The monotony of a Louie trip is summed up by the opening of the episode: him tossing a bunch of clothes into his suitcase and droning “Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, sweat”. Like he tells his driver–Mike, played wonderfully by Devin Ratray–this trip is pretty much “like going to the toilet, something I have to do”. The season’s not just looking at Louie within the context of his kids or his relationships; rather, it’s also looking at what it means to him to be a comedian, what it really means to “take a trip”.
And with “The Road: Part 1”, not much happens, but the show once agains brings out the weird and the hilarious from within the mundane. It’s a fairly disappointing moment when the comedian doesn’t get the joke made by the Jizzy Bun cashier, but it’s also a hilarious scene just based on the name of the store. It’s no fun to hear someone say “I’ll kill myself in here”, but Louie then lying about the death of some guy named Roger is pretty damn funny. It’s sad when Mike becomes clearly hurt by Louie’s words, but their interactions about New York and Bill Burr (great comedian) are filled with some good ‘ol Louie laughs.
In fact, the entire episode is pretty funny, and that’s due largely to the haphazard nature of his adventures around the airport. Even while he’s traveling by himself, he simply cannot avoid the pressures of his kids, and that manifests in the actual little girl who shows up and can’t find her mother; then, when she leaves, you could take that as a representation of his struggles with his own kids growing up and running off on their own.
In the end, it comes back around to that little monologue he delivers to Mike while in the car. “The road is not like an adventure for me,” he says. “I’ve seen it. I’ve met all the people…one choice I need to be able to make is to be by myself.” The season’s certainly had its fair share of exploring his relationships (failed or otherwise) with other people, but it’s also understandable that alone time is needed for him. Prior to this, we may have seen all of the episode’s scenarios play out in one way or another, but perhaps that’s the point.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-That guy who attempts to help Louie out at the airport? He’s awesome.
-Season finale next week already. Now looking forward to You’re the Worst in a few months.
Photo credit: FX, Louie
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Another really good episode. The guy who helped him at the airport was the best. Looking forward to the finale.