It’s almost like what Chris Rock said in Boomerang: the Bodega Boys broke up… there’s nothing to believe in. However, we could all probably find some solace in the fact that there’s a good chance the split will still give us healthy doses of both Desus Nice and The Kid Mero.
On Monday, Desus filled in for Jimmy Kimmel in his first appearance since the Showtime program he hosted with Mero, Desus & Mero, was abruptly canceled after four seasons. In Desus’ monologue, he joked about all the ways you can die in sunny California, LA vs. NY, the newest Donald Trump investigation, Fox News switching up their Blue Lives Matter stance, CDC guidelines, and an intoxicated bear. It’s refreshing to see Desus on screen again, even if it felt like he wasn’t as comfortable without his longtime partner-in-shenanigans by his side.
Last month, the cancellation of Desus & Mero came as a complete shock. Later, we learned the show wasn’t canceled due to ratings or because Showtime was unhappy with the product, but because of a tiff centered around Victor Cruz, the duo’s manager (now, presumably just Mero’s). Cruz had been accused of tyrannical and abusive on-set behavior (TURN ON THE PROBLEMATIC LIGHT!) and it had been decided that he couldn’t bring that Ari Gold shit around no more and was banned from tapings and meetings. Desus sided with the network, and Mero sided with Cruz out of a sense of loyalty. The latter has said the split was a long time coming, as both men have wanted to set out on their own for some time.
Desus’ appearance on J̶i̶m̶m̶y̶ ̶K̶i̶m̶m̶e̶l̶ Desus Nice Live! points to the official commencement of a new chapter for the Bodega Boys. We promise not to be very-long-back hurt that it’s over. Instead, we’ll just be happy that it happened in the first place.
Bonsu Thompson