Late Show (Louie)

In its original American broadcast, "Late Show Part 1" was seen by an estimated 0.60 million household viewers with a 0.3 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.3 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.^[5] This was a 16% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.71 million viewers with a 0.4 in the 18-49 demographics.^[6]

In its original American broadcast, "Late Show Part 2" was seen by an estimated 0.48 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.^[7] This was a 16% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.60 million viewers with a 0.3 in the 18-49 demographics.^[5]

In its original American broadcast, "Late Show Part 3" was seen by an estimated 0.54 million household viewers with a 0.3 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.3 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.^[8] This was a 16% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.48 million viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics.^[7]

"Late Show Part 1" received extremely positive reviews. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and wrote, "This episode was another great mixture of comedy and drama – almost evenly split, in that the first half had some of the funniest material of the season, while the second half (Well, he final scene, really) got really, really intense."^[9]

Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "'Late Show (Part 1)' is fundamentally concerned with the dark side of success, with the seamy, shadowy underbelly of exceeding expectations, both internal and external. Throughout the episode, Louie does far better than he could have possibly anticipated and is forced to wrestle with the unexpected consequences."^[10]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Louis C.K.'s approach to continuity allows him to have his cake and eat it with a storyline like the one set up in the first part of this 'Late Show' trilogy. On the one hand, he gets to play off of what we know about the more modest state of TV Louie's career, and he gets to continue one story over multiple episodes. On the other hand, because we know that he can drop an idea at any moment, this story doesn’t automatically have to end with Louie blowing it and losing the job to Jerry Seinfeld."^[11] Zach Dionne of Vulture wrote, "Strap in, folks. We're heading into Louie's first-ever three-part episode and then an hour-long season closer. This is the show's final run at making a big mark in 2012 — the kind of impression that could help re-up all those Best Comedy of the Year accolades and Most Original Thing on TV superlatives. This last leg began solidly with the type of installment typically reserved for those series that embrace things like continuity and extended plots: the setup episode."^[12]

Paste gave the episode an 8.8 out of 10 and wrote, "This is really where the heart of Louie lies, so it's great to watch the show really push at the complex relationship between Louis and show business, emphasis on business."^[13] Neal Lynch of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "It's kind of amazing this show is only 22 minutes. It has the look and feel and power of an hour long serial. Of course, as an audience we choose to buy into seeing Part 2, but we know Louie's hosting gig isn't in the cards. If we see him do and be better, doesn't that mean he loses his appeal?"^[14]

"Late Show Part 2" received critical acclaim. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9.5 out of 10 and wrote, "Twin Peaks is one of my favorite TV series of all time, so I was delighted to see David Lynch of all people not only show up on Louie, but play a very Gordon Cole-like character. The entire episode seemed influenced by Lynch's offbeat style and rhythm, especially in Lynch's scenes. Hearing him talk about the importance of timing, while throwing in some incredibly awkward pauses, was just awesome, as were his incredibly outdated sample monologue jokes. The surreal closing credits sequence only added to the Lynch flavor."^[15]

Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "Like 'Late Show (Part 1),' this is a strangely melancholy, even dour episode largely devoid of laughs but rich in sadness, awkward pauses, and free-floating anxiety. Louie and its creator are confident and secure enough to forgo laughs and jokes in favor of a larger, more ambitious, and more meticulously observed creative vision, the full scope of which will only become apparent next week when this fascinating, gloriously bittersweet three-episode arc concludes."^[16]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Given where this episode went, it’s hard to imagine Louie having a plausible shot at the job in the conclusion of this trilogy, but it's been a pleasure to watch (and listen to, as I love the melancholy music used on the score) so far."^[17] Zach Dionne of Vulture wrote, "Some reactions to these first two parts of the 'Late Show' three-parter have been middling. It's clear C.K. is aiming for something different — bigger? — and tonally distinctive here. It's a focused, extended meditation on showbiz and success and being a family man in the face of it. Pending next week's resolution, I'm ready to vote the arc as one of Louie's best experiments thus far."^[18]

Paste gave the episode a 9 out of 10 and wrote, "'Late Show Part 2' has the difficult task of being the middle episode of a storyline, without really a beginning or ending, but this works well given Louie's fragmentary nature. It's one of those episodes of the show where everything works, and while by no means filled with laughs, is more importantly stuffed with well-executed ideas."^[19] Neal Lynch of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "The journey should be fun (and painful) to watch. He's been physically, emotionally and psychologically abused, but now it's for something big. All the bruises (ego and physical) are not without reason. But, as I've said in past reviews, we've come to know what to expect (failure) but we're just tuning in to see the fallout."^[20]

"Late Show Part 3" received critical acclaim. Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and wrote, "The conclusion of Louie's journey towards potentially becoming a late night host ended in Late Show Part 3, and while it didn't quite offer as many new turns as the last couple of episodes, it still was incredibly entertaining."^[21]

Emily St. James of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "This is definitely a case where the three episodes as a whole make up a story that's much greater than the sum of its parts, a case where the particular story Louis C.K. is trying to tell is so inextricably bound together that I almost wish FX had found a way to air all three parts on the same night. I found the first two parts to be very funny and occasionally moving, but part three brought everything together in a way that made the whole thing rather undeniable."^[22]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Wow. 'Daddy's Girlfriend' aside, this season of Louie has been more interesting than dazzling, but the conclusion of this 'Late Show' trilogy earned every second the show had spent building up to it. Just an incredibly powerful, funny, heartbreaking, inspiring episode."^[23] Zach Dionne of Vulture wrote, "The contemplative do-or-die music revs into a horn-blasting triumph theme, Louie walks off into the sunset of Times Square, and we get the show's biggest — one of its only — heart-warming moments since Louie took his daughters out to a sunrise breakfast at the end of season one and that absurdly uplifting 'Bad Night' song played. It's a perfect New York ending, twenty-story Diddy billboard and all."^[24]

Paste gave the episode a 9.4 out of 10 and wrote, "This arc, with its myriad of celebrities and far more plot-based structure than the rest of the show, has been in some ways the most ambitious thing Louie has done so far. And like its hero, the show managed to succeed, even though next week it'll be back where it started."^[25] Neal Lynch of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "Seems like a pretty decent finale, right? So, what in the hell does he have up his sleeve for the actual finale? How can he possibly top that life-changing trilogy? My guess is wipe it all away and bring him back to Ground Zero."^[26]

• "Late Show Part 1" at IMDb
• "Late Show Part 2" at IMDb
• "Late Show Part 3" at IMDb