Back again in the virtual flesh.
Aziz Ansari’s Netflix series “Master of None” is coming back for Season 3 in May after a very long hiatus. The comedian’s dramedy last aired back in 2017 and then seemed to fade away in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations three years ago.
The new season was quietly teased in a tweet and a seven-minute video promoting upcoming projects on the network.
Netflix did not respond immediately to a request for comment from The Post.
Ansari created, wrote and starred in the streaming series about a 30-something actor navigating his romantic, professional and personal lives. It was reported back in January that the cast and crew was filming the third season in London.
According to Variety, the upcoming episodes may focus less on Ansari and more on co-star Lena Waithe’s character Denise, a role prominently featured in the Season 2 episode “Thanksgiving,” which won a writing Emmy for Ansari and Waithe.
In April 2017, the series was put on hiatus, with the 38-year-old explaining to Vulture, “I don’t know if we’re going to do a season three. I wouldn’t be surprised if I needed a looonng break before I could come back to it,” adding, “I’ve got to become a different guy before I write a third season, is my personal thought. I’ve got to get married or have a kid or something. I don’t have anything else to say about being a young guy being single in New York eating food around town all the time.”
But shortly after his statement, the “Parks and Recreation” star was embroiled in controversy regarding sexual misconduct allegations. In January 2018, a Brooklyn photographer accused Ansari of making her feel “pressured” into sex. The unnamed woman revealed at the time that she was speaking up after she saw that he wore a “Time’s Up” pin at the Golden Globes that same month.
She described the alleged incident during an interview with Babe.net, saying it occurred at Ansari’s Tribeca apartment after a dinner date in September 2017. She said that he ignored numerous “cues” indicating that she “wasn’t interested” in getting physical — and proceeded to take her clothes off anyway and engage in oral sex.
In March 2018, Waithe referred to the accusations in an interview with Vanity Fair, saying, “At the end of the day, what I would hope comes out of this is that we as a society … educate ourselves about what consent is — what it looks like, what it feels like, what it sounds like.”
Just a year after the allegations arose, he explained that he wanted to “become a better person.” During a stand-up set at the Village Underground, Ansari briefly addressed the allegation made against him, saying he didn’t talk much about it because he wanted to have time to process it fully. “I think it also just gave me perspective on my life,” he said during the set at the time, adding he was scared he would never be able to do stand-up comedy again.
“There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way,” he said to the crowd. “But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”
In July 2018, just months after the allegations arose, a Netflix executive hinted that a third season of his show would be welcome, saying, “We would be happy to make another season of ‘Master of None’ when Aziz is ready.”