What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Series Finale)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 17 “I’m in Love”

Ending a show in a way that does justice to everything that’s come before it isn’t easy, and I’m particularly impressed by those shows that choose self-reference as the neatest and most optimistic way to wrap things up. This show lasting four years is actually quite a feat considering its title, and it was nice to see Rebecca run through the show’s different theme songs and some of its other memorable musical numbers during her eleven o’clock number. I assume most viewers probably expected that Rebecca wasn’t actually going to pick any of the three men that she’d so long been pining for, and the choice of focusing on herself could have felt forced. Instead, showing how Paula and others perceive her when she starts imagining a musical number was very enlightening and helpful, and Rebecca choosing herself meant that she could finally invest in her mental health in a productive way. Writing down her the lyrics she imagined would likely produce some strange reactions, but at least it means she’s being true to herself. Ending things a year after the events we’ve been recently seeing was effective since it allowed for some sweet summaries of what everyone has been up to, with negative thoughts reserved only for White Josh, who apparently never warmed to Rebecca, and George’s very unfortunate ponytail. I like that Heather and Hector were both so proud of their new hot tub, and it was sweet to see that Josh met someone while Nathaniel found the charitable, animal-loving side of himself. Valencia and Daryll found the perfect relationships too. Giving everyone, including Rebecca, a happy ending is a wonderful way to send this show out on after a wild four years on the air. This show has been so singular in the way it’s incorporated its musical numbers, and I sincerely hope that whatever project Rebecca Bloom chooses next is as fantastic a use of her talents.

Series finale: B+
Series grade: B+
Season MVP: Rachel Bloom
Season grade: B
Series MVP: Rachel Bloom
Best Season: Season 1
Best Episode: Pilot

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Penultimate Episode)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 16 “I Have a Date Tonight” (B+)

A good friend texted me yesterday asking what I thought of this show’s series finale and I quickly wrote back to her that I’m still a bit behind on all my television and hadn’t even finished this one yet. I’m catching up as quickly as possible, and so I should hopefully get to that episode later this week. I actually thought this was a great hour, since it showed Rebecca doing what she’s always wanted in three different situations – getting swept off her feet by a man she likes. I liked finding out that Heather, Valencia, and Paula are all on completely different teams, especially Heather who has now switched to #teamnathaniel after their bonding moment in her crappy car. The musical numbers are getting even more exciting, particularly the one about all the bets, and it’s good to see that this show is only intensifying its strongest assets rather than getting lazy about them as the end swiftly approaches. It did seem hard to beat Josh’s date recreating their time at camp, a surefire way to allow Rebecca’s nostalgia fever to dominate everything else (I’m also #teamjosh, so obviously I’d like his efforts best). Nathaniel’s date started poorly but then ended up being pretty romantic, but the way that this episode ended in such a subdued but serene way indicates that there’s no competing with the effortless charm of Greg, something I don’t quite understand but is likely to win out over our other two competitors. I eagerly await the conclusion of this show, which, based on this hour, will indeed be satisfying.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 15 “I Need to Find My Frenemy” (B+)

I didn’t expect to like this episode, but I did feel that it was a decent hour to air just as this show is about to end. It is true that Rebecca getting a call from her sworn enemy Audra Levine’s husband to go find her in Vegas was a stretch at best, and that it didn’t make much sense at all. Yet it was a great opportunity to feature the very talented Rachel Grate, who plays Audra, and for the two of them to have another rap battle, this time acknowledging the controversial title of their previous interaction. This show has always tried to comment on how different cinematic tropes are overused, and the slow walk through the hotel lobby was a clear instance of that which was purposely repetitive but entertaining nonetheless. It feels like all the female characters are headed somewhere, with Paula taking a great job yet staying true to herself rather than spend a ton of money on fancy new suits. Heather motivating Hector to take a bit more responsibility for not losing things was entertaining, and it looks like they’re going to work out. Valencia learning from Beth that she could propose was a hilarious development that will surely lead to an outrageous event designed to best all proposals. Rebecca trying to choose between her three suitors hasn’t gotten old, and I like that, after humorously asking each other to “stand down,” they came together to decide that she needed to go on a date with each of them. I have no idea who she’ll end up with – probably no one – but I’m eager to see what comes next.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 15 “I’m Finding My Bliss” (B-)

