Dale considers a gritty reboot in order to navigate the new, edgier post-pandemic New York City. His first step is a conversation with stand-up comedian and actor Gianmarco Soresi, who has been working all the way through various lockdowns and has seen the changes up close, even producing an acclaimed stand-up special, Shelf Life. Gianmarco talks with Dale about the choice to make that special, what it’s like performing in clubs these days, and how he responds to finding comedy when the news is bleak. Dale also asks Gianmarco about his tendency to seek out the frayed, torn edges of things, and the role that healthy complaining can play in bringing problematic things out in the open. The two also talk about lessons learned from loss, how to be safe as a kid in the 1980s, and two very different types of game shows. Plus Dale returns to the stage for the first time and hopefully didn’t catch anything.