Hank Green's comedy special was existentially delightful

When I found out Hank Green was coming to my city for one day to perform his comedy show live, I was devastated. Not because Hank Green was coming to my city for one day to perform his comedy show live, but instead because I already had tickets to another event that I couldn't get a refund for.

Thus my elation when it was announced not only that his show was being taped, but also that it would be released on a streaming service for anyone with a subscription to watch.

I wasn't a subscriber when the special dropped, but that changed immediately. I wasn't going to miss another opportunity to see Hank Green, doer of many things, make jokes about one of the worst things a person can experience in life. It's my favorite brand of coping: Laughing through the pain.

Looking at cancer through the lens of science (and laughter)

Hank Green is like Bill Nye the Science Guy for generations who, unlike mine, didn't learn science from Bill Nye in elementary school. He studied and worked in science until making YouTube videos (educati9onal and otherwise) became his main job. It made sense for him to examine his own experience with cancer through that lens. The comedic aspect was the curveball.

In his special, Green cycles through opportunities to engage audiences in small lessons about biology, tug at their heartstrings when discussing cancer's impact on his work and family, and catch them off guard (in a good way) with jokes about confronting various medical professionals throughout his diagnosis and treatment.

Sometimes, learning to reflect on life's most trying seasons through comedy is healing not just for the comedian onstage, but for those in the audience as well.

A comedy special that ends with hope

I expected to laugh and cycle through various emotions as the special began playing on my screen. I did not expect Green's anecdotes and jokes to leave me feeling hopeful about my future -- even though I've been a fan of his work for over a decade.

But of course it's hopeful. Green is in remission -- he went on this tour and put all this together because he was at a place where he both could and wanted to reflect on his experience. To be healthy enough to do that is in itself a miracle. No matter how curable a cancer might be, bodies are still wholly unpredictable. There is hope in survival, in living through something even if it's terrible and will continue to impact you for the rest of your life.

I've lived through awful things over the past year, and to hear someone I admire say it's okay that it's not okay and it's terrible even when it's getting better has been such an important component to my own journey toward healing. Everyone's situation is different, you never know what strangers are going through. But Green made himself vulnerable enough to allow audiences to understand that we don't always have to intentionally approach tragedy in a positive way -- but sometimes, on the other side of it, it sort of happens anyway.

How to watch Hank Green's comedy special online

Hank Green's comedy special is available to watch exclusively on Dropout. After a free two-day trial, subscribers can choose to purchase a monthly subscription for $5.99/month, or an annual package for $59.99/year.

This special is the first installment of an ongoing series called "Dropout Presents," recorded live comedy specials made exclusive to the Dropout platform. Dropout is also home to a variety of game shows and other comedy series you can't get anywhere else.

Hank Green is still making YouTube videos and is back to doing so more regularly. He can be found on channels such as SciShow, Vlogbrothers, and his own personal channel on YouTube.