Not To Be Mean to Sarah Silverman, But ...

I feel a little guilty saying this given the subject of Sarah Silverman’s latest Netflix special — the death of her parents — but PostMortem doesn’t quite work, whether as a comedy special, a one-woman show, or a meditation on grief. What it would work well as is a podcast, and I know that because two years ago, after losing both of her parents just two weeks apart, Silverman shared many of the same reflections on her podcast in a moving, intimate episode. It was sweet, touching, and endearing. I came away from it wanting nothing more than for my own kids to remember me the way Silverman and her sisters remembered their dad.

But that same material doesn’t translate into a compelling or particularly funny comedy special. When my father-in-law passed away last year, the family gathered over lunch a few days later to share stories, reminisce, and reflect on his life. It was healing, but it wouldn’t have made for great viewing for anyone who didn’t know him.

And that’s essentially what PostMortem is: Silverman sharing memories of her father, her stepmother, and her biological mother (who died several years earlier), recounting their final days and what they meant to her. Her father sounds like an incredible man, a total character, and Silverman was clearly lucky to have him. I found myself wishing he’d been my dad, not only because my own childhood would’ve been far less traumatic, but because these stories might have resonated more personally.

Even then, they still wouldn’t be all that funny. And that’s OK! There’s that saying: tragedy plus time equals comedy. But in this case, there isn’t really a tragedy. Donald Silverman lived a long, full life, married two remarkable women, raised four extraordinary daughters, and passed away peacefully eight days after the love of his life, surrounded by his children. That’s not tragic — that’s aspirational.

He left behind a legacy of warm, wonderful memories. They just don’t make for great stand-up material. That’s no knock on Silverman. There’s nothing in PostMortem to actively dislike. Her affection for her father is clear and lovely, even if, in telling these stories, she seems to slip into a younger, almost childlike version of herself. But the material never really rises to the level of entertaining and falls well short of funny.

Still, I’m happy for Silverman. She was raised by a remarkable trio of parents, and that’s a rare gift. Just not one particularly worthy of a stand-up special.