TARESE

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

DENTIST

SEASON 1 EPISODE 10 PART 1 (EPISODE 10)

THIS IS IT:

After his awful experience at the hands of his doctor Ben (Ricky Gervais), this episode Louie has to visit his dentist Dr Hepa (Stephen Root).  It begins with Louie sat back in the chair waiting for the doctor who steps into the room in creepy fashion telling Louie that he “look’s a little nervous.  Bit of a dental-phobe are you?”  To this he adds that he makes “dental-phobes” his speciality.  Despite wearing a wedding ring Dr Hepa puts his arm around Louie and pats his chest as he explains that he too has “been afraid of dentists my whole life” and that is why he developed this practice.  As Louie continues to squirm the doctor suggests they “get right to it with the drugs and the gas” beginning with a pill followed by gas and music to alleviate his fear.  The music is from Saudi Arabia and with this the doctor turns up the gas admitting that he is giving Louie more gas than he has ever given anyone.  As it kicks in he strokes and kisses his forehead.  When the drugs and the gas kick in Louie finds himself transported to a desert in the middle east.  Eventually after walking for a few minutes he comes across five locals sat on the ground one of which instructs him to sit down and join them.  Then he recognises the man as being Osama Bin Laden.  With this Louie asks if he can take his photo with him on his phone before he expresses that this is “intense” before telling him that “you are like the worst guy ever.”  At this point Bin Laden speaks saying (in English) “welcome to God’s world” adding “if you were any closer to him, you would be burning alive right now.  We live near him so we are closer to him than all others.”  To this Louie concludes “so living in the desert is what makes you guys crazy” prompting laughter and the response “if it pleases you to say so, then yes” adding “(living here) gives us a higher vantage point on existence.  We view the human flesh as like the peel of a fruit to be chucked away.  The people in those towers, those steel cages, we freed them.”  Disagreeing Louie responds “I get it but you totally shouldn’t have done 9/11.  People aren’t fruit, that wasn’t nice.”  Seemingly confused Bin Laden responds “that wasn’t nice?” at which point Louie further simplifies things adding “you shouldn’t do anything to anybody that you wouldn’t want them to do to you.  Right?  Would you want anybody to do a 9/11y thing to you?” finally declaring that “I think 9/11 was a bullshit move” to which Bin Laden adds “basically you’re saying that we’re assholes.”  Bin Laden reacts hurt, shaking his head and saying “shit” causing Louie to question “did I just talk you guys out of being terrorists?” with Bin Laden’s final words being “well, I just never looked at it like that.”  At this point Dr Hepa appears sat next to Louie asking how he feels before telling him to have some banana which he proceeds to push into his mouth without taking the skin (the vital peel) off telling him that “the skin tastes really good” adding “no don’t bite down, just leave it in your mouth.”  At this point Louie gags and snaps out of his drugged state just as Dr Hepa spins away doing up trousers.  With this he adds “you’re fine to go, nothing wrong with your teeth.  Hey, big fan, really big fan.”

IS IT ANY GOOD:

Yes, as Louie enters the realm of the absurd back in the real world something awful (more awful than meeting Osama Bin Laden) is set to occur.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME:

That my fear of dentists is justified.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT:

Louie cuts through the bullshit of modern life and speaks to Osama Bin Laden in the manner with which he needed talking to and dealing with.  Also never eat a banana that has not been peeled.  It might not be a banana.

STANDUP ELEMENT:

He express his fear of his kids disappearing and how child abduction is viewed as the most evil thing in society these days which as a result causes the molester to have to “chuck them out” afterwards.  With this Louie says that he can’t help thinking that if the act was lowered a few notches in people’s perceptions that less child murders would occur and that “at least you would get the kid back.”  And Louie knows that’s hard to hear but its true.  Now he doesn’t know what to do with that information.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

Louie’s friend Nick told him to go to this dentist.  This is no doubt Nick DiPaolo.

BEST LINES:

“Unfortunately I can’t visit myself so I’m just waiting for my teeth to rot out.”

BEST JOKES:

The whole child molester bit that opens the show.

PERIPHERAL MOMENT:

His comedy set is performed at the Comedy Cellar.

REALITY CROSSOVER:

The best dentist that I ever had committed suicide after him a long line of mediocre dentists tried to take his place until I just gave up on visiting a dentist altogether.  In later years I eventually became the housemate of a dentist who turned out to be a very seedy, strange individual.  I guess much like Louie that too makes me a dental-phobe.

