‘Louie’ teaches and grows with enriching humor

HADLEY Delaney (left) and Louis CK in “Louie”

Laughs and life lessons converge anew in the fifth season of “Louie,” bringing back scathing comic Louis CK to sitcom-esque scenarios while deconstructing relationships and comedy. Compared to previous seasons, this is somewhat lighter, but it’s no less deep and probing.

Louie, the stand-up comic and single father to two girls, resumes his on-again, off-again relationship with kooky Pamela (Pamela Adlon), following his failed romantic relationship with the foreigner Amia (Eszter Balint).

Pamela, Louie’s confidante and weird motivator, seems to be the “endgame” for the 40-something funnyman character. But as before, she proves herself a nontraditional thinker, and opts for an open relationship, which isn’t exactly what Louie is looking for at this stage in his life.

“Louie” (Jack TV, Sundays, 11:40 p.m.) has dissected and poked fun at the difficulties and challenges faced by comedians—through his writing of the show, CK has expressed his dissatisfaction over colleagues who steal jokes, or those undeserving ones who get bigger and better career opportunities.

In an episode this season, “A La Carte,” for instance, he gives throwaway advice to a young, unfunny aspiring comic (Nate Fernald), who takes his suggestion and makes it big in the business, to Louie’s shock and annoyance.

As with prior seasons, he gets to impart lessons through his arcs with his daughters. From teaching them about life’s inequalities to its simpler pleasures, he consciously explores relatable family situations, while showing one of the more authentic-feeling father-child bonds on TV.

One such example can be seen in the “Sleepover” episode. While watching a play with Lily (Hadley Delany), Louie notices the kid scrolling through her phone—she scolds her, but he learns that she’s been moved by the play that she’s looking for more information about it. She proves to him that she can “appreciate something on two levels,” at the same time.

It’s enriching to see Louie grow up and mature with his children, especially since he’s often been depicted as resistant to change. With his interspersed stand-up bits and guest cameos by Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close and John Lithgow, this season of “Louie” manages to be both mirthful and thought-provoking, challenging its viewers to appreciate it on different, similarly important levels.