When After Everything was released as the final chapter of the After franchise, many fans expected one last sweeping love story for Hardin and Tessa. Instead, what they got felt very different — a film that leans heavily into Hardin Scott’s personal journey, sparking one of the biggest debates the franchise has ever seen.
Is this a powerful character study… or a betrayal of what After was always about?
A Story Centered on Hardin, Not “Hardin & Tessa”
From the opening moments, After Everything makes one thing clear: this is Hardin’s story. The film follows him in isolation, wrestling with guilt, regret, and the consequences of his past actions. Tessa is present, but often at a distance — emotionally and physically.
Instead of shared struggles and romantic tension, the narrative focuses on:
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Hardin confronting his past
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His attempt at self-forgiveness
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His need to grow on his own, not through the relationship
For many viewers, this shift feels intentional — but also jarring.
Team Hardin: “This Is the Point of the Ending”
Fans who defend the film argue that After Everything finally does what earlier installments avoided: holding Hardin accountable.
To them, the focus on Hardin isn’t a flaw — it’s the payoff.
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Love alone was never enough to fix him
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Redemption had to come from within
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The franchise couldn’t end without showing real growth
From this perspective, turning the finale into Hardin’s emotional reckoning makes the ending more mature and realistic than a traditional romance wrap-up.
Team Couple: “Where Did the Love Story Go?”
On the other side, longtime fans of Hardin and Tessa’s relationship feel let down. For them, After was always about the dynamic — the push and pull, the passion, the mutual growth.
Their main criticisms:
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Tessa feels sidelined in the final chapter
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The emotional balance between the couple is gone
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The film feels more like a spin-off than a true finale
To these fans, After Everything doesn’t conclude a love story — it reframes it, and not everyone agrees with that choice.
A Creative Risk That Redefined the Franchise
What makes this debate so intense is that both sides have a point. After Everything deliberately shifts tone, trading romance-heavy drama for introspection and closure. In doing so, it challenges the identity of the franchise itself.
Is After ultimately a love story?
Or was it always about one deeply flawed person learning how to love — and how to change?
Final Verdict: Bold, But Divisive
After Everything feels more like Hardin’s movie because it is — by design. Whether that makes it powerful or disappointing depends entirely on why you fell in love with the franchise in the first place.
And that’s why, even after the final goodbye, After is still sparking arguments — proving that its emotional grip hasn’t faded at all.
