You're the Worst Season 2 Episode 5 Review: You Can Do Better Than This

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Finally, a romantic win for perpetually-hapless Edgar! Or at least a seeming win (my fingers are duly crossed for him).

You're the Worst Season 2 Episode 5 had a great balance of focus on each of the four leads and their stories intersected in smart, key ways. Gretchen and Lindsay tried really hard to pass the Bechdel test, while Jimmy finally caved and attempted to actually complete one of the many paying writing jobs he was offered. And surprise – no one succeeded in what they set out to do. Except Edgar, sort of.

No Men - You're the Worst

The whole thing with Jimmy's writing career continues to amuse me. As a writer, I can sympathize with how scattered and uncertain he is about his next project. I've really enjoyed seeing the way Jimmy grapples with the next stage of his career, a plot point that's been particularly evident since the beginning of this season.

He keeps getting very close to accepting what a "serious writer" might consider sell-out writing gigs (helping that eccentric author research his book in You're the Worst Season 2 Episode 4 and working on the novelization of NCIS: LA in this one) but then he backs out at the last minute. Typically, he has a surge of confidence in his writing ability and decides that he owes the world his writing talent, and shouldn't be diminishing said talent by accepting what he considers menial creative tasks.

Female Executive: Jimmy! How's it coming?
Jimmy: I'm sorry, Female Executive, I can't do it. I'm a fraud of a writer. Can't I just write the roller coaster book?
Female Executive: We already gave that to Neil Gaiman.

The Female Executive's one-off about already having given the dragon roller coaster idea away to Neil Gaiman made me laugh out loud. He would totally write that book.

Jimmy is well-characterized as a writer, and I find all of his repeated waffling about writing to be very believable, given his established personality. It's also quickly turning into a really amusing ongoing gag ("will Jimmy ever actually see a writing job through? Tune in next week and find out!")

I loved the introduction of Jimmy's background as a rather skilled erotic novelist (as an eleven-year-old, at that), and I really hope the show goes somewhere with it. I see a lot of potential comedic gold in the storyline of Jimmy attempting to write/sell/market his literary erotic novel. Plus the actual excerpt of the "erotic tale" that we were treated to was hilarious on its own – so literary and overly wrought.

Edgar: So, Dorothy, you're in 'Brian'? I didn't know they had a girl.
Dorothy: Yeah, yeah, that's me. The lone vulva.

Meanwhile, Edgar had a great separate subplot involving his attempts to get over Lindsay and get closer to Dorothy, his improv teacher. I kept waiting for something to go horribly wrong while Edgar was wooing Dorothy, but so far so good. It was  a bit suspicious that her interest in Edgar peaked so suddenly after hearing that he was a veteran, though. I hope she doesn't end up being some weird veteran-fetishist or something, but I wouldn't really put it past the show to break Edgar down like that.

Their relationship seems promising so far, and Dorothy seems legitimately interested in Edgar as of yet. We don't know much about her at all, but she seemed like a character that could be interesting, if given any development/focus. Hope the show keeps their repartee up for a bit! Edgar deserves something nice – for a while, at least.

Tall Nathan, for his part, was being a sneaky little creep, stealing Edgar's phone to respond to Lindsay's text while Edgar flirted up Dorothy. And here I'd been, enjoying both of the Nathans during their earlier appearance in Edgar's veteran's group, when they encouraged him with some sounds life advice! I take it all back, Nathans, you scoundrels.

I hope she gets pregnancy 'roids and they leave her bed-ridden and I have to raise her baby myself. I'd parent the shit out of her. "Wear that skirt. Don't blow that boy. This is pizza."

Lindsay

Lindsay and Gretchen's attempt to stop talking about guys was great in the sense that they failed so hard, so quickly, and it was hilarious. I loved the side effect of Lindsay morphing into this human Google, regurgitating the diametrically opposing viewpoints from the bowels of online journalism.

On a more serious note, Lindsay is clearly en route to a bad place mentally. I'm wondering what larger repercussions the whole Nathan-texting-back-as-Edgar thing will have on Lindsay and on the Lindsay/Edgar friendship.

On an even more serious note: we were treated (I use the term loosely) to yet another closing scene of Gretchen sneaking out when she assumed Jimmy was sound asleep. This time, we discovered that Jimmy was actually awake (and seems to have seen Gretchen do this sneak-out before).

What is Gretchen doing? She acts entirely normal with Jimmy during their waking hours, so I'm hesitant to believe she's sneaking out to cheat on him, which was my initial reaction.

Stray Observations:

  • One of my favorite bits in "You Can Do Better Than This" was Jimmy's random, over-the-top admiration for the improv group. I love how starstruck and impressed he was with them! It was so unexpected and hilarious, because he was readily prepared to be catty to/about the improvisers.
  • Speaking of Jimmy's cattiness: we saw the return of the famous Jimmy prepared heckles! They were absolute gems, as always (no, not really at all).
  • Poor fro-yo guy. I'm waiting for the day he snaps and does something really drastic to kick Lindsay and Gretchen out of his yogurt shop. Those two are seriously the bane of his existence.
  • Loved the joke about Gretchen being concerned that Jimmy was a television recapper. That one seemed to reach through the TV and slap me right in the face (in the best way, of course!).
  • Enjoying how the not-so-faux feud between Sam and Shitstain/Honey Nutz is continuing in the background of Gretchen's life. Even when we're not seeing those guys on the screen, they're being hilarious.
  • Jimmy's and Gretchen's facial expressions while Jimmy read her the excerpt of his erotic tale while they were in bed: Pure. Gold.
  • Not so hilarious: Jimmy's facial expression when he woke up and noticed Gretchen had snuck out (again). That hurt my heart a little a lot.
  • "Sausage wallet." Thank you as always, Lindsay Jillian, from the bottom of my heart.

What did you all think of this episode? What do you think is going on with Gretchen, and what will become of her relationship with Jimmy? Is Lindsay about to fly even more off the handle now that she's losing even Edgar's romantic attentions?

Remember to chime in with your thoughts below and to watch You're the Worst online to catch up on anything you may have missed or to relive one of the many amazing one-liners this show has to offer.

You Can Do Better Than This Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 (20 Votes)

Caralynn Lippo is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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You're the Worst Season 2 Episode 5 Quotes

Killian: Can I go back to school? My mom says I'm the man of the house now and that I have to get an education.
Jimmy: Sorry, when I gave you that sleeve of Poptarts was that for your help or your biography?

Edgar: So, Dorothy, you're in 'Brian'? I didn't know they had a girl.
Dorothy: Yeah, yeah, that's me. The lone vulva.