Conan Is Going To Berlin & It's A Must See

If you're anything like me, 2016 has been one hell of a year. I'm almost positive this year will win some kind of award for "record number of things that made the year one big, perpetual Monday." Worse yet, the Bummer Fest has only continued to plummet since November when (*cough cough*) the unspeakable happened. Needless to say, we could all use a good laugh right now — one that does not mention Donald Trump, or the "alt-right" (aka white supremacists), or our impending economic doom.

What we need now is a solid, silly, fluffy-red-headed laugh.

Well, you're in luck, America, because Conan O'Brien is releasing his new road special, Dec. 7 at 10/9c on TBS. In the latest Conan Without Borders, the fifth installment in his travel series, O'Brien takes on Berlin, Germany.

It's certainly not quite your typical German vacation. During his stay, O'Brien scopes out a nude beach (don't worry — Conan stays clothed) with Pitch Perfect 2 star Flula Borg, grinds meat with an authentic sausage master, has a heart-to-heart with refugees, and visits the dungeon of a dominatrix. Yes, you read that right. Conan gets freaky-deaky with some S&M.

Germany is definitely an interesting travel pick, as our own country is transitioning to new leadership that some find questionable. During a press lunch, Conan expressed admiration for the way the Germans have taken responsibility for the wrongdoing during the Holocaust, noting the many memorials scattered throughout the city. He contrasted it to our own history with Native Americans saying, "We don’t have nearly that amount of ownership over what happened." It's definitely something we can learn from.

Conan definitely seemed to have his heart in the right place with this special, citing that his hope for his international trips is a type of "comedy diplomacy."

There have been many times that I’ve been with people who don’t know who I am, and they don’t speak my language, but I get them laughing. And they’re laughing at me. Like, the joke is not on them. The joke is that I can’t do it, and I’m trying to be respectful of their culture, and the fact that they can do these things that I can’t do. And to me, that feels like a kind of my own, like, comedy’s diplomacy. Like, you go to these places and you make friends.

It's an admirable position, for sure. Several hosts in late night television have used the election, rightfully so, to adopt a severely political tone. But Conan Without Borders offers us a crucial reminder: In a time when so many Americans are fearful of immigrants and diversity, it's an important time to extend an arm in friendship.

So, what does that mean for the divisions currently within America? Well, we have more good news. Conan mentioned on the low-low that their team is "actively" discussing the potential for a special that takes place right in the U-S-A with the ever-rugged-ultra-American, Nick Offerman. So, that's definitely something to keep an eye out for.

While you're waiting for that, make sure to tune in to Conan Without Borders: Berlin on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10/9 p.m. Central on TBS.

Images: Team Coco (2), Giphy