Late Bloomer | Stand Up Comedy Special Full Special

A 35-minute stand-up comedy special by TJ Maclin.
Trailers + clips: Late Bloomer playlist.

What if being “behind in life” isn’t failure — but the result of how you were raised and how the world saw you?

Late Bloomer is a story-driven stand-up comedy special built from personal accounts and observational bits about growing up Black, growing up poor, and trying to make sense of adulthood when childhood never really lets go.

Shot as a high-quality indie stand-up film with no crowd shots, the special unfolds as a complete statement — long-form bits, intentional callbacks, and fourth-wall title cards that guide the viewer through family, identity, and un-actualized potential.

The special explores:

A childhood shaped by contradiction (a drug-dealing father, a young grandmother, a centennial matriarch)

Adult situations colliding with childhood experiences

What it means to arrive late in a world that rarely gives Black children time

If you like introspective, story-driven stand-up, Late Bloomer is built to entertain — and still land with intent.

00:00 — Late Bloomer
00:30 — The OG
05:05 — Uncle Brother
06:36 — F-Boy Grandma
08:33 — Men Ain’t Worth a Quarter
10:34 — All Relationships Are Toxic
12:36 — Black Boys Don’t Get Compliments
14:37 — The Offense of Girl Adolescence
15:49 — Juvenile Detention Center
19:10 — 35, No Kids
21:09 — Resilient Roaches
23:08 — Racist Elevator
30:13 — Kindergarten Kingpin
31:56 — Crackhead Homework
33:23 — Closing Statement
33:52 — Credits