Nathan For You: Seasons One & Two

Canadian comic Nathan Fielder is an acquired taste. Some love the discomfort his humor triggers, while others cringe over his goofy shenanigans. The first two seasons of this Comedy Central hit serve up a bizarre assortment of encounters with real people in situations that bring awkward comedy to a new level. Fielder's concept is to put his college education to work creating bizarre marketing plans for small businesses just to see what happens. The outcomes are sometimes wildly unexpected, and all depend on a huge amount of social dissonance for their comedic reward. Nathan For You is a reality show that mocks reality, springing from Fielder's problems relating to people; in fact, it's amazing that he's gained so much success when he's clearly troubled by his inability to interact well. Two of the setups made real headlines before the show even aired: Fielder's “Dumb Starbucks” store in Los Angeles left the real Starbucks scratching its head, and the “Baby Pig Saves Baby Goat” video created for a petting zoo was a viral smash before being uncovered as a hoax. Fielder also crafts strategies for a funeral parlor, a dating website, a burger joint, an exterminator, and others, with wacky results. Fielder often comes off as condescending to his subject clients, but this is as much about him trying to confront his social anxieties. Fielder may be a jerk, but he's also a very smart and often very fun one. Just don't expect the absurd business plans to pay off for anyone but Fielder himself. Compiling all 16 episodes from the 2013-14 first and second seasons, extras include audio commentaries, extended sequences and deleted scenes, parody songs, and a press conference by Fielder. Recommended, overall. (T. Fry)