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Only One Mike

Mike Epps

Netflix · 2019 · 63 min

A loose, highly physical hour about aging and raising four daughters.

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Mike Epps brings a loose, high-octane physicality to the stage, leaning heavily into the anxiety of a former player who has realized his past is catching up to him. The core of his set revolves around his life as a father to four daughters, where he worries that his history of bad behavior has cursed him to watch his girls date younger, equally untrustworthy versions of himself. Rather than offer wise parenting advice, Epps jokes about finding bizarre ways to assert dominance over his daughters’ new boyfriends.

Filmed at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., this 2019 Netflix release represents the comedian’s second hour-long special for the platform. By this point in his career, nearly two decades after his breakout role as Day-Day in the Friday sequels, Epps had settled into a comfortable role as a veteran touring comic. He is not here to deliver high-concept satire; instead, he floats through highly physical, club-tested bits about aging body parts, childhood dyslexia, and the strange rules of D.C. strip clubs.

The material frequently wanders into broader social territory, including a segment where he tries to make sense of dating in the post-MeToo era. Reviewers noted that Epps remains firmly in his comfort zone throughout the hour, relying on expressive facial contortions and vocal sound effects to sell punchlines that might feel thin on paper. It is a performance designed for fans who appreciate his signature, unapologetic swagger and rapid-fire delivery.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Feminine and masculine hygiene advice

    Riffs explicitly on bodily upkeep, hygiene during foreplay, stinky nipples, and brushing teeth before intimacy.

  2. Raising four daughters and facing karma

    Jokes about whether his history of womanizing returned to haunt him now that young men visit his daughters, acting out awkward scenarios of bonding with them.

  3. Bill Cosby in prison

    Mocks Cosby for leaning into blindness during his trial, imagines him lifting weights and getting tattoos in prison, and acts out racial commentary on the legal fallout.

  4. Haunted house attraction with his children

    Recounts taking his kids to an extra-scary haunted house attraction.

  5. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Avoiding a club fight as Day-Day closer

    Details how being recognized as his iconic character Day-Day from the 'Friday' films saved him from getting into a physical fight at a club.

How it plays

Tone
Raunchy, crass, energetic, and irreverent.
On stage
Raunchy, no-filter, self-deprecating swagger combined with manic goofiness and a scoundrel persona.
Pace
High-energy vocal delivery with rapid, abrupt transitions from joke to joke rather than a cohesive narrative flow.
About
raising four daughters, aging and bodily hygiene, special education and childhood dyslexia, sexual misconduct and relationships, strip clubs, Bill Cosby

What the critics said

Mixed reviews; while reviewers praised Epps's natural charisma, vocal dynamic, and energetic timing, several critics noted rough transitions, an over-reliance on crass jokes, and a lack of narrative depth.

In the room: Energetic live theater audience dynamic heavily engaged with D.C.-specific observations and extensive crowd work.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, thesource.com, www2.stage.netflix.com, themoviedb.org, decider.com, wherever-i-look.com, letterboxd.com, vulture.com, netflix.com, shorenewsnetwork.com.

Backstory

Filmed in Washington, D.C.; released just days after Epps married television producer Kyra Robinson. At 48, Epps reflects on parenting four daughters entering adulthood.

Details

Released
Taped
2018, DAR Constitution Hall, Washington
Runtime
63 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Kevin Bray
Topics
Before
Don't Take It Personal (2015)
After
Indiana Mike (2022)

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