Netflix
Ryan O’Connell plays a gay man with a disability in the short-episode comedy.
In the Netflix show Special, star, writer and executive producer Ryan O’Connell plays a version of himself — a white, male, middle-class millennial trying to make it as a writer in a ridiculous content/listicle factory called Eggwoke. He’s smart and funny and snarky AF. So far, pretty “normal” for this day and age, right?
What makes him — and the show — stand out is that he has cerebral palsy (a mild case, as he’s quick to point out) and he’s gay. And in a world that rewards hetero and able-bodied folks, he struggles. For one thing, he walks with a limp. The first episode features something I believe none of us have seen on TV before: a montage of someone with CP walking in various settings, like the iconic scene where John Travolta strolls to “Stayin’ Alive” in Saturday Night Fever. Instead of looking away from disability, Special normalizes it. The show is full of sly moments like this, which help us relate to and love Ryan. The show is loosely based on O’Connell’s 2015 memoir, I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.
Other than being a 28-year-old virgin — and not wanting to be anymore — being gay is kind of a non-issue for Ryan. He’s out to his mom and his friends and coworkers. In one lovely scene in a gym, Ryan is commenting on someone’s body when his physical therapist tells him to focus. “Save that stuff for Grindr,” says the therapist. “I love that you think I have enough self-esteem to be on Grindr,” is Ryan’s reply. He knows where he stands. But when he goes to a pool party for his boss’ birthday, the camera fuzzes out on ripped, shirtless bodies: hula hooping, squirting each other with water guns, and generally looking pretty and perfect. We see what the world looks like from his perspective. When he gets nervous or feels attracted to a guy (like his adorable coworker), he’s even more uncoordinated, leading to plenty of awkward comedy.
Ryan is less forthright about his CP. He also survived a car accident, and attributes his limp and other coordination issues to that. A blog post about surviving that car accident goes viral and has his boss begging for more. His struggle to accept his own disability is presented frankly and with a huge amount of self-awareness. Ryan loves being gay, but he hates being disabled. And hiding his disability is a major theme in the show.
Another major theme is Ryan’s relationship with his mom (Jessica Hecht), who is high-strung and overprotective. When the season begins, Ryan is living with her, and they both need to let go so he can become independent. They are working out their issues, but the writing on the mom-focused scenes strains credibility. Maybe it’s because I’m that 50-something mom, watching babies grow up to become independent. But Ryan’s mom’s clinginess is exaggerated to the point of absurdity. She sabotages a relationship with a hot neighbor because she feels she’s neglecting Ryan. I’m rooting for her, too, but I’m not convinced O’Connell quite grasps the complexity of her character.
The brilliance of O’Connell’s game is that he’s created an uber-accessible comedy, full of self-referential and -deferential humor. It’s also full of wise observations about the absurdity of modern culture. The workplace scenes with his horrible boss at Eggwoke (Marla Mindelle) are spot on. “Can you just write another post about loving your curves or whatever,” she says to Ryan’s new bestie, Kim (Punam Patel)The first season of Special only has eight brief episodes. You can binge it in a day. You’ll recognize some of the sitcom tropes. But you’ll also see something new: a gay, disabled protagonist and queer sex presented in a refreshing, non-porny way. Let’s root for a second season — and more TV like Special.
