The After saga began in 2019 with After, introducing Tessa, a wholesome college freshman, and Hardin, a brooding rebel with a dark past. Their romance, sparked by a cruel bet, unfolds across four sequels: After We Collided (2020), After We Fell (2021), After Ever Happy (2022), and After Everything (2023). Based on Todd’s novels, the series charts their on-again, off-again love through betrayals, family secrets, and personal growth. After Everything, directed by Castille Landon, focuses on Hardin’s redemption, offering closure to their saga while teasing future prequels and sequels. Netflix’s X post on January 11, 2024, celebrated the full series’ availability, igniting fan excitement with thousands of likes.
After Everything opens with Hardin, heartbroken and battling writer’s block, traveling to Lisbon to confront his past. A pivotal scene, detailed by Collider, shows Hardin sober and living with Tessa and Landon (Chance Perdomo) in their apartment. He’s penned a manuscript titled After, chronicling their love story from their first kiss. When Tessa discovers it, she’s furious, feeling violated by Hardin’s public exposure of her life. Langford’s raw confrontation, paired with Fiennes Tiffin’s remorseful intensity, makes this moment a fan-favorite, shared widely on X. The film’s climax, a New York Times best-selling book reading where Tessa briefly appears, leaves their future ambiguous, with a “To be continued” promise that has fans buzzing.
The series’ appeal lies in its unapologetic drama. Tessa and Hardin’s relationship, often criticized as toxic, mirrors real-life struggles with trust and growth. In After Ever Happy, Hardin’s spiral—setting fire to his mother’s apartment and abandoning Tessa in London—highlights his flaws. Yet, his sobriety and vulnerability in After Everything show growth, resonating with fans who see redemption in flawed love. Rotten Tomatoes notes the series’ poor critical reception, but its fanbase, evident in X posts calling it “addictive,” drives its success. The films’ financial wins, per Wikipedia, greenlit multiple installments, with a prequel, Before, set for 2025, focusing on a younger Hardin.
Now, imagine Freddie Highmore, celebrated for his Golden Globe-nominated role as Dr. Shaun Murphy, stepping into this universe. Highmore’s ability to portray complex emotions—seen in The Good Doctor’s TED Talk scene—could add depth to Hardin. Picture him as an older Hardin in the upcoming sequel, inspired by After Ever Happy’s epilogue, navigating fatherhood with Tessa’s children. Highmore’s intensity, honed in Bates Motel, would elevate Hardin’s angst, while his warmth could soften the character’s edges, making their love story more poignant. His directorial work on The Good Doctor suggests he could even helm a future After film, blending raw emotion with cinematic flair.
The After series’ cultural impact is undeniable. Starting as Wattpad fanfiction, it became a publishing phenomenon with Simon & Schuster, as RadioTimes notes, and a film franchise grossing millions. Its Harry Styles roots—Hardin’s initials nod to the singer—add a playful allure, with fans on X speculating about Styles cameos. The series tackles heavy themes, like Tessa’s grief over her father’s overdose in After Ever Happy, yet balances them with steamy romance, like their hotel room reconciliation in After We Fell. This mix, per Cosmopolitan, keeps viewers hooked, even as critics balk at Hardin’s toxicity.
