Chris: It’s impossible for me not to laugh like a madman during the opening scene of this episode. When I first starting watching You’re the Worst, I thought the first episode was good and I was willing to give it a chance however, by this scene in the second episode, I knew I was hooked. I’m not sure where Iand on the true villain of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off debate but it does force me to rethink the movie in a different light. I suppose this is a good opportunity to talk about Edgar, the heroin addict with a heart of gold. The sweet guy is so selfless, he just wants to see Jimmy happy with Gretchen even though Edgar should probably face his own addictions or find a way to deal with his PTSD. Edgar is a little bit more involved in the story than Lindsay but both are firmly in the supporting cast but eventually both become vital as main characters as the show progresses which is great because Lindsay seems quite one-dimensional as a character at this point. Thankfully, Vernon and Becca remain supporting cast, or as Vernon would probably put it, “Sup Cast.”
Alexa: I know we’re only two episodes in, but I’m loving these characters, and I can’t wait to get to know them better. Even though there are some traditional sitcom tropes here - the awkward date, keeping the relationship secret from Vernon and Becca - there are also subtle hints of depth to the characters that I’m eager to explore. I completely agree with Joel about Gretchen’s remark that she actually loves fancy restaurants, when Jimmy clearly expects her to find it as insufferable as he does. He thinks he knows her pretty well already, but she isn’t quite what he expects, nor is she what the viewer expects. We’re right there with Gretchen and Jimmy as the nuances of their personalities are revealed, and knowing that those details can be unexpected makes the relationship more interesting and more real. I hope we have the same experience with Lindsay. She seems like a preppy stereotype right now, but that look after her exchange with her husband at the yogurt shop is pretty telling that there’s more going on than what we’ve seen on the surface so far. I also can’t speak highly enough of Desmin Borges’ portrayal of Edgar. He obviously has some demons but he’s so earnest and kind. I only hope that beneath Jimmy’s snarky exterior he cares about Edgar as much as Edgar cares about him. Also, I feel for Cameron. He is so not the villain.
Joel: I didn’t really like the “hot take” on Cameron being the true villain of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It wasn’t anything terrible, it just felt like an awkward and unnatural scene. The setup felt forced (“This movie has one of the greatest all time villains” says Jimmy vaguely in that way where you know it will be an unexpected answer and a extended explanation as to why the unexpected answer is the correct one.) and in the end there wasn’t even a payoff. Even those it’s just the second episode of the show, it already feels like this is something that You’re the Worst should be better than, especially when How I Met Your Mother did the same gag but better and with a stronger setup with Barney and The Karate Kid. This just feels like it’s very low hanging fruit, to have the “terrible person” have a darker, more sinister take on a lighthearted movie.
That being said, one weak scene doesn’t mean the whole episode is flawed, and the actual meat of this episode, is just as strong if not stronger than the first one. We get a fairly conventional setup. The couple, that’s not really a couple tries to go on a normal couple date and awkward hilarity ensues. And while this episode does follow the major beats of this plot, I really like the reveal that Gretchen loves the restaurant, has been to it before and talks about really liking fancy things. Obviously, there’s going to be bumps in their relationship along the way, this is a TV show after all. It’s nice to see, even in this early part of their relationship, just because they work well together, that doesn’t mean that they’re the same person who likes all the same things. It would have been so easy to have the two “mean” main characters make snarky comments about the fancy restaurant , but instead, we got something different and the show is better for it. It’s a nice, quiet, moment that helps to establish Gretchen as her own complicated, three dimensional character.
Comments
Post a Comment