What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst (Series Finale)

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 13 “Pancakes”

I’ve been thinking about how this show could end, and this episode feels like the perfect way. There was always going to be a monumental event ready to derail Jimmy and Gretchen’s wedding, and both of them deciding to skip it so that they could make a daily decision about whether they still loved each other is completely fitting. Transitioning from their wedding to Lindsay and Paul’s was seamless and creative, and helped to allay certain worries that previous episodes had perpetuated. The presence of Mariah the florist was explained away as a great choice to be their nanny since her indiscretion with Jimmy had negated all future sexual tension, and the sale of the house was a joint decision necessitated by it not being child-friendly. Not everything was rosy, of course, since we were still left with the image oof Gretchen crying in bed with the baby in between her and a sleeping Jimmy, made more comic by her telling Jimmy that she might one day step in front of a train, an event he promised to get over in record time. It’s good to know that Edgar moved to New York and found happiness, and that Lindsay and Paul found their way back to each other, especially after Paul miserably discovered that he was seated by himself at a nonexistent table. Seeing Ben Folds again was a nice treat, and this was a decent final goodbye to Sam and his bandmates. I’ll also always appreciate Vernon and Becca for the hilarious recurring players they became. This show has always been fun and verged on dramatically transcendent at times, and I will indeed miss it.

Series finale: B+
Series grade: B+
Season MVP: Aya Cash as Gretchen
Season grade: B+
Series MVP: Aya Cash
Best Season: Season 3
Best Episode: Pilot

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst (Penultimate Episode)

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 12 “We Were Having Such a Nice Day” (B+)

With just one episode left (which has already aired and I’m eager to be ready to watch), it’s good to see this show present a half-hour that, while entertaining, really gets to the root of its two main characters. Gretchen telling Jimmy that he could die during the wedding and no one would notice and that she could do anything and he’d never leave her started things off in a different direction than they ended up going as their best friends arrived to give them one last hurrah. Jimmy’s was interesting because Edgar, expressing no pity for himself in unusual fashion, gave him exactly what he knew he wanted: a chance to experience curling, a sport only he would admire, getting to smash stuff in a safe space that resulted in him hugging the image of his father, and having access to an extremely exclusive club that for some reason was frequented by Thomas Middleditch from “Silicon Valley.” Gretchen was set to have the perfect day too going nowhere until her monster mom showed up and rejected her over and over as she talked about her depression and suicidal feelings. The character was believable, and it helps to explain why Gretchen is who she is. I liked that Vernon and Becca tried one last time to bluff Paul into a big financial gesture, and I was proud that he negotiated down from thirty to fifteen after they tried to get even more from him. The idea that Lindsay and Paul might return to each other is sweet and redeeming. Edgar telling Jimmy not to marry Gretchen was a surprise, and Gretchen stepping on the glass is an ominous way to go into what will surely be a memorable finale.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 11 “Four Goddamn More Days” (B+)

With just two episodes to go, it’s getting increasingly disconcerting to see openings like the one here with Gretchen meeting someone in a bar and recalling that she almost got married once. While that could be something from the distant past, it doesn’t feel that way, especially considering the panicked look on Jimmy’s face at the very end of this half-hour. Preparing a romantic candlelit night for Gretchen was very sweet and actually quite uncharacteristic, and she chose that moment to unload all of the things she hadn’t told him. His verbal response indicated support, but that’s definitely not how he’s feeling at the moment. I thought that she was just running away to work to escape having to think about the forever-ness of getting married, but seeing her at a desk by the water made it clear just how out of touch with reality she was. Taking Edgar’s pills and then lashing out at him when he stalked and confronted her wasn’t a good sign, and it doesn’t appear that Edgar shared much of what he had learned with Jimmy before helping him plan the romantic evening. I did enjoy the focus on Lindsay in this episode, as she turned her metaphorical comment into a literal one when she visited Yvette at work and then promptly fell out of her would-be lover’s favor by trying to put in a good word for Gretchen. Despite his surprising parental past, Vernon was a strange choice to help her invest in being a lesbian, and her haircut was hardly her worst misstep. Even she, a top contender for the dumbest character on this show, knew that asking about severance after threatening to stab her boss was far from intelligent.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 10 “Magical Thinking” (B)

