Christopher Miller's The Afterparty, now streaming on Apple TV+, is a riotous whodunit about a pop star (Dave Franco) who is thrown from the balcony at his own high school reunion after-party. The party's attendees sit in the living room, waiting their turn to be interviewed by Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish), a serious woman with a very present sense of humor.
The show is funny and intriguing in equal measure, with an interesting structure where each episode focuses on the story of a particular character. Whether they're at the show's often-discussed Saint Patrick's Day party in the past or talking to the detective in the present, each main character manages to be interesting.
10 Jennifer #1 (Tiya Sircar)
While she didn't play one of the most likable characters on The Good Place, Tiya Sircar's Jennifer is viewed as number one by The Afterparty's group of former classmates. That's at least the case when she's standing next to Jennifer #2 (Ayden Mayeri).
Jennifer #1 isn't exactly disliked, but she is the type to hurl accusations at whoever's closest in an effort to deflect attention from herself. While the show isn't positioning her to be the killer, her defense of "I couldn't have done it because I'm pregnant" is shaky.
9 Detective Culp (John Early)
Detective Danner doesn't listen to orders and Detective Culp follows suit. He also provides some of The Afterparty's funniest quotes. In the first episode, Danner is told by her superior that the Xavier case isn't hers. She ignores that and keeps walking to the beach, where the dead star's body lays. She announces herself as the lead on the case to the officers already on the scene.
Detective Culp immediately yells out "Lead on the case! She is in charge as am I! Again, we are both in charge!" He's a jokester, and his theory about how the pop star fell from his balcony proves it: the detective believes that Xavier "just now realized" he wasn't wearing a shirt, became very startled, dropped his hat, tried to go after it, and fell to his death.
8 Walt (Jamie Demetriou)
Poor Walt is remembered by no one. At least once in each episode, he has to remind someone of his name, sometimes an individual who's been in the same room as him for hours straight.
He just doesn't have much of a presence, because his self-confidence is and always has been at a record-setting low. He can throw a notoriously disastrous Saint Patrick's Day party, yet there isn't one person who remembers he was the host. Even when they're at the party, people pay him no mind. Perhaps it's because he tries too hard, e.g. spelling his name with pool noodles in the hopes that someone will finally address him as "Walt."
7 Xavier (Dave Franco)
Xavier, the deceased, is shown exclusively via flashback and always through the voice of another. The audience learns about Xavier based on what is said mid-interrogation, so while all of his supposed traits could be considered conjecture, there are similarities in testimonies.
Born Eugene Xavier Duckworth, Jr., the deceased made it big both in music and in Hollywood, where he starred in such masterpieces as Hungry Hungry Hippos and Private Eyes, a Hall & Oates biopic. Xavier could be selfish, but none of his classmates found him outright detestable. However, someone's hiding something, so it's possible that Xavier has done something atrocious the audience isn't aware of it.
6 Chelsea (Ilana Glazer)
Chelsea (Ilana Glazer) is seen as a mess by the majority of her peers. She slurs and stumbles her way through the reunion then grows very quiet at the after-party. According to her, it's all an act and she's actually been receiving some threatening text messages, including a few on the same day as the reunion.
The identity of the individual sending these messages is one of the show's bigger mysteries and most likely is directly connected to the core whodunnit.
5 Yasper (Ben Schwartz)
Yasper is a talented guy. Ben Schwartz instills him with a likable personality that's superseded only by his staggering musical ability. He's the type of artist who is passed over in favor of a more glossy, attractive—and less talented—star, just like Xavier.
It seems as though Yasper will be integral to solving the series' core mystery, even if he doesn't end up being the killer. He wants Xavier to "bless" his track and is heartbroken over being ignored. He has a motive, but he's also the type of individual to stop his friend from drinking a flaming candle. Unlike the character of Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on Schwartz's other re-watchable comedy TV show, Yasper has a layer of mystery.
4 Brett (Ike Barinholtz)
Every character in The Afterparty exaggerates, misleading Det. Danner about who they really are. No one stretches the truth about their personality more than Brett (Ike Barinholtz).
Whether it's him spouting a line he thinks is cool or sliding over the hood of his car like he's from The Dukes of Hazzard, Brett makes himself seem like a badass. But he also makes himself seem like a caring father and a remorseful cheater of a husband, and those moments ring very true in a sea of fabrication.
3 Zoe (Zoe Chao)
The diarrhea game is Aniq (Sam Richardson) and Yasper's way of finding the identity of the killer. Aniq had passed out and just about everyone had written something on him. He's also found a note in the trashcan that reads as threatening. Most have no issue acquiescing and writing down the diarrhea phrase, but Zoe declines at first. She does later, but that's after Aniq had brought up the similarity between the note and the writing on Aniq.
Zoe's shocking cliffhanger at end of the show's fifth episode doesn't look good for her, yet she does still seem like she's a good person at heart. However, there's also a sense that what is known about Zoe is at most half of a full story. A lot of what's been shown about Zoe revolves around her former marriage to Brett, a possible past or present fling with Xavier, or unspoken feelings between herself and Aniq. Her episode is the sixth of eight total, so more information on her way of operating is on the way.
2 Aniq (Sam Richardson)
The show's primary protagonist, Aniq, is the type of person whose soft-spoken nature leads to scrutiny. In the case of Aniq, it seems unwarranted considering how much effort he's putting into finding the true identity of the killer.
Part of that is to clear his name, but there's clearly another part that's driven by empathy. He may not have been Xavier's biggest fan, but the viewers don't get the sense that Aniq is filled with animosity.
1 Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish)
Detective Danner is the gung-ho type of officer who seems to truly thrive because of their job. The miniseries also alludes to her being underutilized within the department. She's hungry to figure out who killed Xavier, but first, she has to get to know all of these people. She also has to match the pieces of information to find out what's fact and what's a facade.
Haddish brings a lot of energy to the table as Danner, making her a fun, funny presence but also an intimidating one. She's Hercule Poirot for Millennials.
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