I didn’t love this episode, though at least it wasn’t a waste of time plot-wise as we hurtle towards the end of this show in just a few weeks. The thing that bothered me most was that Rebecca’s enthusiasm for community theater wasn’t matched by her talent. She’s always been presented as delusional and unable to see the way that others perceive her, but it wouldn’t be a problem if she was actually good at singing and just got a little bit too into her roles as she is apt to do. Rewriting the songs which had terrible messages was obviously something she was going to do, and it was hard to take that whole plotline seriously. The men in her life continue to be obsessed with her, with both Nathaniel and Josh taking active parts in the play process so that they could both spend time with her and impress her with their theatrical energy. At least Greg, the likeliest to end up with her, was focused on more productive things like his restaurant, with Heather there to provide just the encouragement he needed. Valencia being upset at Beth because she didn’t propose as she thought she would put an extremely tangential relationship in the spotlight, and this show can only get so many couples together before it ends, with Darryl and April seeming likeliest to last. Paula looking at other firms that can pay her considerably more than she would ever make where she is makes sense, and of course she’s always going to be there to help whenever anyone needs.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 13 “I Have to Get Out” (B-)

This episode took some very far-fetched turns as it went on, and I much preferred the early musical number that was extremely reminiscent of “La La Land” as Rebecca embraced the benefits of medication as sung to her by Dr. Akopian and a number of other patients who could only say generic names for legal reasons. I thought that the twin brother doctors were actually the same person, and it seems very clear that the one who has a sense of humor doesn’t actually comprehend what’s funny. Paula not getting signed out by the doctor in time to take the bar was a predictable development that didn’t need to lead to a jailbreak operation that somehow resulted in her getting to the test and returning without anyone noticing or her putting her health at risk. Rebecca’s drug-induced sleepiness was also awfully convenient, and I’m glad that she just took her visit to the morgue as symbolic rather than spend too much time down there. The boy with the extremely contagious cough really managed to run amok, and his energy level was helpful only for the two girls who previously hated each other when they realized that they wanted to set their parents up. I knew I recognized actress Maribeth Monroe, who plays April, from somewhere, and I’m glad to see that the portrayer of Mindy St. Clair from “The Good Place” will now be appearing on this show. Josh realizing that Greg had been back in town and not let him know led to a humorous awkward kung fu fighting montage, with Nathaniel just standing by without a clue what to do. If Greg and Rebecca aren’t going to be together, why can’t Josh end up with her? The only problem is that Nathaniel seems just as interested by that unexpected opening.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 12 “I Need a Break” (B)

After a few episodes that weren’t focused so centrally just on our protagonist, this hour dove right in to both Rebecca and Paula going through harrowing circumstances that are going to make them rethink how they reckon with the world going forward. This show is great at emphasizing just how much something has been said before even if viewers never noticed, first with Heather eternally being a student and now with Rebecca always wanting to go to a waterpark with whoever it is that is the subject of her romantic obsession. The impact here wasn’t nearly as detrimental as the ultimate reveal of what the lyrics for the season two opening credits song actually meant, but Greg singing his laundry list of things that he hated made Rebecca realize that the perfect relationship she had concocted in her head wasn’t actually that. Her descent was quick and spectacular, and good for both Nathaniel and Josh for resisting her advances because they’ve reached a point where they care about her more than they want to be with her. Resisting medication so intensely wasn’t healthy, and what she needs is a support system from her friends which, incidentally, is also what Paula needs, after she seemed like she was starting menopause but was actually experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. They’re both headed in a better direction now, but this episode showed just how easily they were able to regress when they stopped to paying attention to taking care of each other for even just a short time.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 11 “I’m Almost Over You” (B-)

This show seems to be doing everything possible not to follow a normal narrative course as it approaches, ever so slowly, its final episode on April 5th. I’d prefer that we got to spend time with our characters instead, but this show has never gone exactly the way anyone expected to, impressing when it first started by going well beyond the promise conveyed by its title. Now, we’re at the point where characters that we’ve known for a long time and not usually liked are gradually achieving redemption, though in some cases it takes a romantic comedy daydream to get there. Nathaniel has been irritating almost since he first appeared on the show, and I’ve enjoyed him more recently, especially with his intense insistence that he’s nice now, which was often expressed with far too much force. Having him be the unlikely choice to win Rebecca back and paired with Maya trying to win her ex back at the same time was somewhat entertaining, and it suddenly got serious as this show does every once in a while when Nathaniel realized that he was actually talking to Rebecca, who told him to let her go. This was worthwhile most for the spotlight on Maya portrayer Esther Povitsky, who is mostly relegated to being whiny on the sidelines. I also laughed at the notion of horrible boss Burt, who sent a fiercely loyal Tim to Sweden to get the manuscript for the nonexistent sixth book in the “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 10 “I Can Work with You” (B)

