The Afterparty (Episodes 1-4)

Social Night - 2/4/22 - The Afterparty (episodes 1-4) === George: [00:00:00] Hey folks. Thanks so much for tuning into a new episode of social night, brought to you by impact 89 FM. My name is George, and I'll be one of your lovely hosts on this episode where we'll be discussing the dis already, already screwed up. We'll be discussing the first four episodes of apple TV. The after party, before we talk about the shell, let's just go around the horn and see who's here today. So Tay: yeah. Hi, I'm Tay Holderman. You might know me from AMS on 89, the morning show on Monday mornings here on impact. If you tune in. Sophie: Yeah, I am Sophie. I'm also at the home. Um, cause you said horn? Yeah. Okay. Um, I'm George's girlfriend and I'm also a student at Michigan state studying social relations and policy and women's and gender studies. George: Oh, Peter: uh, I'm also on the horn. My name is Peter. , I'm, uh, roommates with, uh, George and Tay. Uh, I'm also a student at MSU and I am, uh, [00:01:00] getting a degree in. George: Perfect. Thanks so much for being here, everybody. Um, the reason we kind of are talking about this show is, well, first of all, let's talk about what this show is about the after party, which is Erin currently on apple TV takes place at a high school reunion after party where a devilish murder has taken place. And it's a mini series that takes place over eight episodes. And each episode is set from a different perspective of a person who is. The reunion. So one perspective of the events happening might be more of like a romantic comedy. And the other one might be an action thriller or another one might be a psychological horror. So th this series is really fun and it takes, it plays a lot with different genres. So I was excited to watch this from the get go, because the folks who were responsible for making. Um, their names are Phil Lord and Chris Miller. You might recognize those names from helping out with, into the spider verse, the Lego movie, 21 jump street and clone high. And there were also the original directors behind the Han solo star wars movie before they [00:02:00] got fired for apparently being too improvisational and fun. Ooh and that's but that's actually what they're known for. They're really known for all of their projects having well. And, and we all, we've seen a couple of those other projects together. Like they're known for being very silly improvisational. Even though it's comedy, there's always a lot of heart to it. So when I heard about this show starting, I instantly wanted to check it out and I thought we would all have fun talking about it. So I made you all watch the trailer at different times. Um, I would like to know when you were first kind of presented with this on your radar, what were your first impression. I've Tay: got to say, when you sent me the text asking if I wanted to do a social night about the after party. I think my first text back to you was that's the new murder mystery show, right? Heck yeah. I want to do it cause I love murder mysteries. So for me, this had my two favorite elements, murder mysteries and Ben Schwartz. So like I was in that's all it takes for George: me. Um, but what do you think Sophie: Sophie? [00:03:00] Well, I'm going to be honest, you send me a lot of trailers, so I don't think I watched the trailer. I don't remember watching it, but I did look at the poster, which told me nothing. So when I started it, I didn't know anything about it. And then once the premise kind of became clear that it was going to be like a different genre of movie for each person's account of the night. Like that really intrigued me. Once we got into that in the first step. For George: sure. Yeah. And how about you, Peter? Peter: Uh, yeah, I, uh, um, I had never really watched any kind of, I've never really watched any mystery series or movies or whatever. Uh, so I was kinda interested to try it out and I, it kinda pulled me in when you talked about like those two guys, uh, that directed all the other stuff, uh, because I liked a lot of those other movies, so it kind of pulled me in. They Franco is always really funny. I like his kind of vibe in a lot of the movies and stuff. Oh yeah. George: And his character was really it's obviously I knew the, I knew the folks who were behind the production, so that already was convincing me to give it a chance. [00:04:00] But for me, it was like 15 minutes in the first episode where they're talking about the, uh, the murder victim, Xavier, who's played by de Franco. Who's this, uh, you know, he, he blossomed since high school, you know, he's now this, like, multi-millionaire, he's a rapper, he's a player. He's done all this sort of things in Hollywood. So they went, um, the media reports in his death. Um, they kind of do a quick review of his history in that universe. And like, he was the star of like a hall and Oates bio pic with Channing Tatum. He did a hungry, hungry hippos movie. He, he does this rap called X marks, the G spot. Like there was so many just goofy, dumb bits that involves Xavier, that they covered when he died. And after I saw those, I was like, This show is definitely going to be good. So obviously we talked about first impressions before we watched. When did, when did the show really start hooking you? When did you get interested? Sophie: Well, I just wanted to comment about Xavier quick, just to like paint the picture for anyone who hasn't [00:05:00] seen the show. He wears a blue, like a bright blue suit for the whole show with no shirt under. With, like these dangling necklaces. So I think that really like paints the picture of who he is as a person and the blonde Tay: tipped hair. I feel like Dave Franco always plays one of cue characters every time and every movie. So if you've seen any other Dave Franco movie, it's always like the idiot dude. Hot mysterious guy, whisper, argues every time he gets into an argument with someone and that's definitely his role George: here. He's definitely the type of guy who would come up to you at the bar unsolicited, and be like, Hey, you want vodka cran with me? Like, and he would not leave you alone. That's going to kind of character. He plays on this show. Sophie: I think that goes for like every actor on this show is that they all were like very typecast. I think that works for it, but like every character plays. Every character they've ever played before. Does that make any sense? George: It does. Well, what, what do you, what do you guys think [00:06:00] about that? Um, yeah, I absolutely Tay: agree. Yeah. Peter: I don't know enough of the actors to kind of get that vibe, I guess. Um, like the, the tase dude, I can't remember his name. Ben Schwartz and Schwartz yet. Like, I don't really know him from it. Oh, I don't know for sure. Yeah. So yeah, George: at that, at that point, let's talk about the characters who are at the central plot here. So Tiffany Haddish plays detective Danner, um, a detective who is kind of going off the standard