Welcome to the TV Recap series on the FXX original series You're the Worst. Join me every Thursday to unravel the chaos of TV's greatest/worst romantic couple as they try to get their lives together. Will this be the week that everything works out? Who cares. As long as they don't miss Sunday Funday, everything will be fine. So get your trash juice ready and prepare to do what normal people don't do as I review the plot and other major points from throughout the season. Hope you're ready. If not, too bad. We're doing this anyways.
"Hakuna matata."
- Jimmy (Chris Geere)
It started out as a Sunday just like any other as Gretchen (Aya Cash) and Jimmy (Chris Geere) woke up. However, it was the day when the marathon was, so they couldn't drive anywhere. Instead, they decide to throw a part as more people show up. Gretchen, seeming a tad docile, is very drunk and trying to get through the events. Edgar (Desmin Borges) brings his new girlfriend Dorothy (Collette Wolfe) and Lindsay (Kether Donohue) stops by to talk about her problems. As Jimmy becomes concerned about a mouse infesting the house, Gretchen snaps, revealing that she has clinical depression. They catch the mouse and kill it, but everyone leaves, a tad confused by what Gretchen has just said.
WVP:
Clinical depression
The episode has been receiving a lot of praise for its depiction of depression. While those who have never experienced it are likely to think that it seems too randomly placed, it isn't. Sometimes the feeling comes over quickly and without warning. What makes the particular depiction so impressive is how it manages to slowly creep up until the final breaking point. It's a testament to Aya Cash's performance that she makes it look so convincing. It's a performance likely to be the highlight of the series, and one that will be talked about for awhile. Even if these are awful people, they still have feelings, and it's sad to see them in pain and being unable to help them. It's powerful, unique, and definitely feels very earned for this episode.
Worst Moment
While the episode is itself funny and full of small memorable moments, it is likely that the one that will stand out is the mental breakdown. While it seems random, it's something that has been building for some time as Gretchen experiences stress. Thankfully, she has compartmentalized it so well. But now, she has to deal with being around problematic people, including improvisers and a mediocre author. It's not pleasant, but the moment is as real as it is full of slight jabs. If this is not the best moment of the season, then we're looking at a great back half for this year. It gets so much right about clinical depression that you'd want to overlook the rest of the episode if it was bad. It isn't. It just pales a little in comparison to that moment, which is probably one of the best written moments on TV this year.
Was This the Worst?
In all honesty, it's going to be a tough episode to top. While every episode has pulled back the jerkiness to reveal the vulnerability of these characters, few have been as dark and immediate as this one. Every small thing impacts the big breakdown that caps the episode. Along with a hilarious ending involving a dead mouse, this is a great episode front to back that makes you wonder why more people aren't watching this show. It's possibly the most honest and powerful comedy about relationships from 2015. It's also thanks to allowing its characters to feel real and honest in ways that are almost too taboo for other shows. I want to commend this series on pulling a great episode out of a great season. My only hope is that this gets everyone else to realize its brilliance.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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