Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (S1. E15-16)
Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 2:45PM Dancin' Dan back again to cover the next two episodes of the EMMY AWARD WINNING Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Yes, it's true! At the Creative Arts Emmys, our favorite musical comedy TV show won two trophies: Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (for the pilot episode) and Outstanding Choreography (for the numbers I'm So Good at Yoga, A Boy Band Made Up of Four Joshes, and Settle For Me). CONGRATULATIONS, SHOW!
But now, back to the business at hand. This time out, Rebecca learns something with a little help from her friends, and embarks on an attempt to make healthier choices in her life.
S1. E15: "Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!"
After running away at the end of last episode, Rebecca falls asleep on her plane to New York and is visited by a "Dream Ghost" vesion of her therapist, who takes her on a journey through her past. Meanwhile, no one else knows where Rebecca is, prompting lots of panicking back in West Covina.
Let's rank the crazy!
Not Crazy, Totally Sane
Greg reminds everyone that it doesn't make sense to call the police when Rebecca hasn't even been missing for a full day yet. BUT, as Dr. Dream Ghost Akopian shows Rebecca (never mind the metaphysics of it all), he made calls to all the area hospitals and some morgues to make sure she wasn't severely injured or dead. He's a good egg, that Greg. And also, according to Darryl, super hot, "if you like angry."
Just A Touch Hormonal
College-age Rebecca decided to audition for an original musical based on Moby Dick, even though her mother wouldn't approve, and while she makes an instant connection with an awkward, nerdy fellow ensemble member, she almost instantly hops into bed with the artsy-fartsy douchebag who created and directed the show. Unfortunately, sleeping with just one girl isn't part of his artistic process, and it leaves Rebecca quitting the show, heartbroken.
Adorably Awkward
Young Rebecca (how perfect is young Ava Acres?!?) uses her Bat Mitzvah money to buy herself a ticket to visit her Dad. Only problem is, she didn't tell anyone where she was going. But she makes a full pancake breakfast for the two of them! Present-day Rebecca is appreciative, but not thrilled to learn that her mother was actually on her side in this situation.
Bonker Balls
Paula takes a day off work. In Rebecca's house. Wearing Rebecca's bathrobe. And after she realizes Rebecca is not in Hawai'i like they planned, Paula opens Rebecca's laptop, enters her password, and snoops through her email. Because, as she explains to an incredulous Darryl:
"What, your friends don't know all your passwords? Mmmmmm... not sure I would call them friends, then!"
...But Self-Aware
Thanks to Dr. Dream Ghost Akopian, Rebecca gets a hefty dose of self-awareness this episode: That she focuses too much on the men in her life to see that she has love all around her, especially from the new friends she made in West Covina, the first place where she acted like a person. And even more importantly, that her love of musical theater runs deep. REALLY deep:
"When things get tough it's how I understand the world. I see things as a series of musical numbers."
And, most importantly, that Josh may have been her dream for a long time, but he's just an illusion that made her lose sight of all the other good things she had in her life.
Episode Grade: A+ There may only be one musical number, but that doesn't stop this episode from being absolute perfection. To realize how good this episode is, and then realize that this isn't even the show operating on all cylinders, the lack of major Emmy nominations becomes even more infuriating.
MVP: Episode writers Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna, who know exactly how much of everything - musical numbers, snark, sentiment, metatextual games - to throw in and not have too much of anything. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the biggest highwire act on TV, and doing an episode like this kicked that already high degree of difficulty up several notches.
Songs: "Dream Ghost" (Dr. Akopian, feat. Dream Ghosts Amber Riley and Ricki Lake), the show's biggest ear worm yet.
S1. E16 "Josh's Sister Is Getting Married!"
Rebecca is trying to move on from Josh, but his sister asks her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Rebecca tries to patch things up with Valencia by getting her in the bridal aprty, too, but Paula is having none of this "moving on" bullshit.
Not Crazy, Totally Sane
Greg correcting everybody who thinks some college other than Emory is "the Harvard of the South." Sorry, but I went there, and it is. Point of pride, man!
Rebecca actually takes the advice of Dr. Dream Ghost Akopian to be happy with what she has, honestly making nice with Valencia and getting rid of all her Josh stuff... and NOT hooking up with Greg when he's drunk attempting to study at a bar, despite his offer.
Crazy IRL, But Not on TV
Rebecca and Valencia trying on Jayma's wedding dress would be a giant flashing red light if they were real people, but characters in TV shows and movies do this so often that it doesn't come off that way anymore.
Plus, it leads to THIS, which SEEMS "Bonker Balls", but according to multiple female friends of mine, is just plain truth:
Crazy Cute
Greg mentoring the lovesick grocery clerk Marty, in the ways of getting the affection of someone who could not be any less into you, culminating in the hilariously inappropriate ballad "Cleanup On Aisle Four".
Crazy Hot
Greg and Rebecca finally hook up, because Rebecca has finally moved on from Josh, and because Santino Fontana looks like that while saying THAT.
Bonker Balls
Well, it finally happened: Paula has become crazier than Rebecca. First, she doesn't want Rebecca to get rid of her Josh memorabilia (including a teddy bear with Josh's face on it, dubbed "Channy Bear", a "Josh Loves Me" mug, an "I <3 Josh" thong, and most disgustingly, a portrait of Josh made entirely of dried pasta). Then, despite Rebecca's insistence that she has given up, that Valencia has "won" the battle for Josh, Paula pushes her into Jayma's bridal party, which Rebecca manages to work in Valencia's favor... UNTIL Paula hacks into Valencia's accounts ("Valencia's password was so easy... 'Valencia1' I mean, come on!") and posts the picture of Valencia in the wedding dress to her Instagram feed, completely destroying Rebecca's friendship with Valencia and the Chans.
...But Self-Aware
Rebecca calls Paula out on her crazy, and at first Paula throws it right back at her, noting that every time that something good happened with Josh in the past, Paula did something against Rebecca's wishes, and Rebecca ended up thanking her for it. But then Paula admits that she's afraid that without the pursuit of Josh, Rebecca won't be her friend anymore (remember, this is the basis of their entire friendship). To which Rebecca says:
"We don't need Josh Chan, because I don't need him."
Friendship is a beautiful thing!
Grade: A- Greg's storyline may be a tad too on the nose, but everything else works like gangbusters. This show is really on a roll in its back half.
MVP: Gabrielle Ruiz. Once again, she manages to find so many layers in her portrayal of Valencia, and her gradual warming up to Rebecca is beautiful to behold, especially given all that's come between them. But despite that, she doesn't let Valencia's ugly, stuck-up, self-important side go too far away.
Songs: "I Could If I Wanted To" (Greg), "Cleanup on Aisle Four" (Marty), "Heavy Boobs" (Rebecca)
Introducing: Ruby (Joy Regullano), Jayma's "dud" of a fourth bridesmaid.
Only five more weeks until Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is back on our TV screens! Here's the first trailer for Season 2:
Looks like they are going all out - those costumes! Are you guys as excited as I am?
Reader Comments (2)
Episode 15 is fantastic, the Dreamgirls-like rendition of the song's episode is amazing (and loved Ricki Lake and Amber Riley here). Dr. Akopian needs to be more next season.
Episode 16 is really solid, and agree, Paula might need as much help as Rebecca, but i really enjoy their friendship. In the end, sometimes we need people as crazy as we are around us. And Greg's number is both terrific and frightening (because we see he has plenty of self-loathing issues just like Rebecca)
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