Comedian Rory Scovel discusses his new Netflix special, "Rory Scovel: Show Must Go On," which premieres on Tuesday and marks his most personal and vulnerable work to date. The hour builds towards material about the death of his father, who died suddenly in June 2020, and reflects on the relationship Scovel wished they had had, closing with a joke about his father's dying wish being for his son to sell more tour merchandise. The special represents a departure for the South Carolina-born comic, who is also known for acting roles in "Physical" and "Rooster."

Scovel says the new material came together more quickly and easily than anything he has written before, crediting a tighter, more "punchier" edit for the improvement, joking it took him 20 years to learn how to properly edit his own work. Alongside the deeply personal ending, the special also tackles politics and religion, themes he says he wanted to explore honestly without simply "ranting" at the audience. In a wide-ranging interview conducted over Zoom in early August, he also touches on a heckler from a January 6th-related show, his ambition to perform more in politically conservative states, and why he thanks "MDMA" in the special's closing credits.