Sumith Prasad
Richard Young is the estranged father of Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) in Netflix’s ‘After’ film series. Richard’s absence has always affected Tessa’s life, which leads her to seek comfort and security in Noah, her boyfriend before she met Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Richard returns to her life in ‘After We Collided,’ raising concerns in Hardin, who doesn’t want Richard to hurt his girlfriend. Although Hardin takes some time to accept Richard’s presence in Tessa’s life, the latter starts to nurture a bond with her father. In the fourth film of the series, titled ‘After Ever Happy,’ Tessa discovers Richard with a syringe, making the viewers alarmed about the character and Atanas Srebrev’s future in the film series. Well, here’s what we can share about the same! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Richard Dies From Drug Overdose
After abandoning Tessa and her mother, Carol, Richard returns to the former’s life as a homeless man. Hardin realizes that he is an alcoholic, which makes the former cautious about the presence of the “prodigal father” in Tessa’s life. As Tessa’s boyfriend, Hardin knows that she may not be able to tolerate a drunkard father, which leads him to confront Richard. The estranged father assures Hardin that he is trying to open a new chapter of his life by reuniting with his daughter. However, Richard doesn’t keep his word. Although he puts a temporary stop to his drug and alcohol consumption, the break doesn’t last long.
Richard dies due to an apparent drug overdose. Christian Vance’s revelation to Hardin that he is the latter’s real father deeply unsettles him. Although Tessa tries to support him, he dismisses her, leading her to return to Seattle. Upon returning to her apartment, Tessa finds Richard dead, near a syringe and spoon, indicating that he seemingly died due to an overdose. Richard gets a second chance at becoming the father Tessa deserved but his addiction causes his death, hurting his daughter again. Although Hardin and Tessa almost get separated, the former still arranges Richard’s funeral for her to bid goodbye to her father properly.
Since Richard dies in ‘After Ever Happy,’ the ardent admirers of the ‘After’ film series must be wondering whether we have seen the last of Atanas Srebrev in the film series. Will the actor feature in the upcoming fifth film of the series, titled ‘After Everything’? Here’s what we know.
Atanas Srebrev’s Exit From After Film Series
Although Atanas Srebrev’s departure from the ‘After’ series isn’t officially announced, Richard’s death wraps up the character’s arc for now. After Tessa discovers her father’s dead body, Richard doesn’t appear in any flashback scenes or dream sequences, indicating that we most likely have seen the last of the character in the film series. Since the narrative of the film series is progressing to the conflicts between Tessa and Hardin, especially after their likely temporary break-up, there isn’t much scope for Richard to appear. Considering these factors, we believe that Srebrev had most likely parted ways with the film franchise.
The apparent conclusion of Richard’s arc can be a creative decision. In ‘After Ever Happy,’ Tessa shares her concerns and discusses her life with Vance and Kimberley, who become the parental figures in her life. Now that the duo occupies a major space in Tessa’s life, Richard may have become insignificant enough for screenwriter Sharon Soboil to kill him off. In addition, Richard’s death marks the shift in the narrative of the film series. We can expect ‘After Everything’ to prominently focuses on the tumultuous dynamics between Hardin and Tessa.
Although Srebrev will be missed in the upcoming movies of the film series, we can expect him to deliver captivating performances in several upcoming projects. The actor will share the screen with Kevin Bacon and Peter Dinklage in ‘The Toxic Avenger.’ Srebrev is also a part of the casts of to-be-released ‘The Refuge,’ ‘For Better or Worse,’ and ‘Valley of Love.’
Read More: Is Tessa Pregnant? Will Tessa and Hardin Have a Baby in After?
