Home > Special > Season 1 « TV Series Page Special: Season 1 (2019) SEASON: Season 1 Season 1 Season 2 Want to see Episode List Season 1 Special Critics Consensus Honest and genuinely affecting, Special lives up to its name with a funny -- if a bit too concise -- first season brightened by Ryan O'Connell's infectious charms. 96% TOMATOMETER Critic Ratings: 23 83% Audience Score User Ratings: 132 See score details Submit review Want to see Edit Submit review Super Reviewer Verified Super Reviewer Verified Edit Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit Continue Super Reviewer Step 2 of 2 How did you buy your ticket? Let's get your review verified. Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket. Super Reviewer Rate this season Oof, that was Rotten. Meh, it passed the time. It’s good – I’d recommend it. Awesome! So Fresh: Absolute Must See! What did you think of this tv season? (optional) Submit How did you buy your ticket? Submit By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Episodes 1 Chapter One: Cerebral LOLzy Air date: Apr 12, 2019 In the wake of being hit by a car, Ryan begins a coveted internship and finds an opportunity to redefine himself based on his recent run-in. More 2 Chapter Two: The Deep End Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Kim encourages a daunted Ryan to be more comfortable with his body at Olivia's pool party, where they both make some surprising new friends. More 3 Chapter Three: Free Scones Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Karen reluctantly agrees to help Ryan find an apartment while Kim eagerly volunteers to help him check another big milestone off his list. More 4 Chapter Four: Housechilling Party Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Ryan's underwhelming attempt at a housewarming party leads to a bonding session with Kim. Karen's nest doesn't stay empty for long. More 5 Chapter Five: Vagina Momologues Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Karen's shopping trip is cut short as she tends to pressing matters for her mother and Ryan, fueling frustrations with her role as dual-caregiver. More 6 Chapter Six: Straight Potential Air date: Apr 12, 2019 While Ryan attends a dudes' poker night, Karen lets loose with Phil at home, basking in her affection for him -- and for grilled cheese. More 7 Chapter Seven: Blind Deaf Date Air date: Apr 12, 2019 An unconventional blind date leads Ryan to examine his own biases and insecurities. Friction develops in Karen and Phil's burgeoning romance. More 8 Chapter Eight: Gay Gardens Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Conflicted by how he's being defined, Ryan decides to come clean at work and with his friends. But focusing on himself leaves Karen feeling left out. More Tv Season Info A young gay man with cerebral palsy branches out from his insular existence in hopes of finally going after the life he wants. Genre: Comedy Network: Netflix Premiere Date: Apr 12, 2019 Cast Ryan O'Connell as Ryan Jessica Hecht as Karen Punam Patel as Kim Marla Mindelle as Olivia Augustus Prew as Carey Samantha Lee as Bonnie Gina Hughes as Samantha Show More Cast News & Interviews for Special: Season 1 TV Premiere Dates 2019 View All Special: Season 1 News Episodes 1 Chapter One: Cerebral LOLzy Air date: Apr 12, 2019 In the wake of being hit by a car, Ryan begins a coveted internship and finds an opportunity to redefine himself based on his recent run-in. More 2 Chapter Two: The Deep End Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Kim encourages a daunted Ryan to be more comfortable with his body at Olivia's pool party, where they both make some surprising new friends. More 3 Chapter Three: Free Scones Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Karen reluctantly agrees to help Ryan find an apartment while Kim eagerly volunteers to help him check another big milestone off his list. More 4 Chapter Four: Housechilling Party Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Ryan's underwhelming attempt at a housewarming party leads to a bonding session with Kim. Karen's nest doesn't stay empty for long. More 5 Chapter Five: Vagina Momologues Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Karen's shopping trip is cut short as she tends to pressing matters for her mother and Ryan, fueling frustrations with her role as dual-caregiver. More 6 Chapter Six: Straight Potential Air date: Apr 12, 2019 While Ryan attends a dudes' poker night, Karen lets loose with Phil at home, basking in her affection for him -- and for grilled cheese. More 7 Chapter Seven: Blind Deaf Date Air date: Apr 12, 2019 An unconventional blind date leads Ryan to examine his own biases and insecurities. Friction develops in Karen and Phil's burgeoning romance. More 8 Chapter Eight: Gay Gardens Air date: Apr 12, 2019 Conflicted by how he's being defined, Ryan decides to come clean at work and with his friends. But focusing on himself leaves Karen feeling left out. More Critic Reviews for Special Season 1 All Critics (23) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (1) Feels like a finely-tuned, precision-crafted Web series, with potent little zingers stitched into every exchange - along with the occasional sledgehammer. Apr 