TV Recap: Louie - "Telling Jokes/Set Up"

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

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.

Just as I expected, Louie decided to take relationships into awkward, new directions tonight. After the break-up that was "Something is Wrong," we see him on the rebound with a woman (Melissa Leo) who is way more aggressive than attractive. This is where the episode ends up, but you'd never expect it from the way the episode progresses. This is essentially what I love about the show. It has ability to start with one thing and end on a totally dark and twisted different one.

The episode begins with a little dinner talk between C.K. and his daughters Jane (Uesula Parker) and Lily (Hadley Delaney). Jane is obsessed with telling knock knock jokes in this particular evening, as she badgers basic jokes that end with "Moo hoo, why are you sad cow?" These aren't particularly clever, but it gets C.K. to laugh and have a good time. Meanwhile, Lily is a little annoyed by it until a staring contest develops between C.K. and Lily, which Jane doesn't understand, though the other two find it hilarious. 

This transitions into C.K.'s stand-up routine in which he explains a joke that his daughter has told involving a gorilla at the theater. He claims that he finds jokes predictable, but this particular one is different. He is infatuated with it, as he goes into deep detail on how a gorilla could sneak into a theater. It starts off as a simple, uninspired joke, and develops into an absurd piece of gold comedy. 

Left to right:
Melissa Leo and Louis C.K.

Following his set is Allan (Allan Harvey), who counterbalances C.K.'s obsession with his kid's joke by explaining that he was glad not to have kids. He describes the differences between young, nervous penises and older calmer ones who act like Bing Crosby. He also explains that he hates how parents try to guilt him into having kids, though he is just fine being married without kids.

After the set, Allan invites C.K. out to dinner. C.K. stops by the liquor store to buy some booze. Riding his motorcycle, he notices a woman that followed him from the liquor store (Leo), who is also coming over to Allan's house for dinner. After an awkward introduction, it is discovered that Allan was trying to set C.K. up with the woman, whose name was Laurie. For some reason, Allan gets into a fight with his wife Debbie (Larisa Polonsky). Laurie takes this moment to sneak outside to smoke with Louie.

From there, they connect on common issues and they end up having a good time. They go to a bar and get drunk and continue discussing things. The night ends with them driving behind a building and Laurie requesting C.K. to drop his pants and give him a blow job. This he does freely.

However, Laurie was in it for favors as well. When Laurie requests C.K. to give her oral sex as well, he becomes reluctant and it turns into a big debate over morals. Laurie is worried that she is considered a whore, though C.K. says that he doesn't consider her to be a whore if she is fine with it. He is considering himself one if he does it. Laurie keeps asking him to do it, until she threatens him as being gay. Suddenly she becomes aggressive and C.K. becomes defensive. This ends with Laurie tackling C.K., breaking the window of her truck, and forcing him to perform oral sex, or she'll break his fingers.

When it is done, she asks if they'll go out again, to which he simply replies that there is a possibility. The episode ends with C.K. and his kids telling the origin of the gorilla in a theater joke that was used in the opening stand-up bit.

C.K. and Melissa Leo

This is one bizarre episode that definitely is a big turn from last week. Who knew that we could get C.K. to feel like the victim in an oral sex debate? The performance of Melissa Leo was definitely one of the more unexpected. I wouldn't have expected her to do the show, but here we are. She seems fearless in her quest to simply get oral sex, and it makes the performance all that more memorable. 

However, I don't love this episode as much as some people. Reviews going around call it near perfect. While I find the general episode to be humorous, I don't feel it is as great as "Something is Wrong." The premise is solid and lacks flaws, but it was the set up that felt important, but nothing new. This episode has plenty going for it, including one of the most bizarre guest stars that this show has ever had. Otherwise, I think that the weird idea eventually becomes a small detriment.

However, the chemistry that C.K. has with the two children actors is excellent. They manage to be authentically childish without being over the top about it. Their run of jokes at the beginning may have not been that profound, but the moment stood out because it felt real. It felt innocent and would only seem like an awkward thing to come back to after the Leo plot was developed. 

I just wonder if this show will have continuity this season. We see C.K. riding the motorcycle from last week and another episode in which he looks for a new girlfriend that backfires. Will this be what this season becomes? It would be interesting, though I worry that it will take the flair out of the unexpected joy that this show tends to have. You can only do weird girlfriends so many times. 

However, I will be back next week because even if it is the familiar weird girlfriend, Louie manages to make the awkwardness into small brilliant moments of glee.

Favorite moment: Another reason that I don't like this episode as much is because there aren't that many moments that I remember greatly. However, the build up to C.K. being forced to perform oral sex on Leo was pretty entertaining. I feel that it is somewhat familiar in premise, but the shock comes from an Oscar winning actress performing the motives. This is the only reason I think that this scene works. Otherwise, I find it to be average and the high point of an episode I just felt partial to.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Check out more of my work at www.nevpodcast.com where I post every Wednesday and have a podcast called Nerd's Eye View.