Mike Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes - Here he performs more as a regular standup than a monologuist. But just like in his other specials where he dissects and breaks down how and why he got to this point in his life, here he explores the concept of humor and of jokes. He also touches on being raised Catholic and on humor's volatility when mixed with religion. And he does a pretty good job of it, all while entertaining a sold out crowd in Brooklyn. He shares experiences from his life on the road including a disastrous hosting gig in Canada with The Muppets. But the highlight has to be the true story of his hosting the Gotham Awards in front of a star studded crowd where director David O'Russell is scheduled to win a Lifetime Achievement Award. Not to give too much away but this anecdote is prefaced by Birbiglia's musings on inappropriate levity. After asking for advice from his unfailingly pragmatic wife he decides to be true to himself as a comedian. Which turns out to be the heart and soul of this particular special.
80/100
Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend - Here he sort of explains why he is the way he is vis a vis relationships. He goes all the way back to his middle school days which apparently were equal parts reticence and incompetence. The rest of his experiences through college and then young and single can be summed up as Mike Birbiglia is a nice guy. With all the inherent drawbacks and frailties that entails. You just have to persevere and avoid turning into one of those embittered incel types and believe you will find that one person you're supposed to be with. Which is what happened with Birbiglia when he met his future spouse Jennifer Stein. Being allowed a glimpse into his life and his inner workings you feel that's a good thing because Mike Birbiglia seems like a good guy.
85/100
Mike Birbiglia: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing - Tales From My Secret Public Journal - His first standup special from 2008. He was younger of course and even though the trademark diffident delivery is there you can tell he's still sort of finding himself. Following the guidance of his therapist Birbiglia starts keeping a journal of all the crazy things going on in his life. He eventually starts sending these little vignettes to all the people on his mailing list. This also coincides with a shortage of standup material so that soon enough he starts incorporating his hilariously thorny personal life into his onstage performances. And this touch of serendipity lead to all manner of exceptional stagecraft.
80/100