Def Comedy Jam (S3E3)

Def Comedy Jam’s third season rolled out in 1993, continuing the HBO showcase’s run of loud, fast, and unapologetically blue stand-up. Hosted by Martin Lawrence, who works the room between sets with a mix of crowd work and physical riffs, this half-hour episode gives four comics a few minutes each to sink or swim in front of a vocal audience.

The lineup leans heavily on observational basics. Cortez works through a tight set about the panic of oversleeping, Carl Strong tackles the universal frustrations of driving, and Dave Edwards builds a premise around strange noises. The episode’s most notable spot belongs to Adele Givens. Still a few years away from her Queens of Comedy mainstream breakout, Givens hits the stage with a combative confidence, anchoring the episode with a routine on relationships and fake hoes.