Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine

Cooper's charisma and her outstanding ability to convey Trump's obscene ineptitude through physical performance ensure that these gags land. However, and smartly, Lyonne and producers don't rely too heavily on the impersonation aspect Cooper's brand with which most of us are familiar. There's a share of that, but mainly "Everything's Fine" shows us Cooper's natural talent.

In spite of the famous faces surrounding her, Cooper is the undeniable star of the special (although Jon Hamm is pretty hilarious in a parody of the My Pillow commercials). ... It's hard not to compare Cooper to late night comedians and recent "Saturday Night Live" episodes made under pandemic conditions, but "Everything's Fine" feels so much more natural than those shows (although made under considerably less time pressure).

Often funny, always striking document of what living feels like in this fraught and febrile year.

At its best, Everything's Fine is a reminder that everything is most certainly not fine, conjuring laughter by capturing the sheer absurdity of it all, much like Cooper's Trump-channeling videos. That's the gift, in essence, that Cooper has doled out in 60-second bites to those slowly losing their minds, and if nothing else, the special feels like well-deserved recognition for services rendered.

On balance it’s worth the 50-minute investment on the strength of Cooper’s undeniable comedic skill set and her enormous likability, and an almost overwhelming number of guest contributors.

The in-between moments of banter between her and Armisen generate some of the special’s funniest lines and make a strong case for an entire season-long show just to see the two of them play off of each other more. What the special could have done without are the Trump lip syncs.

Even for a fan, “enjoy” might not be quite the right verb. “Everything’s Fine” is a dark and uncomfortable hour, in its glitchy mix of the banal and the bizarre something more likely to show up on Adult Swim or IFC than Netflix. It’s funny, but it won’t necessarily make you laugh.

The more enjoyable aspects of the special came during the bits that had nothing to do with Trump but everything to do with how weird 2020 is. ... Other sketches hit or missed as much due to the celebrity co-star’s willingness to throw him or herself into the character. So, much like SNL, then.

Here’s to hoping our and Sarah Cooper’s “tomorrow” is better than today, and that Cooper lands a third act to a career that has flourished, online, this year, after being off the radar for too long before we found her.