Louis CK to Return to Netflix With New Stand-Up Special

It’s been almost ten years since The New York Times reported on accusations of sexual misconduct against Louis C.K., and now he’s coming back with a new stand-up special on Netflix. He’s also going to be performing live at the Hollywood Bowl next month as part of Netflix’s comedy festival. As a fan, it’s a complicated feeling, but I’m definitely curious to see what he’ll do with this opportunity.

C.K. will be performing a headlining show on May 5th, and his new comedy special, Ridiculous, will be available to stream on Netflix this summer.

After the New York Times published allegations of sexual misconduct against comedian Louis C.K., including claims of performing lewd acts in front of women, Netflix—along with HBO and FX—stopped working with him. C.K. then released a statement to The New York Times, which said, in part…

These experiences are real, and at the time, I justified my behavior by telling myself I always asked before exposing myself to women, which was true. However, I later realized that when someone has power over another person, even asking them to view something intimate isn’t a genuine question – it puts them in a difficult position. I held power over these women because they admired me, and I misused that power. I deeply regret my actions, have tried to understand my mistakes, and have struggled to move past them. I now fully recognize the harm I caused.

The accusations against C.K. came out around the same time as his film, I Love You, Daddy, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. The movie’s distributor, The Orchard, canceled its release just days before it was set to premiere in theaters.

Following the accusations against him, Louis C.K. continued performing stand-up and self-releasing his shows. He put out Sincerely Louis C.K. in 2020, Sorry in 2021, and both Louis C.K. and the Dolby and Back to the Garden in 2023. He also independently created and released a full-length film called Fourth of July, which he produced, co-wrote, and directed.

This upcoming special will be his first performance for a large, well-known company since a 2017 article in the New York Times.

10 Actors Who Hated How Their Own TV Shows Ended

Bonnie Bartlett, St. Elsewhere

The finale of St. Elsewhere is famous for being one of the most controversial in television history, and actress Bonnie Bartlett, who played Ellen Craig on the show, was particularly unhappy with it. Bartlett was just as disappointed as many viewers when the show ended with the reveal that everything had been a patient’s dream, symbolized by a snow globe. She told Entertainment Weekly during a cast reunion that the writers intentionally created an ending that would prevent any future revivals, and she considered it a ‘terrible ending’ that she strongly disliked.

Gillian Anderson, The X-Files

When Fox announced the return of The X-Files in 2016, fans were thrilled. However, the revival only lasted two seasons, with the eleventh season concluding what was essentially the show’s second finale. The ending proved disappointing for almost everyone, including Gillian Anderson, who had played Dana Scully for all eleven seasons.

Both fans and critics heavily criticized the final episode, “My Struggle IV,” for repeating storylines from previous seasons. The episode revisited old plot points – Scully lost her son again, the Cigarette Smoking Man died again, and Scully ended up pregnant again. After the negative reaction from fans online, Anderson shared a GIF of Scully looking distressed with the caption, “Boy oh boy do I ever hear you.”

Scott Bakula, Star Trek: Enterprise

The final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise wasn’t just poorly received—many felt it disrespected the show and its star, Scott Bakula. Bakula, who played Captain Jonathan Archer, was upset that the finale essentially turned Enterprise into a small, self-contained story within Star Trek: The Next Generation. His crew appeared only as holograms, serving a plot focused on TNG‘s Commander Riker. Enterprise struggled to gain a strong following, and the finale cemented its place as one of the less popular Star Trek series. Brannon Braga, the showrunner, later admitted that filming the episode was the only time Scott Bakula had ever been unkind to him.

James Gandolfini, The Sopranos

As a huge fan of The Sopranos, I remember being totally thrown by that final scene! Even James Gandolfini himself was baffled. He described watching Tony in the diner, looking around all paranoid, and then… nothing. The screen just went black! He actually said his first reaction was, “What the f—?” After everything his character went through, all the violence and drama, it felt so abrupt. But you know what? After sleeping on it, Gandolfini came to appreciate it, and honestly, after nearly 20 years, so have I. It’s a bold ending, and it really sticks with you.

Penn Badgley, Gossip Girl

A big part of what made Gossip Girl popular was the mystery of who “G.G.” really was, so when the show finally revealed the answer, many fans were let down. Penn Badgley, who played Dan Humphrey, wasn’t a fan of the twist either, and discussed it with his co-star Chace Crawford in an interview with Variety. Crawford pointed out that the reveal didn’t quite fit Dan’s character, and Badgley agreed. Even years later, those involved with the show haven’t been able to decide if Dan was always meant to be the secret antagonist, or if the decision was made later when fans started guessing correctly.

Michael C Hall, Dexter

Michael C. Hall was deeply unhappy with how the original Dexter series ended, so much so that he helped bring the show back not once, but twice, to give it a better conclusion. The initial finale saw Dexter kill his sister, who was brain-dead, and then stage his own death, disappearing to Oregon to work as a lumberjack and escape punishment for his past crimes. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Hall admitted that many viewers – including himself – felt the ending was unsatisfying and hoped for a more compelling continuation, wondering what happened to Dexter after the credits rolled.

Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries

Fans generally loved the way The Vampire Diaries wrapped things up for most of its characters in the series finale. However, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley recently shared with Access Hollywood that they had a different idea. They both wished their vampire characters had died, allowing the human characters, including Elena Gilbert, to finally have peace. Somerhalder explained he thought it would have been a more fitting, poetic ending for the brothers to simply disappear, but admitted his idea wasn’t accepted.

Everyone, Game of Thrones

Beyond St. Elsewhere, the Game of Thrones finale is probably the most disliked series ending in recent history, disappointing both viewers and the actors involved. A now-famous video of the cast reading through the final scenes perfectly captures the reaction: everyone was visibly upset and silent, avoiding eye contact. Kit Harington, who hadn’t seen the script yet, was shocked as he realized his character, Jon Snow, would kill Daenerys Targaryen. Since then, many cast members have shared their feelings about it. Harington later admitted there were “mistakes made,” Lena Headey was “really disappointed,” Isaac Hempstead-Wright initially thought it was a prank, and Emilia Clarke was so upset reading the final scenes that she went for a long walk and returned hours later with blisters, unsure how she would film them.

Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls

As a huge Gilmore Girls fan, I was so excited when Netflix brought the show back in 2020! It felt like a chance to finally get the ending we deserved. You see, the original creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, left before the show finished years ago, and she always kept those last four words she had planned a secret. We all hoped the revival would reveal what she had in mind. Honestly, I – and a lot of other fans – were pretty let down. The very last scene had Rory telling Lorelai she’s pregnant! Alexis Bledel, who plays Rory, even said she’d hoped Rory would have a really strong, successful ending after everything she’d worked for, and that reveal was tough for her to accept. Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai, was even more direct, calling it a classic cliffhanger – and not the kind of ending a finale should have.

Sarah Hyland, Modern Family

Sarah Hyland, known for her role on Modern Family, wasn’t in many episodes during the show’s last season. Although fans saw her character, Haley Dunphy, become a mother of twins in the finale, Hyland felt it wasn’t the ideal ending. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she shared that she’d hoped to see Haley succeed in the fashion industry – perhaps as a powerful stylist or business owner. Hyland believes it would have been great to show a mother who is also a driven professional, excelling in both her family and career, and felt Haley was perfectly suited to that storyline.

2026-04-02 21:27