The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed

Lore & Background

The episode's cold open introduces Cassie Howard's childhood ice skating dreams being dashed when her father abandons her family. In the episode proper, Rue Bennett falls into a depression leading her to avoid peeing, as referenced in the title. Meanwhile her girlfriend, Jules Vaughn heads for the city. The plot includes Rue watching hours of Love Island, unmotivated to leave her bed, causing her bladder to shut down. Rue visualizes herself as a film noir hardboiled detective on a mission to find out what happened between Jules and Nate Jacobs. Eventually, Rue figures out that Nate has framed Tyler for assault, threatening Jules by releasing nude photos of her. During a friend meetup, Maddy warns Cassie not to tell McKay about her abortion. When Kat chimes in with a dismissive comment, Maddy chastises her, causing Kat to storm out in tears. Rue has trouble adjusting to her mother Leslie's new boyfriend. At Fezco's apartment, Rue imagines pill bottles begging her to take them. As her relationship with Rue sours, Jules takes a train to Los Angeles. She reunites with her old friend TC, who introduces Jules to their roommate Anna. Cassie tells McKay she's pregnant; the two discuss the effects this will have on their future, with McKay being supportive. As a webcam model, Kat has an uneasy conversation with someone using a black screen and a voice changer, and she immediately decides to end the session. Fezco confronts Nate, threatening to harm him if he keeps messing with Rue and her friends. Rue develops a urinary tract infection, while Jules, Anna and TC go clubbing and take psychedelic drugs. As Anna and Jules have oral sex, Jules hallucinates about both Nate and Rue. That evening, the police get a tip-off from Nate and arrive at Fezco's, forcing Fezco and Ashtray to flush all of their gear. Rue is found lying in a heap on the floor by Leslie, who helps her up and bathes her. The next morning, Jules texts Rue, telling her that she missed her.

Reader's Guide

The episode is significant for its unflinching portrayal of depression, particularly through Rue's inability to get out of bed and her resulting physical symptoms. Critics noted its honest take on mental illness, with Vice's Alex Wexelman writing that it was "honest about the painful, unglamorous realities of depression" and comparing Rue to BoJack Horseman. The episode also advances multiple character arcs, including Cassie's pregnancy reveal and Jules' journey to Los Angeles. Its production design by Kay Lee was nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award. The episode's cold open, which explores Cassie's childhood and her father's abandonment, was praised for adding depth to her character. The episode's legacy includes being ranked last out of eighteen episodes by BuzzFeed, which called it "mostly a set-up episode for the season 1 finale without many iconic moments or levity," while IndieWire placed it eighth in a list that included later episodes, noting its "refreshingly honest take on mental illness."

Did You Know?

• The episode's title references Rue's avoidance of peeing due to depression.
• The cold open shows Cassie's childhood ice skating dreams ending when her father abandons the family.
• The episode features a tangent sequence where Rue acts out being a 1920s or 30s hardboiled detective, referencing Morgan Freeman in Seven (1995).
• Location shooting for Jules' train journey took place at Los Angeles Union Station.