The 2025 miniseries "Pee-wee as Himself" opens with Paul Reubens, the actor behind Pee-wee Herman, reluctantly agreeing to participate in a documentary about his life and career. From the start, Reubens is guarded and tries to control the narrative, often speaking directly to the camera with a mix of humor, skepticism, and vulnerability. The director, Matt Wolf, appears on screen as well, pushing Reubens to open up more deeply, creating a dynamic of mutual trust and challenge that drives much of the story forward.

Early sequences show Reubens reflecting on the origins of Pee-wee Herman, revealing how the character was a creation that allowed him to express a childlike, fantastical side of himself. He recounts the creative process behind "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," including a key moment when he saw actors riding bicycles on the Warner Brothers lot and decided to center the story around Pee-wee's love for a bicycle, which becomes the plot's central object. This sequence includes archival footage and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that illustrate how Pee-wee's persona was crafted and how it blurred the lines between Reubens' real self and his alter ego.

As the interviews progress, Reubens becomes increasingly candid about the pressures and pain he experienced living in the public eye as Pee-wee. He discusses the difficulty of separating his personal identity from the character, noting moments such as receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that bears Pee-wee's name, not his own. This realization underscores the tension between his public persona and private self.

The documentary also covers the darker turning points in Reubens' life, including a publicly humiliating incident that led to a media witch hunt and a significant career downturn. Reubens reveals his feelings of loss and vulnerability during this period, showing how the incident shattered his control over his public image and deeply affected him emotionally. Throughout these sequences, Reubens' tone shifts between defiance, humor, and moments of raw honesty, as he wrestles with the impact of fame and scandal.

Interspersed with the interviews are candid moments of interaction between Reubens and Wolf, where Reubens sometimes resists the filmmaker's probing questions or challenges his perspective. These exchanges highlight Reubens' complex personality--part performer, part private individual--and the difficulty of capturing the "real" Paul behind the Pee-wee mask. The tension between subject and director adds a layer of meta-narrative to the miniseries, emphasizing the theme of identity and narrative control.

Toward the end of the miniseries, it is revealed that Reubens had been privately battling cancer during the filming, a fact unknown to the production team. This knowledge casts a poignant light on his willingness to engage in such an extensive and revealing project, as it becomes clear that this documentary serves as a final, honest self-revelation. The closing sequences show Reubens reflecting on his legacy, the joy he brought to fans, and the complexity of his life lived between fantasy and reality.

The miniseries concludes with a sense of bittersweet closure, as Reubens' story is laid bare with all its contradictions, humor, and heart. The final scenes emphasize the enduring impact of Pee-wee Herman as a cultural icon and the deeply human story of the man behind the character, leaving viewers with a comprehensive understanding of Paul Reubens' life, struggles, and creative spirit.

The ending of the 2025 documentary miniseries "Pee-wee as Himself" features Paul Reubens delivering his final thoughts in a poignant and dramatic scene recorded just one day before his death, reflecting on his life, career, and impending mortality.

In the final sequence of "Pee-wee as Himself," the narrative unfolds with Paul Reubens, the man behind the iconic Pee-wee Herman character, offering a deeply personal and philosophical reflection on death and legacy. After extensive interviews spanning 40 hours, Reubens, who had been battling blood cancer privately for six years, gradually reveals his thoughts on the finality of death and the significance of having the chance to tell his story on his own terms. The documentary captures a complex dynamic between Reubens and director Matt Wolf, with Reubens often resisting the process, asserting control over his narrative, and expressing discomfort with being the subject of the film.

As the documentary progresses toward its conclusion, it touches on the darker chapters of Reubens' life, including his 1991 arrest for indecent exposure, a moment that publicly derailed his career and deeply affected him. However, Reubens withdraws from the project before these parts are fully explored on camera, leaving some of the more sorrowful details to be conveyed indirectly.

The final scene is especially powerful: Reubens' last recorded words, spoken just a day before his death in 2023 from acute myelogenous leukemia and metastatic lung cancer, serve as a moving farewell. This moment encapsulates his desire to have the final word on his identity, both as Paul Reubens and as Pee-wee Herman, and underscores the documentary's themes of control, identity, and mortality.

Regarding the fate of the main participant, Paul Reubens, the documentary ends with the acknowledgment of his passing at age 70, having fought his illness privately while leaving behind a legacy as a uniquely talented and complex performer. The film does not focus on other characters at the end, centering entirely on Reubens' personal journey and final reflections.

Yes, the 2025 HBO documentary miniseries "Pee-wee as Himself" does have a post-credits scene. After the credits roll on the second part, there is a deeply emotional and poignant audio clip recorded by Paul Reubens the day before he died. In this clip, Reubens tries to answer questions and clear his name, presenting himself as a complex, charismatic, and human figure beyond the public controversies. The scene is accompanied by serene pastoral visuals--cats at sliding doors, deer in the Hollywood Hills, and a lynx near a pool--offering a glimpse into what Reubens might have seen in his final moments. His voice is strained as he delivers these final words, creating a heartbreaking and profound sense of loss that lingers as the documentary concludes.

The series focuses on Paul Reubens' life story, his creative process, and the creation of his beloved alter ego Pee-wee Herman, portraying his drive and how he negotiated life in the public eye, including the impact of his 2002 arrest and public labeling.

It includes intimate moments such as a voice note recorded by Reubens the day before he died, where he reflects on his past controversies and the pain of being mischaracterized, revealing his desire to show who he really was.

The documentary explicitly asks who has the right to tell a person's story, showing the tension between Reubens' own perspective and the public narrative, especially in the age of social media and traditional media scrutiny.

Matt Wolf is shown as deeply respectful and admiring of Reubens, determined to do right by him and to make meaning out of his story, which results in a film that captures Reubens' humanity, even in unflattering moments.

The series offers a touching and honest portrait of Reubens as a creative technician who rarely revealed himself publicly, explaining his artistic drive and the challenges he faced in sharing his true self with the world.

The TV miniseries "Pee-wee as Himself" (2025) is a documentary portrait of Paul Reubens, the man behind the Pee-wee Herman character, focusing on his life, career, and personal reflections rather than the fictional Pee-wee persona. It is not a typical family-friendly children's show but rather an adult-oriented documentary exploring complex themes including Reubens' creative process, personal struggles, and public controversies.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects for children or sensitive viewers include:

• Discussion and depiction of adult themes such as Reubens' arrests in 1991 and 2002, which involve mature legal and personal issues.
• Exploration of Reubens' private life, including struggles with identity and media sensationalism.
• Some archival footage and interviews may contain candid or intense emotional content reflecting the challenges he faced.
• The tone is reflective and sometimes somber, with no attempt to sanitize or glamorize difficult aspects of his life.

Because it is a documentary aimed at adults interested in the real person behind a beloved character, it is not designed as family entertainment or for young children. Sensitive viewers should be aware that it deals with mature and complex subject matter without plot spoilers or fictional storylines typical of children's programming.