Yes, it seems obvious that you should watch a film franchise in the order in which it was released; that feels like a given. With that said, the “After” series doesn’t exactly make it easy for newcomers, because the titles don’t indicate anything about what happens in the movies, nor do they reference the correct order. So what’s the gist of the narrative here?
“After” kicks off while Hardin and Tessa attend college; she ultimately parts ways with Noah after he realizes she’s sleeping with Hardin, but the second film, “After We Collided,” moves the duo out of college and into their professional lives in Seattle, Washington. During that time, Tessa starts working at a publishing house run by Christian Vance (Charlie Weber), where she meets her colleague Trevor (“Riverdale” star Dylan Sprouse) and makes a possible romantic connection with him … but she and Hardin keep falling back together. “After We Fell” puts more obstacles in the couple’s way when Tessa’s estranged father Richard (Atanas Srebrev) comes back into her life and when they learn that Christian Vance, now played by “True Blood” alum Stephen Moyer. “After Ever Happy” finds Tessa and Hardin in a relatively solid place, with both accepting that everything they’ve faced has only strengthened their relationship, but they end up splitting before the current final installment “After Everything.” That movie, however, ends with them together, in case you were concerned.
You might have noticed, in that paragraph, that one actor replaces another as Christian Vance; this happens more or less constantly in the “After” franchise. For example, Tessa’s mother Carol is played by Selma Blair in the first two movies, Mira Sorvino in the following two, and nobody in “After Everything” (she’s only mentioned). That’s another reason to watch these movies in order — besides Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, there’s a lot of re-casting that would probably be very confusing if you didn’t follow the order.
The “After” movies are available on Netflix.
