Michael Che Returns to Netflix

Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota is a 2026 Netflix stand-up comedy special starring Saturday Night Live comedian Michael Che. Released on October 13, the 59-minute performance was filmed over four shows in August at First Avenue, the legendary Minneapolis music venue closely associated with Prince. It marks Che’s third Netflix stand-up special and his directorial debut.

The title acknowledges Minnesota’s recent political and social tensions, a subject Che addresses through occasional local references. Much of the performance centers on his personal life and observations about American society, with material developed over several years of stand-up appearances, including performances in Minneapolis.

No Subject Is Off Limits

Michael Che has never been particularly interested in making audiences comfortable. In Shot in Minnesota, he approaches racism, political violence, religion, homosexuality, and free speech with the casual delivery that has become his trademark. His jokes frequently begin as seemingly ordinary observations before moving into territory where the audience has to consider exactly what he’s suggesting.

The special opens with material involving conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and moves through a variety of social and personal subjects. Che also discusses aging, relationships, and the unusual circumstances of his friendship with Colin Jost, including Jost’s marriage to Scarlett Johansson. His humor often depends on examining sensitive subjects from unconventional angles, occasionally presenting opinions that seem deliberately calculated to invite disagreement.

Che’s relaxed stage presence gives him considerable room to develop an idea. He frequently pauses, reacts to the audience, and allows the implications of a joke to settle before continuing. Much of the humor comes from his willingness to acknowledge his own contradictions, treating controversial opinions as subjects worth exploring rather than arguments he necessarily expects everyone to accept.

Beyond Saturday Night Live

Michael Che joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 2013 and became a Weekend Update co-anchor alongside Colin Jost the following year. Their partnership has become one of the show’s longest-running fixtures, particularly through their annual joke-swapping segments, in which each comedian writes material designed to embarrass the other on live television. Che also served as one of the show’s head writers.

His stand-up career has continued alongside his television work. Michael Che Matters premiered on Netflix in 2016, followed by Michael Che: Shame the Devil in 2021. He also created and starred in the HBO Max sketch comedy series That Damn Michael Che, which ran for two seasons from 2021 to 2022. These projects have given him opportunities to develop material beyond the constraints of Weekend Update’s rapid-fire political headlines.

Michael Che Returns to Netflix

No Subject Is Off Limits

Beyond Saturday Night Live

Career Highlights