FXX, FX’s television network created specifically for their comedic programs, is home to all kinds of great original comedies. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Archer are two successful shows to air on the network, with You’re the Worst being one of the lesser-known programs. Starring Chris Geere and Aya Cash as two self-destructive people who attempt to make a relationship work, the show is sharp and uncomfortable and idiosyncratic and (most importantly) genuinely funny.
Lasting five seasons on the network and airing between 2014 and 2019, the program was always praised as one of the most underrated comedies on television. It’s a modern love story with a refusal to embrace the tropes that come along with being labeled as a “romantic comedy” — some might go as far as saying it’s the anti-romantic comedy, matching the tone of many television shows featuring anti-heroes that seem to be so successful today. Throughout its run, certain episodes have managed to stand out much more than others. Almost all are great, but some are truly transcendent.
Twenty-Two (Season Three, Episode Five)
One of the show’s supporting characters, Edgar (played by Desmin Borges), is an Iraq War veteran who suffers from PTSD. Season three’s fifth episode, titled “Twenty-Two,” is the most in-depth look at the vet’s trauma — not just throughout You’re the Worst, but throughout all of television. It’s surprising coming from a comedy, but it’s understated and sublime and truly something special. Edgar has always been one of the best parts of the show, and “Twenty-Two” shows why.
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Other Things You Could Be Doing (Season Two, Episode Twelve)
While “Twenty-Two” deals with PTSD, “Other Things You Could Be Doing” confronts depression head-on. Cash’s character Gretchen’s depression comes to an all-time low in this episode, leaving Geere’s character Jimmy in a tough position. The beauty of You’re the Worst is its ability to shine a light on mental health in ways that not even dramas have dared to do, and season two’s twelfth episode is one of the finest examples of this.
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Fists and Feet and Stuff (Season One, Episode Ten)
The season one finale sees Jimmy and Gretchen, two people who always thought they were too good for love, come to the decision to finally embrace their feelings for each other. First seasons are always kind of tumultuous as the showrunner and the cast iron out any kinks, but season one’s tenth episode is a surefire sign of the greatness that was to come from You’re the Worst. It only continued to get better from here.
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The Heart is a Dumb Dumb (Season Two, Episode Thirteen)
Like “Fists and Feet and Stuff,” season two’s thirteenth episode “The Heart is a Dumb Dumb” is a season finale full of all kinds of important developments for the characters who have a love/hate relationship with love. It’s full of all kinds of confrontations, all of which are detrimental to the leads. As far as season finales go, it’s hard to beat this one.
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You Knew It Was A Snake (Season Three, Episode Twelve)
You’re the Worst has never been afraid to break form. Season three’s twelfth episode “You Knew It Was A Snake” is a prime example: the entire thing consists of three couples engaged in day-long fights, each of them left changed forever because of the events that transpire. The entire run of You’re the Worst was leading up to this episode, and the rest of the show relies on what goes on within these twenty-or-so minutes.
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