Is Ricky Gervais still funny? Season two of ‘After Life’ raises some serious doubts

The actor and writer's repeated attempts to be shocking and offensive taint the show's most nuanced moments

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As the co-creator, co-writer, co-director and star of The Office, Ricky Gervais's legendary status in comedy has long been assured.

Since then, Extras, his follow-up series with co-creator Stephen Merchant, was widely praised, and his stand-up specials have proven to be hugely popular, too. 

But it hasn't all been plain sailing. The Invention of Lying, Cemetery Junction, Special Correspondents, David Brent: Life on the Road, Life's Too Short and Derek all received mixed reviews, while his no-nonsense approach to social media and abrasive hosting of the Golden Globe Awards have made him a divisive public figure.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: In this handout photo provided by NBCUniversal Media, LLC,  host Ricky Gervais speaks onstage during the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal Media, LLC via Getty Images)
Ricky Gervais hosted the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in California this year. Getty Images

So when After Life was warmly received in April last year, it was seen as a return to form for Gervais. Not only did his devoted fans and followers appreciate the show's dark comedy and drama, but Gervais's performance as Tony, who is left suicidal after his wife, Lisa (Kerry Godliman), dies of breast cancer, was deemed the most affecting of his career.

The second season of After Life continues pretty much where the first left-off. Tony is still at the Tambury Gazette, and finding little solace in his job and colleagues, while he regularly visits his dad (David Bradley) in the care home where his crush, nurse Emma (Ashley Jensen), also works. 

But Tony is still consumed by his grief for Lisa. In the first season of the show, Tony took this frustration and anger out on anyone he came into contact with. But, in the second, he often recognises his own struggles in other lonely and depressed people, leading to moments where he genuinely tries to connect with them and boost their spirits. This is where After Life is at its best. 

Rickey Gervais is famed for his portrayal of David Brent in 'The Office'. BBC
Rickey Gervais is famed for his portrayal of David Brent in 'The Office'. BBC

The actor's exploration of grief is undeniably powerful. More so because of his performance, as his on-the-nose dialogue lacks any kind of subtlety. In these silent moments of mourning, which often have a lonely and vulnerable Tony watching old clips of Lisa on his laptop, After Life shows exactly why it has resonated. Gervais is able to take a more detailed and nuanced look at depression, too, exploring how cyclical it can be. 

This makes it all the more frustrating, then, that all of the positives and pearls of wisdom in After Life are wrecked by Gervais's wretched and pointless attempts at shocking and offensive comedy. Within the opening 10 minutes of the first episode of the second season, Tony and a 100-year-old woman celebrating her birthday have uttered arguably the most offensive word imaginable three times. 

Clearly Gervais thinks this is all he needs to do to create a laugh. But it just comes across as tired and lazy. Unfortunately, this is a problem that arises several times in each episode, as he goes for the outrageous over the stimulating and thought-provoking joke every single time. So much so that, whenever After Life gains any sort of momentum or makes an impactful point, an ill-conceived gag comes along to instantly waylay it. 

The comedy feels especially flat because we’ve seen it so many times before from Gervais. Not only in the first season, but in the other sitcoms and movies that he has made without Merchant. Even the show’s strong roster of comedians and actors, which includes Tom Basden, Diane Morgan, Jo Hartley and Roisin Conaty, seem stifled. Rather than injecting their own personalities into their characters, they all simply seem to be doing their best impressions of Gervais. 

But, considering his popularity, that's exactly what he and his audience want. Which is a shame, because there's a great show lurking in After Life. Gervais has teased that a third season is likely to follow, because the world of the show is just "too rich and good". Here's hoping the comedy improves.

All episodes of After Life’s second season will stream on Netflix from Friday, April 24