TV Recap: Louie - "The Late Show Part 3"

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 Bob's Burgers column set for upcoming Tuesdays.

*Before we dive into this week's episode, I want to take a moment to congratulate Louis C.K. on winning two awards at this past Sunday's Primetime Emmys. He won for Best Comedy Writing for season 2 of Louie as well as Best Writing for a Variety Special for "Live at the Beacon Theater." He has finally gotten the acceptance that he has long deserved and I hope that this will continue to carry on with his future endeavors, including this brilliant season, which is coming to a close next week.

This has been quite a rocky season, but with "the Late Show Part 3," I am ready to just call it. Louie season 3 may be one of the best seasons of TV this year. Louis C.K has in many ways outdone himself, not just in guest stars, but in the narrative sense in which we finally see the show come into its own. This is most prominent in this episode, which brings an exciting conclusion to what I believe is one of the show's most fascinating arcs. To catch you up, C.K. has a chance to take over the Late Show from David Letterman and is training with Jack Dall (David Lynch) to get in shape. He has some worries, but is being supported in his once in a lifetime chance.

This episode starts in a way similar to last week. We see C.K. running down a pier. This time, he is accompanied by his daughters Lilly (Hadley Delany) and Jane (Ursula Parker). They begin questioning why he is running so much. C.K. insists that he is trying to lose 40 pounds so that he can get the job. Lilly bluntly states that C.K. is a fat man and that it seems foolish to get someone fat when they want someone skinny. C.K. takes this as a compliment that is quickly demystified by Lilly's insistence that he is actually fat. This mirrors the conversation that C.K. had with Janet (Susan Kelechi-Watson) last week in which the kids are too encouraging in him getting the job and don't want to see him fail.

In the next scene, C.K. and manager Doug (Edward Gelbinovich) are in Dall's office. Dall is beginning to lose faith in C.K. and demands that he needs to be funny on the spot. C.K. doesn't think that he can, but Dall keeps threatening to fire him. After a few taunts, C.K. snaps and goes into a poorly improvised, out of character routine where he dances like a monkey and makes reference to a pencil penis. This gets Dall back on his side, and they continue working on getting the routine in order.

The following scene is at a stage set up for a mock run of C.K.'s hosting gig. Dall is still directing C.K. on where to sit and what to say, and is embarrassed that C.K. doesn't have a guest. He pulls aside a janitor named Elaine (Polina Nikiforova) and places her as his guest. After an awkward stumbling of an introduction, they begin an interview that discusses Elaine's mother. She was a dancer and this brings back fond memories. However, things immediately go south when C.K. brings up her childhood with her mother, which reveals that Elaine's mom died when she was 8. Dall sarcastically insults C.K. and gives him a few pointers on how to improve.

Cut to C.K. in his living room, where he has a video camera pointed at him. He is trying to figure out how to be funny on his own. After a few profanity laced moments of nervousness, he takes a deep breath and tries again. However, the door opens and Lilly and Jane are there to be supportive. They have drawn him a picture that says "Dad Night Live." This encourages C.K., and in the next scene, he is running through New York in a more exuberant attitude. He looks to be in better shape and ready to take the show down.

It is finally the big night in which C.K. does a test run in front of a live crowd. He is backstage with Doug, and he is panicking. Dall decides to visit him and wish him luck, feeling that he has taught him all that he knows. They will never see each other again, whether it be pro or con. If he gets the job, a younger person will take his place. If he loses, he gets nothing. Dall is very blunt in his goodbye and wishes him luck before walking out. This is immediately followed by a visit from Jerry Seinfeld, who decides to instill some fear into C.K.. Seinfeld claims that he already got the job and it is silly for C.K. to try and put on a good show as a result. However, he wants C.K. to keep the news a secret. This leads C.K. to believe that Seinfeld was lying and that C.K. pretty much won.

The show starts, and we see C.K. take to the stage in a fancy suit that Dall made for him. He is killing it. Telling really funny jokes. With help of his sidekick (Mike Giliam), they run through routines that seem reminiscent of Jay Leno's shtick, including a moment where he comments on random placards that he is holding up. It is going over very well.

