You're the Worst 5.11: "Four Goddamn More Days"

Chris: As if you needed more proof that this wedding is doomed, we have Gretchen in a flash forward saying that she’s single and “almost” got married however, I am taking that with a grain of salt because Gretchen is really good at lying usually for no other reason than her own enjoyment. However, the further proof of this doom that I got out of this episode was Jimmy’s reaction to Gretchen finally admitting everything that’s been going on with her lately. And it’s not only the reaction that was telling but it’s the fact that he had that reaction so she couldn’t see it and led her to believe that he’s fine with everything and they’ll work through it when clearly he’s uneasy and unsure. Also it’s good to see Killian once again, even if he’s now a Scientologist spreading the good news of Jack Reacher. And finally, Lindsey’s lesbianism lasted about half of two episodes but it does show that she’s eager for a real relationship but she’s not quite at the point where she becomes what she thinks her partner wants her to be rather than just herself.

Alexa: I feel like a broken record analyzing all the ways Jimmy and Gretchen’s lack of communication negatively impacts their relationship. But once again, these two are on fragile ground because of their inability to be totally honest with each other. Gretchen has been lying to Jimmy about getting fired, instead pretending to go to work every day. He still hasn’t confronted her about taking Edgar’s pills. They’re not at all on the same page about the wedding and the planning that still needs to be done before the big day. Gretchen is so consumed by her own downward spiral she doesn’t seem to care about the wedding at all anymore. And their ongoing self involvement and inability to communicate reveals some fundamental misunderstanding about Gretchen’s mental illness on Jimmy’s part. Despite everything they went through back in season 2, he still doesn’t grasp what her depression actually means. He doesn’t see it as something she will always live with but assumes her previous episode was all there is to it and she’s cured now. Worst of all, he equates his own sadness over having his screenplay rejected to her clinical depression. Getting married means committing to Gretchen, illness and all, so Jimmy’s carefree attitude about it is worrisome - as is the uneasy expression on his face when Gretchen finally does come clean. He tells her everything will be fine, but his nonverbal reaction says otherwise, and at least as of now, he isn’t being honest with her about his own feelings. I also have to give Aya Cash major kudos for her performance in this episode. She is so adept at navigating Gretchen’s many reactions to stress and fear, from casually lying about it to lashing out at her friends about it to tearfully confessing her true insecurities. Her exchange with Edgar in the park is absolutely heartbreaking, and Cash and Desmin Borges both nail that scene.

Joel: At times it feels like we’re moving toward the series finale way too fast, and there’s too much ground to cover in the few episodes left. Then there are times where it feels like it’s taking forever to finally get to this wedding. This episode manages to cover both of those feelings, sometimes at the same time. While it feels like so much focus has been put on the wedding (to the point where interesting side stories like Lindsay’s relationship with her boss get rushed through and never explored to their full potential), it still feels like there’s so much to deal with in the next two episodes before we finally get to the wedding.

The biggest takeaway here, is that once again, Aya Cash is given the lion’s share of the emotional moments, and as usual, she’s fantastic in these scenes. A lot of this season feels like it’s been going back to the high quality points of previous seasons and repeating them, almost like a greatest hits album, and I was worried that the return of Gretchen’s depression was the result of that storyline being such an emotional strong point in season two. Here though, we get an episode that really focuses on Gretchen and what she’s going through, and it’s a reminder that this show and this actress are able to tackle difficult subjects incredible well when given the time and energy. The representation of Gretchen’s depression here is different in this episode than it was in season two. That can be a result of a number of things, from Gretchen focusing on having a finish line for needing to hold it together (hence the title of the episode), to even just the simple fact that Gretchen is at a different place in her life than she was three years ago. But what’s important is that Gretchen’s illness is still a part of her. Jimmy, though he tries to be understanding, can still struggle with what he’s supposed to be doing and how he fits in. He obviously wants to do the right thing, but this is still a struggling point for their relationship. As we continue to add to the list of things that should have been addressed before the big day, this one feels like it may be the biggest one of all.

We once again conclude the episode on a grand gesture, this time seeing that Jimmy has taken care of everything for the wedding, even going so far as to get a dress for Gretchen. This seems to have become something of a recurring pattern in this season. We get something that suggests these two are not ready to be married, a seed of something that could grow into a large issue down the line, but then one of the two characters will make a big, grand gesture (the candles in this episode or “killing” Paul F. Tompkins earlier) and the two of them will smile and know that there are no issues that can overcome the fact that they truly love each other. It’s a nice feeling, but this hasn’t been a show that likes to hand out nice feelings with no strings attached, so it still seems like the “love conquers all” feelings are a rug thats about to get yanked out from under these characters.