You're the worst

You're the worst

The play Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee showed us a toxic couple composed by George and Martha. This couple - during the whole play- was surrounded by alcohol, games and a song which reminded them of the party they had attended earlier that night. The song did also intend (under Martha’s plans) to carry the spirit of the party to George’s and Martha’s house - not succeeding, though.  

The play was mostly centered on the concept of selfishness, which could be related to Martha’s sterility and also, to the way the couple interacted - since none of them seemed to make an effort to emotionally connect with the other one. The only connection, which by the way was a quite strong one, was the connection of the game between Martha and George, as they played games with their guests Honey and Nick, whom did not seem to understand what was going on.

In 2014 was the premiere of an American comedy series created by Stephen Falk, called You’re the Worst. This series is centered on Jimmy and Gretchen who are a lethal couple, just as Martha and George. Jimmy, is a writer and Gretchen is a L.A. PR executive. This two characters met at a wedding, and they immediately felt sexually attracted to each other. 

The series shows the anecdotes of this two particular characters, who like to have fun by making cruel comments about other people’s lives. The series also shows how Jimmy and Gretchen deal with their problems as a couple, since the two of them are very stubborn and self-interested.

In the second season of You’re the worst Gretchen admits to suffer of depression, and Jimmy, who actually cares about her (but doesn’t want to admit it) tries to cheer her up, by inviting her to do things that he knows that she likes, for example: making fun of hipsters in fancy restaurants. As times goes on, Gretchen’s depression gets stronger and Jimmy keeps trying to “fix her”. In Albee’s play, Martha is the one that wants to “change” or “fix” George. She wants him to be what he used to be, as she is deeply disappointed of the man he has become.

  

I think that Gretchen and Jimmy are the Martha and George of the 21^st century, since the relationship (or the attempt of relationship) that Gretchen and Jimmy have, is highly similar to Martha and George’s one. The couple of the series are drunk all day, and moreover, they are a sarcastic couple that make jokes about things that people usually don’t laugh at. Jimmy and Gretchen are very similar, and completely different at the same time. 

The both of them have a dark sense of humor and they don’t mince any words. Nonetheless, Jimmy has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) whereas Gretchen is messy, this can be reflected in the places they live (before Gretchen moves into Jimmy’s) as Jimmy’s apartment is very tidy and Gretchen’s place is a chaos.

Gretchen and Jimmy, live with Edgar Quintero who is an Iraq War veteran that suffers PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). He is in charge of doing the house chores for both of them (Gretchen & Jimmy), and he’s often receiving offensive comments (jokes) from Jimmy. However, Edgar doesn’t seem to notice that, and that’s the reason why he and Jimmy continue to be good friends.

On the other hand, Lindsay Jillian is Gretchen’s best friend who is married to a nerd that has money to pay for her debts. Lindsay is not a “victim” from Gretchen’s comments, but an accomplice. It’s is an unusual character as she is really witty and naïve at the same time.

As mentioned before, George and Martha played games with Honey & Nick, who were a younger and unexperienced couple that were married under Honey’s father decision. By the time they married, Honey expected a baby from Nick. Later on, she loses the baby, but they remained married anyway.  

The couples described above, Lindsay & Edgar plus Nick & Honey are extremely similar. Even when Lindsay and Edgar don’t have an intimate relationship, they share the same characteristics that the couple in the play, since the two of them (the two couples) are part of the toxic main characters’ sick game. 

When the relationship of this two individuals (George & Martha or Jimmy & Gretchen) is analyzed, it isn’t hard to figure out that they are not good for each other. The reader/watcher, somehow knows that the play/series cannot end well, yet, we, as readers/watchers, keep reading/watching to see what happens. This situation might be related to our daily lives, where is highly plausible that we meet at least one couple – in a party, or wherever – that is toxic. This “toxicity” is what makes it interesting, as we can see them fighting and shouting each other in the bar and minutes later, see them kissing in the lady’s bathroom. Those types of situations (i.e. watching the couple’s fight) are the ones that reveal us that we are, in one way or another, part of their game.