The Break with Michelle Wolf (2018) User Reviews

I desperately want to give this show a chance

[p-rauland · 5/10 · 10 June 2018]

Disclaimer: English is not my native language.

I really tried to like this show. I wasn't familiar with Wolfs work before her appearance on the White House Correspondence Dinner and I really liked what she did there. Though it wasn't a master piece, it was at least mostly funny and well written.

Overall I think the media coverage of this appearance helped pushing The Break into the spotlight. For better and worse.

Unfortunately this means most of the reviews you find on this imdb-page tell nothing about the show. You got reviewers giving 1 star as an overreaction to her political views and users awarding 10 stars because they feel the need to defend the show by overly praising it.

I understand if people don't like Wolfs voice but I see it as a part of her character. After watching an episode I feel like there were 3-4 Jokes which they stretched out over 30 minutes. At first they're kind of funny but after repeating them 3 times I just feel like the show treats me like a kindergartner who didn't get the joke the first two times. DJ Jer-Z looks like he already regrets being part of this show and so far I don't really understand what his purpose is. Talk shows need a musical side kick I guess. When the audience cheers I can almost see the flashing "Applause" sign.

In conclusion: The concept of the show isn't special and it might get better over time but right now it's really just average.

Knowing Wolf, this should be much better, give it time.

[eddiechanty · 6/10 · 24 June 2018]

Michelle Wolf is not a new entity, she was already building her fame around the world for quite a few years as a comedian, absolutely fearless and biting in her comedy. Love her. Those reviewers that knows her for the 1st time from the WHCD knows next-to-nothing about what she's capable to deliver.

She was ready for her own show.

But sadly, 4 episodes in, this show is far from her best (or average even) work. She was much better in those other shows & stand-ups. My score of 6 could have been an easy 9 if she's as good as she was in, say, CC's TDS, all the time!

I think the whole idea of The Break - "take a break from the seriousness of late-night comedy" and "instead of making the news fun, she'll make fun of everything and everybody. There will be no preaching or political agenda - unless it's funny." - just isn't suitable for her. It might be good for the likes of Jimmy Fallon - that dude LOVES to laugh at his own jokes BEFORE he delivered the jokes - & Conan O'Brien, not the politically sharp cleaver of a comedian like Wolf.

Still, those 1* reviews are pathetic. Those reviewers should mention what shows they like to objectively judge their comedy prejudices & political leaning subjectivity.

An actual review of her show

[sayyourworst · 6/10 · 29 May 2018]

At this point in my review, her show has only one episode that aired just days ago. I followed her stand-up comedy prior to her notorious appearance as the host of the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner. It seems like many people just know her for just that and not her previous comedy. Because of the WHCD, it seems like her comedy is polarizing for many.

To clarify her previous comedy, she has a great deal of jokes revolving around her voice. It's screechy and annoying, but part of her act. Anyone shocked to hear it on her new show clearly have never seen her stand-up routines.

Now for her new show: It isn't all that bad and it is in need of improvement. Her jokes are raunchy, which is entirely within her normal comedy routines. Her comedy is much like many of the great comics in the form of shock comedy. It is meant to push the lines, and make you laugh and widen your eyes to how much it pushes the boundaries. That was the good part of it.

The DJ (why?): The DJ is introduced in her monologue. All he is good for in the entirety of the show is to nod, smile and laugh at times while on camera. That's it. This really seems like the producers wanted to make the show seem more like nightly live television shows like Fallen, Colbert and Kimmel. However, this show is just 30 minutes long and once a week. There is no need for DJ personality other than to fill in time. This show is on Netflix, so there aren't commercial breaks where the audience is just sitting for dead time. The DJ is a forgettable character.

The break-away segments: I'll just come out and say her show is trying to be the female version of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver with these break-away segments. Last Week kills it with their break-away segments, but The Break falls short. The CGI graphics for effects are horrible. Two of the three break-away segments were forgettable.

Overall: Though the show has only one episode, it does need improvements. It's a half hour that could benefit from some pruning of needless things. There is no need for a DJ. The break-away segments need better writing and execution. This isn't a daily show, so these issues shouldn't be too hard to address.

