Recently American comedies have been breaking the longstanding rule that sitcom characters have to be nice, the sort of people you'd want to invite into your home in real life. Of course, the British have been doing it for years, but in the U.S. it's so uncommon that it still comes as a jolt to see someone who isn't very likeable in a sitcom.
You're the Worst, on Hulu, warns you in advance. Jimmy and Gretchen (Chris Geere, Aya Cash) are horrible, amoral people who dislike each other (well, except in the bedroom) and pursue a five-season long romance culminating in a series-finale wedding. The B-plots usually involve the marital squabbles of another amoral couple who dislike each other, Edgar and Lindsay (Desmin Borges, Kether Donohue).
I already reviewed an episode where rapper Sam Dresden gets cancelled for using the f*-word, but turns out to be ok with gay men -- they're good at sucking. To see if he is still bisexual or straight-but-open-to-oral interests, I reviewed Episode 5.6, "This Brief Fermata." According to the Google AI, "A fermata is a musical symbol indicating that a note should be held longer than its normal duration."
Scene 1: Jimmy and Gretchen are planning the table seating for their wedding reception, but Paul, Allan McLeod, is too boring to be placed. They deserve a break from the drudgery of planning the wedding. Jimmy suggests Fuck Week, a week where they can have sex with whoever they want. He is surprised that Gretchen is so quick to agree.
Scene 2: Monday. At her job at the public relations firm, Gretchen checks out the hunk bulges and butts. Assistant Lindsay notes a problem with Rapper Sam, Brandon Mychal Smith: his new track is bad, "Vietnam bad."
But Gretchen doesn't care: it's Fuck Week, so she and Lindsay can go "day dicking" like they used to, at the Museum of Tolerance and Barney's Beanery -- wait, the notorious "Fagots keep out" joint?
First she has to sign up the new guy, Nok Nok -- Lou Taylor Pucci, top photo. She figures he's so spaced-out, he'll be easy to snare, but he wants to hear the full pitch -- "Strategy, targets, concept art." Uh-oh, she'll have to do work instead of getting dick.
Scene 3: Tuesday: Gretchen and Jimmy eat Chinese food while watching Nok Nok's videos and trying to come up with a pitch. Jimmy has lipstick on his collar -- he's already successfully gotten laid. Wait -- Buddy Edgar brings him a drink and gazes lustfully, but Jimmy shakes his head. Did they have sex, or is Edgar offering?
Cut to Wednesday: Gretchen revealing her pitch to Nok Nok. He doesn't like it: how about a hard-scrabble life? He was on the street at age 15, and he's a single dad?
Assistant Lindsay went out dicking yesterday, and she, too successfully got laid. By the way, Rapper Sam is angry because his new, terrible track hasn't seen any radio play yet. But screw it: Gretchen is going to forget about work and get some dick.
Scene 4: Thursday. Jimmy comes in with a hickey, having gotten laid again. Another lustful gaze from Buddy Edgar. Are they going at it? Gretchen is still working.
More after the break. Caution: Explicit
Scene 5: Friday. Gretchen is pitching to Nok Nok yet again. He still doesn't like it. Rapper Sam and his crew burst in to criticize Assistant Lindsay for not getting their track on the air. She claims that it isn't ready, but they're the artists -- they should know.
Nok Nok is a fan -- "Big Titty Dreams got me through my parents' divorce" -- and offers to listen to the track and give his opinion:
Stand around while you watch how the cookie crumbles now
All your tracks mostly made of mumbles.
Free-associatin' shit like a poet, lookin' fly in the flip
Not bad, but there's too much detail; we need to hear the message.
Gretchen gets an idea: she claims she held off on the track to get them hooked up with "promising young talent" Nok Nok. The rappers are into it, and he signs the contract.
But there's still the matter of getting laid....
Scene 6: Cut to a dark club, and the ladies making out with hot guys, one of whom is Asher Deva. When they get up to fetch some drinks, Assistant Lindsay squeals "Struggling actors are the best! They have so much to prove."
Uh-oh, they're not really into boning strangers. Assistant Lindsay just wants to find her "forever dick," and Gretchen might actually find her job fulfilling.
Scene 7: Back home, Gretchen sees a pale booty on Jimmy's Instagram and announces "Make room, I'm coming to spoon you." But he's not home, so she has to go to bed alone.
Now we see what Jimmy was up:
Scene 8: Monday. Jimmy, a semi-famous writer, is at the coffee shop, working on a story, when a female fan approaches: "I love you! Are you alone?" He rejects her.
Tuesday: He puts on lipstick and kisses his own collar so Gretchen will think he got laid.
Wednesday: He comes in gushing over how great last night was. Turns out that Buddy Edmond's sultry looks actually signified disapproval: "I can't believe you're cheating on Gretchen!"
He explains that it's Fuck Week, but he's not really doing any fucking, because he got a blow job from a florist previously. This will give Gretchen a chance to catch up.
"So you were cheating on her, and invented Fuck Week as a scam to get rid of your guilt without ever owning up to what you did."
"Right. Why, is there a problem?"
Thursday: Jimmy giving a prostitute explicit instructions. She notes that she has done this before. But he doesn't want a blow job, he wants a hickey, har har.
Left: Two guys masturbate together in another episode
Friday: Jimmy and Rapper Sam playing video games. "Your girl told me how much she's fucking around." Sam notes. "No, she's too busy working."
"Fool, she's playing you! Putting on a show!" This upsets Jimmy.
Later, at a club, Jimmy admits that he's miscalculated the scam: she's sleeping with more people than he did. So, to get even, he needs to get laid again. He takes Ecstasy and tries to approach women, but ends up passed out in the bathroom.
Saturday: Gretchen, Buddy Edgar, and Assistant Lindsay having breakfast when Jimmy struts in, hungover, pretending that he got laid. Gretchn swishes off, claiming that she's going to get laid some more -- it's still Fuck Week, right?
After she leaves, Lindsay reveals that she hasn't been fucking, but seeing the girl butt on Instagram has motivated her to get some dick. But it was Jimmy's butt, to fool her!
Left: Dax Randall, but not the one who appears in this episode.
Later, Jimmy tells Gretchen that he didn't do anything. But she did, so now they're uneven! Then Jimmy accidentally reveals his own infidelity, and I'm getting tired of summarizing all of this backing and forthing. Let's call it quits.
Beefcake: None.
Heterosexism: Lots. Desire only and always flows between male and female.
Gay Characters: No indication of Rapper Sam being bisexual. The sultry looks from Buddy Edgar were just a tease. Jimmy says that he got a blow job from a florist, but it turns out to be a female florist.
My Grade: D