Rank: 4/5
If you’re looking for a breath of fresh air from Chelsea Handler, her newly released Netflix series“Chelsea Does” offers a surprisingly refreshing perspective not typical of the crude comedian.
The docuseries, which released Jan. 23, is four parts, each about an hour long: “Marriage,” “Silicon Valley,” “Racism” and “Drugs.” While the topics aren’t unusual material for Handler to discuss, her portrayal of them in “Chelsea Does” is different from her standard body of work.
The female comic who is known for her unflinching honesty and shamelessness is unabashedly herself and asks difficult questions of those with conflicting opinions in everything she does.
In her latest project, Handler exposes a side of her that is rarely seen by audiences: vulnerability. The great thing about Handler is that there’s nothing graceful about her and with that comes authenticity. She isn’t afraid to be awkward or embarrassed when talking to a range of people relevant to each subject matter.
The comedian interviews a multitude of viewpoints for each topic, introducing a wide spectrum of people in her docuseries. In “Marriage,” viewers see how Handler’s perspective on marriage has changed, and her insecurity with being unmarried. In Silicon Valley she demonstrates inefficiency with technology, and figuring out what “streaming even is.” In “Drugs” she smokes marijuana with Willie Nelson, and travels to Peru to try the hallucinogenic drug Ayahuasca which leaves a lasting cathartic experience.
She meets with radicals, educated advocates, professionals, preschoolers, friends and family. Handler even includes footage of her sessions with a psychologist. Each segment begins with Handler hosting a dinner party in round table format with a diverse group of friends that changes with each portion.
Handler has never been known for her etiquette, but she manages to tackle controversial issues in a somewhat sensitive way. For instance, in her bit on racism, she interviews the family of police brutality victim Walter Scott. She sheds light on recent cases involving race and police brutality, showing a montage of pictures and video footage of police confrontations.
Handler created “Chelsea Does,” as a bridge to her next project, a talk show on Netflix. The show will be airing three times a week, different from Netflix’s format of releasing all the episodes for a particular season at once.
Even if you don’t approve of her humor, “Chelsea Does” is worth a watch to get you thinking. Handler maintains her trademark humor throughout the series, an acquired taste at best.
She uses her platform to address current affairs while receiving input from an assortment of contributors and reflecting on her life thus far. She concludes the series by acknowledging her happiness with her life and that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her.
Add Handler’s newest project to your binge list if you’re looking for something different and refreshingly funny.