’s wedding weekend is destroyed by a murder, Aniq calls his old friend, Danner, to investigate the crime.

E2: Grace

Aniq and Danner interview the bride, who tells the story of her relationship with Edgar in the style of a Jane Austen romance.

E3: Travis

Grace’s former boyfriend tells his story like a film noir: he suspects that Edgar is up to no good and is determined to protect his ex.

E4: Hannah

Like the heroine of a twee indie film, Edgar’s adopted sister, Hannah, wants to stop the wedding because of her own broken heart.

E5: Sebastian

When Edgar’s business partner opens up about their complicated history, it plays like a slick and suspenseful heist movie.

E6: Danner’s Fire

Danner presents a scintillating story to Aniq like a steamy 1990s thriller, revealing the real reason why she left the police force.

E7: Ulysses

Aniq and Danner move the investigation to Zoë’s family, starting with her free-spirited uncle, Ulysses; his tale is an epic, global romance.

E8: Feng

Zoë’s father reluctantly agrees to sit with her, Aniq and Danner as they review found-footage-style videos from the weekend.

E9: Isabel

Launching into a 1950s psychological melodrama, Edgar’s mother, Isabel, details her nightmarish year since the death of her husband.

E10: Vivian and Zoë

Alternating between campy horror and 1980s soap opera, Zoë and her mother, Vivian, fill in the remaining blanks of Edgar’s murder.

Each of the main characters correspond with the first four and last four letters of the alphabet: This pattern continues in the second season with Edgar, Feng, Grace, Hannah, Isabel... ...Roxana, Sebastian, Travis, Ulysses and Vivian.

Trailer of season two of this 2023 mystery series

Official Trailer – The Afterparty (S2/2023) Show – Apple TV+ | YouTube.

Rating of season two of this 2023 mystery series

FM’s rating3.80/5
FM’s short commentWe liked the Rashomon style of writing and storytelling in season two of this show too, Tiffany Haddish and Sam Richardson really shine in it.
The Afterparty (S2/2023) Show – rating.

Key details about The Afterparty series

GenreComedy, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Original languageEnglish (USA)
Age-restrictionsA (18+)
CreatorsChris Miller & Phil Lord
Seasons One (S1) detailsReleased – January to March 2022
Episodes – Eight (8)
Seasons One (S1) CastTiffany Haddish (Detective Danner), Sam Richardson (Aniq), Zoe Chao (Zoë), Ben Schwartz (Yasper), Ike Barinholtz (Brett), Ilana Glazer (Chelsea), Ilana Glazer (Chelsea), Dave Franco (Xavier), etc.
Seasons Two (S2) detailsReleased – July to August 2023
Episodes – Ten (10)
Seasons Two (S2) CastTiffany Haddish (Detective Danner), Sam Richardson (Aniq), Zoe Chao (Zoë), John Cho (Ulysses), Anna Konkle (Hannah), Paul Walter Hauser (Travis), Poppy Liu (Grace), Ken Jeong (Feng), Elizabeth Perkins (Isabel), Jack Whitehall (Sebastian), Zach Woods (Edgar), Vivian Wu (Vivian), etc.
NetworkApple TV+
About – The Afterparty (S1 & S2) Show.

Summary (synopsis) of season one of The Afterparty series

When a high school reunion’s afterparty ends in a death, everyone is a suspect. A detective grills the former classmates one by one. Thereby, uncovering potential motives as each tells their version of the story – culminating in the shocking truth. Each of the eight episodes features a retelling of the same night told through a different character’s perspective. Each with its own unique visual format and film genre to match the teller’s personality.


Poster of season one of this 2022 mystery series

The-Afterparty
The Afterparty (S1/2022) Show – poster.

Spoilers Alert – a peek into the episodes of season one in 2022

Let us peek into the eight episodes of season one
Every episode in the Season one is named after the person whose perspective is the focus of that episode, with the exception being "High School" (E5), which belongs to Walt, whom no one remembers.

E1: Aniq

Following a shocking death at a high school reunion’s after-party, Detective Danner grills Aniq, who recounts the night like a rom-com.

E2: Brett

In Brett’s action-packed retelling of the night, he had one goal in attending the reunion: to reconcile with his ex-wife to get their family back together.

E3: Yasper

Yasper explains how he tried to get Xavier to help him get his music career off the ground; his version of events is a toe-tapping musical.

E4: Chelsea

Chelsea reveals her not-so-innocent motive: revenge, plain and simple; her recollection is a tense psychological thriller.

E5: High School

Everyone’s stories track to a high school party from 15 years ago, which Walt recounts to Detective Danner — revealing huge secrets.

E6: Zoë

Zoë confesses she came to the reunion for a wild night out — a break from her divorced, single-mom life; things get animated in her retelling.

E7: Danner

As her unconventional methods land her in hot water, Detective Danner looks to her own past to explain why she needs to crack this case.

E8: Maggie

An unexpected eyewitness emerges to help Detective Danner piece together the true story behind Xavier’s demise.

Also each of the main characters correspond with the first four and last four letters of the alphabet. This pattern starts in the first season with: Aniq, Brett, Chelsea, Danner... ...Walt, Xavier, Yasper and Zoë. 

Trailer of season one of this 2022 mystery series

Official Trailer – The Afterparty (S1/2022) Show – Apple TV+ | YouTube.

Rating of season one of this 2022 mystery series

FM’s rating3.85/5
FM’s short commentsReunions are always tricky affairs for their attendees, but when the murder takes place, it becomes trickier. We loved this funny reunion.
The Afterparty (S1/2022) Show – rating.

If you love this whodunnit crime drama series, then check out our FM article on the Poker Face show, too.

Featured Images and Posters of The Afterparty Series are courtesy of Apple TV+.


Discover more from Focus Magazine

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top