Your Friend, Nate Bargatze

As a longtime fan of Nate Bargatze, I went into his latest Netflix special, Your Friend, Nate Bargatze, with high hopes. Having thoroughly enjoyed his previous specials-The Tennessee Kid, Greatest Average American, and Hello, World - I was expecting another round of clever, laugh-out-loud comedy. Unfortunately, this special didn't quite deliver.

To start, it felt like the material wasn't as sharp or well-developed as in his past work. Nate has a lot on his plate these days - he's touring, hosting a podcast, working on corporate gigs, performing on SNL, and tackling other projects. It seems like this packed schedule might have left him without enough time to fully refine this set. The result is a special that feels rushed, with jokes that don't land as solidly as they should. Surprisingly, he even reused some material from earlier specials, which felt out of place in what should have been a fresh performance.

Another noticeable difference was Nate's demeanor. In his earlier specials, his dry delivery was balanced by an energy and looseness that made his performances feel warm and engaging. Here, the dryness was dialed up to a point where it came across as flat, almost as if he wasn't having fun on stage. He seemed less invested in the material, and that lack of enthusiasm translated to the audience, whose laughter seemed subdued compared to his earlier shows.

Watching this special left me nostalgic for The Tennessee Kid, which remains my favorite. That special was packed with brilliant observations and moments that had me genuinely laughing out loud. By contrast, Your Friend, Nate Bargatze had me smiling here and there, but it lacked the consistency and punch of his best work.

That said, everyone has an off night. With everything Nate is juggling, it's understandable that not every project can hit it out of the park. If this is your first time watching Nate Bargatze, I recommend starting with one of his earlier specials to get a true sense of his comedic talent.

While this special might not be one I revisit, I have no doubt Nate has it in him to bounce back with stronger material next time. For now, though, this one felt like a swing and a miss. Generously, I'd rate it a 6/10.

Here's hoping the next special brings back the Nate Bargatze we all know and love.

I don't know what the bad reviews are about, I get that comedy is subjective but I thought he did great. I don't think some people get when he's being sarcastic. He says out loud all the things we think about on a daily basis in a marriage. The beginning was a little slow but still had so many funny moments. The second half was so good and had my family laughing so hard we were crying and that hasn't happened for any of us when watching a stand up comedian in a loooonnngggg time!!! To find a comedian who can deliver true funny bits that are clean without needing to include all the inappropriate details that so many others rely on is refreshing. I like those other comedians also but it really shows how talented he is that he can be this funny without it!

Having followed his every move since the standup sets of 2017, I've always appreciated shorter sets. This latest special feels like a step back, lacking the depth and originality that initially made him stand out. While his earlier performances often showcased brilliance, his material now seems stretched thin, struggling to hold interest beyond 20 to 30 minutes.

This show, in particular, feels shallower than any of his prior work. Bits wrap up within two minutes, leaving little room for meaningful comedic arcs or the kind of commentary that sticks with you. The rare callbacks to earlier jokes are met with over-the-top reactions from the seemingly satisfied crowd.

What stands out most is the recycling of old material, including bits from previous shows and what I believe might even be SNL sketches. While reusing material might slide in a smaller setting, it feels lazy and underwhelming for a Netflix special, where fresh, compelling storytelling is expected.

The show's packaging, from the glossy poster to his transformation into a polished Hollywood persona, suggests a deliberate pivot toward commercial appeal. While understandable, this shift seems to come at the cost of authenticity, which was a key part of his charm.

Overall, watching this was an awkward experience. It felt less like a showcase of a rising star and more like someone going through the motions, prioritizing appearances over substance. Perhaps this is a calculated direction, but for me, it dampens the excitement I once had for his work.

Sometimes stand-up comedy can be a scary thing to turn on with family with so many comedians using crude and uncomfortable humor lately, but this one is a winner. Nate's style of delivering dry and often self-deprecating jokes create contagious laughter that grows and grows as he elaborates on parts or our day to day life so that we can see the hilarity for ourselves, almost as if we are discovering the comedy right along with him. His delivery is great, the venue is great, the crowd is great, and the special is great. I would have rated this higher, but the jokes aren't really my personal style. However, this is one of my most highly rated specials that don't have jokes that would be uncomfortable to watch with family. It is funny even though I'm clearly not the target audience.

If you know how comedy shows work and what happens as comedians gain popularity then you will enjoy this special for the masterpiece that it is. Nate is super popular right now and is everywhere. Over the last 12 months, Nates guested on tons of podcasts, morning tv shows, late night tv shows and SNL twice. And he tells jokes while doing these appearances which are from his latest stage act. But critics complains his jokes are "old or reused". They aren't. He's just shared a few jokes recently on the multiple media platforms he's been on.

Yes his delivery and timing seems slower than his previous specials, because this special was filmed in front of a crowd OF OVER 20,000 PEOPLE!! He has to let the laughter of more than 20k people quiet down before starting his next joke. That is going to translate differently when you watch this on your living room couch. Comedians who perform to small crowded clubs have to be loud to be heard over the voices of barkeepers and wait staff, people eating and drinking and the noises coming from the busy kitchen in the back. Luckily volume can easily be edited and manipulated when these performances are broadcasted on TV, otherwise it would appear these comedians are just screaming jokes from the stage. Nate pauses for a beat so that the laughter dies down enough that the beginning of his next joke can be heard by the audience. So of course these pauses are shorter in his previous specials because his performances were in front of theatre size crowds. His timing isn't off. He is just brilliantly adapting and adjusting his delivery to meet the needs of his much larger arena crowd, as a great comedian should.

There are rational and explainable reasons for all the things Nate is being criticized for in this special. Not excuses, but rational reasons. And it is infuriating to see this comedic genius be criticized because people don't understand how stand up comedy works. It's a wonderful show, unbelievably funny and it showcases Nate's brilliant mind. It is hilarious! Watch it! It's Comedy Gold!

I give it 12 stars.