Review from someone who actually watched the show

[Meghdoot · 30 May 2018]

There are ample of comedy news shows now a days. And The Break sets itself apart due to the talent and personality of Michelle Wolf. She is hilarious, funny, mean yet not heartless. She can get to the nub of the issue and make you laugh at the same time.

As this is a weekly show, it has the luxury of focusing on bigger issues than individual news items. The shows main strength is Michelle's monologue, sketches are good, but not to the SNL quality.

There are couple of negatives as well, her voice, which isn't the most news friendly voice, and her guest (Amber, fellow comedian from Seth Meyer's show) was underwhelming.

Comedy, or a fall from grace

[dpkutilek · 1/10 · 15 July 2018]

Wow where do I begin. I myself turned to Netflix to get away from this ultra political environment that has infect comedy like cancer. I honestly can't believe I watch all these episodes, absolute waste of time. I asked myself man how could trump have won then I watch something like this and I realize how far comedy and politics have fallen. Congratulations Michele wolf you actually just converted a long time democrat to libertarian conservative and I do not look forward to any sort of future "comedy roles" you star in. 1/10 very disappointing and god help us all.

Can't wait to see more!!

[chezstrong · 8/10 · 29 May 2018]

Finally! A show I can really relate to. As a non-Caucasian, non-Republican, millennial female who doesn't want kids this first episode really resonated with me and it was hilarious. I love her dry to the point humor, feminist outlook and the silly skits.

Good, but one major problem

[xboyjd · 7/10 · 30 July 2018]

The show is similar to shows like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver an The Daily Show, but there are some clear differences. Some of these differences work for her, like the use of sketches. However, there's one major difference from those shows that is definitely for the worse. And that's how informative it is. Full Frontal, Last Week Tonight and the Daily Show do intense research on the topic of their main stories so that it is informative. This show is not very informative. She talks about a topic, makes jokes about, makes her opinion on the matter clear, but does not back up that opinion with facts like other talk show hosts.

Screeching brakes with michelle

[chumgriffin · 2/10 · 28 May 2018]

Besides a lot of poor jokes and silly but only mildly funny sketches, what totally made this unbearable was Michelle's screechy voice which will irritate your ears after 5 very long minutes. A bit like listening to metal scraping against metal only far worse.

Refreshing

[Brycemesser · 9/10 · 27 May 2018]

I loved The Break. Michelle Wolf takes what would be a basic late night-type show and pushes the boundaries enough to make it feel refreshing and sharp. Every bit of her routine was hilarious and I loved the 'sports smash' section. The only part I didn't care for was the fake commercials. I felt they were just a bit odd, but it's worth suffering through for the rest of the show! Can't wait to see what Michelle does next week.

So funny!

[majka108 · 7/10 · 22 July 2018]

We love this series! Guaranteed to have us laughing until tears are streaming down our faces. Love her humor and her delivery.

It got worse. I lowered my rating.

[nanonta · 1/10 · 28 May 2018]

EDIT July 22 2018: Netflix, please cancel this show. It's about hate, not comedy.

EDIT July 2 2018; This never was funny, but now it's clear that Wolf wants to stoke up the hate. I asked Netflix why they want to pay for this.

At least she didn't have to try to explain a tedious "smoky eye" joke (from the White House Correspondents' dinner).

I expected 90% politics,bitterness, and direct anti-Trump ranting, but I don't think she even mentioned Trump this time. There was overt support for the notion that women should vote for women, specifically, for Hillary.

It was a good idea to make fun of the Amazon Alexa, but to me the final production was not really funny. OK, Alexa is supposed to act like a human, and humans eat food, but showing Alexa (and also Facebook) trying to spy on people would have been better. In fact, many real commercials are more entertaining than Wolf's satiric(?) fake one.

You may approve of insulting Sarah Sanders again, but, let's face it, it looks like a personal dislike rather than comedy. But given that personalities like Stephen Colbert perform lengthy political harangues thinly disguised as "comedy," I suppose that should not be surprising.

But I was expecting something much worse.

Unfortunately, Netflix seems to be descending into a one-sided political stance.I hope I am wrong about that. We will see how the new Obama series turns out.

I LOVE HER

[LiiaPantz · 10/10 · 27 May 2018]

Pretty sure the low ratings are just from incels who haven't even watched the show. Very funny. Really fills the empty hole Joel McHale left in my heart when his season ended. Smart comedy and very silly the way I like it.

