Russell Howard is back on Netflix with a special limited series and we are all in to warm up our ears with his extraordinary satirical jokes. Russell Howard: Lubricant Limited Series consists of Howard’s main comedy show Lubricant and its companion documentary Until the Wheels Come Off. This combined release is the first of its kind and marks Howard’s return to the streaming giant after 4 years! Both the episodes in this limited series has a runtime of 60 minutes or so.
– Netflix’s Russell Howard Lubricant review does not contain spoilers –
Russell Howard Lubricant: The Come Back!
BBC’s Russell Howard’s Good News and Russell Howard Hours which currently airs on Sky Max are two of the many places you would recognize your comedian host from. Howard has had a massive career in stand-up as well alongside TV and it was the COVID 19 pandemic that really took an effect on the comedian and his career. However, sooner than later, our man is back on stage to leave the room roaring with laughter.
In the first episode titled Russell Howard: Lubricant, Howard starts off his gig with the most relevant jokes in today’s society – Vaccine & Facebook. The comedian, with his iconic mimicry, jokes about the “anti-vaxxers” and all the fake messages and conspiracy theories that go viral on Facebook and creep into our minds. He reasons that news like these fly around because the world is just trying to make sense.
Howard dedicates a segment of his show to British politics, empowering women and making the obvious jokes on Dads. He moves on to the more raunchy and sexual bit of the show talking about some intimate pleasures, where few jokes hit and few don’t (not that you take offence, but they are rather unfunny at times). Howard holds no bars being vocal about the state of comedians and how comedy is perceived as an offence by many, so much so that artists have had cops called on them and how there are way serious things (like, rape, murder & dog poop!) which needs our attention (or, well, offence reflex) more.
Image Credit: Still from Russell Howard: Lubricant
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The second episode titled Russell Howard: Until the Wheels Come Off is a companion documentary to the special. The episode shows how Howard was set to embark on a world tour, which has been noted as the biggest tour of the comedian’s career, but then the COVID-19 pandemic knocked on our doors and the world eventually shut down.
The episode documents how Russell Howard had to leave his doctor wife and the life they shared due to the pandemic and live with his parents. We meet the comedian’s lovely parents, who we have heard about so many times during his stand-ups. There’s also recordings of the comedian’s time spent at home and how his career was affected by the pandemic as he got to perform 18 months of less than traditional gigs and shows, eventually reaching the stage to perform Lubricant.
Russell Howard: Lubricant: Limited Series: Final Verdict
This fun and enjoyable special, as well as documentary, are produced by Avalon Television. The special has Howard along with Jon Thoday, James Taylor, and Richard Allen-Turner serving as executive producers. As for the documentary, Howard and Richard Allen-Turner have taken the reign of executive producers.
Image Credit: Still from Russell Howard: Until the Wheels Come Off
Both are episodes are different in a familiar way, one where you laugh and understand, and another where you understand first but, end up laughing, at life. The limited series is a unique presentation of Stand-Up specials that we usually see on OTTs and definitely a good one at that.
You can watch the Russell Howard: Lubricant: Limited Series now streaming on Netflix.
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