'We Need to Talk About Cosby' gives Bill Cosby's complex legacy a nuanced look

The title perfectly captures the tone of "We Need to Talk About Cosby," conveying the reluctance and unease felt by Bill Cosby's longtime fans as accusations of sexual assault dismantled his legacy. In that sense, director W. Kamau Bell has made a four-part docuseries as much about what happens when heroes let you down as the man himself.

In order to do that, Bell (the comic who also hosts a show for CNN) must start by establishing what a towering figure Cosby represented over a half-century span that began in the 1960s, helping viewers understand his genius to fully appreciate the body blow that the allegations against him delivered.

In one especially illuminating clip, Jerry Seinfeld calls the string of comedy albums that Cosby released an unmatched pinnacle in standup. That observation comes during a 2017 appearance on Stephen Colbert's late-night show, where Colbert agrees with the sentiment, but quickly adds that he can no longer listen to those records, a view Seinfeld questioned before conceding that it was perhaps impossible to separate the artist from the person.