Horace and Pete
| Horace and Pete | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy-drama Dark comedy |
| Created by | Louis C.K. |
| Written by | Louis C.K. |
| Directed by | Louis C.K. |
| Starring | Louis C.K. Steve Buscemi Edie Falco Steven Wright Kurt Metzger Alan Alda Jessica Lange |
| Opening theme | "Horace and Pete" written and performed by Paul Simon |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Louis C.K. M. Blair Breard Dave Becky Vernon Chatman Dino Stamatopoulos |
| Producer | Kathy Welch |
| Production location | New York |
| Editor | Gina Sansom |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30–67 minutes |
| Production companies | Pig Newton, Inc. |
| Original release | |
| Release | January 30, 2016 – present |
Horace and Pete (stylized as Horace and Pete's Est. 1916) is an American comedy-drama web series created by Louis C.K. starring himself and Steve Buscemi as Horace and Pete, co-owners of a bar, Horace and Pete's.[1] The first episode was released on January 30, 2016, on C.K.'s website without any prior announcements.[2]
Synopsis
The series is set in a run-down family-owned bar called Horace and Pete's in Brooklyn, New York. The bar has been owned by the family since 1916 and has been passed down through several generations, always with a Horace and a Pete in charge. The current owners are the 49-year-old Horace Whittell VIII, who inherited the bar when his father Horace Whittell VII died one year earlier, and his 52-year-old cousin Pete. The bar is old-fashioned and tradition-bound; for example no mixed drinks are served and the only beer they sell is Budweiser on tap. Pricing is somewhat variable, depending on whether the customer is a regular or a hipster who is drinking there "ironically". For many years, the management has been watering down the drinks, even justifying it to themselves by saying their alcoholic regular customers would be dead by now if they were drinking full strength liquor.
The regular bartender is Uncle Pete (the "previous Pete"), an acerbic foul-mouthed old bigot who insults everyone around him but is frequently entertaining. Regular customers include Marsha, an aging but still attractive alcoholic who was Horace senior's last girlfriend, Kurt, an opinionated loudmouth and Leon, a laconic barroom philosopher.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Louis C.K. as Horace Whittell VIII
- Steve Buscemi as Pete Whittell
- Edie Falco as Sylvia Whittell
- Steven Wright as Leon
- Kurt Metzger as Kurt
- Alan Alda as Uncle Pete Whittell
- Jessica Lange as Marsha Green
Recurring cast
- Aidy Bryant as Alice
- Nick DiPaolo as Nick
- Liza Treyger as Melissa
- Greer Barnes as Carl
- Maria Dizzia as Tricia
- Karen Pittman as Rhonda
Development
The first episode was released on January 30, 2016, with no press or previous mention.[2] Subscribers to C.K.'s mailing list received an email notice of its availability. It is a continuation of the sell-through direct-to-consumer model that C.K. used successfully in prior releases of content.[3] It is shot as a play and appears to have been filmed recently, as current events are referenced throughout.[4][5]
C.K. explained that the direct-to-consumer, sell-through model of pricing the pilot at $5 would allow him to produce following episodes.[6] On his website, he discussed the challenges of creating, shooting, and releasing a multi-camera TV show and addressed the pricing, revealing a tiered cheaper price for the remaining episodes of the show.[7] The show has a very short production-release model, as episode 2 was being shot the week following the pilot, and was released a week after the first episode was made public, with following episodes to come.[8][9] Episodes have no fixed running time; the shortest episode to date is 30 minutes, the longest 67 minutes. The closing credits for episode 5 include the notice: End of Act 1.[10]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | January 30, 2016 | 67 minutes | |
|
Horace and Pete are co-owners of Horace and Pete's, a 100-year old family-owned bar which has been run by a Horace and a Pete for seven generations. The customers often argue about politics (specifically Donald Trump) and the showboating antics of Cam Newton. Horace has a strained relationship with his daughter Alice and his son refuses to speak to him. Horace's sister Sylvia arrives with her lawyer and gives notice that she intends to sue the bar for her share of the inheritance and to sell it, as the bar is unprofitable due to years of mismanagement. Uncle Pete reveals that he is Pete's true father, but he gave him up to be raised by Horace's father because he "doesn't like kids". Pete, a kindly man with mental health issues, can no longer afford to take his expensive medication due to an insurance mix-up and has a meltdown. Out of the blue, Horace asks his girlfriend Rachel (Rebecca Hall) to move out. | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | February 6, 2016 | 51 minutes | |
|
