'The Afterparty': predictions before the final episode
By Jake Skubish and Peter Coutu
In the first episode of The Afterparty, Aniq (Sam Richardson) tells Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) that he designs escape rooms for a living, and she tells him she struggled with one of his escape rooms. “I was so stuck in there,” Danner says. “I needed all the clues.”
Aniq is a logical thinker, and expresses some concern that the detective trying to solve a murder in which he is a prime suspect couldn’t use clues to solve a puzzle. “Not how my brain works,” Danner says matter-of-factly. “I’m more of a social dynamics type of person.” This tension carries through the rest of the series: Aniq searches for clues, trying to piece everything together, while Danner questions each suspect, trying to find some emotional motivation for the murder.
There’s just one episode left in this wildly fun and outrageously unappreciated murder mystery show. All signs are logically pointing toward one character as the killer. But at the back of my mind, I can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
And so I’m back with Peter before the final episode to make multiple predictions, both with our heads and with our hearts. It’s a fitting way to wrap up a series that allows you to go deep into the details of the sequence of events, but forces you to pay attention to the relationships between the suspects. No matter who it ends up being, there will certainly be surprises as to how and why we got there.
Jake
The logical suspect: Yasper. The most compelling case for Yasper (Ben Schwartz) is the glaring inconsistency in his timeline. Yasper claims he saw Chelsea (Ilana Glazer) and Xavier (Dave Franco) talking before he went to Xavier’s studio. Brett (Ike Barinholtz) claims he saw Yasper in the studio and then saw Chelsea and Xavier talking. If Yasper is lying, it leaves a window of time in which his whereabouts are unaccounted for — a window which Maggie (Everly Carganilla) could clear up in the final episode. Alongside the possibility that Yasper probably has Xavier’s cell phone, and the fact that Yasper has a few options for motive, he’s the most likely suspect. The show’s devotees on its Reddit page seem to think so, too, by a wide margin, and they have found details I would have never seen if I watched each episode 100 times.
There is something holding me back from fully committing to Yasper as the killer though, and it’s the classic murder mystery paradox: it just can’t be the person you think it is. The fans on Reddit have explained this away by arguing that they are just paying closer attention, and so what is obvious to them is not obvious to the average viewer. But Christopher Miller, the show’s creator, is really, really smart. I have to imagine that if he created a show with built-in secret messages, he knew some people would be very committed to solving the puzzle, and he must have known those people would use the clues given to arrive at the conclusion that Yasper did it. And for that reason, a part of me still thinks it can’t be Yasper, even though all the signs are pointing in that direction.
The suspect I just can’t shake: Ned. There’s a small detail in the show that continues to bother me: How did they see the body? There are multiple wide shots of the house throughout the series; the beach is very far down and it is very dark outside. Plus, why look down there at all? The commotion is coming from Xavier's room. Yet Jen 1 (Tiya Sircar) and Ned (Kelvin Yu) immediately turn to look down to the beach from the lower balcony.
One reason you'd look down there: if you knew the body was already there. Maybe Xavier didn't fall at all, but was killed on the beach slightly earlier in the evening. This would also back up the layout on the beach. Somebody threw a hat and a wig off the balcony, and he landed right on top of one and right next to the other? It would make more sense that Xavier went down to the beach, possibly to retrieve the hat, and someone (with the wig) followed and killed him. Xavier's body and suit are also incredibly intact for falling from that height.
My guess for this theory: Ned. He has an extremely clear motive and good reason to hate Xavier, yet through multiple retellings is overjoyed to see him at the reunion. Doesn't make sense, unless he was trying to get Xavier to trust him. His party timeline is also murky, and he could have deliberately used the prank on Aniq as both a cover story and a way to frame Aniq, because he knew Aniq would go upstairs when he woke up.
Batshit crazy theory: None of this is real. This would be sort of dumb, because at this point I’m pretty invested in figuring out who the killer is. But Christopher Miller has a tendency toward meta-narratives in his work, and I can see this as a legitimate possibility. The cops are pretty loose with their detective work, and they are letting the suspects mingle together during the investigation. The news segment about Xavier’s death could have been pre-recorded, and Danner tells everyone to stay off of social media. One character’s name is literally “Butler,” and the story is full of convenient parallels to past events. It’s a closed environment with a lot of contrivances, and there’s no evidence outside this house that any of this is real. I can see this all being a prank set up by Xavier, or a new puzzle game being tested out by Aniq.
One other prediction: Jen 1 is not pregnant. I feel pretty confident in this one. The high heels, the overdramatic insistence that she is “with child”: there are small details pointing toward the fact that she is not really pregnant. Why would she lie about this? I’m not sure. But I think we will get this reveal in the last episode.
PETER
The logical suspect: It’s gotta be Yasper. Now, this could be great – if the showrunners are able to fool close watchers of the show with small details littered throughout that reveal the real killer, who was just hiding in plain sight. But right now, without the benefit of hindsight, it seems like Yasper is the man who is going down. As Jake laid out, the inconsistencies in his story are tough to stomach, but, for me at least, it’s also his added awareness of the house. He’s the one who I believe could have most likely pulled it off. He knew the ins and outs of the house, and its tech, so he could avoid getting caught. He’s been eager to know what the cops are up to, but not too eager as to arouse suspicion. And if you’re looking for a motive? Forget about it. Getting shunned by Xavier – who maybe stole some lyrics to mega hits? – well that’s gotta hurt. You’d want to get even, and help yourself in the process too.
The suspect I just can’t shake: Zoë. And believe me, I don’t have an ounce of evidence behind it. Not a single iota of true motive for the murder. Not even a crumb of how Zoë (Zoë Chao) would’ve done it. But I feel like it’s gotta be her! I just do! She’s a key player who the fanbase hasn’t largely accused, who the show hasn’t largely accused, and who seems sharp. I think there’s more in store for her.
Batshit crazy theory: Everyone is involved. In the last article, I admitted that I’ve been noodling around with this one. Everyone at the party seemed to hate Xavier, or at least they are all really nasty people. So many people have potential motives. A lot of folks could’ve done it. And those who couldn’t have done it could still be involved in the cover-up. I think every single person who has been featured is involved with the death, and that it was spearheaded by Aniq. Him being the main suspect was one of his sells to get everyone on board – hey, if anyone goes to prison for life, it’ll be me anyway. Also, Jake’s Aniq running an elaborate puzzle game theory is great, but I would be absolutely LIVID if there is no killer. There has to be someone shoved in the back of a cop car in cuffs. Otherwise, what a rotten finale!
One other prediction: The mean detective makes an appearance. Seems like a fair setup after last week’s episode. Danner has the case locked up. She’s got it nailed. But this jerkoff comes on screen again, tries to sell Aniq as the clear suspect, with a criminal record against the victim already, and nearly messes it all up. Pretty straightforward!