We had all of our friends putting out – or, more accurately, starting – different fires over the course of this episode, which ranks the fourth-to-last this series will produce. The opener with Jimmy in the car with Mariah didn’t bode well, but I won’t say too much about that since it’s still not clear what it means. It is good that Edgar is finally standing up to Jimmy, to a degree of course, telling him that he doesn’t appreciate the way that he treats him and that he’ll need to remove himself from the situation, a hint that went way over Jimmy’s head. It’s helpful that Jimmy wants to be there for Gretchen, but the enthusiastic interest he’s trying to show is not the affection that she needs. After Sam’s bizarre ultimatum and Nock Nock’s creepy light-flickering bathroom speech, she completely froze, and deliberately setting off the fire alarm was a definite equivalent of a cry for help. With just three episodes to go, here’s hoping that Jimmy can be the emotional support she needs, though it’s not looking good if those scenes that start and end each episode are any indication. I like that Lindsay had no idea that she was lazing around with the woman in charge, and you have to give considerable credit to Yvette for making a move on her and getting Lindsay to try to commit to a woman in a way she’s never thought about and one that feels moderately healthier than her past would-be relationships with a number of men.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 9 “Bachelor/Bachelorette Party Sunday Funday” (B+)

I didn’t catch on right away to the fact that Edgar and Lindsay weren’t actually putting on the least appealing Sunday Funday ever but actually setting up a series of disasters that could cumulate in them being able to take part in a murder, which was the most fun that Gretchen could possibly have. I did think that it was all a setup once things started getting very dark. There were also some far less scripted moments that got mixed in along the way, like the exchange of $2000 for the revelation of the truth about how Becca’s pregnancy came to be. I like that Lindsay got mad at Becca for sleeping with her ex-husband and then ultimately got to a good point of laughing about it with Paul, who apparently was actually suffering from a yeast infection in his eyes? Paul F. Tompkins also played a big role that apparently was what he had to do in order to get Edgar to retract his rightful complaints about harassment, and he didn’t seem to mind playing the part. He did, however, hit a nerve with Jimmy and Gretchen about what they wanted for their future and their contradictory notions of what change signifies. They’re not just going to be able to keep on going without addressing some of the issues that they’ll soon face, and Edgar getting serious with Jimmy after admitting that his screenplay was terrible also means that Gretchen’s self-medication is going to come up soon and she’s sure not to react well to being confronted about it.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 8 “The Pillars of Creation” (B+)

With just a few episodes left, I don’t love the idea of another half-hour without Gretchen and Jimmy, who appeared only in the final scene to underline just how much they think that the stars of this installment are losers, but at least it was an eye-opening experience to spend time with some of this show’s best recurring players. Paul obviously feels at home with his crew of scientists, who by all accounts aren’t cool but do get quiet into the things they love. Yet what he yearns for most is the idea of family, and he has sort of found that in a twisted way with Becca and Vernon. I was amazed that Vernon’s idea of true happiness is having access to a sandwich bar with all the fixings, hardly as ambitious as his eventual goal of opening up that food truck that’s never going to happen. Both he and Becca tried multiple tactics to be able to get to Paul and best use him, and Becca’s reverse psychology about connecting him permanently to Lindsay might have worked best. In the end, however, it was their shared desire to be together, to engage in that rather gratuitous threesome sex scene that indicated their passion and their energy. Vernon forgetting entirely about their existing child and then telling Becca that it was all set when it clearly wasn’t doesn’t bode well for the notion of a new child coming into the world, but no one watches this show to see how its characters do good things, right?

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 7 “Zero Eggplants” (B+)

It’s fun when this show brings in guest stars, and even more worthwhile to me when they get to interact with the main characters instead of following their own separate narrative. In this case, I was pleased to recognize both of the actors involved. Janina Gavankar, who previously appeared on “True Blood” and more recently in “Blindspotting,” played Rachel, and Timm Sharp, from “Enlightened” and “The New Romantic” was Quinn. I was worried for a while that they were going to be pulling a con of some sorts, but you have to remember that this show is about Gretchen and Jimmy being terrible people. Jimmy’s suggestion of an act that could put their relationship back on equal footing didn’t bode well for him at all when Gretchen latched on to the idea and seemed utterly uninterested in talking about anything else until he made good on his offer. It seemed inevitable that he was going to choose Quinn as the man to help him fulfill the deed, and it was decently entertaining to watch him squirm along the way. Gretchen opened up to Rachel in a big way, and therefore it was both troubling and expected to see her tank the relationship in a finite way by reframing what had happened and causing some serious drama. We’re not too far from the series finale at this point, and I’m all for other episodes like this that allow our characters to discover more about themselves by meeting others that reflect their best and, more likely, worst traits.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 6 “This Brief Fermata” (B+)

