What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 1, Episode 9 “I'm Going to the Beach with Josh and His Friends!” (B+)

This is the first episode this show has aired since Rachel Bloom won a very well-deserved Golden Globe for her performance as Rebecca, and this episode is another shining instance of her talent and commitment to the role. It started out on a very sentimental and melancholy note, with Rebecca singing softly that she totally had friends, and then being called over by the crew she’d love to be a part of and invited by Valencia to spend the day at the beach with them. Hiring a party bus for the group was a great idea if a bit extravagant, but that only made things worse when Rebecca ended up all by herself with the two couples and the unexpected pair that formed when she invited along someone she fully expected to be on her side. This was inarguably the show’s best use of Darryl, who was even more desperate than Rebecca to be included but then easily bonded with his fitness idol, White Josh, in a way that she wasn’t able to because she just doesn’t care about what he likes. Rebecca’s pole-dancing display was certainly something - Bloom in full form - but the result of that was an unfortunate attack by all parties that resulted in everyone except for Josh shunning Rebecca, including those she thought might stick by her - Greg and his new girlfriend, also known as Rebecca’s neighbor Heather - abandoning her. Her confession to Paula about loving Josh was so wonderfully genuine, and it’s true that they really are so right for each other. While loving him was a major reason that she moved to West Covina, her speech about happiness was quite convincing and I think pretty rooted in truth.