Pilot

I'm hooked. I just saw the pilot and I laughed so loud, my dog thought that I was in pain. I've seen Louie CK around, in Parks and Recreation mostly, but never any of his specials or stand up. Of course I know his reputation and that people love him. The format of the show is straight ahead; stand up- very funny and witty, and then skits to illustrate the point. The subject matter is not too sweet, but constantly warm, and the characters are funny and eccentric, funny first. I loved the yellow lights at the pizza joints and Chelsea Peretti who is perfect as the the nice date that just isn't working out. If she's still single and wants to live in the mountains north of Montreal, I'll date her! Call me Ms. Peretti, our date will be slightly (but not by much) better than your date with Louie. Still four more seasons. Yay and thank you Mr. CK (Any relation to Calvin Klein?) Sheriff Laoun

Back when this show came out, Louis C. K. was a true star in his field - no matter whether we like to admit it or not. He had something very unique about him, and was incredible at re-inventing himself with everything that he did. A lot of his narrative works wouldn't immediately strike anybody as works that were done by the same guy, but with the release of this show in 2010, everything came into perspective and the personality was immediately thrown on the screen. The pilot is made up of some small vignettes and even though they're simple in nature, they're also really funny.

At first, "Louie" can come across as a more stylized version of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," but through some cleverly placed stand-up scenes, it uncovers a deeper sadness in this character. He's a sad guy living in the worst circumstances. And with that, he has to be a little edgy, which comes out in his humor throughout the episode, which may also bring some people to not want to watch the show, especially in light of Louis C. K.'s own problems. And sure, there are things in the episode that goes a little far, and C. K. isn't afraid to throw out some weirdly uncomfortable jokes here and there, but the fact that FX let him roll with it is actually kind of amazing, and it feels good to see someone get this kind of freedom, especially when it is ultimately as innocent as it's presented here. The two short stories here touch on a lot of themes, and some of the racial stuff in the first, I could have done without, but the scenario in itself is inherently funny, so I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. And awkward dates are always fun, so to see this guy absolutely embarrass himself with a lady is both really funny and unfortunately also very relatable. He's also very good in the show, and given that he's playing himself, that shouldn't be a surprise, but he got the jokes and the personality to carry a show like this, especially when he's writing and directing it himself.

"Pilot" is a great showcase of Louis C. K.'s incredible abilities as a writer/director, but even more as a comedian with impeccable timing. The shorts are funny and touch on some relatable things, although there are some edgy comedy that could be cut down a little bit, just to make it all flow better.

The format wasn't what I was expecting, a mixture of stand up and situations related to the discussed themes Of that standup.

But it works because it's Louis and he is a genuinely talented and hilarious comedian. I laughed out loud multiple times. I just can't help but love everything about him and his attitude.

I don't know if the show will continue in this vein, but for a one off or a pilot episode this is pretty fantastic. Top notch comedy.

Over time, "Louie" delved into more dramatic territory, but in its earliest episodes it felt like a barrage of hilarious observations on life. This is Louis C.K. at his funniest, lighting up the small screen with a laugh out loud melding of realism and surrealism. Interspersed between the goofy and relatable scenarios are clips of C.K. performing his stand up, which works as an ongoing commentary throughout the show. These bits are extremely funny, and even include many of the episode's comedic highlights. The final bit in which he discusses the complexities of romance and somehow finds himself down a rabbit hole that ends up with him laughing about a nightmare he had featuring an undead dog is not only side splittingly funny, it's also delightfully bizarre and extremely creative, as is the rest of this fun and amusing pilot.