Irrelevant But Awesome

Chris:  Much like last year’s Sunday Funday, the Spooky version is a problem solver with one major difference, Gretchen’s depression. With Edgar, his problem of being scared to be more intimate with Dorothy was solved because turns out Dorothy is super understanding and cool if Edgar would just communicate. And then Lindsay gets a good pep talk from Buffalo Bill and she feels more able to confront simple adult things that most of us already know. As foreshadowed in the previous episode, Jimmy tried his best to fix Gretchen immediately after she explicitly told him not to. This episode does a good job of showing that depressed individuals can have a good day and do all the things they love doing but the depression is still there, just as strong as it was the day before. However, Jimmy does deserve some applause for growing and not being disinterested in Gretchen’s problems just because they don’t involve him. Alexa: As soon as Jimmy revealed his plan to pull Gretchen out of...

Chris:  It isn’t a Sunday Funday episode but it’s still a functional bottle episode that includes Vernon for some reason. I do love the mouse metaphor for Gretchen’s troubles and how it relates to Jimmy. Jimmy had no idea about the mouse being in the house much like he was clueless about Gretchen having a problem that seemed obvious to the rest of us. Well now he knows about the mouse and he knows something is wrong with Gretchen, which was something he stayed out of until he witnesses the seriousness of her depression. Once he knew about the mouse, he obsessively worked to catch it and deal with it (cue the rocket ship to heaven). This was one of the advantages of having watched the show previously, I can now appreciate the foreshadowing of the episode because as Jimmy proves he’s inept to dealing and disposing the mouse, he’s just as inept in “fixing” Gretchen and her depression. However, that won’t stop Jimmy. I highly recommend a second viewing of this episode after you’ve...

Alexa:  I saw “Moon” years ago when it first came out and loved it, but I remembered little about the details. So when I saw it was on Netflix, naturally I had to add it to the list. And from the first few bars of Clint Mansell’s atmospheric score, I immediately began to remember why I had such a strong reaction to it the first time. As much as I adore a good effects-heavy epic, I’m a sucker for low-key sci-fi, and “Moon” embodies that genre at its finest. The lunar landscape director Duncan Jones creates feels vast and isolating, which only underscores the feelings of apprehension that simmer beneath the surface throughout the entire film. Even the animated smiley faces GERTY uses to express emotion are unsettling. Everything about Sam’s habitat on the moon feels manufactured. That ambience is critical to establishing the film’s tone. It’s quiet, but each reveal as the story progresses is deliberate and impactful. But above all, “Moon” belongs to Sam Rockwell. The movie deman...

Chris:  It’s fitting that the selfishness of Jimmy take top priority in this situation. As soon as he finds out that Gretchen isn’t cheating or anything like that, he’s only concern is if he did anything wrong. Once Gretchen tells him that he didn’t do anything wrong, he acts as if all the weight is off and doesn’t bother with figuring out why exactly Gretchen is crying in her car every night. And as Joel will point out in his review below, the directors of this episode really know what it’s like to both live in Los Angeles (because where else would a water bar open?) and be women working in comedy. Remember, this episode aired at least 2 years before the Me Too movement started and it’s painful to see how such sexual harassment felt like it was simply part of the process and if women weren’t willing to go along said process, they were simply discarded with the whole “women aren’t funny” nonsense. This is the one element were You’re the Worst feels dated (that plus when Doroth...

Chris: I like the idea of characters being aware that all they talk about is the opposite sex in some fashion and we finally see some of them have a desire to branch out to create depth within themselves. The only problem being that there's very little depth to be explored, as least in the case of Lindsay but God bless them, they're trying. And it's not like Gretchen doesn't have more depth to her, because she does. It's just that whatever she's got going on in her brain right now leaves very little room for anything else complicated. So she may desire to talk about something else but once Lindsay makes an attempt, Gretchen realizes how taxing all of that is and just brings them both back down to their usual thing. Alexa:  I’m so curious to know what the connection is between “You’re the Worst” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” as frequently as the latter show is referenced. Do the creators know someone involved with the production or are they just massive supe...