Good, but "fake" ads

[titan-80897 · 6/10 · 4 June 2018]

This show cuts to commercial break, on Netflix. Sure, they're humorous. Maybe they're not serious. But that's what modern advertisements look like. I don't pay for Netflix to watch ads.

This show is otherwise exactly what you would expect if you watched Michelle Wolf on the Daily Show. It's funny and well written. I just turn turn it off when the fake ads start playing.

Plausibly deniable product placement occurs in shows. But it's plausibly deniable, which means minimally intrusive. Do I like being manipulated by plausibly deniable product placements? No, of course not. But at least they're not cut-scene advertisements.

Had high hopes...

[dom-146-292663 · 2/10 · 3 June 2018]

It's just not funny. She has presence and could do good work but the comedy is just not of a standard that deserves its own show. Had high hopes for this because we need more women comedians but artists like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler blow this out the water.

Yawn

[plmillernc-970-189682 · 2/10 · 30 May 2018]

If feeble humor, unleavened by wit or originality, is your cup of tea, this is your show. Self-indulgent, stunningly repetitive, this is a show that appeals to those on the edge of breakdown from unrelenting partisan bile and need just one more push to go over. Wolf is not as intelligent as Maher nor as earnestly eager as Mika. She's just tedious.

Terrible and mind-numbing.

[DylanMcChillin · 29 May 2018]

This show sucks. Michelle Wolf is not clever and her comedy is mediocre. I literally felt like the longer I watched the show the more brain cells were killed. Do yourself a favor and go watch something else.

Natural comedic talent

[patois-59-300246 · 10/10 · 28 May 2018]

Michelle Wolf is naturally and unapologetically funny and talented. She does not apologize for the things she knows people will criticize her for - being a feminist, being a woman, having frizzy red hair, having a screechy voice, etc. If you hated her White House Correspondents' Dinner performance you'll hate this series, so if you watch all you'll be doing is hate-watching. Maybe you're even within Michelle's target audience, because she knows she's trolling you.

But for those of us who love a naturally great comic, even if that comic happens to be a woman **gasp!** you will probably like this show. I watch too many things that try to be funny. Michelle is an oasis in the midst of this new politically correct era where you're supposed to be worried about offending people rather than being yourself.

I am so glad that this show got axed

[willsons-2 · 1/10 · 10 November 2018]

Why? Because it is just awful.

I could get past her voice (even though it is so annoying). What I could not get past though is her evident political bias and her utter disdain for any point of view that did not line up perfectly with her own.

I do not need to agree with a comedian's point of view and in fact I rarely do but I do need to find them funny. Michelle Wolf is not. Whoever told her that she was funny needs to up their meds!

Wolf is hilarious

[cmulvanerton · 9/10 · 27 May 2018]

Her jokes are hilarious, people need to stop hating on her for the white house correspondence dinner and appreciate how good her jokes are!

Vulgar and Dumb

[charlesblackbioed · 1/10 · 11 June 2018]

Every comedian wants to be George Carlin and Lenny Bruce, the problem is they simply aren't. Just another weak show that tries to get by on being shocking (vulgar). not worth your time

The show is funny

[nefestone · 8/10 · 29 May 2018]

Michelle Wolf is funny, plain and simple. I fully support giving a negative review when its deserved, but a quick peruse will indicate that the current negative post are from trump supporters who have an issue with her performance at the correspondent dinner. Watch the show from a neutral political stance and am sure you will enjoy it.

I Tried

[thomasikke · 5/10 · 1 January 2019]

I really liked her White House bit. I liked her appearances on all the different shows where she gave interviews. But this is show is just not cutting it. It's mediocre at best. But listening to her air-sirene-like voice is hard to do if you have to listen for 30 minutes at a time. If she had anything different to say, it would probably be bearable. But she is no different than Colbert, Kimmel, Myers and/or Hasan Minhaj. And that means I choose not to listen to that raspy voice. If I want to listen to her good jokes, I will turn on the White house bit again. If I want a view on the current political stage, I will watch someone with a bearable voice.

Being mean is not funny

[fairy_moon2012 · 2/10 · 8 September 2019]

It's just plainly mean joke, sounds a lot like bullying all these people she brought up. I like Michelle and want to support her so I hope this type of joke will go away.

