Last Comic Standing - August 2 recap

Due to my travel schedule, I missed recapping last week’s episode of Last Comic Standing on NBC, but it feels like I’ve been gone a lot longer than that. While the audition rounds were surprisingly funny, by the end it felt like they had gone on for months. Now, suddenly, we’re down to the last performance show before the finale? I’m not sure about this scheduling choice. But that’s what we’ve got, so let’s get to it.

The show took an unorthodox approach, doing something I wish happened more frequently on competition shows: they made the one and only cut at the top of the hour. Jonathan Thymius got the axe, and I have to say I’m relieved that he did. At first I found him really unique and funny, with his quirky stage tics and mannerisms. But after powering through last week’s episode on my DVR and witnessing another lackluster set by him, I had had enough. He had a couple of pseudo-jokes that seemed to be missing punch lines entirely and just sat there being weird. I’ll take him in small doses, but he was absolutely the right guy to get sent packing this week.

If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’ve watched a good portion of the season to this point. So instead of just another middle school level book report recap, I’ll rank the remaining comics the way I see them heading into the finale, including how they fared this week. But it certainly warrants mentioning that this group of five left is really solid. There isn’t one person I hate, which has almost never been the case in seasons past. And I’m sure if I caught any of the remaining comics live at a comedy club, I’d have a great time.

#5. Felipe Esparza. He probably has the weakest material of anyone left, but he is a funny guy. Part of it is the look—the long hair, the scraggly beard, and the suit and tie that make him look like a teenager going to court. But his jokes are genuine, and he gets real laughs. This week he had some very funny bits about his better-looking brother, who happens to be gay. Felipe compared that to someone having super powers but not using them to rescue anyone. The whole set was one of his better ones of the season.

#4. Mike DeStefano. The judges, especially Greg Giraldo, wisely observed what is one of Mike’s biggest strengths on stage: that it is difficult to be so mean and tough and still come off as likeable. That is clearly his comedic angle, and he hits it every week. The finale was one of his strongest showings of the season, with fresh takes on the same types of jokes he has done to get him here.

#3. Roy Wood Jr. With just five comics remaining, the performers were given a little bit more stage time this week, and that certainly helped Roy. He is a very enjoyable guy who is always easy to watch, but with an extended performance he was able to go for multiple set ups and callbacks within his set that were really funny. He had a stellar bit on racism, and how it can be tough to determine who is and who is not racist down south. “I think anybody who likes black people should get a wristband or a hand stamp,” he said. Once again, the judges unanimously loved him, with Greg calling it a “smashing” set.

#2. Myq Kaplan. The only possible knock on Myq could be that his material is relatively highbrow compared to his fellow finalists, and thus his appeal may be narrower. But I don’t buy it. He has been laugh-out-loud funny every week, and he was once again. He also continued doing something that he has done nearly every show: weaving in an off-the-cuff joke or callback to an earlier comic’s bit or phrase from the same night. It’s just a little thing, but it’s very clever and always funny. The judges caught it, too, complimenting him on his spontaneity. Myq hasn’t had a bad set yet, and he has a very real shot to win this competition. At the very worst, he should have a guest spot written for him on The Big Bang Theory. I know it’s on a competing network but he would fit right in there.

#1. Tommy Johnagin. It’s simple: Tommy has made me laugh out loud every week. This is tougher than it sounds, because more often than not, even though this is a comedy contest, it’s tough to get real, actual laughter. There are many times when I like the way a joke is written, or I find myself thinking, “That was funny.” But when Tommy’s on stage, I laugh. This week he veered away from his bread and butter relationship material and killed on a spectrum of topics so varied that it ran from port-a-potty theft to a hilarious mistaken trip to an OB-GYN. The judges loved him too, noting that his set ups are funny by themselves. They also felt that the longer set let him work at a more comfortable pace, and it was evident. I would love to see him perform a full headlining show, and that’s definitely where his career is headed.

Next week looks like a big, bloated, two-hour season finale to wrap things up. Any comic left could win this year’s title and it wouldn’t be shocking, and it’s great knowing that a deserving and talented comedian is going to take home the prize this time. I don’t love the American Idol treatment the producers insisted on inflicting on the competition, but with the season drawing to a close, I’m surprised and pleased at how funny it has been this year. Well done, Last Comic Standing. I didn’t know if you still had it in you.