MVP:

Stephen Root remains able to do harmless and creepy in such magnificent style.

GUEST APPEARANCES:

Stephen Root as Dr Hepa and Chuck Sklar as Osama Bin Laden.

EPISODE LINKS:

None.

PERCULARITIES:

The whole thing is fucking peculiar.

OPENS:

With Louie doing a bit at the Comedy Cellar on child abuse.

CLOSES:

With Dr Hepa telling Louie that his teeth are fine and that he can go.

OTHER:

Telling Osama Bin Laden he is “the worst guy ever” is just playing into his hands.  Louie, its what he wants to hear!

FINAL WORDS:

Is “dentalphone” an actual real word?  And is it one word or two?

BULLY

SEASON 1 EPISODE 9 (EPISODE 9)

THIS IS IT:

Welcome to probably the most excruciating and embarrassing episode to date.  Bully begins with Louie at Caroline’s doing a bit about sex education when growing up.  First we treated to a flashback with his father who tells the seven year old Louie that “it’s not sex, it’s called making love” before going through a vivid and graphic description of the withholding technique.  Then this cuts to sex education at school and his terrifying teacher dragging Louie in front of the class to point at the penis on a diagram.  It all serves to confuse him as he lives thinking sex involves squeezing a ball out to ejaculate.  The episode then cuts to Louie at the end of a date suggesting that he and his lady friend (Sandra) go get late night doughnuts and coffee at a shitty coffee shop (“this (coffee) is like piss, its really fantastic”).  Unfortunately with the date going well their conversation is ruined when five loud students (some in Mustang Football letter jackets) enter making so much noise they are unable to hear each other.  And they only becoming louder and rowdier as they wrestle inside the shop until Louie shouts “guys, could you keep it down please.”  Then as Louie continues his conversation about starting out in comedy one of the jocks comes over to their table and says “how’s it going?”  He introduces himself as Sean sticking out a hand with bloodied knuckles.  Louie responds shaking it saying “got it, thanks” and which point he says “got it thanks, that’s your name?”  With this Sean begins bothering the pair of them, intimidating and asking “Louie, when was the last time you got your ass kicked?” before “are you scared?”  As things become awkward the kid presses Louie adding “I could hurt you really bad, right now”.  He explains the bruising on his knuckles as “just two days ago, destroyed this guy’s face, must of hit him like forty times, his teeth were all over the place, just left him there bleeding.” Adding “are you ready for that?  I’m kinda feeling like doing that to you right now.”  With this Louie experiences utter humiliation as the kid says “maybe if you ask me nicely I won’t do that” and suddenly from being the incriminating party by making so much noise, Sean manipulates the situation becoming the aggrieved party pursuing apology.  Then in a truly uncomfortable and awkward moment Louie says “please don’t kick my ass” which after repetition is eventually accepted by the kid.  From here the group exits/leaves the coffee shop mocking Louie on the way as his date looks on with an expression of confused disgust and disappointment.  “That was a nightmare, huh?”  In the aftermath Louie’s date looks as humiliated as he is.  Equally confused by her reaction he asks “you didn’t want me to actually fight that guy, did you?” and even though the mature, adult decision (“the right thing”) was made it has debased Louie too much in his date’s eyes.  With this he says that he’s getting a “weird feeling” from here like she is “looking down at him” at which point she says she would have been “pissed” if he had got into a fight but if she is being totally honest “that was a turn off seeing that.”  Louie responds shocked by this as his date tries to explain it as being a “primitive thing”.  It ends with “my mind is telling me that you’re a great guy but my chemistry is telling me that you’re a loser.”  With this the date spirals to an end as the woman tries to rationalise her feelings.  It was a great doughnut.  Moving on as Louie puts his now ex-date in a cab home he spots Sean and his crew making their own way home as they take the subway.  And crazily Louie follows and stalks them.  Eventually they groups disbands off in their own directions as Louie focuses on Sean and with this he winds up on the Staten Island ferry.  Soon Louie is far from home however Sean is right at home as he steps into a bungalow where through the window you can see his parents inspecting his bruises and quizzing him on where they have come from.  One ad break later and Louie is approaching the front door of house 415 looking to confront and further address the situation.  Naturally his arrival is met with confusion, disdain and denial.  It turns out that Sean’s parents are just as rough as him.  With this Louie is invited into their home as the father (Mike) shouts at another (younger) son to turn the TV down.  From here he asks Louie to say what happened as he describes the pathetic event in pathetic fashion.  At this point Sean is called down where naturally he meets with the reaction “what the hell?”  As he denies the incident his father hits him and roughs him up forcing an apology causing Louie to question the method saying “how do you think he turned out like this?”  Suddenly the issue now becomes Louie and the parents as first the father glares as the mother shouts “screw you” before throwing him out and calling him a “faggot” angry at being told how to raise her kids.  As he begins to walk back home the father emerges conceding “hey man, I don’t know what to do” revealing that he has three kids inside and that Sean is 18.  With this Louie empathises saying how he has two kids of his own (“two girls with the oldest 8”).  He says that hitting his kid may not be a great idea only for the father to shrug and resign with “well, that’s what I know” before offering Louie a cigarette.  “My dad hit me and his dad him”.  Sitting down the dad asks “how old where you when you had kids?” which Louie replies 34 as the opposing number turns out to be 20.  This reveals the dad to be probably three or four years his junior despite having such a old kid.  He adds “Grace had a great ass then.”  Louie tries to philosophise adding “well, my life between 20 and 34 was all shit so I may as well have had kids.”  Moving on Louie asks what he does for a living and it is sanitation.  In response Louie reveals he a comedian commenting “yeah, it’s a job” which receives the response “no it isn’t”.  It ends with them sat speechless on the porch steps smoking their cigarettes.

