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Late-night shows have traditionally been about consistency.
And it was almost overwhelmed by its own ideas and urgency.
Is the piece of art the show itself or that the show exists at all?
are not such simple questions.
They are personal questions.
Here are 13 Vulture staffers attempts at answering them.
So what did everyone think?
But those acknowledgements at least highlighted how boring every other talk show on the air is in comparison.
Those were genuine questions, which feels like a rarity for this medium.
I think its the most vital piece of Netflix original programming in years.
Rebecca Alter
I consider this show white excellence.
At times, this show had Black excellence too.
None of these things should go together, and not everything over the series six nights worked.
Roxana Hadadi
Liveness on Netflixstill feels a little uncanny valley to me.
(Especially the Find Flea game in the finale, which was almostcertainly inspired byGethards dumpster episode.)
Mostly for better and sometimes for worse, it felt like anything could happen.
But I thinkEverybodys in L.A.frequently followed the letter of chaos, but not the spirit.
The phone calls were the most frustrating for me.
Rather than engaging with the weirdos who called in, Mulaney didnt quite know what to do with them.
It seemed, honestly, pretty mean.
Emily Palmer Heller
My initial reaction to this show was a violent physical repulsion.
It feels very much like Conan OBrien hostingThe McLaughlin Groupon downers, a vibe I dig immensely.
While plenty of it remained hit-or-miss for me, the lows felt less important as the highs got higher.
The Reverse Borat sketch might be the best-written piece of comedy Ive seen all year.
Mulaney was so in charge that he showed no discomfort transparently pivoting in real time.
When callers rambled a bit too much, he hung up on them with no remorse.
Unbridled mayhem can only work this effectively when theres a calm, responsible presence steering the vehicle.
Jen Chaney
Ultimately, everything that didnt work about the show is the reason that it was so good.
Any guest who appeared could with a bit of effort reshape the entirety ofEverybodys in L.A.in their own image.
Now, did that make for some segments that did not work for me in the classic manner?
But the looney, ever-shifting nature of the show was what kept me watching.
I loved when the show became Pete Davidson and Bill Hader just watching Luenell vibe.
Ididntlove the filmed segments because they were too wieldy (as opposed to the otherwiseunwieldyprogram).
Mulaney knows this, and this is what makesEverybodys in L.A.so successful.
Simpson), and hypnotherapists with terrible wigs.
Reanna Cruz
What do we want and not want next?
This would thrive as a weekly live show.
My only hesitation would be it hindering Richard Kinds acting availability.
At bare minimum, Mulaney should take his clipboard to other cities on a periodic basis.
Austin during South by Southwest?
Palm Springs during Coachella?
Ill go to any city (via streaming) to watch him manage this kind of madness again.
Is that a profitable model for this kind of thing?
Maybe Netflix can invent some new festivals to support it.
Desus and Mero, figure out your shit!
I disagree with the people who think Mulaney should take this format to different cities.
This show is fundamentallyL.A., the way thatHow To With John Wilsonis fundamentally New York.
Id also like to see them have some Muppets on.
Statler and Waldorf would be incredible guests.
R.A.
First, John should learn how to correctly gender nonbinary people.
Second, Luenell needs to become a regular guest.
I ultimately came down on the side of liking thatEverybodys in L.A.was an event.
to maintain spontaneity,Everybodys in L.A.must not become a part of anybodys schedule.
I want an episode on Boyle Heights!
An episode on Huntington Park!
Rick Carusos mall empire!
The potentials are endless, really.
But Id love Netflix to keep doing a late-night show.
What I propose: a new host every week who gets to do whatever they want with it.
Richard Kind as permanent sidekick is nonnegotiable.
Id prefer Mulaney move on to his next experiment rather than revisit this one.
Will I watch more of this show if it returns?
(These are my thoughts onShoguntoo by the way.)
Let us miss it.
Theres value in that.
R.H.
