Whether or not you agree with their politics, it is hard to argue that late night political comedy isn’t dominating the television industry today. Well-known voices such as John Oliver, Trevor Noah and Stephen Colbert have garnered high ratings in a time period notable for its political divisiveness.
With Netflix continuing to experiment with the kind of content they can produce in their original series, it stands to reason that they would want to dip their toes in this rising form of entertainment.
“Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” is not exactly “late night comedy” in the same style as “Last Week Tonight” or “The Daily Show.” It will be released weekly by Netflix instead of during the traditional times that these shows air.
However, it does follow a very similar format as these shows, with comedian Hasan Minhaj focusing on a different cultural or political topic every week. He brings a mix of pathos and humor to issues considered very sensitive by the public.
Its weekly release schedule is peculiar for a Netflix series. This is borderline unheard of for the platform, which typically opts to drop entire seasons at once. Perhaps this show marks the beginning of a significant shift in the style of the streaming service.
Netflix would stir controversy if it chose to begin airing their shows in the same way as traditional cable TV, as a major perk of the service is that it offers an alternative to this long-standing format. Only time will tell if viewers hold more value for the quality of the show or the way it is released.
As for “Patriot Act” itself, it certainly shows its potential, although it also suffers from the same weaknesses and growing pains that many comedy series experience in their first few seasons.
Minhaj became famous after recent work on “The Daily Show,” where he served as a comedy correspondent between 2014 and 2018. As an up-and-comer in the industry, it is no wonder that he would want to break away from a long-established show and focus more on his own content.
In the first episode, “Affirmative Action,” Minhaj gives an in-depth analysis on the titular subject and more specifically the issues that some people have with it and the merits of those issues.
If one thing is for certain, it is that Minhaj is very comfortable on stage. He keeps a great conversational tone throughout the 23 minutes he is on screen. Avoiding an awkward, stiff style of speaking is critical to success in the stand-up comedy industry, and this is something that Minhaj clearly understands.
Unfortunately this is the case, because if not for the comedian’s natural charisma, many of his less-than-stellar jokes would fall completely flat. This can be chalked up to the show still trying to find its voice.
There are many points during the episode where a joke is on the cusp of being very funny, but there is something about the delivery that drags it down. Minhaj is definitely a very witty person who has experience in the late night scene, so it was disappointing to see so many moments that didn’t live up to their full potential.
That being said, there are plenty of other jokes that are laugh-out-loud funny. With more episodes and seasons, this show could become a comedy hit.
On the more serious side of things, the topic of affirmative action is handled gracefully and intelligently. Minhaj has done his research, and it shows with the sources and video clips he presents during the episode.
Many political comedians have been accused of bias, and it is likely that the same criticisms will be leveled at this show. But while Minhaj makes his stance on the issue known, he does also try to fairly represent both sides and play devil’s advocate. He also understands that these are not black and white conflicts with clear-cut answers.
If there is something that absolutely needs to be improved in the future, it is the way the episode ends. The manner in which Minhaj closes the show feels incredibly forced and scripted in contrast to the rest of the episode, which did a good job of keeping things natural.
Overall, this was an uneven but enjoyable premiere. If Minhaj is able to tweak the aspects that aren’t working so well and double down on its positive qualities, he stands a chance of being held in the same regard as the greats such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
