In July, we lost a true national treasure: Joe Pera Talks With You, Adult Swim’s quiet, wholesome show about a soft-spoken but enthusiastic Midwest choir teacher (Joe Pera), was officially cancelled. Fans of the show were (or, more accurately, are) heartbroken, and some have shared their own eulogies of Pera’s program, praising its unwavering optimism and sincerity and reminiscing on the unforgettable moments they’ve shared with Joe and his friends. There’s a type of beauty in this — the show, cut unexpectedly and arguably far too soon, lives on in a way that its titular character would appreciate, and for seasoned Pera-heads there’s enough value in repeat viewings to encourage them into the future.
For newcomers, though, the unexpected cancellation of the series is an opportunity for initiation. After three seasons, Joe Pera Talks With You has brought viewers along for an educational series on everything from planting bean arches to effectively shopping at the supermarket (and everything in between). Adjacent to the meditative visual poetry of How to With Jon Wilson and injected with the innocent wholesomeness of Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Pera’s program was truly a singular masterpiece unlike anything else on television. Even for a network as consistently esoteric as Adult Swim, the show stands out among the others as novel. If you’re curious, and if you’re eager to check out some of the show’s greatest moments (do it! do it! do it!), fret not: we’ve compiled a list! So grab a gallon of vanilla ice cream and a cup of “classroom blend” coffee, and enjoy 10 of the most glorious episodes of Joe Pera Talks With You.
“Joe Pera Takes You on a Fall Drive” (Season 1, Episode 3)
If there was any doubt before, “Joe Pera Takes You on a Fall Drive” proves that what you’re about to watch is truly something special. While the series' first two introductory episodes are fantastic in their own right, this third episode makes new ground in the show’s adventure into the strange. At his friend Gene’s (Gene Kelly, but not that Gene Kelly) suggestion, Joe goes on an autumnal drive in order to regrow his soul (carving Jack-o-lanterns, claims Gene, costs you a fraction of your soul) in his 2001 Buick Park Avenue. It’s a casual, contemplative drive in which Joe characteristically quips about the simple pleasure of the afternoon.
There’s so much this episode does right: we get Joe walking around a snow-frosted forest, jack-o-lantern in hand, the introduction of Sarah (Jo Firestone), and the endearing wholesomeness of Joe's Halloween celebration with his Nana (Nancy Cornell) and Gene. This isn’t a show that’s easy to categorize, and this early episode is a thematic and stylistic forecast of what’s to come.
“Joe Pera Talks You Back to Sleep” (Season 1, Episode 5)
Pera at his ASMR-iest, “Joe Pera Talks You Back to Sleep” allows for some serious meditation. It’s an episode centered around exactly what it sounds like: Joe Pera Talking You Back to Sleep. In his typical, soft-spoken Midwestern croon, Pera discusses some of life’s greatest pleasures over a tranquil ambient soundtrack and a series of hyper-focused images: various liquids are poured into cups, lightning silently cracks across the night sky, and gentle tides ebb across the shoreline. All the while, our humble narrator muses on topics ranging from the from the inescapable obsolescence of all things (“DVDs: will they even exist in two years?”) to the beauty of literally hearing students learning to play music. It’s the type of episode that’s peaceful enough to absolutely accomplish what it promises, but it’s wonderful enough to stay awake for.
“Joe Pera Reads You The Church Announcements” (Season 1, Episode 6)
Do you remember where you were when you first heard your favorite song? Joe Pera does. It was only a few days ago, as he’ll tell you (and pews full of his fellow churchgoers) while attempting to read the weekly announcements. His excitement on the subject is contagious, and without going into spoiler-ish details about what the song in question is (hint: it’s not from this century), it’s safe to say that Joe’s prior ignorance of the song’s existence is the endearing shade of innocent. It’s moments like that this makes the show so great: Joe begins a thought on one subject, and suddenly things jeer in a different direction.
“Joe Pera Talks to You About the Rat Wars of Alberta, Canada (1950-Present Day)” (Season 1, Episode 8)
Joe has a head full of knowledge that some might consider obscure, but that's just another key piece of his singular charm. He likes to learn, he likes to learn things, and he likes to talk about the things he's learned (he is a teacher after all). Operating on the deliciously quirky premise of Joe and Sarah producing a school musical about Alberta's "Rat Wars" (they're a real thing), this Season 1 smash is a wonderful odyssey into the show's weirdness. There's also some great plotting and characterization revolving around Joe and Sarah's attraction to one another despite their blatant differences in personalities. The episode effortlessly hits all the right notes of odd, charming, and funny.