Gretchen was way too excited when Jimmy proposed the idea of a free sex week, but he was really the one who had something to feel guilty about and tried to cover it up with the “margin of error.” Just confessing and apologizing for his act of what would likely have been considered minor infidelity would surely have gone over better than tricking Gretchen into thinking he was having sex all week just so that she would go out and force herself to have sex with a “random” to be on the same playing field. Scenes like the one that ended this episode with Gretchen very purposely putting emphasis on certain words as Jimmy’s smile slowly faded from his face are the main dramatic appeal of a show that, up until recently, has been mostly focused on its comedy for a while. Gretchen being extremely devoted to work for the first time ever was indeed a change, and she managed to come up with just the right way to solve two problems, linking the very particular Nock Nock up with Sam, which also got him to finally sign the papers so they could turn it into a done deal. We haven’t seen Sam enough lately, and I’m glad that he showed up a few times this episode, at one point to destroy Jimmy in video games and then remind him that Gretchen is the ultimate liar. Jimmy’s going to have to find some way to atone for what he’s done since she is not going to be quick to forgive him this time.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 5 “A Very Good Boy” (B+)

No one would argue that Jimmy is a good person, but all it took for him to need to prove that he’s awful was Gretchen telling him that he’s a very good boy. That sent him spiraling, no longer committed to being punished if he didn’t write his twenty pages per day and ready to steal the computer of the guy next to him who asked him to watch it while he went to the bathroom before returning it moments later out of shame. The last time I thought I recognized Hannah Marks from “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,” it wasn’t her, but this time she did play the disinterested florist who brought Jimmy to a club that he wasn’t ready for at all. His insistence on seeming bad led to the one thing that might actually anger Gretchen, and he wasn’t doing nearly enough to stop it from happening. Gretchen trying to get food from a conference room made her actually have to do her job for once, and her suggestion of DJ Nock Nock somehow paid off. Yvette is watching her now, and maybe she’ll do a decent job and perform, even if she’s been trying so hard not to all these years. Lindsay and Edgar definitely don’t work in the real world, but at least they’re happy with what they have. It’s reassuring to know that Vernon and Becca are also terrible people, apparently conning Paul into paying them $5,000 a month after they throw his sperm out the window.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 4 “What Money?” (B+)

This show truly has no filter, presenting its opening scene with no hint of subtlety or insinuation. Gretchen’s eagerness to have Jimmy try something for her sake wasn’t nearly as strong as his apparent taste for it, which was entertaining to see and still feels weird to be writing about so bluntly here. It barely took any time for anyone who got a sense of the money that Jimmy had been paid to show up trying to ask him for things, and I cherished the opportunity to see Becca and Vernon again, neither of whom made a particularly good pitch and ended up with Jimmy holding something over them instead. Paul wasn’t trying to milk him for anything but did instead warn him about telling Gretchen since she had previously tried to open multiple credit cards in his name. I like that she ultimately didn’t care about the money but was so thrilled about the ribbon on her new car, right before we got that dismal closing shot theoretically set in the future of Jimmy showing up to the house being in escrow. I don’t have much to say about Edgar’s boss tracking down his grandmother to prove she wasn’t sick, but he’s obviously very stuck in an increasingly problematic situation. I enjoyed seeing Sam’s dejected reaction to Gretchen throwing them a carnival to break the news that she was no longer representing them, and who would have thought that Lindsay, who confused the words paleontologist and publicist, would actually be much better than Gretchen ever has been at her job because she has no shame? In my favorite TV trope of characters who never interact having the opportunity to do so, I love that Sam wanted to hear more from Vernon about his idea to convert a Korean meatball truck into a roving medical unit. Let’s hope that’s the basis for the spinoff of this show that we won’t get.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 3 “The One Thing We Don’t Talk About” (B+)

