Costumes are not the only thing we are celebrating from this year in television and there have been plenty of incredible music infused moments. A lot of these have come in the final minutes of an episode with a song nailing the emotional pitch of a last scene. One such striking track use comes in the third episode of Orange is the New Black with the Dum Dum Girls “Coming Down” playing over one character’s devastating descent; further adding to the despair felt by these character and the glassy eye reaction from me.
HBO shows tend to be experts at the end credit music choices with Girls, Looking, Togetherness and The Leftovers (Simon & Garfunkel featured here as well as in hotel karaoke) delivering fantastic selections. This includes both songs I already hold close to me – “This is the Day” by The The – and ones I had never heard before like Lily & Madeleine; Spotify tells me they are one of my most listened to bands this year and that is all because of Togetherness. There is also my favorite end credits sing along moment that came courtesy of Mad Men and the use of “Space Oddity.”
There is one show that consistently had me reaching for the rewind button and my phone to Shazam the end track week in, week out and that is You’re the Worst. Sometimes it would be after I stopped laughing, but more often than not I had to wait to stop crying and uncurl myself from the ball I found myself in. Yep this season has still been hilarious, but it also did some incredible things on an entirely different emotional level and quite often these came in the closing moments.
The first indicator that all is not well comes at the end of episode 4 as Gretchen drives off in the night to destinations unknown (at this point), but the manner in which she does it and Torres’ “New Skin” point to something much bigger. At the time I referred to it as a gut punch of a moment and it still remains this way; knowing where Gretchen was going only adds to this sentiment and it is one of the most emotionally affecting scenes on television this year.
When we discover where Gretchen has been going – to cry in her car while playing Snake – and Jimmy responds with relief that she’s not cheating on him the song by Still Corners is a dreamy like affair as he walks away smiling and she returns to sobbing. It is somewhat emotionally surreal and wouldn’t sound out of place on a Sofia Coppola soundtrack.
By episode 9 Gretchen’s depression has hit new levels and Jimmy is so oblivious to her Claire Danes level of scrunched up face despair his dialogue gets slowly muffled as the music gets louder; like an alternate less murdery take on Simon & Garfunkel’s “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night.” What about when Jimmy stays? In between my sobs which mirror Gretchen’s and then my laughter that immediately follows Lindsay’s utterance of “farts” this Siskiyou track feels like a joyous warm blanket.
Sadly there is no “New Phone Who Dis?” on either Spotify or the end credits, but this is also one of my TV music highlights of the year. I am also waiting for the perfect time to respond to a text with this line.
So thank you You’re the Worst for all the new bands you have introduced me to and for ending each episode in ways which deliver such an emotional response. I’m sure regular TV Ate My Wardrobe readers will know how much I relish a good misty eye moment.
And for your listening enjoyment here is a complete playlist of the You’re the Worst season 2 end credits music.
Stay tuned for more Best of 2015 posts!
Tags: Aya Cash, Chris Geere, Desmin Borges, Girls, Kether Donohue, Looking, Mad Men, Orange is the New Black, Stephen Falk, The Leftovers, Togetherness, You're the Worst
Last year Togetherness introduced me to Lily & Madeleine – I have been listening to them non-stop since including earlier today – and the music department has a fondness for excellent lady artists and this tradition continued this week with Laura Marling and the melancholy “Walk Alone.”
TV Ate My Wardrobe 
