Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (2018-20)

Gone too soon. Netflix has had a bad week, first pushing the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender to walk away and now canceling Hasan Minhaj just as he is getting into the groove of things. Despite the very expensive looking set, he was never quite as polished as his fellow Daily Show alumni Colbert, Oliver or Bee. But he is young, charming and Asian American. He was hitting the target demographic with culturally specific content, and frankly cooler references than you're going to find on Last Week Tonight. He actually shined brightest in his off-the-cuff Deep Cuts web exclusives. He is a natural comedian interacting with an audience that doesn't need the culturally specific jokes explained to him. He never did quite figure out what to do with his hands. Hopefully this now frees him to do something new.

Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King (2017)

This might just be the best stand-up set so far this year. It is loads better than Minhaj's uneven White House Correspondent's Dinner set. One of the main reasons is I think he comes off a little awkward is because he doesn't laugh at his own jokes. Maybe only twice in the whole set did he laugh. Is he taking himself a little too seriously? Maybe I've just been watching too much SNL where a little bit of breaking is encouraged. But I think he would benefit from a little bit of laughing.

The set is excellent. It's really poignant, personal, hilariously brilliant and simultaneously touching. He tells stories about the immigrant experience. I love how he breaks into Urdu/Hindi without always bothering to translate. He's really unapologetic about being an immigrant. Why should he be? That's the whole point, isn't it? He is a proud Indian-American. His stories are expertly crafted to bring you up and up and then to take you down with a sad part tinged and then a raucous punch line. And the magic questions that pervade his set: Are we entitled to equality? Is equality a privilege? Is racism the price we pay as immigrants?

Really quickly, I'd like to point out the good camerawork. These stand-up specials usually have pretty standard camerawork but the more emotional moments of his set zoom in pretty close to his face. It's much more intimate than the big room he's actually performing. And in the room itself, great lighting.