IS IT ANY GOOD:

Yes, painfully good.  Excellently observed and utterly humiliating.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME:

That it’s not only me that fears teenagers and the repercussions of calling them to task.  Also that in the long run you are better/best off ignoring.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT:

It is comforting to share and accept that adult men can at times be frightened of groups of teenagers.  Also it acknowledges and reminds that working class people and blue collar workers are tougher than most.

STANDUP ELEMENT:

The episode starts with a Louie doing a bit about sex education at Caroline’s.  Then it book ends with Louie saying what a shit he was when he was a kid.  He establishes that he is now too old to begin fighting, blowing guys and skiing.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

Staten Island, home of the Wu-Tang Clan.

BEST LINES:

“Got it thanks, that’s your name?”  “My mind is telling me that you’re a great guy but my chemistry is telling me that you’re a loser.”

BEST JOKES:

This is actually a hard fucking episode with little in the way of jokes, just lots of dark humour.  That said the closing exchange between young Louie and old Louie is very funny.

PERIPHERAL MOMENT:

He’s gigging at Caroline’s.

REALITY CROSSOVER:

We’ve all been there, frightened to tell a group of loud mouth teenagers/students to shut up.

MVP:

Totally Louie for going there.

GUEST APPEARANCES:

Fine performances from Michael Drayer and Danny Burstein (as son and bully).

EPISODE LINKS:

None.

PERCULARITIES:

Amy Landecker actually plays Louie’s mother in the episode “God”.

OPENS:

With Louie doing a stand-up bit about early years confusion about sex and displays via flashback how useless the people (his father and his teacher) were at giving him advice.

CLOSES:

With the eight year old Louie smoking a cigarette behind his house where he is soon joined by forty two year old Louie ordering (bullying) him that he does not smoke.  Young Louie then asks “who are you?” at which point modern Louie says “I’m you in thirty years” prompting the response “you’ve got to be kidding me: you’re fat, you’re ugly”.  “Yeah, you’re gonna be bald too” at which point eight year old Louie asks “what happened to you?  This sucks.”

OTHER:

I’m relieve that it is not only me that realises younger people are awful.

FINAL WORDS:

Who starts blowing guys at 42?

MOM

SEASON 1 EPISODE 7 PART 2 (EPISODE 7)

THIS IS IT:

