Irrelevant But Awesome

Chris: Jimmy finally got the idea that Gretchen's depression isn't going to be an easy fix and in typical fashion, he takes the path of least resistance. He hits it off with a girl with access to a lot of booze and they have common interests and, presumably, isn't dealing with a mental illness. It's a disappointing feeling to watch Jimmy kiss bar girl at the end of this episode because you'd like to think Jimmy has progressed in the 2 seasons that we've watched but alas, he is one of the worst. As much as he has changed for the better, Jimmy still has that me first mentality that gets in the way time and time again. Gretchen, however, continues to self-medicate and tries to handle her depression on her own and ends up making matters worse for both herself and everyone around her. This episode proves that in both of our main characters, their current course of action is getting them nowhere positive. Alexa:  The fact that Gretchen’s reaction to the event...

Chris: Jimmy's family might be my favorite people in the show because they gave me my favorite joke with the "Cary can't carry the groceries" bit. But beyond that, A Right Proper Story serves several purposes, it provides further insight into how his upbringing molded Jimmy into the insecure worst person ever that he currently is and also, it takes the veil off Gretchen that she tried to put up and pretend that she is okay. For the most part, Jimmy's family showing up is detrimental to just about everything and everyone with the exception of Jimmy's relationship with his father which was touched on during an episode in season one. Communication was the main focus of this episode, Jimmy and his father finally communicated and resolved a lot of issues and then we have Gretchen who isn't properly communicating and it's making things way worse for herself and her relationship. Alexa:  The title “You’re the Worst” could easily apply to most people ...

Alexa:  Being from North Carolina, I actually remember hearing about the case featured in “Finders Keepers” long before watching the documentary. But I still wasn’t prepared for all the story’s strange twists and turns, of which there are many. I can’t really wrap my head around wanting to keep someone else’s severed leg, no matter how much attention it might garner, but Shannon’s claim does raise some legitimately interesting legal questions. And while the film does spend a lot of time dwelling on just how bizarre this dispute is, it also delves deeper into unexpectedly insightful territory. Ultimately the movie is less about the novelty of the case than it is about the two men at the center of it and what motivates them. They are weirdly sympathetic characters (ultimately John more so than Shannon) and the filmmakers take great care not to belittle their beliefs. Both are driven by their fathers in a sense - John to preserve his late father’s memory and Shannon to obtain the...

Chris:  I hate this episode. I hate it so much. This amount of cringe makes my skin crawl but I understand what it’s trying to get Gretchen to understand. Gretchen sees this family as potential for what her and Jimmy could possibly be one day, a married couple with everything seemingly put together while still being somewhat cool and edgy. Gretchen wants this so badly that she can’t help but inject herself into their lives in some way just so she could get a closer look. She almost kidnaps a baby just so she could try out what being a parent could be like for a few moments. She actually steals a dog just so she can get inside their house and interact with them. And that’s when it all goes south and realizes that her perfect family she’s been watching has their own problems just like everybody. Still, I hate this episode. Alexa: Much of this episode teetered on the edge of “Scott’s Tots”-level discomfort, but ultimately I found it to be an effective representation of Gretch...

Chris:  Much like last year’s Sunday Funday, the Spooky version is a problem solver with one major difference, Gretchen’s depression. With Edgar, his problem of being scared to be more intimate with Dorothy was solved because turns out Dorothy is super understanding and cool if Edgar would just communicate. And then Lindsay gets a good pep talk from Buffalo Bill and she feels more able to confront simple adult things that most of us already know. As foreshadowed in the previous episode, Jimmy tried his best to fix Gretchen immediately after she explicitly told him not to. This episode does a good job of showing that depressed individuals can have a good day and do all the things they love doing but the depression is still there, just as strong as it was the day before. However, Jimmy does deserve some applause for growing and not being disinterested in Gretchen’s problems just because they don’t involve him. Alexa: As soon as Jimmy revealed his plan to pull Gretchen out of...

Chris:  It isn’t a Sunday Funday episode but it’s still a functional bottle episode that includes Vernon for some reason. I do love the mouse metaphor for Gretchen’s troubles and how it relates to Jimmy. Jimmy had no idea about the mouse being in the house much like he was clueless about Gretchen having a problem that seemed obvious to the rest of us. Well now he knows about the mouse and he knows something is wrong with Gretchen, which was something he stayed out of until he witnesses the seriousness of her depression. Once he knew about the mouse, he obsessively worked to catch it and deal with it (cue the rocket ship to heaven). This was one of the advantages of having watched the show previously, I can now appreciate the foreshadowing of the episode because as Jimmy proves he’s inept to dealing and disposing the mouse, he’s just as inept in “fixing” Gretchen and her depression. However, that won’t stop Jimmy. I highly recommend a second viewing of this episode after you’ve...

Alexa:  I saw “Moon” years ago when it first came out and loved it, but I remembered little about the details. So when I saw it was on Netflix, naturally I had to add it to the list. And from the first few bars of Clint Mansell’s atmospheric score, I immediately began to remember why I had such a strong reaction to it the first time. As much as I adore a good effects-heavy epic, I’m a sucker for low-key sci-fi, and “Moon” embodies that genre at its finest. The lunar landscape director Duncan Jones creates feels vast and isolating, which only underscores the feelings of apprehension that simmer beneath the surface throughout the entire film. Even the animated smiley faces GERTY uses to express emotion are unsettling. Everything about Sam’s habitat on the moon feels manufactured. That ambience is critical to establishing the film’s tone. It’s quiet, but each reveal as the story progresses is deliberate and impactful. But above all, “Moon” belongs to Sam Rockwell. The movie deman...