Nathan For You

No other show in 2017 had smoke detectors being used as an instrument, a computer repair store with an all asexual staff or reunited an old man with a lost love besides Nathan For You. Nathan For You is a “reality” show that is also a comedy show. The show follows Nathan Fielder, a comedian turned business marketer as he helps small, struggling businesses draw in customers with grand but absurd ideas.

What makes the show real is that Fielder actually does help businesses out, but you never know if the Nathan Fielder on the show is a heightened version of himself or not. Fielder himself is often the butt of the joke and his lack of his social proclivities is a recurring theme throughout the show, especially in the recent season. Fielder has a very deadpan delivery and his interactions with business owners often end up very awkward, much to the audience’s delight.

It’s been two years since the last season and many fans have been eagerly waiting to see what bizarre ideas Fielder has in store next. This year’s season did not disappoint as Fielder brainstormed even more ridiculous ideas (such as having taxi drivers “infiltrate” Uber) and delved more into the persona of Nathan Fielder.

This was also the first season in the show to conclude with a two-hour season finale. In the episode, Fielder helps a friend of his, a Bill Gates impersonator named William Heath find a lost love from his youth. This episode had the conflict and twist of a feature film, making it easily one of the most entertaining episodes of the show.

Season 4 of Nathan For You, was a short but sweet season of deadpan comedy that showed the inanities of real life. It stood out with 2017 because of its unique brand of humor that I believe will stand the test of time.