Every once in a while, something new likeApple TV Plus’The Afterpartywill come out that proves humankind’s creativity hasn’t diminished over years ofBatmanreboots andStar Warsspinoffs. In fact, sometimes, the most satisfying new ideas can come from within these familiar properties. Sure, it’s great to get a completely new and fresh experience likeEverything Everywhere All At Once. But that requires constant innovation, and human brains need to slow down and make anotherTransformersmovie every once in a while to stay fresh.
So it’s in new takes on familiar formulas that true creative mastery is often at its peak. Movies likeKnives OutandThe Last Jedialong with other, less Rian Johnson-y offerings likeanimation masterclassThe Mitchells vs. the Machineshave proven that art doesn’t necessarily require a blank canvas. So whenApple TV Plus’The Afterpartymade its debut, that feeling of finding something fresh came roaring back. Now that it’s got another season coming, the show’s creators are ready to tease what’s to come in this innovative murder mystery series.
RELATED:What Other TV Comedies Can Learn From The Afterparty
Chris Miller, the show’s creator and director, recently spoke with Variety about what to expect fromThe Afterpartygoing forward. A second season was quickly confirmed withTiffany Haddish returningas Detective Danner, but according to Miller, she won’t be the only one coming back. “There will be returning actors beyond Tiffany and a whole bunch of new folks as well,” the director said when asked about familiar faces. Naturally, this early on in production, not much can really be said, which is a song stuck in the heads of many movie and TV buffs out there. But many have speculated that Sam Richardson’s character, Aniq, might show up again after giving Danner his business card in season 1.
However, Miller did have a little bit to say about the ongoing focus, including one important detail, and it’s probably the most significant aspect of the entire series. “A whole new murder. Different shenanigans. Different film styles,” he added, before confirming what will definitely be the best part of the next season. “We do have a dog in it — that’s a spoiler, but there is a dog.”
For those unfamiliar with the series, season 1 took place at a high school reunion afterparty at the home of music and movie star classmate Xavier (Dave Franco), who was found dead after falling from the balcony. Haddish’s Detective Danner questioned each of the alumni in turn, and every episode retold the events of the night from each partygoer’s point of view. The styles ranged from thriller to romantic comedy toSaturday morning cartoon, with the audience left to piece together which parts of the testimonies could be trusted and how they fit together.
So now that the mystery in season 1 has been solved, the next case could go any number of places, with any number of new storytelling styles to tell the tale.The Afterpartyseason 1 starred a huge cast of heavy-hitters, including Richardson,Sonicstar Ben Schwartz, Zoë Chao, Ilana Glazer, and Ika Barinholtz, among many others. So that’s a big pool of talent to choose from for returning characters. But don’t forget the most important part: there’s a dog now.
The Afterpartyseason 1 is available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
MORE:Star Wars: The Rise & Fall Of The Jedi Council, Explained
