The Afterparty Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Maggie
We have a confession.
On The Afterparty Season 1 Episode 8, Detective Danner finally got the clues she needed to solve the mystery of who killed Xavier -- minutes before the arrival of Detective Germain.
It was a satisfying conclusion to a meticulously planned, incredibly entertaining series.
Spoilers ahead! Read on only if you've watched the finale!
At first, it seemed like we would get an entirely Maggie-centric episode. Her tale was over in five minutes, but it gave us many answers.
First, let it be said once again that Everly Carganilla is as adorable as child actors get. Her line delivery was spot-on.
I decided I better go tell daddy that he forgot to give me the fruit snacks since he’d really want to know that.
Maggie
So many aspects of Maggie’s version were inspired -- having Ned, Walt, and others as Sesame Street-style puppets; Maggie doing the adult voices while they mouthed their lines; Brett’s comical body language -- all hilarious.
Maggie’s account also answered the mystery of the blonde wig. Maggie had taken it from Xavier’s props, worn it as a disguise, and then threw it off the balcony. She also turned up the faders, which gave Danner her next clue.
Then, she explained the vanishing Jennifer #2 -- her water broke, and she left to have her baby! I’m sorry I thought you were a murderer, Jennifer #2. You were kind of a B-word, though.
Also, it seems like Quiet Heather and Mr. Shapiro getting busy was just a running gag and didn’t have anything to do with anything. Fair enough -- there will always be some red herrings.
I can’t believe I missed the flask pouring on Jennifer #1! We never saw anyone pee from the balcony, so obviously, it was the cat-roofie cocktail.
This information helped exonerate Chelsea, so it was all in all a good thing (also, no one can say Jennifer #1 didn’t deserve it).
When Jennifer #1 and Ned couldn’t get into the bathroom, it was because Walt was in there.
Though I suspected him from the get-go, Walt was not a murderer at all — just a super-awkward guy.
All that talk about tonight being different was about the failed streak from St. Patrick’s Day, 2006, and how showing everyone his naked body would somehow make them all notice him.
Detective Danner: Nobody ever notices Walt.
Walt: Try my mom. [laughs] Uh, no, I didn’t do it. Those are the facts. Read ‘em. Please.
Jamie Demetriou nailed Walt’s nervous, endearing personality perfectly, and I can’t imagine anyone else in this role. I will watch him in anything.
And it was his birthday. Happy birthday, Walt.
After seven-and-a-half episodes, we finally got the big reveal. It wasn’t Chelsea, Zoe, Walt, or even Brett.
Yasper killed Xavier.
It wasn’t exactly shocking because it made so much sense.
Yasper: That’s not fair, man. I gave you your name.
Xavier: My mom gave me my name.
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Culp and Danner weren’t as inept as we’d previously suspected when it appears they deleted the footage, and this is where Ben Schwartz is so brilliant. He can make a silly joke feel like an improvised throwaway when it’s actually a major hint.
This happens when he’s about to craft a strongly-worded tweet about the police (actually deleting the footage) and when he casually mentions that he was a gymnast as a kid (leaping from the upper balcony).
It makes sense that Yasper’s version of the story was so shallow and cartoonish. He was covering his guilt with glitz and pop, hammering home the fact that he loved Xavier. He wasn’t being oblivious -- it was a deliberate misdirect.
This tactic may have worked on some of us (myself included), but not Detective Danner.
There we so many hints and clues to Yasper’s guilt throughout the series -- I can’t wait to go back and enjoy a rewatch to soak in just how cleverly Chris Miller put this together.
It makes sense, especially given how Xavier brushed Yasper off in the other stories, that Yasper would feel betrayed and hurt enough to resort to murder.
Ultimately, though, it was his initial act of “breaking up” with Xavier on that fateful St. Patrick’s Day that led to his demise -- he bet on the wrong horse and lost big.
Xavier’s revenge on Yasper was to become mega-famous and never give him the time of day again. That would be enough to eat away at someone and make sense as a motive for murder.
It was great to have our proxy, Aniq, slowly figure out the puzzle that led to Yasper’s guilt, led considerately by Danner, who seemed to enjoy toying with him.
You do not look like if the dad from Family Matters and Urkel had a kid somehow.
Brett
Aniq had been so close to Yasper the whole night, and Sam Richardson played that pained realization and disappointment so well. Aniq’s vindication came at a price.
The realization that it was his friend, Yasper, all along. So. Aniq and Zoe got their happy rom-com ending, but it was bittersweet. Aniq lost a friend, Yasper went to jail for murder, and Xavier lost his life.
There were some nice little touches throughout this final episode. The lights came in as the morning finally approached -- the truth came dawning in with the day. It was poetic.
One interesting thing to note about this series being eight episodes instead of a two-hour movie is that it basically took place in real-time.
Genevieve Angelson's Indigo maintained a consistent level of drunkenness throughout the entire proceedings, seemlessly transitioning into hungover as the sun came up. Indigo was always there to offer a dry quip with a dry martini. Never change, Indigo.
The quick cuts of certain scenes replayed rapidly in different genres was super slick and expertly done -- props to editors Joel Negron and Nick Olah.
Also, Danner snacking while explaining how she solved the mystery was a perfectly on-brand choice.
With all the reveals, though,it appears the Danner episode (The Afterparty Season 1 Episode 7) was pretty inconsequential after all -- the only important clue coming from the texting connection.
Again, this still doesn’t seem like a detail worth spending an entire episode of backstory on, but at least we got Fred Savage.
I still think it would have been fun to add a Jennifer #1 soap opera or Ned sitcom or something like that in the penultimate episode so that we could have gotten more of the ensemble, but this finale makes up for any previous shortcomings.
The Afterparty was such a welcome surprise this winter season, a little beacon of clever, silly, intriguing fun in a dark world.
How great is this party?
Yasper
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A renewal has been announced, paving the way for season two of an anthology series of Tiffany Haddish’s Detective Danner solving a new murder with a new all-star comedic cast.
Presumably with the multi-genre format will remain intact -- though it’s a finite resource, there are still many styles to play around with. In Miller & Lord’s hands, it’s sure to be entertaining.
Who was your favorite character? What was your favorite episode? Are you satisfied with the conclusion? Are you going to rewatch? Who'd be in your dream cast for season two?
Share your thoughts in the comments!