You’re the Worst (FX)
Premiered July 17 at 10:30pm
Consider this the surprise of the summer. A title like this doesn’t suggest too much in the way of inspiring quality, and the few quick promos I saw during the pilot of “Married” only reinforced that. Fortunately, this show managed to defy expectations and actually turned out to be rather charming. Its title is spot-on, since it’s hard to find a wedding outburst scene these days that manages to feel original, and Jimmy really is the worst. Gretchen does give him a pretty good run for his money, and it’s a blast to get to know the two of them. Jimmy’s interactions with his child neighbor were quite amusing, and his roommate Edgar has some pretty worthwhile things to say too. Ultimately, though, this pilot was all about its two protagonists, Jimmy and Gretchen, both outcasts from society because of their truly despicable behavior who managed to find each other and revel in their shared passion for not caring about anything. Their sex-filled night was entertaining, and I like that moments like the curious spitting were referenced later when Gretchen was trying to recreate the same detached lovemaking with someone else. Best of all was the ending scene, in which they shared a true connection and Gretchen indulged Jimmy’s foot fetish just for fun. I have no idea whether this show can follow up on that or if I’m just high off the end of the pilot, but I’m hopeful that this might just be an unexpected gem of depraved comedy with an endearing touch.
How will it work as a series? This episode ended on a sweet note, but the question is where it goes from here. It’s important that both Jimmy and Gretchen remain unlikeable, and that their romance doesn’t actually materialize for real since that would defeat the purpose of this show. It’s a tall order, but I’m optimistic.
How long will it last? Not too long, I’m afraid. While this does suit FX’s new brand of comedies, the ratings just didn’t impress, especially compared with lead-in “Married,” which FX would surely choose over this one if it kept just one. Ten episodes is likely all we’ll get.
Pilot grade: B+
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