You're the Worst 3.3: "Bad News, Dude's Dead"

Chris: You know Edgar is bad off when someone like Vernon feels to need to be serious and tell Edgar that he needs help and hopefully that’s the awakening Edgar needs to realize that he can’t get by on his own. I realize that if you’re just reading my reviews and not watching the show, it sounds like this is the most dramatic show of all the dramas. First off, my reviews aren’t nearly as good as the show so get you a Hulu subscription and stop being a weirdo. Secondly, I feel like if I talk about the humor, I’ll be saying the same thing over and over about how funny and original the jokes are and there’s really a few different ways to convey that without sounding repetitive. However the drama and the issues being tackled by the characters are ever-changing and really the humor of the show serves as an entry point to talk about some rough subjects. The irreverence of the humor brings these huge serious issues down to our level to show that they aren’t some unconquerable mountain. These serious issues like depression and PTSD are steep hills but they are climbable because if these dumb-dumbs can do it, you surely can.

Alexa: Gretchen’s therapist deserves a medal for putting up with her shenanigans. It’s clear she wants help but on her own weird terms, and she once again doesn’t exactly follow her therapist’s advice. Jimmy is often the most consistently narcissistic person on this show, but Gretchen sure can give him a run for his money when she wants. Her primary concern is how telling Jimmy about his dad’s death will affect her, and she puts it off when he suggests they take a cruise with Instagram famous animals (though to be fair that does sound AMAZING). These actors are so skilled at the show’s dark brand of comedy that it’s impossible to hate these characters even when they do regrettable things. But of course Gretchen does ultimately break the news to Jimmy in the end, and Chris Geere gets a chance to show off Jimmy’s more heartfelt and sincere side. Whatever issues they had, Jimmy clearly craved his dad’s approval and affection, and to lose him so suddenly will surely take a toll on him. Side note: Ever since Jimmy’s “In the Heights”-themed heckle, I cannot get over how much Edgar looks like Lin-Manuel Miranda. Someone please cast them as brothers in something.

Joel: You’re the Worst has already had a few episodes addressing how someone’s parents can still have a major influence on their life, long after a person is an adult. We got to see Gretchen turn into a completely different person, terrified of every little thing she did in the presents of her parents. It’s also clear that so much of Jimmy’s life is driven by the desire to prove his worth to his father. While there have been two episodes focusing on parents, one episode for each person, there are several moments throughout the entire run of the series that really drive home how much a person’s relationship with their parents can shape their adult identity. (We even got an example in this episode. Though it’s played for laughs, Gretchen’s genuine excitement over going on a cruise really drove home how little her parents cared about her wants or desires, and how much they valued a perceived sense of class over genuine happiness, something that Gretchen has rebelled against her entire adult life.)  

So, what happens when that parent, the thing that so much of who you are as a person is based on, is gone? I’m sure we’ll get more into that topic in the next few episodes. After all, Jimmy didn’t find out about his father until the final moments of the show. Instead we have the focus on Gretchen who has found out about Jimmy’s father ahead of time. Being a friend, or significant other of someone who as lost a parent can be a strange role to fill and the show takes a bit of time to explore that before Jimmy himself finds out about his father. They say there’s no wrong way to grieve the loss of a parent, that you get to do whatever feels right, but being supportive the right way feels like an emotional minefield. Gretchen wasn’t even sure of how to let Jimmy know. Gretchen went through every option she could think of, Get someone else to do it, disguise it as a party. In the end though, there’s no version of that scene that wouldn’t be hard to get though, and at the same time it’s something that had to be done, one way or the other.

In side story news, I still feel like I can’t get a handle on where Lindsay’s character is going. We’ve gone from uninterested in Paul to outright dispising him, to losing him and becoming utterly helpless, all in the first season and a half. Then when we got the greatest character growth for Lindsay so far with her learning to be self sufficient and let Paul go, only for that to all fall by the wayside at the end of the last season when Paul finds out that she’s pregnant. (Side note, I really like the quick, throwaway reminder that Lindsay is pregnant since the pregnancy hasn’t even been mentioned for a few episodes.) Now, we have a Lindsay who wants to either stay with Paul and love him, or out and out murder him, perhaps both. While there seems to be clear directions for Gretchen, Jimmy and even Edgar to go in order to grow as people, I’m still lost on what the eventual direction is supposed to be for Lindsay’s character. Still, over the past season, the writing for Lindsay in particular has really grown, and while I have no idea where we might be going, being along for the ride has gotten much more fun where she’s concerned.