Vic Michaelis on Letting Rekha Shankar Unleash Her Darkest Powers in Very Important People Season 3
Vic Michaelis is having a moment—and by all accounts, it’s only accelerating. Between Very Important People, appearances across Dropout’s ever-expanding slate, and an upcoming role in Peacock’s spy thriller Ponies, Michaelis has become one of the most creatively influential voices in comedy right now. But at the heart of it all is Very Important People (VIP), the interview-meets-improv series that has quietly evolved into one of Dropout’s boldest showcases for comedic reinvention.
With Very Important People returning for its third season, Michaelis is leaning even harder into what makes the show special: using absurd characters as a Trojan horse to reveal skills audiences don’t often get to see. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Rekha Shankar’s episode, which Michaelis has openly described as one of their most personally satisfying creative swings.
For longtime Dropout fans, Rekha Shankar is a familiar presence—sharp, confident, and often playing heightened versions of herself across improv and panel formats. But according to Michaelis, VIP offered something different: a chance to foreground Shankar not just as a performer, but as a precision joke writer with a distinctly dark edge.
“I love Rekha’s joke writing,” Michaelis explained, noting that Shankar’s background as a professional TV writer is something audiences don’t always get to fully appreciate. VIP’s format, which gives performers control over character construction while forcing them to sustain it under interview pressure, allowed that skillset to shine. Rather than relying on quick-hit improv chaos, Shankar’s episode leaned into carefully built jokes, escalating discomfort, and intentional structure—what Michaelis jokingly frames as letting her “unleash her darkest powers.”
That phrase isn’t accidental. Season 3 of Very Important People is more confident, stranger, and more emotionally precise than previous outings. The show has always thrived on awkwardness, but this season sharpens it into something almost surgical. Characters aren’t just silly—they’re unsettling, sympathetic, and occasionally terrifying in ways that feel deeply human.
Michaelis’ role as host is key to making that work. Unlike traditional interviewers, they aren’t there to dominate the scene or outshine the guest. Instead, Michaelis functions as both anchor and amplifier, gently steering conversations to expose what makes each performer tick. With Shankar, that meant trusting silence, letting uncomfortable beats linger, and allowing meticulously crafted jokes to land without undercutting them.
That same philosophy extends to other Season 3 guests, including returning Dropout heavyweights like Brennan Lee Mulligan and Jacob Wysocki. While Mulligan is well-known for his ability to disappear into characters, Michaelis found particular joy in showcasing Wysocki’s quieter strengths this season. After playing the bombastic Hayes Steele in Season 2, Wysocki gets to reveal a more grounded, emotionally supportive presence—often acting as the “voice of reason” amid escalating absurdity.
For Michaelis, these contrasts are the point. VIP isn’t about proving that comedians can be loud or weird; it’s about demonstrating range. The show’s success lies in how deliberately it subverts expectations, especially for performers audiences think they already understand.
Season 3’s guest list reinforces that mission. Alongside familiar faces, new guests like Rekha Shankar, Angela Giarratana, Jeremy Culhane, Katya, and Chelsea Peretti bring wildly different comedic instincts into the same pressure cooker format. The result is a season that feels less like a talk show and more like a curated gallery of comedic approaches—each episode tailored to highlight something specific and often underappreciated about its guest.
Outside of VIP, Michaelis’ creative footprint continues to expand. They’re set to appear in Ponies, Peacock’s upcoming spy thriller starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson. Set in 1977 Moscow, the series follows two seemingly invisible American embassy secretaries who are pulled into CIA operations—“persons of no interest” who become anything but. Michaelis plays Cheryl, a fellow secretary, marking a tonal shift into dramatic territory while still grounded in character-driven storytelling.
Yet even as their résumé grows more diverse, Michaelis remains deeply invested in Dropout’s ecosystem. With big plans hinted at for 2026 in their role as Dropout’s president, it’s clear that Very Important People isn’t just a show—it’s a statement of intent. It reflects a broader philosophy about comedy as collaboration, trust, and generosity.
Letting Rekha Shankar “unleash her darkest powers” wasn’t about shock value. It was about respect—recognizing what a performer does best and building a space where that talent can fully breathe. In Season 3, Very Important People doesn’t just entertain; it reveals. And under Michaelis’ careful stewardship, it continues to prove that the most interesting comedy happens when performers are finally seen for everything they can do.