This episode mostly worked okay, even if some of the setup elements were a bit clunky and forced. The fact that Darryl’s baby is named Hebecca makes her entire existence hard to take seriously, and Rebecca revealed in her word vomit response to him why she had been avoiding acknowledging her for so long, which in turn should have made the far too trusting Darryl question the notion of leaving his child with her. Whenever someone in a movie or television show announces that a baby never cries, you know that you can expect them to do exactly the opposite, but, somehow, things worked out well here as Rebecca and Greg got to have their sweet – and then less appropriate – bonding moment in the context of trying to help calm this baby. Paula’s secret graduation party was a fun opportunity to do one of my favorite things in television, which is when characters who rarely interact get a chance to share screen time. Nathaniel insisting he was nice to Josh didn’t work, but then the discovery that they share a love for sports got them to be the perfect partners. While Heather and Beth were very happy to be paired up, Valencia and Hector didn’t feel the same way, and watching Hector pass on each card because he was so terrified was entertaining. Though he didn’t have the same romantic feelings for Valencia as Father Brah did, he did want to be her friend, and now it seems like everyone is in a good place. Everyone, that is, except for Nathaniel, whose reaction to Rebecca’s rekindled relationship with Greg is not going to be a good one.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 9 “I Need Some Balance” (B-)

This is an episode that I think I might have appreciated more if I was at all familiar with “Cats” beyond possibly (?) having seen the musical when I was much, much younger. This show has always been unapologetic in its weirdness, so why should it stop now? Of course Rebecca would try to relax with feminist porn that surely doesn’t exist in reality, but that introduction did help her to get serious about what she needed in order to move on from her exes, only one of who is truly over her. Trying to carry on a relationship with Jason was easy enough even with illnesses of different sorts on both of their parts, and I think the fact that Jason was accepting of any of that made his immediate departure upon finding both Nathaniel and Greg on her porch all the more indicative to Rebecca that she’s not the problem – it’s her baggage. White Josh tried his best to stop Nathaniel and Greg from becoming best friends at the gym (and failed), and I hope that their realization of their connection doesn’t mean the end of their newfound relationship. Valencia did announce that she’d be back for the rest of the season, and I guess that means she’ll be playing a role in Rebecca’s life that would never have seemed possible when they first met. Everybody has come far, including Josh, who has found some happiness for himself as Rebecca’s platonic roommate. I wasn’t terribly fond of the waste of time that was Darryl and Burt warring for the affection of their employees, and hopefully now we can just move on to the two similar and similar-looking men getting along as good friends.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 8 “I’m Not the Person I Used to Be” (B+)

This episode deserves some credit for cleverly bringing back a few characters that we haven’t seen either in a little bit or a very long time, and doing it while not so subtly referencing its impending end. Greg has been gone for so long, and the notion that he would return literally as a different person was a creative way to deal with the fact that actor Santino Fontana has moved on to other projects. Bringing Skyler Astin of “Pitch Perfect” fame in to play the new character who’s a bit like the old one but far more positive seems like a great idea thus far, and it’s good to see him catch Rebecca off guard by not responding to things in the way that she expects. Dropping the bombshell about sleeping with his dad didn’t even go all that poorly though, like Paula, we’ll have to wait a full month to discover what happens next. Josh making perfect matzah brei and Nathaniel being nice were just good progress, and now maybe she’ll be happy with someone else. I’m glad that Valencia and her mystery crush Father Brah didn’t get back into something but instead acknowledged that they missed their shot but still ended up in great relationships with other people/deities. Josh bonding with the unpopular magic club team, led by George, was a fun opportunity for Danny Jolles to finally get a solo song for George (he’s very excited about it). Hector being a terrible class president and White Josh abdicating the prom king throne were fun subplots too. This show won’t be over by Valentine’s Day as everyone kept suggesting, but I do think this episode may have turned a great corner!