rule book to investigate this scene. She has a partner, detective Culp, who let's keep that name in mind. I have a thought on him later. Um, I know that's why I'm getting excited about when we talked earlier, but so detective Danner, um, she spends every episode kind of working as. The person who motivates the plot and she gets all the characters at the party, narrating their accounts. So the first person who comes into the fold is a Nique played by Sam Richardson, popular from, I think you should leave. So an ICO is an escape room designer. He's kind of portrayed as the primary [00:07:00] suspect at the start of the event. So that an AIX perspective is what defines the first episode. So let's, let's talk that through, um, Tay, what would you mind describing kind of a neat. The folks at home. And what has episodes like? Tay: Yeah. When we first meet a need, I believe he is instantly has drawings all over his face from being drunkenly passed out and everyone drew all over his face. He has no idea what's going on. He's completely, he's blacked out and he's kind of in a panic trying to figure out what happened and like why the police are there. Right, right. George: Exactly. Um, but he other folks at the party, remember him going around saying, oh, Xavier did this to me. When he sees that he's covered in sketches and Tay: drawings, he did this to me again. George: So, uh, Nick goes upstairs to where his savior was last. Seen alive folks hear screams from Monique. They go upstairs, they see him alone, the room Xavier's then dead at the bottom of his mansion, fall into death.[00:08:00] So, and the cause then investigated. And then the whole episode kind of plays out. Like a romcom kind of, you know, him trying to be in courtship with a girl he used to like Zoe. So Sophie, what did you make a kind of that whole, what was the genre like there, Sophie: it was, that was like the first episode. So it was really interesting. I was like, okay. So his story is a romcom and then all the other ones are going to be different. And I think that's really cool, but I also think like a lot of the characters described him as adorkable, you know, that kind of like millennial phrase. And I think that's a perfect description of him. And he is kind of like in contrast to James Franco's character de Franco D O same thing, um, ex-Navy or whatever, he's like the douche bag. And then Sam Richardson's character is, um, is adorkable and I love that and I love Sam Richard. I kind of have a crush on him, George: I think. Yeah. Well, they, they really frame him that way too. Cause that whole episodes set up like a meet, cute for him and Zoe, you know, they [00:09:00] really, they really hit it off at the reunion. Zoe is newly divorced. Um, but she really wanted to make sure that, uh, Nick was there to rekindle whatever they might've had in high school. Um, but the whole time, yeah. A little, you know, bumbling awkward, but sweetened sincere. Tay: There's a rain scene. You gotta love a rain scene. Neither of the actors get wet. It rained. It did not get wet. That's the thing though, George: because, and this speaks to kind of how the stories are told. Like it doesn't really rain. That's just, that's just a neat, um, there's a part when he and Zoe, Zoe leaves with Xavier and his private helicopter to go to the. And, uh, Nico's is left behind and he looks on, so despondently, and he's describing there being rain. And then the DNS was like, um, I don't think there was rain. And then he's like, yeah, there wasn't there should've been like, exactly. And that was really, that was really an enjoyable part of the show for me. Just, uh, how they kind of, no one is a reliable narrator, like wouldn't [00:10:00] you? Well, that's Peter: why, uh, even going through four episodes so far, we don't really know any of the true events that happened. Like we have a rough idea. But everyone kind of embellishes everything or changes things, uh, just enough to where, like, you don't really know, like, you'll see between episodes, like, uh, two characters have an interaction from one person's perspective. And then another person will describe in their episode described that same interaction, but it goes a very different way. So, uh, we, it's kind of interesting that we've watched four episodes of not the same story, but the same kind of events taking place. And we still don't really, really know what. I would just kind of know people's different portrayal George: of it. No, exactly. Right. And well, I mean, yeah, in the first episode alone, um, and, uh, is constantly placed in a love triangle between him, um, Xavier, and then Zoe's ex-husband is also at the reunion and his name is Brett and Brett [00:11:00] from an ethics perspective is like this huge bully who's pushing him around and threatening to kill. Um, just like a lot of unchecked aggression. Um, and then by the end of the episode, we're setting it up that the next one's gonna be from Brett's perspective. And Brett sees himself as like, you know, this, uh, this charming rogue who's in it to protect his family. And he's just misunderstood. So, so T I don't know if you want to talk maybe about, um, how each episode kind of jumps into one another in terms of like, there's obviously he's based events. How did you notice they changed and warped? And what did that mean for you as a watcher? That makes sense. Yeah, Tay: I've got to say, I didn't really expect that, uh, from the trailer and everything, once we got into episode two, I realized it was going to be in bread's perspective. And I was like, dang, I don't even like this guy. I do not want to watch a whole episode from his perspective. And there was a point where I was like, am I going to be able to watch this whole show? Because there were a few characters I do not like, and I do not want to watch a whole episode from their perspective. [00:12:00] As we got further into it, I started to enjoy seeing the subtle differences and everything that was going on and getting more and more of the story, even though the story was at points uncertain, I think that's what makes it more fun for you to try and figure everything out as you go along. So it's really cool to see about how every single character, what they think about themselves and how they see their life as like a movie versus how other people see them. George: Exactly. And Sophie. Yeah. I don't know if you want to speak to the intro. How does Brett really. Contrast between episode one and an episode. That's exactly Sophie: what I was going to talk about because you kind of hate him after episode one. And then going into episode two, I was still like, this guy is just here to control his wife. Like that sucks. He's an asshole. Um, They kind of like humanize him throughout the episode or at least his story, places him in a position to be like the hero, which you hate at first. And then he kind of justifies it because he makes it seem like he's doing everything to like, get [00:13:00] this koala stuffed animal for his daughter