WARNING! This article contains spoilers for season three of After Life.
The third and final season of After Life joined Netflix on Friday.
The series stars Ricky Gervais as a local journalist named Tony, who is struggling to cope with the death of his wife Lisa (played by Kerry Godliman).
In the season three finale, Tony joins Anne (played by Penelope Wilton) at their late partner’s gravesides.
In an emotional moment, Anne tells Tony that angels live on earth, in the form of charity workers, NHS nurses and dogs, as they save lives.
She said: “If you want to be an angel you’ve got to do it while you’re alive. Be good and do good things,” and then tells Tony he’s her angel.
Tony then decides to cash in Lisa’s life insurance policy of £150,000 after previously refusing to do so, and uses the money for good.
He donates money to the local cancer hospice after meeting sick children, gives Lenny money towards his wedding day, gives money to intern Coleen to help her buy a new apartment, and replaces the savings of an old woman he met who was targeted by a scammer.
Tony tells his brother-in-law Matt: “I thought not caring was a superpower. I was wrong. Caring about stuff, that’s what really matters. Kindness, and making other people feel good. That’s the real superpower, and we’ve all got it.”
At the end of the episode, Tony looks around Tambury Fair and sees his friends happy and having fun, and he smiles. He’s reminded of his time with Lisa, including being at the fair, at the beach, and during her chemotherapy.
Lenny sees Tony watching on, smiles at him, and takes a photo of him and his beloved dog Brandy. Tony then salutes his pal, and walks away.
He is seen walking with the ghost of Lisa and their dog Brandy. Lisa then fades away, followed by Brandy, and finally Tony, and the episode ends.
Speaking to Digital Spy about the emotional ending and what it means, Ricky said: “It’s just that life goes on, you know?”
“When we’re all dead and buried, that field’s still there, the Tambury Fair is still going, that tree is still there, and it’s basically said that we all die, but not today.”
“That’s what the ending is saying. ‘We all die, but not today’. […] Enjoy it while you can, life is so finite. Whenever you are born, and whenever you die, it’s all over. So enjoy that bit, that tiny little bit.”
“You don’t exist for 13 and a half billion years, then you have 80-90 years if you’re lucky, and then you die, never to exist again. So all you’ve got is experience and then you’re dead and buried and forgotten,” he added.
Diane Morgan, who played Kath in the series, said: “I think some people will find it devastating.”
“They’ll look at it, and they’ll go, ‘Oh, God, what does that mean?’ You know, and they’ll read all kinds of things into it. But hopefully, you’ve got to see that that’s it. Life goes on.”
Jo Hartley, who plays June, added: “It’s very subtle, and it could mean different things and depending on where you are yourself, but I’m undecided. I just don’t know. I love it and it’s simple and it is a sort of, I guess about life goes on.”
“Content[ment] and acceptance, I guess acceptance and the realisation that we all do leave this place and we have to make the most of it. Well, we’re here and it’s important. He was in love and it was a love story.”
After Life is available now on Netflix.
