You're the Worst 1.8: "Finish Your Milk"

Chris: We all act differently, for the most part, when your parents are around compared to hanging out with your friends and then there’s Gretchen, who is a completely different person. As established in the last episode, Gretchen will go to great lengths to avoid emotions or, in the scenario, difficult discussions because that’s ultimately why Gretchen has created this false person for her parents, it’s not out of embarrassment of Jimmy, she wants to avoid having the discussion with her parents over who she really is and risk their disappointment. So all in all, in her mind, it’s easier to lie and as we saw with her quickness to do so in the museum, she has clearly had years of experience lying. Jimmy doesn’t help as he does what an insane person does and tries to blow up Gretchen’s situation with her parents rather than simply discussing it with her once he finds out what exactly she’s doing. Again, he believes she’s embarrassed of him but really it’s Gretchen’s desire to avoid a difficult conversation. And to further her avoidance, instead of confronting Jimmy about the ring she found, she decides it’s easier to simply end the relationship and walk away.

Alexa: As broadly as the four main characters in this show are drawn at first glance, they’re all actually pretty complicated people. This episode reveals another layer of Gretchen’s complex personality with the introduction of her parents, a couple of WASPs who think she’s as polished and hoity-toity as they are. True, Jimmy probably shouldn’t have taken it upon himself to spill every detail of her life to her parents without talking to her first, but I thought his impassioned speech to them was actually oddly sweet. It didn’t seem to come from a place of anger or resentment over Gretchen hiding her parents from him, but from a place of love. He genuinely thinks Gretchen is amazing just as she is, and thinks it’s absurd that her parents don’t actually know or appreciate the real her. The highlight of the episode is the use of split screen when Gretchen breaks up with Jimmy. The nuances in both of their faces during this exchange convey a multitude of emotions. It feels like we’re intruding on a very personal moment here, which makes the scene all the more quietly devastating. Aya Cash and Chris Geere absolutely nail it.

Joel: You can easily imagine the confrontation that happens in this episode playing out in any other sitcom differently than it does here. I can see Chandler telling Monica’s parents to lay off of her, and than she’s perfect in her own crazy mixed up way causing the studio audience to applaud. I can see Sam doing the same thing to Diane’s parents, or Jim to Pam’s parents causing them to respect the boyfriend more, and look at their daughter a new way, all ending with the audience saying “aww” as the parents hug their kid and the boyfriend stands off to the side to make the whole sappy moment feel a little awkward as well. You know, sitcom stuff.

You’re the Worst looks like it’s making a habit of taking traditional sitcom tropes and forcing them to deal with their realistic consequences.

Jimmy give a pretty great speech here, about how great the real Gretchen is and how her parents should be ashamed for the way that they’re treating her. However, we get the more realistic result here, with Jimmy’s speech being a terrible idea, and one that has harsh consequences.Gretchen’s parents are impressed by Jimmy’s bravery and his speech doesn’t cause them to see Gretchen in a new light. Instead Jimmy comes off looking like a lunatic to them and they’re relationship with Gretchen is even worse than before. On top of all that, Gretchen is mad at Jimmy. (Gretchen’s anger at Jimmy is obviously understandable, but it flies in the face of how you would expect this to play out based on every major sitcom in history.) This might be the most obvious moment to date of You’re the Worst putting it’s characters in a sitcom situation and forcing them to deal with the realistic consequences instead. The fact that the episode ends in a breakup feels even more impactful. Actions have consequences that last beyond the final moments of each individual adventure. It’s obvious that Jimmy and Gretchen would break up (and get back together) at least a couple of times throughout the show, and our first breakup is a result of something that sitcom characters can easily work through, but could easily end a relationship in real life.