Tom Segura‘s stand-up has at all times had its fair proportion of filth, as he continually makes use of his sarcastic and deadpan nature to speak about matters starting from his day-to-day life, his eccentric dad and mom, assembly comedians on airplanes, or “the poors” on his podcast Your Mother’s Home, which he co-hosts alongside his spouse Christina Pazsitzky.
His new Netflix sketch-comedy sequence Unhealthy Ideas takes issues a step additional, with Segura continually pushing boundaries to see simply how far and the way offensive he can take issues. Segura’s darkly comical and extremely inappropriate sketch sequence feels elevated in the way in which it is filmed, together with components like an apocalyptic alien wasteland, the compound of a rustic music star turned cult chief, and a gymnasium populated by males with comically giant penises. Sure, you learn that final half accurately. All of it feels fairly rattling cinematic, to the purpose the place a sketch that parodies an A24 film trailer truly seems like the actual deal — properly, not less than till we see Segura taking part in a cartoonish Italian immigrant, performing lewd acts on senior residents. The result’s precisely what you’d count on, and longtime followers of Segura’s will really feel proper at dwelling with this unapologetically wicked present.
What Is ‘Unhealthy Ideas’ About?
Unhealthy Ideas consists of six episodes, every loosely revolving round a sure common theme: jobs, success, household, love, communication, and well being. Among the sketches play by means of multiple episode, some are filmed in black-and-white, one would not even truly characteristic Segura, and each single one is very inappropriate and never one thing you’d need to watch together with your mom round. A lot of Segura’s stand-up is ported over to the sequence, together with callbacks to his early materials, resulting in an immensely awkward dialog on an airplane, or his father’s Vietnam Conflict tales, that are tailored into a really problematic kids’s play.
The setups are sensationalized and inventive, however the comedy is comparatively low-brow, together with scatological humor and intercourse jokes with an additional serving to of darkish comedy. For essentially the most half, it really works extraordinarily properly, making for an entertaining six-episode sequence that does not have a low second. Segura performs a wide range of completely different characters, together with fictionalized variations of himself, the nation music star turned cult chief Rex Henley, a pants-soiling hitman, and even Steven Seagal, giving each position his full and utter dedication. He is prepared to drop the sarcasm if which means being wholly and totally unfiltered on-screen. Segura additionally can not help however push viewers’ buttons, throwing almost every little thing he has on the wall and seeing what is going to stick. Even when sure sketches do not work as properly, together with one which includes a sexual “Make a Want” request, there is a sure aesthetic that makes all of it pop.
‘Unhealthy Ideas’ Works Greatest When It is Extra Elaborate
For many who attempt to declare that comedy cannot be edgy anymore, look no additional than Unhealthy Ideas. It isn’t that the sequence goes out of its approach to offend, however it’s unafraid of constructing the viewer really feel disgusted or repulsed to the purpose of reaching for his or her distant. There’s by no means a uninteresting second, provided that the present continually makes an attempt to escalate itself inside every sketch.
Whereas on his press tour, Segura has touted Unhealthy Ideas on his tackle Black Mirror, and whereas his sequence does provide some comically bleak takes on humanity, it does bear a bit extra resemblance to sketch comedy sequence like I Suppose You Ought to Go away with Tim Robinson or Key & Peele. Much like how these reveals take on a regular basis eventualities and morph them right into a sequence of over-the-top gags, Unhealthy Ideas operates by having every sketch’s characters act upon their worst impulses. In a single explicit sketch, Segura turns into annoyed with a espresso store barista, and as an alternative of simply chewing out the worker, he later gleefully beats mentioned barista to a pulp. It strikes simply the right combination between humorous and extremely disturbing.
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Whereas Unhealthy Ideas is basically a sketch sequence, it does sometimes dip a toe into changing into extra serialized. Sure installments finish with cliffhangers that decide up immediately within the subsequent episode, seemingly making an attempt to hyperlink the themes collectively. Typically it really works naturally; the Rex Henley storyline may have arguably been a sequence in itself. Different occasions, it feels a bit disjointed, as is the case with a sketch involving The Sopranos‘ Rob Iler as a person who learns that he is the principle character in his former co-workers’ profitable VR online game, through which man-eating aliens have intercourse with him. Unhealthy Ideas‘ sketches finally work finest when Segura and his staff attempt to make them extra elaborate, fairly than feeling as if they may very well be part of another related comedy sequence.
‘Unhealthy Ideas’ Is the Good Subsequent Step for Tom Segura
Whereas different stand-up comedians have tried to interrupt into movie and tv just lately — together with 2 Bears 1 Cave co-host Bert Kreischer with the middling action-comedy The Machine — Unhealthy Ideas seems like the proper subsequent step for Segura. Though a single sitcom or feature-length film in all probability could not totally embody Segura’s total comedic persona, Unhealthy Ideas has all of it.
In some ways, Unhealthy Ideas‘ unapologetic nature makes it really feel like the live-action equal of South Park. It might not be as topical as Parker and Stone’s crass animated satire, nevertheless it does profess the identical “no person is secure” mantra that has allowed that long-running sequence to face the check of time. It is proudly unfiltered and makes no apologies if one thing occurs to offend you. It isn’t achieved in a very smug method both, extra so working from the attitude that everyone is an fool, even Segura himself.
Unhealthy Ideas is not going to transform anybody who is not already a fan of Segura’s knack for darkish comedy, however why ought to it? The Netflix sequence is the proper mixture of messed-up and hilarious. Whereas not each sketch will kill, there are greater than sufficient huge laughs and moments of sheer, wicked creativity that solely Segura is able to pulling off.
Unhealthy Ideas is now accessible to stream on Netflix.
Tom Segura’s Unhealthy Ideas is an ideal subsequent step for the comic, efficiently capturing his distinctive sense of darkish comedy.
- Launch Date
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Might 13, 2025
- Community
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Netflix
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Tom Segura
Numerous Characters
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- The sequence options some excellent cinematography that makes it really feel extra cinematic than anticipated.
- Unhealthy Ideas is proof that you may nonetheless do edgy comedy in 2025.
- The Rex Henley and Steven Seagal sketches are huge standouts.
- Among the sketches aren’t as satisfying as others.