Following up on the weird sexual suggestion/act of his brother during the first half of the episode (“Double Date”) suddenly Louie finds himself faced with having to deal with his mother (Mary Louise Wilson) experiencing her own sexual renaissance.  It begins when she arrives unannounced at his front door just as he is taking his girls (Lilly and Jane) to their mother’s house.  Not being in a position to deal with her, his mother feels it unreasonable that Louie does not drop everything to address her, instead choosing to leave her in his apartment for thirty minutes while he deals with his own kids.  The episode then cuts to the pair of them sat in a restaurant.  After complaining about getting a taxi to the restaurant his mother then complains when the waiter cannot supply a “menu with larger type”.  They go elsewhere.  By this stage Louie has his head in his hands.  At the restaurant his mother continues to complain at which point out of frustration Louie cuts to the chase asks why she has turned up for an impromptu visit.  With this she informs him that she is now a lesbian as she drags up her past, her sex life.  Pained Louie moans at his mother saying how he hasn’t seen her in a year and how he doesn’t care about her new lesbian tendencies prompting her to accuse him of being homophobic.  Before long Louie is getting up to leave with his mom commenting “I haven’t told you about my wife” the response to which causes a scene and many turned heads in the restaurant.  He tells her to go away and she turns on the tears with him pointing at her telling the restaurant “this is bullshit, you need to know that.”  As ever the tears win.  The next scene is Louie and his brother discussing the reality of their mother being a lesbian (“mom is a lesbonian”).  Robbie freaks out while Louie remains sceptical and indifferent.  This then cuts to Louie sat in a restaurant waiting to meet his mother’s wife (his step mom).  He is dressed normal but when Robbie arrives he is dressed up in a suit (“trying to have some respect”).  Their mother arrives without her wife.  With this she makes comment about their weight before Jasmine (Ana Kayne) turns up.  Jasmine turns out to be a stunning woman around the age of thirty, the kind of lady Louie and Robbie can only dream of meeting.  “Hi, what’s up?  Your mom’s really cool.”  Louie experiences more agony at the hands of his mother while his brother just freezes.  The ladies order vodka on the rocks while Louie orders his comatose brother a water garnering the response “no fun” from his mom.  With this she makes the declaration “Jasmine has been introducing me to a lot of new things; she’s been very good for me.”  At this point Robbie pipes up in disbelief to the retort “I would have thought you’d be glad for me.”  And all the while Louie remains aloof.  Somewhat more affect Robbie complains about having never felt love from his mother.  It ends with him pleading to her to say she loves him only for her to leave telling Jasmine to stay who responds “this is a total bummer” before exchange glances with Louie and the end of happy suggestion.

IS IT ANY GOOD:

Yes, it is excruciatingly good.  It contains a classic trademark Louie twist on proceedings which is so wrong but so right.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME:

Mothers go crazy with age and as a result can be very embarrassing and stressful.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT:

In an ever changing world in ever changing times, our parents’ efforts to adapt to them can be catastrophic.

STANDUP ELEMENT:

How hard it is to still have love for your relatives.  How deep down gay people should “stop doing that” because of the failing ergonomics of two vaginas smooshing against the other.  And finally how he is going to hell for having sex with a hooker who turned out to be male.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

None.

BEST LINES:

“If I knew that we would be taking a taxi cab here I would have dressed differently”.  “I don’t care what you do with your vagina, honestly you can take your vagina and shove it up your ass.”  “Robbie you’re pretty fat too.  Is that all you boys do, get fat and die?”  “So let me get this straight.  My mother is married to a girl who’s younger than me and way hotter than any chick I’ve ever dated or ever will date in my life.”

BEST JOKES:

"We only had sex two times.  One was for your brother and one was for you and it was really disgusting.  At least it was for me, I hated it.”  The way his mother keeps repeatedly saying “woman!”  “Come on, who doesn’t love their mother?” and Louie raises his hand.

PERIPHERAL MOMENT:

Louie took his girls to visit his mother last Christmas only for her to instead visit her friend in Phoenix, Arizona.  Thus Louie and his daughters spent the Christmas of 2009 in a Holiday Inn with Santa bringing them a bag of M&Ms each.  Also Louie smokes.

REALITY CROSSOVER:

Louie’s final admission at a lack of sexual damage echoes my own.

MVP:

Louie’s mom Dorethy is cold!

GUEST APPEARANCES:

David Patrick Kelly.

EPISODE LINKS:

His mother is somewhat different to her portrayal in the “God”.

PERCULARITIES:

What the fuck happened to his mom?

OPENS:

With Louis speaking to his shrink and sometimes how when he is talking to his daughter he’ll be looking down at the little girl and he’ll see his mother.  The therapist takes the observation a little too literal.

CLOSES:

Various takes of the over the top insanity of Louie’s mom crying in the restaurant coupled with him telling her to “shut up.”

OTHER:

I can’t help but feel with how the modern world is going that we are all likely to have a similar experience with our relatives.

