Pete Davidson
Self
Overview
Pete Davidson jokes about rumors, free plane rides and his very weird year as he invites his friends onstage for a night of stand-up comedy and music.
Cast
9 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Comedy of Friendship, or How to Laugh Through a Very Weird Year
I’ve been thinking about what it means to call a stand-up special personal these days. Not in the sense of confessional—we’re long past the era where a comedian’s trauma is automatically compelling—but in the way it frames the self. Is the stage a mirror, a shield, or a megaphone? Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends (2022) doesn’t just ask that question; it answers it by handing the mic to the people who’ve been standing beside him while the rest of us gawked.
This isn’t a solo act. It’s a group text set to laughter.
The premise is simple: Davidson curates a night of stand-up and music featuring his friends, a mix of comedians (Carly Aquilino, Dave Sirus) and musicians (Machine Gun Kelly, Neko White). The title alone—Pete Davidson Presents—feels like a wink. It’s not Pete Davidson: Live at the Comedy Cellar; it’s a showcase, a party where the host is also the main attraction.
That distinction matters. Davidson’s public persona has always been performative, even when it’s painfully raw. Here, he leans into the artifice, framing his own jokes about "a very weird year" and free plane rides as part of a larger, messier whole.
The result isn’t just a comedy special; it’s a document of a moment when friendship became both armor and audience. What’s striking is how little the special relies on Davidson’s usual crutches. There’s no deep dive into his relationships (no Kardashian jokes, no Ariana Grande references), no extended riffs on his SNL fame or Saturday Night Live’s legacy.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsPete Davidson’s Raunchy Reunion: Inside The Best Friends
Pete Davidson’s 2022 comedy special Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends isn’t just another stand-up set—it’s a chaotic, unfiltered hangout with his inner circle. Directed by Jason Orley, the 58-minute Peacock special 
leans into the kind of absurdist, no-holds-barred humor that’s become Davidson’s trademark, but with a twist: this time, latestnetflix.com contends, his real-life friends steal the spotlight.
A Sketch Comedy Love Letter to Friendship
Unlike Davidson’s solo specials (Alive from New York, Turbo Fonzarelli), The Best Friends blends stand-up with sketch comedy, blurring the line between performance and hangout. The cast reads like a who’s-who of Davidson’s orbit: Machine Gun Kelly (mgk), Neko White, Giulio Gallarotti, Carly Aquilino, Dave Sirus, Joey Gay, Jordan Rock, and Big Wet . The vibe? Less polished stage act, more late-night dorm-room improv.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTNR8mYhbK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IYXokw25RY
Clips from the special—like Davidson’s riff on his "dope life" in the YouTube promo —hint at the raw, self-deprecating energy. But the real draw is the chemistry. Davidson’s friends aren’t just background players; they’re co-conspirators in the jokes, whether it’s Gallarotti’s deadpan delivery or Aquilino’s chaotic one-liners. The sketches reportedly skew raunchy, with Davidson later calling it "the most fun I’ve ever had making something" in a separate interview .
Behind the Scenes: No Script, Just Chaos
Davidson and Orley (who also directed Alive from New York ) seem to have embraced a loose, improvisational approach. In a YouTube chat about the special, Davidson joked about the lack of structure, saying the goal was to "just vibe" with his friends . That spontaneity might explain why The Best Friends feels more like a series of inside jokes than a traditional comedy special.
The cast’s dynamic is key. Davidson and mgk’s friendship has been well-documented—from their Bodies Bodies Bodies collab to mgk’s tattoo tribute to Davidson—but The Best Friends doubles down on their chemistry. Clips show the duo riffing on everything from dating mishaps to their shared love of weed, with Davidson’s friends egging them on . The result? A special that feels less like a performance and more like eavesdropping on a group chat.
The Peacock Factor: Why This Special Stands Out
Peacock’s comedy slate has leaned into unscripted, experimental formats, and The Best Friends fits the bill. Unlike Netflix’s polished stand-up specials (like Davidson’s SMD or Alive from New York), this project thrives on its messiness. The runtime—just under an hour —suggests a tight, bingeable watch, but the lack of a rating or reviews (unlike Alive from New York’s 6.6/10 ) leaves its reception unclear.
What is clear? Davidson’s willingness to share the stage. While his solo specials (Turbo Fonzarelli ) often spotlight his personal struggles, The Best Friends shifts focus to the people around him. In a 2022 interview, he called the cast his "ride-or-dies," adding, "I wanted to make something that felt like hanging out with us" . Mission accomplished—or at least, as close as you can get to a 58-minute hangout with Pete Davidson.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.