After keeping its characters at a distance for much of the season, You’re the Worst brought them back together with last night’s bottle episode, “There Is Not Currently a Problem.” With the emotional turmoil that has brewed at the heart of Season Two, it was only a matter of time before cracks began to show. “There Is Not Currently a Problem” didn’t present mere cracks, but gaping canyons.
Episode seven belongs to Aya Cash. As the group is forced to hole up in Jimmy’s house to avoid the LA Marathon and its myriad annoyances, Gretchen must find a way to appear her normal aloof and fun self, though we know she’s anything but, of late. Last week, we learned her escapades were not because she had a side piece, as Jimmy suspected, but because she wanted to cry alone in her car. Cash has always been phenomenal, but she’s added several layers to Gretchen this season as she deals with growing up, settling down and now a resurfaced struggle from her past. Cash played Gretchen’s discomfort well, as though ants were crawling on her skin for most of the episode. When the cork finally popped, she delivered a vitriolic rant worthy of Jimmy’s best and one that was all the more impressive for its sheer length. Jimmy’s role has been reduced this season, and I’ve griped about that in past reviews, but it’s clear now that it had to be in order to make room for all that is happening with Gretchen. She has been the crux of the second year, and if it weren’t for the strength of the actress portraying her it might fall apart.
Given that the episode focused on Gretchen and shedding light on why she’s been behaving strangely, it meant that the half-hour was once again light on laughs. There were still enough to keep it entertaining (the running gag of Jimmy not knowing that Hakuna Matata is from The Lion King was brilliant), and I’ve grown accustomed to the greater focus on drama that has been the trademark of year two. We did get to see more of Dorothy and Edgar, and they are as adorable as imagined, though I’m worried Dorothy does not see the relationship the same way Edgar does. This was the first time, however, that Lindsay saw the two together and she was expectedly not fond of the pairing. She has her own issues to deal with after last week’s “boob honk” with Vernon, who also joined the gang in outlasting the marathon. I hoped we would get more from that storyline this week, but nothing beyond the necessary “please don’t tell my pregnant wife I honked your book” conversation. Vernon’s inclusion in the episode where Lindsay learned of Edgar’s new love, which was not crucial, signals that there is more to come for these two.
?Coming away from “There Is Not Currently a Problem,” a clever foreshadowing title, leaves me with the feeling that the fan has only been turned on, with the shit lying in wait. Jimmy has been more emotionally mature this year than expected, but now that he knows Gretchen’s secret, we’ll learn if he’s for real (based on his eyes as they hugged in the closing moments, I’m thinking no). Add in Lindsay’s quest to become the worst person in the world, and the final episodes should be a wicked cocktail. Season One ended with the burning of an apartment building. At this rate, Season Two is going to set the whole of Los Angeles on fire.
Eric Walters is the Assistant Tech Editor for Paste and a regular contributor to the TV section. For more of his thoughts on comic book television, listen to his podcast.