Chris: You’re the Worst just can’t give us a happy moment and leave it there, whether it be a fading smile or an ominous flash forward, the show never lets a feel good moment linger. For all of the show’s absurdities, they always find a way to bring it crashing down to reality and give us a realistic ending to most of these stories. Of course things don’t go forever smoothly for Jimmy and Gretchen beyond the show’s ending, look at all the trials and drama they have both experienced and created in the last five years. While I’m not predicting the couple’s ultimate demise in the future, it does make you wonder how long Jimmy and Gretchen will have the energy to deal with all of their continuing issues and new issues that might arise. How long will Jimmy be willing to deal with Gretchen’s irresponsible money issues especially since she’s shown no desire to fix said issues? Is Jimmy going to have to worry anytime he’s gets a new check for a large amount of money? And of course, there’s no guarantee that Jimmy is ever going to see another payday like this one. Matter of fact, from the looks of the flash forward, I think the likelihood of Jimmy getting another large check like that is very slim. This episode shows that for all the times the couple are able to move past the issues of the present, sometimes that isn’t enough in the future.
Alexa: This episode answered my question from last week - Gretchen did in fact get a promotion. I thought it was an odd creative choice to have Lindsay suddenly jump from a job she loved to Gretchen’s old job, but I was sold on the move after her interaction with Sam and the boys. She’s more of a natural publicist than Gretchen. But the bulk of the episode is about Jimmy and his big payday from his screenplay. We get a peek at one of my favorite Jimmys - childlike wonder Jimmy - when his first purchase is a drone he doesn’t know how to operate. But then we shift back to a Jimmy who is becoming more and more prominent this season - responsible Jimmy. I was thrilled to see the return of Paul, Vernon and Becca, all of whom are even more of a hot mess than before. Their shenanigans prompt Jimmy to use the money to pay off his mortgage, something I certainly couldn’t see season one Jimmy doing. It’s a testament to how much he’s grown as a character. But then “You’re the Worst” has to go and pull the rug out from under us like it always does. Jimmy and Gretchen have a fleeting moment of happiness with Gretchen’s new car before awkwardly acknowledging they’re becoming real adults, but that little bit of discomfort isn’t enough. No, we have to have a cryptic “This Is Us”-style flash forward in which the new car is rusted and the house is for sale. I don’t expect Jimmy and Gretchen’s marriage to be a smooth ride but at the end of the day I hope they’re together and happy. After the way this episode ended, I’m starting to have my doubts.
Joel: It seems that this episode is cementing the idea that Jimmy, has done at least a little bit of growing up during his time on this show. While his reactions to becoming $700,000 richer in a manner of seconds (from sheer overwhelming excitement to paranoia to a very impulsive, poorly thought out impulse buy) is somewhat expected, by the end of the episode, Jimmy had done the smartest most responsible thing he can think to do with the money. (We can get into a very long discussion on whether or not paying off his house in full is the best use of the money or not, but we can all agree that this was a much more responsible decision that Season 1 Jimmy ever would have made.) On top of paying off the new house Jimmy also buys Gretchen a new car, further displaying the contrast between the two characters, as the reason Gretchen doesn’t have a car was that she deliberately crashed it in a rash moment, trying to make her lie convincing. We get a very sweet moment were Gretchen tells Jimmy, in her own way, that she loves him for himself, but we are starting to see that even though Jimmy and Gretchen are supposed to be facing the future together, there are still things that they haven’t worked through yet.
Even in the Gretchen side of the episode, it turns out that Lindsay is better at Gretchen’s job than she ever was. While Gretchen can’t successfully hand over her most consistent clients without messing the whole thing up, Lindsay is able to handle the transition in just a few short moments. Even Becca and Vernon, who finally show up, seem to be on the same page as a couple again. Yes, that page is trying to get money out of Jimmy, but they’re on the same team again. Again, it’s very possible that I’m reading too much into where the direction of this final season is headed, but the group as a whole is making steps forward, into adulthood, and Gretchen even mentions it to Jimmy at the end, to the discomfort of both. Then we close on an ominous flashforward, with Jimmy and Gretchen’s forever home in escrow. While it’s not yet clear where this is headed, it’s obvious that we’re not ready to drive off into the sunset of happiness yet.
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