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Sledgehammer

Tom Segura

Netflix · 2023 · 61 min

A cynical look at fatherhood, fame, and accidental drug doses.

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Tom Segura has built a podcast empire that sometimes threatens to world-build beyond his stand-up, but on stage, he remains a clinical storyteller who excels at finding comedy in the deeply uncomfortable. His fifth Netflix special, Sledgehammer, leans heavily into this, framing family life and midlife fame with his signature sociopathic charm.

Filmed at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, the special makes use of the venue’s rotating stage to keep Segura in constant motion. At 61 minutes, the performance is a product of his massive “I’m Coming Everywhere” world tour, capturing a comic at the peak of his commercial power. Key segments include an extended bit about meeting a breathtakingly handsome Brad Pitt backstage, raising two young sons who seem to inherit his dark sensibilities, and a story about feeding his elderly mother high-potency marijuana gummies. He also recounts his late father’s final, bizarre deathbed confession and a chaotic 911 call.

By 2023, Segura’s brand was deeply intertwined with his YMH Studios podcasting network, prompting some critics and long-time stand-up purists to note that his stage material had begun to drift toward fans-only inside jokes and casual riffing. The special debuted at number one on Netflix, though it highlighted a shift in Segura’s stage persona from a relatable, everyday cynic to a wealthy, slightly out-of-touch podcaster finding the friction between family life and arena-level fame.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Calling 911 after his wife Christina falls down the stairs and breaks her ankle and tibia.

    Recounting the excitement of having a real emergency while realizing how inherently suspicious the phrase 'my wife fell down the stairs' sounds to dispatchers.

  2. An awkward conversation with his son in the shower about male anatomy.

    Exploring the bizarre, uncomfortable realities of fatherhood from which the special gets its title 'Sledgehammer.'

  3. Visiting his father on his deathbed in the hospital.

    Sharing his father's final outrageous conversations and honoring his love of getting huge laughs.

  4. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Sharing THC gummies with his widowed mother. closer

    Detailing her first experience getting extremely high on edibles and her subsequent blunt reaction to his routine about it.

  5. His admiration and humorous fantasies involving Brad Pitt.

    Reflecting on meeting high-profile celebrities due to his comedic career success.

  6. Referencing the running 'Where are the bodies, G?' feud with Garth Brooks.

    Engaging podcast fans with inside jokes connecting country tour dates to missing persons.

How it plays

Tone
Blisteringly candid, raunchy, slightly offensive, and irreverent.
On stage
Deadpan, conversational, affable, and playfully provocative family man.
Pace
Laid-back cadence with deliberate setups, physical comedic punctuation, and knockout punchlines.
About
Marriage and domestic injuries, Parenting two young boys, Mortality and his father's deathbed, Marijuana edibles and his mother, Celebrity encounters

What the critics said

Critical response ranged from calling it a masterclass in personal storytelling to viewing it as a middling, safe special overly dependent on podcast fandom and inside jokes.

In the room: An energized, sold-out crowd in an in-the-round theater setting responding enthusiastically to callbacks and fan-favorite references.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: deadline.com, hollywoodreporter.com, bbfc.co.uk, decider.com, letterboxd.com, rottentomatoes.com, deadant.co, variety.com, rollingstone.com.

Backstory

Filmed in the round following the passing of his father ('Top Dog') and his family's relocation from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas; marks the first special under his 2022 two-special agreement with Netflix.

Details

Released
Taped
2022, Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix
Runtime
61 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Ryan Polito
Topics
Before
Ball Hog (2020)
After
Teacher (2025)

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