Alex fell into standup by accident. Now living on his own in the city, he stumbled into a bar one night and, with no cash to pay the cover, agreed to step up to an open mike. The routine that followed was more mumbly than inspired, delivered in a smoker’s rasp and with a downcast gaze. Even off the stage, Arnett clues you in to Alex’s recessiveness, his discomfort at being the center of attention. But something about that rare brush with public performance—the chance to work out his feelings about his failed marriage in front of a crowd—keeps him coming back. Weeks later, he has more or less hit his stride. Tess notices how much Alex has changed, how easily he drinks in the audience’s laughs and feeds off its energy. The sight doesn’t just surprise her; it arouses her. With apologies to Stanley Cavell, “Is This Thing On?” might have devised a new subgenre—the standup comedy of remarriage.