It’s been nearly a decade since we last saw Temi and her friends navigate life, love, and Lagos in Before 30. The show aired on Africa Magic in 2015, left us with many unanswered questions, and then vanished. But now, with the sequel film After 30 arriving on Prime Video on May 9th, it’s the perfect time to revisit the seven-episode journey that started it all.
Episode 1 – The Countdown Begins
Before 30 begins with Temi, a successful lawyer, attends her cousin’s wedding in Durban, where she’s reminded of society’s pressure to marry before turning thirty. Her closest friends—Nkem, Aisha, and Ama—are also present. Back in Lagos, Temi gets ready for a romantic dinner with her boyfriend Ayo, fully expecting a proposal. Instead, he asks for a break, shattering her expectations and setting her on a quest to find a new partner before her milestone birthday.
Episode 2 – Starting Over
After a salon session, the girls suggest a night out, but Aisha hesitates—her husband, Sheriff, wouldn’t approve. They convince her to come anyway. Meanwhile, Temi takes initiative and asks out a man named David. Their date goes well until his mother, who lives with him, becomes an awkward hurdle. When Temi expresses her concerns, David’s response is underwhelming, casting doubt on the budding relationship.
Episode 3 – Breaking Points and New Secrets
Temi prepares to end things with David, but her mother is already dreaming of wedding bells. At a lunch with her friends, Ama introduces her boyfriend, Usha and confesses she lied about being a virgin. The girls encourage honesty.
Temi finally breaks up with David, much to her mum’s disappointment. Meanwhile, Aisha withholds sex from Sheriff, hoping to spark change. Ama opens up to Usha, but the relationship ends. Sheriff, however, apologises to Aisha and all is right in their world—at least for now.
Episode 4 – Crossing Lines
Temi spots Akin at the market, then meets him again at work. He’s a client at her law firm, and they begin to connect over lunch. Sparks fly. Temi introduces him to the girls, and they share their first kiss.
Meanwhile, Ama believes she’s killed someone in a car accident. Nkem urges her to go home, but Ama insists on finding the victim’s family and funding the funeral. Nkem, fed up with her freeloading boyfriend Seyi, ends things after a tense confrontation.
Episode 5 – Complications
Akin reveals he’s still legally married but separated, and asks Temi to handle his divorce. She’s conflicted and turns to the girls for advice. Nkem’s relationship with Emeka is going well, even though her attempt to test his loyalty with Ama’s help didn’t go as planned.
Temi agrees to manage Akin’s divorce and meets his ex, Ekua, who offers insight into their failed marriage. Temi then introduces Akin to her parents. Meanwhile, Emeka tells Nkem he wants to abstain till marriage.
Episode 6 – Cracks in the Facade
Ama gets invited to an exhibition and shares the invite with the girls. At the event, Temi meets Obi. Aisha shows up with Sheriff, but their tension is palpable. Nkem confides in Temi about Emeka, unsure if she deserves him.
Episode 7 – Heartbreak and Hard Choices
Ayo resurfaces, asking Temi to accompany him to a wedding. They share a kiss afterwards, much to her mother’s disapproval. Nkem is blindsided when Emeka suddenly cuts things off. Aisha reveals that she and Sheriff had a threesome on vacation and now suspects he wants more. Temi meets Ayo to clarify things, but Akin sees them together and walks away upset.
Sheriff’s behaviour escalates when he arranges another threesome without Aisha’s consent. She finally stands up for herself and leaves. Temi, Aisha, and Nkem each face heartbreak in different ways. Temi asks her mother for help reconciling with Akin.
Meanwhile, she visits Emeka to find out why he ghosted Nkem, and learns that he found out she once slept with his cousin. He asks Temi to keep it quiet to avoid hurting Nkem.
Final Thoughts and Expectations for After 30
Before 30 had a lot going for it. The music was top-notch—we were introduced to emerging artists like Kaliné, and the show made sure to highlight who was behind each track. The cast was impressive too. Many of them weren’t household names at the time but have since made major strides in Nollywood.
What stood out most was the way the series used dialogue to explore different personality traits and friendship dynamics. However, it was very Temi-centric. While we got glimpses into Aisha, Ama, and Nkem’s lives, it wasn’t quite enough to connect deeply with them. From the After 30 trailer, it looks like this new project is set to give the other women more screen time and character depth, which is a great direction to take.
One thing we appreciated was the way the show tackled everyday issues in marriage through Aisha’s character, showing both small grievances and bigger moral dilemmas. And a fun fact for the fans—series creator BB Sasore even makes a quick cameo in Episode 6.
Despite a few flaws in the writing and story flow, Before 30 still holds up ten years later. It left us on a cliffhanger—Temi torn between men and no resolution in sight. We’re more than ready for After 30 to bring closure to the story that left us hanging all those years ago.
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