The Half Hour

Mike Recine treats twisted logic like everyday common sense. His strongest routine here concerns his autistic brother competing in the Special Olympics, specifically the absurdity of being disqualified from a walking race for running. Recine skips any polite tiptoeing around the subject, pointing out that his brother didn’t cheat so much as figure out the fastest way to win.

Recorded at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans for Comedy Central’s fifth season of The Half Hour, the 2016 set caught Recine right as he was solidifying his reputation among New York comics. He had already logged two appearances on Conan, building a style that made cynical observations sound completely casual.

Between bits on R&B cheating songs and an explanation of why his girlfriend was terrible at her day job, Recine keeps the pace unhurried and the punchlines uncomfortably direct.