Dave Chappelle: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Heart of Texas is looser, even whimsical at times.

Deep in the Heart of Texas can feel a bit dated--given that it’s two years old, there are references to Ebola and the infamous recording of Ray Rice in that elevator--but it also contains a long set piece in which Chappelle hilariously imagines Lil Wayne as a gravel-voiced detective on “CSI.”

The Austin, Texas, special is a little more dated, with material about the Ebola crisis and the infamous Ray Rice tape, and Chappelle seems a little more weighed down by headlines about police shootings.

Though they’re wildly different shows, the strengths and weaknesses of Chappelle’s comedy comeback are consistent in each.

Both hours are full of sharp material on subjects ranging from Bill Cosby (it’s complicated) to Chappelle meeting O.J. Simpson (four times!) to why he once ditched a fundraiser in Flint, Michigan, to attend the Oscars (short answer: Chris Rock). Still, after a decade away from churning out content for the masses,Chappelle doesn’t seem very sure of what those masses want or expect from him anymore--and those are the moments when his specials are at their hilarious best and questionable worst.