Watch Dan Soder: Son of a Gary

Dan Soder: Son of a Gary is a 2019 comedy special by comedian Dan Soder. The special was filmed at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City and was released on HBO on December 7, 2019. This hour-long stand-up special is packed with hilarious jokes and stories about Soder's life experiences, his family, and popular culture. The special opens with Soder walking onto the stage and immediately engaging the audience with his quick wit and comedic timing. He wastes no time in getting to the heart of the matter, diving into some of his early life experiences with his dad, who is the titular 'Gary'. Through hilarious anecdotes and witty one-liners, Soder takes the audience on a journey of his life, exploring everything from childhood bullies to modern dating to his own personal struggles.

One of the standout moments of the special comes when Soder begins talking about his dad's penchant for conspiracy theories. In an instant, Soder transforms himself into his dad, adopting a thick Long Island accent and embarking on a tangential rant about the "real" reason the Twin Towers fell on 9/11. As he did throughout the special, Soder demonstrates his masterful skill at impersonating family members and other characters, which becomes a recurring device throughout his set.

Throughout the special, Soder also tackles other topics, ranging from sex and relationships to social media and politics. He has an uncanny ability to take the mundane and turn it into comedic gold, finding humor in topics like his newfound love for craft beer or the absurdity of ordering a salad at a steakhouse. He even pokes fun at his own career as a stand-up comedian, confessing that his choice of profession is often met with confusion and disbelief from his family and friends.

One of the things that sets Soder apart as a comedian is his ability to blend hilarious jokes with genuine insights about life. For example, at one point during the special, Soder reflects on his own struggles with anxiety and depression, noting the difficulty of living in a world where everyone else seems to have it together. But just as he seems to slide into a darker mood, he pivots back to humor, cracking a joke about tweeting while on the toilet.

While Dan Soder covers a lot of ground in this special, the overarching theme is family. Whether he's riffing on his dad's questionable eating habits or recounting a story about bonding with his niece over Taylor Swift, Soder makes it clear that his family is always at the forefront of his mind. He mines his own experiences for comedic gold, but at the end of the day, it's clear that he loves and cares deeply for the people in his life.

Overall, Dan Soder: Son of a Gary is a fantastic stand-up special that highlights the comedian's strengths as a writer, performer, and observer of life. Through hilarious jokes, witty one-liners, and engaging storytelling, Soder delivers an hour of non-stop laughs that is sure to leave audiences wanting more.

Dan Soder: Son of a Gary is a 2019 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 2 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4.