The Afterparty centers on a murder investigation following a high school reunion and is told from various characters’ perspectives recounting the night’s events. So far, we’ve heard from all the big players that attended the festivities and with the season’s penultimate episode, we step back from the main story to explore the person putting all the pieces together, Detective Danner.
“Danner” is a perfect vehicle to showcase Tiffany Haddish’s talents. She oozes personality and charm as the rogue cop at her old precinct trying to help better the community while not becoming corrupt by the system. We know she can hit the one-liners but the actress brings compassion and understanding to the character while the policewoman tries to discover the truth which eventually forces her to leave her old job.
It’s a familiar tale of doing the right thing at the expense of one’s own career but endearing nonetheless. We see how difficult it is to be a woman on the force and how quickly they can be dismissed even while proving themselves capable. Haddish’s likeability makes the situation more frustrating to witness what she endures. Although Danner is unable to crack the case outright, there’s a lot of warmth and good feelings as Danner gives a suspect a second chance to turn their life around.
This episode of The Afterparty also sheds some light on why Danner is so determined to solve the murder. She has firsthand experience in how the system can be unfair and sees the potential of Aniq being its next victim. All the signs point to the escape room designer of being the culprit and the detective being flown in for the case, whom she has a history with, won’t give Aniq a fair shake. This raises the stakes and sets a more serious tone.
It’s history repeating itself with Danner putting her job on the line in order to uncover the truth. Hopefully this time around, things turn out better for her. If the ending is any indication, she’s broken the case. Despite the show offering some great personal dives, it should be fun to finally get the big question answered in the finale next week.
The casting for the series has been impressive with the main actors fitting into their roles well. Here, that’s further extended into the guest stars as well. First and foremost, Reid Scott plays the self-absorbed opportunistic jerk, Detective Germain, who serves as the primary antagonist. Think Dan Egan of Veep but less foul mouthed. Someone you love to hate and wish they get their comeuppance.
But even the bit players are more than background. Jimmy Tatro as Danner’s partner is the incompetent cop who joins up looking for excitement, much like his Tacoma FD character. It’s not a stretch for these actors to assume these roles, but they are so good at it.
The most recent The Afterparty is a nice change of pace leaving the mansion and exploring Danner’s backstory and motivations. Tiffany Haddish shines as the detective while being supported by some talented guest stars.
New episodes of The Afterparty are released Fridays on Apple TV+.
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