Chelsea Season 1 Review

Chelsea (2016-)
Season 1 (2016)

Created by: Chelsea Handler

Rating: TV-MA
Watch Chelsea on Netflix

Chelsea - The worst part about this show is Chelsea.

Plot:
In this Netflix original talk show, Chelsea Handler will interview guests and explore stories similar to Chelsea Does (2015). Ninety episodes are scheduled for season 1, streaming Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each week for the rest of this year.

Verdict:
This is the first time Netflix hasn't put up all episodes at once as these episodes are filmed live. It's Netflix's first foray into a talk show. I've watched the first three episodes. The third episode is easily the best. As you may have guessed from my Chelsea Does review,  I didn't expect to like this, assuming Chelsea would be pushing her own agenda too hard, and she's often intrusive.
If you like the guest it might be worth watching, but any future episode I watch, I'm going to skip any segment that is focused on Chelsea. The conversations over dinner in episode three with the Captain America: Civil War cast are really interesting, and I would watch an entire show with guests talking over dinner. Though I'd prefer Chelsea let the guests talk, instead of trying to dominate conversations. She had a talk show before, but you wouldn't know it watching this. She's not a adept at interviewing or hosting.
It depends.

Review

Episode 1 - Appetite for Instruction
The newest episode is posted to the top, making it appear as the first episode. I ended up watching them in reverse order. 

It's trying to be something different by being pretty similar. Chelsea states she doesn't like opening monologues, but does one in EVERY episode and this one just keeps going. They never get any better. 
 
I think this could get better, but this isn't her first talk show so she should already know that fans want to hear the guest talk more than her. She can't help but insert and reiterate her take on issues.

Her first guest in episode one is John King, the Secretary of Education. I like exploring guests that aren't part of pop culture, but this doesn't happen again in the first three. Of course Chelsea manages to make this segment about her. If you've seen Chelsea Does, you know that's typical.

Rapper Pitbull talks about his educational outreach programs.

The first episode has a few parody type clips that thankfully don't continue in the next two episodes as they are absolutely pointless.

Drew Barrymore and Chelsea drink wine and talk about life before Chelsea shows off her rapping skills while Pitbull watches, though it really should happen the other way around.
  
Episode 2 - Gwyneth & Tony & Chelsea & TED
Another opening monologue that you can skip. Gwyneth Paltrow is turning this into an infomercial, shilling products she makes and sells. 

Since it's been almost ten minutes without a segment focused on Chelsea, that's what we get. You could skip that too. Shes auditioning for a Mexican television show. I have no idea what the point of this is.

Tony Hale discusses petitioning Congress on a human trafficking bill and how to contact your local representative. Paltrow also petitioned Congress about GMO labeling. I liked having both guests out at the same time to discuss their similar experiences.

Episode 3 - Dinner Party: Captain America & Friends

Chelsea Does made me less interested in this. The opening monologue is trying to be subversive, but instead falls flat. If there wasn't a laugh track there probably wouldn't be any laughter at all.

This is trying to be something intimate and the dinner party goes that way. It's legitimately interesting seeing Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans, Frank Grillo, and Emily VanCamp interact, but it's hampered by Chelsea's need to dominate the conversation and attempts to crack jokes. Don't talk over your guests. They are the reason people are watching. Frank Grillo was the most entertaining by far. I would watch a show of just these people talking over dinner.

Chelsea's introduction to Marvel comics was boring. I don't care whether she knows about comics. Go read wikipedia instead of creating a segment that is completely pointless. Even the show realizes the segment is boring as it intercuts the dinner party scenes. The Marvel introduction could have been a few slides consolidated to less than a minute instead.

If you like the guest, an episode might be worth watching, but it looks like it's going to have some segments focused purely on Chelsea and her viewpoints or lack of knowledge. Those segments are going to drag.