What You Missed in After Life Season 2 - Netflix Tudum

  • Recap

    What You Missed in After Life Season 2

    Tony's back and this time, he's a little less grumpy.

    By Ashwin Rodrigues & Derek Lawrence
    Jan. 1, 2022

In Season 1 of After Life, we meet Tony, a grieving man overwhelmed by the loss of his wife, Lisa. There is a palpable difficulty for Tony to accept kindness from others. But this season is a bit different. Now Tony wants to be more helpful to his colleagues and friends, and he says as much in the opening episode. He clearly feels indebted for their support when he was at his lowest, and now he wants to return the favor, even for his usual punching bag, Lenny, the photographer from the Tambury Gazette. (Still, there are moments where Tony’s irritability gets the best of him. Who among us hasn’t felt the same, one time or another?) 

As the end of Season 1 suggests, a relationship develops between Emma and Tony, even though Tony is still having difficulty moving on from Lisa. Matt continues to have problems with his marriage, but now Tony is much more sympathetic to his brother-in-law’s troubles. An interesting twist: Tony ends up playing the role of matchmaker for his friends and colleagues. Also, Lenny’s got a girlfriend, and she’s got a kid who now works for the Tambury Gazette. He’s not a great employee. Here’s what else happens in Tambury in Season 2.

KEY PLAYERS:

Ricky Gervais as Tony Johnson What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Tony Johnson (Ricky Gervais): A widower and head of features at the Tambury Gazette. As prickly, sarcastic and short-tempered as he is, there’s a soft, animal-loving side to him, too.

Tom Basden as Matt Braden What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Matt Braden (Tom Basden): Lisa’s brother and Tony’s boss. He’s got his own issues this season.

Peter Egan as Paul What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Paul (Peter Egan): The owner of the Tambury Gazette, a rich elderly man who’s unclear about what’s next for him in life. 

Kerry Godliman as Lisa Johnson What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Lisa Johnson (Kerry Godliman): Tony’s late wife. Though she is dead, Lisa appears throughout the show via recorded video messages addressed to Tony, as well as home movies that Tony recorded and stored on his laptop. 

David Bradley as Ray Johnson What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Ray Johnson (David Bradley): Tony’s father, who suffers from dementia. Ray stays in an assisted living home and often doesn’t recognize Tony, much to his son’s frustration. 

Tony Way as Lenny What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Lenny (Tony Way): The photographer at the Tambury Gazette who often accompanies Tony on his assignments. Their relationship has become more of a two-way street compared to last season, where Lenny was often the butt of the joke. 

Jo Hartley as June What You Missed in After Life Season 2

June (Jo Hartley): Lenny’s new girlfriend. She adores Lenny to the point that it genuinely baffles Tony. 

Ethan Lawrence as James What You Missed in After Life Season 2

James (Ethan Lawrence): June’s son and a new hire at the Tambury Gazette. He has a flair for theater, but office work, not so much. 

Ashley Jensen as Emma What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Emma (Ashley Jensen): Formerly known (mostly) as “the nurse,” Emma takes care of Tony’s father, but she’s also developing a more serious relationship with Tony. 

Penelope Wilton as Anne What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Anne (​​Penelope Wilton): A widow who Tony meets at the site of Lisa’s grave. The two strike up a relationship based on their shared experiences of loss and attempts to move on. 

Paul Kaye as Tony's Therapist What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Tony’s Therapist (Paul Kaye): The one person less equipped to deal with Tony’s emotions than Tony himself. His advice sounds like it came from a vintage men’s magazine, and he truly needs to brush up on doctor-patient confidentiality. 

Roisin Conaty as Roxy/Daphne What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Roxy/Daphne (Roisin Conaty): A sex worker who Tony now treats as one of his closest confidantes. 

Joe Wilkinson as Pat What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Pat (Joe Wilkinson): Tony’s mailman. He’s been upgraded from “annoyance” to “mate” status. 

Brandy What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Brandy: Tony’s German shepherd. Still a good girl. 

KEY LOCATIONS:

Tambury: The small and quaint fictional town in England where everything appears to be walking distance. 

KEY PLOT POINTS:

  1. At the end of Season 1, Tony tells Emma that he is still not over Lisa. This season, Emma tells Tony that she doesn’t want to be a second choice to him. 

  2. Tony sets Daphne and Pat up on a date, and the two become a couple. He also tries to set up a meeting between Anne and Paul, the owner of the Tambury Gazette. 

  3. The Tambury Gazette faces a financial squeeze, and the owner of the paper considers selling off the business, putting everyone’s jobs in jeopardy. Tony is uncharacteristically optimistic that the paper will carry on. 

  4. Tony’s father passes away. He gets the news on a phone call with Emma and appears to take his father’s death in stride. At the funeral, Tony provides a eulogy for his father. After the service, Tony tells Emma that, maybe one day, he can be with another woman without feeling like he is cheating on Lisa. 

  5. The owner of the Tambury Gazette meets Anne at the graveyard and reveals that he also lost his spouse. 

  6. Daphne is concerned after she finds a bottle of sleeping pills at Tony’s house, and worries he might be suicidal. Tony denies this to her. But after watching a video of Lisa, Tony, in tears, grabs the bottle, and empties it into his hand. But he is interrupted by a knock on the door from Emma. She’s ready for a relationship with Tony.

What You Missed in After Life Season 2

Key Questions:

  1. Will Tony slip back into using his old “superpower” (i.e., being a jerk to everyone) as a way to cope with the loss of his father? 

  2. What will Emma and Tony’s relationship look like? 

  3. Will Anne date the owner of the Tambury Gazette

  4. Will Tony’s therapist get a therapist? 

  5. When will Brandy finally bite someone?

Related Tags

More on After Life

  • Here’s What Happened in the Final Season of After Life
    It’s gonna get weepy.
  • Mikey and Ricky could be a match made in media heaven.
  • A lot went down in Tambury. We’ll catch you up.

Shop After Life

Go to Netflix Shop

Based on What You Watched

  • A doctor has an affair with his son’s girlfriend in this sexy British series.
  • Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman star in the Nordic noir series.
  • Skyscraper Live thrills, and Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is a riveting survival tale.
  • Here’s everything to know about the action film from Gareth Evans. 
  • A doctor has an affair with his son’s girlfriend in this hot and heavy British series.
  • Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman star in the twisty noir thriller.
  • Viewers also pressed play on Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials and His & Hers.

Recap

  • A season that began with unknowns ended on an ominous cliffhanger.
  • Roma Roth discusses Maggie, Cal, and Liam — and Tracy’s big interruption.
  • Consider this a sneak peek of the film, with a twist for ARMY.
  • The showrunner and researchers explain the science behind the series.
  • Here’s everything that happened during BTS’ comeback broadcast from Gwanghwamun Square.
  • So many near-death experiences for one small town.
  • Dive inside Benedict and Sophie’s meaningful “I do.”
  • From a Coldplay cue to hidden costume details, find out everything.

Latest News

  • My Life with the Walter Boys Season 3 Is Now Streaming
    Young man with blond hair wearing a "Heavy Transport" t-shirt stands next to a red car at an outdoor event with spectators and a metal fence visible in the background.

Popular Now

  • Stream The Whisper Man, The Last House, the final season of Outer Banks, and more.
  • Connor Swindells, Patrick J. Adams, and Merritt Wever star in the series.
  • Plus: The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare tops the English TV list.
  • Championship belts will be defended, and “The Ruler” faces “The Beast.”