My Favorite Season: #7 - Louie

Louis C.K.

Every Tuesday, I will be attempting something unique. I will look through the pantheon on TV and determine what my favorite season of any show is. The goal is to explore the heights of these shows and better understand why they are beloved, at least by me. This is an experiment that I hope will last for awhile, though I am sure around the 30th entry, things will look a lot different and I will be grasping at straws. Anyways, join me for as long as this last and feel free to share some of your favorites with me as I go through this wonderful medium.

The Show

Left to right: Melissa Leo and C.K.

Louie (2010-present)

With FX starting to form a label for comedy, they decided to turn to Louis C.K. for a series in which he does whatever he wanted. His choice? To make a series based around a stand-up comedian much like himself who faces weird, surreal situations that are often bookended by stand-up sets. Over the course of four seasons, it has become one of the most beloved and original comedies on TV and continues to challenge the form of narrative within this landscape.

MY FAVORITE SEASON

Season 3 (2012)

EPISODES

1. Something is Wrong

2. Telling Jokes/Set Up

3. Miami

4. Daddy's Girlfriend Part 1

5. Daddy's Girlfriend Part 2

6. Barney/Never

7. IKEA/Piano Lessons

8. Dad

9. Looking for Liz/Lilly Changes

10. Late Show Part 1

11. Late Show Part 2

12. Late Show Part 3

13. New Year's Eve

HIGHLIGHTS

5 Reasons It's the Best

1. After "Duckling" in season 2, Louie played even more with the format and turned in multiple episode arcs including most prominently "Daddy's Girlfriend" and "Late Show." He not only expanded upon them conceptually, but he expanded what the show could be without losing focus on the sporadic charm that made it so enjoyable to begin with. With occasional appearances of a love interest played by Parker Posey, the story managed to follow through without feeling forced as it would in season 4.

2. The closing credits to "Something is Wrong" features one of the greatest gags in which C.K. and a passerby try and decipher a series of parking signs. It is the perfect analogy for the season to come.

3. "Miami" is C.K.'s Stardust Memories in that it explores his fading glory as a performer while also reflecting his passions. It is one of many times throughout the season and the series that he begins to incorporate world cinema techniques into the series in order to make the average life feel into something more artistic and vital.

4. David Lynch's role in the "Late Show" trilogy of episodes is phenomenal and makes me believe that a series based entirely around that character could result in something amazing. Also, as someone who enjoys late night programming, the exploits are rather fascinating to watch and feature a lot of unexpected cameos. Still, Lynch brings in the best performance of the season and is the biggest reason that the series has one of the most enviably perfect casting agents.

5. That moment in "New Year's Eve" where the hope of C.K. is shattered when Posey ends up dead at the hospital. With everyone celebrating the New Years, he leaves the hospital alone, realizing that his goal for the entire season has been a charade that he could never obtain. It is probably the most crushing moment in the entire season and ends the season on a brilliant note involving isolation and the need to start anew.

BEST EPISODE

Left to right: Parker Posey and C.K.

"Daddy's Girlfriend Part 1"

It is the start of a more conventional form of Louie and the introduction to one of my favorite season arcs. Before "Late Show" threw potential success at C.K., there was this loneliness and desire to have a girlfriend that was more than a momentary fulfillment. In walks Posey and soon enough, they have the perfect chemistry. Everything is perfect. While the continuing episodes play out with sweeter and more tragic moments, it is the happiest that C.K. has been in the entire series and the most realized episode that he has ever produced. It ends with the iconic "golf cheer" routine that summarizes why this episode may be the best that he ever does on this show. So full of sentiments and commentary on loneliness and romance that it is hard to find anything even close to its poignancy. 

WORST EPISODE

Left to right: C.K. and Robin Williams

"Barney/Never"

Stick with me on this. Louie season 3 is flawless in ways that are impossible to understate. However, there is one moment in the entire season that throws me off. It isn't the "Barney" segment, but the second half. After phenomenal work with guest star Robin Williams, "Never" arrives to give C.K. the kid from hell. The big features a repulsive kid who has some terrible habits. There isn't much that I care to recall. All I know is that I hated this segment so much that I wish that it was forever stricken from the record. It ruins an otherwise flawless season and I am disappointed that it had to come to that. My frustrations would get too redundant, so I will stop now.

FAVORITE PERFORMANCE

David Lynch

David Lynch in "Late Show Part 2"

It does help that I am a huge fan of late night programming. Even then, there's no preparation for the magic that is David Lynch's cameo. While Garry Marshall's appearance in "Late Show Part 1" set the stage for the bleak reality, Lynch brought a cynical charm to the production. In the second one, he is called upon to show C.K. how all of the ropes are pulled. This involves a lot of insults and forced actions that seem all too perfect. It is a wonder that Lynch, for the most part, has remained shy to any form of media beyond this. Even then, it is hard to imagine somebody else playing the role, which is almost as surreal as one of his characters. If only there was an excuse to bring him back.

IS THE REST OF THE SERIES LIKE THIS?

Left to right: C.K. and Chloe Sevigny

No. 

This is a gateway between two sides of C.K.'s sensibilities that are distinctively different on either side. Before this, Louie was a more tangential series that didn't have specific focus and would change week-to-week. While there are still elements here, it is becoming more formulated to a structure with ingenious incorporation of plot progression and the ability to tell cohesive stories every now and then. It sets the bar for season 4, which is actually more explicitly structured to follow in specific guidelines. It doesn't quite work out as well with the sporadic moments and instead is more focused on the artistic side. This is a sweet spot for Louie that unfortunately was never matched again. While the first three seasons are purely absurd gems, I worry that season 4 paves the way for a less interesting, more pretentious voice that came to fruition in season 3. Fingers crossed that I am wrong, because when he is on, he is profoundly on.