Based on the hit comedy and storytelling podcast of the same name, creators and hosts Jessica Williams (The Daily Show, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) and Phoebe Robinson (I Love Dick, writer for Portlandia) bring to viewers a bevy of new special guests and comedian friends, all while serving up even fresher looks and revelations.
How to watch 2 Dope Queens without Cable
Both seasons of 2 Dope Queens are exclusively on Max. A subscription to Max costs $15.99 per month for their ad-free plan and $9.99 per month for their ad-supported service (meaning a few commercials with every episode). You can sign up here. Max is supported on Android, iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Playstation, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and more. You can check out my review of Max for more details on this streaming service.
Max doesn’t only air HBO but content from WarnerMedia and other sources. Content on Max includes:
- A selection of acquired series and movies
- All of HBO
- An exclusive collection of new Max Originals
- Select favorites from the WarnerMedia brands Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, DC, CNN, the Turner library, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, and more
- A selection of acquired series and movies (South Park being a notable example)
About 2 Dope Queens
The podcast, started in 2016, features BFFs Robinson and Williams hosting a live comedy show in Brooklyn in which they share their stories about romance, race, style, and life in New York. With a rotating guest list of favorite comedians and friends, they find a great balance of talk show and stand up comedy. In 2018, HBO debuted the first four specials, which took the podcast format to show filmed with a live audience, and featured such celebratory guests as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jon Stewart, Uzo Aduba, and Tituss Burgess, and conversation topics from hair journeys to honest openness about sex and dating.
Friday, February 8, HBO returns with the first of four more hour-long specials, filled with the same honest talk, funny stories, and then some. The set is splashier and the already stylish duo has amped it up with looks that don’t just match the first episode’s “Fashion” theme, but also rolls into episode two with some great modern nods to ’90s style with some retro threads for “Nostalgia.”
There are many elements that make 2 Dope Queens a great watch. Yes, it’s funny, that’s no question. But listening to Williams and Robinson riff feels honest and welcoming, with a sense that they are just enjoying themselves. They are simultaneously doing stand up and letting us eavesdrop on a private chat. Whether it is reminiscing about teenage escapades like ear piercings at the mall and training bras, modern dating challenges, or exploring black nerdom, you want to hang with these comics all evening.
Each episode starts with the pair swapping stories on the episode theme, then showcasing a new comic doing stand up. After that, they roll into the talk show format with a special guest, and it’s clear the guests are having a good time, too.
In episode 1 of the new specials, Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, 12 Years a Slave) is challenged to a hair braiding competition with the hosts. And the pure nerd joy that Jessica Williams exudes—and tries to contain—when Daniel Radcliffe arrives on the stage in episode 2 cannot be described in words. It is matched only by his awkward desire to do well on their compatibility quiz. Other guests for the new specials include Janet Mock (Surpassing Certainty), Lizzo (Coconut Oil, Big Grrrl Small World), and Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele).
