The first two episodes of You’re the Worst are very concerned with the idea of evolution: each of the four characters are looking to take the next step in their lives, aimlessly trying to find their personal and professional directions in life. This has forced them to step outside of their comfort zones, reintegrating themselves into normal adult life as they try to force maturity upon themselves. While this seems like a very heavy theme, “Crevasses” is an effortless episode – one that might not have the profound impact and insight of other episodes, but works as a self-contained vignette where our lovable degenerates take over the mall for 22 entertaining minutes.
Though “Crevasses” is not an episode with a surprising arc, as it follows You’re the Worst‘s usual pattern, the episode comes with Jimmy and Gretchen making realizations about their budding relationship that reflect their changing values – and in most cases, how openly adverse they are to the new feelings they’re experiencing. And at first, Gretchen wanting Jimmy to give her space for stuff (stuff she doesn’t currently own) in the apartment follows a predictable path: the instigator eventually figures out they’ve overblown things, while the other takes a surprisingly measured, mature response to said behavior of the partner. Initially, “Crevasses” adheres to this pretty strictly, with Jimmy pushing Gretchen to buy actual adult things, which Gretchen naturally rejects as her rebellion against the comforting numbness of boredom, inevitable once a couple “settles in” and develops their own routine.
Fighting against the norm is typical behavior for You’re the Worst; however, “Crevasses” is smart enough not to repeat itself, and throws a wonderful little third act twist on the whole affair. The whole episode, Jimmy finds himself searching for inspiration for his second book, until it becomes clear he has no idea for another book that doesn’t involve a Nazi war criminal as a protagonist – he’s got nothing, and resigns himself to taking whatever freelancing job he can get in the mean time (he can’t write for magazines anymore either, after the article he wrote last season about having slept with the actress he interviewed). Hand in hand with that professional bit of modesty comes the realization for Jimmy that he cannot have complete control over his life, no matter how distinguished he thinks he may be, and rather than wallow in his failure as he usually would, he decides to spend the evening building a nightstand for Gretchen.
“Crevasses” doesn’t make a big deal of this moment (nor should it), but it’s as important a moment as You’re the Worst has had in its brief history: that one night stand is a visualization of Paul’s quote that he and Gretchen both mock in this episode. He’s slowly letting her in, and beginning to really fall in love with her. He’s unwilling to admit this to anyone, of course, but his behavior in the final moments of the episode are about as heartwarming as we can ask from a show that’s so restrained with its deepest romantic emotions: this is not him resignedly giving her a key to his home, but him making an object that says “please keep things here, and don’t leave me alone at night.” That’s a big shift for his character, and one I hope to see expounded upon as the season continues: Jimmy is falling in love with Gretchen, and it’s unclear whether she’s willing (or even able) to let go of the same reservations Jimmy is slowly letting fall to the way side. That growing dichotomy in their relationship is something to watch for as the season continues, adding an intriguing wrinkle You’re the Worst could take in any number of directions in the next 11 episodes.
Unfortunately, the rest of the episode is spent drawing circles around Edgar and his crush on Lindsay, a story that doesn’t quite mesh well with Jimmy and Gretchen’s slow maturity. Rather than progress, this story is continuing to tread water from last season’s finale, only with the added twist of Edgar’s growing recognition of Lindsay using him to make her transition into single life easier. This story is a tough one for You’re the Worst: it can either make Edgar look too pathetic, or it can make Lindsay too off-putting to be empathetic, traits the writers had nailed for both characters in season one. It doesn’t even offer a shred of hope for the future, unless Edgar changes his mind and calls the waitress he was introduced to at the sports bar, this story could be stuck on a treadmill for weeks to come. It’s always fun to watch Lindsay eat and be a little mean, but there has to be some value to her character below that. And as Gretchen and Jimmy are off pushing themselves forward, her stagnation is a bit frustrating to watch.
This is a minor complaint, of course. “Crevasses” is an episode with a relentless energy, moving from location to location within the mall, cramming jokes into every empty second of the episode, like the crazy enthusiastic security guard, or the short-lived drone Jimmy chases around for a few minutes. It may be a lighter episode than most thematically, but “Crevasses” fills those existential and romantic holes with plenty of great jokes playing off the chemistry of its main cast (hell, the episode is worth the opening Trivial Pursuit gag alone) – and when the episode really needs some character material to push it past the finish line, it finds a legitimately great, heartwarming moment to pull it all together.
Other thoughts/observations:
- Jimmy’s weekly shot at Americans is great: “I’ll find inspiration among the diabetic masses of American shoppers.”
- Lindsay: thinks Aaron Space was a person that had a museum named after them, and believes both Delaware and Europe are countries.
- “But that’s Gretchen’s Corner!”
- Jimmy criticizing the children’s art contest is something I would totally do, if not as vocally as he does it. Again, I relate way too much to this character (I won’t even start in about people that are awful at trivia).
- I would like a .GIF of Lindsay leading everyone to the sports bar by smell, as well as one of her ripping a wing apart with her teeth. Internet, make it happen!
[Photo via FX]
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