A quick review of tonight's “You're the Worst” coming up just as soon as I stop you from investing in Sufjan Stevens' broth restaurant…
This is the second episode in a row that was a better showcase for the recurring characters than it was for the regulars. In a way, that's unfair, because it's easier to bring on broader characters like Sam and his crew, or like Paul and Amy, to get laughs and then get off stage quickly, whereas the show is attempting to take Jimmy and Gretchen (and, to a lesser extent, Edgar and Lindsay) seriously as characters.
“All About That Paper” didn't lack interesting material for the four regulars, whether Gretchen expertly handling the beef between Sam, Honeynutz, and Shitstain(*), or Edgar appearing at Lindsay's at the exact wrong moment to practice what his improv coach preached. But other than Jimmy's day following around Roger Bart's very self-consciously affected novelist, all of their stories felt rushed. And the denouement of Gretchen – having spent perhaps her most normal day of coupledom so far with Jimmy, including the constant texting (and even a lapdance by proxy) – freaking out again and taking off in the middle of the night needed at least one or two extra beats to get from Point A to Point B. I can understand why this kind of day might make her panic, but the episode presented it as if she was enjoying it all until she suddenly wasn't at the last moment. That's also not emotionally impossible for her, or for anyone, but dramatically it felt abrupt and undercut the emotions of what she was doing.
(*) When I interviewed Stephen Falk at TCA, he said he had spent a lot of time crafting diss tracks for the Sam/Honeynutz beef, and I'm hoping they weren't cut from this episode, but rather will appear down the road.
It's a tough thing trying to squeeze multiple stories that are both emotionally complicated and funny into 20-odd minutes of TV. Usually, “You're the Worst” manages. Tonight, it didn't quite get there, despite some enjoyable moments along the way.
What did everybody else think?