This is one of the funniest and most important comedy specials in the history of the art form and it's probably my personal favorite. I had known of Jerrod from his show and various other things he's been apart of, but I had never watched any of his stand up before. However, by the end of Rothaniel I felt like I knew him better than any other comedian I'd ever watched. Despite this, what makes the special so great is, in addition to being a therapeutic, fluid and confessional hour, which, although unconventional, is certainly not unheard of, the way Jerrod mixes actual laugh out loud comedy so fluidly into raw emotional expression is more profound and simultaneously hilarious than any other comedian I've ever seen. Never before has a special impacted me emotionally the way "Rothaniel" did, but I hope that the impact the special has on the medium is lasting and influences other comedians to find that perfect balance that Jerrod so seemingly effortlessly finds here. The special as a whole feels more like a really good conversation with a really close friend who is just naturally really funny than it does a planned out performance that has been carefully worked out for months in advance. However, at the same time, it all comes full circle in such a beautiful, seamless way that it had to have been intricately thought out, practiced and executed with such careful precision that it is ultimately astonishing when it finally reaches it's unbelievable twist ending. Genius 10/10.
Review of Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel
