Many viewers will find that the absence of a responsive audience robs the special of its comic energy. I didn’t laugh much, but as a Norm fan, I appreciated the urgency of his valedictory words.

| Jun 28, 2022

Love ya, Norm.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 7, 2022

Norm Macdonald had a purist’s vision for comedy, that a routine or a single joke could maybe be its own small, perfect bit of craft — that it could be something worth leaving behind when you go.

| Jun 3, 2022

It is a gift that may not be for everybody, but you’d be hard-pressed to find more heart in another 90 minutes of television.

| Jun 3, 2022

Beyond being a technically magnificent set, Nothing Special is a deeply profound and humane hour of comedy.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 1, 2022

The late comedian delivers almost an hour of his trademark provocative humor.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 1, 2022

It does not stand well on its own. But in the same way Macdonald leaves space for an audience who isn’t there, the indistinctness of Nothing Special does create an opportunity to remember him.

| Jun 1, 2022

Macdonald managed to be somehow timeless, outdated, and very much of his time, all at the same time.

| May 31, 2022

Macdonald's performance and the ensuing conversation/analysis (taped during Netflix's recent Netflix Is a Joke comedy showcase) benefit from a relaxed quality, taking viewers behind the curtain where they can listen in on comics' process and thoughts.

| May 31, 2022

As you sit there — alone or in the company of others — and watch Norm's brilliance unfold like a barely-restrained yarn of chaos, you are bound to be caught by the emotionality of the moment.

| Original Score: 5/5 | May 31, 2022