You're the Worst

Plot

Jimmy and Gretchen meet at the wedding of Vernon and Becca Barbara. Jimmy, whom Becca turned down when he proposed two years earlier, is convinced Becca only invited him to rub her marriage to Vernon in his face. He nevertheless showed up, determined to ruin Becca's day as payback. Gretchen came as the guest of Becca's sister, Lindsay, who is Gretchen's best friend and enabler of her sex, drugs and rock-and-roll lifestyle. Gretchen is the publicist for a rap trio and lives in a chaotic apartment, while Jimmy can support himself in upscale Silver Lake and drive a BMW, despite having published only one novel, written during his post-breakup depression, that has sold little and been remaindered at the local bookstore. He supports himself by writing for glossy magazines, in addition to the tiny royalty checks that occasionally arrive in his mailbox.

He and Gretchen meet as Jimmy is being thrown out of the wedding reception after whispering something offensive to Becca, while Gretchen has decided to run off with one of the bride's wrapped gifts, which turns out to be a blender, to her disappointment. Claiming to have no interest in a relationship, the two hook up that night. Over the next few weeks, despite setting out to just "hang out and have fun" without obligation, they find themselves coming closer together.

In a parallel story, Lindsay is married to Paul, her affluent, conventional husband. Paul is a decent but plain man with somewhat nerdy tastes who does not need to work for a living, instead indulging in his hobbies of astronomy, beer brewing and cycling. The loveless marriage was mainly an attempt by Lindsay to outdo her older sister Becca by getting married first and having more material goods. The marriage falls apart when Lindsay returns to taking drugs and drinking, and cheats with another man. For her part, Becca is no happier with her husband Vernon, an immature man who is only interested in hanging out with friends in his man cave, drinking and watching sports and videos.

Jimmy also has a friend named Edgar, an Iraq War veteran suffering from PTSD, living in his house. Throughout the first season, it is hinted that Jimmy expected the arrangement to be temporary and he sometimes wonders aloud when Edgar will move out. As time goes on, it becomes clear that Jimmy has come to rely on Edgar's housework and cooking, as well as his friendship.

Main

Recurring

Production

Production on the pilot for You're the Worst, written by Stephen Falk, was first announced on July 17, 2013. It was announced that casting was completed on September 19, 2013. The network announced that it had ordered the pilot to series on January 24, 2014, ordering an additional nine episodes for the first season.

Most scenes are shot on-location. The house representing Jimmy's home is in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. For season 3, a replica of the interior of the house was constructed on a sound stage, slightly enlarged to improve camera access.

Season 1

On Metacritic, season one has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". It also ranked 14th on critics' favorite TV shows of 2014. Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a critic rating of 81% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's consensus reads, "You're the Worst uses clever writing – and its stars' palpable chemistry – to balance comedic elements against its realistically pessimistic tone." The A.V. Club listed You're the Worst as one of the ten best shows of the year.

Vanity Fair named it one of best shows of 2014 and called the show, "The perfect love story of our time." David Wiegand of San Francisco Chronicle called it the best sitcom of 2014.

Season 2

The second season received a Metacritic score of 82 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating, based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Expertly balancing character growth against edgy humor, season two of You're the Worst elevates the show's excellent writing and talented cast to a new level."

Season 3

The third season received a Metacritic score of 85 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "You're the Worst continues to chart serious territory with intelligence, heart, and noxious wit in its third season, even as the anti-rom-com's damaged narcissist protagonists slowly start to get over themselves."

Accolades

For the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, it was nominated for Best Comedy Series. For the 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards, it was nominated for Best Comedy Series, Aya Cash was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and Kether Donohue was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. For the 32nd TCA Awards, the series was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy and Aya Cash was nominated for Individual Achievement in Comedy.