Reviewed by: Danny Mulheron
This is the best written, acted and directed New Zealand series I have seen.
Robyn Malcolm has never been better as Penny, a stocky willful maverick on the verge of becoming a hermit. Given Cassandra’s dilemma of never being believed, or even worse hated for exposing the truth even by victims of the abuse she accidentally witnesses.
Her Husband Peter Mullen as Phil is effortlessly charismatic and engaging, especially with young men. I knew characters like him, gruff liberals with an earthy charm that hated hanging out with people their own age. (The only thing missing was a ponytail but that would be me marking the wood)
The last episode was revelatory in the best way even if it sailed close to the wind. When Penny reached into the closet to look at Tom’s belongings, I dreaded a diary, “Please don’t,” I yelled at the television but the authors were too good to resort to that ole saw, instead she retrieved Tom’s personally inscribed edition of Plato’s Symposium from Phil, a great touch.
Sexual abuse along with self improvement, always a good mix. Beware Groomers bearing Greeks.
I could go on about the established actors, Best stuff Dean O’Gorman has done for ages. Finally a character who is complex, Simon is a mixture of charm and cowardice. I loved seeing the luminous underused Mia Blake as Bridget, his astounded wife, betrayed on both sides by her spouse and her best friend. But it is the younger cast that really astonished me. Ian Blackburn as the enigmatic Ollie, he even stoops like a Question Mark. a probable victim and possible enabler. Tom is played by the inscrutable Eza Carrod, last under-seen in Rurangi. Tom is as tightly controlled as Terminator 2 . If any actor wants to know how to access emotions, learn how to repress them the way Eza does with Tom.
And then there is Grace played by Tara Canton who is so good she is bound to be cursed, she will reap the dubious rewards being offered work redeeming comparative shite and all she will get out of it is a lousy fortune.
Peter Salmon made me miss Wellington’s stark gorse stricken hills and morgue blue seas. The only flaw was probably due to scheduling or safety concerns, going surfing on the one day in the year it was dead calm. Pete should have stuck to his guns and told his producers he will wait for some peelers.
But that is carping, and so much of the show was because Robyn and the writers were prepared to fight. I met Robin outside a coffee shop the other day and she told me that Peter Mullen, a writer and producer as well advised her that she should be prepared to shoot the project in the head at any time, rather than be flattered or bullied into following a path not her own.
Penny is a pugnacious sexy rebellious older woman, a lone nude model in a hostile environment, unable to continue covering over the obvious cracks in her family, the daylight seeping in just enough for her to act recklessly in love or activism.
The ending leaves it all open for a second series, the tables are turned and it is she instigating a coverup. I want to see how it turns out, though it will be a hard one to write after losing such a powerful antagonist in Peter Mullen’s Phil both as a character and as an actor.
After the Party is up there with Big little Lies, Bloodline, Olive Ketteridge, After the Party shows us we can do it. These were all people at the top of their game. There were no hangers on or bystanders and best of all for a show set in Wellington, no fucking Hobbits.
