It's rare that an episode of television features such explicit references to the male anatomy that even I feel like I'm listening to a horror podcast about Lorena Bobbitt on repeat, not that this individual has anything to do with the conversation featured in the opening moments of the episode, but it's to paint a picture. I think that's what immediately jumped out at me from this show; the fearlessness to have these conversations without making it feel like they're only doing it for the gag. Somehow, it turns into an almost sweet learning experience for Louie and his friends and they all learn the story of why the f-slur (no, the other one!) is such a taboo for many in the gay community. Again, the kind of things that I didn't expect to learn from a show that was made by Louis C. K., but hey, comedic geniuses have a tendency to surprise. This opening is a perfect example of what this show does so well, which is take its concept and play with it; featuring these mini-segments instead of an overarching episode, which goes from being funny to being sorta heartfelt very quickly. If only C. K. could still do it like that today. However, as a second episode in, this definitely sets the rocket off, springing off of the good will that the first episode got and upped the ante, with more jokes that border on the offensive-line and an incredibly funny segment about digging up that old flame from the past.
There is always a worthwhile conversation to have about tone. This episode could seemingly be accused of being tonally inconsistent, because it jumps back and forth between its serious parts of its comedy so fast. The first ten minutes of the episode feels like it was constructed to make you violently laugh and think about the nature of homophobia at the same time. It feels like a gear shift from the first episode alone, but it was a needed one that takes the edge off it a little, making it, maybe not comfortable, but accessible to anyone who would watch.
And the episode continues to hit that fine line throughout the rest of the episode, with a majority of the comedy only being present in C. K.'s stand-up routines, which are quite hilarious. It's always good to have a sweet moment that makes you a little happy and then end it with a joke about having sex with monkeys. That's just what C. K. does I guess, and hey, he does it well, so why stop him here. I mean, given his recent stand-up routines, at least these are edgy jokes that manage to actually land with the audience.
The episode also explores the idea of time passing very well. In his opening monologue, he talks about marriage being like a time machine that travels ahead in real time. When he later seeks out someone who he had a moment with in the past, the notion that time takes its toll on people comes up. They're both at a part where their marriage has fallen apart and they think back on how things could have been. It's a weirdly sad scene that does end with a big laugh, but mostly serves as a reminder that time can be dangerous.
There are a lot of things that are being dealt with in this episode of "Louie," and they manage to handle it all with great care, striking that perfect balance between humor and drama that a lot of comics have a flare for. It puts this show on a path that was sparsely started by the first episode, giving us a show that knows how to deal with the bigger issues on a mundane level, and also teaches people something about important issues on the way. I mean, everybody can learn something, even if there's a joke coming as well.
"Poker/Divorce" is that spark that sets the show off and sets it up to be one of the more unique approaches to situational comedy. Louis C. K. has a great flair for the controversial, but he sparks it in with real discussions about the hardships of life, and I think that that's incredibly commendable.
