Apple TV’s 2-Part Murder Mystery Is a Smart Weekend Binge

The Afterparty opens its debut season at the afterparty for a high school reunion, where guests are stunned by the murder of pop star Xavier (Dave Franco). Each episode unfolds from a different character’s point of view as homicide detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) questions them, letting viewers learn more about the cast while new clues slowly emerge.

The show literally changes genres to match each storyteller: Aniq (Sam Richardson) recalls the night like a romantic comedy, Jasper (Ben Schwartz) tells his version as a musical, Zoë’s episode goes animated, and Danner’s flashback reads like a riff on Law & Order.

That inventive structure keeps the mystery intact by revealing how every guest saw or heard something relevant to Xavier’s death. Richardson and Zoë Chao stand out for their chemistry, and Richardson supplies many of the series’ funniest moments, including a running gag about a profane image drawn on his face while he was passed out.

the afterparty, apple tv, murder mystery, dave franco, tiffany haddish, sam richardson, zoë chao, ben schwartz, high school, genre shifts