Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the gift that keeps on giving. Sometimes you get a song about a UTI, or maybe you get the departure of a beloved character deconstructing the concept of a love triangle. Sometimes you're gifted with Darryl and White Josh cuteness with a side of female bonding like this week. Whatever it is that we get, it's no secret that the show always has something to offer. I have to admit that I was worried about the direction of the show once I learned that Santino Fontana is gone for good and that meant no more Greg and Rebecca. I was so invested in them as a couple I was heartbroken...until I realized how toxic that was for me. Rebecca is such a character in her own right and the show is so great, that it deserves better than for me to base my whole love of the show on who Rebecca ends up with. This show is about Rebecca and her journey to being happy with herself, and acknowledging and overcoming her own mental issues and not who Rebecca ends up with. With that in mind, I think an episode like Why is Josh's Ex-Girlfriend Eating Carbs? was a perfect way to start Rebecca on a journey to really finding herself outside of Josh. (I'm sure she'll regress eventually, but I'll take what I can get) Also, did I mention the Darryl and White Josh cuteness?
I have to say, I really enjoyed Valencia more than I ever did in season 1 this week. After seeing Valencia scarfing down donuts, Rebecca can't seem to get her mind off of her. Heather is making her pay every time she mentions Josh, so Rebecca is looking for someone to just sit and wallow in misery over Josh. She thinks the perfect person is Valencia. Bex tries to get Valencia to open up to her, but Valencia is not having it. Bex overhears Darryl and White Josh at the office, talking about their upcoming trip to to Electric Mesa, where they can 'Refresh. Connect. Heal' and she gets an idea. Bex kidnaps Valencia by luring her out under the pretense of sharing Dairy Queen and taking her to the festival. While there all Bex wants to do is talk about Josh, while Valencia wants to bury her thoughts about him. They end up taking a new hallucinogen called Triceratops, and end up hallucinating dream ballets. In Valencia's dream, she's an elegant ballerina approached by Josh who morphs into a Triceratops and then she stabs him and mourns over him. In Rebecca's dream, Josh is a ballet dancer and Bex is her normal self until she morphs into a Triceratops. She chases Josh, beats him, rips outs his heart and then takes a bite. They awaken and Valencia realizes she is sad about Josh. She may have been the one who ended things, but Josh had already left her emotionally by that point. She cries into Bex arms, while Bex laments that she's just angry at Josh. Just as Valencia laments how she never wants to see him again, Josh shows up to fix some broken speakers at the festival. When he finishes and is lauded as a hero, Bex and Valencia decide to pee on his equipment as a way to assert their dominance over Josh, who Bex says had marked them as his territory. They ended up getting caught by Josh, and for a second Bex flounders and you see her start to go into default-lie mode, but Valencia recovers quickly and lays into Josh, so Rebecca follows suit. The two of them hilariously tear Josh down, while building each other up. With that behind them, it looks like the two have formed a sort of friendship by the end of episode as Valencia meets Heather and Rebecca and even collects money form her when she mentions Josh.
I have to say I really enjoyed this little bonding session between the girls. Not only was it funny, but it also gave both of the characters closure. I don't know if or how long this new relationship with Valencia will last, but I am happy with the end result. I Honestly hope that for now Josh really is a non-issue for them both and they can go about finding themselves and loving themselves. My only gripe is the overuse of the word "bitch" at the end. I get the show is feminist and I understand that they want to take the word back, but I just feel personally calling each other that word is just as bad.
Darryl and White Josh have insecurities because they are real people with emotions not sideshow characters who service plot. Okay, let's get to the real reason we are all here. Darryl and White Josh. After weeks of just being in the back burner, this is week we finally got a whole plot about these two. White Josh is hanging around the office, in a button down with sleeves, just to see Darryl but he lets on to Bex that he's feeling a bit insecure about things. He still hasn't met Darryl's daughter Madison, nor have they exchanged the big L word. Before he can finish Darryl comes in super excited about some pants he bought for them to wear at Electric Mesa. Once there, Darryl is feeling insecure about being the oldest person there until he meets a fellow older gentleman named Carl, who comes over to greet White Josh. His comfort comes crashing down when he finds out that White Josh and Carl dated. White Josh teases him for being jealous, but things get worse when Darryl learns that several of the older men there, White Josh has dated. Darryl thought he was special, but now he just feels like he's just a fetish for White Josh. Surprisingly, it's Bex talking some sense into Darryl after her whole pee-bonding scenario that prompts Darryl to just talk to White Josh. The two talk, and White Josh reveals that he's been feeling insecure too, that he's just a boy toy to a man in a mid-life crisis and that it hurts he hasn't met Madison. Darryl apologizes because he thought it would've been too much, the two drop the L bomb and at the end of the episode, a nervous White Josh meets Madison. (She likes him!)