FINAL WORDS:

Why are families such dysfunctional perverts?

DOUBLE DATE

SEASON 1 EPISODE 7 PART 1 (EPISODE 7)

THIS IS IT:

Louie is at the gym working out with his brother Robbie (Robert Kelly) who tells him about this woman he is dating and that wants to meet Louie as she is a big fan.  His brother asks if he minds he brings her to his gig tomorrow (“a short set at the (Comedy) Cellar”).  Then he pushes it by enquiring what he is doing after, suggesting maybe that they all hang out.  With it being a date Louie points out it would be weird.  Reluctantly he agrees to some kind of introduction but his brother pushes the request creating suspicion.  It turns out the said woman only wants Robbie if it is with another guy (“she can’t get off with anything less than two guys”).  Somewhat inappropriately he asks Louie if he will help out suggesting a scenario whereby Louie begins things and he finishes them off.  Sensibly his reaction is “I’m going to go home now and I’m not going to talk to you for about three weeks.”

IS IT ANY GOOD:

It’s OK, a five minute exchange that leads directly to the second half of the episode “Mom”.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME:

I’m better off without siblings.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT:

As things become more and more distorted in everyday life, our values and morals are leading us towards thinking about doing depraved things.  Sometimes we even act upon them.  It addresses how casual some people now feel towards having threesomes, how matter of fact it has become.

STANDUP ELEMENT:

Teaching his kids values.  He used to have them but they’re melting away.  He believes that “if you murder somebody and never get caught, its fine.”

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

None.

BEST LINES:

“It gets hard as a nail.  My dick is swollen.  I mean, my dick is leaking and swollen”, “OK, this is part I didn’t want to hear about.”  “You want to have a threesome with your own brother?  What’s wrong with you?”

BEST JOKES:

Louie’s therapist’s stupidity and confusion.

PERIPHERAL MOMENT:

None.

REALITY CROSSOVER:

In the past I have done friends favours in order to get somewhere with somebody.  I have however never had a threesome with my brother because a) the concept never appealed even though the opportunity was once there and b) I do not have a brother.

MVP:

Louie for remaining sensible in the light of such suggestion.

GUEST APPEARANCES:

David Patrick Kelly returns as Louie’s therapist.

EPISODE LINKS:

This is his brother’s second appearance following his debut in the episode “Divorce”.

PERCULARITIES:

Louie and his brother exercise?

OPENS:

With Louis speaking to his shrink and sometimes how when he is talking to his daughter he’ll be looking down at the little girl and he’ll see his mother.  The therapist takes the observation a little too literal.

CLOSES:

Various takes of the over the top insanity of Louie’s mom crying in the restaurant coupled with him telling her to “shut up.”

OTHER:

Less half an episode and more a quarter episode.

FINAL WORDS:

Why are families such dysfunctional perverts?

NICK

SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 PART 2 (EPISODE 3)

THIS IS IT:

The Nick in question this half of the episode is Nick DiPaolo.  He is something of a controversial comedian that leans somewhat to the right but despite this I cannot recommend his Raw Nerve recording enough.  With this the episode cuts back to the Comedy Cellar where Louie is doing a bit about being called an “Indian giver” recently.  He decrees that this is one of the most offensive things you could say being that it makes you a person gives somebody something then change your mind but in the context of relating it to Native Americans it doesn’t exactly work considering when people arrived in America they weren’t exactly given the country so much as they just took it.  Then he ends his set as Nick DiPaolo steps out onstage immediately joking about the shaved head MC as “going through chemo”.  From here he likens the Comedy Cellar to the basement of Al-Qaeda’s hide out.  Things cut to Louie fresh offstage asking the waitress how things are going tonight as she moans that she is waiting “two tables all black people so I know is that I’m not making any tips” to which Louie responds “you being serious right now?” asking her if she is seriously being “that racist?”  With this the waitress qualifies her statement saying how she has been waiting tables for five years and has never got a tip from a black person.  Louie maintains that is racist at which point a black waitress asks “what are you talking about?” as Louie angrily states “she says black people don’t tip” to which the waitress responds “are you nuts?  Niggers don’t tip, everyone knows that.  Have you ever waited tables before?  Then shut up asshole”.  We cut back to DiPaolo onstage saying that he pulled a muscle in his neck giving his wife the finger behind her back before asking “ever hold a piss for so long it turned into a shit?”  He then changes track by stating that he doesn’t know why the audience voted for Obama as the room goes quiet and frosty saying “oh boy I hit you right in the white guilt muscle.”  From here he lays into Obama as the camera cuts to Louie shaking his head.  Afterwards Louie and Nick are sat in a booth with Todd Barry as DiPaolo complains “people are such hypocrites down there” as Louie responds “I’m sure you did better at the Hitler Youth rally” as they proceed to dig at each other over politics with DiPaolo eventually saying “white guys don’t have a voice in this country anymore” as Louie continues to liken him to a Nazi before DiPaolo throws a glass of water over him and they get into a fight which results in DiPaolo cutting his right hand open (“Jesus man, it looks bad”).  With this we cut to the pair of them waiting in the A&E department of a hospital.  Now that things have calmed down Nick asks Louie how the kids are as his wife phones to see where he is.  He just tells her “I’m out” as Louie says “you didn’t tell her where you are?” to which he responds “she’ll just start worrying, what’s the use?”  Smiling Louie comments “it must be nice having someone at home worrying for you”.  DiPaolo shrugs this statement off before saying how the other day he received a package from India which turned out to be a “brick of Viagra” which his wife ordered online.  He adds how great his wife is but “some nights you just want a burger and hit the sack”.  They’re in counselling now and every other night he sticks a wooden medicated boner in her as they now sit around waiting to see who’s going to die first.  By the time they get out of the hospital the sun has risen.  As they walk along the quiet morning streets Louie apologises for DiPaolo’s hand and for calling him a Nazi as he responds “don’t worry about it faggot”.  As DiPaolo hails a cab he comments “remember when we were in our twenties we used to come home this late because we were all getting laid?” to which Louie responds “we never got laid”.  And as the cab pulls off Louie gives Nick the finger.  With this we cut back to Louie at Carolines recounting picking up a friend’s cousin visiting New York (or any city) for the first time at the Port Authority as she freaks out at New York.  Then as they pass a homeless guy while the locals ignore him she immediately bends down and takes a knee to him asking “what happens?”  As she offers to help out Louie and his friend set about tell her not to bother the homeless guy and correcting her behaviour as if she is doing something wrong.  No, that’s America and that is how they do.  And with that the episode ends.  The credit sequence sees Dr Ben (Ricky Gervais) on the phone to Louie giving a series of diagnosis, each more in bad taste as the last.

IS IT ANY GOOD:

Yeah its good.  Nick DiPaolo is a fine act and the episode goes places.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME:

That being neither ring wing or liberal works.  Racism isn’t worth fighting over.  Black people don’t tip.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT:

At a time when you not supposed to say anything politically incorrect, these two are happy to snap their differences back and forth.  Then ultimately the disagreement proves a waste of time as some things are never going to change meanwhile there will always be more important issues to take care off at home.

STANDUP ELEMENT:

Louie begins doing a bit at the Comedy Cellar about being called an “Indian giver” and is then followed on stage by Nick DiPaolo who upsets the crowd with his Obama comments.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

So this is the episode addressing racism.

BEST LINES:

“At least you’ve got that dirty jizz rag seeping germs into your wound”.  “I think I saw the bartender spit into it and wipe off some AIDS vomit”.

BEST JOKES:

There actually aren’t many jokes in this episode, more it is quite the sobering reality check.

PERIPHERAL MOMENT:

Louie and Nick are performing at the Comedy Cellar.

REALITY CROSSOVER:

White people love arguing over racism.  As if that is an issue that should affect us any further than acting with basic human decency.  So obviously I have had debates with my friends over racism over the years and I must concede I have always tended to side more with a murky interpretation of the issue as per DiPaolo as opposed to the black and white clarity of Louie.  Also the early morning exchange after being out all night is always a glorious, bonding and philosophical moment as display here with these guys.

MVP:

I’m a bit fan of Nick DiPaolo and think he is great in this episode.

GUEST APPEARANCES:

Nick DiPaolo and Todd Barry.  DiPaolo is part of the Louie-Sopranos connection having appeared as Joey the cop in the season four episode Christopher.

EPISODE LINKS:

No explicit links but DiPaolo and Barry are recurring pieces of furniture in the series.

PERCULARITIES:

The cut on DiPaolo’s hand doesn’t look that bad.

OPENS:

With Louie doing a bit at the Comedy Cellar talking about hit shitty body before moving onto his general health concerns and how it affects his having sex.

