Mike Epps elevates "Delusional" with emotional depth

Zoom in: Epps starts "Delusional" at a familiar frantic pace.

• First half highlights include a solid Donald Trump impression, self-deprecating jabs about learning the entertainment business, and letting international fans know he's ready to help them evade ICE agents.
• Lowlights are Sean "Diddy" Combs jokes and quips about women's hygiene that don't land.

Yes, but: Epps' natural charisma makes that rough start palatable as the show naturally evolves into a touching tale of how believing in his own delusion took him from a Marion County jail cell in 1989 to Hollywood.

• The emotional peak comes about 47 minutes in when Epps is brought to tears reflecting on how the kindness of others saved him from a trajectory that would leave him either dead or behind bars.

What he's saying: "Delusion comes from trauma," he says. "It comes from not being accepted. So whatever you gotta do to make it, to become who you need to become, stay delusional."

The latest: "Delusional" debuted to strong ratings and ranked in the Netflix top 10 to start this week.

• The seventh and final season of his Indianapolis-based sitcom "The Upshaws" was released last month.