Human loss rarely shows up in big moments. Instead, it creeps into the small stuff—empty chairs, quiet mornings, jokes that land flat because no one is there to hear them. The lives of those left behind keep moving, even when they do not want them to.

This alternative to Ricky Gervais’ Mortality lives in that space. It follows a man who has stopped pretending he is okay and starts saying exactly what he thinks, for better or worse. It is funny in a blunt, uncomfortable way, and sad in a way that feels real. It is worth checking out.

For anyone wishing to keep embracing the themes of life and death post-devouring Mortality, After Life, spanning three seasons on Netflix, feels like the obvious choice. Starring and written by Ricky Gervais himself, it digs into those same ideas, just in a more personal way. The sardonic comedy-drama follows Tony as he deals with losing his wife, and it does not dress grief up or make it neat.

Grief is tiring, ugly, and all over the place, and the show depicts it that way. The jokes are dark and often wrong, but they feel honest and make the sadness easier to sit with.

What makes After Life work more is how much it cares about viewers. Small moments of kindness, weird friendships, and real conversations slowly start to matter to Tony again. Watching him fall apart and gradually find reasons to keep going can feel comforting for anyone who has been there.

The characters feel like real people, not television types, which makes everything hit harder. It ends with a quiet reminder to value the people that matter and the time that remains, even when life feels unbearable. Mortality, meanwhile, is now a Golden Globe–winning effort.

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The stand-up special debuted on December 30, 2025, on Netflix and managed to win big at the Golden Globes just weeks later.

Mortality won the Golden Globe for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 11. The award marked Gervais’ second Golden Globe in the category, having previously won in 2024 for Armageddon. Gervais, booked and busy for 2026, was not present to receive the award, so Wanda Sykes, the presenter for the category, accepted it on his behalf.

Taken together, Mortality and After Life show why Ricky Gervais remains so compelling when confronting uncomfortable truths. There is no easy reassurance in either, just honesty, dark humor, and a refusal to look away from pain. For viewers willing to sit with those feelings, the reward is something rare: laughter that does not deny grief, and stories that quietly encourage holding on to connection.

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Will you be watching After Life soon? Let us know in the comments.