How to watch After Life season 2: stream every episode online anywhere

A bleak, darkly funny Netflix comedy from Ricky Gervais? No surprise it was a massive hit the first time out and now it returns for a second run. Read on to find out how to watch After Life season 2 - stream it today no matter where in the world you are.

The show sees Gervais play grief-stricken small town reporter Tony, who is trying to adapt to life after losing his wife and their idyllic marriage to cancer.

While it may not have won the critics over in quite the same way as The Office did, its exploration of grief, depression and friendship nevertheless made it the second most-watched title on Netflix in the UK last year. 

The new season places us back in the rural village of Tenbury. The local newspaper where Tony works is now under threat of closure, testing his ability to stick to his pledge of being more positive.

Viewers will also get to see if anything romantic did actually develop between Tony and Emma, the nurse at his dad's care home, following their dates at the end of season 1. 

There's also Tony's first foray into yoga, which inevitably provides disastrous results instead of calming his troubled mind, while postman Pat (Joe Wilkinson) and sex worker Daphne (Roisin Conaty) are back to provide a new burgeoning love sub-plot.

Read on and we'll show you how to watch After Life season 2 online as well as stream every episode of season 1 from anywhere - plus give you some pointers on other shows you might like to watch if you're currently in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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How to watch After Life season 2 on Netflix

After Life season 2, like the first series, is a Netflix Original. This means that all six episodes will drop on Netflix at once on Friday, April 24. This is usually is the early hours of the morning - roughly 12am PT or 3am ET in the US, and 8am BST in the UK.

It also means that the streaming service is the only place you'll be able to watch After Life season 2. Fortunately, Netflix is highly affordable - and those completely new to the Ricky Gervais show will find that they can also watch the first season on-demand. 

Here's how Netflix's price plans break down.

US: The Basic tier costs $8.99 per month and allows one screen at once viewing in standard definition. Standard comes in at $12.99 a month and offers high definition resolution streaming and two screens at once viewing, while the Premium tier costs $15.99 and offers four screen of simultaneous viewing as well as Ultra HD streaming.

UK: Netflix tiers in the UK are the same as the US. The Basic tier costs £5.99 per month, Standard comes in at £8.99 a month while the Premium tier costs £11.99.

Australia: Netflix's trio of pricing plans cost as follows Down Under: the Basic tier costs $9.99 per month, Standard comes in at $13.99 a month and the 4K-friendly Premium tier costs $19.99.

Canada: Netflix's three tiers cost as follows in Canada: The Basic tier costs $9.99 per month, Standard costs $13.99, while the Premium tier costs $16.99.

There are a only a handful of countries where Netflix isn't available in the world, so should you find yourself somewhere like this, remember that you can always use a VPN to point yourself back to your Netflix service at home - but be mindful of local laws and consider if watching the next episode of your favorite show is worth a potential run-in with the police. 

• Get yourself the very best Netflix VPN

5 shows every After Life fan should check out - and where to watch them

Derek: A precursor for the heavier themes explored in After Life, Gervais' previous project was this Channel 4 sitcom which follows a group of outsiders living on the fringe of society.

• Watch In the US: Stream seasons 1-3 on Netflix.
• Watch in the UK: Stream seasons 1-3 on Netflix. or buy seasons 1-2 from Apple iTunes.

Better Call Saul: This drily humoured spin-off of Breaking Bad charts the early career of crooked lawyer Saul Goodman (née Jimmy McGill) and is also the work of Vince Gilligan. With no less than five seasons to its name, there's plenty of binge-watching potential here.

• Watch in the US: Buy seasons 1-5 on Fadango Now, stream seasons 1-4 on Netflix, or stream new episodes for free via AMC
• Watch in the UK: Stream all seasons on Netflix or buy from Amazon Prime Video

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David's long-running, often improvised sitcom has been a huge influence on Gervais. Starring Seinfeld writer David as a fictionalised version of himself, it follows the misanthropic, semi-retired show-runner as he fumbles from one awkward situation to another - offending people all along the way.

• Watch in the US: Stream all 10 seasons on HBO Now.
• Watch in the UK: Buy episodes and seasons from Amazon Prime Video

Fleabag: More top-drawer Britcom.  Created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on her one-woman show, the pitch-black comedy follows the life of the titular Fleabag as the Londoner navigates life and love without any sort of filter.

• Watch in the US: Stream seasons 1-2 with a Prime Video Showtime add-on - FREE 30-day trial available 
• Watch in the UK: Stream seasons 1-2  with BBC iPlayer

Schitt's Creek: The cult Canadian sit-com has just finished its final season, but is still picking up fans around the world. Created by comedy veteran Eugene Levy (American Pie) and his son Dan, the show follows the Rose family, who are newly broke millionaires struggling with small-town life.

• Watch in the US: Stream all season on Pop TV, or watch seasons 1-5 via Netflix
• Watch in the UK: Stream all seasons on Netflix .

How to watch After Life season 2 from outside your country

After Life season 2 will be available to binge on at a time when people are desperate for something new to watch. If you're looking to get into it but find yourself stuck abroad during lockdown in a country where Netflix isn't available, you might worry that you'll be unable to watch show using your normal streaming service, due to frustrating geo-blocking restrictions.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch After Life season 2 online no matter where you are, by changing your IP address to one in another location.

While there are hundreds of VPNs to choose from, we always recommend ExpressVPN. As well as being fast, simple, and straightforward to install, it's also compatible with a whole host of devices - Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS and Android to name some of the main ones.

Plus, ExpressVPN's flexible 30-day money back guarantee is difficult to argue with. Even better, you can purchase an annual plan for a 49% discount and 3 months extra FREE – a brilliant offer for an essential bit of software.

Once installed, select the location of your home country and simply click connect. You’ll then be able to easily watch After Life from pretty much anywhere in the world.

Can I watch After Life season 2 for free?

Yes and no. 

In the truest sense, it's a negative, as you need a Netflix subscription to watch After Life and a Netflix subscription costs money.

However, if you want to see the glass as half-full, one of the best things about Netflix is that your subscription covers absolutely everything the streaming platform has to offer. From just $8.99/£5.99 a month, you get the whole lot - you're not going to find that some shows are included, while others still hold subscribers to ransom like some other unnamed rival services.