Once a huge deal for Hollywood, onscreen musicals were largely relegated to Disney animations by the 1980s. Then about seven years ago, musical comedy wormed its way back into the spotlight with a handful of popular TV shows, such as Flight of the Conchords and Glee. Thanks to their campiness and subversion, musicals were back—and au courant once again. The newest show to carry that torch? Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
The show follows Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), a New York lawyer who has a nervous breakdown and follows an ex-boyfriend (the dreamy, but dim, Josh Chan, played by Vincent Rodriguez III) to West Covina, California. There’s only one problem: Josh is in a relationship with a super-hot yoga instructor, Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz). Oh, and Josh’s best friend, Greg (Santino Fontana), falls in love with Rebecca. Aaaaand Rebecca goes off her prescription meds, has to finally face her major childhood trauma, and can’t let on that she moved to West Covina for Josh.
Hate the title? Us too, but ignore that. Think you’ve seen this storyline play out before? You haven’t. Trust. If you’re not convinced, let the show’s genius musical numbers, hugely influenced by co-creator Bloom (of "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" Internet fame), win you over. Season 2 starts Oct. 21, so sing along and get your binge on before the new episodes air.
Number of Seasons: 1 (18 episodes)
Time Requirements: Roughly 12 hours, or two episodes a day for a week and a half.
__Where to Get Your Fix: __ Netflix
Best Character to Follow: Rebecca Bunch is the biznezz. It’s OK to feel alienated by her crazy antics in the beginning—you’re supposed to. But, as time goes on, Rebecca’s charms shine through and you can start to see how maybe, just maybe, she’s right about Josh. And if that’s the case, how crazy is she really?
The best subplots follow Rebecca’s bestie, Paula, and their boss, Darryl. Paula lives vicariously through Rebecca’s romantic pursuits as she struggles with her own failing marriage and takes a terrifying emotional journey from Rebecca’s peppy sidekick to straight-up criminal with a mommy complex. If you love old-school Broadway pipes, Paula is your girl. Meanwhile, Darryl goes through a magnificent sexual awakening when he falls for a gym-rat bro with a big smile, a closet full of tank tops, and a heart of gold. (Darryl + White Josh 4ever.)
Seasons/Episodes You Can Skip:
It’s a plot-driven show with recurring jokes. So don’t skip if you can help it. But if you must...
Season 1: Episode 10, "I'm Back at Camp with Josh!" This episode can best be summarized by saying that Rebecca volunteers (or, err, pays to volunteer at) a summer camp to be close to Josh and becomes so stupefied by her proximity to him that she’s confused when a group of teen girls tell her about “Blowie Point.” Is it just very windy up there, she wonders? Now, Ms. Bunch is not the most self-aware or emotionally stable. But, for the love of god, she is an intelligent, Ivy-educated attorney. Watch only this episode and you'd think she was a total idiot. The episode is redeemed by the appearance of Snailiana Grande and The Pussycat Dolls parody, “Put Yourself First."
Season 1: Episodes 12 and 13, "Josh and I Work on a Case!" and "Josh and I Go to Los Angeles!" There’s a period where Crazy Ex-Girlfriend gets so cringe-worthy that it’s hard to watch. In an effort to get back in Josh’s good graces, Rebecca leads his apartment complex through a lawsuit suing for a lack of hot water. It’s a largely forgettable (and often awkward) plotline save for the hot make-out sesh at the end of “Josh and I Go to Los Angeles!”
__Seasons/Episodes You Can’t Skip: __
Season 1: Episode 1, “Josh Just Happens to Live Here!” After a butter ad sends her spiraling into a nervous breakdown, Rebecca encounters Josh, a summer-camp ex who is moving home to West Covina (just two hours from the beach!). She secretly follows him out West and then tries to figure out how to casually run into him in the hope that he’ll maybe ask her out. What could possibly go wrong?! The show includes two of the series’ iconic songs, “West Covina,” an old-school ode to the LA ’burb, and “Sexy Getting Ready Song,” which covers the unseen horrors women go through to get ready for a night out. There’s an oft-referenced ass blood joke and this killer line: “Whisper your dick hard.” (How does this stuff get on the CW? We may never know, but bless them.)
Season 1: Episode 2, “Josh’s Girlfriend Is Really Cool!” Like most women, Rebecca likes to get dolled up, but sometimes she also goes to the corner store in her PJs. And, like most women, that’s exactly when she happens to run into her ex and his hot girlfriend smooching in the freezer aisle. This is also the episode where Rebecca pursues an ill-fated friendship with said girlfriend. Stay tuned for the gang’s trip to Spiders and Valencia’s “I’m So Good at Yoga.” It’s relatable: Because if your ex isn’t dating a Valencia, you’ve absolutely taken a yoga class from one.
Season 1: Episode 4, “I’m Going on a Date with Josh’s Friend!” Oh, Greg. “I still like you, and I know I shouldn’t. I don't want to. Because you’re not that nice to me and you’re weird and I tell myself to stop thinking about you. But every time you show up, it’s like BOOM, feelings.” Poor Greg knows he's second-best to her fantasy of Josh, but asks Rebecca out anyway in the tremendous "Settle for Me." It's definitely not the best way to kick off he and Rebecca's first date, where, in true California form, they attend a taco festival and argue about a guacamole competition that pits a traditional recipe against one made by vegan hipsters.
