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| Left to right: Aziz Ansari and Noel Wells |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
While comedian Aziz Ansari is likely best known for his great work on the late NBC series Parks and Recreation, he also has done some very impressive work in the stand-up circuit. Having churned out a couple specials, including this year's Live in Madison Square Garden, he has become one of the funniest voices not only for his commentary on current trends, but how it impacts relationships and the ego. Whether or not this is who he truly is, it's definitely what he's best known for. So, when he's given his own Netflix series to prove himself, what does he do? He plays something more humble.
This isn't Ansari and Netflix's first collaboration. The streaming service has done several stand-up specials over the years. It is a likely pairing then that Ansari would go to them to present Master of None: a comedy that is about a more realistic person than Parks and Recreation's Tom Haverford. This is a man who is dealing with various situations that he may think are beneath him. In the case of the first episode "Plan B," he tackles the speculation that he may have children by watching his friends' children for an afternoon. This is spliced with dreamlike sequences in which he sees his vision of perfect kids slowly deteriorate into hellions. It's not the most creative approach - Man Seeking Woman has done this more fluently - but it may be one of the best for its blend of sincerity and sarcasm; done in equal doses by Ansari and two of the better kid actors on a TV show this Fall.
The one general issue with the show is that it feels "indie." Over the past few years, there has been a cliche developed in which comedians (notably from Saturday Night Live) have done movies that feature a lo-fi aesthetic and have a certain cheapness to them. While it helps to emphasize performance, it still undermines a lot of what the stories are going for. In the case of Master of None, director James Ponsoldt (The End of the Tour) brings his long take aesthetic to the series to emphasize those extra beats, where the emotional energy truly shines. While this may be the most playful thing that the director has ever done, it definitely compliments the cliche a bit, making it hard to distinguish what should be an authentic story from other "indie" projects.
Which is a shame, because Ansari has always been an interesting voice in comedy. As one of the few noteworthy Indian actors, his voice is definitely given strong precedence here. Even if there's little here that does with race, there's certain reliefs that are felt when he shushes white children who inadvertently acknowledge other people's races. It's nice to see a show that features diversity; including a central interracial relationship between him and Noel Wells.
The show's earnest humor helps it to escape the general cliches that surround series focusing on pregnancy. While it isn't likely to be something that Master of None focuses on, it's a nice change of pace from other similar shows such as Catastrophe and Grandfathered. The show of the aging comedian is very old territory, and the stories regarding adulthood have been mined to death. While Ansari's show doesn't entirely escape the traps of this format, he at least knows how to bring his personality while not being overbearing about it. There's enough absurd moments to reflect his creativity, but it's grounded nature in humanity makes the jokes land. I am unsure if the series will be a "theme of the week" structure, but I do think that there's room for interesting material if that's the case. Then again, we'll have to see what Ansari has in store.
Master of None is a fun use of Ansari, especially as it feels like his first project that is solely him. He is unfiltered and allowed to be as funny or sincere as he wants. While the show at times feels like a take on Louie (minus the stand-up), it does have enough going for it that it may stand out on its own in time. There's no denying that Ansari is a funny fellow who has a lot of great, witty material on tap. He even gets great performances out of child actors - which at most is an unexpected welcome. I am very curious to see what else he has, and if it can escape the trappings of the "indie" format that has gone from a great tool to something of novelty. I'm sure that Ansari won't go that way.
This isn't Ansari and Netflix's first collaboration. The streaming service has done several stand-up specials over the years. It is a likely pairing then that Ansari would go to them to present Master of None: a comedy that is about a more realistic person than Parks and Recreation's Tom Haverford. This is a man who is dealing with various situations that he may think are beneath him. In the case of the first episode "Plan B," he tackles the speculation that he may have children by watching his friends' children for an afternoon. This is spliced with dreamlike sequences in which he sees his vision of perfect kids slowly deteriorate into hellions. It's not the most creative approach - Man Seeking Woman has done this more fluently - but it may be one of the best for its blend of sincerity and sarcasm; done in equal doses by Ansari and two of the better kid actors on a TV show this Fall.
The one general issue with the show is that it feels "indie." Over the past few years, there has been a cliche developed in which comedians (notably from Saturday Night Live) have done movies that feature a lo-fi aesthetic and have a certain cheapness to them. While it helps to emphasize performance, it still undermines a lot of what the stories are going for. In the case of Master of None, director James Ponsoldt (The End of the Tour) brings his long take aesthetic to the series to emphasize those extra beats, where the emotional energy truly shines. While this may be the most playful thing that the director has ever done, it definitely compliments the cliche a bit, making it hard to distinguish what should be an authentic story from other "indie" projects.
Which is a shame, because Ansari has always been an interesting voice in comedy. As one of the few noteworthy Indian actors, his voice is definitely given strong precedence here. Even if there's little here that does with race, there's certain reliefs that are felt when he shushes white children who inadvertently acknowledge other people's races. It's nice to see a show that features diversity; including a central interracial relationship between him and Noel Wells.
The show's earnest humor helps it to escape the general cliches that surround series focusing on pregnancy. While it isn't likely to be something that Master of None focuses on, it's a nice change of pace from other similar shows such as Catastrophe and Grandfathered. The show of the aging comedian is very old territory, and the stories regarding adulthood have been mined to death. While Ansari's show doesn't entirely escape the traps of this format, he at least knows how to bring his personality while not being overbearing about it. There's enough absurd moments to reflect his creativity, but it's grounded nature in humanity makes the jokes land. I am unsure if the series will be a "theme of the week" structure, but I do think that there's room for interesting material if that's the case. Then again, we'll have to see what Ansari has in store.
Master of None is a fun use of Ansari, especially as it feels like his first project that is solely him. He is unfiltered and allowed to be as funny or sincere as he wants. While the show at times feels like a take on Louie (minus the stand-up), it does have enough going for it that it may stand out on its own in time. There's no denying that Ansari is a funny fellow who has a lot of great, witty material on tap. He even gets great performances out of child actors - which at most is an unexpected welcome. I am very curious to see what else he has, and if it can escape the trappings of the "indie" format that has gone from a great tool to something of novelty. I'm sure that Ansari won't go that way.
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