Michael Che looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than on HBO Max's That Damn Michael Che

Los Angeles Times

There are some standout moments on Che's new HBO Max sketch comedy show. Many of those moments, however, don't include Che, says Lorraine Ali. "But the rest of the episodes’ material is not all that funny or fresh, which is a problem considering that most late-night comedy, from Trevor Noah to John Oliver, is built upon tackling this kind of tough and topical news, and frequently go viral for their sharp, timely takes on police shootings, systemic racism, cancel culture and more," says Ali. "In the realm of sketch comedy, Robin Thede’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, also on HBO, is an explosion of racial justice commentary mixed with some of the most ambitiously insane humor out there. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s brilliant and mind-blowing. Che’s work cannot regularly say the same, which is ironic: Thede and her cast take the kind of risks Che chooses not to, even though he enjoys safe harbor at SNL. And just as he’s been upstaged on 'Weekend Update' by titanic impressions from the likes of Bowen Yang this season, Che is absent from many of his own series’ high points, at least on screen — including the Fitbit Protest and PSA sketches. As a result, That Damn Michael Che gives a good idea of what disgusts or amuses its namesake, but rarely offers a sharper sense of who he is as a comedian and performer. He chats informally to folks off camera in between sketches, banter that should highlight his personality outside the SNL anchor shtick, and add a new dimension to his past as a stand-up and Daily Show correspondent. But Che is pretty much the same guy here we see on 'Weekend Update' — nonchalant, flippant, unwilling to let his guard down. When the center of the show looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, it’s near impossible to stay invested. Humor with impunity is rarely funny." ALSO: Michael Che is funny in a way that's reminiscent of Norm Macdonald's format-breaking humor, but he's also kind of a d*ck.