Louie - Season One

Louie is not quite the show I was expecting it to be, but at the same time it is. Coming from comedian Louis C.K. it is of course a comedy, but I would actually classify it as a dramedy. More accurately I would say that Louie is a show not trying to be anything except honest. Louis's stand-up material is exactly that, so it's appropriate that his TV series would reflect as much, but it's surprising - in a good way - when an episode goes to a serious place. And again, it's not trying to make you cry or anything when it breaks out the drama, it's merely reflecting reality and presenting Louis's real views on touchy subjects like homosexuality, bullying, health, religion, awkward dating, and loneliness. Louie himself isn't really even a funny character much of the time; he is an average schlub reacting to the weirdness of other people with confusion, righteousness, and a sort of dispirited acceptance. Louie is not so much a sitcom as an essay on life, and in my opinion that is its best and most unique asset.

That being said, it does have its share of funny moments. Not nearly as many as other comedy series, but enough. Like Seinfeld, there are some interstitials of Louis performing stand-up comedy, and Louis plays a version of himself (who, according to the show's title, spells his name differently) getting into situations that are probably based on real life most of the time. Unlike Seinfeld, there is barely a supporting cast. Louie has two daughters, a brother, some other comedian friends, and the mother of his daughter's playmate that he befriended, but these characters are all semi-regulars and not permanent castmembers. It might seem like that wouldn't work, but it does. Ricky Gervais also makes more than one appearance as Louie's doctor who likes to mess with him and make fun of him constantly. But even funnier is Louie's therapist, who clearly has no idea what he's doing and quietly says the weirdest and most inappropriate things, never failing to make me laugh out loud. As a testament to the show, I have to say this: I don't usually "marathon" a TV show, because I don't always have the attention span for it and I like to make it last, so for a lot of shows I end up doing only one episode a day, but when watching Louie I went through two or three at a time. This show is different things at different times, but it's always entertaining and true, and I really, really like watching it.

Best Episode: Every episode contains something to love, but I guess I'll go with "Heckler/Cop Movie", where Louie deals with a heckler while on stage, and then plays a cop (badly) in a movie directed by Matthew Broderick. Honourable mentions: "So Old/Playdate", with Louie's hilarious therapist, and "Night Out", a nice, effective ending to the season.