Making sure that they have time to have sex in the middle of their wedding as a factor for choosing a wedding venue is something that only these two depraved protagonists would consider, and, though she was a bit disgusted, the event coordinator didn’t seem all too surprised by what they had done. Gretchen was incredibly excited when she learned that a triple murder had occurred, making it the only choice for them, and all it took was Jimmy getting a paying job so that he might be able to help somehow pay off the absurd credit card debt Gretchen has accrued from having seventy credit cards that she simply stopped using as soon as they stopped working. Lindsay, who was sleeping with the janitor she thought was an undercover boss, did a spectacular impression of Gretchen’s mom that got her reacting as if she was really talking to her, and her cutthroat interview process that only Debbie passed led her to make the phone call she was so dreading. Breaking the news to everyone that she’s marrying Jimmy and not Boone is going to be an issue, though I feel like she’ll probably hide that fact until the very last minute. As if Gretchen wasn’t a horrific enough would-be boss, Edgar’s new relationship with his soup-loving, fancy-haired mentor is immensely disturbing. Paying him $1000 to eat a whole bunch of sandwiches is an odd form of torture, but this show knows how to be creative in its unapologetic strangeness.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 2 “The Pin in My Grenade” (B+)

This episode had me laughing audibly in a way that I don’t remember this show doing in a long time, as these two tried to elope and failed miserably. As Edgar and Lindsay deliberated over which of them was the dumb one of the group, they both managed to derail the courthouse weddings by distracting Jimmy with notions of the wedding he’s always wanted and dropping a wedding dress by Gretchen’s new office that she could try on before luxuriating on the bidet. It’s hardly surprising that this show would incorporate modern times by having Gretchen “Me Too a dude for his office,” only to learn that she actually got rid of a true perpetrator. Gretchen and Jimmy both having the same idea about getting beat up to cover for having missed the wedding was funny, and obviously Lindsay had some real rage to get out while she was punching Gretchen. Jimmy caught her when she tried to switch stories when she realized that he had missed it too, but, luckily, they’re now set for an actual wedding that isn’t going to coincide with Lindsay’s birthday. One of my favorite moments was Gretchen’s video session with Samira Wiley’s perpetually unpaid Iowa-based therapist, who was fine hearing all of the filth coming out of her mouth until she congratulated her on marrying Boone, only to discover that she was in fact marrying Jimmy, something that made her panic right away and try to convince Gretchen not to do before she hung up on her.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst (Season Premiere)

You’re the Worst: Season 5, Episode 1 “The Intransigence of Love” (B)

I got really excited for the return of this show for its final season when I saw billboards all across Los Angeles, and it’s great to have it back. That said, most of this episode was taken up by other actors, and I was feeling that it was unfortunate that we had to focus on different characters rather than the ones we know and love to hate. I spent most of the episode trying to figure out where I knew the actors from, and, looking at the IMDB pages for Caitlin McGee, who played Gemma, and Morgan Krantz, who played Jake, I’m still not sure. Their saga was pretty absurd, especially with going into the Internet with the virtual-reality goggles to steal a tape. I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening when, two-thirds of the way through the half-hour, Gretchen interrupted to correct the course of the narrative. After their Y2K plotline and Gemma’s press conference, the first truly great and funny moment of the episode explained it all, as Jimmy got excited that he was the reporter who asked the question. Of course they would be spinning crazy stories to wedding planners rather than actually talking to them about what they wanted, and that’s just the kind of thing that’s great about this show. I guess having other actors play the parts made it more of a surprise, which was ultimately a productive way to do it. I’m looking forward to more episodes with our friendly – or rather, very unfriendly – characters and actors at the center.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst (Season Finale)

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episodes 12 and 13 “Like People” and “It’s Always Been This Way” (B+)

It’s always a relief to go into a season finale knowing that the show you’re watching is definitely slated to come back, and fortunately that was the case here, since this series earned a fifth and final season pickup. While I’ll be sad to see it go, I think that five seasons is an awful lot for a show that switched networks, and it’s still been a fun ride along the way. It’s hard to believe the season is over already, and I was glad to see that there was a good deal of honesty to be found in this episode. Gretchen was right to panic when Jimmy wasn’t there in the morning even though he just went out to get breakfast, and she shouldn’t have so readily accepted Boone’s offer to move in with him, especially since he only proposed that since Lindsay tried to scare him away when she hid in the trash can. Lindsay was an unexpected problem solver in this episode, recognizing that Gretchen was going to become Olivia’s La Bamba dad and then proposing a solution to Paul’s baby dreams which would also manage to help keep the completely hapless and apparently narcoleptic Vernon from going bankrupt as a result of his botched surgery. It was no surprise that Max asked not to work with Edgar anymore, but at least he wasn’t so horrible about it. I don’t care much what happens there since I don’t think this was an especially interesting season for Edgar. After Jimmy got chewed out by a jogger for shouting out that she had dropped something, he actually came and fought for Gretchen, punching the wrong guy and proving to Gretchen in the process that he cares for her. I was pulling for Boone since I think that Colin Ferguson was the best thing to happen to this season, but I suppose Gretchen and Jimmy starting over together can’t be all bad. I look forward to season five next year - despite its title, this show is always much more like the best.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Colin Ferguson as Boone

