Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Optimistic isn’t the first word that comes to mind when discussing FX’s neo-rom-com You’re the Worst. A modern take on love and happiness, Stephen Falk’s mordant sitcom is an acerbic rebuke against traditional romantic comedy tenets. Following the non-traditional relationship between two self-destructive but inherently compelling characters — narcissistic Jimmy (Chris Geere) and cynical Gretchen (Aya Cash) — the series eschews the “happily ever after” ethos that subsumes the genre in favor of a more genuine look at modern romance. During last season’s finale, Gretchen and Jimmy’s love went from “Tale as old as time” to “You Oughta Know” faster than you can say “Sunday Funday” when Jimmy bolted town moments after Gretchen accepted his marriage proposal.
You don’t need a Rorschach test to detect pessimism on the surface of that particular inkblot, but in doing so you miss the larger point. Against all odds, Jimmy and Gretchen, two immensely flawed characters who take turns portraying the titular Worst, actually found love.
Herein lies the stealthy optimism that subtly pervades You’re the Worst.
I understand an argument positing that a series titled You’re the Worst exudes optimism seems dubious, but despite the show’s biting bravado, it doesn’t actually treat love as a glass half empty proposition. It’s a look through the eyes of two people who believe they’re incapable (or perhaps undeserving) of love and happiness. Yet despite their myriad flaws and countless attempts at sabotaging anything that makes them feel even the slightest tinge of vulnerability, Jimmy and Gretchen boldly embark upon a relationship they’re almost certain will end in calamity. And they were right. It did. But they took a chance and were rewarded with a small pocket of happiness, and I mean, isn’t that the point? Aren’t we here to collect as many moments of happiness as we can before we’re sent to NBC’s The Good Place to spend eternity dealing with the complex machinations of a whimsical Ted Danson?
Traditionally, rom-coms focus on an undefined future. Two people meet, obstacle, obstacle, obstacle, they kiss, and the credits roll as Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Hold My Hand” serenades exiting movie goers. But You’re the Worst sets their gaze on the present because they ain’t buying what traditional rom-coms are peddling.
The whole idea of “happily ever after” is a romanticized myth. Even if you wed the perfect person or score your dream job, life will find a plethora of fresh, exciting ways to make you want to hide inside a pillow fort until the end of days. You’re the Worst reminds us that the very concept of adulthood is a scam. Nobody truly knows what they’re doing. We’re all just trying our best as the world continues to spin madly on. Jimmy, Gretchen, Lindsay, and Edgar are all irrevocably damaged in some way yet they gamely fight against their own self-destructive natures to find something resembling happiness. Sometimes they succeed, other times not so much, but the series demonstrates that even if you sometimes act like an unrelenting garbage person, it’s still possible to find tiny pockets of genuine happiness, which is actually a snug sentiment if you ignore the whole “garbage person” part of it all.
You’re the Worst slowly chisels away at the unrealistic romantic ideals we grew up watching on the big screen. It spurns frothy sentimentality for emotional authenticity. Jimmy dedicates his book to Gretchen, but his inscription isn’t schmaltzy, it’s distinctly poignant in relation to their relationship. “For Gretchen, Thank you for being alone with me.” It’s not “You had me at hello,” but it’s a sincere declaration of realistic affection. We’re all just futilely pushing that big, dumb boulder up the hill desperately hoping for a different result. Jimmy and Gretchen’s helter-skelter romance proves there really might be someone for everyone.
Then again you might leave that someone stranded on top of a hill moments after proposing. Ain’t love a kick in the head?
You’re the Worst isn’t just an exceptional mix of writing and acting. It offers reassurance to anyone who identifies as emotionally off-center. If Jimmy and Gretchen can find a genuine connection and Lindsay and Edgar are able to rise above their medley of faults to attain successful careers, there truly is hope for everyone. It may not be the forever type of happiness we’re used to seeing in rom-coms, but You’re the Worst offers a unique brand of “if they can do it than maybe I can too” optimism.
We all have a little bit of garbage person in us from time to time, but you know what? That’s okay. Those dummies rallied against their worst instincts to find something resembling happiness, which is a cozy reminder that you can too.
You might be bad, but you’re definitely not the worst.
