Bobby's House

Last updated
"Bobby's House"
Louie episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 4
Directed by Louis C.K.
Written byLouis C.K.
Produced by
Cinematography byPaul Koestner
Editing byLouis C.K.
Production codeXCK05004
Original air dateApril 30, 2015 (2015-04-30)
Running time24 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Cop Story"		Next →
"Untitled"
Louie (season 5)
List of episodes

"Bobby's House" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie . It is the 57th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on April 30, 2015.

Contents

The series follows Louie, a fictionalized version of C.K., a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City. In the episode, Louie is pressured by Bobby into helping him, while his relationship with Pamela leads to a bizarre sexual scenario.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.58 million household viewers and gained a 0.2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the humor and performances. At the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, Louis C.K. received nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, while Pamela Adlon received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Plot

Louie (Louis C.K.) is called by Bobby (Robert Kelly), asking him to pick him up as their uncle has just died and they must attend his wake. There, Louie finds that Bobby mistook their uncle for another person and leave. He takes Bobby home, and he reluctantly accepts in entering. Louie is not fond of the apartment, and constantly argues with Bobby as the latter claims Louie never helped him with anything.

At a bus stop, Louie sees a woman yelling at a man and tells her to stop. The woman turns aggressive and brutally attacks Louie. He returns to the apartment, where he is asked about the attack by Lilly (Hadley Delany) and Jane (Ursula Parker). He reveals that a woman was responsible, causing the girls to laugh, as well as Pamela (Pamela Adlon) when he tells her. As she puts make-up on Louie, she asks him to enact a very bizarre sexual scenario, which he reluctantly accepts.

The scenario involves Pamela acting like a man, while Louie's make-up makes him act like a girl. This culminates in sex, which makes Louie uncomfortable. After the act, Louie brings up again the subject of relationship, which Pamela denies. She then asks to break up the relationship, as she feels he need more, even when Louie cries. Louie later tells the story to Bobby at a restaurant, who laughs uncontrollably.

Production

Development

In April 2015, FX confirmed that the fourth episode of the season would be titled "Bobby's House", and that it would be written and directed by series creator and lead actor Louis C.K. This was C.K.'s 57th writing and directing credit. [1]

Reception

Viewers

In its original American broadcast, "Bobby's House" was seen by an estimated 0.58 million household viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.2 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode. [2] This was a 41% increase in viewership with the previous episode, which was watched by 0.41 million viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics. [3]

Critical reviews

"Bobby's House" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8.2 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "'Bobby's House' was hero humiliation through and through. Making things more cyclical was the fact that Louie started the episode out being envied - and then wound up a laughing stock (with his mascara running, no less). Poor 'Jornetha' couldn't catch a break." [4]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Such a strange, unsettling, and at times (like the look on Louie's face as Pamela has him right where she wants him) hilarious episode of Louie." [5] Brandon Nowalk of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "Despite the humiliated, cross-dressing man at the center and the masculine-feminine power dynamic, 'Bobby's House' diverges from Cul-De-Sac thematically. The makeup and the role-play and the submission turn out not to be so bad, even kind of fun, and if anything Pamela gains respect for Louie." [6]

Danielle Henderson of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "In the end, when Bobby is laughing at Louie, too, you're not sure if it's because he tried to revisit the tenderness of the moment they shared earlier by telling him about his breakup, or if he's laughing at the idea of Louie in makeup having sex. We're not sure what he's laughing at, but the reluctance is back with full force, and Louie regrets ever telling Bobby anything at all." [7]

Joe Matar of Den of Geek gave the episode a perfect 5 rating out of 5 and wrote, "Thanks to the final shot, the show opener even receives closure as Bobby's pleas for Louie to somehow help him don't go unanswered. It's not a solution to any of Bobby's life problems, but Louie's misfortune at least makes Bobby so happy he can't help but laugh uncontrollably. It's minor, but it's still a payoff and it's an unexpected one, rounding out 'Bobby's House' as a gratifying episode of subtly structured chaos." [8] Paste gave the episode a 5.7 out of 10 and wrote, "Maybe if you find the idea of Louis wearing a lot of eyeliner funny this will be interesting, but I just kept waiting for something bigger, something bolder to happen. Something to rip apart the easy reading of this story as a not especially funny mess. That's pretty much how I've felt this entire season, though, so it should probably be no surprise by now that Louie just doesn't have a punchline, or even a real destination." [9]

Accolades

The episode received many nominations at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. Pamela Adlon received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Louis C.K. received a nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, while also submitting the episode to support his nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. [10] [11] Adlon would lose to Joan Cusack for Shameless . [12] C.K. lost the former to Veep for the episode "Election Night", and the latter to Jeffrey Tambor for Transparent . [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Adlon</span> American actress (born 1966)

Pamela Adlon is an American actress, writer and director. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series King of the Hill (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She also voiced Baloo in Jungle Cubs (1996–1998), the title role in the Pajama Sam video game series (1996–2001), Lucky in 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997–1998), Ashley Spinelli in Recess (1997–2001), Otto Osworth in Time Squad (2001–2003), and Brigette Murphy in Milo Murphy's Law (2016–2019), among numerous others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis C.K.</span> American comedian, actor, writer and filmmaker (born 1967)

Louis Alfred Székely, known professionally as Louis C.K., is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as numerous awards for The Chris Rock Show, Louie, and his stand-up specials Live at the Beacon Theater (2011) and Oh My God (2013). In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked C.K.'s stand-up special Shameless number three on their "Divine Comedy: 25 Best Stand-Up Specials and Movies of All Time" list and ranked him fourth on its 2017 list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.