22, 2019 | Full Review… Michael Andor Brodeur Boston Globe Top Critic Its appealing length is a sign of much-appreciated self-awareness, as "Special" needs some time to hone its delivery and find more storytelling confidence, but there's more than enough in Ryan O'Connell's new series to make it the right kind of notable. Apr 17, 2019 | Rating: B- | Full Review… Ben Travers indieWire Top Critic Netflix's first sitcom of 15-minute episodes plays out like a woke, snappy, millennial dream. Jul 23, 2019 | Full Review… Lauren Carroll Harris Guardian Top Critic 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. Nov 22, 2019 | Full Review… Catherine Capellaro Isthmus (Madison, WI) "The show is vastly significant in terms of what it does for our representation in the mainstream culture...provides me, and other disabled and marginalized people, with a much-needed piece of representational belonging." Jun 19, 2019 | Full Review… Michael McNeely theBUZZ That shines through when you realize Special isn't a "disability comedy," it's a comedy where disability is a meaningful, but singular, slice of its main character's rich life. Jun 6, 2019 | Full Review… Ariana Romero Refinery29 Special-with O'Connell's obvious talent as a writer and star-makes a compelling case for why disabled writers, creators, and actors should be leading the way in expanding media representation for people with a variety of disabilities. Jun 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… Anna Hamilton The Daily Dot Though the series and character sometimes verge on being too sweet, there is an unimpeachable emotional realism here... May 3, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… Alison de Souza The Straits Times (Singapore) It's very light, there's nothing sad or disturbing about it. It's light, and it's sweet, and it gives you a slice of the gay community you usually don't get to see. May 3, 2019 | Full Review… Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez Tom & Lorenzo The 15-minute episodes are an easy binge and the two lead characters...are often a hoot even if some of the secondary characters (a witch-on-wheels boss, in particular) and situations undercut the show's attempts at realism. May 2, 2019 | Full Review… Rob Owen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Biting but warm comedy skewers millennial life, disability. Apr 23, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… Polly Conway Common Sense Media 'Special' is a window to the influence of language on our environment, our thoughts, our bodies, our ideals and our reality. It is not about accepting oneself. It is about showing oneself as it is. (Full Review in Spanish) Apr 23, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… Guillem Martinez Oya Cinematismo View All Critic Reviews (23) Audience Reviews for Special: Season 1 Apr 06, 2020 Super good: the same genre as Master of None, Ramy, Feel Good, etc. Raphael C Oct 18, 2019 Funny af watched it in a day! Ashley F Aug 18, 2019 Parsons was the reason to terminate the best series ever made Big Bang theory for spending his time in tv series like this? What a pity. Charlie V Jul 08, 2019 This series demonstrates that anyone can be an awful person. 20-something pain in the ass more worried about image than how he treats people. The millennial me-first mentality. Not funny, uncomfortable to watch, poorly presented, awkward, and goes nowhere. curtis d May 17, 2019 Special can use its title honestly due to its perfect blend of heartfelt and funny moments - thanks to Ryan O'Connell's talent as both lead star and writer. Felipe F May 04, 2019 Ryan the main character really is an asshole who takes for granted the people around him and what people really do for him specially his mom which at the end of the season throws a pity party for himself when his mom expresses all she really does for him I really hope this show doesn't get a second season by far one of the worst shows on Netflix Gavin F Apr 26, 2019 Overall, this show was really well done! It had a lot of heart and comedy in a way that I have never seen before. The ending to the first season was good and a little bumpy, however, it did leave me wanting more from season two. Also, I would love to see the episodes be longer! Apr 21, 2019 Special is fun and one of the best Netflix original comedy series, because it has a good direction, a great script, a very pleasant rhythm due to the short duration of the episodes and excellent characters that are very charismatic and interpreted in an incredible way by Ryan O'Connell, Jessica Hecht, Punam Patel and Augustus Prew ANDREY A Apr 21, 2019 Ryan is super fucking annoying. I loved all the other character's except the mom's boyfriend. I thought that him and Ryan became rude for no reason. Apart from that I loved all the characters and found myself shipping people and chuckling but not laughing. I'm excited to see where this show goes. It's short but sweet. there is a certain romance i can't wait to see develop and I really don't want his mom to feel like she is guilty. Hopefully they don't take the show in that direction. 3.5/5 Mark J Apr 20, 2019 Excelent. Want to watch the season 2 soon. 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