George: back this family together, as he says. And like, Sophie: so he's like a good dad is pretty much how he's portraying it, but that is you keep going on in the show. Then you're left to question that again. Cause you're like, well, is he because other perspectives don't show him. Doing the things that he said he was doing for his daughter. Tay: He believes he's a good dad, but is he the good dad? One of my notes was if I hear you have my word and my word is my bond, one more time. I'm turning the TV off and that's, that's like his thing. My word is. And it's the only thing from other people that they don't really agree. George: The fact that his daughter also would like second in his quote in his where it's like, it's the only thing I've got, that's worth the day out. That's Tay: so funny. Well, then I got a cough. George: Thank you. All right. Um, P Peter, what was your impression of Brett, um, beyond what we've discussed already? Um, Peter: I think it's difficult to [00:14:00] formulate an opinion kind of, uh, kind of like what I talked about earlier. We don't really know what happened. We have kind of these blown up kind of perceptions of it. Cause obviously like you start off and you think, uh, Brett's a jerk. Like I can't stand the guy or whatever. And then in the second episode, like he still might have that vibe, but like a lot of the way he puts it, um, in this story that he's doing, not that he doesn't do some stupid things and stuff, but like you can empathize with him more. Um, so I find it really, I find it really interesting that I don't know. I find it really difficult to form an opinion. Okay. We ain't see all these different perspectives and we don't really know which one is kind of true. Um, because I guess, I guess in a lot of ways you are, how other people kind of perceive you. Like, that's kind of really what, who you are, but if you're, if who you think you are kind of conflicts with that, I dunno. It just creates something really interesting if you George: like very good point. And that's also conveyed really well by the storytelling in the show. Like for instance, [00:15:00] Characters will emit certain details of the larger story from what other people had in their narratives, because they didn't witness it or they didn't experience it. So for instance, in the first episode, um, uh, Nique, and then two of his friends, he asked her and Chelsea who we haven't even talked about yet. We gotta get to the next, um, they're all in a car together driving to the after party. And they're being pursued by. And from their perspective, Brett doesn't want a Nique to see Zoe's and Brett's like threatening to kill him. So there's a part where they all roll down their windows and they're talking to each other across their cars. They think Brett is yelling at them. Like I'm going to kill you. I'll kill you. But then from Brad's perspective, he's yelling koala. Like he wants his daughter's koala, which. Uh, Nick ended up with, um, me personally as a viewer, I was kind of like, eh, I don't know if I'm confused koala and kill you. So that makes it even harder to understand like, okay, what really happened here? Like, what's the true plot thread? Cause like we see general details, like, you know, [00:16:00] they went to the after party, Brett pushed a Nique. Um, Chelsea went upstairs after Xavier. Like we see these larger platforms that people can account. We don't know the actual events that happened. Yeah. Tay: That's key. Can we talk about yes. For next week? I love to talk about, yes. Let's start with episode three with the Asper Ben Schwartz Yesper. I was so excited for episode three and then it's a musical episode. Just not at all what I was expecting. Like it makes sense knowing his character. Yeah, it was very unexpected. It gives me a lot of lonely island pop star, the movie. Vibes for sure. If anyone has seen that, it's definitely that kind of like humor music, um, which I wasn't sure if I was down for, and then as we got into it, I was kind of bopping along. They were jams. I would sing them, but Yesper is definitely portrayed as in my opinion, the [00:17:00] guy who was really nice to everyone and wants to help everyone out, but also is really, really vain living entirely in his own world. And his whole life revolves around him and getting his music to take off, which is an interesting dynamic. George: And that's also what places him at the after party. So he, um, for, for folks at home Jasper's background is he's an ex best friend. Um, Jasper kind of does AAV work. He set up, Xavier's a security system. He does a lot with, uh, just media in general. Um, and he and Xavier have history together because they had a scar band, um, dating back to, I forgot as early as high school, high school. Tay: So, Sophie: um, George: that's right. Yeah. Um, so you asked me it comes to this reunion because he wants to make it as a performing artist, but he would need Xavier to bless one of his tracks. So throughout the whole episode, that's his goal. He's trying to get alone time with Xavier and, uh, just have a vehicle for collaboration. So he, his career can blow up and he's conveying his, his [00:18:00] wants and, you know, shooting for his dreams through the songs. Like we all get one shot twice and yeah, sure. Whatever and 3d. You're right. Type. The music completely goes off. Like, I, I really enjoy it. And I was expecting kind of like, eh, I don't know how well this will work, but I don't know. W what, how, how did it feel for you to, Peter: um, I got more used to the music as it went on, and I think part of it was because the first song, I wasn't like a big fan of, uh, I didn't like George: it as much. Are you talking about, we all get one shot, the rap, the rap one Hamilton inspired. Peter: I was not into that one. I dunno, it just wasn't my style, I guess the Hamilton inspired, I don't know. I don't really like Hamilton either, so maybe that's a hot take, but, um, yeah, I wasn't ended that with like all the other songs, like yeah. Went off. I was really into and I kind of like, uh, yeah, it, it, it really reflects his character and stuff. He's my favorite character so far. So I think that, uh, yeah, that was pretty cool. It was a unique kind of thing. I, Sophie: this was the one episode where I was like, ah, I don't really know about this show. It [00:19:00] kind of made me question it. I don't know. And I like musicals. So like, I was actually really excited for this episode, but I don't know. And I, I like lonely island too. I don't know what it was. It was, but I was kind of in the same boat where it kind of like grew on me over time throughout the episode, but it did make me, I was kind of like, okay, like I just kinda want to get through this episode. George: No, that's fair because that's, for me, that's one thing that. Preventing the show for me as great as it could be for me, is that because we're, with each episodes through the different perspective of character, we're kind of resetting the plot in some senses