Generally agree. Strong first half. Well done on the location shots and such. Interesting premise. Then falls on its face after he decides to stay in Florida.altars of radness wrote:It was ok until the semi/anti-climax. That was some Everybody Loves Raymond-level forced awkwardness.Necrophilic Mallard wrote:The Miami episode kind of sucked...
I think this episode might show Louis CK's weakness as a writer in the sense that he seems reluctant to deal with an interesting character besides himself, Pam and, maybe, his daughters. I understand that the concept of the show is something based purely on his subjective point of view and whim. He seems to have even admitted this on the O&A interviews I've heard. And generally this approach has worked so far. However, the problem with this episode was that he introduces a genuinely interesting character at the beginning , the Cuban American lifeguard, who acts more than just a foil for the protagonist's failings or judgement. I mean this in the sense that the lifeguard breaks the ideal 20thing stereotypes that appear at the start of the episode (buff dude in the lobby of the hotel, douches on the beach that push over Louie, the blonde bikini chick who takes the strawberry off his plate) and actually befriends the hero on a one to one basis. It is a cool idea. The guy takes Louis into the heart of the Miami Cuban community. They bond as friends. Then, the younger guy generally rejects the hero, perceiving him as an aging homo looking for some tanned beach cock. Dunno. I think get what Louis might have been initially going for. Ever had that experience of hitting it off with someone amazingly upon first meeting/hangout time then having a hard time connecting on the same level once the chance a consistent friendship could develop? I think that was what he may have been going for but the need to make it into some kinda statement on heterosexual male inadequacy was hamfisted. He could have easily said in the dialogue at the start of the final scene that 'no dude I'm not gay...just want to hang out ... you know' and maybe something more interesting about social exclusion and inadequacy could have been commented upon..whatever.
