SNL’s Michael Che Opens Netflix Special with Edgy Jokes on Charlie Kirk

Image: Collected

Michael Che’s third Netflix stand-up special, Shot in Minnesota, debuted Tuesday and opens with pointed material about the 2025 murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The hour-long special, which Che directed himself, was taped across multiple shows at Minneapolis’s iconic First Avenue venue in late August. It marks his first Netflix solo special since Shame the Devil in 2021, following his earlier outing Michael Che Matters in 2016.

According to an early review, Che begins the set with jokes about Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at a college event in Utah. One line notes that Kirk “was asked a question about gun violence, and I guess he got it wrong.” Che also claims he initially confused Kirk with “the Star Trek guy” and floats an absurd theory involving former NBA player Karl Malone as the shooter.

The special ranges beyond that opening bit. Promotional material and the trailer lean heavily on Che needling his longtime Saturday Night Live co-anchor Colin Jost about Jost’s marriage to Scarlett Johansson, with Che expressing mock disbelief that Jost treats the relationship as ordinary. Other topics include racism, free speech, marriage, politics, and broader cultural observations, delivered in Che’s characteristically dry, low-key style.

Che has been a frequent performer in Minneapolis. During the taping he reportedly described the city as a new center of the civil rights movement in the aftermath of local events. The special arrives shortly after the start of SNL’s 52nd season, where Che continues as Weekend Update co-host alongside Jost for a 13th consecutive year.

Shot in Minnesota is now streaming on Netflix.