Controversial Comedian’s Netflix Return Is Nearly Perfect If You’re Already In A Bad Mood

By Robert Scucci
| Published 14 seconds ago

Shortly after Louis C.K.’s aptly titled 2017 special, 2017, made waves, he all but disappeared from the limelight. After publicly acknowledging the several sexual misconduct allegations that were made against him, he made himself scarce, and that was appropriate given the circumstances. While I don’t approve of the behavior that rightfully landed him in hot water, I was still bummed to hear the news because his specials leading up to the controversies are among my all-time favorites. I also don’t follow celebrity gossip too closely, so when the news broke, it took me by surprise.

His decade-long run from 2007 to 2017 is a masterclass in stand-up comedy, and his five-season run with his semi-autobiographical sitcom, Louie, was what I always considered to be a perfected version of the Seinfeld formula. And then, for a while, there was nothing. At least nothing that was widely available outside of his personal website.

While his latest special, Ridiculous, marks his return to Netflix, and I think it’s a solid follow-up to 2017 on the streaming giant, it pales in comparison to the run of lesser-known specials he released between his Netflix stints: Sincerely Louis CK, Sorry, Louis C.K. at The Dolby, and Back to the Garden.

It’s not that Ridiculous is a lackluster effort on C.K.’s part either. I think the issue is that if you haven’t been following his career closely and are only familiar with the material that’s available through Netflix, you have about a decade’s worth of blanks to fill, and he’s also that much older. His delivery is, as you would expect, more subdued, and his sense of humor is more morose than ever. It’s still classic Louis C.K., but he’s now very aware of mortality, especially his own as he approaches his 60s.

Ridiculous Is A Total Bummer

Don’t let the subheader fool you because Louis C.K.’s comedy has always been depressing, and that’s a feature, not a bug. When he was regularly belting out hour-long specials, there was a sense of energy and momentum that sucked you in because he was apparently at the top of the world, and there was no real indication that he’d ever have to pump the brakes. The sense of self-loathing came off as played up for comedic effect because he, and everybody else, knew he was in the freakin’ zone. It was an epic run that nobody can deny.

And then nothing for a while, unless you were on his mailing list and paying close attention.

With Ridiculous, Louis C.K. comes off as humbled, older, and wiser, but also more cynical than ever. Most of his bits center around aging, placing his father in a retirement home with the help of his siblings, dating at 58 years old, and how the puffy bags under his eyes are so big that he has tan lines from them. If you’ve been out of the mix for a while, it’s jarring because in 2017 he had a bounce in his step and a relatively positive outlook on life, all things considered. You don’t see much of that in Ridiculous, but it’s also not coming from a “woe is me” kind of place.

It’s the same brand of humor you’re used to if you enjoyed his specials in the aughts and 2010s, but it also brings the same feeling you get when you haven’t seen a distant relative in a long time and, when you finally meet up, time has clearly taken its toll. I think that’s what was most jarring for me while watching Ridiculous.

A Return To Form, But The Form Has Changed

That is all to say that Louis C.K. is still doing what he does best in Ridiculous. But without the context of the self-released specials that bridged the gap between his Netflix runs, I could see this being a rough watch for the reasons above. If you were drawn to C.K.’s cynical humor back in the day, you’ll feel right at home here.

The problem is that his comedy is often confessional, or hinged on exaggerated versions of his own life, and without filling in the blanks from those lost years, you may feel like you’re missing out. It’s not that the humor is particularly high-brow or complex, but it is cumulative. Jumping into Ridiculous as a follow-up to 2017 will leave you wanting more, and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to support him directly by purchasing those self-released specials.

Louis C.K.: Ridiculous is a Netflix Original and can be streamed with an active subscription.