I don't know if you can tell, but I really love these two. I thought this was such a great little story for these two. Darryl just realized he was bisexual not too long ago, after he had already lived a good chunk of his life, so there were bound to be some insecurities, especially in his first relationship with someone of the same sex. I thought this was totally believable that he would react this way to seeing White Josh's exes because it brings up something he's been trying not to face. I also loved that White Josh is slowly being revealed to being more than just a meat head. He wants a future with Darryl and he wants to meet his daughter and it's all so cute. This was a great example of how to write gay characters as more than just plot devices. Kudos, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Paula and Sunil Go Sulking. Have I mentioned that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend never ceases to amaze me? Paula had an abortion, and the show didn't harp on it. It mentioned it and it kept on moving. It didn't discuss it at length, it didn't offer up a debate, it just told us it happened and it kept it moving basically doing it's part to remove the stigma around it. I love that we didn't get a preachy message about it, because at the end of the day, Paula made the decision and life goes on. We find out Paula had said abortion after she meets Sunil, who mistakes her self centered best friend Rebecca, for her self centered daughter. Paula has a meltdown about how she just wants to talk to Rebecca about her abortion but she feels it just hasn't been the right time. Sunil's response is that his wife committed suicide a few months ago and he lied to kid's about it. The two form a bond, one that strengthens when a douche in class refuses to share his note taking software with them and forma a scheme to get the software from him. They throw on their skulking outfits and break into his room and get the software, plus they get friendship bracelets. #FriendshipGoals. Later, when Paula and Sunil meet up to study, they run into Rebecca who is hanging out with Valencia and Heather. T hings are awkward and their is forced chatter and forced smiles coupled with a sense of longing as Bex and Paula watch each other mingle with their new friends.
Paula and Bex are the OTP of this show, so I fully support them having to see other people to grow and be better people. That is what's happening right now. Lately they have been each other's crutches and they rely on each other to keep themselves from trying new things, or moving on. I think the time apart will do them good, because they need to see what makes them great aside from scheming. Bex needs to learn how to be a good friend, and Paula has to learn to that Bex should be thankful that Paula is her friend and not the other way around and find the value in herself.
Josh can't be alone. I'm only really mentioning this plot because it had the only true musical number form this episode. Josh is going into work really early and organizing things. He's convinced he's fine, but his boss is convinced because Josh doesn't know how to be alone. Josh is sure that he does know how to be alone and he even sings about it. Surprisingly,
Thought Bubbles is not just relate-able but it's clever and sounds good. It's all about Josh thinks he can be alone with his thoughts, but then bad stuff comes creepy in and he's forced to deal with regret, emotion and doubt. Typically he could avoid this by not being alone ad having a girl, but here he is alone, and he seems determined to stay that way.
B. Josh ends up getting called to the festival, where Valencia and Bex end up laying into him, so he ends up telling Sherpa Allen that he's going to take some time off from women because they are crazy. Except, there's a mystery girl from the festival (Hello, Brittany Snow!) who shows up to thank Josh and he is immediately enamored. Later, back at work the dark thoughts come creeping back, but also thoughts about the girl he met named, Anna, so he whips out his phone to call her.
Episode Grade: A. This was a solid episode There wasn't a lot of music, but I was surely laughing at loud quite a bit, especially at the triceratops ballet. I actually didn't even notice Greg was gone. I'm really looking forward to focusing on the other relationships in this show that don't revolve around Josh Chan. I think that was my main take away from this episode, was that so many friendships are evolving and forming and I found that the most relate-able and appealing.
Character(s) of the Week: Darryl and White Josh. (I mean are you even surprised) I really enjoyed their growth this week, and in a show as zany as CeGF is the way it happened was relate-able. I look forward to watching them grow!
What did you think of the episode? Are you loving the new friendships? What did you think of how the show handled the Paula situation? How cute were Darryl and White Josh? Sound Off Below!
The next episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 'Who Needs Josh When You Have a Girl Group?' airs 12/2 at 8pm CT on the CW.
About the Author - Winston Mize
I always have the most trouble coming up with a blurb to describe me. Which is really weird for someone who wants to make a career out of writing. If you think I'm awkward online, it's just because you haven't met me in person. I'd like to think I have other interests outside of TV, and maybe I do, but TV is the one that gets me most excited. I live a pretty boring life so TV's the way I get my fix, and I'd love to chat about it with you. I'm also always looking to guest or start my own podcast, so if you've got the opportunity, I'm in there like swimwear. You can check me out with different previews of various shows or read my reviews of iZombie, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Legends Of Tomorrow here on the site. If you're a fan on One Tree Hill you can check out my podcast about as well by checking out our twitter page @OnlyOthPod.
