You’re The Worst Review: Twenty-Two (Season 3 Episode 5)
Edgar’s PTSD has been a part of the narrative of You’re the Worst since the very first episode, but until now, it has only been briefly referenced to while the focus has mostly been on Jimmy and Gretchen.
It took them three seasons, but finally, You’re the Worst has given us the Edgar-centric episode we deserve.
Season 3 Episode 5, “Twenty-Two” shows us the world through Edgar’s eyes. His reality is tense, dark and full of paranoia. His world is one where all eyes seem to be on him. It is a place where danger is present in a bright daylight.
“Twenty-Two” repeats some of the events of “Men Get Strong.” While the neglect he gets from Jimmy, Gretchen, and Lindsay was visible in “Met Get Strong,” experiencing it through Edgar’s eyes really takes the uncaring attitudes of his friends to a whole new level.
Edgar is a man clearly in need of help but those closest to him are too preoccupied with their own lives to notice it. And honestly, keeping in mind their personalities, would they even care?
While it is no surprise to anyone that Gretchen and Jimmy are horrible people, witnessing their actions and behavior through Edgar’s eyes makes them seem ever worse. In its entirety, “Twenty-Two” is like a 25-minute cold shower that works as a reminder of how awful, self-centered human beings Jimmy and Gretchen really are.
Edgar: What if I go and this is my best last chance and they can’t help me?
Unlike Jimmy, Gretchen, and Lindsay, Dorothy is able to see Edgar’s struggle but fails to really reach him and to actually make a difference. Asking Edgar to get better, if not for himself, but for her sake somewhat makes it seem like Dorothy doesn’t believe Edgar is trying his best to get better.
Edgar’s meeting with the doctor at the VA doesn’t go quite as planned and he is told that unless he starts taking his pills again there is nothing they can do to help him. The doctor, who approaches Edgar’s problems with a flair of arrogance only manages to increase Edgar’s anxiety and hopelessness.
After being denied yet one more possibility to get better, Edgar hits the bottle.
For a show that usually relies on the antics of its two highly unlikable protagonists to generate laughter, “Twenty-Two” might seem like a big leap. All in all, “Twenty-Two” lacks the kind of humor and laugh-out-loud moments usually found from You’re the Worst and brings to the table something much more serious in a very subtle, yet powerful manner.
A monumentally bad day that could have led into a monumentally bad night actually turns into something that shows Edgar the light at the end of the tunnel. A tow truck driver, also a fellow veteran offers Edgar a different kind of perspective to a life after a war, and more importantly, seems to be the first person in Edgar’s life who really understands what he is going through.
The conversation between Edgar and the truck driver brings up a staggering and incredibly sad statistic, one most likely used as an inspiration for the name of the episode: an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day. The prevalence of suicide among veterans is brought up in Edgar’s story as well through a subtle, yet heartbreaking moment void of any sort of happiness.
One of the most impressive aspects of “Twenty-Two,” in addition to Desmin Borges’s brilliant performance, is the sound design which shows how simple sounds like the noise of a garbage truck can trigger Edgar and take him back to the scene of his trauma.
Tow Truck Driver: I know you don’t want to hear this, but the minute you stop looking for someone else to cure you maybe you start living again.
It will be interesting to see how You’re the Worst returns back to its more comedic content after “Twenty-Two”. While the lack of focus on Jimmy and Gretchen feels strange for a moment, Edgar’s story is extremely intriguing and this definitely felt like the perfect time to discover it a little bit more.
“Twenty-Two” is so far, without a doubt, the best episode of the third season of You’re the Worst as well as one of the best episodes of the show’s role run. Desmin Borges’s powerhouse performance is something that will be impossible to forget.
What did you think of this episode of You’re the Worst? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
You’re the Worst airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FXX.
Milka Väinämö
Milka is a Master of Arts with degrees in Film, Theatre, and Media Studies. She is obsessed with American sitcoms, ice hockey, pizza, coffee, and all things true crime. Her favorite shows include Parks and Recreation, The Office, Community, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, and The Gilmore Girls.