because a majority of the episodes dedicated to what happened, what did you experience? So, you know, there's not a lot of like forward momentum in terms of, uh, oh, like, oh, this new development happened and this totally changes the game. Like obviously we see, we see new details that adds for context and builds the overall mystery. But for episode three, like. I dunno like you for is not on my suspect list. No. Ooh. Tay: [00:20:00] I would, I would, I would argue that he might be on my suspect list, actually. Me tell me why that, well, I have two thoughts. So on off of your first thing where like moving the plot along every time, one important thing that I don't think we've touched on yet is the note that they find in the bathroom and episode two, and that comes into fruition in episode three, where they're trying to figure. Who writes diarrhea the same way that it was written on the cheeks neck. Right? So they see the note, the note was written in the same handwriting as whoever wrote diarrhea on a Nique's snack. He goes around trying to get everyone to write diarrhea on a piece of paper. So that interesting plot point, but it does, I think is one of the ways that they keep it fresh. Every time there is something new happening in the. And George: that's very true because yeah, yeah. For the folks at home, um, uh, Nick and Jasper are actively trying to solve the mystery while detective Danner is interviewing new folks. So like while, while Brett's being interviewed, they're going around digging around the house, listening [00:21:00] into the speaker system. And you're very much right. That does keep it, keep things fresh. Tay: And there is so there's this diarrhea now. Right? And for, until this point I came out, I just said that so seriously until this point, I did not think Yesper had a chance of being on my list of. And then we get to episode four, which we haven't talked about yet, but when it clicked in my head is that Yesper has been trying to help solve the mystery. Yesper has motive of, you know, potentially being upset about ex-Navy or not wanting to do this song with him, not helping him, but the song, whatever being jealous of Xavier, maybe I could see that being a thing. Um, and he knows about the note. So when he wrote diarrhea down on the paper, he's like, oh, it could have been me the first one. He could've just changed his hand. Right. And no one would have ever known. Right. So, you know, we can't use the diarrhea as like a valid, it's a valid reason to say it wasn't Yesper because she knows. So my thoughts [00:22:00] are that he's trying to help everyone. He's the nice guy, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But really this whole time he might be messing things up. He's the one who knows how to work all of the equipment in Xavier's house. He knew that the private eyes poster had a camera in it and told us that he would check it out for the footage. I think that there might be something fishy going on with him, and I'm only going to like him more. And he is, Sophie: I feel like you can kind of make a case or anybody in terms of like, who's the killer, but that he is definitely a strong contender. Now that you say that. Um, but it also like speaking of the diarrhea. Um, side note I'm I love how many times we're going to have to say diarrhea. Um, George: so Sophie: it's a big, yeah, it's a big part of the plot. Um, so there were a few people that didn't quite sign the diarrhea thing cause they have to like match the handwriting. So Zoe, he told her like, he was like what he was doing. [00:23:00] He revealed why he was having her do it, which means that she could throw off her handwriting. So she could be the person who wrote the note and then also. Walt Walt was a little bit kinda sus because, well, first of all, I'm very suspicious of Walt in general. Like, he's just like, he's this guy in the background that like has no personality, no one knows who he is or why he's there. George: He was, he was like the guy, no one remembers from high school. So he tries to reintroduce myself, everybody, and everyone's just like, oh, Hey, a guy. Sophie: Yeah. And he kind of, um, he started to write diarrhea and then, and then, um, uh, Nick got distracted and like took the note away. So. I don't know he's out, he's on my list too. Peter: I feel like, uh, well I think my number one suspect is Walt. Um, and then Zoe, obviously, because of the, I think the diary writing diarrhea, writing thing is off by speaking on, uh, with her. He asked for that. I, I, I don't, I think they would have to do a lot to [00:24:00] convince me that it was possible because even you said, like he's jealous of Xavier or is mad at him for. He even in no matter whose story he's been in, he's never really shown he's so aloof that like I've never gotten a vibe from him that he could do something bad, even like he, he never really gets angry or anything. I don't know. I just don't. I think if that was, I'm not saying it's not the case. Cause it could be, um, I just, I would be disappointed if that was the case and they didn't do anything to make me feel like he was capable of something like that. I don't know unless it was like somehow an accident or something. Yeah. I Tay: feel like if it was him, it would have to be some of the accident at this point. And plus the George: like, granted, you know, obviously it was told through his perspective, so how can we trust him? But through episode three, leading up to Xavier's death, um, you know, he gets the text about meeting him in the studio and, and Xavier, excuse me, Jasper, Jasper, I'm sorry. Spend so much time just mixing the track, messing around, waiting in there. And another, in [00:25:00] another story, I forgot if it was in Chelsea's or if it was in Brett's they see Yesper in the studio. So his location is accounted for generally compared to the other characters. But I suppose still, like there's a chance, you know, they might do a 180 and in your argument, they're actually Peter, like, you know, that he. He doesn't seem to have like an aggressive bone in his body. He doesn't seem to be that type. And he's so aloof. I mean, you know, if he was really kind of a Machiavellian like mastermind, he could just be putting on a front to everybody. But I, I, well, he is putting Tay: on a front to everybody that he's rich and famous. He's renting his car and he didn't want to tell him oh, you know? Okay. So he does drop like shady things George: throughout. He knows how to put up a front, I guess. Good point. Tay: Yeah. But my other hot take, since episode one has been. Yeah. Peter: Yeah. I mean, we don't really know. We don't really know much about her really in general. I mean, she's been in a few other stories, but like, we don't really know much about her around her, like motivations kind of what she's thinking. She hasn't had a center episode, obviously. [00:26:00] Exactly. Tay: Yeah. He does say sucks at one point walking past somebody, um, down the stairs. That was the point where I was