Hearts Broken As Netflix Drops ‘Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj’
Featured as a pioneer in TIME magazine’s 2019 list of 100 most influential people in the world, Hasan Minhaj’s voice boomed across continents with the ‘Patriot Act.’ But sadly, comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host Hasan Minhaj recently announced on Twitter that his show with Netflix had come to an end after six seasons.
“What a run. @patriotact has come to an end,” Minhaj wrote. “I got to work with the best writers, producers, researchers, and animators in the game. My 2 babies were born and grew up with the show. TY to @Netflix and everyone who watched. Now it’s time to return these screens to Best Buy “, read Hassan Minhaj’s tweet.
The show has been revered by many for the witty and satirical manner in which it addressed cultural and political issues. Fans enjoyed six seasons of laughter and insights from the ‘Patriot Act with Hassan Minhaj,’ running between October 2018 and June 2020.
While its initial target of 32 episodes lapsed in December 2019, Netflix was quick to renew it for one more seven-episode season. The last episode sadly aired on June 26th. Netflix plans to retain all of the show’s episodes on the platform.
Hasan Minhaj presented his audience with facts, figures, and a sprinkle of laughter, which propelled it into becoming a fan-favorite. He also attracted the attention of multiple authority figures, including the government of Saudi Arabia and the US Congress.
In the show’s episode on Saudi Arabia, Minhaj made edgy jokes against the Saudi Arabian Government in relation to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. These comments saw the episode pulled from Saudi Arabia’s Netflix, after complaints from the Saudi government, a move that sparked outrage and contributed to the show’s growing popularity.
“This entire cover-up exists for one reason … just a few months ago Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS, was hailed as the reformer the Arab world needed, but the revelations about Khashoggi’s killing have shattered that image.” He said while engaging his audience. “And it blows my mind that it took the killing of a Washington Post journalist for everyone to go, ‘oh I guess he’s really not a reformer.’ Meanwhile, every Muslim person you know was like, ‘yeah no s**t.'”
The show’s episode on student loans also saw him testify before Congress, where he was very critical about the burden that student loans cause the average American. He is one guy who got specially invited to speak his mind over and over again. And why not, when the entire world sat up and listened to him when he spoke on the ‘Patriot Act.’
He discussed many more topics in the show, which sparked all sorts of emotions. Fans interested in his creative process can still watch episodes about the protests in Sudan; Amazon -as a retail giant; Supreme and its effect on fashion; and the problem with America’s police system.
The show saw Hasan Minhaj win a Peabody Award alongside a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Motion Design in 2019.
Minhaj had also hosted the Whitehouse Correspondent’s Association Dinner in 2017. Before the ‘Patriot Act,’ the young comedian had been among John Stewart’s witty correspondents (and for Trevor Noah later on) on ‘The Daily Show.’ It is in this role that he won the hearts of many, and caught the eye of Netflix.
We can only wait to see where our favorite South Asian representation in Hollywood will end up next.
