It’s fortunate that Mae Martin has carved out a stellar reputation as a successful comedian and actor, because prior to this, they were known as “Bathwater.†As they explain in the trailer for their debut, hour-long Netflix special, SAP (out March 28), they got this nickname from the kids they went to rehab with at 19 who had a meeting and decided that Martin looks “like the type of kid who would drink their own bathwater.†Harsh. “It’s so specific, so insulting, and creative, yes,†Martin begrudges.
Anecdotes about rehab like this will feel familiar to fans who know Martin from Feel Good, the semi-autobiographical Channel 4 and Netflix series they created and starred in, which concluded its run after two seasons in 2021. But the upcoming special will tackle “a world off its axis†— including “a mythical moose encounter†and “the gender spectrum in Beauty and the Beast,†according to Netflix.
Directed by A League of Their Own and Broad City star Abbi Jacobson, the special will mark a homecoming for Martin, who began their career in Toronto before finding success in the U.K. It was filmed at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, and its title may be a reference to Canada’s most famous export, maple syrup.