Courtesy of Apple TV+<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA few suspects jump out to me from the tidbits of information and pieces of personality we\u2019ve seen of the other characters so far in The Afterparty<\/em> Season 2. First, the most blatant villains are Sebastian (Jack Whitehall)—Edgar\u2019s best man and business partner—and Isabel (Elizabeth Perkins), Edgar\u2019s jagged mother. Jack Whitehall plays arrogant jackass very well, and if I\u2019m honest, considering his other performances in other projects, his comedic style and stand-up and presence at press junkets have me a little convinced he may well be an arrogant jackass in real life—my speculation, of course—but with that in mind, it makes him a perfect casting choice for this role. Sebastian has some selfish stake in his closeness to Edgar and seems more interested in the money Edgar makes than his unique interests. Elizabeth Perkins plays a cook-cook-bananas old money kind of mama who seems angry that her husband \u2018chose\u2019 to die\u2026? Isabel is a stickler about family and, at times, seems apprehensive not only about the difference in economic classes between herself and Grace\u2019s family but also\u2026 perhaps\u2026 a little\u2026 racist?<\/p>\nEither way, these two characters seem to have the most at stake due to Edgar\u2019s death. It will be interesting to see how their perspectives play out in their dedicated episodes and what genre they\u2019re presented in. I predict Sebastian (Jack Whitehall) will get some unironic Wolf of Wall Street <\/em>(2013) style, all high-roller business and corporate espionage. In contrast, Isabel (Elizabeth Perkins) could take on an Out of Africa<\/em> (1985) or Gosford Park<\/em> (2001) style with historical elements like Grace but darker motifs and older, scandalised or melancholic women.<\/p>\nCourtesy of Apple TV+<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAs for the rest of the characters, I don\u2019t see them so much as capable of murder. From what we can see, Zoe has a somewhat strong motive that she didn\u2019t think Edgar was right for her sister, but I don\u2019t think she\u2019s the murderer. Grace and Zoe\u2019s parents, Vivian (Vivian Wu) and Feng (Ken Jeong) seemed very pleased with Edgar—I doubt they have the motive to murder the guy. However, there appears to be a secret they share with Grace and Zoe\u2019s Uncle Ulysses (John Cho) that piqued my interest in why the family grew estranged from Ulysses. I also have a slight suspicion that John Cho\u2019s character may be capable of murder should he have some disagreement with Edgar\u2019s business practices. That leaves two characters, Hannah (Anna Konkle)—Edgar\u2019s adopted sister—and Travis (Paul Walter Hauser), Grace\u2019s conspiracy theorist ex-boyfriend. Travis keeps a file on him all the time that appears to hold significance against Edgar, which puts him in a very suspicious position, but I think his obsessions are a red herring. As much as Hannah appears to be a loving sister, the repeated emphasis on \u201cadopted\u201d leaves room for emotional turmoil to be discovered in Edgar\u2019s familial dynamics.<\/p>\n
And so, yet again, The Afterparty<\/em> has captivated me and enveloped my curiosity. I\u2019m analysing characters, alibies, and motives and loving the adventure it’s taking me on. Creator Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse<\/em>) has hit the perfect tone with his show. There seems to be a wave of murder-mystery comedies coming out, Only Murders in the Building<\/a>, Poker Face<\/a>, Based on a True Story,<\/em> etc. Although, due to how Afterparty<\/em> shows its uniqueness through the stylised confessional retellings of the mystery\u2019s events, a brilliant second layer of satire separates it from the rest. As much as outlandish comedian Tiffany Haddish may be a lead character, her comedy doesn\u2019t dominate the show due to its structure, nor can Ken Jeong or Jack Whitehall. The episodic stylised element presents a very balanced comedic and mysterious story with no overpowering player or performance dictating the tone—it operates as a true ensemble show and is a pleasure to watch.<\/p>\n