In American TV, the 1980s and 1990s were the golden age of the sitcom. Laugh tracks were still used on every network, not just CBS, and comedians like Roseanne and Tim Allen adapted the tamer parts of their routines into safe-for-primetime programming. From the 2000s and now at the start of the 2010s, awkward documentary-style comedies have taken the place that sitcoms used to inhabit in television comedy. The Office and Modern Family are on the safer, more mainstream side that appeal to the big networks like NBC and ABC, and Curb Your Enthusiasm and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are so uncomfortable and offensive that they almost dare their audience to keep watching. Season 1 of Louie falls closer to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia than The Office, but like Modern Family, it has these wonderful moments of insight that elevate the show from the average awkward comedy to really clever social commentary.
Louie is half-hour sitcom loosely based on the life and comedy of Louis C.K. Those unfamiliar with his stand-up comedy might recognize him as Leslie's cop boyfriend from Parks and Recreation. If you only know him from Parks and Recreation, however, keep in mind that his stand-up and Louie are both much edgier, and he isn't the sweet cuddly character he plays in Parks and Recreation. In Louie, Louis C.K. plays a divorced father of two daughters who deals with the everyday struggles of Manhattan life. He chaperones a class field trip, and the bus breaks down in the middle of Harlem. His comedy routine is interrupted by a woman who won't stop talking. After dropping his daughters off at their mom's apartment, he can't figure out what to do with his free days. He gets cast in Matthew Broderick's remake of The Godfather. Through these everyday situations, he finds these little insights into post-divorce dating, religion, and race which make the audience laugh and squirm in equal measures.
For me personally, good comedy makes me laugh, but outstanding comedy taps into something more deeply human, which is oftentimes uncomfortable for the audience. Some days we want to laugh and escape from our troubles instead of being reminded of our shortcomings. The wonderful thing about Louie is that Louis C.K. can tap into that humanity without isolating the audience or making his character despicable, something that happens a lot on the more extreme end of this genre.
Ricky Gervais, for example, often walks that line of despicable but hilarious characters, most famously with David Brent on the original British program The Office and also guest starring as Dr. Ben on Louie. The scenes with Ricky and Louis on Louie are really fascinating on that level. After all, Ricky Gervais was a big part of this comedy movement in television, and in a way, Louis and his show represent how it has evolved and, in my personal opinion, improved. When I watch Louie's scenes between Dr. Ben and Louie, I cringe and laugh awkwardly at Ricky Gervais because he is such a horrible person, and I can hardly believe these words are actually coming out of his mouth. Louis C.K.'s Louie character, however, is funny because he says shocking things that I often think to myself on an everyday basis. When a woman interrupts Louie's comedy routine, I understood his frustration having dealt myself with loud talkers at movie theaters and concerts, and I laughed out loud when he turned the full power of his rage on her. Louie as a character is closer to American Splendor's Harvey Pekar than David Brent. He doesn't say outrageous stuff to provoke a nervous laugh; he says it because it is what he is honestly thinking at that moment.
Beyond the question of likability, Louie rises above many other awkward comedies because it gives the audience more to think about without getting preachy or heavy-handed. In the second episode, Louie is playing poker with some of his comedian buddies, and they are discussing gay sex and using the word “fag” in a stand-up routine. As it so happens, one of the guys is an openly gay comedian, so they ask him how he feels about it. What followed was one of the most insightful looks into the use of homophobic language (and really any discriminatory language) in comedy. Considering the recent controversy with Tracy Morgan, there should be more honest conversations like the one on Louie amongst comedians, writers, and entertainers, both veteran and green. It is remarkable that in its first season, Louie managed to achieve brilliant social commentary and be one of the funniest comedies on television at the same time. Louie might have been preceded by other realistic documentary-style comedies like The Office and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but it feels like Louie is the kind of show this movement has been leading up to, learning from the achievements and mistakes of its predecessors. Needless to say, I will be awaiting season 2 with great anticipation.
SPECIAL FEATURES
There are the usual behind-the-scenes features and deleted scenes on the Blu-ray release, but Louis C.K.'s audio commentary pushes this release over the top. After sampling some of the commentary from one episode, I immediately wanted to go back and re-watch the episodes with his commentary track. He is absolutely hilarious, and as a media person, I loved hearing his insight into how they filmed and structured the show. For Louie fans and just television fans in general, Louie: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray is absolutely worth the money.
"Louie: The Complete First Season" is on sale June 21, 2011 and is not rated. Comedy, Television. Directed by Louis Ck. Written by Louis C.K.. Starring Louis CK.
