Model (Louie)

In April 2014, FX confirmed that the second episode of the season would be titled "Model", and that it would be written and directed by series creator and lead actor Louis C.K. This was C.K.'s 41st writing and directing credit.[1]

In its original American broadcast, "Model" was seen by an estimated 0.91 million household viewers.[2] This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.94 million viewers.[2]

"Model" received critical acclaim. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9.5 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "'Model' was landmark Louie. Just an uncomfortable, schlubby win in every way. From Louie being severely underdressed at an event meant for trillionaires, to him slipping on the wet floor right behind his dream girl, just about everything the guy touched turned to s***. And all the while, Seinfeld was there to give disapproving gazes and chastising words. It was a hilariously horrific episode with an amazing payoff."[3]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "the story in 'Model' feels in a way like C.K. taking up the old comedian's challenge about how any topic, no matter how taboo, can be made funny with the right approach. But it also feels like part of the theme set up in 'Back,' which is that Louie has become completely resigned to all the miseries in his life."[4] The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "'Model' is absolutely brilliant television. It's like nothing I've ever seen, and it makes me so glad to have Louie back. It's, at once, a perfect little jewel of a flight of fancy on Louis C.K.'s part, while it's simultaneously a parody of anxiety dreams, a commentary on straight men's secret fears of what might happen if they ever ended up with one of the beautiful women they ogle, and a really weird parable about vampire capitalism."[5]

Danielle Henderson of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Only Louis C.K. can turn a story about punching a woman into a parable about class, and a parable about class into an allegory for violence against women, all while still being funny."[6] Jake Cole of Slant Magazine wrote, "Louie has covered provocative sexual material before, from a deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope to a depiction of male rape. In those instances, the series balanced pitch-black humor with thoughtfulness. Here, however, Louie's unwitting assault is played simply as a macabre joke, and not since Louie reduced his mother to tears in the first season has the series flirted with such pointless cruelty. This could have been ameliorated by a stronger focus on Louie's mortified embarrassment, but an extended riff on him being sued by the woman's wealthy family derails any morbid humor by turning Louie into a victim of circumstance and not a grimly clumsy buffoon."[7]

Joe Matar of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4.5 rating out of 5 and wrote, "In sharp contrast to the season premiere which changed plot focus from scene to scene, 'Model' sticks to one narrative throughout. However, it still maintains Louie's quality of being tonally in flux. The result is a more satisfying storyline than that of the previous episode while still featuring all the emotional trappings of this series at its best."[8] Paste gave the episode a 8.1 out of 10 and wrote, "'Model' was a misfire, albeit a largely enjoyable one, especially before the story becomes weirdly didactic."[9]

Louis C.K. submitted the episode to support his nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards.[10] He would lose to Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory.[11]