Married & You’re The Worst - Pilots - Advance Review

When you’re looking for laughs on a Thursday night, FX may be just about the last place you’d typically look. Arguably the strongest cable network of the past several years, FX has turned out dramas and thrillers that have gone on to become the best-of-the-best on television: Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, Justified, Fargo, and the list goes on. But since It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League - two of my favorite comedies right now - moved to younger-skewering sister network FXX, the parent company has been light on laughs (let's forget that George Lopez show happened, shall we?). Tonight, though, FX is back in the game with two new relationship comedies, Married and You’re The Worst. While the first may boast some big names amongst it’s cast, You’re The Worst seems poised to make stars of its newer players.

You’re The Worst - or its pilot episode, at least - rides largely on the charms of relative new-comer Chris Geere as cynical struggling novelist Jimmy. After making a scene at an ex’s wedding, he goes home with the bride’s friend Gretchen (Aya Cash, The Wolf of Wall Street). Even when Worst isn’t laugh-out-loud, it’s constantly amusing. It may be an old story - a one-night-stand turns into so much more - but Worst gets points for making that story interesting again. There’s no wildly thick plots laid out, but enough introduced to open up several possible stories for the future (Gretchen’s creepy side thing with a director). Geere in particular is fantastic here: sharp, funny, charismatic and with a fantastic screen presence. He inhabits Jimmy effortlessly and despite the characters attitude keeps us from ever really looking at the guy as an asshole. Cash pretty much matches him beat for beat though, and the main cast is rounded out nicely by Jimmy’s mandatory odd-ball live-in friend, Edgar (Desmin Borges). Again, crisp writing and solid casting make a been-there-done-that comedy trope feel fresh - Edgar gets many of the best lines of the episode. I can gladly pay You’re The Worst just about the highest compliment one can give to a pilot episode - it left me wanting more. Had FX provided an entire season of the series I likely would have stayed in bed and watched them all. I’m certainly excited to watch this one grow into itself more and see where it goes.

Married, on the other hand, left me a bit puzzled in parts. Premiering just before Worst tonight, Married focuses - as the title suggests - on the later stages of a relationship. Nat Faxon and Judy Greer star as Russ and Lina Bowman, parents to three young daughters. Married for several years and seemingly happy, Russ and Lina are rarely having sex anymore and possibly starting to lose their spark. Faxon and Greer are both great, though oddly Greer is actually a bit of a rare presence in the pilot. Once Lina seemingly gives Russ a pass to have sex outside of the marriage the episode seemed to stumble a bit. I thought it was an odd jumping point for a series and a strange way to introduce these characters, though there were still enough laughs to keep me watching. Both Worst and Married thrive on finding humor in realism, whereas past FX comedies have relied much more heavily on the absurd. These shows are definitely both worth checking out, and if only because I want it to get better, I’m almost more eager to see what comes next on Married. Faxon and Greer are both huge talents and deserve a hit, and I think this series has the potential to take shape nicely once it finds its footing.

If you’re looking for laughs in a summer filled with reality TV and dramatic event series’, FX is providing an admirable effort. And you could certainly do much worse.

Married and You’re The Worst premiere tonight at 10pm EST on FX.
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