like, Ooh. Um, and then yeah, the thing about her not signing the paper was pretty suspicious. George: And there are parts of the, the overall branching story where we have a sense of where Zoe is, but we don't know what happened there. So for instance, the helicopter ride from the high school to the after party, that was just her Xavier. As far as I remember, don't know what happened there. Um, you'll have something like that. So Sophie: I realized like something could have happened in that helicopter. And I think we're going to see what happened as soon as we get to either Xavier or Zoe's story. George: Right, exactly. Because the other thing I was gonna mention is like at the party we see on multiple occasions, Zoe and Xavier are on the upper balcony talking and chatting. And I think from some portrayals they're laughing and chatting with each other and others, maybe they seem a little more involved, not intimate necessarily, but just like getting closer. Um, but you're right. Like there's so many times where we see them from afar, [00:27:00] but yeah, even then, like there some seeds planted about Zoe saying, like, I think she says something pretty like nihilistic to Chelsea about like, oh, nothing matters. And. It's something that's very much like, oh, we might want to keep a closer eye on Zoe. Sophie: Do we think that she's capable of being the bully, who like draws on a Nique when he's passed out at the party? Because we thought for, uh, for one of the episodes, it was kind of, we were led to believe that she wrote I'm sorry, on his hand. Right, but that wasn't her. It was Chelsea. So maybe, I dunno. I feel like they were kind of leading us to question her morality. Cause she's kind of painted as like this, like the love interest, like this like really nice person. George: That's that's that's a good point. And. I mean, they're, they're always introducing, I mean, each episode, there's a new layer on revealed about each of the characters relationships to one another. And in this latest episode that started Chelsea played by [00:28:00] Ilana Glazer. Um, we learned that Chelsea and Zoe's ex-husband Brett had an affair and. Zoe has a pretty, it seems to have a large chip on her shoulder against Chelsea for obviously being a part of that and allowing that to happen. But I get the sense that there's, there's a lot of baggage that's surrounding all these characters that as we get through, especially the next episode that set that high school party, that was apparently pretty crucial for a Nique and others. We're going to learn a lot more about these characters. Uh, but I also, I do want to say, I feel like there's more to say about Chelsea's episode in her role, because that, for me, at the end of episode three, I was like, Hm, Chelsea's the most guilty right now. But then obviously they, they made it, I think, too guilty. So then by episode four, it kind of absolves her of most guilt, but what, what, what were your impressions of the Chelsea episode? Tay: I was just kinda like, oh, Chelsea's here to make us think it's Chelsea and it's not going to be Chelsea. It's like the club. Well, let's make them look guilty and crazy. George: And you didn't even like Chelsea. I [00:29:00] remember Tay: when we started the episode, not like her when we started, I didn't think there was a reason for her character to have been there so far. She was annoying, not a big fan. Um, George: she was pretty two dimensional in the earlier episodes of just like the wash, the wash. Exactly. Tay: Yeah. But by the end of the episode, I completely different story. She's got heart. She had completely changed her mindset around to drive and become a better person. So yeah. My dad had change of heart. Sophie: I think I was just kind of set up to like her from the beginning. Cause I really like Ilana Glazer. Uh, that's her last name, right? Yeah. The actress who plays her. I love broad city, so I was just like, hell yeah, I was really ready for this episode. Yeah. I mean, she kind of struck me as a genuine person and I liked how her episode was kind of like a parody of, um, I guess it was kind of supposed to be like a psychological thriller, which was cool. And it was a really good way. Like it was a smart choice for her character. Cause it was like a good way to like [00:30:00] see a glimpse of like into her mind because she's the one who's supposed to be. George: Yeah. She's, she's very paranoid. The whole episode. She feels like someone's stalking her. Tay: She's getting texts from rose George: scary number. She's getting threatening texts of someone saying like, don't go, don't come here or you're going to run. Tay: She was bullied in high school. Yeah. I, all of the other people, she went to school. Right. Was, Peter: it was, uh, cause they said, and they think of the first episode, she was like class president or something. And then something happened at that party Xavier. And then that I think spiraled into like her being like a social outcast and getting bullied and stuff. So, um, yeah, it's just interesting how she flipped from kind of like, I dunno, top of the food chain, I guess, in a way to back down to, uh, where she kind of is now. Oh yeah, Tay: it seems too, like she's not even fully aware of. How much, like, I don't know, power, like poise. She holds as a human, despite being crazy because her and Brett had a thing and [00:31:00] he's like, he's saying, well, they're in the photo booth that she seduced him or whatever. And she goes, I didn't mean to just seduce you. I was just like, hi. And he's like, no, you were like, hi. And you know, it seems like she doesn't, she's very unsure of herself as well. George: Well even, and even then like, uh, I think that's, that's also a Testament to, I mean, that, that played a little Brett's character too, because breads breads vets. Brett's very controlling. He, uh, you know, he's, he's kind of a domineering, aggressive person through the whole castle. He doesn't like a lot of put downs. And like when they meet in the hall, she's like trying to rebuke him and be like, Hey, like that was a mistake. I don't know. I regret it happening and he's like, yeah, you liked it. And like, he's just, yeah, he's just, yeah, he's gross. Yeah, definitely not my favorite of the cast. Um, but yeah, ch Chelsea's episode, even to like, just, we haven't really talked about how it's being filmed and the cinematography of each episode. So like Chelsea's giving that, it's kind of like a thriller and there's a lot of paranoia that the camera [00:32:00] is really, there's a lot of like close-up shots on her. There's, there's a shot at the party where she feels like everyone's talking about her and monitoring. It's kind of fuzzy around the frame and it's, it's, it's, it's super tense and it changes. And every episode it's Sophie: kind of like Twilight, where everything is like blue, like it, that was the vibe that they were going for. I think everything literally was blue. There was a lot of blue lighting in her episode. I