Entertainment
On May 12, comedy heartthrob Aziz Ansari (he called himself that in a stand-up bit once, so who am I to disagree?) is back for another season of Master Of None, his Netflix series with co-creator Alan Yang that's loosely based on his own life. When we left Dev in Season 1, he was flying to Italy to follow a spontaneous dream of becoming a gourmet pasta maker; Season 2 will pick up there, as he encounters all the same problems he had in New York City. Will a possible Season 3 of Master Of None hold equal treasures for us?
Unfortunately, despite how great the show has been over the past two years, there’s no guarantee that a third season will happen anytime soon. But it’s not due to lack of interest on the part of Netflix, at least — it’s because Aziz Anzari might want to explore other opportunities. “I don’t know if we’re going to do a Season 3,” he told Vulture recently. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I needed a looonng break before I could come back to it.” (It should be noted that Season 2 of the show debuted a year and a half after Season 1, so he's already very into taking his time.)
Ansari certainly wouldn’t be the first comedian to take a break from their own scripted series; in 2015, EW reported that Louis C.K.'s FX show would be granted a long hiatus until he was ready to come back to it. Coincidentally, FX is also going through something similar with Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which is taking a yearlong break despite being contracted for several more seasons.
Obviously, Ansari will be up to other great things even if he decides not to revisit Master Of None for a while, but in the meantime there are plenty of other places to check out his insightful brand of comedy:
'Parks And Recreation'
Of course, Ansari best known role is Tom Haverford, the image-obsessed entrepreneurial government employee who regularly skips work to invent things like new fragrances on Parks and Recreation. Like Ansari himself, Tom hails from South Carolina, obsesses over technology, and loves the finer things in life — plus, he has great names for food. You can marathon the whole show on Netflix, Hulu, and Seeso. Although, maybe skip the first season; Ansari is the best part of it by fair, but the show overall is still hitting its groove in those episodes and it might not be worth revisiting unless you’re a hardcore fan.
'Modern Romance'
Most comedians who get a book deal just write a funny memoir filled with their own personal experiences and ramblings, but not Ansari — he set his sights a little higher and partnered up with NYU sociology professor Eric Klinenberg on a heavily researched exploration into the world of modern dating trends. If you’ve ever agonized over the right text to send someone you were interested in and freaked out when you got nothing but the “read” message back, then Modern Romance is the book for you.
'30 Minutes Or Less'
This 2011 movie starred Jesse Eisenberg as a pizza delivery guy who’s forced to rob banks, and Ansari as his estranged friend who helps him out. The movie admittedly received mixed reviews and has a score of 44 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but if you’re down for crude humor and don’t get offended easily, it’s worth it to watch Ansari completely steal the movie. You can rent 30 Minutes Or Less on Amazon video for $3.99
Raaaaaaaandy!
Aziz Ansari doesn’t appear for very long in Funny People, the Adam Sandler-starring film about comedians, but Funny Or Die did put together a fake documentary about the character. I know I’m probably supposed hate this imaginary too-popular stand-up comic, but I can’t, because he's just too funny at bringing him to life. I would go see Raaaaaaaandy live. God help me, I would.
'Human Giant'
This weirdo MTV sketch show put Ansari, Paul Scheer, and Rob Riggle on the map back in 2007. Unfortunately, while the show was previously streaming on Amazon Video, it’s currently not available due to changes in the current agreement between Amazon and the content provider. However, you can buy Human Giant on DVD if you’re really desperate, and a bunch of their sketches are available to watch on Funny Or Die!
His Stand-up Specials
Ansari is great no matter what medium you encounter him in, but stand-up will always be the purest, unfiltered method for his particular brand of comedy. Along with his two most recent specials produced by Netflix, Buried Alive and Live At Madison Square Garden, you can also stream his second special Dangerously Delicious there.
His first album, Intimate Moments For A Sensual Evening, isn’t streaming anywhere, but you can listen the audio soundtrack on Spotify, which I highly recommend — he does Raaaaaaaandy’s set as an encore. It’d be really cool to see him return to stand-up if Master Of None takes a while to come back! Until then, at least we'll have the first two seasons on Netflix, too.
Editor's Note: On Jan. 13, Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman who went on a date with him. Ansari has since responded to the claims, saying:
"In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual.
The next day, I got a text from her saying that although 'it may have seemed okay,' upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.
I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue."