Alexa:  I wanted to hate “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” but I didn’t completely. That’s not to say I liked it, but it had enough saving graces to keep me invested in the story - namely Shannon Purser, aka Barb from “Stranger Things.” Purser’s performance is charming enough to make a character that could be completely unlikable in less capable hands at least somewhat relatable. And a compelling lead actress is essential to this movie given the slew of horrible choices she makes throughout the film. Listen to me, readers: Catfishing someone is not the way to win their heart, contrary to what this movie’s inevitable outcome might have you believe. The filmmakers clearly envision this high school Cyrano de Bergerac as a story about the importance of being yourself, even though Sierra ultimately wins over the guy of her dreams by first pretending to be someone else. Every poor decision along their path to love is cringeworthy and decidedly unromantic. I’m all for suspension of disbel...

Chris:   I do love the irony of Jimmy making fun of Gretchen for the whole checking in situation and then they continuously check in with each other the entire episode and judging by the casual responses to each check-in, this is a daily thing. They don’t want to admit it, but they’re totally check-in people. For a variety of reasons, I can’t stand improv comedy and I let out a hardy groan once I realized what was happening. However, when they talked about the positive effects it can have for vets with PTSD, I remembered the rest of the show’s run and how discovering improv really is a turning point for Edgar for a variety reasons. This is the beginning of Edgar finding out who he is and what something is that he truly loves doing which is something you can see on his face by the time you see his improv bit land. Alexa: There have been a few instances in “You’re the Worst” thus far when the goofy comedy quickly shifts gears into more serious territory. It’s jarring in ...

Chris:  In the last episode, I talked about how Gretchen is still struggling with the same issue in episode one, trying to hold onto the fact they’re not “sweater people” but in this episode, it looks like she’s still getting over what we thought they both progressed past in episode 12 of last season; trying to be who they were before the relationship. Clearly Gretchen reunites her friends in the hopes they all can go back to who they all were years ago but none of the other girls (except for one) has any desire to go anywhere close to what resembles that life. But by seeing the trainwreck of Cory was an eye-opening experience for Gretchen as she realizes that she doesn’t necessarily want that life anymore. Perhaps seeing someone leading a similar life to her own, this will cause Gretchen to finally progress in the way that Jimmy seemingly has. Alexa: Going into “You’re the Worst,” I didn’t think Paul, Vernon and Becca would be a significant part of the show. But a few epi...

Chris: When I saw the season one finale, I was all for Edgar and Lindsay getting together but it only took two episodes after that for it to be clear how bad of an idea that would be. Lindsay is emotionally stunted as it is and top that off with her obsession to get Paul back (even though it was painfully obvious how unhappy she was married to him). And with Edgar, he's too much of an emotionally dependent person hence why he's so willing to be used by Lindsay and do her bidding. I was about to say that Jimmy and Gretchen make room for each other in more than one way but actually, Jimmy was the only one that actually did something to progress their relationship. Gretchen tried to buy stuff to be part of the house but loses her cool again and bails. Sure, she eventually brought over a cat poster but that hardly counts as moving in. It's like Jimmy moved on from what bugged the both of them last week but Gretchen is still stuck on not being in a normal committed relati...

Chris: Well Gretchen made the biggest mistake in this episode, she took advice from Lindsay and even worse, relationship and life advice. In episode 9 of last season, both Jimmy and Gretchen try to prove to themselves that can still be the same people they were prior to their relationship and failed. In the season two premiere, they're both trying to convince themselves that they're the same couple back before they lived together and failed. They both have to come to grips that they're getting more serious and their relationship is progressing. Jimmy and Gretchen have progressed beyond the question of whether or not they want to date each other and now they struggle with exactly how serious they actually are and if they can handle it. Finally, Sam's God phone monologue is brilliant. Alexa:  Much of the series thus far has centered on Jimmy and Gretchen being “the worst,” and we certainly still see some of that in this episode. Their constant partying because th...

Alexa:  I watched “Devil’s Advocate” days ago and I’ve been struggling over what to write about it because I’m so conflicted on it. While watching it, my reaction was mostly negative. The imagery is so heavy-handed that it teeters toward melodrama, and the story arc so predictable that the surprises are few and far between. And yet, there is something thought provoking enough about it that I found the film stayed with me much longer than I anticipated. Though overt, the moral quandaries it presents almost beg to be explored in think pieces. Much of the movie’s message about temptation and vanity is pretty surface-level, but it invites viewers to take a deeper analytical dive beyond what’s explicitly happening on screen. And I 100 percent agree with Jason that the film belongs to Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Keanu Reeves, bless him, is a charming guy, even with his uneven southern accent. But Pacino is a dynamic villain and Theron a superb tragic heroine. “Devil’s Advocate” m...