Mark Normand: Soup to Nuts Review: Directed by James Webb, the American comedian Mark Normand’s Netflix debut kickstarted fiercely. The special took place at Chicago’s famed The Vic Theatre with hundreds of viewers, where Normand spilled sexual jokes and hinted at political disadvantages. The 39-year-old comedian started his career in 2006 and has performed multiple shows around the US.
The special’s executive producers are Mark Normand, Matt Schuler, Rachel Helix, and Judi Marmel. The line producer is Shannon Leahy and the production manager credits go to Matt McGrath. The runtime of the special is 1 hour and is available only in English.
– Mark Normand: Soup to Nuts Contains No Spoilers –
Mark Normand: Soup to Nuts Review
The debut special of Mark Normand, as expected, kept the spirit of dark humour alive. The special episode started off with Mark sharing a joke about the controversial Epstein Island. He, in fact, threw in some famous celebrity names regarding the island (that’s some brave move). Comedians usually are ready to face critics, and with that in mind, Mark didn’t compromise on spilling offensive jokes. When a viewer asked him for info about his private part, Mark straight-up gave an offensive comeback which made the crowd gag.
From the beginning to the end, Mark Normand had jokes that covered LGBTQIA+, his personal life (including his wife), societal norms, drugs, the dark side of rich people and whatnot. Additionally, he commented on the secure nature of women, their dating preferences, and how they tend to date the wrong guys. He cleverly made jokes that were well-connected and went with the flow.
Additionally, when the special started, Mark Normand was introduced as Kevin Hart. In the end, as well, he addressed himself as Kevin Hart, a gay, praised a divine entity (part of the humour, of course), etc, and closed the show. People who aren’t into dark humour and who get pissed quickly at such offensive jokes would surely dislike Normand, but truth be told, comedy is called comedy for a reason.
Coming to the direction aspect of the special, usually stand-up specials focus on the artist and the viewers; that’s pretty much it. However, James Webb gave a tiny intro to the episode with a scene where Mark Normand is seen rushing to The Vic Theatre and giving a high-five to all his fans.
Yes, the episode could have straight up gone to the show or had an introduction about Mark since it is his debut special, but adding a fun scene showing his goofiness is a plus. Speaking of the stage setup, I have to appreciate the set director for decorating the area with musical instruments and a decent backdrop. Usually, the stages would be plain with just the comedian and the spotlight, but thanks to Bobs Peterson, the design of the stage was impressive.
While watching the special, it will make one wonder how the partners of comedians are fine with them pulling them into jokes. Mark legit opens up about the threesome he had with his wife. However, we’re unsure whether it is real. Anyway, kudos to Mark for using his personal life and making the crowd laugh.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Mark Normand’s first Netflix debut is a huge banger. As a person who loves dark humour, each of his jokes cracked me up. Not just me, but the whole crowd. In the end, the camera focuses on the audience showing they clearly enjoyed the 1-hour stand-up, which is a win for the entire team. Be it religious, LGBT+, etc., based on puns, Normand brilliantly executed his wit.
Mark Normand: Soup to Nuts is streaming on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.