“Joe Pera Talks With You About Beans" (Season 2, Episode 1)
Beginning with a montage set to Joe's students performing a musical number, the Season 2 premiere of Joe Pera Talks With You is one of the few episodes in which Pera himself receives the sole writing credit. After hearing from his Nana that his grandfather (also named Joe Pera) had attempted to build a garden arch to grow string beans on, Joe sets out to do the same. Joe loves beans. He loves the taste of them, their nutritional benefits, and, as you'll see in this episode, how fun it is to grow them. Serving simultaneously as an easy-to-follow how-to guide on building an arch, the episode follows Joe and Gene as they peacefully complete their task. The way Joe talks about it might just make you want to go try building a bean arch of your own, too.
“Joe Pera Takes You to the Grocery Store” (Season 2, Episode 5)
Joe Pera Talks to You has a terrific knack for plucking some of life’s most ordinary moments and transforming them into something extraordinary. Even if you’ve already seen it a number of times throughout the series, “Joe Pera Takes You to the Grocery Store” is a grand slam of finding beauty and humor in the habitual. As Joe makes his rounds at his local supermarket, offering pro-tips on how to stick to a budget while making conscious shopping choices, scooping up honey ham from Fred the Sample Guy (Fred Firestone), we’re showing that grocery shopping doesn’t need to be only a chore — it can also be something to enjoy. As usual, the show blends acute observations with deadpan humor (“Why do we have seven flavors of mustard, when others have one, or zero flavors of mustard?), tying in some the show’s trademark characterization. It’s as simple as television can get, and it’s really damn good.
“Joe Pera Helps You Write an Obituary” (Season 2, Episode 10)
Peppered throughout Pera’s series are moments of intense, unexpected emotion, and no episode proves this better than Season 2's “Joe Pera Helps You Write an Obituary”. After the unexpected passing of somebody close to him, Joe is saddled with the obligation of writing an obituary for the deceased. There’s a philosophical tone to Joe’s musings, as he ponders how somebody’s life — their personality, their accomplishments, their very being — can be summed up in a short string of words.
Joe’s struggling with his grief is a plot point that carries through into the excellent next episode (stay tuned), and here is a beautifully vulnerable look into his mourning process. It’s hard not to hurt for him and grieve alongside him as his typical bright-eyed optimism is whittled down to a deep air of melancholy. But it’s not all grief, death, and pain — there are also plenty of sharp gags, and maybe even a poignant life lesson, too: Life has plenty of these painful moments, and it’s okay to feel them. It’s okay to not be okay. When people we love pass away, they deserve to be remembered, and no single obituary can encapsulate what they mean to us. In eleven short minutes, Joe Pera and company show us this, never skipping a beat.
“Joe Pera Shows You How to Do Good Fashion” (Season 2, Episode 11)
In one of the show’s three double-length episodes, Joe and Gene leave the comfort of Marquette to visit Milwaukee. Gene’s sons (Ikechukwu Ufomadu and Gary Richardson) are premiering a fashion show, and the two friends take a road trip out to the cream city to soak in the Milwaukee culture. There are plenty of nods to the city that locals (*raises hand*) will appreciate, but the episode also serves as a fitting travelogue to introduce the city to out-of-towners. There are butterburgers (which Gene enthusiastically carries around in grease-stained paper bags), the Instagramable winged architecture of the Milwaukee Art Museum, and references to the city’s key streets and neighborhoods, all of which excite the Midwesterner in Pera.
A buddy episode that features some great moments of friendship between Joe and Gene, “Joe Pera Shows You How to Do Good Fashion” finally gives its share of screen time to one of the show’s most overlooked characters. We’re finally able to learn more about Gene, his family life, and witness some truly tender moments between him and his boys. When Joe leaves the fashion show to do his own thing, the episode culminates in a visit to the Mitchell Park Domes that is genuinely mesmerizing. Under the cascading polychromatic lights of the glass, Joe reflects on himself, his pain, his relationship with Sarah, and what the future might hold for him. It’s the show at its most cinematic, a sweeping piece of visual poetry that tugs at the emotions.
“Joe Pera Shows You How to Build a Fire” (Season 3, Episode 2)
Joe and Sarah head out to the woods in this Season 3 highlight. After a discussion about arming teachers sets Sarah into a bout of paranoia, the two camp out in the wilderness and test their survival skills. As the night burns along, Joe discusses humankind’s fascination with fire (as well as a string of notable church fires in Marquette history), while Sarah fishes for trout and reflects on her fears and anxieties. There’s no shortage of zingy one-liners, but what makes this episode truly special is the beauty of the companionship between Joe and Sarah, which is boiled down to its most wholesome.
“Joe Pera Shows You His Second Fridge” (Season 3, Episode 3)
With Joe Pera, nothing is ever as straightforward as it initially seems. In "Joe Pera Shows You His Second Fridge," things start out exactly as it sounds: Joe talks about the great Midwestern tradition of keeping a second fridge (typically in a basement, or a garage), but things swiftly swerve into a different direction when he's stuck with the obligation of disciplining one of his students. It's a layered episode that delves into the theme of adolescent angst and coming into adulthood, putting the focus on the youngsters for once.