I have a tendency to avoid mainstream sitcoms because the latent hipster in me refuses to acknowledge that shows like “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Big Bang Theory” have any merit in the humour section whatsoever. Or at least that's what I say to people who ask me whether I like those shows or not, just to piss them off. The real reason I avoid shows like these is because they tend to stretch thin a character's ability to grow and evolve over the course of the show, and I find the clichéd storytelling tedious and utterly unimaginative.

This year has seen a host of new TV shows piloted, and of the few which made it past the initial phase of getting kicked off the airwaves, “You're the Worst” gets a seal of approval because of the way it is presented.
It will resonate well with the crowd, which, like me, try to avoid clichés. Now that I've used “cliché” three (four?) times already in this review, I will not use it to tell you how refreshing and utterly lovable the characters in this show are. I will, however, say that this show needs to be given a chance before you dismiss it as another rom-com sitcom with sarcasm, wit, and a bunch of good looking people sleeping around with each other.

It is precisely that. Centering on two of those people, the kind of people who go to great lengths to avoid labelling but end up being labelled as such any way; the show details the plight of the on and off relationship between Jimmy and Gretchen. Jimmy is the typical out of luck writer with a pretentious attitude, and Gretchen is a 20-something PR woman desperate to hold on to her debauchery and lack of commitment. When they meet at Jimmy's ex-girlfriend's wedding, what they expected was an attachment free tryst between two inebriated adults; what it turns into is a complex mix of carefully trimmed boundaries and well-tended emotions. No one thinks they'd ever be together, but there they are, being the label-allergic complex couple.

Dry humour, life lessons, outlandishly portrayed characters with a dose of first world problems (“I'm married to an accountant, I drive a Jaguar and I have to attend these high-society parties. Uggghh…”), are all abound in this show. Jimmy's only friend, Edgar, is a drug-dealer turned war veteran suffering from PTSD, and is an absolute gem of a character, with funny one-liners. Gretchen's best friend can be very annoying, but she provides solid humour as the disgruntled suburban.

Main reason to watch the show? Aya Cash. A talented actress, her portrayal of the bumbling Hollywood PR rep in love (?) with a man-child outshines the rest of the cast.

It's a show that tries to avoid clichés, and positively hates on them through the dialogue and the characters, but it ends up being a cliché anyway. Things have come full circle, and now I've said “cliché” five times. I'd like to suggest “You're the Worst” to people who are disillusioned by relationships and think they can continue to deny the merits of one. It might just change your mind.

Suggested for the slightly more mature audience.