You're the Worst 4.13: "It's Always Been This Way"

Chris: And here I thought Vernon being sleep-deprived was just a throw away joke from this season and it ends up being a big plot point for the finale. I’m still not so sure Jimmy earned it but at least he and Gretchen talked about things during their car ride and then finally admitted exactly why he left last season during his wrestling with Boone. Jimmy admitting that he left because of his own weaknesses was never something he could’ve admitted when he first came back. Jimmy had to fully lose his hubris and experience what his day-to-day life would’ve been without Gretchen and try to move on with other people. Clearly, it’s not something Jimmy could do as he had already decided he wanted to leave LA but fighting for Gretchen won her back. We tie a nice bow on Edgar and Lindsay both becoming their own person and, in Lindsay’s case, realized the positive impact she can have in others. I enjoyed this season and it was a good break from the previous seasons’ “are they gonna break up again this week?” and instead just had them romantically separated for the vast majority of the season and it gave us plenty to watch and be invested in. Now, for the fifth and final season, I’m hoping Gretchen and Jimmy stay together and the focus is on their struggles of putting together a wedding and having to go through all those details that they would normally would be too lazy to bother with.

Alexa: Jimmy and Gretchen’s romance has always been messy, so this reunion is pretty much perfect for them. Unfortunately their happiness once again comes at the expense of others, in this case Boone and poor Olivia. But I think things had to end this way for Gretchen and Boone. Yet again, as soon as she makes a commitment to Boone, she runs straight to Jimmy. This time though, after their confrontation outside the hotel in the previous episode, it seems they may finally be in a place to work through their issues. There is a sincerity to Jimmy in this episode I don’t think we’ve seen before that conveys he now understands the weight of what he’s done and demonstrates how much he really loves Gretchen. During their heart-to-heart at the beach after she discovers the suitcases in his trunk, when he tells her he’d still like to know her one day and she says that will never happen, it broke my heart. This show has a tendency to hit you in the feels out of left field and this episode is a prime example. Jimmy busting into Boone’s house and owning up to his reasons for leaving was the final push Gretchen needed, and now these crazy kids are not only back together but engaged again. I can only imagine the wedding planning shenanigans that will ensure. And surely the whole Becca is going to be a surrogate for Paul to pay off Vernon’s malpractice bills storyline will continue next season. I need to see how that hot mess resolves itself.

Joel: There’s a moment in this episode, where all four of the main characters are riding in the same car together and if feels like after almost a season of floundering, You’re the Worst has found it’s momentum again. Season four watched as each member of the main group went in their own direction. Lindsay focused on work, and actually seemed to make progress in her relationship with her sister. Edgar branched out and found a new friend. Gretchen and Jimmy tried to live their lives without each other, both trying out new romantic partners. Of course, by the end of this episode pretty much everything has been reset. Jimmy and Gretchen are back together. They’re even engaged again, meaning that their relationship can pick back up right where it left off. Edgar’s new friend left, and now the relationship between Edgar and Jimmy has returned to status quo. Even if you look at the side characters, very little of season four seems to have stuck. Paul’s MRA attitude seems to have left, and they’ve even found a way for Becca to be pregnant again.
Ultimately, I’m glad that it seems like the show is back in a more familiar territory. It’s good when shows like this are willing to branch out and try new things to keep from getting stale, but ultimately, You’re the Worst works best when this particular group of characters is trying to take the world on together.