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 10 “From the Beginning, I Was Screwed” (B+)

Jimmy is not a particularly nice person, but it’s still not fun to see him get beat up on in such in a miserable way. Lindsay was trying to do something positive by offering to be the wardrobe consultant for the game show host, but in doing so she inadvertently tipped him off to the way that Jimmy made fun of him, prompting him to be especially cruel. When Vernon woke up to shout Jimmy’s pre-prepared heckle, one of his fellow contestants pounced even on him being dead and no one caring before he had a chance to chime in and be self-deprecating. Gretchen’s inappropriate country pitch was a worrisome sign, but then she brought it all back together and even got a hug from Olivia. Of course, she went right from that sweet moment to making out with Jimmy in a bar, something she couldn’t even attribute to a blackout. I always forget that she knows Ben Folds, and it’s not an easy task to make Sam and his colleague whose name I won’t write out here look put together. I don’t know much about the real-life musician aside from some of his songs, but it is a very funny self-mockery regardless. There’s nothing quite like the intensity with which Edgar talks about the many disturbing things he experienced during his time in the military, and though Sam was ready to listen to all of it, it seems to have turned him off enough for them to stop working together, which leaves Edgar once again friendless and craving Jimmy’s attention.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 9 “Dad-Not-Dad” (B+)

I’m not sure where to start here. Maybe it’s worth addressing Edgar first, since his purchase of a car that he couldn’t afford was the weakest of the episode’s plotlines. He’s gotten better over the years as a character, but it’s still hard to find him the most compelling when he’s surrounded by those who make truly self-destructive decisions. It was uncomfortable to watch Jimmy embarrassing Katherine in front of her friends, but that’s the nature of this show, and he didn’t seem fazed at all by the fact that his behavior was completely objectionable. Coining the phrase “statutory grape” was a low, and feigning claustrophobia to “escape them” from the room was less offensive but a supreme example of ruining the fun for everyone. His belief that there should be a special circle of hell for people who say “we need to talk” instead of just talking makes total sense, and he didn’t get much relief on that front in this episode. After Boone bragged about his ability to get free stuff, Gretchen succeeded at scoring a lunch date with Anne Dudek’s Whitney, and even managed to temper herself so that Whitney seemed like the crazy one. It seems that Gretchen isn’t totally in control of all the terrible things she does, and she did literally the only bad thing she could have done with Boone’s ex, something he’s sure to find out about soon. I love that Lou Diamond Phillips guest-starred as himself since I’ve only seen him in a far more serious role on “Longmire” the past few years, and that he remembered everything about Becca and Lindsay, who got some closure even if their mother still can’t recognize how irresponsible a parent she was.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 8 “Worldstar!” (B+)

So much for the sweet romance that was the rekindling of Jimmy and Gretchen’s relationship with their episode-ending phone call. They stayed on the phone throughout the night, but Gretchen’s conversational attempts were drowned out by Jimmy’s very loud snoring. He was so excited when he showed up later, thrilled about his book and ready to get back together with Gretchen, and it’s a real shame that Max felt the need to tell him that Boone showed up to the party. Jimmy’s decision to call Catherine because of how much better he was doing than her was a poor, embarrassing one, and it turns out that, not only had she become very successful, she was quite mean. Even though she claimed she would never go for it, they did have some hate sex, which Gretchen showed up to see and instead of running, she decided to stick around and allow herself some twisted pleasure from watching it. There’s not much hope for these two. I also don’t know what to make of Edgar’s decision to exert a bizarre elitist power over his fellow veteran, paying him $50 to speak the chimichurri sauce on his steak in front of a wowed Max (who I don’t particularly like as a character, by the way). Fortunately, things are looking up for Lindsay and Becca, who got off to a rough start when Lindsay was robbed of her speech opportunity when her mom was there and then got her anger rejected before things devolving into a physical altercation. Walking in on Vernon masturbating to a video of their mother actually helped to cut the tension, and watching the video of their mother neglecting them was actually quite therapeutic for all involved, something that could only happen on this show.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 7 “A Bunch of Hornballs” (B+)

