Louie returns with yet another sub-par episode this week and has me questioning the series for the first time in it’s run.
The episode revolves around Louie being confronted by his uncle, a very good F. Murray Abraham, for not visiting Louie’s father in over two years. This leads Louie to physically respond (vomiting, hives) to the possibility of an impending meeting with his father, but he decides to head up to Boston anyway to try and see his Dad. But he still can’t do it and the episode ends with Louie running away in increasingly ridiculous fashion, stealing a tri-motorcycle then a speed boat, before ending up stranded in the middle of the ocean. Episodes of Louie have been built on less, but didn’t fail to deliver like this one.
I will give C.K. some credit where it is due. The realization of everything seemingly going against you when you can’t bring yourself to doing something was pretty well done and kind of interesting, but that gag even got tired by the end of the episode. Couple this with the complete failure of a scene at the electronics store (there was one good line), the rude interaction with his daughter and a lame middle finger gag, there wasn’t a whole lot to grasp on to.
I have mentioned in a few of these write-ups this season that C.K.’s ideas seem to be half-baked and I think that would be a major over-statement when it comes to this episode. There is barely anything here, nothing seems that well thought out and then there is no payoff in the end. Sure the episode seems like a set up for a part 2, but the episode feels like it’s beating it’s themes like a dead horse; we get it already, Louie is scared of his Dad. The episode didn’t have me pondering, “Why is he so scared?” it had me wishing we would just get to the point already.
I am by no means writing off this wonderful show, but Louie has been far more frustrating to watch this season then its first two runs. Even the amazing episode with Parker Posey was pretty aimless at times, but it worked with her character and Posey delivered a performance for the ages that washed away any of the possible issues I have had in recent weeks. Nothing is really standing out a whole lot this year on Louie. The laughs don’t seem to be landing like C.K. wants them too and it might soon be time to start questioning if C.K. has enough worthy ideas to keep this show at the top of the heap that it has been sitting.
Even if C.K. might have given us most of his best stuff for Louie already, I would never hold a downturn in creativity against him. The show has been full of great idea, after great idea every episode and we couldn’t have expected him to keep that track record up forever. I hope for we aren’t on the down slope of this show already as those peeks we hit along the way were some of the most brilliant put on television. Here’s hoping C.K. still has some more in him; I think he does; he did give us Never just two weeks ago.
Random Ramblings:
-All these ominous musical beginnings lately.
-She is cute and can play the violin.
-"No you weren't."
-WTF was that, "That's not me?"
-"So he won't catch her wretchedness."
-WTF, Louie.
-"Sucking a dick's cat face," what?
-Why isn't Ricky Gervais his doctor? Harrumph.
-If F. Murray Abraham played his uncle, who will play Louie's Dad?
-"It's not like he touched your dick or something."
-Classic Boston "friendliness."
