Ep 3. Romance

This Is Not Happening is a comedy show where comedians share their personal stories of outrageous, risky or bizarre experiences in front of a live audience. In season 2 episode 3, titled "Romance," host Ari Shaffir introduces three comedians who tell their stories about relationships gone awry.

The first comedian, Paul Scheer, shares his awkward and uncomfortable experience of being set up on a blind date with a woman who he learns is a dominatrix. Scheer, who admits to being very vanilla when it comes to sex, finds himself in a situation where he is uncomfortable with the woman's aggressive advances. The date takes a turn when Scheer is tied up and subjected to an uncomfortable amount of pain and humiliation. Scheer's story provides many laughs as he recounts his discomfort at being put in a situation that he was not prepared for.

The second comedian is Eleanor Kerrigan, who shares her story about her first love, a man who turned out to be a complete con artist. Kerrigan, who was very naive when she was younger, fell head over heels for a man who claimed to be a successful businessman. However, Kerrigan soon learned that he was a fraud and had lied about everything - even his name. Kerrigan's story is a cautionary tale about falling for people who seem too good to be true, and the laughs come from Kerrigan's relatable experiences in her search for true love.

The final comedian of the episode is Dan Soder, whose story is about falling in love with a fellow comedian who was not interested in a romantic relationship. Soder, who had always been cautious about dating within his industry, found himself smitten with a fellow comedian who he had worked with for years. Soder admits that he was blinded by his infatuation and couldn't see that the woman was not interested in taking their relationship beyond being just friends. Soder's story is about taking risks in love and learning to move on when things don't work out. His account of trying to navigate the rough waters of a celebrity relationship brings laughs and tears in equal measure.

As with all episodes of This Is Not Happening, the comedians' stories are raw, honest, and hilarious. While covering a topic like romance can lead to some serious moments, the humor in each comedian's retelling of their experiences keeps the episode upbeat and engaging. As usual, Shaffir provides a great introduction to the show and his witty interjections throughout the episode keep the momentum going. All in all, episode 3 of This Is Not Happening's second season is a great way to spend 30 minutes, whether you're in the mood for a laugh or just looking for a dose of relatable romance stories.