What I liked
Tanner’s deep love for his family is evident throughout the whole show and I found it quite moving. It makes a nice contrast in that a lot of shows I’ve seen about family tend to dwell on unhealthy relationship dynamics, whereas here you have a flawed but lovable cast where conflict stems more from trying and failing to understand the other side rather than outright malice. Mostly. Picture an asterisk the size of Saint Peter’s Basilica next to that last word there. Ho boy.
Unrelated, but my dad’s name is Salvatore too
What I didn't like
While the Doctor Tanner parts were fun, I kept just wanting to get back to Tanner’s stories and I wonder what other possibilities there are to integrate both elements. I do think having the two halves be somewhat disconnected created a couple tonal whiplash moments that I thought were excellent, so I’m not entirely sure how else to approach it
My overall impression
Tanner is very good at telling an anecdote while peppering witticisms and visual gags throughout. We all contain multitudes, but Tanner makes an effort to reveal not only the many facets of himself (from punster to painter to ACAB and more), but his family as well. An endearing and moving performance that really packs a wallop when tragedy makes an appearance