noticed. Yeah. George: And yeah. And, uh, I mean, sometimes the whole, the lighting of entire environments will change. Like for instance, The, the situation where Chelsea goes up to Zoe and a Nique, um, outside of the mural that Zoe painted in there. So, yeah, you're right. It's all blue. It's kind of over overcast and moody. And then the first step is loaded. It's well lit. Um, it's warm. It's fun. Yeah. And then, uh, obviously we didn't see that perspective from Brett's angle, but like in Brett's episode, you know, he, he beats the shit out of the. The, the, the valet guy at the [00:33:00] front and yeah, but then like, there's super, like over the top of he jumps over the car and he kicked flips him and like it's Tay: fast and furious. Yeah. They're racing cars before George: that. Yeah. I compared it to John wick is what, like, it's just total over the, over the top action schlock. It was just the one. Um, well, on that note, uh, I I'd love to kind of hear mean, we already talked about kind of who we think are. Our chief suspect's as of right now, it sounds like there's a lot of suspicion about Walt there's some, some, some thoughts about Yas bird. I think there's more to say about a Nique myself, just based on whatever might be happening. Come episode five, which releases, um, a week from now, February 11th or liver, February 12th, I believe. Um, I think we're going to learn something about Nick's back story from that high school party. That's going to change how we see his character, but I'd love to. Where do you see the rest of the show going from this point? Like, what are your kind of [00:34:00] impressions of where this series is going to go ahead? Tay: I think it's got to start moving faster at the speed is going right now. There's no way we're ever going to find out who did it. Right. So I think the next few episodes are going to be really hard hitting. We're finding out a lot of information and it's a lot more clear who the suspects, the final suspects are going to be. Um, one of which I really hope. How many George: episodes are there? There's eight episodes planned. So we're, we're at the halfway mark right now. Sophie: Yeah, there's really no consensus. It could be anyone they're really leaving it open and setting up every, everyone has a motive and everyone has something to make them suspicious. Yeah, except for the Jennifer's the two pregnant people. Well, George: yeah, they're just treat Jennifer and Ned are just recurring side characters. Like they're barely involved in the core plot. Do you Sophie: think that they're going to have an episode? George: I don't know, because we'll see that that's what I was thinking. But then the synopsis for the next episode is that it's set from the high school perspective, which [00:35:00] still could be accounted from a particular character. Like maybe that's the episode Walt talks about or something like. But the two Jennifers and Ned, um, and even detective Colplay, they're just kind of there to pat out as bodies, Tay: like in one, Jennifer is missing. She's not even, George: yes, that's very true. But, but even then, like in Jasper's episode, they were just reduced to like, I mean, even in his songs, like they were just background dancers and singers for me, which kind of spoke of their place in the larger plot, at least in, in the early episodes. So yeah, maybe there's something going on with the other, um, Genesis. Peter: Yeah, I don't think, I hope they, I don't think they will, but I hope they don't make some twists where one of them is the murder or something. It's like, they don't have any, they don't have any depth. We don't know anything about, um, I don't know. Or at least like, I don't really want them to be, if they're going to be side characters, I kinda want them to stay that way. I don't want them to like all of a sudden be REL like super relevant or like have like a big hand in something. I don't Tay: know. [00:36:00] I don't know. The worst part is when I'm murder, mystery is completely shocked. Because you didn't even hear about the character much until the end, you didn't. And they, they have like the last chapter of the murder mystery book is like, all this stuff happened that we didn't tell you. Huh? No wonder you couldn't figure it out. Like it's going to be like that. I'm going to be sad. That's a good point. I don't see it doing that. That that George: is, but that's another kind of, not necessarily a weakness, but with this show G since they reset the, uh, the timeline, every episode, Again, like we're, I think the fun of the solving the murder for us as viewers is like catching inconsistent details or differences as each episode goes on. For, for instance, I was talking about when we watched episode four and yet from the Astros perspective, he switched, uh, um, Chelsea and Annexe drinks when they were about to, um, take quick shots together next to the X statue, but then in a. Chelsea is in Chelsea's view. She didn't see the Asper switch [00:37:00] them back. So they just, they didn't even show them switching. It was just them drinking what they planned. So for me, that's what kind of, is always like, ah, like this is interesting, like this has given us new information to. I wonder who's the murderer. Who's being honest. Who's not, but I, I th I, I agree with that assessment of like, if it's gonna be a side character, like some, like the Jennifer's we haven't spent any time with, or even, um, I think it's indigo, uh, the, the, the woman who's in the MLM scheme. Yeah, she, yeah, she sees a need. Um, but, but she's always trying to pitch someone on like the new organic products she's developing and petitions. He's trying to get signed. They could be setting her up as someone going to have an episode. Tay: Yeah. Sophie: She's too interesting to just be a side character. Like she end at the beginning and the first episode she had like a little mini movie, like the mind movie concept, like she had a little mini one, Tay: she explains the plot of the show through, you know, she's like mind movies. She's explaining what's going to happen almost at the beginning of the [00:38:00] show. Peter: I don't really remember. Like I remember seeing indigo in today's episode. Yeah. I don't really remember, like, yeah, she, she didn't stick in my head, I guess. Cause like I remember like all the other side characters and stuff, but yeah, she didn't stick my head. Sophie: Yeah. Okay. I have, did you say we have five minutes? George: Yeah. Trying to be subtle with it, but yeah, no, I just want Sophie: to make sure there's like two things I still wanted to talk about. Um, George, you mentioned that you had something to say about, um, detective, uh, George: Yes. So this is stupid, but I wouldn't put this past Phil Lord and Chris Miller, because if you've seen any of the early work, I mean, you and I have watched clone high together. First, let me say, throw it to clone high in clone high. There's an episode where Gandhi sings us all a song called G-spot rocks. The GC. And then