Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Tom Segura: Sledgehammer’ On Netflix, A Comedy Special About And For Friends And Family

Phoenix’s in-the-round Celebrity Theatre has provided the backdrop to signature HBO stand-up specials from George Carlin and Louis C.K., as well as the release earlier this year by Nate Bargatze on Prime Video. Now comes Tom Segura for Netflix.

TOM SEGURA: SLEDGEHAMMER: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: This is Segura’s fifth Netflix special, following 2014’s Completely Normal, 2016’s Mostly Stories, 2018’s Disgraceful and 2020’s Ball Hog. Based on the success of those hours, he signed a two-special deal with Netflix in 2022, of which this is the first. Here he largely focuses his material around his increasingly more famous friends and his family.

What Comedy Specials Will It Remind You Of?: While the setting might evoke comparisons to Carlin or C.K., Segura’s comedy leans more toward the latter than the former, tossing around offensive non-sequiturs with a wink.

Memorable Jokes: Segura does start his hour off with a bit of a hum-dinger, though, in the likes of Carlin or C.K. to test the crowd’s willingness to go along with him.

And he’s also not afraid to find the humor in visiting his dying dad in the hospital.

Segura shifts focus from his father to his two sons, ages 6 and 3, with a story for each of them. He finds himself having an awkward conversation with his older son in the shower, from which the special earns its title. And the younger son? Well, his mischievousness tests Segura’s patience and parenthood skills.

We’re also treated to stories about his wife (comedian Christina P) injuring herself in the middle of the night, about getting a vasectomy for her, and two stories involving edible (one with comedian Joey Diaz, the other with his mother).

Our Take: An opening montage demonstrates not only how big Segura’s tour was, but also some of the big names who hung out with him along the way. It goes to show how far the comedian has come since first landing on Netflix almost a decade ago. In his second special, Segura joked about his shock and awe at learning anyone had watched his debut, let alone Mike Tyson. Now he’s rubbing elbows with Brad Pitt. “I’ve meet people I never thought I would meet in my life,” Segura says, “all because of this job.”

He’s also reached such a wide audience through his stand-up and podcasting that Segura can weave inside jokes throughout this hour.

Go back to that clip above where he’s talking about visiting his dad in the hospital. Listen to the crowd roar when Segura mentions Garth Brooks. What’s that about?

It’s not quite like trying to follow the Marvel or Star Wars cinematic universes, but there is a comedy universe at play in this hour, what with his roasting of Bert Kreischer as “the mechanic, or whatever,” his story about recovering from a sports-related injury, getting dosed by Joe Diaz, or trying not to sound suspicious while calling 911 for his wife. You don’t need to have listened to all of the previous episodes of “Your Mom’s House,” but it certainly enhances your enjoyment of all of this if you have.

Our Call: STREAM IT. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking or envelope-pushing in this set, but then again, sometimes you just want to hear an affable guy telling embarrassing or slightly offensive stories about himself and his family.

Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat. He also podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.