CLOSES:

With Dr Ben (Ricky Gervais) ringing Louie with the results of his blood work.  At this point he tells Louie that he needs him to come back in and take some more tests as his blood work shows that he might have “slight big fat ginger uglitus”.  Again duped, Louie responds “oh my god, you’re suck a dick” as Dr Ben laughs down the line at him.  Then ceasing his laugh he adds “no, you’ve got AIDS but don’t worry as the cancer is going to eventually kill the AIDS before it kills you quite slowly and painfully.  No, I’m (joking), you do have cancer though.  Loads of it, in your scrotum.  In fact, that’s all there is in the scrotum.  No balls at all, just two unhealthy lumps of cancer that replaced the horrible old squidgy bollocks that were there and that’s gonna kill you as well so erm.  By the way the AIDS shows, it’s very extensive, it shows you got AIDS from raping little blind boys” at which point Louie hangs up and throws his phone down as a grinning Dr Ben puts down his phone looking quite pleased with himself.

OTHER:

The return of Gervais at the end somewhat disjoints things.  Perhaps episode 3 should have featured this section first and the Dr Ben portion in the second half.

FINAL WORDS:

Louie’s a jerk.

DR BEN

SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 PART 1 (EPISODE 3)

THIS IS IT:

This is Louie addressing his health issues. It begins with him at the Comedy Cellar stating how he feels pretty good today because he finally has the body that he wants.  He explains that he accomplished this feat by basically wanting a shitty body.  “You have to want your own shitty, ugly, disgusting body”.  Then contrary to this he adds that he doesn’t like feeling uncomfortable and unhealthy and unfortunately he feels both of those things all the time.  He gets really sweaty all the time which is also bad for sex as he just rains sweat all over people.  And he displays with a very physical and graphic re-enactment complete with grunting sounds while empathising with the sight/vision of the lady beneath wiping the sweat from her head saying “dude you’re limiting my enjoyment by a lot”.  With this we cut to Louie entering a doctor’s office where the black lady on reception acts officious and annoyed that he doesn’t have an appointment even though he is friends with the doctor, having gone to high school with him, and he said it would be all right for him just to call in.  Frustrated Louie says that he will just sit in the waiting room and wait for the doctor which the receptionist even objects to prompting Louie to ask “do people come in here and steal medical treatment?”  Fortunately at this point Dr Ben (Ricky Gervais) emerges from his consultation looking at Louie, looking at the receptionist and looking at Louie again pretending not to know who he is or what he is doing in the office (“do I know you?”).  With this he cracks up laughing, further exasperating Louie.  As they enter his office Louie points out the woman already in the waiting room saying that he didn’t mean to jump ahead of her but Dr Ben assures him that its OK, “don’t worry, she’s dying, no hope, really sad.  Cancer from her vagina up to her eyeballs so I’m just squeezing her for a bit of extra insurance money until her liver falls out of her arse” before again cracking up laughing to the response from Louie “man, that’s not funny”.  Now cutting to the chase Dr Ben asks Louie how he’s feeling to which he responds “I feel like shit”.  Further enquiring Ben asks “feel like shit?  Are you sure not diarrhoea because you look like diarrhoea, it looks like someone poured diarrhoea into a face shaped mould” prompting more chuckles and Louie requesting “could you stop?”  Back on track Ben tells Louie to look up as he beams a small torch into his eyes and concludes “I know what’s wrong with you: AIDS” and laughs his head off as Louie says “I can’t believe you’re a doctor”.  With this Ben tells him to “strip down to your underpants, let’s take a look at ya”.  After Louie removes his shirt Ben looks aghast and comments “Jesus.  That is, you don’t need a doctor, you need a time machine.  Did no one tell you that tits are meant to be on women not men” before screaming “what is that?” while patting his right moob.  As he sits down Ben begins listening to Louie’s chest using his stethoscope on his back at which point he asks “so how do you feel really, apart from the tumour I can hear in your lungs” before again laughing maniacally in Louie’s face.  Finally Louie strips all the way down as the camera offers/subjects the viewer a fine shot of his arse.  When Ben turns and looks he comments “oh god Louie, how can, that is really bad.  That’s the worst penis I have ever seen in my life.  That is disgusting.  Its, oh my god, this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, seeing that.  And my dad hung himself in front of me whilst masturbating.  But if I could take one of those things back it would be seeing that awful cock.  It looks like you’ve been getting a dog to suck it off but it chewed it, like it thought it was a horrible old blood and cum filled shoe” at which point he calls the nurse in to look at it too.  With this the nonplussed receptionist returns as she is asked “honestly, is that not the ugliest penis you have ever seen in your life” to which she nods in agreement responding dryly “yes doctor is very ugly” prompting him to emphasise “very ugly.  And she’s a nurse”.  On that note he pulls out a pair of rubber gloves commenting “what worries me is if that’s your testicles, what’s your anus gonna be like?” to the refusal of Louie say “well we’re not going to find that out”.  However Dr Ben insists on giving Louie a full rectal examination because “you’re over 40, this could save your life”.  Despite the promise of “I’ll be as gentle as I can” Louie is soon grimacing as by the third prod Ben is beginning to mess about, smirking as he pokes him up the behind with rhythm causing Louie to pull out shouting “what is wrong with you?” to the giggling response of “this is serious” as Louie gestates “there is no way it is supposed to go in and out like that”.  His explanation is “well it can do, I’m a doctor.  And it tells me that everything is fine up there”.  His closing verdict is that “I’m still going with AIDS but let’s do some blood work and find out” as Louie gives him the most dirty look.  With this the episode cuts back to Louie doing stand-up saying “my days start poorly because of the shape I’m in”.  He states that now being 42 he is on the decline, that there is never going to be a year that was better than the year before.  He says that every morning he opens his eyes and “reload the program of misery. He just opens his eyes, remembers who he is and what he’s like” to the resigned conclusion of “I guess”.