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 7 “I Will Help You” (B)

I find Rebecca’s Jewish heritage to be one of the least compelling aspects of this show, maybe because it’s so over-the-top and portrayed in a negative fashion. Her only encounters with religion are derogatory, and the notion that her mom went to a camp actually called Camp Kvetcher is pretty absurd. What that framing did help do is show that, even if she’s not a senior partner at a law firm, she can still be there for her mother as a loyal and loving family member. Valencia getting Elayne Boosler because she has legitimate connections was a good resolution that helped Naomi stick it to Marilyn and Audra, and then Rebecca got to shut down her mother for trying to get her law career back when that’s not what she wanted. One thing that this show has always been good at is rehabilitating its supporting characters, which is why Nathaniel trying to be a good person and discovering what fuzzy feels like was actually the best use of that character in a long time. Josh being terrible at real life things was hilarious, putting a pan with spaghetti in the oven and quickly killing Estrea, and I love that he and Rebecca are now friends who are so far past everything that happens. I’m thrilled that they’re going to be roommates, and I’m not sure if I’m rooting for them to get back together or if they’ll be better off just being pals looking out for each other’s best interests with different romantic partners. Rebecca’s definitely remembering why she was attracted to both Josh and Nathaniel in the first place, which should lead to hijinks.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 6 “I See You” (B)

My favorite thing on television shows is when characters who don’t usually interact get to spend time together. That happened on two levels in this hour, with Heather and Nathaniel swapping grimaces in a car and Paula spending way too much time with her “bro with a truck” Josh. Nathaniel has been all over the place as a character for a while now, and I like that Heather got to take him down a few pegs before finally gaining some sympathy for him when she realized that he was indeed capable of human emotion. At first, it seemed like Paula just wanted to avoid the overly talkative and friendly Josh, but it soon became clear that she was just trying to avoid actually becoming a lawyer. Josh being strong enough to lift a heavy desk with one hand while doing other things was an amusing sight, and I’d like to see more of this new Josh. Rebecca not wanting Darryl, who now has no mustache, to be so emotional all the time started out being silly, but it was sweet to see them find comfort in each other before almost kissing and realizing that definitely wasn’t the way that their relationship is supposed to go. This show has always been about mocking television tropes, and showing three near-kisses got silly but no more so than it usually does. Rebecca being the normal one was a change, and maybe more experiences like this will help her become more comfortable with who she is.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 5 “I’m So Happy For You” (B)

It feels like we’re getting very close to the end here, even though there are thirteen episodes left. Heather moving just a couple hours away with Hector makes some sense since it might give Rebecca the opportunity to interact with a new roommate or two since it doesn’t seem likely that the first one will be the right fit. Valencia, on the other hand, has been a fringe character for a while now, and hopefully her returning back for the holidays from her New York shoebox will mean that we’ll actually see her just as much as we do now. I enjoyed her brief scene with Josh in which she told him that he needed to stop referring to Hector’s mom as such because that’s what made it weird. I can also appreciate the continuation of the plotline involving Paula feeling closer to her kids, and that her family knew exactly what she would do to try to keep Brendan from moving to Africa and set it all up so that they could pull off an elaborate prank. Her song about always never believing in him was clever, and my favorite line was “You were never a teacher’s pet but you did kill a teacher’s pet.” I like that Darryl threw his water in White Josh’s face and that he may end up getting along a little too well with the date that White Josh brought to the goodbye party, which should hopefully confirm what everyone already knows, which is that they belong together. Rebecca’s attempts to be young and hip with a new friend group so that she could win the contest with her friends that Dr. Akopian hilariously said made her nuts were probably the least entertaining part of this show, and I’d love to see Rebecca just get to enjoy life with things like her pretzel wine pairings for a bit while things happen to other people around her instead.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 4 “I’m Making Up for Lost Time” (C+)

