IIt’s a real doc, this new Jamie Foxx special, in which the Oscar and Grammy winner talks about the “mysterious illness” that almost killed him. You could consider it the 56-year-old’s hymn to God, his fans (and himself, honestly) as he expresses, with trembling lips, his gratitude for this second attempt at life. Or how the starved Hollywood ego manifested itself in performances and songs. Or as a case study in the turmoil of modern masculinity. Either way, it definitely makes an impression.

What makes the show (with the clunky title “What Had Happened Was…”) so newsworthy is its account of the stroke Foxx suffered in April 2023, which removed him from public life and sparked rumors of his death. It’s in Foxx’s account Was a kind of death. Foxx was in a wheelchair and unable to wipe his butt. He had to kill the old, selfish Jamie so that a more humble man could heal and move on. These were the lessons of a no-nonsense Chicago nurse who guided the superstar to recovery with the help of his sister, his daughters, the prayers of his fans – and the Lord and Savior who orchestrated it all.

We learn that the stroke was divine punishment for Foxx’s poor church attendance. Fortunately, Jamie is now so repentant of his sins that this set ends up turning into a spiritual service, with the host leading his flock in a divine song. Before that, there are long, lingering close-ups of him bursting into tears (“Please, Lord, let me get through this”) and proudly talking about how “Jamie, fucking Foxx… doesn’t need therapists.” At times, the shifts between the many faces of modern machismo are dizzying, as our host goes from sobbing on stage with his 14-year-old daughter to declaring he won’t have sex with “white girls” anymore.

Ultimately, what is clear is that Foxx was shaken by his experience – and that he remains an extraordinary entertainer, be it as a pianist, singer, impersonator (with great impersonations of Trump, Denzel Washington, Jay-Z and more) or narrator. It may be exaggerated and religious, but this account of the history of death is heartbreaking and hard to unsee.