Bloggers have noted that Louie is indeed not always "funny" in the way comedies are intended to be. Sometimes, it's not funny at all, preferring to hit dramatic or melancholic notes in lieu of pure comedy. But last night's Daddy's Girlfriend Part I was the downright funniest episode of the season thus far. First of all, Louis C.K. invents a reality show mockingly resembling "The Real World" that is shown several times throughout the episode. I found these scenes to be hilarious, especially when one cast-mate stabs another in his attempt to stand up for himself and be more assertive.
Then there are the standup bits, with the second one being more successful than the first. It opens with his talking about prejudice and then making a strange segue to wanting to have sex with Scarlet Johansson despite not knowing her at all. There's a touch of that self-deprecation Louie does whenever confronted with attractive women. We'll see it later on in the episode in a fantastic dialogue delivered to a cutie in a bookstore. I prefer the other bit he does about the fist pump celebration method of tennis players - not because of the originality of the material but rather because of the rare but strong physical comedy we get from Louis C.K. We'll also see this again, when he succeeds at asking out a woman.
The opening non-standup scene is a meal out with his two daughters, with some light conversation that ends in them wondering when he's going to get a girlfriend. The mission of the episode from here on becomes to find a woman to bring home to the girls. His first attempt is another standup comedian. After bad sex, he asks her if she'd want to come over for dinner to meet his daughters. Her response is outrage, for his "adding things" to the simple mix of emotionless sex after a comedy show. In a devastatingly funny line, she gets out of bed and simply says (with the camera remaining on Louie), "You're bad at sex. You're bad at it. It's one thing you're not good at" Poor Louie. Just more fuel for his self-belittlement.
Dropping off his daughter at school, he experiences a series of fantasies portrayed mostly in extreme close ups of female teacher midsections and sweater-covered cleavages played to romantic 50s music. These were very amusing, mostly for how they flip the traditional teacher fantasy. The one he settles on is not in the least attractive yet could probably take care of his children and apparently prefers anal sex. That's about the limits of what Louie seems to expect, even in a dreamt up world (as he earlier claimed that he doesn't even ascend to fantasizing about Johansson).
Finally, he catches sight of the beautiful Parker Posey in a bookstore. She works as a clerk there and helps him select books for his eldest daughter, who is now ten and at a turning phase in her life. Ms. Posey can relate, she says, and gives a beautiful little performance of a surprising, non-traditional, easy-going, and charming woman who could appreciate Louie for his good-naturedness and humor. In a wonderfully written, shot, and acted scene, Louie asks her out, while also explaining why he would accept and understand a rejection. It is the most humbling proposal you can imagine and Louis C.K. nails it. Posey responds only with a series of looks that say much more than words could. She accepts the date, he does the fist pump (this time for real, not as a bit), and I excitedly await next week's date episode.
Congratulations to Louis C.K. for his several Emmy nominations, including for his acting, directing, and writing on Louie (in addition for his standup act). The series, however, was not nominated, which is a shame. It deserves not only a nomination but the win. Alas, we cannot have it all.