In the best way imaginable, You’re The Worst is a show that’s impossible to put in a box. I don’t want to call it a romantic comedy – that brings with it connotations of cliché and smarm; but unlike many other high-profile comedies, it doesn’t have any specific gimmicky hook.
Take, for example, creator Stephen Falk’s other two most notable writing projects – Weeds and Orange is The New Black (seriously, the guy is insanely talented.) In both cases, you have comedies with an instantly recognizable premise: “suburban mom sells pot” and “upper-class thirty-something goes to prison.” Those would be very, very concise descriptions of otherwise complicated shows, but they get the job done. Trying to tell a friend to watch You’re The Worst can be slightly tougher, because its premise can’t be boiled down so simply.
What was great about the series when it debuted last year was that uniqueness – Falk and his writers tell a story about a relationship without ever falling back on the clichés that have mostly killed an enjoyable genre. When I listen to the characters on Worst talk, it’s like listening to friends. They’re terrible at times, but they’re also likeable and funny and pretty damn complex. Here, all four leads execute Falk’s dialogue as if it’s their own; in terms of current comedy casts, these guys are severely underrated if not being ranked among the likes of Veep and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (I truly don’t take those comparisons lightly.)
As the series moves to FXX for season 2, I’m happy to report that nothing really changes – except, maybe, it’s gotten even better. I laughed out loud a lot during the premiere, which isn’t something I can say about many comedies (in the rare case, like Louie, that’s okay.) Picking up where last season left off, we see Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) cohabitating for the first time. The results are ridiculous, funny, and often unsettlingly relatable.
Episode two, which takes place predominantly in a mall, does what Worst does best and flips a trope on its head (the gang goes to the mall!) and turns it into something that feels real, while still providing tons of outlandish laughs. The remaining cast, Desmin Borges as Jimmy’s pal Edgard, and Kether Donohue as the outrageous and infectious Lindsay, are perfectly cast and again defy odds by refusing to simply fall into “best friend” character clichés. They’re funny and complex on their own, and in many ways they steal a lot of the scenes.
Season 2 of You’re The Worst premieres tonight at 10:30 EST on FXX. For more on the series and other returning shows, follow me on Twitter.
