TV Recap: Louie - "Daddy's Girlfriend (Part 1)"

Left to right: Parkey Posey and Louis C.K.

>Welcome to my recaps of season 3 of the FX television series Louie. Join me as I try to dissect what I hope will be another excellent season from one of my favorite shows currently on TV. I think what makes this show work is the ability for Louis C.K. to be self loathing and artful at the same time in unique and clever ways. Also, keep an eye out for my Breaking Bad Breaking Half column set for upcoming Mondays.

As I expected after the first episode "Something Is Wrong," this season may be about Louis C.K. looking for a girlfriend. It has been a common theme for quite a few episodes and if the title "Daddy's Girlfriend (Part 1)" doesn't provide any implication of what tonight's episode entails, then I was ready to write this episode off. I really like C.K.'s approach to comedy, but I was worried that we are just now getting into boring shtick. However, what is to come ends up being one of the show's best episodes.

It opens with a stand-up routine where C.K. is discussing his children. He explains that his child came home from school and asked him what prejudice means. He goes on a long rambling on how it comes from the root word pre-judge before diving into a tangent about Scarlett Johansson and how he finds her attractive. He doesn't masturbate to her, which he considers a big sign of how much he likes her. However, he does masturbate to an old wedding album he found in the dumpster.

The episode continues with C.K. and his children Lilly (Hadley Delany) and Jane (Ursula Parker) having a meal at some restaurant. During the conversation, Lilly uses the word tyranny with different emphasis than expected. C.K. corrects her, which leads to a discussion on grammar and pronunciation. The scene ends with the daughters encouraging C.K. to go out and look for a new girlfriend, as they feel he is rather lonely. This seems odd coming from children, as it seems too intellectual, but still adds to the charm of these characters. 

Transition to the Comedy Cellar where Maria (Maria Bamford) is performing a routine that includes prank calling her mother and disguising her voice as Jesus. She also has a bit about calling Kost 103.5 and just going crazy. C.K. is off to the side laughing and having a good time.

Bamford

As she comes off, C.K. flags her down and encourages her to go out with him. After some persuasion, they take off. Transition to Maria's bedroom where they just got done having sex. They are watching some faux reality show where a paranoid man ends up stabbing someone. When Maria implies that she wants to have sex again, C.K. begins to discuss inviting her over to dinner. Maria just wants to have sex and that all he did for her was dick with her head. It doesn't end well and the two depart.

C.K. spends the next portion of the episode walking through an elementary school and peering into classrooms. With varying reactions, he imagines what it would be like to date each one of them as a doo-wop song plays. When he thinks that he has found the right one, he ruins his fantasy by having the teacher pretend to really be into anal. 

He ends up at a bookstore where he sees an employee named Liz (Parker Posey). He gets excited about her and sways her into conversation. He says that he is looking for a book for his daughter about flowers. This leads to a long diatribe about how C.K. perceives his daughter and eventually leads Liz to open up about how she knows what prepubescent girls are like. It ends with Liz handing him a book called "Harry's Garden Apartment." 

This is followed by another stand-up routine where C.K. basically talks about the hand motion you make after you get a date. It is similar to a golf cheer where you just pump your fist into the air and make a satisfied face. As he walks off, he sees Maria, and it is really awkward.

He returns to the library to talk to Liz, and things are getting more personal. He talks about books for his children again. It continues with a more personal chat that evolves into C.K. asking Liz out. She says yes, which sets things up for the second part of the episode. He ends with the golf cheer that was aforementioned in the previous stand-up bit.

Over the credits, the faux reality show is playing another segment.

Left to right: Hadley Delany, C.K., and Ursula Parker

This is probably my favorite episode of the season so far. There hasn't been too many weak moments, but I have found problems with most of the past episodes. Even "Something is Wrong," my previous favorite for this season, had some faults. However, this is Louie at it's best. All of the routines line up with the action and it takes us into his bizarre, sad life without making it either too artistic or too mundane. He found the perfect balance and it took a running theme and brought it to it's fruition. Hopefully the following part will continue and build upon my esteem for this episode.

I cannot state enough my joy when the stand-up lines up with the actual narrative. Most of this week's bits lined up perfectly, and set up the premise in clever, yet practical ways. Even the callback to the golf cheer routine provided a satisfying touch. Even the Bamford routine, which seemed more to establish character, was a nice touch and while not overly funny, is a nice mislead for the rest of her character.

Speaking of, I am impressed with Bamford's performance in this week's episode. I may only be aware of her stand-up and good girl persona, but seeing her talk about giving blow jobs and having him dick with her head managed to be both shocking and funny. With the Melissa Leo character in "Telling Jokes/Set Up," she managed to be wild, but because she wasn't established as this misleading character, the pay off didn't feel satisfying. Here it is sad and ends with a defining defeat of telling C.K. "you're bad at sex."

I also cannot praise the child actors enough. This past season has made me believe that they are some of the best. From the opening of "Telling Jokes/Set Up" alone, they possess that innocence yet skepticism that is necessary to be a character in the Louie world. They feel like his children, and they are also great talking points. This week, the simple discussion of the pronunciation of "tyranny" was both fascinating and a little funny. At times, I find them too smart, but I like that they are not dumbed down and going for cheap laughs.

I also really enjoyed the use of the doo-wop song throughout the middle portion of this episode. While the show has established itself as using off kilter music, this felt awkwardly perfect, recalling a romance of an older generation. The bizarre fantasies that C.K. brings to these moments is also great and only emphasizes a great song choice. It is in this moment that he kind of transcends into a Woody Allen-esque character who uses music to romanticize New York and establish tone. I just wish I knew what the song was called. It was so great.

I don't know that he will end up in the long run with Liz, but damn if I didn't enjoy that bookstore interaction. Using a child as segue to talk about deeper emotion is riveting and a very clever device that I haven't seen used too often. C.K. manages to show and not tell in his dialogue, and this is the prime example. Even when Liz says "If you push here, there is a secret door way," there is a subtle sense of sexuality involved without being too on the nose.

I really hope the second part is as great as this one. In fact, this is a prime reminder of why I love Louie. Sure, many of this season's episodes so far have been middling, but this is a perfect encapsulation of what this show could be. 

Favorite moment: The second time in the bookstore definitely. There is this irresistible charm that Park Posey brought to the character and made that moment sweet in what could have been a very cynical moment. There is also the faint belief that this could actually work. They could logically end up together. Also, with the subtle segue into a more personal conversation was excellent. It is a perfect set-up for hopefully a great second part. While it may seem illogical that in the Louie universe things go right, I really hope that this pairing survives, because they are so perfect together.

Rating: 5 out of 5

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