(no subject)
Mitch Hedberg used to complain that when people saw how good he was at stand-up comedy, they would only offer him jobs doing somewhat related things, like writing or acting, but never actual stand-up. The truth is, there's very little place to go once you've mastered stand-up, beyond slightly changing your career path to comedy in general. That's what makes Louis C.K.'s new show, Louie, so remarkable. It's the most logical endpoint for a stand-up comedian I've ever seen. It's marketed as a sitcom, but it isn't that really. Episodes consist of a couple of short films based around C.K.'s life interspersed with snatches of his stand-up and shorter sketches. And it's unbelievably good. I was excited for it since a wonderfully vulgar teaser for it was released late last year, but it's completely blown me away. It so effortlessly combines black comedy, absurdism, philosophy and poignancy, and in such a subdued, low-key way too. It's also remarkable for just how singular the show's vision is: C.K. writes, directs, edits and stars in every episode, and it really feels like his entire comic sensibility transferred to the screen. Even Seinfeld, the show's closest companion, had Jerry Seinfeld's observational humour tempered by Larry David's boundless cynicism. Making it even more remarkable is just how fresh the show seems given such a hackneyed premise. Louis C.K. explores tired situations and tropes, but gives them new life by examining them in just a slightly crooked way. He's a virtuoso comedian, and the show completely lives up to the standard of his stand-up. This past year has really been outstanding for quality sitcoms (two great new shows in Community and Modern Family, two reinvigorating seasons for Curb Your Enthusiasm and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, new seasons of Peep Show and The Thick of It that completely keep up their ridiculously high standards, and one of the best single seasons of a sitcom I've ever seen from Parks & Recreation), and four episodes in, I'm ready to put Louie's first season right on top. Or maybe second. God damn was Parks & Recreation good. Anyway if you have the chance to catch a few episodes of Louie, you won't be disappointed!!