Review: Watch the John Mulaney Comedy Special ‘The Comeback Kid’ Online on Netflix

john mulaney comeback kid review

“The past is the past.” One of the first sentences out of John Mulaney’s mouth.

But looking back, John Mulaney was on one of the fastest growing trajectories of any comedian out there.

The guy was working hard, pursing a very ambitious tour schedule and growing in popularity with crisp stand up and gaining massive popularity. So naturally, Mulaney did what any comedian would do, and signed a deal for a comedy TV show. It’s a very common story, and certainly has plenty of precedent of successful comedians who have made millions.

But unexpectedly, Mulaney’s show of his namesake on FOX was panned by critics and struggled to find a groove.

“John Mulaney, we know Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld was funny. Mulaney, you’re no Seinfeld,” was the general consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, and we unfortunately agree. The show just didn’t have a magical touch.

Some might assume Mulaney’s career would tank accordingly, a failed television show can be the death of even the most powerful names. But fortunately for everyone, including Mulaney himself, he’s still an incredibly talented comedian, failures behind him.

This weekend, Netflix released his newest comedy special, aptly named ‘The Comeback Kid’ and it has already proven Mulaney is up and running, television show failures be damned. For fans of his past specials, there is no doubt ‘Kid’ will immediately win you back over.

The jokes are fresh, Mulaney doesn’t seem bothered at all by his recent past, taking his punches in stride and moving onto the next thing. Filmed in Chicago, the setting is beautiful with a surprising quality in the production and filming. Strange to comment about the venue when reviewing a comedy set, but it’s a nice touch.

We highly recommend ‘The Comeback Kid’ to fans of stand up and Mulaney himself. Great work Netflix on giving this kid a grand stage, he still seems destined for big things.

You can watch the trailer for ‘The Comeback Kid’ below, and it is now streaming online on Netflix: