Lucky 13 The Best And Worst Of Netflix Comedy

As these words are being written, Netflix has exactly 3 billion stand-up comedy specials. Okay, it may actually be a few less than that, but there are new ones every week. It's getting pretty hard to sort through. If you're up for an evening of comedy bingeing, you'll need this list to get a good lineup going.

You shouldn't waste your time on just any Netflix Comedy Special. Though everyone's tastes are different, this list is an attempt with evidence to lead you in the right direction in your journey. And hey, if you happen to have completely different tastes, just go for the bad ones and you'll get the same effect!

Believe me when I say that Netflix is no help in your selection. Their recommendation algorithm is no good. It just wants to promote more Netflix Originals, and it doesn't really differentiate based on content-just genre. When you're exclusively looking at Netflix Original Comedy Specials, this puts everything on the same plane.

For the recommended specials, you'll find people with original jokes and fresh voices (in no particular order). They bring something to their sets that differentiates them from their peers and keeps audiences hanging on their every word. These people are smart, thoughtful, goofy, deadpan, ironic, offbeat, and more.

The specials to avoid are a mix of the very worst and normally funny people who just missed the mark (also in no particular order). By the very worst, I mean the type of comics who rely on stereotypes to put people down for laughs. Others are people who have put out great specials but disappointed this time around.

Comment with your thoughts and any other of your most loved/hated specials!

The Best

13 Nate Bargatze: The Standups

This special is a little different because it's actually six 30-minute stand-up specials in one. However, not all of them are created equal. Nate shines above the rest in the first episode/special that will start your night of Netflix comedy bingeing off right.

Though all five comedians have something to offer, there were some standouts. Nate Bargatze's stories will keep you on the edge of your seat. His simple delivery brings out his charisma. He really knows how to hold a room and get some serious laughs in the process.

Watch Nate immediately! This special is brand new, and you shouldn't have to wait any longer to see him. It's a quick 30 minutes, so watch it now! I guarantee you'll be telling all of your friends about it, and most likely watching it over and over again.

12 Cristela Alonzo: Lower Classy

"I'm buying eggplant. They're checking my credit." If there is one sentence that summarizes the Whole Foods experience as well as this can't miss special, this is it.

Onstage, Cristela is comfortable, charismatic, and energetic. In addition to bringing consistent laughs, she hits on important social issues such as class, race, and immigration with her astute observations and personal anecdotes.

Like all of her material, Cristela's impressions of her mother are goofy, thoughtful, and nuanced. Her mother, an immigrant from Mexico, was a huge influence on her life as well as her comedic style. She jokes that her mother always asked her why she wasn't wearing makeup, even when she was going to bed. And at that point, her mom would ask, "And how are you going to find a man in your dreams?"

Her combination of humor and realness is amazing. Like any good comic, she puts a piece of herself into every joke she tells and weaves together a picture of her life that is relatable and hysterical to her whole audience.

She sure deserves that standing ovation!

11 Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark

You probably know Trevor from The Daily Show. Well, in his special, you'll see this host, actor, and comedian shine in a special that fans of his show are sure to adore. His array of impressions and accents is super impressive. Fans of TDS will love his mix of political humor and personal touches.

He's got a lot of energy, so you've got to be in the mood for that, but if you are, you'll love his commanding yet congenial presence on stage.

His Obama observations are the shining points of the special. He describes the former President's plane exits as "stepping out of the plane and into a music video." And he's got the impression to match it.

Trevor knows how to make the audience laugh and get at their hearts all in one smooth motion. This special will leave you feeling uplifted and amused, so definitely add it to your queue.

10 Jen Kirkman: Just Keep Livin'?

After opening with a hilarious story about meditation and road rage in which she yells at a man to "go f*ck his car," Jen continues to kill for an hour straight in her second Netflix special that was even better than her first.

The special is named after her ankle tattoo/Matthew McConaughey's catchphrase. The only thing this JKL-branded comic nails harder than self-deprecation is feminism. She takes on catcalling, period stigma, and gender expectations through accounts of her solo trip to Italy, a fashion compliment from a stranger in a car, and an unconventional pregnancy scare.

Her jokes are stories that capture her listeners and connected seamlessly. You'll find yourself getting lost in them until you come to the end and put it right back in your queue to rewatch again and again.

9 John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid

There is just something so likable (and, obviously, hilarious) about this guy. His confidence and energetic delivery meld perfectly with his vulnerability and shameless self-deprecation. I could go on and on, but I'd rather you just hear it from him.

He describes his vibe as, "Hey, you could pour soup in my lap and I'll probably apologize to you." His jokes all link together seamlessly. He's full of callbacks and knows how to find a way to make a full hour set flow as smoothly as the tightest 5-minute set.

The variety of topics he touches on while avoiding any and all awkward transitions is unheard of. Somehow, it's just all John. His writing and delivery are both beyond legendary, and he is sure to continue to see great success in his whole life in comedy.

8 Demetri Martin: Live (At The Time)

"The only time it's okay to throw a hamster is if it's out of the window of a burning building."

It's this kind of eccentric statements that will keep you guessing and cracking up all through Demetri's amazing special.

By this joke, or even just by the title, you already know you're in for a good time with this killer comic. Demetri's deadpan observational style is uniquely disarming and hilarious. He's clearly brilliant, and his jokes show it. They're the kind that are well thought out without making the audience do all the work.

His transitions are nonexistent, which is part of that Demetri magic. He will catch you off guard with all of the things you never knew you needed to hear.

There's really no way to understand just how good he is without watching him, so get started now!

7 Tig Notaro: Tig

Tig's special is more than stand-up. It includes a look into her life as a cancer survivor, the history of her ultra successful comedy special about her cancer, stories from her personal life, and an overall portrait of her overwhelmingly positive, hilarious spirit.

You get to see her jokes and her life evolve. Her health improves, she meets her then-future wife, and she gets back into the comedy grind. Special attention is given to her Live special, which is what made her as famous as she is today.

So often we see comics on stage. Maybe here and there we get an interview or some personal background, but not much. This special breaks all the rules and will surely make you fall in love with both Tig and her incredible sense of humor.

The Worst

6 Norm Macdonald: Hitler's Dog, Gossip, and Trickery

While this SNL alum is funny enough as a person, Norm relies on his perspective as an older person being inherently funny when he should rely on stronger punchlines. His delivery is a little too quick and deadpan for his random and strung-together material, so he's definitely missing out on some laughs by fitting in too many words.

A lot of his jokes, especially the Kardashian jab, are very "been there, done that." His observations aren't particularly wise or unique, and even his discussion of his own life seems brushed over.

My recommendation? He should watch a little more Jon Mulaney to learn how to talk about himself, and he should learn about deadpan humor from Demetri Martin. Sorry, Norm. This one just wasn't a winner this time.

5 Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking

How these two got a Netflix special or the amount of comedy notoriety they have is beyond me. They don't have anything particular to offer in terms of clever jokes. They're just loud and abrasive. And apparently, that gets a Grammy nomination these days.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Netflix describes their style as "homestyle humor," and last time I checked, that was a way to describe cooking. If by homestyle humor they mean that it is overcooked and not for everybody, they may be closer to a point.

I cannot be sure that these two have been doing as much thinking as their title suggests. What I'm thinking is that anyone who wants to see something exciting and funny should look elsewhere.

4 Brian Posehn: The Fartist

To put it simply, this one just leaves something to be desired. It's a lot of rambly material about club dancers, Star Wars, the green herb, and anything else that seems to come to his mind. The observations aren't new, nor are his stories particularly gripping.

Brian's special comes off as one-dimensional. It's the kind of special that you will forget you started and surely never finish. I guess in a way it's the quintessential Netflix experience. But you deserve better than that.

When there is a world of specials full of ups, downs, and more, Brian's bland take on comedy is easily forgotten and even more easily skipped over. You can surely find jokes of similar caliber from stoned college kids and at an amateur open mic. Save your hour for one of the other great comics on this list.

3 Iliza Shlesinger: Confirmed Kills

It's not that it's an awful special, but it doesn't show a lot of growth or even much new material from her previous ones.

Sure, she's got a lot of energy, but she pretty much just does one voice repetitively and uses a lot of stereotypes about dating, women, and more to come off as relatable and honest. It seems that she would do better to put this energy into writing more jokes that have to do with her, or something original.

Her mermaid and shark tank bits are a bit more original than much of her other material, but they start to drift away (mermaid pun intended) from the point a little. Again, she seems to make fun of women for harmless things they do a lot for a self-proclaimed feminist. She doesn't make fun of herself enough, so it's hard to get to know her or feel attached to her humor. Try something else instead.

This one won't ruin your day, but why waste the time?

2 Katherine Ryan: In Trouble

Does Katherine really have to get introduced as a "strong, confident, Black woman" and then immediately compare herself to Caitlyn Jenner in a way that is disparaging to transgender people? She may have energy and confidence onstage, but her writing needs improvement. Her crowd work is full of cheap shots at best, and most of her jokes are just unoriginal stereotypes repackaged as her own thoughts.

By no means do jokes need to contain a social message, but when Katherine brings social issues into her act, she doesn't make insightful observations about them. Instead, she makes light of suicide, insults Jewish and Filipino people, and mimics getting assaulted. Her use of shock value isn't funny -- it's messed up.

Watch literally anything else.

This one will leave you wondering, why does she get a Netflix special? Save yourself a long, painful hour -- say no to Katherine.

1 Louis C. K.: 2017

For someone with a huge name in comedy and five Netflix specials, Louis doesn't even deserve one.

The first 10 minutes are abortion and suicide jokes that are distasteful, unoriginal, and just not funny. Louis is a classic example of someone who isn't afraid to say things that others won't say, and for some reason, people think that makes him brave and inventive. However, it's simply a lazy ploy to get out of writing jokes that are 100% his own.

Relying on pessimism, stereotypes, and derogatory language doesn't make someone funny. It just gets people's attention. That may be a skill, but it's not comedy. Louis constantly relies on disparaging people to get laughs and ruffle feathers. Whether it's his discriminatory impressions or just his overall use of violent language towards minorities, it's neither okay nor funny. At all.

Skip this one for your own good, and instead, comment with your favorite Netflix special from this list and the ones that weren't on here. With a world of Netflix specials and new ones on the way, there are so many opinions that need to get out there!