The Afterparty is an American comedy murder mystery anthology television series created by Christopher Miller that premiered on Apple TV+ on January 28, 2022. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on July 12, 2023. In October 2023, it was announced that the series would not return for a third season.
Premise
The first season takes place at a high school reunion after-party with each episode "a different character's perspective" of what happened that night. Critic Olivia Rutigliano noted that it is an example of "the millennial whodunnit," a new subgenre of murder mystery in which the investigation is a vehicle for characters to find second chances, personal fulfillment, and a departure from boring or oppressive daily life (through the feeling that their life has become a new genre).
The second season takes place the day after a wedding, following the same formula of each guest's perspective of the preceding after-party and the events leading up to it.
Cast and characters
Main
Tiffany Haddish as Detective Danner, a police detective investigating the murder of Xavier. After leaving the police to become an author and private detective, she returns to help solve the murder of Edgar. Sam Richardson as Aniq Adjaye, an escape room designer and the primary suspect who attempts to use his escape room skills to clear his name after being accused of Xavier's murder, and later to investigate Edgar's murder. Zoë Chao as Zoë Zhu, She was Aniq's high school crush, and following her divorce from Brett, later his girlfriend.
Season 1
Ike Barinholtz as Brett, a volunteer firefighter and Zoë's ex-husband
Ben Schwartz as Yasper E. Lennov (guest season 2), Aniq's best friend and Xavier's former bandmate, who hopes to restart his music career Ilana Glazer as Chelsea, a veterinary clinic receptionist who blamed Xavier for her ostracization by the whole school Jamie Demetriou as Walt Butler (guest season 2), a partygoer whom no one seems to remember from high school Dave Franco as Xavier, a pop icon and movie star who is the murder victim. While publicly mononymous, his real full name is later revealed to have been "Eugene Xavier Duckworth, Jr.".
Season 2
John Cho as Ulysses Zhu, Grace and Zoë's absentee uncle and Feng's half-brother
Paul Walter Hauser as Travis Gladrise, Grace's ex-boyfriend and a citizen detective Ken Jeong as Feng Zhu, Grace and Zoë's father, and food truck owner Anna Konkle as Hannah Minnows, Edgar's adopted sister Poppy Liu as Grace Zhu, Zoë's newlywed sister who becomes the prime suspect in Edgar's murder Elizabeth Perkins as Isabel Minnows, Edgar and Hannah's mother Jack Whitehall as Sebastian Drapewood, Edgar's childhood friend, business partner, and the best man Zach Woods as Edgar Minnows, Grace's newlywed billionaire husband who is the murder victim Vivian Wu as Vivian Zhu, Grace and Zoë's mother
Recurring
Season 1
John Early as Detective Culp (guest season 2), Danner's partner
Tiya Sircar as Jennifer #1, a pregnant mean girl
Ayden Mayeri as Jennifer #2, another pregnant mean girl who goes missing upon Danner's arrival Genevieve Angelson as Indigo Kelvin Yu as Ned, Jennifer #1's husband. Everly Carganilla as Maggie, Zoë and Brett's daughter In addition, Christopher May and Miracle Laurie co-star as Mr. Shapiro and Quiet Heather, respectively, a science teacher and former student who, as a running gag during the first season, are caught having intimate relations in each of the stories. Season 2 Will Greenberg as Judson, Sebastian's cousin who is Jaxon's brother John Gemberling as Jaxon, Sebastian's cousin who is Judson's brother Zack Calderon as Kyler, the wedding videographer Jade Wu as Ruth, an aunt of Grace and Zoë's
Special guest stars
Channing Tatum as himself (season 1), who co-starred with Xavier in the Hall & Oates biopic Will Forte as himself (season 1), who co-starred with Xavier in a dramatic film adaptation of the board game Hungry Hungry Hippos and was due to reprise his role in the sequel before Xavier's death Gemma Chan as "Zoë" (season 2), an actress cast as Zoë in Danner's film X Marks the Murder Spot Keke Palmer as "Danner" (season 2), an actress cast as Danner in Danner's film X Marks the Murder Spot Elijah Wood as "Yasper" (season 2), an actor cast as Yasper in Danner's film X Marks the Murder Spot Jaleel White as himself/"Aniq" (season 2), cast as Aniq in Danner's film X Marks the Murder Spot and Danner's fiancée. White's casting serves to pay off a recurring gag of characters comparing Aniq to Urkel, whom White played on Family Matters.
Episodes
Season 1 (2022)
Season 2 (2023)