Review of Afterlife: Series 2

Introduction

Afterlife tells the story or 2 very different people. Alison Mundy (Lesley Sharp) is a medium, although not by choice. She can see spirits who come to her for help, sometimes she can and sometimes she can`t. Robert (Andrew Lincoln) is a Professor of Psychology at Cabot University who is linked to Alison through the death of his son (explored in series 1). Initially sceptical, events in season 1 have made him more open minded about the whole subject of spiritualism and mediums.

Roadside Bouquets - Alison is haunted by the spirit of a girl killed in a car crash. Meanwhile her three companions, who were with her at the time and put her body behind the wheel, try to overcome their feelings of guilt at leaving her to take the blame…

The Ratman - Something strange is happening on a secure wing of a prison, scaring Lifers out of their wits and leading to several suicides.

Lullaby - Alison is called in by a worried house husband who begins to hear a strange voice over the baby intercom of his young child. His wife, who works, is not entirely sympathetic to his fears…

Your Hand In Mine - The fiancée of a Doctor starts to suffer physical ailment just after they decide to get married. The symptoms are exactly the same as those that killed the Doctor`s previous wife…

Mirrorball - A student starts being haunted by a spirit after Alison meets here and arranges for her to talk to her dead flatmate.

Mind The Bugs Don`t Bite - Alison`s dad turns up at one of her medium sessions, stirring up memories of her troubled childhood.

Things Forgotten - A young boy is being haunted by the spirit of a younger boy whose face is hidden behind a mask, but Alison can`t see or feel anything in the aftermath of the events involving her parents.

A Name Written In Water - Robert is lying in a coma in hospital, and Alison sees the spirit of a nurse whose job appears to be to escort those who are ready to cross over.

Video

Deep and rich colours, picture is of recent TV broadcast quality.

Audio

Dolby Stereo 2.0 soundtrack with some beautiful incidental music by Edmund Butt, possibly amongst some of the most atmospheric TV music I`ve heard for a long time.

Features

Making Of - it looks as if this was probably produced as a teaser for the upcoming series 2 for itv2 or similar, but it`s quite a substantial piece that links series 1 and 2. Some spoilers contained, although only in terms of the `ghost` plots, not the rather huge character arcs that occur this season. Also includes interview footage from the medium that the production company consulted on realism (with regard to portraying a medium).

Conclusion

Is there life after death? Are there spirits who are trapped on this earth because they can`t find peace and so cross over? These are questions that have haunted human beings for centuries. The question of mediums is also an intriguing one. The concept that someone can channel the spirit of either the recently or long departed is something that divides many, as well as the idea that you never really see a financially poor medium.

Afterlife is an intriguing series as an ITV production. It`s clearly a quality production, as are most big ITV drama series, but it`s also not about murders and policemen. I would say it`s about the dead, but it`s also not entirely about that either, as becomes clear in one episode. It`s about spirits who need help in order to bring resolution and allow them to peace and to cross over. The last two sentences may seem at odds, but you have to see this to understand it, it`s not always simple ghost stories. They don`t all come with happy endings either. A couple had me nearly in tears, the story and fantastic score building an undeniable tense and moody atmosphere. Oddly on at least one plot, Sapphire and Steel came to mind. The one in the railway station with the soldier, but it`s about baby monitors and baths this time round. Others take a different tack on what spirits need in order to be able to rest, and the answers are not always comfortable viewing.

Andrew Lincoln and Lesley Sharp are phenomenal, particularly Sharp. I`ve not watched everything she`s appeared in, but I know enough to know that she`s one hell of an actress. She handles the role of the reluctant medium well, facing scepticism in the face of a `talent` she doesn`t really want. Not only that, but she plays the role as someone who isn`t that confident and tentatively tries to unravel what is happening, which makes a change for a major character. Lincoln is good as usual, but he annoys me. He reminds me so much of John Hannah, another quality actor but one who never hangs around any series he appears in that long. Lincoln is exactly the same. I don`t know if they get bored with doing the same thing, but it`s not fair on the viewer. There`s enough dross on the TV now and it`s set to grow, we need quality actors on our screens in quality drama to save us from endless cycles of soaps or reality TV. It should be enshrined in law to make them appear on our screens, dammit.

What I really like about this series, short as is the wont of UK series these days, is that it isn`t about self contained ghost of the week stories. They`re there, they have to be, but there`s an arc for each of the primary characters and the journey that each takes is quite extraordinary. I knew after episode two that this would be the end of Lincoln`s involvement, and I cursed loudly upon that realisation, but this was no lazy walk through to the end of contractual obligation. Hell no, what a journey. The end was somewhat predictable, and I would think it`s the end of this programme completely, but it was powerful viewing and quite heart-wrenching in places.

This series hasn`t helped me decide what the answers to my previous questions are, I wasn`t expecting it to, but it has provided me solid and engrossing entertainment. Not thought provoking, for me at least, but well done nonetheless.