After Life Season 3 Ending: Ricky Gervais’ Character And Final Plot Twist Explained

Ricky Gervais has recently broken his two-season rule with After Life, which has just had its third season hit Netflix. Fans of the show have binged-watched the series over the weekend and have undoubtedly reached the show’s ending, but what exactly happened to Ricky Gervais’s character?

After Life follows Ricky Gervais as he takes on the role of Tony, a reporter at a free newspaper struggling to find a purpose in life after his wife died.

Across the first two seasons, viewers were moved by his battle with grief and attempts to move on from his tragic loss, and fans were eager to see how things would pan out for the protagonist in the third season.

Writer, director and lead actor Gervais told LADbible he wanted the ending to be “real and satisfying, but not perfect”, adding that he thought the result was “beautiful” - and judging by the response on Twitter, it seems fans agree.

Warning: Spoilers for After Life in the rest of this article.

What happened to Ricky Gervais’ character, Tony?

In the final episode, Ricky Gervais’ character, Tony, and his dog Brandy are seen walking away from Tambury Fair. 

Then in another scene, Tony’s deceased wife Lisa appears next to him and their dog Brandy. Tony and Lisa hold hands for a moment before she vanishes. Then, Brandy and Tony follow suit, disappearing into thin air. 

Understandably, viewers of the drama wondered what After Life’s emotional ending to season three means, and have taken to social media to put forward their thoughts. 

Some worried his disappearance could signal to Tony committing suicide, as his thoughts on how he could go on without his wife were recurring during the series.

However, Gervais told Digital Spy the true meaning of the ending: "It's just that life goes on, you know? When we're all dead and buried, that field's still there, the Tambury Fair is still going, that tree is still there, and it's basically said that we all die, but not today, " he told the publication.

"That's what the ending is saying. 'We all die, but not today'...Enjoy it while you can, life is so finite. Whenever you are born, and whenever you die, it's all over. So enjoy that bit, that tiny little bit.”

There you have it, the ending may be ambiguous, but Gervais’ character Tony, and his dog will still live on.