We've been meaning to talk about this for the past couple weeks here at Comedy Examiner HQ, but-- as things frequently happen around here-- it's simply slipped our mind. On several occasions. For no particular reason. But it's Friday, the news cycle hasn't started up yet, and we finally remembered to get around to discussing FX's Louie (and newcomer Wilfred, which airs just before Louie on Thursday evenings). Read on for our review of Louie (season one, thus far) and Wilfred (season one, thus far), my gentle Examiner readers...
FX has built themselves a fairly solid comedy lineup over the past few years, haven't they? Things got started with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia back in 2005, and since then they've added a few shows that worked (Louie, for instance) and a few shows that haven't (Testees, for instance).
Right now, the network's airing Louie alongside newcomer (and Australian transplant) Wilfred on Thursday nights, and one can't help but imagine what Thursday night would look like if a) FX was also airing It's Always Sunny on the same night (it's filming a new season as we speak), b) if they had just one more truly great comedy to round out a two-hour comedy-block, and c) if NBC was also airing their two-hour comedy block at the same time (it's off-season right now).
Try figuring out how you'd manage to watch Community, Parks and Rec, The Office, 30 Rock, Louie, It's Always Sunny, Wilfred, and (unknown FX comedy here) all on one night. The mind reels.
The truth is, Wilfred and Louie-- like It's Always Sunny-- are two of the best comedies currently airing on television. What's more is, they're a perfect fit to air up against one another: both series are steeped in a strange, nearly-hypnotic hyper-reality, both series feature charming performances from leads one might normally not consider "charming" or "leads", and both feature the kind of cynical, dark, angry humor that we tend to gravitate towards in the Comedy Examiner household. Yes, FX airs comedies that seem tailor-made for those with a twisted sense of humor, and-- quite frankly-- we can't thank them enough for that. TV doesn't need another lame-ass comedy.
This season of Louie is its second, and so far it's off to a strong start. Last night, while watching the second episode of the season (apparently, we didn't rank high enough on FX's "Online Writers Who Matter" list to earn a screener of the season's first four episodes), someone in the room noted how "awkward and bizarre" things were getting. This was just after Louis CK-- playing the titular "character" of Louie-- watched a crazed homeless man get his head ripped off by a garbage truck...before going on a date...where he talked about the crazed homeless man getting his head ripped off. The scene was dark, shot all in one take, borderline-creepy, and it proved to be a touch disquieting for my viewing-buddy (always view with a buddy).
Yes, Louie's weird. Yes, Louie is a dark, dark show. But this isn't new, and it's one of the things that makes Louie so damn special. When Louis CK set out to make a sitcom, he announced that each episode would be different from the last: some would be heavy on the sequences wherein CK performs in a comedy club, while others might follow one, long, 22-minute storyline. Still other episodes might feature three or four mini-storylines. The stated objective was to keep viewers on their toes, and, well, mission: accomplished. One never quite knows what they're going to get when they tune into Louie-- short of "something weird"-- and, again, for this viewer, that's one of its greatest strengths.
Was last night's scene awkward and strange? Yes, of course, but this is the show that started things off with a scene featuring a disastrous date that ended with Louie's lady-friend inexplicably jumping in a helicopter and flying away. We have been conditioned to expect the unexpected when we tune into Louie, and-- as Daniel Tosh might say-- for that, we thank them. The show's humor sometimes skirts "too niche" territory, but for superfans like myself, we'd have it no other way.
Speaking of "too niche", Wilfred is the other new crown jewel in FX's comedy lineup, and-- as crown jewels are wont to do-- it shines. I had seen clips from the Australian original (a show that generated no small amount of controvery in its home country by being a show about a pot-smoking, womanizing, talking dog that was partially funded by the Australian government)(it's complicated, don't ask) and never felt truly impressed by the show, but I was intrigued when I heard that it was being developed for American audiences. I was further intrigued when I heard that Elijah Wood (The Good Son, Radio Flyer) would be playing the show's "straight man", Ryan. Beyond the show's background-controversy and the casting of Wood, I knew little about Wilfred when I tuned into it for the first time last week.
I was immediately impressed. I had gathered that the show was about a dude-bro and his talking-dog (played by Australian comedian Jason Gann, reprising his role from the original) that's actually a dude in a dog costume. I had expected-- based on clips that I'd seen before-- that the show would lean heavily on pot-humor, heavy-drinking, and jokes about boobs. I also expected there to be a lot of wackiness revolving around the idea of what Ryan, Wood's character, sees when he looks at Wilfred...and what everyone else sees. In other words, I expected there to be scenes where we'd see Ryan walking a man in a dog costume, only to cutaway to a shot where someone passing by sees Ryan walking...an actual dog. Y'know, obvious stuff.
Turns out, Wilfred's a lot smarter than that. The pilot episode seemed to be setting up an explanation for Ryan being able to "see" Wilfred in his "real" state (a pre-credits sequence built around a suicide attempt, which I thought was equally ballsy and hilarious), but by the end of the episode, they'd jettisoned that explanation and decided to go with...no explanation. The reality of the show is: when Ryan looks at Wilfred, he sees a guy in a dog suit. Everyone else-- apparently-- sees a dog. Deal with it. To this, I say: Bravo. We don't need every last thing explained to us.
Like Louie (or It's Always Sunny), Wilfred is dark and strange, and there are moments that very nearly feel like something out of a horror film. But just when things are threatening to take the leap over "Too Dark to Be Funny Hill", Wilfred reigns itself in. It's hard to imagine a show like this existing anywhere other than, say, FOX (the channel that gave us Married...With Children and Family Guy, not the "news" channel), and I'm glad that no one else showed interest: a neutered version of Wilfred-- if I can use an obvious turn of phrase-- wouldn't be worth watching. Its darkness and willingness to be really, really unsettling are two of the best reasons to tune in.
I'm not sure if the show can sustain this mood for an entire season (much less three or four), but I'll be more than happy to watch it try. One wonders how many possible plotlines this show could introduce with this setup, how many misadventures Ryan and Wilfred could get into before the whole thing just feels...boring. But-- on the admittedly limited basis of the first couple episodes-- I feel confident in recommending Wilfred to those of you with a macabre sense of humor, and I'm willing to bet that (at the very least) the first season of the show gives us some truly great moments.
Congrats, FX. You're building a helluva lineup. Get one more of these on the air, and you'll be a force to be reckoned with.
My grade? Both series: A-
Stay tuned for more funny videos, news, reviews, interviews, and more from Comedy Examiner HQ in the near future, folks. We've got all manner of nonsense to keep you informed and entertained during the week, so hit the 'Subscribe' button up top to get all future Comedy Examiner articles delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge, the moment they're published ... including any of our future Louie or Wilfred-related updates. You can also head on over to THIS PAGE to follow your humble Comedy Examiner on Twitter
Comments