Ever since I got a free year of Apple TV Plus last summer (a perk for buying a new iPhone), I've almost exclusively used the service to watch Ted Lasso and little else.
I did slowly make my way through both seasons of Mythic Quest and found it mostly enjoyable (if a little repetitive), but otherwise the only time I’ve booted up Apple TV Plus has been to check if Ted Lasso season 3 has been released yet.
That was until a few days ago when I stumbled upon the trailer for The Afterparty (one of our picks for the new shows to watch this weekend). The quick preview instantly won me over, and gave me a new Apple TV Plus show to look forward to.
The first three episodes of The Afterparty have just dropped on the streaming service this week, and it’s making the $4.99 Apple TV Plus subscription worth the money. Here’s why I can’t wait to start working through them.
Why Apple TV Plus' The Afterparty looks so good
The Afterparty, in a nutshell, is a new eight-part comedy series from Chris Miller and Phil Lord (The Jump Street, Lego Movie and Into The Spider-Verse guys). It focuses on the aftermath of a high school reunion that ends in murder.
That elevator pitch should be enticing enough as is, but things get really interesting when you consider its additional wrinkles. Each episode is told from a different character’s perspective, and each episode is presented as essentially a different genre.
The first episode plays out like a romantic comedy, the second is framed as an action-packed blockbuster and the third is a toe-tapping musical (I’m especially excited for that one). We already know the fourth will be a psychological thriller and from the trailer, it looks like one of the later episodes will have a classic black and white motif.
The cast is another reason to be excited. You’ve got recognizable names like Ben Schwartz, Dave Franco, Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz but also super underrated comedic talent such as Tiya Sircar (most well known from The Good Place) and Sam Richardson (who was in Ted Lasso season 2).
With such a creative premise and such a stacked cast, this is one afterparty I definitely want to attend!
Is The Afterparty enough to keep me subscribed to Apple TV Plus?
I’m very much looking forward to checking out The Afterparty, and based on the creative talent involved (plus, its strong early critical buzz) I have little doubt it’s a series that I will thoroughly enjoy.
The problem is what comes after? Based on the premise I assume The Afterparty is a one-and-done series. Presumably, the central murder will be solved within the eight episodes so I can’t see how The Afterparty season 2 could be a thing.
I suppose in theory it could become an anthology series ala The Sinner or True Detective, but I’m never particularly enthusiastic about that idea. I find the quality of anthology series tends to dip from season to season, and it’s become a little too easy to disengage.
Once The Afterparty wraps up in early March, and Ted Lasso season 3 hits (it's expected to arrive this summer), I'm not sure how often I'll open Apple TV Plus. Sure, The Afterparty has captured my interest, but Apple TV Plus needs to be adding shows that hook me at a regular clip if I’m going to stick around.
The day when I will have to decide if I’m going to begin actually paying for Apple TV Plus is rapidly approaching. I’ll certainly stick around to catch Ted Lasso season 3 if it extended beyond my current membership, but afterward, I will almost certainly unsubscribe. The Afterparty looks fantastic, but Apple TV Plus needs so much more.
In other TV news, the Halo TV show actually has a release date, RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World online is here too.
Looking for something else to watch? Since it's that time of the year, we've figured out where you can watch Groundhog Day online. The true story of the Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape will hit Hulu too, so you might want to watch Pam and Tommy to see that. For even more vulgarity, you can watch South Park season 25 (yes, they've made 25 seasons!)
