Jerry Seinfeld returns to The Comic Strip in New York City to perform a Netflix special at the venue that helped launch his career.

I’ve seen every episode of Seinfeld more than a dozen times, I’ve seen every episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and I’ve followed Jerry Seinfeld’s career for the better part of my life. I thought I knew everything there was about the famous comedian, but watching Jerry Before Seinfeld clued me into a whole new side as he was more vulnerable and open than ever before

In Seinfeld’s first of two Netflix specials he will debut as part of a deal signed earlier this year with Netflix that will also bring the entire catalog of Comedians in Cars and new episodes, Seinfeld makes the audience at The Comic Strip comfortable as he takes them on a trip down memory lane.

Jerry Before Seinfeld was a hybrid of a documentary that included old footage of Seinfeld performing at The Comic Strip in the 70s when he was living at home with his parents and trying to make a career out of this hobby. The archival footage also showed Seinfeld growing up in his family home where his parents weren’t highly invested in his comedic exploits. It was a side of him that he had previously been shy about revealing to them. When his parents came to see him perform, he expressed some embarrassment about his funny side.

Good thing for fans across the world that he showed that side to himself, because he’s arguably the most famous comedian in the world. Oddly enough, the actual jokes and stories that Seinfeld shares in the hour-long special took a backseat for me. The jokes were vintage Seinfeld, like the sock that escapes when you do the laundry, or the cues people in relationships give away when there is any sort of trouble. People touch their face when they’re lying but the higher up they go on the face, the bigger the lie. This is familiar stuff from the show and his past stand-up work, but what made Jerry Before Seinfeld must-see TV was the intimacy and vulnerability he displayed.

Being on a stage and sharing art and things you created is a vulnerable act in itself, but Seinfeld took it to the next level by sharing the stories about how he worked for hamburgers and sat on the edge of a building’s street-level facade was so touching.

He was just a kid trying to live his dream. He knew what he wanted to do and he didn’t care if it meant no money and he lived in a 15 by 15 foot apartment that felt like it was closing in on him with each new fresh coat of paint. That is so personable and a feeling that is universally relatable. That story made the super rich and world-famous comedian feel like he was like one of us.

The most fascinating and introspective look at the special was seeing Seinfeld sitting in the middle of a road in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans with what appeared like miles and miles of ledger notes that contained all of his jokes from 1975. My mind was blown. I was so taken aback at the sheer volume of the jokes he had penned in his 40-plus year career. Secondly, I was amazed at the commitment level to take the notes of every joke that was a hit and to keep a file of that in his accordion file.

Come for the jokes, which are tremendous, especially the bit about his father’s propensity to smoke while moving furniture and how the cigarette acted as a prop. But stay for the personal stories and the intimacy and vulnerability shown by the world’s top comic.

You can watch the trailer for Jerry Before Seinfeld below.

For more great stand-up comedy, you can visit our page for the 50 best stand-up specials streaming now on Netflix.

Jerry Before Seinfeld arrives on Netflix on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 3:00 a.m. ET.