What an incredible piece of art by Louis CK. There are very few movies or shows that have managed to captivate me the way this series has. It does an excellent job of presenting different perspectives on beliefs, morals and ideals and really bringing to conscious thought the internal struggles we all deal with but often fail to realize everyone else is dealing with in different ways as well. This is definitely not a comedy although it can be funny at times. The still camera shot style of filming makes it feel like a theatrical drama and it is very raw.
I think opinions will be rather polarizing, with artfully minded, highly empathetic personality types really appreciating the show and everyone else being bored by it. There is so much subtle, as well as not so subtle brilliance present but the subtleties really make the show and I think they might be missed by a lot of Louis CK's general audience. The show is slow paced, utilizes lots of long shots of dialogue and could only be pulled off with top notch scripting, casting and acting, and it absolutely nails it in all these departments.
Each episode is produced and released in the same week, which is pretty incredible. This means that episodes can adapt to and discuss very current events which often makes the topics of discussion much more interesting. The downside is that such a short production cycle sometimes results in somewhat raw editing, but I find that sometimes adds to the charm. I think producing this particular show in this way was a brilliant call by Louis CK and the pros far outweigh the cons.
If you watch the first episode and don't like it, don't expect it to get any better. If you watch the first episode and like it, they keep getting better and draw you in more and more as you learn more details of the characters lives and back-stories. This really is a masterpiece showcase of Louie CK's talents. It may just go down as one of the most underrates shows ever but I hope it gains the recognition it deserves.