Louie: Season one - review.

Louie is a very weird show, to say the least. I can honestly say I have never seen such an unconventional approach to directing in television (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia excluded).
However, comparisons to CYB have their merit, as the show often thrives on creating awkward moments, but the focus of the show is in a much different direction.

Louie has an ability for blurring surrealism with reality. Several times the viewer can enjoy scenes that seem to scream 'it was going so bad, this might as well have happened,' except there are no visual or audio cues as to when the show transitions into such moments. As such, there are several moments of jaw dropping, I-can't-believe-that-just-happened ecstatic laughter in every episode.

The writing is just as sharp and precise as Louie's stand-up, of which live bits are often incorporated into the show. The casting thus far has also been very good. Perhaps it's due to the direction of the series, but the acting seems far superior to that of the also hilarious Lucky Louie, even in scenes with actors from that show--exchanges between Louie and Nick DiPaolo, for example, are much more believable than the HBO series. Louis CK is by no means a world class actor, but for one who describes himself as a man who "hates acting" and is "bad at it," he delivers the goods more than well enough.

I recommend this show to just about everyone. I would practically instruct any fan of dirty comedy to watch this show, as not only do many fantastic comics appear on the series, but the show has a sense of humor that seems distinctly tailored to stand-up comedy fans. FX allows for some coarse language, and the series takes advantage of that; however, the show is accessible for any adult with even a moderate sense of humor. Watch this show, and re-watch it again.