In comedy, there is a fingernail fine line between uncomfortable funny and uncomfortable. Nathan Fielder is the master of toeing this line, as the deadpan comedian is able to Wallenda tightrope balance over an abyss of silent audience members to the tune of laughter almost always.
But, with Fielder’s wildly popular Comedy Central show Nathan For You in between seasons, where are fans supposed to go for unwaveringly straight-faced antics?
The Answer
Look no further than David, a five-episode web series from creator Dean Fleischer-Camp starring Fielder as the titular character. Available on Super Deluxe and YouTube, the dark comedy follows the incredibly awkward life events of David after a tarot card reading reveals he only has five weeks to live.
Additional incentive to view this series alert!
David’s ex-wife is played by Obvious Child star Jenny Slate, whose name is already etched into the virtual walls of internet stardom for voicing the cult-classic “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.” The video was brought forth by a collaboration between Fleischer-Camp and Slate, who recently split up after marrying in 2012.
David‘s humor lies mostly in the interactions between Fielder and the show’s other characters, played by a group of intentionally poor performing actors who, in a serious high school production, would’ve been given a role titled something like “Miscellaneous Tree” or “Background Rock.”
Example Given!
In the first episode, David is notified by his landlord, Marie (Brandi Austin), that his credit card was declined and he is now on the verge of eviction. It plays out as the most anti-climactic eviction notice of all time, with Fielder not changing his blank facial expression for the scene’s entirety while Marie remains in a fixed state of bizarre smile. It’s beautifully weird, and resulted in my own intensely audible laughter while sitting alone in my room storming through all five parts of the series (which is also weird, but definitely not beautiful).
Wait! Hold It! Stop There! Freeze! And all other demands for hesitation!
The show deals with death, and therefore features some rather aesthetically nasty visuals of human mortality. This ranges from David staring at his bloody urine, to a man hanging himself, to David throwing up a lot of blood for a really long time — it’s also one of the rare times that throwing up massive amounts of blood is more comedic than concerning. The faint of heart shouldn’t stray from the series, but make sure to have a hand close by for covering eyes when necessary.
Final Notes
If the Fielder/Slate cast isn’t already enough to entice you into viewing the series, know that it takes about 30 minutes to finish. In a world where attention deficit disorder is increasingly common, that’s as surefire of a selling point as there can be.
