Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Hannah Gadsby: Douglas’ on Netflix, The Australian Comedian’s Follow-up to Her Megahit ‘Nanette’

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas on Netflix is the Australian comedian’s follow-up special to 2018’s wildly popular Nanette. It was an hour of comedy that seemed to equally capture hearts and enrage the internet, and Gadsby is back to do it all again with her new hour of stand-up. Here, she takes on everything from Where’s Waldo? to anti-vaxxers in a special that promises to be just as polarizing as the previous one. 

HANNAH GADSBY:DOUGLAS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Gadsby’s comedy is for a specific group, likely people that have been called snowflakes or liberals at some point in their lives, and most certainly in the last four years. She knows that her previous special was a huge moment for her career and the reason she was able to subsequently tour packed rooms across the world. But that doesn’t mean she’s still not incredulous about it. “If you’re here because of Nanette, why?” she asks early in the show. “What the fuck are you expecting from this show?” Most fans of Gadsby’s are expecting more of the same, hoping she applies her specific brand of comedy to a whole handful of new topics. And she does! Here, she addresses the oddities she’s observed about American culture and sayings, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, golf, the Paleo diet, dog park small talk, and her Autism diagnosis.

She’s just as self-aware as she is self-deprecating, using the first 15 minutes of the special to set “expectations” for the crowd of what they’re about to experience. She also addresses the stir Nanette caused, specifically around the conversation that the special wasn’t strictly stand-up, rebuffing the notions it was a glorified Ted Talk or a lecture but confirming that yep, it sure was a one-woman show.

Gadsby is aware that the pressure’s on for her second special to live up to the massive hype her first created, but she doesn’t seem bothered either way if it does. Instead, she seems pleased to get a few humorous peeves off her chest and call it a day.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: If you were a fan of Nanette, the likelihood of you enjoying this one is very high! It’s more of the same quirky comedy Gadsby is known for, with a little less trauma and a little more Renaissance lessons.

Performance Worth Watching: Obviously it’s Gadsby, as she’s the only one on the stage besides a stool and a dog made entirely of crayons. Gadsby is consistent in her delivery, and the crowd at the live taping seemed especially pleased when she delivered the presentation portion of the 71-minute special.

Memorable Dialogue: Her bit about pufferfish stands out and it wouldn’t be surprising if it becomes part of our lexicon to describe a very specific reaction when feeling outraged.

Single Best Shot: That’s the pufferfish!

Sex and Skin: There’s talk of body parts here, and a discussion about the differences between the ones belonging to males and females, as well as how they got their names, but nothing overly sexy is mentioned or shown here.

Our Take: I watched Nanette twice when it was released and felt utterly crazy that everyone else seemed to be connecting to the special in ways I very much was not. So I went into Douglas with an open mind, hoping whatever people found so charming about Gadsby would click here for me.

It did not. So I will say this: I respect Gadsby, I’m glad she and her comedy exist, and it’s wonderful that she has connected with her audience. Her comedy is simply not my cup of tea, and after watching both of her specials, I would have to imagine she would be the first to say “And that’s okay!” Knowing how much people value the voice she lends, I worried about being one of those assholes on the internet, but I can only hope that this proves some people can not connect with her comedy and still have respect for her as a comedian. She certainly knows how to do comedy that will make people think and even though I find it to be a bit too precious and political at times when I’m simply looking for a chuckle, I continue to feel as though I’m in the minority on that one.

I found that Douglas proved to be slightly less heavy than Nanette, though it wouldn’t be on-brand for her to do a special that has no weight to it. She’s doing what works for her, and since we largely aren’t knocking Jerry Seinfeld for doing the same, it’s best to let her continue doing what she’s doing.

Our Call: I’m giving this a SKIP IT, though as you can see in the video above, my colleague Brett White and I have differing opinions. I stand by the Skip It because if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted giggle, this is not the special for that and Netflix is packed with dozens of others that do provide this service. It didn’t make me laugh and I believe the intention was to do so, even more than her previous special. I recommend the Skip It for those that aren’t already drooling with anticipation for this special, because we already know that audience will certainly Stream It and likely enjoy it, and that’s wonderful, even if it’s still just not for me.

Where to stream Hannah Gadsby: Douglas