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We’ve all seen John Oliver’s segments on The Daily Show, his façade of ignorant witticisms. But here in his own special, the witless act is gone and John Oliver shows us why he thinks we’re living in Terrifying Times.

Though in profile he looks a bit like Arvid from Head of the Class, John Oliver isn’t a nerd – he’s just a silly, silly man. And God love him for it. Like so many before him, he grabs onto what is now the tried and true Daily Show\Colbert Report formula – he thumbs his nose at politics, covering such topics as Fox News, presidential testicles, American economics (If Kenya has three apples and America wants those three apples, how many apples does Kenya have? None).

Less of a traditional stand up act and more a multi-faced state of the union presentation (complete with graphics on a trio of large screens and a guest presenter), Oliver tweaks the status quo even in his method. Though it takes a little bit for the crowd to warm up to his act, I personally enjoyed his presentation (not to mention the fact that he drops the dumb act and goes straight for mockery).  His bit on the superiority of British Imperialism compared to American Imperialism was hilarious (“we’re more like Godzilla in a necktie”), and his method of coping with the fox network (using a trombone slide to shoot himself in the neck with a tranquilizer dart) make for brilliance.

Still, between his gems were long spans of blah-ish material, chuckle-worthy but not quite as humorous as what we’ve come to expect from Daily Show alums (Lewis Black, for example). And with his constant forays into British culture, he is a little reminiscent of Eddie Izzard, but again, not nearly as good. At one point (during a sparring session with guest Andy Zaltzman, Oliver’s writing partner) he states that it’s always been his dream to do a special. Andy asks him, “Is it?” and Oliver’s dry response is “No”. It’s a funny back and forth, but in retrospect, kind of shows in the act.

Zaltzman’s appearances in the act are fantastic. A silly looking man, Zaltzman plays the part of a scientist with all the “facts”, though really he just spouts out a bunch of nonsense. It’s fantastic, and at it’s best, hilariously offensive (when speaking about Jesus, Andy, who is jewish, quips “I’d gladly nail up the little blighter again”).

Bonus features are many. There’s a collection of Oliver’s appearances on The Daily Show and a collection of podcast tapings with Andy and Oliver both (really very funny). Interviews, behind the scenes footage and a menu screen with Oliver ranting for ten good minutes are also here, as well as a lovely little easter egg where Oliver apologizes to you in the event that you bought the DVD by accident. The bonuses are numerous, and exactly the kind of thing I look for in a DVD, so points to you, John Oliver.

Overall the stand up was amusing, and the bonuses more so. The presentation of the DVD itself was great, and there’s even a collection of Comedy Central’s ubiquitous “Quickies”, as if everything else wasn’t enough. But this DVD isn’t more than a renter, sadly.

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