After Life: Tony’s 10 Best Quotes About Love

Netflix recently released the second season of After Life starring Ricky Gervais. In the new season, not much has changed for Tony as he still mourns the loss of his wife, Lisa.

Throughout two seasons, Tony watches videos left behind from his deceased wife as a way to carry on, and his friends comfort him the only way they know how. But as strong as Tony appears in the second season, there comes a time when missing Lisa becomes too much to bear and he has a setback.

With the show being about love, loss, and growth, we see many different sides of Tony’s love for his wife. There isn’t an episode where he doesn’t say the loveliest things about her. To see some of Tony’s best quotes, keep reading!

10 “Being In Love, I Mean. You Just Don’t Need Anything Else.”

In the second season, Tony’s boss and brother-in-law, Matt, is going through his own personal hell. He and his wife are thinking about separating and he’s been sleeping at work. Tony picks up on their living situation and sheds some light on love and relationships. To him, love is all you need and it’s what can carry a person out of the dark times. “We had no money and she was always so positive,” he said. “I didn’t understand it ’til I met Lisa, but it is everything. Being in love, I mean. You just don’t need anything else.”

9 ”I’d Rather Be Nowhere With Her Than Somewhere Without Her.”

In the first season, Matt tries convincing Tony to start dating again. Perhaps finding someone new would pull him out of his depression and finally get him to see the good in life again. Tony didn’t take this well, of course.

He shed some insight on how special his relationship with Lisa was and how he’ll probably never find it again. It’s a sad quote, but speaks to how much Tony loved her.

8 “You Can’t Not Care About Things You Actually Care About. You Can’t Fool Yourself…”

For as downcast and spiteful as Tony was, he sure does says the most inspiring and thought-provoking things.

Throughout the series, Tony meets his friend Anne in the graveyard where the two talk about their former relationships and their new lives. Anne was a great source of comfort to Tony as he talked himself through his loss. As much as Tony may have acted like he didn’t care or said he was okay, he was actually a mess. He could lie to his co-workers but he could never lie to himself.

7 “You Might Not Know It’s The Last Time, So That’s Why You Should Do Everything You Love With A Passion, You Know?”

It surprised fans when Tony came out of left field with an inspiring quote about a life well-lived. For as long as fans have known him, Tony was on the verge of suicide and hated anyone upbeat. But in the sixth episode of the first season, Tony had some wise words about how precious life was.

He compared life to a great movie, except you can’t rewind it or watch it again. You just have to appreciate every moment in case it’s the last time. As he’s talking to Kath, he says “One day you’ll eat your last meal, smell your last flower, hug your friend for the very last time. You might not know it’s the last time, so that’s why you should do everything you love with a passion, you know?”

6 “Hope Is Everything.”

Hope really is everything. Without it, the chances of tomorrow aren’t so bright. For Tony, he needs hope that things will get better because, without hope, there is no tomorrow.

The death of his wife was tragic and the only hope he has now is that his job and friends will carry him forward to greener pastures. His co-workers Lenny, Sandy, and Kath all try to give Tony hope but he can’t see it until he believes it himself. Without Anne, Matt, and his work family, Tony wouldn’t have made it through the first season. 

5 “I Hated Me Because I Didn’t Die. And I’d Swap Places With Her Tomorrow.”

In the second season, Tony and Emma are going back and forth in their relationship. Do they want to date and get serious or should they take things day by day? Tony appreciates Emma and sees the good in her but he can’t help but feel like he’s betraying Lisa.

As he’s telling Emma how important Lisa was to him, he says that he wishes he was the one to die because a life without Lisa isn’t much of a life at all.

4 “It’s Not That I Couldn’t Do Anything Without Her. It’s That I Didn’t Want To.”

One of the more treasured relationships in After Life is the one between Tony and Daphne (aka Roxy). They met in odd circumstances but they developed a sense of trust in each other. Tony was the one man who didn’t objectify her and was curious about who she was as Daphne, not “Roxy.”

As the two were eating dinner one night, Tony says this beautiful quote about Lisa. He proves again and again that what he shared with Lisa was one of a kind.

3 “I Don’t Miss Doing Things With Lisa. I Miss Doing Nothing With Lisa.”

When Sandy turned 30, she reflected on what she achieved in her life. She became upset because she was still single and living with her family, with no real sense of purpose. Tony sensed her sadness and took her out to coffee where he reminded her that things will happen in due time. They happen when they’re supposed to happen. Just because Sandy was living at home didn’t mean her world was falling apart. She’s also not the only one going through something. When the topic of Lisa came up, Tony affirmed he didn’t miss running about and doing things, he just missed Lisa; doing nothing with Lisa.

2 “Lisa Was My Greatest Achievement.”

Tony and Anne’s conversations in the graveyard are some of the most heart-wrenching and inspiring. They’re raw and without boundaries. Anne is always an open ear for Tony, who understands what it’s like to lose a spouse. In the second season, Tony notes that Lisa was his greatest achievement. His fondest memories and highest sense of self were found with her.

1 “Nothing’s As Good If You Don’t Share It.”

What Tony went through was harrowing. Watching his wife and partner in crime suffer from cancer was a traumatic experience that he’ll probably never get over. When good things happen in Tony’s life post-Lisa, he has a hard time celebrating the wins. He’s reminded, however, that the good times aren’t good times unless you share them. As he talks about Lisa, he says, “Light of my life. She passed away last year. Anything that happens, I go to tell her…but then I remember…Nothing’s as good if you don’t share it.”

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
(1654 Articles Published)

Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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