Buried Alive

Aziz Ansari stands at the edge of his thirties and stares down the sudden arrival of adulthood. Buried Alive marks a clear transition in his act. He drops some of the manic, character-driven energy of his twenties to focus on the mechanics of modern relationships, marriage, and the bizarre reality of having children. The contrast on stage is sharp: his friends are settling down to build families, while he still views drinking apple juice and watching Jurassic Park as a complete evening.

Filmed at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia in 2013, the set became Netflix’s first exclusive original stand-up special. It arrived squarely in the middle of his run as Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation, pointing directly toward the sociological dating material that would consume his later work. The shift paid off, earning critical praise and placement on several end-of-year lists. It also makes room for a remarkably patient piece of crowd work, where he cross-examines a couple about their restaurant proposal to find out if the breadsticks were truly unlimited.