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"Louie's commitment to a plot-driven, six-episode story arc is rare for a show that typically eschews continuity and consistency. Each episode in previous seasons is like a televised portrayal of one of Louis C.K.'s comedy bits, whereas the \"Elevator\" saga feels more like an entire routine. \nEpisodes 7 and 8 continue to follow Louie's deteriorating relationship with his ex-wife Janet and blossoming relationship with Amia \u2014 both of which are impacted by communication barriers \u2014 and in the process, flesh out characters and plot lines.\nSee also: 'Louie' Episodes 5 and 6 Recap: Communication Cannibalism\nIn \"Elevator Part 4,\" Louie and Janet (Susan Kelechi-Watson) see a therapist (Denny Dillon) for advice on how to deal with Jane's (Ursula Parker) behavioral problems, but end up confronting their own issues and inability to get along. The two bicker throughout the session, with Janet talking about Louie as if he isn't in the room (\"Their father? Who's that? Where's he at? Oh, that's right, he's here. He's right here inside my face,\" Louie says after Janet cuts him off). At one point, in a surreal moment, Louie gets up from his chair, and sticks his head out of the therapist's window to scream in frustration; but this prompts no reaction whatsoever from either Janet or the therapist \u2014 it's as if he's invisible. \n\nThe therapist (Denny Dillon) who is counseling Louie and his ex-wife Janet.Image:  KC Bailey/FXC.K. frequently uses the show as a vehicle to present his own views on life \u2014 and has recently been doing so in a much more explicit way \u2014 often getting a character to express them on his behalf. \"You know, Janet, people \u2014 sometimes you're supposed to be sad. It's okay. It's the flip side, and it's actually good,\" Louie says while discussing what will happen after Amia goes back to Hungary; it's a statement that parallels what C.K. has said publicly in the past. He describes forcing himself to feel sadness, and the humanizing result, in this interview on Conan:\n\n\"Sadness is poetic. You're lucky to live sad moments,\" C.K. says in the video. \"I was grateful to feel sad and then I met it with true profound happiness. It was such a trip, you know? And the thing is because we don't want that first bit of sad, we push it away...You never feel completely sad or completely happy. You just feel kind of satisfied with your products and then you die.\nThroughout season 4, C.K. has been much bolder about expressing his opinions, with some saying that the comedian has gotten a little \"preachy.\" Like other episodes from this season, \"Elevator Part 4\" feels dialogue-heavy; whereas in previous seasons, Louie was better at conveying his message subtly, and used words much more sparingly. Another example: Vanessa's lengthy diatribe against society's treatment of larger women in episode 3, \"So Did The Fat Lady.\"\nThe latter half of episode 7 shows the rocky early days of marriage between a young Louie (Conner O\u2019Malley) and young Janet (Brooke Bloom), two years in. They cordially decide to get a divorce, and end up having super-quick goodbye sex. Afterward, Louie jokes, \"What if just now, you got pregnant?\" Both laugh, but the fact that they stayed together suggests this is indeed what happened. It's interesting to note that older Janet is played by an African-American actor, while younger Janet is played by a white one \u2014 again, this is indicative of C.K.'s lack of concern for consistency (the comedian has even cast the same actor in different roles on Louie before). \n\nLouie (Louis C.K.) and Amia (Eszter Balint) go on a date. Image:  KC Bailey/FXAfter parodying network news shows \u2014 a favorite target of Louie \u2014 for its obsessive focus on animals and celebrities (\"We're reporting the sad death of LeBron James...and the rest of the Miami Heat...and 12 million other people\"), and single comedian Todd Barry's hilariously mundane description of a day in his life, \"Elevator Part 5\" focuses on Louie's relationship with Amia \u2014 specifically whether or not they've consummated it.\nEvanka (Ellen Burstyn), in particular, is interested, and asks Louie by way of a hand motion for sexual penetration (link is semi-NSFW \u2014 and yes, seeing an old lady doing this gesture is priceless). \"If you didn't screw the cow, she's not your cow,\" Evanka advises Louie. \nLouie eventually makes a move, Amia reciprocates and they do the deed. But she has major morning-after regret, and tells him in stilted English, \"No good\" among other things in Hungarian. Louie apologizes, and Amia says \"It's okay\" before leaving his apartment, but he still doesn't understand what's wrong (my guess is that sex has made Amia more emotionally invested in Louie and their relationship \u2014 bad news since she's leaving in less than 10 days). This misunderstanding results from a breakdown in communication, similar to what happened with Janet in episode 7, except it's borne out of an actual inability to communicate due to language barriers. Louie's strained relationship with his ex-wife, on the other hand, is exacerbated by their unwillingness to communicate with each other in a productive way. \n\nLouie (Louis C.K.) performing standup at the Comedy Cellar in New York.Image:  KC Bailey/FXLouie airs every Monday at 10 p.m. on FX.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/05/27/louie-season-4-episodes-7-8/>