The first look is narrated by Morgan Freeman, who asks, “What do you dream about? Not the dreams you have in your sleep, the ones you hold in your heart. Don’t be intimidated by the audacity of your dream — be inspired by it.”

The teaser then cuts to Freeman sitting next to Chappelle. As the pair watch the special, Freeman says, “What happens to a dream deferred? Lucky for Dave, he doesn’t know.”

The Dreamer was shot in Chappelle’s hometown of Washington, DC at the historic Lincoln Theatre and was directed by Emmy Award winner Stan Lathan, who has helmed all seven of Chappelle’s specials for the streaming giant.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stood by the special and said he would not be pulling it from the platform, despite the backlash, which sparked walkout from hundreds of Netflix employees. Sarandos ultimately said the special was in line with the streamer’s stance toward “artistic expression” and said he didn’t think it was “appropriate” to add any disclaimer at the top of the special.

At the time, The Closer was billed as the last of a six-special package of Chappelle content for the streamer.

Shortly after, in early 2022, Netflix announced it was staying in business with Chappelle when it set 4 more specials with the comedian.