WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Afterparty season 1!
The mystery of Xavier’s murder is finally solved in The Afterparty season 1’s cast of characters become suspects in the murder of Xavier (Dave Franco), a famous actor and pop star, who is mysteriously killed at his afterparty for the group’s high school reunion.
Taking on the high-profile murder case is Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish), who is intent on solving the mystery before her captain arrives. Each episode of The Afterparty season 1 retells the events from the night of Xavier’s murder from a different perspective, with each character getting to tell their side of the story. As more details about the high school classmates' motivations for Xavier’s murder come to light, such as The Afterparty’s St. Patrick’s Day mystery, Danner is finally able to confirm the true killer by the ending of the finale.
By The Afterparty’s season 1 finale, Danner has heard the full stories of Aniq, Brett, Yasper, Chelsea, Walt, Zoe, and, lastly, Zoe and Brett’s daughter Maggie. Aside from Maggie, each suspect had a particular motivation to murder Xavier, but only one of them pushed him off of the balcony. The Afterparty’s ending finally reveals the true identity of Xavier’s killer, gives a conclusion to Zoe and Aniq’s romance, and even sets up a second season for the murder mystery series.
What Happens At The End Of The Afterparty Season 1
After Maggie tells her story to Danner and she tests Aniq to see if he’ll tell the truth about Brett’s innocence, Tiffany Haddish’s The Afterparty character reveals the true killer. She explains that The Afterparty's songwriting Yasper killed Xavier, as he snuck upstairs while Zoe and Chelsea went to check on Aniq, hid in the closet when Chelsea confronted Xavier, then waited until she left before he pushed Xavier off the balcony to his death. After initially denying the accusastion, Yasper confesses to Xavier’s murder when he realizes Danner discovered every detail he tried to cover up and Aniq even s her claims. Once Danner proves Yasper killed Xavier by calling his phone, which rang from Yasper’s pocket, The Afterparty’s characters cheer that the killer is finally caught.
The Afterparty’s ending then sees the characters depart as Detective Danner’s captain arrives, with Danner getting to show up her old competitor Detective Germain. As the former suspects walk out, Aniq (notable Ted Lasso guest star Sam Richardson) gives Danner his card in case she wants his help on a future mystery, Yasper revels in his newfound fame as a murderer, Jennifer 1 apologizes to Chelsea, who rejects her proposition to be friends, and Chelsea tells Walt (who also reveals it’s his birthday) that no one will forget his name after tonight. The Afterparty’s finale concludes with Zoe and Aniq finally going on a date and finishing the kiss they never got to have.
The Afterparty Killer Revealed - Why Yasper Murdered Xavier
While Yasper’s story in The Afterparty episode 3 made him an unlikely suspect when he explained he needed Xavier alive to complete their music collaboration, the finale reveals this to be a clever lie. After Yasper broke up his band with Xavier in high school because he thought pop was a fad, Xavier went on to have an undeniably successful music career, while actor Ben Schwartz's character became an A/V specialist who never fulfilled his musical dreams. Yasper’s resentment of Xavier was shown in The Afterparty’s ending when he claimed that he gave Xavier his stage name by telling him to use his middle name instead of “Eugene,” and that he believes himself responsible for Xavier’s success. When Yasper asks Xavier to bless his track after seeing he “stole” his line “how great is this party,” Xavier quickly rejects him and reminds Yasper that he was the one who dumped him for a solo career. Being reminded even further about how Xavier became a star and his own career failed, Yasper’s bitterness manifested into the need for revenge, which culminated in killing Xavier and stealing one of his songs.
The Afterparty - What's Next For Zoe & Aniq
Aniq’s primary motivation in attending the The Afterparty season 2, an update on their relationship is sure to be given.
How The Afterparty Ending Sets Up Season 2
The Afterparty ends with Detective Danner proving she has the chops to solve high-profile murder cases, and even asking Aniq if he’d consider going into law enforcement. With Danner being set to go on her next case, it’s possible she’ll still call Aniq as a consultant on the next murder mystery puzzle. Apple TV+ has officially renewed The Afterparty for season 2 with Tiffany Haddish returning as Detective Danner, so her season 1 ending is clearly meant to set her up for an even better case in the next installment.
The Real Meaning Of The Afterparty Season 1's Ending
The Afterparty season 1’s premise of high school revenge is no accident, as the ending to Christopher Miller and Phil Lord's show brings together some of the most common themes that occur when people are confronted with their past and–in Yasper’s case–thwarted ambition. While nearly every suspect revealed themselves to be unhappy with how their lives turned out compared to how they envisioned it in high school, none of them felt as let down about their failed dreams as Yasper. When life doesn’t turn out as planned, some, like Yasper, displace the blame onto others, particularly onto those who succeeded in the exact manner they envisioned for themselves.
The Afterparty ending's significance ties into the dangers of the pursuit of fame and obsession with celebrity as well. Yasper’s obsession with fame drove him into bitterness, with the character even reveling in his newfound celebrity as the killer of a famous individual. Yasper never truly cared about the music, he cared about being famous, so when Now You See Me actor Dave Franco's character exhibited all the glory he wished he had and more, Yasper killed him in hopes of taking the fame he thought he was also automatically entitled to.
The meaning of The Afterparty’s ending also preaches the importance of facing one’s past in order to move forward. Each character attends the reunion for a specific reason, typically to get another shot in of where they felt they fell short in life, try to get revenge for past conflicts, or prove how far they have come since their youth. The Afterparty’s season 1 ending recalls how integral one’s high school years are to their future life and how easy it can be to revert to a youthful state of mind at a reunion. After 15 years, The Afterparty’s characters, like Ike Barinholtz's Brett, are confronted head-on with their successes and failures, with such an event being a catalyst for these figures to bring out the worst and best in themselves. Just like real high school reunions, every suspect in The Afterparty is telling the story they want to tell in of how they wish to be perceived, but underneath these surface narratives are often lies to make themselves look better. However, The Afterparty's ending suggests that only when the characters are honest with themselves do they truly get the second chance they desire.