The episode opens with Horace being woken by Marsha, who flirts with him; it later becomes clear that this is Horace's strange sexual fantasy. Marsha brings Dennis the tire store entrepreneur, into the bar on a date. Sylvia tells Horace she has breast cancer, and reveals she wants to sell the bar to pay medical bills. Horace goes to lunch with his daughter Alice; she is a law student, and has accommodation problems after being ripped off by her room-mate. Horace explains that he kicked out his girlfriend Rachel so that she could move in, but she declines. A customer complains that Uncle Pete charged him more than another customer for a beer, and Horace defuses the situation. Horace has another strange fantasy about Marsha. Pete is visited by Tricia, a woman with Tourette syndrome he met while he was in a psychiatric hospital. | ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | February 13, 2016 | 43 minutes | |
|
Horace's ex-wife Sarah (Laurie Metcalf), who is eleven years his senior, visits the bar. She confides in Horace, describing in vivid detail the events which led to her having an affair with her new husband's fit and active 84-year-old father. She is hoping that Horace, who cheated on her with her sister, will be able to relate to her situation. After excusing himself to go to the rest room, Horace tells her that her affair is certain to be discovered, that it will certainly cause a great deal of hurt and will certainly lead to the end of her marriage; however she will be unable to stop doing it. | ||||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | February 20, 2016 | 30 minutes | |
|
Carl (Greer Barnes), an African American customer, ribs Uncle Pete about his angry reaction to a basketball game, and about his racism. Some of the regulars discuss abortion, and the old Catholic doctrine of Limbo. Nobody is interested in hearing a woman's perspective from Melissa. Horace is depressed and taciturn; Uncle Pete suggests he needs some casual sex. Horace makes a booty call to Maggie (Nina Arianda), a former sexual partner who used to work at the bar. Since they last met, she impulsively married a pilot, who later died suddenly. Maggie starts to make out with Horace, but he is so depressed that she no longer wants to have sex with him. Pete and Uncle Pete talk about Horace and Maggie; Pete says Maggie liked him for his cunnilingus skills. Uncle Pete is disgusted - he strongly believes that a man should not take a subservient role during sex. Pete and Uncle Pete have a discussion about sex and love. | ||||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | February 27, 2016 | 33 minutes | |
|
The family hold a wake in the bar for Uncle Pete, who has recently committed suicide. Marsha talks about her early life; she has been a heavy drinker since the age of 13, and was eventually "adopted" by Horace senior. The family are no longer prepared to support her and she leaves the bar. Sylvia's illness has resulted in tensions between her and her daughter Brenda. At the bar, Kurt again expounds on his nihilistic political views. An obnoxious customer annoys Tom (Tom Noonan), one of the regulars, and a fight almost breaks out. Pete begs Horace and Sylvia not to sell the bar, saying this is the only life he knows, but Sylvia can't afford her cancer treatment. Horace suggests as a compromise that Sylvia become involved in managing the bar as a co-owner. Kurt is irritated by people who complain about their lives, saying if it's so bad why don't they just kill themselves? Pete replies, "because maybe things will get better". | ||||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | March 5, 2016 | 37 minutes | |
|
Pete goes on a date with Jenny (Hannah Dunne), a woman he met online. She turns out to be much younger than she claimed in her profile. She is a sweet, somewhat conservative and old-fashioned small town girl from Michigan who says grace before meals and prefers older men because they have better manners. The date starts awkwardly, but they warm to each other and begin a romantic relationship. Jenny comes to have dinner at the apartment and meets Horace and Sylvia. Sylvia and Horace cruelly sabotage their relationship by barraging Jenny with Pete's flaws, including his mental illness. Jenny berates Sylvia and Horace and walks out. | ||||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | March 12, 2016 | 50 minutes | |
|
Kurt tells the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in his own crude fashion, to the general amusement of the bar. Without warning, Sylvia kicks him out for saying the word "cunt". A customer named Rick (Rick Shapiro) is interested in Sylvia and tries to talk to her, but she shows no interest. Pete has a discussion with a childhood friend who is now a NYPD officer detailed to guard the mayor. Pete wants help to make the bar a landmark, so that Sylvia has more difficulty selling it. Horace's daughter Alice visits the bar with her boyfriend Eric (Conner O'Malley); awkward conversation ensues. Horace meets a woman named Rhonda at the bar. She spends the night with him. The next morning, Rhonda suggests she might be a trans woman. Horace isn't sure if she is joking; they discuss the matter, and Rhonda never reveals her birth sex. During the conversation Horace tells Rhonda that his two children were born at about the same time, one to his wife Sarah and the other to her younger sister Rosemary. Sylvia gets good news regarding test results related to her cancer treatment. | ||||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Louis C.K. | Louis C.K. | March 19, 2016 | 35 minutes | |