Fantastic

[imanisramos · 10/10 · 8 June 2018]

These first two episodes were so honest. They were literally a break from the constant bull and lies people say on a daily basis. If you can't handle some dark truths, and serious comedy go back to la la land.

Just what has to fail inside your head to greenlight this?

[paul-93387 · 2/10 · 30 May 2018]

WOW! Ms wolf has a VERY good agent - because there isn't anything in this utterly insipid bilge to warrant a pilot, yet alone a full season. Can I have a partial refund please Netflix?

Seriously there is NOTHING funny about this show. She goes out of her way to say no politics in the show then IMMEDIATELY throws out a political "joke" (I say joke - I actually mean tirade, Ms Wolf needs a new dictionary that includes the correct definition of joke).

Her initial monologue was 10 minutes of a 30 minute show - where actual talented comedians know at most you do a 2 min slot in what is essentially a skit show.

Then because she is utterly bereft of talent or ideas, she makes a joke about a certain product, then repeats the joke several times - and just to add further salt to the wounds she had already stretched the joke beyond any comedic value first time around.

Then there was the jibbering imbecile known as the DJ. I appreciate he had to polish a t@rd wrt to her "joke", but come on he prostrated himself over an insipid quip - even Ms Wolf hadn't laughed at her joke - and she seemed to be the only one laughing at her "jokes" - because the audience as indeed the viewers needed reference as to when the punchline happened and so when we were supposed to laugh.

Then she had her "guest" who was just some unknown staff writer (probably one her her feminazi friends) who came on and did such an oh so hilarious dance that was about as funny as a septic polyp bursting internally.

Then there was the oh so hilarious rehashing of her "roast" of Sarah Sanders - the skit that got her this waste of time. At this point I forgot we were supposed to laugh at the jokes, and almost felt so sorry for her failing SO HARD that I was going to laugh - almost.

I seriously have to question the integrity of anyone giving this 5 stars yet alone 10. There is NOTHING that hasn't been done before elsewhere funnier, raunchier, bitchier, by far more talented comics. This is the most infuriating part. There are comics out there DESPERATE for a shot like this. There are men & women vastly more capable of delivering lines, writing material. Indeed during this abortion of a show (something Ms Wolf OPENLY supports), she went on way too long (as with everything she has done here), about sporting metaphors. I think the most apt is fumble.

I haven't seen someone fail so hard since Lance Armstrong took a drugs test.

If you enjoy over promoted hate filled incompetent, screeching ultra left wing feminazi propaganda, that doesn't understand the fundamental basics if comedy - whilst at the same time referencing comedy greatness, you may well enjoy this.

If however you have more than one braincell, actually expect to laugh at jokes and comedy sketches, or if you want more than one political joke being told OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, then this isn't for you.

Honestly, I don't see how someon doesn't get fired for allowing this to go to full season. I mean the money wasted on this could have gone into something more interesting - like a blank screen that changes colour every 5 minutes.

Are there spoilers? How can you spoil something that seems to have zero substance? Vapid is an understatement. The only person who seems to find this funny is Ms Wolf herself - judging by the way she conducted the audience as to when to laugh by cracking a "smile" on the side of her face that wasn't paralysed by a stroke - maybe that's why NOTHING she did or said was funny - we are taught NOT to mock the afflicted.

Maybe Ms Wolf will be given some new material for her next episode, and it would allow her to "roast" someone else. But saying that, being roasted by Ms Wolf is like being savaged by a wet lettuce!

As for the rating, I've been led to belive that ratings below 2/10 are just being ignored, and we aren't allowed to give 0/10! Thus she gets the bare minimum for the score to be registered. I apologise in advance for OVER scoring this dross at 2/10 -> by 2 points!

In the past I've had my teeth drilled before the anaesthetic took full effect. THAT was not just funnier, but less painful than watching this! I simply cannot overstate how INCOMPETENT this was.

Whether she is funny or not (NOT is the CORRECT answer *spoiler*) might be deemed subjective. Bad pacing, thin scripts, poor delivery, misreading the audience - those are OBJECTIVELY bad.

I don't know what job Ms Wolf did prior to this, I can only suspect she was as hopeless at that as she is at comedy.

10/10 for her agent though - any upcoming comic DEFINITELY needs to find their contact details!