The Afterparty Review: Danner (Season 1 Episode 7)
We are treated to Detective Danner’s backstory on The Afterparty Season 1 Episode 7, “Danner,” and it is, indeed, a treat.
Tiffany Haddish makes this episode, which takes us away from the titular party, fit seamlessly into the narrative. She shines as the lead of this standalone-esque episode that tells a cop story that is much more representative than what’s out there on many cop shows.
It really highlights the misogyny and systemic racism that women and POC experience on the force.
It also highlights the injustices of the justice system. It really makes you care about this past case and seeing the innocent person go free, and it ups the stakes for Aniq as well.
With Detective White Male Privilege on his way to take over the case of who killed Xavier, both Aniq and Danner are put in jeopardy. This may cost Danner her job, and Aniq his cleared name and freedom.
As a silver lining, though, Zoe is on his side. Her reaction to finding out that he and Yasper had been listening to her being questioned is so adorable and bodes well for the Aniq/Zoe ship. (Which I am calling Zoniq, by the way.)
On this episode, Haddish’s deft handling of the lead role is accompanied by a great guest cast.
Reid Scott, who plays a privileged mansplainer so well, is the new villain coming to squash two of the heroes we are rooting for. Jimmy Tatro, that lovable rich Hayworth sibling on Home Economics, is Danner’s back-in-the-day partner. Barbie Ferreira makes for a sympathetic character who is wrongly accused.
Fred Savage is the television writer whose role helps to point out the absurdity of some cop shows.
Haddish is so good in the flashback scenes—I would, one hundred percent, watch a Detective Danner series starring her.
I still don’t have an idea of whodunnit, but I am enjoying the journey so much that it doesn’t particularly matter. Although that doesn’t mean I’m not curious; I definitely am.
Who do you think killed Xavier?
Stray Observations:
- Some of Danner’s facial expressions had me dying.
- I love how Danner is portrayed just as tenacious and clever back then as she is now, not to mention her sharp detective skills.
- The critique of cop shows, though.
- The entire exchange with the victim of the egg pod theft is hysterical.
- I gotta get me one of those egg pod thingies, for real.
What did you think of this episode of The Afterparty? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
New episodes of The Afterparty stream Fridays on Apple TV+.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.