Conan O’Brien Must Go is brilliant and the comedy streaming series we need right now. It’s pure, unfiltered, and unapologetically from the vision of a comedic genius who continues to be undervalued, underappreciated, and always underestimated. That’s Conan O’Brien, America’s sweetheart, who embarks on a travel show to unite the world when no one asks him to.
Conan O’Brien Must Go is full of the late-night talk show’s signature style. A man who revels in legendary remote bits like apple picking with Mr. T, shooting semi-automatic shotguns with Hunter S. Thompson, or painting the town red with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, now finds himself as a man of the people. Now, he’s showing up at the front door of fans of his uber-successful podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and it’s hilarious.
That’s because we know nothing more unites us than the sight of a tall, gangly, pale redhead comedian dressed as a Gaucho.
Conan O’Brien’s ability to create comfort food with comic sketches (can I get amen from my Dudez-a-Plenti stans?) is legendary. The man also needs to be thought of as a visionary titan of industry. Seeing the comic late-night landscape shift and slowly beginning to maneuver his work into delicious YouTube bits was genius. He began his famous and hugely successful Conan Without Borders, increasing his worldwide foothold.
Sure, it may have been an excuse to travel the world on the dime of TBS, but it spawned something inside the man to broaden his worldwide appearance. It turns out Conan is for everyone. That spun off an idea to bring in fans worldwide for interviews on his podcast. Those lucky few selected by Big Red to break into the bubble through their lens and his comic view.
Conan is a performer who understands the nature of juxtaposition. Seeing the tall, pale, redheaded comedian out in the real world is unique enough. Whether it’s having the legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog narrate the goofy openings or engaging O’Brien in a Thai kickboxing sparring match, he knows his persona. He’s like Steve Martin, who looks like a yuppie businessman who acts bizarrely.
Like his late-night talk show, he has made his travel show resemble something normal. Like any series you would come across on channels like Travel, Discovery, or PBS. It appears like your standard show, but it’s much more rowdy, eccentric, outlandish, and frenetic than expected.
Conan O’Brien’s new series is pure absurd and satirical bliss. The joke is never mean in spirit. In fact, it’s nearly always on him. Even in Jordan Schlansky’s hilarious return, the comedian plays the jerk. (That episode featuring his visit to Argentina is the best of the series.) Which, in turn, makes him endearing.
Conan O’Brien Must Go is worth watching for moments of brilliant comic levity that can make you forget about your troubles. From his performance as a Norwegian rapper, his hyperactive, turbocharged Thai boxing training session, or debating the pronunciation of “Tango” with a know-it-all, it’s all simply Conan.
Full of wit, absurdity, self-deprecation, clever, irreverent humor, and plenty of heart.
Conan O’Brien Must Go travels the streaming waves on Max on April 18th, 2024.
Conan O'Brien Must Go is brilliant and the show we need right now.
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I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.
