When we make our wedding vows, we make them “’til death do us part.” But when that fateful day comes, it’s not like all of those memories—for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health—part with us, too.
And that’s a reality confronted boldly and beautifully in After Forever, an indie “micro series” about love, grief, and new beginnings.
Co-created by Days Of Our Lives writer Michael Slade and star Kevin Spirtas, After Forever builds off their shared soaps experience to create a drama more grounded and human—and distinctly gay.
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The first season, which premiered back in 2018, introduced us to successful, fifty-something gay man Brian (Spirtas) whose seemingly picture-perfect New York City life crumbles after the sudden loss of his husband Jason (Party Of Five‘s Mitchell Anderson) to cancer.
As the narrative jumped back and forth between time, we watched two parallel narratives unfold: both the couple’s final days together and Brian’s attempt to pick up the pieces, surrounding himself with friends and family and throwing himself into his work.
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In the second season, set six months later, we saw Brian make attempts to start fresh, both with a new job and opening himself up to a new chance at love—even as his grief continued to manifest itself in unexpected ways.
And now we arrive at After Forever‘s final chapter where Brian comes to the difficult revelation that getting closure means accepting the truth. As he finds himself carrying on conversations with Jason in his head and lashing out at those closest to him, Brian finally decides to seek professional help in the form of therapist Dr. Evelyn Meyer (The Office‘s Linda Purl).
Also this season, Brian finds himself connecting with his younger employee, Luca (Chrissy Judy‘s Wyatt Fenner), who hasn’t exactly been shy about his feelings for his boss. Is there a spark of something romantic between them?
As the youngest member of the cast, Fenner shares in a statement to Queerty that he is “particularly proud of the focus the series takes on queer life after fifty.” And as someone who recently lost a loved one, the actor recognizes how After Forever might speak to “anyone coping with the painful aftermath of loving someone so intensely that, when they’re no longer with you, they can still somehow be with you.”
In addition to Purl and Fenner, After Forever also features Cady Huffman (a Tony winner for playing Ulla in The Producers), Mary Beth Piel (best known as Grams from Dawson’s Creek), and Julie Halston (a tehater legend and frequent collaborator of Charles Busch) in supporting roles.
The GLAAD Media Award and six-time Emmy Award winning series returns for its third and final season on May 8, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime. You can watch the new trailer below:
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