John Mulaney is Back!
5 years since his last hit Netflix comedy special ‘Kid Gorgeous at Radio City,’ John Mulaney is back on our screens–this time, he is older, wiser, wittier, and sober. His latest Netflix special titled ‘Baby J’ leads us to think he will discuss the recent birth of his first child with actress Olivia Munn following his controversial public divorce from his ex-wife Anna Marie Tendler. However, Mulaney largely avoids these topics, presumably deliberately, and instead takes his audience at Symphony Hall in Boston in late 2020 and early 2021 with jaw-dropping, explicit, engaging details regarding his drug addiction initially-reluctant journey back to sobriety.
John Mulaney’s boyish charm radiates the crowd, even as he reveals unsettling details about his anecdotes of trying to acquire drugs, including Mulaney removing his shirt to get Xanax from a sketchy doctor. He also pokes fun at his re-telling of his star-studded intervention, during which he namedrops notable comedians like Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen, and Nick Kroll. He further recalls receiving a text in rehab from Pete Davidson saying that he feels at fault: “Some people suggested we did drugs together because he has tattoos and I am plain,” during which the audience roared immensely.
Mulaney later travels back to the beginning of his addiction, chronicling how he and his friends at the age of 13 would stand outside liquor stores begging men on dates with women to buy alcohol for them, hoping they would feel compelled to impress their dates. He also reminisces on when his 16-year-old self and his two friends, coincidentally named John, were patted down by a cop after smoking in a car. His vulnerability to the audience is incredible, especially as he can recognize his mistakes and vocalize his gratitude for the people who have saved his life.
There is no question that ‘Baby J’ is an immediate must-watch, as it is hilarious, heartfelt, and raw.
Bonus: He even namedrops Providence, RI!