Everybody's Live with John Mulaney

A lot of the reviews that are harshly negative against this show unfairly compare it to other talk shows and complain about what it does "wrong". I am sorry, but those people just don't get it - this is not meant to be just like all the other talk shows and do everything "right". Guests aren't going to talk about their projects. Callers are going to get hung up on. The jokes are going to fall flat, sometimes intentionally and ironically. The topics are random and don't expect to really get anything useful out of them. This is performance art of the absurd. I remember watching David Letterman when his show first came on - I was a young teen at the time, and I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen, but most people thought it was idiotic. It developed a cult following because there was an intelligence behind the seemingly random and bizarre humor. John Mulaney's show is quite different in execution, but it reminds me of that feeling - it's chatting a fresh course, something that's really never been done before. The first time I watched it, I wasn't sure if I liked it, but I honestly couldn't stop tuning in, and it keeps growing on me. Now I can't believe there's only 2 episodes left, and I'm praying Netflix renews it!

I love this show. I want it year-round. Is it industry-specific? Somewhat. Is it fairly LA-centric? Sure. Does it make zero sense? Of course. Am I, the audience, being slightly negged the whole time? Oh, yes, and apparently I'm into that. Look, I understand that this show is not for everyone. I won't make you watch it. But I love Mulaney's brand of meta oddity that leaves you wondering whether a joke just fell flat, or you've been set up for a meta bit that will get funnier with every episode (it's the latter). If you fall into the specific category of people in the industry, in LA, who love absurd, freewheeling, burnt-out, sober, grumpy-dad Mulaney, get ready to wonder if you're high every Wednesday night. He crushes it every time.

This show is truly unique. Mulaney is able to create an interpersonal dynamic with 5 people that can go any direction. It's organized chaos. The random pre-planned bits sprinkled throughout along with the prerecorded spots give the show a Monty python feel. I've also enjoyed the roster of musical guests. To match the eclectic vibe of the show, the musical acts come from different eras and genres and the performances are solid and well choreographed. Another cool element is the inclusion of callers as the show is broadcast live on Netflix. These calls are an absolute wild card, with people in various states of sobriety voicing their experiences relative to the show's subject for the episode. As a fan of exploratory musical acts like Phish, this show hits home for me.

Another massive Mulaney fan here. He is a top-tier, brilliant stand-up comedian, perfectly suited for SNL-both as a writer and performer. He's also a decent voice actor and an excellent talk show guest. I have a few theories (more like psychological observations) on why he excels in these areas but struggles as a talk show host or with his own sketch comedy show. However, what matters most is his mental well-being, which I believe is closely tied to the feedback he receives. There's nothing wrong with experimenting, trying new things, and striving to be great at all of them-but I never want to see him return to his old lifestyle out of desperation or a sense of failure, especially when he's already one of the best at what he does best.

With a hard to bridge gap left by the best of late night, John has done an exceptional job of making each episode enjoyable without fail. Richard Kind proves himself to be even more loveable than one thought possible as John's MC, bringing along with him memorable moments each and every episode. John and Richard are national treasures, world treasures even, that we must protect at all costs.

Its a pity late night television can't sustain the daily format these days, as shown by others still lingering, as Everybody's Live brings a fresh yet familiar quality with it is viewing that cannot be missed. A wide variety of guests and subjects each week, without needing to focus solely on politics for content.