TV columnist Brian Lowry said the special "captures what’s best and most frustrating about Silverman’s act."
"There’s something simultaneously fascinating and maddening about Sarah Silverman -- graced with genuine talent and a well-defined comedic persona on one hand, and a commitment to pushing past the edge in a way that blunts her appeal on the other," Lowry began his review.
According to the review, the 42-year-old comedienne "limited herself by appearing determined to prove she can be as dirty and disastrous as the boys" in the forthcoming HBO special.
He went on to say that the majority of the jokes are "more about shock value than cleverness."
"This isn't mean to suggest that female comics can't work blue," he explained in his review. "The lament here is that in the wrong hands it can feel gratuitous or become a crutch, whereas unlike many of her contemporaries, Silverman has enough tools that she can and should do more."
Silverman has yet to respond to the review.