IS IT ANY GOOD:

Yes, this is perhaps where the show hits its stride with reluctant thanks to Ricky Gervais.

WHAT IT TAUGHT ME:

That I am right to fear showing my penis to my doctor.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT:

This is Louie addressing his health concerns which are also our collective health concerns.  Basically he is asking questions on our behalf.

STANDUP ELEMENT:

The episode opens with Louie in the Comedy Cellar doing his “having the body he wants” bit (“you just need to want a shitty body”).

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

Just the whole visit your doctor experience and healthcare.

BEST LINES:

Pretty much every line Ricky Gervais utters coupled with his annoying, maniacal laugh.

BEST JOKES:

Getting the nurse in to look at Louie’s penis is pretty funny.

PERIPHERAL MOMENT:

Louie is doing his comedy set at the Comedy Cellar.  Also Louie went to high school with the Dr Ben character.

REALITY CROSSOVER:

My own doctor’s name begins a “B”.  Like most men I have experienced that horrible moment of having your GP look at and shuffle around with your member.  It was excruciating as is this episode as it is supposed to be.

MVP:

Ricky Gervais.  This is actually what he is does best.  Forget his pathos, empathy shit, he is the king of bad taste and being mean.

GUEST APPEARANCES:

Ricky Gervais as Dr Ben.

EPISODE LINKS:

Ricky Gervais later returns in the episode “Gym”.

PERCULARITIES:

Louie really went to high school with an English kid from Reading?  And basically the whole question surrounding Dr Ben and how on earth he remains in practice.

OPENS:

With Louie doing a bit at the Comedy Cellar talking about hit shitty body before moving onto his general health concerns and how it affects his having sex.

CLOSES:

With Dr Ben (Ricky Gervais) ringing Louie with the results of his blood work.  At this point he tells Louie that he needs him to come back in and take some more tests as his blood work shows that he might have “slight big fat ginger uglitus”.  Again duped, Louie responds “oh my god, you’re suck a dick” as Dr Ben laughs down the line at him.  Then ceasing his laugh he adds “no, you’ve got AIDS but don’t worry as the cancer is going to eventually kill the AIDS before it kills you quite slowly and painfully.  No, I’m (joking), you do have cancer though.  Loads of it, in your scrotum.  In fact, that’s all there is in the scrotum.  No balls at all, just two unhealthy lumps of cancer that replaced the horrible old squidgy bollocks that were there and that’s gonna kill you as well so erm.  By the way the AIDS shows, it’s very extensive, it shows you got AIDS from raping little blind boys” at which point Louie hangs up and throws his phone down as a grinning Dr Ben puts down his phone looking quite pleased with himself.

OTHER:

I love how Gervais’ performance in this episode really appears to polarise people.

FINAL WORDS:

I’ve just postponed my new visit to the doctor.