More and more Louie has made its season’s theme clear. What does it take to be a man? He asks this question in terms of fatherhood, hetero or homosexuality, sex and dating. In the first part of “Daddy’s Girlfriend” we see how a relationship folds into all of the aspects already seen on the show. Louie’s kids ask him why he doesn’t have a girlfriend after they discuss his ex-wife’s boyfriend. What we see unfold is equal parts hilarious, sweet and revealing.

First we see Louie look for a potential girlfriend in his own comedy world as he picks out Maria Bamford as a potential partner. Bamford, if you haven’t seen her standup, is a ball of emotions and energy that, while funny, seems diametrically opposed to CK. Louis CK seems more like an observer of the world who is questioning why, Bamford may have a similar world view but her act is based on playing out interactions between people. Seeing her on the show was a treat and seeing how incompatible she is with CK as a partner was even more satisfying. Not only does she have no interest in meeting or seeing Louis CK’s kids, she also thinks he’s pretty lousy at sex. Her humor is a turn-on for CK, but ultimately they aren’t a match. This sequence features a horrible and hilarious riff on The Real World where someone is driven to stab a fellow housemate. It’s completely unrelated to the central story of the episode, but it was a fantastically over the top aside.

In his next attempt to find a girlfriend, CK goes scouting throughout his kids school for available teachers. In an effective piece of directing by CK we see women through his eyes. He objectifies them before imagining what they would be like as people. Are they sex objects? Future mothers? Of course, none of the teachers are realistic possibilities. Despite the romantic 50’s music playing in CK’s head, the world doesn’t work like it does in the movies. This sequence shows us that he not only wants a girlfriend, but maybe someone who could be a cool mother.

I’d like to imagine the next sequence takes place a few weeks later, otherwise it would be all too serendipitous. He walks into an independent bookstore and the music starts playing again for the equally independent Parker Posey.  Posey is an employee at the store who Louie slowly divulges information about himself and his kids through book recommendations.  Louie is instantly attracted when he hears she’s interested in kids books and she also cares what this little girl she has never and will never likely meet reads.

CK’s stand-up bit about the fist-pump that comes after asking someone out successfully wasn’t particularly funny, but it was absolutely spot-on. It’s a nice appetizer for the main course that is the final act. Call it Chekov’s fist-pump. Louie goes back to the bookstore to ask for another book from Posey. As she suggests a darker book because CK’s daughter wants something with a bit more of an edge, we learn a bit about her childhood. She only becomes more interesting to CK. We get a wonderful fantasy sequence of making out among a shower of books. The more and more they talk the deeper they go, she talks about being a young girl that CK would never be able to know as a man. Now he sees her reading with his kids in a park. Flirting and fantasy collide until CK builds up the courage for the real thing.

The episode closes on an adorable sequence of CK shaving before asking her out in the most complicated way possible. He low-balls himself knowing she’ll probably say no, but he really just reveals his vulnerabilities which works better than confidence ever could.  After a long speech about how hard it must be for women in New York and how he’s unattractive, he gets a yes. We close with that fist-pump only golfers, tennis players and guys who just go a yes from a girl do. It was a sweet cap to a great episode.