The climax of After Everything, the last film in the After series, provides solutions to many of the major plot points, including whether or not Hardin and Tessa wind up together. Two years have passed since Hardin and Tessa’s breakup in After Ever Happy when this film opens. Resuming his drinking, Hardin is delaying writing his second book. To dull his suffering, he spends a lot of time going out and getting into relationships with women.
Hardin’s mother and biological father confront him over his drinking and the book he is meant to write during lunch. He lashes out by bringing up the problems in their relationship and the falsification of Hardin’s paternity. They keep asking him questions about his life choices. Hardin’s mother proposes that he take a vacation to escape his life and acquire some perspective after his biological father departs. The intricate and passionate finale of the After series is triggered by this suggestion.
The Real Meaning of After Everything’s Ending
The movie After Everything skillfully weaves the themes of transformation and personal development throughout. Hardin and Tessa don’t get together until he has thought back on the decisions he made that have harmed him and others. He actively works to break out from his destructive cycle of self-destruction. By emphasizing this idea throughout the story, the film tells viewers that in order to give and receive the love they deserve, people must first become healthier versions of themselves. Even though Hardin’s character journey wasn’t perfectly executed, After Everything did a great job of encouraging self-improvement.
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Do Hardin and Tessa End up Together in After Everything?
If Hardin and Tessa can reconcile, that is the main mystery of After Everything. After After Everything, Hardin attends Landon and Nora’s wedding, knowing that Tessa is most likely seeing someone else but yet wanting to win her back. He finds out that Tessa isn’t dating the man she has been sharing pictures of herself with after the ceremony. Hardin apologizes to Tessa for writing his book while they are dancing together. This instance demonstrates Hardin’s much-needed introspection. Instead of ducking or going on the defensive, he owns up to his mistakes.
In a speech later during the reception, Hardin refers to Tessa as the other half of his soul. Feeling angry, she bolts from the room, and he comes after her. He says he was attempting to catch her attention when he apologizes. This raises the possibility that he hasn’t changed as much as he appears to have. He did, after all, use things he knew would annoy the child to grab her attention, and he bribed her to get her on the dance floor. These behaviors still include manipulating emotions.
The two then enter the bridal room and have sex. She later expresses regret for her response to his book and makes it clear that she was concerned about what other people would think. Rather of making her feel worse, he acknowledges once more that he handled the situation incorrectly. If nothing else, his constant admission of guilt is a slight improvement over previous After films.
The two acknowledge their emotions and accept that they are unavoidable. Tessa accepts Hardin’s proposal while on her knees. Then, everything suddenly jumps ahead, revealing Hardin walking into an apartment as his daughter rushes to hug him. After that, he gives Tessa, who is expecting their second child, a hug and a kiss. This is a welcome surprise for Tessa, who finds out in After Ever Happy that she has cervical insufficiency, a condition that almost prevents her from becoming pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term. Seeing her as a parent is especially fulfilling, given her grief upon learning about her terrible condition.
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Does Hardin Finish Writing His Book?
When After Everything opens, Hardin is having trouble finishing the second book he promised the publishers he would write. He starts writing his novel only after taking a plane to Lisbon and seeing Natalie. He has completed Before by the time he gets ready to head to Landon and Nora’s wedding. Hardin’s past before meeting Tessa, particularly his terrible betrayal of Natalie, is the subject of his second novel. In contrast to his previous work, Hardin approaches Natalie with the manuscript and requests that she read it and permit him to publish it.
He learned from his past failures because he approached her with the book before even disclosing its existence to his publisher. He is aware that Natalie will be affected by the narrative in a different way than he is, and that it is not only his to share. It’s good to witness this self-awareness and personal development in the last After film. Though neither Tessa nor Natalie owe him any forgiveness, it makes him a person deserving of some pardon.
Summary
In the climax of “After Everything,” Hardin and Tessa reconcile after a tumultuous journey marked by personal growth. Hardin confronts his destructive habits, finishes his book, and seeks forgiveness from Tessa. The film beautifully explores themes of transformation and self-improvement, concluding with a hopeful glimpse into their future as a family.