Review: Daniel Sloss, “Dark” and “Jigsaw” on Netflix

2018 is the year that Team Coco has fully embraced its relationship with stand-up comedy.

Sure, the Conan team always has supported comedians, and even put out comedy albums before. But over the past 12 months, the brand also has jumped into the festival game, and become a centerpoint of the late-night TV show’s pivot from an hour to a half-hour, focused even more on comedy. And now Team Coco is putting out comedy specials. Its first for Netflix is a double-feature starring British stand-up Daniel Sloss. Sloss has performed eight times on Conan in only five years, so it makes sense that he’s first out of the gates for the label/brand.

Especially since he already had two full-length specials that American audiences hadn’t seen before.

Sloss did perform Dark in New York City (and I interviewed him for my podcast back then). That hour becomes intensely personal for him, and for us. He also uses his own pivot there in a way that may remind you of Hannah Gadsby’s much-talked about special this year, Nanette.

But as I point out in my reviews for Decider:

In Jigsaw, we learn he’s also very unlike Gadsby.

“I don’t have any other struggles. I really don’t. I’m a white, heterosexual, middle-class, marginally successful, extremely well-hung man. Where are my struggles?” Sloss acknowledges. “So I’ve decided to create my own struggles.”

Read the rest of my reviews in Decider to find out where that takes him.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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