<i>Louie</i> (American TV series) American TV series

Louie is an American comedy drama television series that premiered on FX on June 29, 2010. It is written, directed, created, edited, and produced by comedian Louis C.K., who also stars in the show as a fictionalized version of himself, a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City. The show has a loose format atypical for television comedy series, consisting of largely unconnected storylines and segments that revolve around Louie's life, punctuated by live stand-up performances. The show's comedy consisted of such styles as surrealism, satire, absurdism, and gallows humor.

<i>Louie</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on June 29, 2010 and concluded on September 7, 2010. It consisted of thirteen episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the first season on Tuesdays at 11:00 pm in the United States. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard. The first season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on June 21, 2011.

<i>Louie</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on June 23, 2011, and concluded on September 8, 2011. It consisted of thirteen episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the second season on Thursdays at 10:30 pm in the United States. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard. The second season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on June 19, 2012.

<i>Louie</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on May 5, 2014, and concluded on June 16, 2014. It consists of fourteen episodes, most running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the fourth season on Mondays at 10:00 and 10:30 pm in the United States with back-to-back episodes. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard.

<i>Louie</i> (season 5) Season of television series

The fifth and final season of the American television comedy series Louie premiered on April 9, 2015, and concluded on May 28, 2015. It consists of eight episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes in length. FX broadcast the fifth season on Thursdays at 10:30 pm in the United States. The season was produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and the executive producers were Louis C.K., Dave Becky and M. Blair Breard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Becky</span> American comedy manager and producer

Dave Becky is an American comedy talent manager and producer. He works with 3 Arts Entertainment and has more than 100 production credits. He has received nine Emmy nominations for his work as an executive producer on the Netflix series Master of None and various productions with comedian Louis C.K. He has shared in two Peabody Awards for his work as an executive producer on two FX series, Louie (2012) and Better Things (2016). Becky also serves as an executive producer on Russian Doll on Netflix and Insecure on HBO.

"So Old/Playdate" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. The episode was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on July 13, 2010.

"Bully" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. The episode was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on August 17, 2010.

"Gym" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. The episode was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on September 7, 2010, airing back-to-back with the follow-up episode, "Night Out".

"Daddy's Girlfriend" is the fourth and fifth episodes of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. They are the 30th and 31st overall episode of the series and were written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with Pamela Adlon getting a story credit for "Part 1". They were released on FX, with "Part 1" airing on July 19, 2012, and "Part 2" airing on July 26, 2012.

"Ikea/Piano Lesson" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 33rd overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with Pamela Adlon receiving a story credit. It was released on FX on August 9, 2012.

"Model" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 41st overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on May 5, 2014, airing back-to-back with the previous episode, "Back".

"So Did the Fat Lady" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 42nd overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on May 12, 2014, airing back-to-back with the follow-up episode, "Elevator Part 1".

"A La Carte" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 55th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with producer Pamela Adlon receiving a co-story credit. It was released on FX on April 16, 2015.

"Cop Story" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 56th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with Robert Smigel receiving a co-story credit. It was released on FX on April 23, 2015.

"Untitled" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 58th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor. It was released on FX on May 7, 2015.

"Sleepover" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 59th overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with producer Pamela Adlon receiving a story credit. It was released on FX on May 14, 2015.

"The Road" is the seventh and eighth episode and season finale of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Louie. It is the 60th and 61st overall episode of the series and was written and directed by Louis C.K., who also serves as the lead actor, with producer Steven Wright receiving a story credit for "Part 2". It was released on FX, with "Part 1" airing on May 21, 2015 and "Part 2" airing on May 28, 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "(#504) "Bobby's House"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cantor, Brian (May 1, 2015). "Ratings: FX's "Louie," "The Comedians" Enjoy Gains This Week". Headline Planet. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  3. ↑ Cantor, Brian (April 24, 2015). "Ratings: FX's "Louie," "The Comedians" Slip Again". Headline Planet. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fowler, Matt (April 30, 2015). "Louie: "Bobby's House" Review". IGN . Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (April 30, 2015). "Review: 'Louie' – 'Bobby's House': I am a woman?". HitFix . Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ Nowalk, Brandon (May 1, 2015). "Louie: "Bobby's House"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  7. ↑ Henderson, Danielle (May 1, 2015). "Louie Recap: A Wolf in Pam's Clothing". Vulture . Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  8. ↑ Matar, Joe (May 1, 2015). "Louie: Bobby's House Review". Den of Geek . Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Louie: "Bobby's Place"". Paste . May 1, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Emmy Award Nominations: Full List of 2015 Emmy Nominees". Variety . July 16, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Emmys 2015: Complete List of Episode Submissions". Gold Derby. March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  12. ↑ Beachum, Chris (September 12, 2015). "Joan Cusack ('Shameless') finally wins first Emmy Award on fifth try". Gold Derby. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Emmy Award Winners 2015 – Full List". Variety . September 20, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.