|
Sylvia, Horace and their overnight guests (Harold (Reg E. Cathey) and Rhonda, respectively) are awkwardly introduced to each other in the morning. Horace and Pete visit Pete's doctor (Colman Domingo) who tells them that Pete's medication is being discontinued and he will have to be readmitted to the hospital in a month. Pete is devastated. At the bar Kurt explains why he takes LSD and how he believes computers will eventually take over the world. Nick has an unpleasant conversation with Lucy (Lucy Taylor) who is drunk and to whom he hasn't spoken since they slept together. Later, she becomes increasingly drunk and abusive until Sylvia and Horace make her leave. Pete explains to Horace how terrible his life is when he is off his medication and hallucinating. Tricia comes to visit Pete and offers him support when he talks about his fears of going off the medicine, returning to the hospital, and his thoughts of committing suicide. | ||||||
Music
The theme song was written by Paul Simon.[11]
Reception
Critics have been generally positive towards Horace and Pete, with a general consensus that the show feels like a filmed stage play.[4][12][13] It was favorably compared to Playhouse 90, with critic Matt Zoller Seitz calling it "aggressively classical."[14][15] The show has been described as being filmed live, with a realism that reflects technical imperfections that add to subtle moments by a cast of veteran actors.[16] Filmmaker Stephen Cone gave significant praise to the series in terms of Louis C.K.'s hybridization of film, TV, and theater, comparing him to French film director Alain Resnais and stating: "Leave it to Louis CK to save cinema – whatever that means – with a goddamn web series."[17]
References
- ^ D'Orazio, Dante (January 30, 2016). "Louis C.K. surprises fans with new show Horace and Pete, co-starring Steve Buscemi". The Verge. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|website=(help) - ^ a b "Louis C.K. Surprises Fans With 'Horace and Pete' Web Series Co-Starring Steve Buscemi". Variety. January 30, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Southall, Ashley (January 30, 2016). "An Internet Surprise From Louis C.K.: Barroom Drama Flecked With Dark Humor". The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ a b Poniewozik, James (January 30, 2016). "Review: Louis C.K.'s 'Horace and Pete,' Mournful and Unshakable". New York Times. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (January 30, 2016). "Louis C.K. Surprise Debuts 'Horace And Pete', New Online Series Co-Starring Steve Buscemi". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Wallenstein, Andrew (February 4, 2016). "Louis C.K. to Release More 'Horace & Pete' Saturday, Drops Prices". Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ C.K., Louis (February 4, 2016). "About Horace and Pete". LouisCK.net. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Egner, Jeremy (February 4, 2016). "Louis C.K. Explains 'Horace and Pete'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Stanhope, Kate (February 4, 2016). "Louis C.K. Answers Burning Questions About Surprise New Series 'Horace and Pete'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (February 29, 2016). "Review: 'Horace and Pete' says goodbye to a regular, and to 'Act 1' of the story". HitFix. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ Yakas, Ben (January 30, 2016). "Louis C.K. Releases Surprise New Dramatic Web Series Horace & Pete". Gothamist. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (January 31, 2016). "Review: Louis C.K. goes back to TV's first golden age with 'Horace and Pete'". HitFix. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Crouch, Ian (January 31, 2016). ""Horace and Pete" Is Louis C.K.'s Most Audacious Independent Creation Yet". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (February 2, 2016). "Critic's Notebook: Louis C.K. Releases 'Horace and Pete' — Is It Good and What Does It Mean?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (February 10, 2016). "21st-Century TV Artist Louis C.K. Aims High With the Aggressively Classical, Mostly Good Horace and Pete". Vulture. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
- ^ Cooper, Leonie (February 5, 2016). "7 Reasons You Need To Watch Louis CK's New Series 'Horace & Pete'". NME. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Cone, Stephen (February 22, 2016). "Horace and Pete, or How Louis CK Saved Cinema with a Goddamn Web Series". The Talkhouse Film. The Talkhouse, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2016.