Only on this show would characters think to throw a divorce party, and only on this show would the ex-husband show up to cackle like a supervillain and ruin the night without doing anything truly horrific or violent. There wasn’t anything good that came from the party aside from a relationship development between Gretchen and Boone, but even that was tainted by the self-destructive follow-up step taken by Gretchen, which was to immediately call Jimmy, who couldn’t get away fast enough from his vomiting, orgasm-free erotica writer, and share a pleasant conversation reminiscent of old times, complete with classic splitscreen and smiles on both their faces. Boone was hesitant about Gretchen meeting his daughter, and she didn’t exactly wait for his approval to introduce herself. Them going down the road together would be great, but it’s clear that she’s still attached to Jimmy, and he’s obviously into her even if he’s doing all the wrong things. Edgar planned an epic party but, as always, wasn’t tuned in to the reality of what he was doing, and now he’s going to have to find a way to pay for everything that surely won’t help his mental health. Lindsay’s response of “Where are the good ones” to Carl the human participation trophy wasn’t kind, but neither were her coworkers’ text attacks on her. I can’t imagine something positive will come once she returns to work. As this show has progressed, Becca has become just as deplorable as our main characters, making out with her gay best friend in front of Vernon and making the affable doof truly miserable.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 6 “Not a Great Bet” (B+)

This was a pretty hypnotic diversion from the reality we’re used to, with Gretchen going home for the birth of a new niece or nephew and avoiding responsibility in a different way than we’ve seen before. Running into an old teacher at the car rental at the airport and immediately lying about being a marine biologist while trying not to comment on him working there showed that she wasn’t going to be her same self, even though she’s actually somewhat decent as a publicist when she puts the tiniest bit of effort in. At every turn, she lies to her family and to everyone around her, which makes her pairing with Jimmy feel incongruous since he doesn’t bother lying about things and just comes right out and says whatever rude thing he’s thinking. Flipping through her yearbook and seeing the picture of her cancer-stricken friend could have been a more sentimental, sad moment, but her discovery that Heidi was in fact alive, well, and running the local roller rink led to an important reconnection with someone she thought she was close with back in high school. The casting of the usually more much comedic Zosia Mamet from “Girls” as Heidi was superb and very effective, and she wasn’t shy about breaking the news to Gretchen that they weren’t the friends that she remembered. Gretchen’s words also have more meaning when they’re said around people who aren’t as deplorable as her, as evidenced by the kid who ate a jar of cat food at record speed before Gretchen nearly got arrested for indecent exposure or something like that. And she didn’t even get to see the baby, a sign that Gretchen, like Jimmy, also runs when things get too real.

What I’m Watching: You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst: Season 4, Episode 5 “There’s Always a Back Door” (B+)

Colin Ferguson is proving to be a fantastic addition to this show, first spitting on Neal’s windshield and taunting him when his ex-wife, played by an also terrific Anne Dudek from “House” and “The Flash,” stopped by without much warning and then going head-to-head with Gretchen when lashed out at him for not being married. I’m hoping that the many cigarettes she smoked on the sidewalk will encourage her to stick this out and not just convince him, since he’s a superb character that this show should really keep. Gretchen did have the situation completely wrong, and my hope is that she understands just how good a fit Boone is for her since he’s capable of being the terrible person she wants him to be but also can be nice and caring to those he likes, such as his daughter and her. Lindsay’s decision to be herself at work because Work Lindsay sucked was a poor one in so many ways since her offensive behavior just got her shut out of the after-work event she would have loved to be invited to, and it’s just a shame we didn’t get to see her boss experience this behavior. Jimmy may be a jerk, but he’s much more perceptive than he lets on, and as a result he was completely aware of Edgar’s efforts to get closer to him as a friend which he completely rejected. Edgar and Lindsay don’t realize that they’re the people that they need for each other, but I don’t think there’s any part of this show that’s really about catharsis. Lindsay is still trying to help Jimmy get Gretchen back, but we know that, even if he does, he’s still going to do something imbecilic down the road that’s going to screw things up again in a way that goes beyond making a simple mistake. This latest appearance by Vernon and Paul wasn’t that great, and my favorite line of the episode was “Pass the sweet salt” from the show’s indisputably dumbest character, Lindsay.