‘Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers’ And Some Old Chestnuts, Too, For His First Netflix Special

It makes perfect sense for Brian Regan’s first Netflix stand-up special to debut on Thanksgiving week.

Regan may not joke about comfort food as much as Jim Gaffigan or the next comedian you may think of, but there’s something altogether comforting about him, perhaps even more so in a time when so many of our heroes have been exposed as something less than heroic in their personal lives. That’s why Comedy Central had no qualms in asking Regan to perform the cable network’s first and so-far only LIVE comedy special for them back in 2015.

That’s why Patton Oswalt, who won an Emmy last year for his own Netflix special, trumpeted Regan to his fans two years ago, telling them he trumps your favorite comedian. “Whoever tops your list, I GUARANTEE YOU they will be watching — or will watch, the next morning, or first thing late Saturday night when they get back from wherever they’re performing — Brian Regan’s special. He is our never-fail ideal of what a stand-up performer can be. I have never — EVER — met another stand-up that doesn’t do a low whistle of awe and respect (and envy) whenever his name comes up.”

So here we are in 2017, with Regan’s fifth hour of stand-up recorded on film: Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers. It’s the first of a two-special deal he inked with Netflix, and honestly, I’m already looking forward to what he has to say in his second hour.

Partially because the first half of this hour is a bit derivative, particularly for fans of Regan who likely first him heard joke about the twisted logistics of tennis and cigarette boats several years ago. He has reincorporated some of these bits, because for you, dear Netflix viewer, it may all be new. That said, there’s something a bit old in wondering why baseball coaches wear uniforms, or questioning the Tomahawk Chop of Atlanta Braves fans. Can you laugh at a routine if you’ve already decided that the premise itself is hackneyed? With Regan, the answer always seems to be yes. Much of the fun comes from watching him bounce and lumber around the stage, acting out his premises with him in the central roles of big dummy or goofy dad.

With almost every comedian feeling a need to get more political in 2017, Regan wades into this territory gracefully in line with his brand. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more afraid to bring up a subject in my life. Not politically. Socially. Just going to barbecues. ‘Are we going to be talking politics, or are we going to be having fun?’”

Regan would much rather have fun.

So even his hot political takes result in silly, soft solutions — whether he’s translated the concept of “boots on the ground” or brokering peace between Israel and Palestine. And his first adventure in local politics, attending a City Council meeting, leaves him breathlessly wondering what other regulations and laws we can get away with just by asking.

Regan devotes the second half of this hour to his family, and dedicates the entire special to his father, who died since the taping earlier this year. Here he really shines, because his focus on his parents and brothers allows him to tap into a deep well of sincerity and truly heartwarming and humorous stories.

Discussing the quirky senses of humor his mother and father possess gives us a better understanding of how young Brian found his own funny place in the family, as well as how he relates to his own children while playing board games with them. It all culminates in a hair-raising story of riding in the station wagon with his three older brothers when he really just needed to pee.

Most of Regan’s anecdotes have much happier endings, even if they almost always make him look foolish in the process. That’s OK by him, though. As he notes after one such bit involving a clothing store salesman: “My guess is he tells that story more often than I do.”

That’s something that salesman has in common with all of Regan’s fans. They want to share his bits over and over again. And for that, we’re all thankful.

Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat for his own digital newspaper, The Comic’s Comic; before that, for actual newspapers. Based in NYC but will travel anywhere for the scoop: Ice cream or news. He also tweets @thecomicscomic and podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.

Watch Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers on Netflix