Snicker, Please
Dave Chapelle is a special brand of celebrity; the type often relegated to 'that one guy'. Upon seeing his face, the few who recognize it can launch into a history lesson of his appearances: Robin Hood: Men In Tights. The Nutty Professor. Half-Baked. Undercover Brother (and for his sake, let's not mention You've Got Mail). Not to mention scattered gigs across several other films and HBO comedy specials. Chapelle, however, has come up with a far easier way to make people remember both his name and his face - and it's not just the title of his new Comedy Central half-hour skit fest Chapelle's Show, nor the bluesy opening theme that simply repeats the show's name.

Punchline
It's in Chapelle's wicked comedy that you'll remember, an edge he's long perfected since snapping on Eddie Murphy in a fat suit some years back. Dave's procedure is something like a boxing glove covered in chicken feathers: his reasoning being that if you can get the audience's mouths open, it's easier to get them and keep them laughing, so the viewer recieves all the comedy without the "why did I laugh at that" aftertaste present in Spike Lee's Bamboozled. In his hands, laughter is not only medicine, but a scalpel to boot - his short preview commercials having him take the piss out of various corporation adwhores was just preop surgery. Thus Chapelle's served up a combo of shock tactics in conjunction with his speedy jokes that will drop your jaw in disbelief, then have you snickering just as quickly.

I Will Not Make A Boyz In The Hood Joke Here
Witness what would be certain death in the hands of another formulaic incapable black people/white people comedian - Dave playing a blind black man raised to believe he was white and go on to become a prominent figure in the KKK. Being a self-proclaimed 'racist', this is a prime example of how he operates - the "n" word is used multiple times to successful Chapelle effect, as the other people around him mirror his audience in silent mindblown observation (in one case, literally). By far, it's the most memorable thing shown on cable tv in a while, and will leave you shaking your head as to how he got away with it.

Gag Reflex
The few sketches that do seemingly fall flat are merely playing dead; wait a moment, and they'll come back swinging. And while Chapelle is the only regular - it is his show, after all - the rest of the hand-picked supporting cast nearly steal scenes out from under him. Look for Guillermo Diaz (gangster wannabe Scarface from Half-Baked) as somewhat of a recurring cast member of sorts, and Michael Rapaport lending a hand with the first show. Musical guests also are slated to show up, but expect them in the unorthodox Chapelle style: for instance, Mos Def freestyling along to the radio as he and Dave cruise about in downtown traffic is another example of the show's refusal to be confined to others' standards.

Wrap It Up!
At the top of the second episode, Dave said that the only way that America could truly accept and deal with his thoughts is if a pretty white woman sung them. Well, congratulations are in order - Dave's got himself a Charlotte Church that can belt out his jokes without batting an eye. Now on to his next challenge; keeping people from confusing his name with other Comedy Central genius Dave Attell. Here's hoping that the network isn't just playing the race handout game just for Black History month, as Dave Chapelle is a card worth keeping.