Chelsea Handler is deservedly one of the most popular comedians working today. She's funny, she's smart and most importantly, she has no tolerance for BS. From airing her beef with Piers Morgan on live TV to the controversial comments she made after ending her partnership with E!, Handler is always able to speak her mind and is unafraid of the consequences. That's why her new four-part documentary series "Chelsea Does" is such a success. The show follows the comedienne as she unapologetically explores issues relevant to contemporary American society, taking on a different subject - marriage, Silicon Valley, drugs, racism - in each episode.
The first installment, “Chelsea Does Marriage,” is fresh, quality TV for the Netflix audience. Chelsea’s take on marriage is complicated and anything but trite. She refused the idea of getting married in her younger years as a way of rebelling.Now, at 40, she is warmer to marriage. As Handler attempts to understand what marriage means today, she interviews various people from different age groups and professions who all have diverse perspectives on marriage. She talks to kids who have quite liberal views on marriage, adults who have polyamorous and non-monogamous relationships and couples at different stages of marriage, including some older folks who have been in traditional marriages for 50 years.Handler also interviews her father, who had a long and successful marriage. The results of these interviews reach an important conclusion: it feels good to be with someone, regardless of its form.
Handler interviews multiple people who have turned relationships into their jobs: a wedding planner, a matchmaker, the CEO of Ashley Madison as well as the Director of the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas. It is clear that Handler dislikes those who turn marriage into a moneymaking industry - a reaction that makes for funny TV. After having an uncomfortable meeting with a wedding planner, she declares that she finds “people pretending to be excited for you to get you to buy things nauseating." Similarly, she hangs up a call from a matchmaker who is too enthusiastic to find Handler a match. These instances reveal why Handler was against the idea of marriage for so long: as she sees it, the benefits of love and partnership are often overshadowed by the pretentiousness of tradition.
In the episode, Handler also tries to “find love” by meeting the people she gets matched with. While these dates quickly turn disastrous thanks to Handler’s snarky comments, Handler repeatedly mentions that she is ready to settle down throughout the episode, preferably with someone similar to actor Eric Bana. She mentions how she is always quick to get tired of relationships, and her biggest fear is losing interest in her future husband. She also discusses her recent relationships with foreign men in which she felt distance both physically and emotionally due to location as well as cultural barriers.
The first episode of "Chelsea Does" is similar to Aziz Ansari’s Netflix series "Master of None" (2015). While "Master of None" is fictional and "Chelsea Does Marriage" is not, both explore romantic relationships and their significance in the modern society. Chelsea’s bold and honest take on the subject is unique and compelling. If the other episodes continue in the same vein as "Chelsea Does Marriage," it is safe to say that "Chelsea Does" is worth watching.
