This special by twins the Lucas Bros consists of material with potential and a style of delivery that caters to fans of stoner comedy. The connections drawn between Richard Nixon, the war on drugs, racism in America and the direct impact on Keith and Kenny Lucas's family and upbringing could have been clever, moving and hilarious. Unfortunately, those connections are not developed sufficiently and get lost in some hazy delivery.
On Drugs plays with the traditional standup format, since two performers are delivering a set together. The use of two performers could have challenged the form or offered a new and interesting style of joke delivery, but it just ends up emphasizing one thought: gimmick.
Although Keith and Kenny Lucas are twins and some of their jokes are about being twins, presenting the material side-by-side doesn't significantly enhance their jokes. In fact, having both of them on at the same time leads to the brothers laughing or speaking over each other, which takes away from the joke.
It's also difficult to stay focused on the material because the constant shuffling and swaying body language, excessive use of pausing, slow pace and deadpan delivery combined make it challenging to stay engaged.
The brothers' history is also unclear — they offer a disjointed timeline as they mention having worked at a cable company, collecting a lot of unemployment, attending law school, writing for television, and being drug dealers.
Some of the more intriguing topics in this special are: feminist drug dealers, joining the Black Panther Party, and their father. The story about trying to figure out why their father was imprisoned for 20 years, which is probably the most interesting aspect of this special, is especially incomplete. They state that their father is now out of prison, but fail to address why he was imprisoned in the first place; it is briefly mentioned earlier on that it was drug-related but it's never fleshed out.
The Lucas Bros come across as likable guys, but they need to lay off the drugs to be genuinely interesting to people who aren't on drugs.
Exclaim! is reviewing every standup comedy special currently available on Netflix Canada, including this one. You can find a complete list of reviews so far here.
On Drugs plays with the traditional standup format, since two performers are delivering a set together. The use of two performers could have challenged the form or offered a new and interesting style of joke delivery, but it just ends up emphasizing one thought: gimmick.
Although Keith and Kenny Lucas are twins and some of their jokes are about being twins, presenting the material side-by-side doesn't significantly enhance their jokes. In fact, having both of them on at the same time leads to the brothers laughing or speaking over each other, which takes away from the joke.
It's also difficult to stay focused on the material because the constant shuffling and swaying body language, excessive use of pausing, slow pace and deadpan delivery combined make it challenging to stay engaged.
The brothers' history is also unclear — they offer a disjointed timeline as they mention having worked at a cable company, collecting a lot of unemployment, attending law school, writing for television, and being drug dealers.
Some of the more intriguing topics in this special are: feminist drug dealers, joining the Black Panther Party, and their father. The story about trying to figure out why their father was imprisoned for 20 years, which is probably the most interesting aspect of this special, is especially incomplete. They state that their father is now out of prison, but fail to address why he was imprisoned in the first place; it is briefly mentioned earlier on that it was drug-related but it's never fleshed out.
The Lucas Bros come across as likable guys, but they need to lay off the drugs to be genuinely interesting to people who aren't on drugs.
Exclaim! is reviewing every standup comedy special currently available on Netflix Canada, including this one. You can find a complete list of reviews so far here.