You're The Worst recap: A Rapidly Mutating Virus

With only two episodes left, we’re in the You’re the Worst homestretch, and it’s not looking good. Jimmy and Gretchen’s relationship is a mess, Lindsay’s helped to produce a song no one likes, and Edgar’s still trying to figure out how to be himself. (Okay, not so dramatic for him.)

No one’s great this week, so let’s get to the worstie rankings.

4. Nope, not the worst. Far from it! In fact…least worst: Edgar

It’s a testament to the effed up nature of these characters that the army vet with severe PTSD who did something to a school is the most stable person on the show. Edgar accompanies Dorothy to an improv BBQ, where he tries to get in with her friends by making ball jokes.

She’s not pleased and tells him she wasted years of her life hanging out with those guys. She just wants someone nice and sweet: Edgar. Cue the awws because these guys are actually cute.

3. Eh, not great, but could be worse: Lindsay

Delightful Kether Donohue hasn’t had that much going on in the past few episodes, but it’s a real treat to see her hope for pop stardom. She’s the female vocalist on Sam’s new diss track “New Phone Who Dis,” but after they debut it on the radio, listeners are like, “That’s whack.”

Toward the end of the episode, when it’s clear Gretchen is in dire straits, Lindsay tell her, “I’m sorry you don’t feel anything, Gretchen,” before hitting her with a spoon. Their friendship is sweet, albeit odd, and in moments like this it’s hard to imagine another pal sticking around to deal with Gretchen’s behavior, let alone toss a utensil at her face just to see if she truly cannot feel a thing. She can’t.

2. Oof. It gets worse: Jimmy

There’s something to be said for Jimmy, who, to his credit, has tried to help Gretchen. He’s unsuccessful because he’s selfish and doesn’t really listen to what she needs or wants, but he tries in his own weird ways.

In tonight’s episode he acts like a sort-of good boyfriend: he checks in with her when she leaves before he wakes up; he gives Gretchen a heads up that he wants to bring “a friend” over; he denies Nina’s advances and confronts Gretchen after she ignores him completely. He genuinely tries and wants to make their relationship work.

But when she denies him, crushes his ego, and says, “For the last time, please go,” he actually leaves. After a boozy night he heads back to Nina’s bar and after an elongated will-they-or-won’t-they scene, they make out. There’s only so much rejection a narcissistic writer can take, and at this point, Jimmy is over it.

For people who claim to be “the worst,” these folks have been pretty kind for the past few episodes. But this last scene gets Jimmy back to the show’s roots, where moral lines are blurred. Are he and Gretchen broken up? Do we consider this cheating? Was he already cheating, emotionally? Probably. After a season spent on his and Gretchen’s side, it’s weirdly comforting to remember that sometimes we root against these guys because that’s what we’re supposed to do. We grew to love them because of their flaws and mistakes.

1. Absolute, hands-down, no-questions-asked worst: Gretchen

After snorting Adderall, pulling a gun on someone, getting coked up out of her mind, and nearly ruining her career, Gretchen proclaims what we’ve already come to expect, “I feel nothing about anything.” She feels nothing about Jimmy, herself, her life. She’s depressed.

As we mentioned last week, Gretchen has been outspoken about her clinical depression, but not about her treatment. In this episode we realize she doesn’t employ treatment, just destruction.

As the credits scrolled over Jimmy and Nina, I could only wonder about Gretchen. What would season 1 Gretchen think of this whole thing? How would healthy Gretchen cope with learning of Jimmy’s betrayal? Would she count it as betrayal, even?

When previewing the rest of the season, executive producer Stephen Falk hinted at a reconciliation. “At the end of the day, people will be satisfied,” he said. “There may be the moment where people throw things at the TV.” This is clearly that moment.