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Louie: A Satirical Take on Life as a Single Dad

Louis C.K. has performed stand-up since 1985 and has won 6 Primetime Emmys over the course of his career. (Courtesy of FX Productions)

Mary Connell
Connector Writer

A fifth season of hit show “Louie” has been released and is now on Netflix after a two year wait. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, comedian Louis C.K. writes, directs, edits, and stars in his own show. He stars as a fictional version of himself, depicting an absolutely ridiculous life as a single dad of two daughters in New York. The plot line includes hot spots in NYC and is combined with clips of Louis C.K. performing stand-up throughout the country. The TV show is consistent with his satirical sense of humor on stage. He is known for making high-brow jokes about both himself and the world around him, bluntly questioning our messed up society.

“Louie” asks similar questions by using normal, everyday experiences and exaggerating them. Things like attending potlucks with parents or bringing his daughter to the doctor are made almost painfully awkward to watch. Louie stumbles his way through his daily struggles, stuffing himself with cinnamon buns along the way and mumbling only to those absolutely necessary. Due to his unfriendliness, Louie also comes off as a complete jerk. This makes the entire show itself a sick joke out of his own character.

Despite C.K. being a comedian, this is not the kind of comedy one would expect. This is a hardier breed of comedy. Characters rapidly come and go, dying at the drop of a hat. There is generally no overarching storyline. “Louie” tests the boundaries of comedy itself. C.K. does so geniusly by putting his character through an average day as a single father. Given Louie’s attitude, an average day feels like absolute Hell to him as well as the audience.

This attitude is seen right away in season 5. It begins with Louie speaking to a therapist. He says he doesn’t know how to live life anymore and feels he isn’t “good [anymore] at coming up with a reason to keep trying”. As Louie speaks, the camera switches frequently between his face and the therapist’s. Finally, mid-sentence, Louie realizes his therapist had started snoring. The viewers then see the passed out, practically drooling doctor.

The show’s absurdity is inexplicable and any review does not give “Louie” justice—it is a must-see. Behind its absurd nature lies a deep love of comedy that C.K. clearly enjoys sharing with his audience both on stage and on his TV show. Season 5 continues this love, however in an even more over-the-top fashion than before. While past seasons have included many subtle jokes, season 5 bombards viewers with Louie’s life in the best way possible. Although season 5 is shorter than past seasons, being 8 episodes instead of 13-14 episodes, it surpasses expectations. All 5 seasons are available on Netflix and are easy to binge watch, as they are about 20 minutes long. Definitely add this show to your list for the next time you Netflix & chill.

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