in this show, save your sings, a song called X marks, the G-spot. So I love that these guys are always throwing back to their earlier work. They Sophie: have an obsession, they really did something worth analyzing. George: Yeah. Well, I can go into a whole, other of, sort of, not [00:39:00] just that, but, um, the, uh, you're looking get distracted. All right. We're going to cut this part for just one second. One second, one second. Here's my thinking. Um, Phil Lord and Chris Miller kind of. They set up their stories really well. There's a, there's an intelligent kind of plot progression there. They're pretty consistent, but I think they also like to employ your sign of like silly, goofy, dumb stuff. So I wouldn't put past them that naming a character, a detective. Culp writ culprit, culpable cope. Yeah. That's another word. That's an even better word than culprit. Um, yeah, he, uh, so I was a, he is barely been in the show, both of the detective characters, like. I like Tiffany Haddish, but both the detective character so far kind of forgettable for me. Like they're, they're just not, I don't know. Sophie: I it's weird. I don't know what they're going for because Tiffany Haddish, like her character does [00:40:00] not seem like a detective. And I know it's like, it's a comedy, but like that's, Tay: something's going on. She's not supposed to be the detective on the case. There's supposed to be someone else. George: That's true. They, then they, they did Kevin introduce some ambiguity there about like, why is she wanting to take this case on so bad? Right? So there could be more with both of our detective characters about their role in this branching narrative. And what's heading there. That was one of the point about detective cop is like, Hey, his name is kind of goofy and it makes me think of culprit. So I'm not ignoring him for that reason. But what else did you wanna bring up Sophie? Sophie: I wanted to prompt. Hey, did you have one to ask that question? Tay: The question I wanted to end up. Was one, would you go to your 15 year high school reunion? And to which character do you think each of us fits into in the show? Like who would we be if we were in the show? Um, Sophie: I would go to my 15 year high school reunion. I don't know why I've just always thought that would be fun and entertaining Tay: to see. [00:41:00] Yeah. Maybe there should be a group response. We all kind of figure out which character we are as a group. Well, let, yeah, let's George: start with item one. Let me just say that. I was just messaging someone from my high school about like, um, like someone sent us something about like, oh, a classroom union. Like I have this thing from high school. Should someone hold onto this for when we have a reunion. So where I'm now five years out of high school. So someone was just texting me like, oh, Hey, like when you wanted to reunion, I am not rushing to that. Like I'm 15 years, I think. That would be a comfortable distance. Um, because like, you know, everyone's, everyone's gone and done something or there's a change or it'd be, it'd be really interesting. But even then, like, if I, if I'm really not interested in five years, I don't know how much more interested I'll be in 15 years. So I'm kind of, eh, I don't Sophie: know, but George, you were the class president. It's like your responsibility. George: I was actually student council, president Peter. Peter: I'm always kind of. I've always kind of been interested on a, like where [00:42:00] people go. Like, even if I don't like really know the person I talk to the person, I'm just kind of curious, like what people end up. I think I counted up where people are at a couple of years ago. Like my senior year or something. I don't know how many people like were still in college. How many people have gotten full-time jobs? How many people are still living in my hometown, all that kind of stuff. I counted all that stuff up and I just, cause I just find it really interesting, but I think I would only go to like a high school reunion if I was going with someone else, I wouldn't go alone because. I feel like it'd be too weird for me to try to make conversation with people I haven't spoken to in years, like by myself, like, whether it's like a significant other or whether it's a friend from, cause I have a couple of friends from high school I've still kept in contact with. So it's whether with one of them or with, uh, like a significant other water, whatever, a friend, something, um, yeah, cause I'd be, I'd be interested in going, I just wouldn't want to go alone because it'd just be weird. George: Cause. You know, everyone has an assumption of who you were back. I mean, that's exported even in the show, like, everyone's like, [00:43:00] oh, you know, you, you you've been a wreck since high school or wow. You really blew up who's savior and all that stuff. So that's a good point. Like so much of it is kind of like balancing even if, even if it's just in your head, like the expectations people have. So that does make it kind of more of a, I don't know, not strenuous, but it's. It's a more intense networking event than I think, uh, you know, meeting people you don't know because you're seeing people from your past and that can have baggage. There's a lot of, there can be a lot of baggage, but to your earlier question, who do we, can you repeat that for the folks Tay: on? Yeah, well, what, I will not be attending my high school reunion full stop. No question to my other question is, uh, who do you think each of us relate to most as the show characters? Like what show character would be. George: It's hard to answer that because we haven't seen all of the characters yet, but of the Sophie, I think you had, well, I Sophie: was going to respond to that. Like, I think that's kind of funny because if we say it now, and then one of them ends up [00:44:00] being the murderer, like that's really funny. Um, but George, I hope you guys agree with he is a hundred percent of Nique, right? Tay: Yeah, I think so too. Yeah. Peter: Maybe a more outgoing, unique, not that is an outgoing, but like. I dunno, I need any cause feels less sociable with like most people when you do, Tay: trying to figure it out, you know, like, I feel like you, you would be like, if you were in that scenario, you'd be like, I'm going to figure out who did this, like Sophie: yeah, you would take charge. You'd be like, okay guys. Let's but you'd like, do it together. You wouldn't keep it a secret. Um, and the other thing is that, like, I have a crush on Sam Richardson and I'm dating you. So like that's my. George: Nice Nancy. I appreciate that. I, I was kind of thinking you would, you would pay me as, as, as Gaspar. Um, I can't really quite site why. I Sophie: know I can see you're like kind of a combo deal. George: I was more thinking just like the bubbliness that you Asper has. Like, that was kind of [00:45:00] like, all right. I can see myself Sophie: there. Yeah. But you're not like stupid. George: Yeah. Well, not