You're the Worst 3.5: Twenty-Two

Chris: For the first time in the series, You’re the Worst has an episode that doesn’t really have any funny elements. Sure, there’s some jokes and dumb comments from the other cast but most were featured in the previous episode and aren’t really the focus of those scenes. I was happy that this was an Edgar-exclusive episode because I was very close to complain that he was featured very scarcely and vaguely in the previous episode. Little did I remember that Twenty-Two was an in-depth look of exactly how Edgar is suffering and how intense it has gotten since he stopped taking his meds. I’ll have to sing Desmin Borges’ praises here because not only has he revealed more layers to Edgar in every scene since the beginning of the show, Twenty-Two allowed everyone to see that Borges can absolutely carry an entire episode which is not an easy task for supporting characters. However, You’re the Worst had previously done such a great job at adding importance to the supporting cast that it didn’t feel like that much of a stretch for one of them to have their own episode.

Alexa: Remember a couple of episodes ago when I said it’s impossible to hate the main characters even when they’re terrible? This episode proved watching their behavior through someone else’s eyes is a completely different experience. In the previous episode, Jimmy and Gretchen just felt like Jimmy and Gretchen. But watching some of those scenes play out again here from Edgar’s perspective they felt at best insensitive and at worst downright cruel. Even during the last episode, Edgar seemed off in his minimal screen time. But this episode really underscores how much he is suffering. Back in season one Edgar’s PTSD was treated almost as an afterthought, but Gretchen’s depression storyline proved the show can balance humor with real-world issues, and I’m glad to see Edgar getting the same treatment now. Edgar is reliably lovable despite being the butt of many of the gang’s jokes, but here he’s not just a supporting character; he is unabashedly human. Desmin Borges absolutely knocks it out of the park with his performance, which not only showcases Edgar’s growth but reminds us what an asset he is to the show overall.

Joel: The previous episode had a few weird moments with Edgar. It felt a little bit like there was a subplot with the character that had maybe been cut out due to time constraints or something. I didn’t give it much thought at the time, as Edgar dealing with his PTSD is obviously one of the major ongoing aspects of this season, and obviously, these little snippets of time with Edgar would come together to form something greater in a future episode. It wasn’t until watching this episode that it really became clear what the show was going for. With this episode running concurrently to the previous one, each of the “Edgar moments” from the previous episode were in this one as well, but this time we got to see them in their full context. While this episode really helped to highlight what the character of Edgar was going through, it also underscored how the world continues to move forward outside of the lives of the main characters. Because the show is about selfish people, the focus of the show doesn’t really allow us to explore what’s happening beyond the central characters immediate wants and needs. We’ve gotten a few moment where we see Gretchen’s Jimmy’s and everyone else’s impact on the greater world, but those are few and far between.
Because of the nature of television storytelling, it can feel like secondary characters get put on pause until it’s time for the main characters to interact with them. Nina for example always seemed to be in the last place we left her, just waiting for this group to show up again. Becca and Vernon are the same way. It feels like we get to see every major beat of their life despite them only showing up in a fraction of episodes.
In this episode we have Edgar’s story and character moving forward without anyone else. Gretchen and Jimmy are physically present at times, but most of the major moments here come from Edgar interacting with characters we had never met before. It makes the whole world feel bigger.