Horace and Pete

Wow. So grim, but I cannot stop watching. Every episode is stomach- churning (the moment in episode two, where Marsha-- Jessica Lange's beau-- tells her his wife is waiting at home....and then that pause before Jessica Lange lets out a brittle chuckle...shiver me timbers!!). It's like I'm flipping over rocks to see the gross, sticky but roiling, thriving stuff underneath.

The cast is outstanding, as is the writing-- I cannot stop thinking of writers like Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor. So here I sit, uneasily waiting for...I know not what. One of the darkest and most interesting things I've watched in a long time, with no pat resolution or happy ending in sight.

I hope that eventually its beauty will break my heart; right now I'm still white-knuckling it. But every angel is terrifying, right?

I expected Horace & Pete to be like Louis CK Part II – short, crisp, mostly hilarious episodes about some middle-aged guys. So, in the beginning I was slightly disappointed to see that the first episodes of H&P turned out to be like full feature movies, however, without, almost any action, fast-forwards or exciting flashbacks, unexpected twists etc. The episodes sometimes seemed to be long, protracted and in some moments – honestly, a bit boring, and even more often so – painfully embarrassing, even sad. Yet, somehow, I kept watching... Because, as I understand now, it made me truly believe that these people are real, like me or most of the people I know, and I actually felt for them. Take Steve Buscemi, for example, – you know, it's Steve Buscemi, the guy from Fargo, Tarantino movies, you name it. But in H&P you believe – that is Pete, and you kind of root for him. The same goes for Louis CK - although you can still see it's Louis CK, and he is very much the same guy he was in the Louis series (well, without the excessive masturbatory habits anyway...), you can't help but empathize with him. I guess there lies the brilliance of H&P – what it depicts is the closest thing to a normal, regular, average life, with all the lowly daily drudgery, failures, and the brief glimpses of tenderness that come when you least expect them and tear your battered, cold heart open. Like today, I was watching S01E09 in the background while putting on my makeup, and, out of the blue, Tom, the old guy with the beret, said this random thing, a few lines about love and I completely lost it – it turned me into a sobbing mess in the middle of the day, just like that. I guess that's the beauty of H&P – you can actually believe that the characters are like you, like real, average people, who have been through the same embarrassing, tender, painful and for some fleeting moments - happy experiences that life throws at you. So, to wind it up - this is definitely a show for grown-ups, preferably - slightly weathered ones. So, take your time and take it slowly.

I love what Louis is trying to do here. And I think this is one of the few instances when that sentence can still be taken as a huge compliment. Because once out of Louis' hands and into the content devouring public, it really is up to the individual what they take from this. Whether you watch it with an open heart or mind or dismiss it as slow moving nonsense. I believe his aim with this is truly altruistic and comes from the same place as his comedy, a place of compassion, disbelief at the clucked up nature of humanity and the world, and an almost hopeless sense of wanting to change this and make a difference. I notice this same thing in Hicks and Carlin, I guess Louis doesn't get quite as angry.

I think it's beautiful, autobiographical in parts and thought provoking with the thought going towards reconciliation in most cases. Characters in there that we'd all recognize from our own lives, how to deal with them is ultimately up to us I guess?

Thank you Louis. Genuinely. I love this, appreciate you making it (you didn't have to after all) and agree whole heartily that it is a work of art. (and that's not pretentious because it £$%&ing well is)

*Edited to add - If you enjoyed the show check out his conversion recently on Marc Marons podcast. So interesting to get an insight to how it all happened. Heartwarming and the stories from the show and the characters are incredible.

Why oh why do you have to wait so long before someone figures out that someone might just want to watch a quality dramatic production?

Thanks to Pig Newton (presumably Louis) for putting their butts on the line to do something like this.

It's a fine production. With the exception of some small glitches in sound (occasional ambient echo, one surprising mic tap) production succeeds in mainlining the product straight into the vein. Lots of long takes, dialog that's so direct and lively and full-on it's like latching on to a freight train. An absolute delight to see fine acting talent, new and old, invited to participate in the spectacle, and all take their direction well and otherwise rise to the occasion. Sets and props are great, lighting is balanced and nice on the eyes.

It's funny because normally the first sign of good production is that you don't notice the production. But, trust me, my reflections on production (beside the minor sound issues) are an afterthought.

The important thing is that we get a story. And what a story! That's all I need to say; no need to spoil anything. Duck in and hang on tight.

One odd remonstrance: Let's face it: Louis can't stretch. But he can be forgiven in this case. His standard issue character is on-target, and you sometimes sort of bask, in a backgrounded way, in the realization that this is his labor of love.

Check it out.

With the feel of a stage play and the authenticity of day-to-day real life, Horace and Pete (2016) is an entirely unique take on television. It's the kind of dramatic production that hits every note perfectly; the casting (and acting) is beyond amazing, the writing is nuanced and true to life and the storytelling is just flawless. It's evident how much Louis C.K. is inspired by Woody Allen with so many scenes striking that perfect balance of pathos and witty humor. Anyone who can appreciate TV as an art form needn't look further than this absolute gem.

Hats off to Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco and Alan Alda for showcasing some of the best acting I've ever seen as well as the entire supporting cast for knocking out of the park whatever time they had on screen and creating such enduring, memorable characters. And of course to Louis C.K. who, as a previous IMDb reviewer put it, has proven himself to be a modern day Tennessee Williams. Such an incredible show that I'm so fortunate to have seen.