Hannah Gadsby's 'Douglas' is a comedy of rage and fans are thankful for her extraordinary brilliance
When Hannah Gadsby's first Netflix standup special 'Nanette' hit the streaming service, it took the world by storm. Now, her second special for Netflix, 'Douglas', proves that 'Nanette' was not a fluke.
In 'Douglas', Gadsby tells us that she knows we are here because of 'Nanette' — whether we have watched it or not. Nevertheless, 'Douglas' is a sensational addition to the world of comedy and proves why there is space for more than just the cis white male. 'Douglas', like 'Nanette', explores gender as well, but more in terms of the discrimination that the "weaker" gender has been subjected to, and all the failings that come with it. This also means the rage that comes from it — something Gadsby brings about beautifully and comically.
Much like 'Nanette', viewers enjoyed 'Douglas' as well. One viewer tweeted, "Just finished watching Douglas on Netflix and Hannah Gadsby is the greatest," while another wrote, "Hannah Gadsby's new special 'Douglas' is extraordinary. Not the gut punch of 'Nanette', in the best way possible." One fan wrote, "Only 10 minutes into Hannah Gadsby's Douglas and I'm already losing it. Thank the good lord for this woman!" Another opined, "Hannah Gadsby's specials Nannette and Douglas are iconic! It takes a special kind of patience to turn rage into comedy. But some of y'all aren't ready for that conversation."
A fan tweeted, "Hannah Gadsby hands down is someone I’d pay all the money in the world to attend her show after rewatching Nanette and watching Douglas," while another wrote, "Whether you call it a monologue, a lecture or stand-up comedy, Hannah Gadsby’s new one-woman show is absolutely brilliant. Pure genius. That is all." A fan wrote, "Just watched Hannah Gadsby’s 'Douglas' special! My pleasure center is lit up like Christmas. She is the Laurence Sterne of comedy, and as someone who admittedly has a fraught relationship with Tristram Shandy, I do mean that as the most enthusiastic compliment." Another opined, "Holy, I'm still recovering from how much I laughed watching Hannah Gadsby's new comedy special. She's still so smart and playful with narrative and structure in her comedy as ever. #Douglas."
Viewers also spoke about feeling represented as Gadsby spoke of her autism. One viewer wrote, "‘My brain takes me to places where nobody else lives.' Autistic and tearing up to Hannah Gadsby’s #Douglas autism bits," while another tweeted, "Hannah Gadsby talking about autism is the closest I've ever felt to being seen."
'Hannah Gadsby: Douglas' is now streaming on Netflix.