Ricky Gervais reveals meaning behind key final scene on After Life

After Life’s third and final season leaves tear-jerking conclusion to Ricky Gervais’ series left die-hard fans ‘sobbing’ on their sofas.

After Life season 3’s ending unfolds at the Tambury Fair, a big community event which brings the weird and wonderful townsfolk together for one last hurrah before the dark comedy wraps up for good.

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Tony Johnson (Ricky Gervais), who would usually avoid such gatherings, is present and on his best behaviour (for once), alongside faces old and new, from Diane Morgan’s Kath to Tambury Gazette newbie Coleen, played by Kath Hughes.

For those who have followed the Netflix dark comedy from the very beginning, it’s a poignant moment, and one that is likely to stay with After Life viewers long after.

Gervais on the show ending said: “The fair is important because it’s been going for 500 years. It’s a place where people have been going for 500 years, different people. And the ending is saying that we all die, but not today. And life goes on. That’s what that ending is.”

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“If you lose everything, is life still worth living? – After Life season 3

Gervais added: “I think it’s a good ending, I think it’s a hopeful ending, and I think it’s a real ending. And it’s just saying, that was that. What’s next? Because the whole show is all about endings and beginnings. It’s all about people thrown together randomly.

“You can’t choose where you’re born. You can’t choose what brain you’ve got. You can’t really choose who you are, or who you bump into. We’re just souls floating on the breeze. That’s the theme of it.

“And hopefully, you bump into someone that suits you. And [Tony] did, and it was perfect. And he knows he can’t have it again, and I’m happy with that. It asks the big question: if you lose everything, is life still worth living? And my answer is yes. If you’ve got something to do, if you’ve got something to get up for, then keep going, because you haven’t got long anyway.”

After Life season 3 is available to stream now on Netflix

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