So what is really refreshing about Desus & Mero is that the hosts appear adept at continuing the process of being themselves.

Aside from that one quibble--give us fewer topics and longer riffs!--Desus & Mero made a remarkably smooth transition to its new home.

The show, like the snack, is salty and slightly sweet, and its crispness is a sign of its authenticity.

Desus & Mero arrived at Showtime fully baked--a talk show that knows what it is, and what it does, and how to do it. That's good, and at least so far, the Bodega boys are, too.

The in-studio interview [with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] was complemented by an even better filmed segment at AOC's Washington office. ... A Green Book parody trailer was decent and might have seemed even sharper if Late Night With Seth Meyers hadn't aired a comparable trailer for a movie called White Savior on the same night. ... Promising debut.