Best Stand-up Comedy Specials on Netflix (2020)

8. Chris Rock: Tamborine

Chris Rock’s first comedy special in 10 years arrived on Netflix on Feb. 14 and the time off did nothing to diminish the fact that Rock still has it. This is the first of two comedy specials that Rock will deliver to Netflix as part of a $40 million deal he signed in 2016.

Rock had plenty to talk about in the 64-minute set that began with Rock dishing on gun control and how he doesn’t think anything is going to change in this country because half of it demands them for their hunting. But Rock points out at least the cops could do a better job controlling the ones they use and try not killing so many black people.

Rock used his platform to express some apathy for gun control but also for President Trump who he doesn’t think is going to get what’s coming to him. Sometimes what goes around doesn’t come around as Rock puts it. But he did want to give some credit to George Bush for his place in Black History for being such a bad president that it allowed Barack Obama to take office. Rock hypothesized that Trump will be so bad that we’ll get Jesus after this.

My favorite parts of Tamborine was about Rock talking about the challenges in raising his girls where his oldest is now a freshman in high school. He jokes about the way he’s preparing them to enter the real world and dealing with the white man. And how there are too many kids who think they’re special but that’s doing more harm than good and it’s important, to be honest, brutally honest even.

Rock took his own advice when he tore into himself for being a bad husband who wasn’t kind, not a good listener, had an attitude and cheated on more than one occasion. He blamed himself for his divorce from his wife of 16 years because he wasn’t good to her. It was totally introspective and he was able to make such a dark and humiliating experience somewhat humorous.

Next: Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe