Louie was created, written and directed by Louis C.K., who stars as a fictionalized version of himself, a comedian and divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City.

The show has a loose format atypical for television comedy series, consisting of largely unconnected storylines and segments (described as "extended vignettes")[2] that revolve around Louie's life, punctuated by live stand-up performances.

during a panel to promote the show that the shortened season length was due to an unfortunate decision he made while high on marijuana.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a rating of 92%, based on 38 reviews, with the site's critical consensus reading, "A renewed focus on the show's singular blend of sincerity and hilarity keep Louie at the top of its game.

[16] Sonia Saraiya of Salon wrote that "Louie is a treasure" and that season 5 of the show "is as confident and distinctive as ever, a sitcom that is not quite like anything else on television".

"[6] Brian Lowry of Variety praised the series and wrote, "Almost nothing else on TV — certainly in half-hour form — rivals the particularity of C.K.