You're the Worst: Try Real Hard

September 1, 2016 6:21 AM - Season 3, Episode 1

Jimmy doesn't really know Gretchen. Edgar and Dorothy have performance issues. Lindsay and Paul play with knives. And the band plays a secret gig.

First, "Yay!" for a third season!

So, I guess, we get set-ups for the three main couples' arcs for this season. Jimmy and Gretchen are pointed in a direction of discovery, as Jimmy realizes he doesn't really know anything about Gretchen, and we are shown a few bits of her background. Man, those two drink like fish.

Jimmy sees Gretchen at work for the first time, and I think there's going to be some issues between him and the band. The writers appear to have amped-up Sam's intimidation quotient this season. I'm still not sold on this aspect of the show, but we'll see how it plays out.

Anyone else catch Gretchen's quick mention of her clinical depression when she was addressing the congregation?

Edgar's action in the restroom presages, I think, some serious drama to come for him and Dorothy.

God, I love Lindsay (I think mostly thanks to Kether Donohue, who seems to have the patent on that type of character.) She ended that last scene exactly as it should have.

Overall, a good start for the new season, I think, considering the ending for last season was shot before they knew the show was renewed, so it didn't really have any sort of serious set-up for this season.

posted by Thorzdad (14 comments total)

Terrific, as ever. The moment where Lindsay stabs Paul was demented and hilarious, but felt very real.

My favorite bit was Gretchen reassuring Jimmy that simply admitting they love each other doesn't preclude them from failing miserably at their relationship and/or cutting and running without warning.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:28 AM on September 1, 2016

Although there was one storyline that rankled me, from a believability perspective. Of course, as an industry promotions professional, Gretchen should have know that the "tell no one" approach to the secret show would have been a disaster. I didn't buy that at all. And given volatile and erratic said shows can be, and given that they'd clearly bought out the club, I don't know why they didn't just push the show back by a few hours.

Sam and his band are clearly inspired by Odd Future. If word went out on social media that Odd Future was giving a secret show in LA in two hours with free high end food and booze, there would be a goddamned riot, just a brutal onslaught of people. Gretchen would have definitely known that and know how to make it happen.

Although her expert Spanish in the scene where she recruits the people from the "Iglesia Mas o Menos" ("Church, More or Less"!) was hilarious, as was her blithe comment, "Who doesn't speak Spanish in LA?"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:33 AM on September 1, 2016

"Crepes are just pancakes for assholes."
posted by General Malaise at 3:27 PM on September 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

I've done a small survey of friends, workmates and relatives. A surprising number of them don't wash their legs. How weird is that? Those that do wash their legs are as shocked as Jimmy at hearing about the non-leg washers.
posted by unliteral at 4:48 PM on September 1, 2016

You know who washes their legs? Everyone who takes a shower.

Also, goddammit, Edgar.
posted by Etrigan at 4:53 PM on September 1, 2016

You know who washes their legs? Everyone who takes a shower.
Well, that was her argument too, "water falls on them". Until you apply soap you are not washing them though.
posted by unliteral at 5:01 PM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

I figured Gretchen might be showering "similar to a man".

(Not trying to imply I would ever shower like this...)
posted by bigendian at 5:16 PM on September 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

George Carlin: All you really need to do is to wash the four key areas; armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth. Got that? Armpits, asshole, crotch, and teeth.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:40 AM on September 2, 2016

When they started about washing legs, I immediately thought that this seemed like something I'd read about on AskMe before, and yes, of course: What do you do when taking a shower and how fast do you do it? and I don't wash my legs.

I thought it was funny that Gretchen felt the need to announce that she'd be a bit longer, as if it would take a really long time for her to wash her legs.

> Although there was one storyline that rankled me, from a believability perspective. Of course, as an industry promotions professional, Gretchen should have know that the "tell no one" approach to the secret show would have been a disaster. I didn't buy that at all.

It was pretty clear during the meeting that she knew not doing press would be a bad idea. I figured she either didn't really care, or thought the guys would handle it somehow. Because they were quite insistent she'd not do anything.
posted by bjrn at 10:18 AM on September 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Because they were quite insistent she'd not do anything.

This is what I thought. I didn't think she was shirking or being incompetent. She did exactly as Sam told/threatened her.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:28 PM on September 2, 2016

I loved this episode, but I always liked Paul and was hoping Paul and Lindsay would work out.
posted by zutalors! at 7:10 PM on September 2, 2016

But they can't, can they?

Somewhat related, am I the only one who think it's weird no one on the show has considered that Lindsay might be pregnant from one of the times she cheated on Paul? Didn't she tell Becca and maybe also Gretchen about her hookups?
posted by bjrn at 7:10 AM on September 3, 2016

The Béchamel gag was nice.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:39 AM on September 3, 2016

But they can't, can they?

I don't see why not. They work in a weird way.
posted by zutalors! at 8:22 PM on September 7, 2016