always most of the time. Yes. But I don't know. Sophie: Hmm. Yeah. Everyone else is really hard like that. One's easy, but I can't decide for you guys. George: I can see a little Yesper and Tay just a little bit. Um, I would probably, it's easier to like more fuss as characters, cause like, I don't want, I don't want to like reduce anyone to an archetype, but cause so for you, I would almost be like your Yesper mixed with Chelsea. Um, because. Talking to you is like talking to you Asper, cause it's very engaged and fun and you have a lot of really grounded, vibrant and fun thoughts. And it's really engaging, like tiny aspirin. But I also think you have kind of the, the mysterious nature, uh, and some somewhat worldview of Chelsea. If that makes sense. I'm taking Tay: that as a compliment. I like that take. Yeah, I hear that. [00:46:00] Um, I don't think anyone is Brett. No, George: no, no. Peter for you, I was going to say, like, I see parts of Breton you, um, oh, let's see. That feels like an insult. No, like, like, like kind of the, uh, not the lovable rogue, but like, uh, you know how, like, when he was like chasing after his daughters, I saw a little bit of you in that. Yeah. Sophie: Yeah. From Brett's perspective, Tay: like being the good guy. Yeah. And like helping other people. George: Yeah. Yeah. With him, there's like a lack of sincerity with you. I'd be like it's sincere. Yeah. So for USD, part of that, um, I see a little over Nique and you as well. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sophie, what about you? I don't know Sophie: who I am. I can't, I'm not self-aware person. You guys gotta tell me, see, like George: a. You could be what Chelsea's comedy like when, when Chelsea has funny lines, I see you. Cause, cause [00:47:00] they're kind of sarcastic and a tongue in cheek, but like really clever and, and accurate, which I think is, is your kind of style of humor. But also you're more, you're also chaotically Chelsea in a sense. So, but I don't know. I Tay: see the like sweetness side of Zoe in you, at least with how she is too. With how you are with George, like, you know, like an equal do something really dumb and like a terrible flirty line. And she'll just be like, yeah, you say Sophie: I'm perfect. And George's Tay: weird. Yep. That's it. That's the hot George: topic. This isn't a revelation. Nice. Um, well either of you want to add to any of our perceptions of, I Tay: think that it's Woltz is the wild flower, right? That I see a little bit of Walton you as well. Like you would be, let me explain though. Cause I [00:48:00] feel like you would be the one who's sitting in the back watching everything and then all of a sudden at the end of the night, you're like, yo, I figured it out. Like, I feel like that's going to be Woltz play is like, I've been watching you all since high school and I know exactly what happened. And then with the way that you can suss out people. Vibe, I guess, for lack of a better word. Like I see that that's a very good scenario Sophie: that like, kind of speaks to the show. I've never thought about that. Like while it could be maybe not a suspect in my mind, but like the one who's going to be like, I know who did it, I saw everything Peter: and because people don't pay attention. Yeah. Like they never figure out like that. He knows all this stuff because every time he tries to talk someone, they just kind of, Tay: let me talk to someone he's like, remember when you and I did this, when you did this, like, it's very, he seems Peter: to remember things of things. Yeah. Like people don't remember him, but he remembered, Tay: I remember you are, you're not a likable human. I can just see you putting the pieces together and watching everyone and being like, yo George: very good point. Yeah. Anything else on that front? Sophie: I'm really glad that none of us are. [00:49:00] George: Yeah, well, like, see, he's got charisma, like, like I like, like, I like Xavier more than like Brent and that maybe is more of a Testament to like Xavier being like the hungry, hungry, hippos moving, and just having like dumb, like. Like, so for me, it's fun to watch them on screen, especially when they had like the whole, like the scene in the urinal competing with. Peter: I know that's one of my favorite parts of the show so far, I though it was just so funny, the literal pissing contest and they dragged it on, like, I think it would be like, oh, I can go longer or I can change pitch all this kind of stuff. It's really funny. George: That was a beautiful part. Do men do that? No, I think that's a conversation for another time. Got it. On that, on that note folks, um, We have finished the first four episodes. We are hoping to do another one of these chats after the entire rest of this year's comes out and the series will be airing between, um, this recording, which is on February 5th until March 4th, 2022. So we'll probably come back in the studio [00:50:00] sometime next month. But as the series stands right now, would you recommend the after party Annapolis? Tay: Absolutely. But only if you're interested in watching something goofy, it's goofy. For George: sure. Yeah. It doesn't exactly have like, well, it's definitely not a drama, you know, it's a murder, it's a who done it, but there's not a lot of like, oh, stakes and moral, moral conundrums. Like it's, it's really just silly. So what would you agree? Sophie: Yeah, I will say like, if you like any of the shows that like these actors have been in, like Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer, Sam Richardson. Oh, yeah, that's all I can think of. Um, if you like those, then you'll probably like this because they really are just playing the same characters. They always play because they're really good at it. So, George: and Peter, how Peter: about you? Uh, yeah. Uh, essentially what you guys said. Uh, I think it's, it's kind of goofy, but it's, and even though it's not dramatic and doesn't have like these stakes, you still kind of want to find out who did it. Um, so they can kind of manage to portray that without being. Uh, super serious. [00:51:00] So yeah, I'd recommend it. I think it's, I think it's pretty good. I'm curious to see how it ends for sure. Okay. George: Green, it's a little frustrating to like have to, especially for many series, I kind of wish we could just binge this. Um, but I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the episodes with y'all on Fridays. So folks, folks at home, you can watch the after party on apple TV. The first, the first episode, starring a Nique, um, is available for free on YouTube. If you do not have apple TV and just want to give this series a sampling, From there. If you were interested in watching and listening to more of social night, you can tune in on impact United fm.org or find any of our podcasts such as social night on apple, , apple podcasts, Spotify, Google play, and more, and make sure you're tuning into 88.9 FM for more from MSU students. Thanks so much for tuning in.