Diksha Sundriyal
If, by feeling good, you mean to have a good cry about a doomed romance, then ‘After Life’ fits pretty well in this category. In fact, a lot of shows that make you feel good are also the ones that make your eyes water the most, for instance, ‘This Is Us’. We get to see the glimpses of the wonderful life that Tony had with Lisa, but it is his response to her death that actually shows us the extent of what it might have been like. Halfway through the season, the show only gets more intense on this front.
After Life Season 2 Episode 4 Recap
Roxy and Pat show up at Tony’s house to meet over breakfast. He and Lenny interview a girl who discovers that she is addicted to plastic surgeries and might need some psychological help. Matt’s psychiatrist advises him not to act pathetic anymore; he should be more like a man than himself. Tony spends some time outdoors with his father. A conversation with Emma shows him that she will not wait around for him forever.
Kath invites Matt to attend the am-dram cabaret with her. This leaves him flustered, and he asks Tony to come up with some excuse for why Matt can’t go with her. But Tony refuses to cry wolf and invites Kath for a coffee to cheer her up. He also takes the initiative to solve the crisis for the Gazette.
After Life Season 2 Episode 4 Review
After lurking on the perimeters of Tony’s struggle with his grief, in its fourth episode, ‘After Life’ allows him to be more vulnerable. In the previous episodes, he had been trying to put on a happy face for the people around him. He had started to talk about his life with Lisa, not to throw himself back in the pit of depression, but because he wanted to make others feel better about it.
His story played a little part in getting Roxy to go on a date with Pat, which has turned out very well for both of them. It helped Sandy come out of her misery when she felt that her life was stuck in one place, with no direction forward. This time, he shows this kindness to Kath, who is usually at the receiving end of his sarcasm.
She tries to ask out Matt, but he is too scared to tell her that he is not over his marriage yet. This upsets her a bit, and Tony takes her out for coffee, where he shares his feelings about what he had with Lisa. It makes Kath feel better, but he becomes sad, and a visit with Anne gives him the space to speak freely about how his life has been since she died.
While him sharing stories with others makes them feel better, it works adversely with Emma. His decision to stick with his pain with such steadfastness is not something that she can wait to go away. Tony is clearly bothered by her spending time with Simon, but he can’t do much about it if he doesn’t get himself out of his misery first. He gets a hint from her that just because she is not going anywhere now doesn’t mean she will be here forever.
A contradiction appears in Tony’s story through this. He tells Kath about all the times he was too shy to express his feelings for Lisa. For sure, if given another chance, he would rectify this situation, but he doesn’t seem to apply this lesson with Emma. This time, he is not shy to express what he feels, but he is hesitant to not come out of the familiarity that his pain provides and to give another chance to love and himself.
If you hadn’t already learned the lesson, then ‘After Life’ emphasizes on it again. Life is too short for regrets, and you might as well tell someone how you feel, especially if it’s a good feeling. In the times of coronavirus, this message will hit you particularly hard. It’ll be better if you are alone. That way, no one will see you cry whenever Tony talks about Lisa. If nothing, then at least, you will know what lesson you should have actually learned from the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Read More: After Life Season 2 Ending, Explained
