S04.E11: From the Beginning, I Was Screwed

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Gretchen participates in a family tradition with Boone and his daughter while Jimmy competes on an NPR game show in an attempt to regain some literary cred. Lindsay's desire to help people leads her back into Paul's orbit, and Edgar attempts to deepen his friendship with Max.

[whiporee]

They have real chemistry together. Just that five minutes at the bar was more enjoyable than 95 percent of the season so far. I thought the kiss may have come too quick, but I was glad to see it. 

Lindsey and Paul was sweet. Her compassion towards him was tangible, and his sense of really being able to talk to her -- even if he was drunk -- was nice to see. Made them both seem a lot realer than they usually come across. 

Edgar has some stories to tell. I'm not sure Jimmy's doing him harm by having them keep them to himself most of the time. 

Nice to see Sam and Shitstain again (I guess this means Honeynutz is totally gone now). I thought their reaction to Ben Fold's was great. Also, Ben Folds at the restaraunt was funny. 
I had a bunch of Mahanttans and a blue drink). Cute lines. 

The Jimmy at the contest was too far. They really do seem determined to punish him -- but maybe they're trying to show that both he and Gretchen do need and are good for each other to keep them in line. Jimmy's confidence has been shot for a while, and it's starting to show everywhere. 

Much better than last week -- can't believe there's only two left. I have a fear of a Gretchen pregnancy scare.  

[3outta5]

I liked this episode except for the France striptease. Gretchen isn't a complete idiot! I know, I know - she's "the Worst". But c'mon.

Ben Folds is a treasure - I just love him. And I always enjoy the callbacks to Pets of Instagram.

“Don’t be sleeping on Dads. Dads know how to bang down real good on account of they pregged up a bitch before.” “That tracks.”

[iMonrey]

Felt really bad for Edgar. He finally had someone to confide in and open up to and it was like the dam just burst. I'm not sure I understood what happened at the end though. Did Max leave because he was overwhelmed by Edgar's stories? What was the significance of the phone call from Doug Benson? It sounded like Max was getting promoted over Edgar but I wasn't sure if there was a connection there.

I thought it was kind of funny that Lindsay sabotaged Jimmy without even realizing it. Classic Lindsay. 

[Blakeston]

I thought this was one of the show's weakest episodes.

Jimmy at that event wasn't funny, it was just cringeworthy.

Edgar really needs a decent plotline. I can't believe we're 11 episodes into the season and he's had so little to do.

And Boone's advice to Gretchen was to be herself with his daughter? Being herself has been a disaster. Aside from talking about the pets of Instagram, she should be the opposite of herself - like when she pretended that she was interested in the girl's book.

[TimothyQ]

5 hours ago, whiporee said:

They have real chemistry together. Just that five minutes at the bar was more enjoyable than 95 percent of the season so far.

This. I don't know if their last five minutes together was made better by all the time this season that they've spent apart or if it made me just really hate the first 10 episodes of this season even more because of all we might have missed out on. Regardless, I'm glad their storylines have finally come to a convergence.

 

And I second the sweetness with which Lindsey helped out Paul. I just worry for her going forward.

[Pamela]

Regardless of my feelings on this season in general (mostly "Meh" with a too-infrequent sprinkling of "Yes, that's the show I love"), Chris Geere is absolutely killing it this year. He's making Jimmy's sadness and quiet desperation increasingly obvious each week. In a really talented cast, he's the standout.

[arc]

13 hours ago, whiporee said:

Nice to see Sam and Shitstain again (I guess this means Honeynutz is totally gone now). I thought their reaction to Ben Fold's was great. Also, Ben Folds at the restaraunt was funny.  

Ben Folds was great!

And Honeynutz is gone because Allen Maldonado is way way way too busy.

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Felt really bad for Edgar. He finally had someone to confide in and open up to and it was like the dam just burst. I'm not sure I understood what happened at the end though. Did Max leave because he was overwhelmed by Edgar's stories? What was the significance of the phone call from Doug Benson? It sounded like Max was getting promoted over Edgar but I wasn't sure if there was a connection there.

I think Max wasn't so much promoted as transferred, probably at his own request, probably so he could get away from Edgar.

Max has been a weird cypher this whole season. Some times he's just the materialistic bad influence on Edgar, on rare occasions he's been legitimately helpful, and it's a little hard to get a sense of who he is. Then again, I guess Boone is also a weird mix of traits that changes a lot from episode to episode.

In any case, whether or not he's more like Gretchen than Jimmy (who is a good complement rather than a good mirror), I don't feel any real investment in the Boone-Gretchen relationship. It doesn't help that Gretchen herself has had a figurative foot out the door with him most of the season.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

14 hours ago, Blakeston said:

And Boone's advice to Gretchen was to be herself with his daughter? Being herself has been a disaster. Aside from talking about the pets of Instagram, she should be the opposite of herself - like when she pretended that she was interested in the girl's book.

I thought the same thing when he said that. I was like uhhh, that French striptease IS Gretchen being herself, which is selfish, inappropriate, and oblivious to other people.

Her awkward stilted fake conversation with his daughter is what worked, so she needs to go Costanza style and do the opposite of her natural instincts when she's around Boone's kid.

I loved who sincere Paul was when he looked around Lindsay's apartment and was so proud of her.

I totally expected drunken sleep-deprived Vern to blow Jimmy's plan at the NPR thing. I was surprised when he woke up long enough to deliver his pre-written heckle.

Poor Edgar. He finally got to unload and it scared Max so much that he got Doug Benson to give him a different job so he wouldn't have to deal with Edgar anymore.

[wendyg]

I wish the show hadn't brought in the character of Olivia. She's young, innocent, and just waiting to be hurt when Gretchen blows the whole thing up. The one compensation *might* be if in retribution for it all Anne Dudek's Whitney rediscovers the power of Krav Maga.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

13 hours ago, wendyg said:

The one compensation *might* be if in retribution for it all Anne Dudek's Whitney rediscovers the power of Krav Maga.

A+ HIMYM reference!

[Philip]

I've been watching YTW since the first season and while season four has had rocky episodes although I have to admit, the last two episodes were very satisfying to watch. Also,, I was kind of impressed they actually got someone young to play the role of a Polish that's actually Polish (rather than some random) because her face is of a native Polish, no question about it. Yeah, the Polish are cool and that's why I'm giving this scene so much praise. ;)

 

Gretchen playback-ing the French song was quite something, too. Speaking of which, does anyone know what's the name of that song? Thanks. :)

Edited November 11, 2017 by Philip

[macrone]

13 hours ago, Philip said:

Gretchen playback-ing the French song was quite something, too. Speaking of which, does anyone know what's the name of that song? Thanks. :)

I don't know if it was a legit French pop song or just a parody of "Zou Bisou Bisou," as the scene itself was a Mad Men parody: