Niece (Louie)

At Grand Central Station, Louie is awaiting his sister Karleen (Lisa Emery) and niece Amy (Gideon Adlon). Karleen arrives in a panicked state, telling her that she must leave for Philadelphia without her daughter and providing no details as she runs off to Louie's complete shock. Amy is ambivalent to her mother's actions and shows little emotion, while constantly ignoring Louie's questions.

Hoping to form a good relationship with her, Louie takes her to an indie rock club at her request, but the concert leaves her stone-faced and Louie even more frustrated. After the show, she tells him she wants to see him perform a stand-up set. He takes her to the Comedy Cellar, where she is impressed by Godfrey's performance as a warm-up comic for the audience. Louie tries to win her over by doing his own warm up act (which is very different than his usual headlining act) but fails at doing so. Godfrey talks with Amy, and Louie is surprised that she is bonding with him; Godfrey then smarms at Louie that his girlfriend has a young child and that Louie needs to learn empathy. On the way back to the apartment, Louie gives a homeless man $1 and Amy tells him he's being condescending and superior. Louie finally loses his patience with her and says that her parents' idiotic beliefs would have people who need help (a community of help Louie considers himself part of) just dying. When Amy cites her father's claim that people who give charity only do so to make themselves feel better, Louie devastates her by snarling "Yeah, and then he ran out on you." Amy asks to go home, but takes Louie's hand as they walk, and he is carrying her when they arrive as she's fallen asleep. Once they arrive, Louie put Amy in Jane's bed to sleep and is then called by a Philadelphia hospital. They tell Louie that Karleen was found ranting and being irrational in a public fountain and was committed for observation. The hospital worker asks Louie if she has a father or any other immediately family, but Louie simply says of Amy's dad "he's a bad guy, he's gone" and accepts the responsibility for taking care of her.

The episode was written and directed by series creator and lead actor Louis C.K., marking his 25th writing and directing credit for the series.^[1]

C.K. explained the concept, "I had this idea of taking on a kid that's not my kid's age. When you're a parent, you're an expert on the day you're parenting. I'm an expert at a six and a nine-year-old, and beyond that, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. Luckily, you take it one day at a time. But the idea of being projected forward to a 13-year-old was very scary to me."^[2] The character of Amy was played by Gideon Adlon, daughter of recurring cast member Pamela Adlon.^[2]