Conan O'Brien has returned to HBO Max for a third season of his travel documentary series, bringing his absurd comedy and deliberate cultural ignorance to four new countries.
The series, Following Conan O'Brien, originated from a segment on his weekly podcast where he speaks with international listeners. The comedian travels to meet these fans, turning the visits into a series of improvisations and self-deprecating situations.
Filmmaker Werner Herzog provides the opening voiceover for the new season, describing the comedian as a vile and depraved defiler. Herzog said changes in the television ecosystem pushed the proud host into the hostile climate of a weekly podcast, leaving him to scavenge distant lands to feed an insatiable hunger for recognition and selfies.
New destinations and activities
The third season spans episodes in India, the Netherlands, Morocco and the Philippines. In India, O'Brien teaches a fan how to present a talk show, attempts to learn street cricket, and performs in a Bollywood dance number.
The Netherlands episode sees O'Brien celebrating King's Day and instructing a fan and a local basketball team in the practice of trash talking, provoking opponents with insults. He also dresses as the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh to demand the financial profits the artist failed to secure during his lifetime.
O'Brien is joined by his collaborator Sona Movsesian for the trip to Morocco. The pair search for argan oil, ride camels, undergo sand therapy in the Sahara desert and navigate the markets of Marrakech.
In the Philippines, the presenter helps an admirer shoot an action movie sequence and eats balut, a traditional Philippine dish consisting of a fertilized and boiled duck egg. The episode concludes with a storyline about purchasing a private island, raising dark questions about isolation and discretion.
Late night television background
O'Brien hosted late night television programs in the United States for nearly three decades before transitioning to audio with his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. The HBO Max travel series serves as a television extension of the podcast's international fan calls.
Previous seasons of the travel show included visits to Norway, Argentina, Thailand and Ireland. A second season episode set in Spain featured O'Brien picking olives, using a flight simulator and touring Madrid with the Spanish actor Javier Bardem.
The HBO Max series contrasts sharply with serious travel documentaries like Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. The production even inserts on-screen disclaimers on the rare occasions that historically accurate information is presented by mistake.
