Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Joe Pera Talks With You’ On Adult Swim, A Cozy Comedy That’s As Sincere As It Is Subversive

To know Joe Pera is to love Joe Pera. The soft-spoken comedian continues his unique brand of gentle, earnest comedy with his new series Joe Pera Talks With You, which premieres tonight at 12:00 a.m. on Adult Swim. Picking up where previous Adult Swim specials like Joe Pera Helps You Find The Perfect Christmas Tree and Joe Pera Talks You To Sleep left off, the cozy comedy centers on an amiable school choir teacher (Joe Pera) taking you to breakfast, showing you how to dance, exploring the many benefits of iron, and so much more. “It’s not The Sopranos,” Pera softly states in the show’s trailer, “but I did my best.”

JOE PERA TALKS WITH YOU: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Episode 1, “Joe Pera Shows You Iron,” begins with a brief history of iron (naturally), followed by a greeting from Joe Pera himself. “I’m not a miner, but a soft-handed choir teacher who’s just in awe of Michigan’s geological splendor,” Pera gently says. “Simply put, the Upper Peninsula is a rock hound’s paradise.”

The first minute certainly sets the stage for the absurdity to come.

The Gist: Joe Pera Talks With You isn’t for everybody, but if you have a predilection towards the offbeat, you’ll be smitten by the show’s surreal vulnerability. Pera’s distinct comedic voice eschews all forms of detached, jaded humor and instead focuses on a rare brand of alt comedy that radiates sincerity. The comedian finds humor in the banal as Episode 1 toggles between an iron documentary and Pera’s concern about being forced to sell his house after someone mistakenly places a “For Sale” sign on his lawn.

“Sincere absurdity” is a difficult comedic nut to crack, but Joe Pera excels at imbuing each and every scene with subtle, sophisticated humor.

Our Take: Joe Pera packs a preposterous amount of humor into each 11-minute episode. The scenes between Joe and his elderly best friend Gene, a Late Night with Seth Meyers cameraman who Pera met during an appearance on the talk show and then decided to cast on his series, exude a fun, unorthodox chemistry, and every single appearance by Conner O’Malley, who also serves as an executive producer, adds an unpredictable, helter-skelter energy.

Pera has a gift for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. The series as a whole is the perfect example of absurdist humor done right.

Parting Shot: Joe’s impassioned plea to the family who mistakenly believes his house is for sale is the comedic monologue equivalent of a chef’s kiss:

“Because I am a single man in a place where it’s cold most of the year, I have plenty of thinking time. I know I’m no Mr. Einstein, but I do try and think about interesting stuff like, ‘How come some birds live at the airport?’ and ‘What’s the number one Chinese lake?’ Plus, Gus lives here too, and one time seven wild turkeys walked through my backyard and I fed them Apple Jacks, and I’m hoping they’ll come back. Please don’t buy my home.”

Our Call: Stream it. 100% Stream it! Joe Pera Talks With You is like a warm, soothing bath on a cold, crummy night. It’s a comfy comedy that radiates a plucky underdog charm. There are so many small, wonderful laugh-out-loud moments that make this series, and the comedy of Joe Pera in general, an absolute joy to watch.

Joe Pera has blossomed into the beating heart of the alternative comedy scene. If you’re looking for something a little different but a lot of fun, Joe Pera Talks With You is absolutely worth your time.

You can stream the first two episodes of Joe Pera Talks With You on Adult Swim’s website.

Where to stream Joe Pera Talks With You