With Netflix's Special, a gay man with cerebral palsy claims his seat at the table
TV Lists What's On Tonight
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Special (Netflix, Friday): This new series looks like it might just live up to its title. Based on the memoir by co-producer, writer, and star Ryan O’Connell, Special tells the story of a gay man with cerebral palsy. In an attempt to gain more agency over his life, Ryan pushes himself out of his comfort zone, out of his mother’s house, and into a glamorous new job, only to end up closeting himself in an entirely new way, denying his disability as a way to control people’s perceptions of him. Over time, though, through building strong relationships, exploring his sexuality, and taking on new challenges, Ryan comes to accept and embrace what makes him special. Considering who’s pulling the strings, this promises to be an uplifting and authentic representation of one person’s experience living with cerebral palsy—plus, it’s exciting to see a character with cerebral palsy actually written by and played by a person with that disability. Erik Adams has the review.
Regular coverage
Saturday Night Live (NBC, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.)
Wild card
The Perfect Date (Netflix, Friday): With To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Netflix revitalized the teen rom-com and launched Noah Centineo into teen heartthrob-dom. Now, it’s putting Centineo front and center, satisfying millions of teen fantasies by casting him as a yet another charmer playing fake boyfriend… but this time, to literally any girl who wants him. It’s a no-brainer for anyone who fell for Peter Kavinsky last summer, but if that wasn’t you, this still looks like a pretty cute easy-viewing flick.
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Politics Corner – Death of the Peace Process edition. Bibi Netanyahu called for new elections to distract from and delay his pending indictment for corruption. He pursued a strategy of firing up his right-wing base, most notably by promising to annex the highly illegal settlements that have been slowly but surely colonizing Palestinian land in the West Bank for decades. If he follows through on this promise, it would spell the end of a possible two state solution.These settlements have grown so extensive that if Israel annexed them, there is no way to draw a map of the Palestinian West Bank that could form a viable state. It would be sliced and diced go hell and back. This is the reason those settlers moved into the West Bank to begin with – to claim the land they believe was promised to them by God. It’s hard to negotiate with that kind of mindset. Religious zealots aren’t known for making practical compromises. And that zealotry, for the first time ever, is now the stated intention of Israel’s government.Netanyahu won the election. His party gained a seat in the Knesset, and with a coalition of ultra-right parties that make Likud look sane by comparison, they will form a government, and that government is now pledged to the goal of making Israel a permanent apartheid state. If Israel annexes the settlements, it will be no more legitimate a democracy than South Africa was during its apartheid.Trump paved the way for this. Back when Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol, I wrote about how that eliminated a key piece of leverage that could help incentivize a path to peace. He took ot a step further by recognizing the annexation of the Golan Heights. Why bargain for peace, why agree to make concessions in exchange for gains, if you’ve already been given what you wanted without giving anything up in return?This emboldened Israeli hard liners and freed Netanyahu to promise his base their dream – the permanent destruction of Palestine through colonization. Of course Netanyahu is to blame, but that blame extends to the people who support him. By letting him get away with murder, with no consequences, with our tacit approval, Trump is an accessory to these crimes. The rest of the international community will be outraged, but as long as criticism of Israel in America is silenced by both parties, Netanyahu has a blank check to do whatever he wants, funded by billions a year from our taxpayers.I wish I could find something positive in all this. But I can’t. This is absolutely an unmitigated disaster. I want Israel and Palestine both to thrive. Peace would serve them both. But I am afraid this election will be seen by future generations as the turning point where Israel as a functional democracy died, and hopes for peace died with it.
And at some point in the future, people will look back and view the people supporting Israel right now the same way we view politicians who supported apartheid in South Africa.
Disappointed The Perfect Date wasn’t named Pretty Boy. Beau de Jour also acceptable. Maybe Guysha.
Beau de Jour got me. Nice one.
No Brooklyn 99 review. I’m sure you guys would tell us if it had been cut, right?Also, just throwing it out there……I really, really, really need some kind of a talkback discussion for Superstore, I’ve been itching for it for a while, I would be all over that, but….AFAIK no website with a decent population of users actually reviews that show on a regular basis.
https://tv.avclub.com/brooklyn-nine-nine-calls-on-the-power-of-structured-de-1833994753
I get why people don’t watch it (the commercials make it look awful) but I’m still shocked that word hasn’t spread that this show is absolutely fucking hilarious. It’s a more or less worthy successor to The Office/Parks and Rec but it just gets zero love.
Seconded. Superstore might actually be my favourite comedy on TV right now (which is saying something, I watch a loooooot of comedies). It’s like The Office, but a little less inclined to lean into awkward/cringe humour. Parks and Rec, but less relentlessly sunny. The Good Place, but less preachy, and permanently set in The Bad Place, and The Bad Place is a big box store.
I hope Special is good, but there’s already a TV show starring and co-written by people with CP – Speechless on ABC.The actor (Micah Fowler as JJ) and the writer (Zach Anner) are two different people, but that almost makes it more impressive to me. They bothered to get CP perspectives both in front of and behind the camera.(Anner also has a recurring role as JJ’s cool adult role model.)
Speechless is a good show, although they’ve kinda transformed from a family of lovable screw-ups to, “Oh my God, these people are terrible.” Still hilarious, though.Interesting that JJ’s CP friend is a writer on the show; thanks for the tidbit!
Speechless is fantastic! But it’s a family sitcom and this seems like more of an adult comedy. There’s definitely room for both, and even more, representations.
I watched Special, and no, it’s not good. I reeeeeealllly wanted to like it because of its very noble intentions, but it all felt very underdeveloped.
I do not understand the crushes that adults (looking right at the editors of Jezebel who are just two steps from being creepy about Centineo) have on Noah Centineo.He’s nice looking objectively but so…meh.
The Perfect Date continues Netflix’s domination of the “pleasing enough to follow, but can have it on while cleaning” rom com movie market. I watched it, it is cute, and I liked it better than Sierra Burgess is a Loser.
Finally got around to watching this – despite the episodes only being about 13 minutes long, it was a bit of a chore to watch and I don’t think I’ll be back for season two.Needed longer episodes if it wanted to offer any real dramatic kicks. With the episodes being so short, everything felt a bit cloying and underdeveloped. Could benefit from some stronger writers, too, lots of it feels like the work of an older person desperately trying to sound current (reminiscent of whatever that Katy Perry song was that used the phrase “epic fail” and immediately sounded dated). Hell, I’m several years older than the star/creator of Special and I knew that.In short, admirable intentions, but ultimately unsatisfying first season outside of one or two strong bits (Ryan hires a sex worker at one point and it’s handled quite nicely). Fits the Netflix pattern of chasing a certain kind of wokeness at the expense of strong writing or acting. I’d grade the season about a C.