The Afterparty's Sam Richardson Details Aniq's Many Social Blunders And His Big 'Cross To Bear' In Season 2 Premiere

Another Afterparty, another murder.

The Apple TV+ comedy dropped its first two episodes Wednesday, and it only took a minute and a half for the Season 2 premiere to present us with a body. The dead guy in question this time around: Zoe's (Zoe Chao) new brother-in-law, Edgar. (Guess he won't be making the honeymoon!)

And so it begins. A wedding weekend goes horribly wrong, leaving Grace, Zoe's sister, a widow as fingers inevitably start pointing her way. (Hmm... why didn't she sign that prenup again? Shady!) With a house full of two very different families, long-lost relatives, ex-lovers and millionaires, Aniq (Sam Richardson) knows just who to call to help get things sorted: Det. Danner (Tiffany Haddish).

When her phone rings, Danner is beyond amped to hear this "Aniq rom-com sequel." However, she's left the force to focus on writing a book about the last murder. Needless to say, she's completely fine with abandoning her writing in order to jump back into the chaos of another case.

"We thought it was time to switch up her storyline," creator Chris Miller tells TVLine. "We wanted to give her a new drive and the idea that she sort of lost her mojo a little bit seemed interesting."

Thus begins Aniq's version of events, and as he fills Danner in on everything that's happened, we're treated to a glorious episode told as a — you guessed it! — romantic comedy. But everything that can go wrong, does, beginning with his car rolling backward and smashing into Zoe's dad's new food truck. From there it's one social faux-pas after another, including cringeworthy introductions, jokes made at his expense and accidentally spitting fermented camel's milk on the mother of the bride.

"He's so smooth," jokes Richardson. "He's a ball of nerves trying to meet the next most important people to Zoe other than her child: her sister and parents. He wants to make such a great impression because he also has a big question to ask her some time during this show. He wants their approval because he wants to ask Zoe to marry him. Right from the get-go, the very first thing he does: He keeps putting his foot in his mouth. He just can't do the right thing. He tries to do the right thing throughout the whole series, but he just has a hard time of it."

By premiere's end, Aniq shares one jarring observation with Danner, though he's hesitant to come out with it: He saw Grace drugging (poisoning?) Edgar's drink during the afterparty. But fingering someone in Zoe's family is the last thing he wants to do. When Danner finally arrives at the scene, Zoe and Aniq confirm that they're on the same page. They want the detective to help them prove that Grace didn't kill Edgar.

"At first, that's his whole goal is to exonerate them," says Richardson. "But as things start to show up, he then has to put a suspicious eye on Grace and the family, and that puts Zoe and Aniq at odds a little bit. He's pulled between these two forces of actually solving this murder or protecting Zoe's family, so that's his great cross to bear this season."

What do you think of The Afterparty's new mystery so far? Grade the first two episodes, then log all of your suspicions in the comments below.