Of my almost four decades on this planet, there’s no one quite like Conan O’Brien. For years, the orange-haired comedian has sharply blended intellect with slapstick and satire with silliness — all while leaving an undeniable mark on the late-night landscape, podcasting, and now, travel shows. As both a love letter to the absurd and a portrait of how one tall, awkward man can forge real human connections in unexpected places, the Emmy-winning Max series Conan O’Brien Must Go makes its anticipated sophomore return this week. Although this year’s travelogue only consists of three episodes, O’Brien proves once again he’s turning the genre into something far weirder, warmer, and more memorable than it has any right to be.
Fresh off starring in his first dramatic role alongside Rose Byrne and hosting the Oscars, the 62-year-old is among a rare breed of performers who can make you cackle one second to the point of wheezing (like laying his body out rather intimately while kissing a tree), but then feel oddly moved the next through the stories he hears from fans. Whether he’s flopping through a flamenco dance or psychoanalyzing strangers while decked out in a Freud costume, O’Brien is proof that comedy at its best isn’t just funny — it’s connective, curious, and deeply human. With each episode clocking in around 40 minutes, it’s a shame we don’t get more, but Conan O’Brien Must Go still resonates louder than most shows twice its length.
What Is ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ Season 2 About?

Season 2 of Conan O’Brien Must Go might be shorter than the first, but there’s never any sense of it being slight. If anything, there’s a stronger lean-in this time around to the usual chaos that surrounds O’Brien’s state of mind, the cultural detours he takes with Jordan Schlansky, and the deeply unserious business of connecting with fans across the globe. Viewers might spot glimmers of Conan Without Borders, but the Max series remains looser, wilder, and surprisingly tender around the edges. It’s also the only show that makes cultural confusion feel like a love language.
Continuing his tradition of meeting international fans through his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, the new season kicks off in Spain, where O’Brien dives headfirst into the chaos of the beautiful, historic culture. Teaming up with Javier Bardem to get into the heart of it all between art museums and the foodie scene, the two have a wildly hilarious chemistry that brings out some of the best laughs of the series, especially as the No Country for Old Men star has a very nonchalant attitude towards O’Brien’s antics. When he’s not gleefully disrupting every cultural institution he touches, O’Brien digs into olive oil farming that somehow generates its own theme song (complete with air guitar and drums) and later trains with a charming airline pilot in a flight simulator while wearing a mustache, trying to outdo his counterpart’s natural charisma and epaulets.
Yet the episode never just stops at the laughs. Instead, there’s a sweet and heartfelt sentiment filled with wit and self-deprecation that leaves a lasting impression. Outside some of the sidesplitting moments in the olive fields, O’Brien’s visit to a dubbing studio finds the comedian putting a spin on Vin Diesel’s Dominic Torretto, giving the Fast & Furious movies the best kind of treatment. Mix in some out-of-context flamenco dancing or getting mad at church bells interrupting him, and this episode sets the stage for why Conan O’Brien Must Go is a refreshing departure from typical celebrity-based travel shows.
Conan O’Brien Is the Best Travel Host, Period

Image via Max, Warner Bros. Discovery

There are plenty of famous people who host travel shows, and most of them are fine. Between beautiful, sprawling landscapes and delicious close-ups of food, a lot can often feel like PR fluff for tourism boards. But Conan O’Brien Must Go operates on its own chaotic and joyful frequency. Whereas Stanley Tucci will lovingly whisper over pasta or Eva Longoria sips cocktails while explaining local customs, O’Brien will devour pork shoulder in the most uncouth manner, riling up reactions from locals, just to replicate Goya’s painting, Saturn Devouring His Son. But then there are also times when he’s sincerely inspired by the people and the culture around him, and we feel that same inspiration.
Take, for example, the New Zealand episode that finds O’Brien moved by the Māori culture as he attempts to break a world record for the largest Haka at Eden Park with Taika Waititi and Wellington Paranormal star, Maaka Pohatu. His expressions while observing the nearly 6,000 people around him are what make the episode so touching and genuinely fun. He knows his limits of humor as he tries his very hardest to honor Haka traditions despite being a lanky dancer. It’s one of the best episodes of the entire series as it channels everything that has made Conan O’Brien Must Go so beloved, between his offbeat adventures with locals (learning to be “skux”) or being a part of it (getting Māori tattoos).

