Summary
John Mulaney: Baby J is a masterful stand-up comedy special that will be rewatched repeatedly. Mulaney is back and better than ever.
We review the Netflix Stand-Up Special John Mulaney: Baby J, which was released on April 25, 2023.
John Mulaney has been doing stand-up comedy for over a decade now. He had his first special air on Comedy Central in 2012, and now with Baby J, Mulaney is making his third stand-up special for the streaming king Netflix and his first since 2018.
John Mulaney: Baby J Review
John Mulaney: Baby J is a stand-up special from comedian John Mulaney who tells jokes about a crazy intervention, a stay in rehab, and has returned to the stage to come out swinging.
The opening is quite unorthodox, with Mulaney already on stage telling a joke about being a kid without an introduction. He told a story about how he was an attention-craving kid, and when in school, kids would get special attention if someone in their family passed away.
So he would hope and pray that one of his grandparents would pass away so that he would get that special attention at school from the teacher and kids. What a hilarious opening monologue from Mulaney.
Right before Mulaney gets into his bit about what he has gone through over the last few years, he spots a kid in the crowd. He told the kid and the crowd, “The things I talk about tonight that I did recently, just don’t.” It was hilarious even to think someone brought their 11-year-old kid to a stand-up special.
Mulaney might have single handily written one of the best stand-up specials I’ve ever watched. I am sure it was pretty therapeutic for Mulaney to tell the story of his intervention in the manner he did, but what stood out was how it was written and executed.
He structured it with such precision that it made you feel empathetic and had you in tears laughing simultaneously. I talk all the time about how comedians who make their specials relatable and bring you into their lives are the best, and this was another reminder of that.
One of the things that makes the special so great is hearing him talk about all of these famous people that helped with the intervention.
From bringing up Pete Davidson thinking he would be to blame to Nick Krull shutting down the idea of everyone stopping drinking to the hilarious bit about nobody recognizing him at the rehab, it was funny to hear the unpacking of this entire bit.
Is John Mulaney: Baby J good or bad?
Fans worldwide will talk about this special for months to come and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it at the top of many stand-up comedy year-end lists.
Mulaney will gather old and new fans to talk about this one.
Is John Mulaney: Baby J worth watching?
Yes, it is worth watching. John Mulaney has built an empathetic yet hilarious stand-up special in which we witness greatness in front of our eyes.
In his return, Mulaney brought his A-game, and we are all thankful for it.
What did you think of the Netflix Stand-Up Special John Mulaney: Baby J? Comment below.