Then the guests come out and the first is Susan Sarandon. C.K. shares a story of him watching Rocky Horror Picture Show and seeing her in her underwear. He explains that he went to his friend's house and had some alone time after that. Sarandon finds it complimentary and sweet. Next up is Paul Rudd, who is talking about his children and why he named one Darby. He claims it was because his wife liked the name from the Pelican Reef. The joke here is that C.K. would find it ironic if there wasn't a Darby in that movie.

Cut to Lars Tardigan (Garry Marshall), who is on the phone. He is excited because the performance is going as well as he hoped. He relays the news that they found a new host for the Late Show. It is a very vague, yet hopeful scene.

In a bar later that night, C.K. is with his friends (Todd Barry, Jim Norton and Nick DiPaolo) celebrating this accomplishment. Suddenly an announcer (Maria Menounos) comes on the screen to reveal the dirty plan of everything. David Letterman has decided to keep the job, but for reduced pay. They used C.K. as a technique for Letterman to lower his price by having C.K., who would take the job for cheap, be the threat. Everyone is congratulating him, though Doug reveals that C.K. can no longer appear on the Late Show as a result. 

This leads C.K. to jog by the Ed Sullivan Theater and take one last look at it. The building that has haunted him for the past few episodes seems like an empty threat now. He pretty much spits at it and throws up a middle finger. He is proud that he didn't get the job and in doing so, managed to make Letterman lower his cost. 

The episode ends with C.K. working in a gym with Alphonse (Isiah Whitlock Jr.).

Left to right: Paul Rudd and C.K.

Right as I was about to write off this season as being lackluster, "the Late Show" arc appears to give me hope again. The show has maintained some consistency when it comes to weekly output, but it seemed to wane for a bit. I was worried that this three part series was going to see the show drift into conventionality and eventually bite its own tail. Instead, we see it as the moment of triumph without him actually getting the show. It was a brilliant last minute twist and if anything, was a moment in which everything that C.K. stood for was finally justified.

However, I am going to miss David Lynch. His work as Jack Dall has been pretty excellent and his cynical boredom and high expectations provided some of the best awkward comedy that the show has provided in quite awhile. In reality, Garry Marshall's Lars Tardigan provided an intriguing beginning that could never be topped, but the show managed to keep the energy riding high.

Also, the guest stars in these three episodes have been impressive. They may not all be on level with Marshall or Lynch, but we got Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock. Susan Sarandon, and even Paul Rudd to stop by. This has been an excellent batch of people and all of them managed to fit into the universe nicely. 

If anything, I am hoping that this is a sign that maybe C.K. will have a more hopeful outlook on life in future episodes. Doubtful, but it is a nice change of pace from him always getting into messes. In fact, the pacing and build up to the conclusion has been intense and almost in a sense like Rocky. It was fun and the fact that C.K. stuck with it just proves that this character is capable of so much more than playing random stand up gigs.

"The Late Show" arc has solidified this season as probably my favorite of the three so far. It may not be nearly as dark or juvenile as season 2, but this show seems to have found its footing a lot better. With C.K. now established, there is little reason to believe that we cannot see him going for bigger dreams next season. Most of all, we don't have to expect everything to have a defeating blow to it.

I am also a really big fan of how they managed to put together the talk show set. It felt very reminiscent of the Tonight Show when Jay Leno hosted it. He was pretty broad, topical, and stuck to the point. However, being a longtime fan of this stuff, it was a nice touch and created a fantasy that almost made me wish the show took this approach. What if Louie somehow became the Late Show with Louie? Would it bee too Larry Sanders Show? I don't know, but it would have been interesting.

On a closing note, I really hope that the continuity presented in this series this season now justifies the chances of seeing Parker Posey return and finally winning over C.K.. I am not expecting a fairy tale ending, but I do want to see them together again. In a way, continuity is a catch 22 here, but I still would love to see it more often.

Favorite scene: Tough call, but the end has probably the most satisfying payoff. Here is an average Joe comedian who has now spent three episodes trying to get a job. He didn't get it, but he took down the top late show host on CBS. This is a triumphant moment where he has managed to lower Letterman's cost by millions and get recognition without the job. He is free of the turmoil and can keep his normal life. While this makes it doubtful that we'll ever see Letterman on the show, the applause in the street feels like a fitting way to end the arc and make us hope that this is the start of an upswing for C.K..

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"The Late Show" Arc Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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