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We Have These Sketches To Thank for ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’

Before Conan had to go, he ventured without borders.

But it’s his visit with an “off-the-grid” fan in this particular episode, living in a shipping container, that we see O’Brien shine. It’s the perfect blend of surreal and heartwarming, as he is genuinely interested in this kind of minimalist living. But he is also trying to avoid a fall into the family’s “bucket” toilet — yes, you read that right. Between every episode this season, we see O’Brien being the tall, weird, curious American who allows comedy to emerge from his circumstances and curiosity, but the show has never been just about O’Brien teaching us about other cultures. Instead, it’s about learning to play and connect through laughter. So many of those he meets this season roast, love, or challenge him. There’s never any ego in his actions — just a willingness to look silly in the name of something real, whether it’s singing in a metal band while keeping a promise to a longtime Team Coco fan or climbing trees for nuts with an Iraqi fan, he’s candidly touched by who made the move from his war-torn home in search of a better life.
‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ Is Exactly What TV Needs Right Now

O’Brien subverts the glossy sheen we’ve come to expect from lifestyle and travel shows for the sake of finding these strange little portals of connection wherever he lands. There’s no soft focus, no reverent tone, no desire to come off as cultured or worldly — just a guy who’s game to be the butt of the joke if it means someone else gets to shine. Even when he’s in Austria overcommitting to a Freud bit or singing in the Vienna Boys Choir, much to the audience’s chagrin, O’Brien brings the rare kind of presence that makes people feel seen even while they’re laughing at him. It’s that mix of chaos and sincerity that turns the Max series into something far richer than your typical travelogue, and that’s why it matters.
Aside from the GOAT giving us unfiltered laughs, mostly at his expense, Conan O’Brien Must Go is a breath of fresh air. With a television landscape often saturated with polished, corporate-driven content, the series feels like an experience that taps into a raw sincerity. It’s never once about showing off (even if he is kissing a tree). Like its host and the crew that follow him, the series is all about showing up for the fans, the audience, and a genre that needs a revival in a world so divisive. Throwing the entire genre into a sheep paddock like New Zealand’s very real 5 to 1 sheep to human ratio, the series is not selling a destination to the masses. Instead, it celebrates the weird, joyful mess of human connection.
Conan O’Brien Must Go isn’t just funny — it’s validation that comedy, when rooted in humility and absurdity, can still feel like magic. It’s the kind of show where a 6’4” redhead gets annihilated by his namesake, helps an Irish Catholic man unlock emotional intimacy via tree-kissing (which was not only accompanied by two kisses, but grunting noises), and argues with windmills while dressed as Don Quixote. There’s something deeply comforting, all these years later, about watching a former late-night king wander the world looking like a confused giraffe with a mic just to make strangers laugh. In an age of glossy, hollow travel shows, O’Brien gives us something better, and it’s not just his momentary lamb-styled hair. For all the heart he maintains, we get pure, unfiltered joy through bucket toilets, lederhosen-infused musical numbers, and the kind of chaotic charm that reminds us how the dumbest things often make us feel the most seen, even making out with a tree.
Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 2 premieres May 8 on Max.

Conan O’Brien Must Go

Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 2 is still a masterclass in absurdism, sincerity, and perfect hair.

Release Date

April 18, 2024

Network

Max

Pros & Cons

O’Brien blends comedy with heart, turning awkward encounters into unforgettable moments.
Between officiating a wedding to learning Maori traditions, every episode feels hilariously off-script yet surprisingly sincere.
O’Brien never outshines others like Javier Bardem or Taika Waititi; they each fuel the funny while balancing the focus.