Season 1: Episode 6, “My First Thanksgiving with Josh!” Rebecca has found a crack in the veneer: Josh loves his family. And his family hates Valencia. Rebecca's plan? Get invited to Thanksgiving dinner and win them over. “Would I like to go to the Chans'? Would I like to be surrounded by the unconditional love of a hundred Filipinos? Of course I would.” Naturally, that means stalking Mrs. Chan at the local Asian market and whipping up some dinuguan.
Season 1: Episode 9, “I’m Going to the Beach with Josh and His Friends!” While sipping from a water bottle with a straw, Valencia plots an act of girl-on-girl sabotage: inviting Rebecca to the beach. There's nothing like a hot bikini bod for some sweet, sweet body-shaming revenge. Until this point, Rebecca is in love with the fantasy of Josh. But when she gets him and his buddies on a party bus (complete with a stripper pole) she starts to see the real him—and everyone sees a whole lot more of her. Hate to side with Valencia, but perhaps she’s right that the best way to get the party started isn’t by showing someone else’s boyfriend your cervix. Regardless, "West Covina (Reprise)" will give you feels.
Season 1: Episode 11, “That Text Was Not Meant For Josh!” We’ve all been there—you write a text about someone and accidentally send the text to that someone. This episode goes nuclear when Rebecca means to rant about Josh to Paula and sends the message to Josh’s phone. It’s a brilliant exercise in figuring out how the hell to get out of this situation. Though, spoiler, it’s basically impossible. For once, Rebecca can’t lie and squirm her way out of the situation. Luckily for us, it results in a glorious ballad to self-loathing.
Season 1: Episode 14, “Josh Is Going to Hawaii!” We get the first big self-aware turn: Not only is Rebecca broke from spending all that money in an effort to get closer to Josh, but she realizes that, just maybe, she’s the bad guy in Valencia and Josh’s love story. Darryl reveals his orientation in the ska-inspired “Getting Bi,” and we get to see Paula as an animated raccoon. So, yeah, this episode is really great.
Season 1, Episode 16, “Josh’s Sister Is Getting Married!” Valencia still isn't happy that Rebecca and Josh kissed. "If it was any other situation, I would take off my earrings, my extensions, and my wings and curb-stomp you.” Can’t say we blame you, Valencia. Rebecca does some deeply creepy, self-deprecating stuff to try to get back on Valencia’s good side, including trying on Josh’s sister’s wedding dress. Eek! Even if you’re not #teamgreg, you'll squeal at the ending. And probably cringe, too. "This is going to be three days of you and me just ruining each other," Greg tells her. "And not emotionally."
Season 1: Episode 17, “Why Is Josh in a Bad Mood?” Though she has long admired his half-Italian bod, Paula has never rooted for Greg. Still, once Greg starts secretly smashing Rebecca’s butterfly, things start to make sense. They seem to really like each other! It’s almost effortless! So, yup, you know that surely can’t last. Especially considering that Greg can’t keep his cool. “Yup, light and polite, except in the bedroom, you dig?” Also, pay attention for the wildly underrated song about giving your partner a UTI.
Season 1: Episode 18, “Paula Needs to Get Over Josh!” Paula goes full-Mama Rose in the show’s second reversal, “After Everything I’ve Done for You (That You Didn’t Ask For).” (Maybe we should have seen it coming considering Paula befriended Rebecca after hacking onto her work computer?) Rebecca and Josh finally hook up at his sister’s wedding (guest-starring Lea Salonga as his Aunt Myrna!). Rebecca gets a totally batshit, love-drunk look as Josh suddenly delivers everything she wanted. He makes out with her on the hood of a convertible! He reveals that he carries around her letter everywhere he goes! He takes off his shirt! It’s all so perfect. Until, LoL, it isn’t. Because Rebecca mentions to Josh that she moved there for him. Uh oh.
Why You Should Binge:
Binge-ing means you won’t miss out on the long-running jokes, including the regular reworking of the intro. But if the show or Josh-centric episode titles make you wonder whether you should watch it at all, don’t fear. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is one of the funniest, most subversive shows on TV, with a diverse cast and plot lines that normalize mental illness and celebrate a spectrum of sexual orientations.
Best Scene—"Feeling Kinda Naughty":
We'll let this one speak for itself: “I wanna kill you and wear your skin like a dress/ But then also have you see me in the dress/ And be like, ‘O-M-G, you look so cute in my skin!’”
The Takeaway:
West Covina happens to be where Josh lives... and that’s exactly why she’s here. (Oh, and take note Hollywood: This is diversity done right.)
If You Liked Crazy Ex-Girlfriend You’ll Love: For shows with musical interludes, check out Garfunkel and Oates or Flight of the Conchords. If you want a comedy with similar sensibilities, Jane the Virgin, Master of None, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, or Inside Amy Schumer might be up your alley. And for other shows that depict mental illness and depression, try UnReal or BoJack Horseman.