Two weeks ago, this show had a Halloween episode, and now we have yet another hour that doesn’t feel entirely purposeful. I couldn’t remember if we had seen Tucker before, and, after spending a whole episode with him, I don’t feel that it’s improved my life at all. Rebecca, for all her eccentricities, is far too trusting, and unfortunately, many of the people in her life don’t have her best interests at heart. The ultimate conclusion of this hour was that Tucker, instead of being devious, manipulative, and pretending to be her younger half-twin, should have just told her that he wanted to audition for the musical and she would have happily helped him. His audition song about wanting to become a teenage Hollywood trainwreck was moderately entertaining but perfectly clever and self-aware in the way that this show always wants to be. Rebecca admonishing Nathaniel for the way in which he tried to win her back was an important development, and I’m not sure where that leaves him as he continues to pine for her but more now in a rejected way, which probably won’t be good for anyone. Having Sunil follow Rebecca around so that he could win the case from Nathaniel was unnecessary, continuing to make the office dynamic the least compelling aspect of this show. Paula bonding with her sons during the escape room was endearing, but we’ve barely met them over the course of this show’s run, and as a result it felt somewhat random just like the main part of this episode did.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 3 “I’m On My Own Path” (B)

If you had asked me what I thought Rebecca might be up to in the final season of this show, I don’t know I would have come up with working at a pretzel store as a possibility. As the clever opening credits that I neglected to mention last time indicate, Rebecca is someone who is hard to summarize, but every time she gets into something, she goes all in. Creating entirely new types of pretzels and paying for them herself because she sees how happy the customers are to receive them is very much up her alley, and the “previously on” segment showing Rebecca backing out of the law office as soon as she got her promotion was obviously included to show how quickly she similarly bailed this time. Not being a lawyer is a great choice for her, and I’m eager to see what she does. I thought I recognized Nia Vardalos of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” fame as Wendy, the top-tier client who wasn’t getting what she wanted from the firm. I must commend this hour for its two very creative songs, namely Jim’s “Don’t Be a Lawyer,” complete with a great beat and terrific lines like “No one ever said let’s kill all the tailors” and “So many other professions that don’t turn you into Jeff Sessions.” The network representative jumping out the window after trying to declare that this didn’t represent its political views was a bit much for me. The pretzel song was decidedly weird but also perfectly effective. Josh dating is entertaining, and I enjoyed both the fact that all of his hobbies are shirtless and that he bought the “My Uber is calling” excuse. Hector and Heather getting married so that he could use her health insurance felt a bit random, but their sweet wedding ceremony at the end was a nice and unexpected touch for two supporting players not featured often enough.

What I’m watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 2 “I am Ashamed” (C+)

With this show ending this season, it hardly feels like we have time for a Halloween episode, especially one that airs nearly two weeks before the big holiday. I’m glad that there wasn’t actually anything supernatural truly involved, and that Paula and Heather got to harp on the fact that there was a logical explanation behind everything while Valencia and Rebecca continued to insist that there was something mysterious and magical at work. When all of the spooky layers were peeled back, this was all about Rebecca and her unwillingness to leave the house given her instant celebrity and the very real worry that people hated her now. Being asked to take a selfie with an enthusiastic fan wasn’t the worst first public interaction, and maybe it won’t be so bad, especially since she has positive things to do like go back to volunteer at the prison. Darryl’s sudden obsession with breast milk and White Josh’s accidental babysitting felt a bit random, and I think that’s because they’re not really spotlighted as characters all that much. Josh was just all about a cute baby outfit, signifying that he definitely hasn’t found himself in the time since the premiere. I don’t think that Nathaniel needs yet another nemesis after serving as that very thing himself when he first appeared, and Bert seems like too odd a character to be sticking around on a permanent basis to derail what’s already one of this show’s least stable elements, the office. Patton Oswalt’s guest turn was strange to be sure, but he’s always a welcome face - and voice - on any program.

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season Premiere)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 4, Episode 1 “I Want to Be Here” (B)

It’s rare to go into a show knowing that it’s almost over after just a few seasons on the air without feeling that it’s being cut way too short. Unlike other shows that started out strong and then found themselves subjected to a truncated final year, like “The Newsroom” and “Banshee,” this one has been given an eighteen-episode order, which seems fair enough after an uneven second and third season following an excellent and innovative first season. I really wasn’t happy that Rebecca set herself up to be sent to jail at the end of season three, and therefore it was a relief to see that she spent just one installment there, with a clever follow-up in the form of Rebecca deciding to start becoming a better person by volunteering to give free legal advice to her former fellow inmates. It didn’t take long at all for a parody of “Cell Block Tango” to be featured, and that ended up being more plot-involved than musical. I knew I recognized Britney Young, who played her unamused cellmate, and that’s because she stars as Carmen on “GLOW.” Rebecca, Nathaniel, and Josh singing “No One Else Knows My Song” was a highlight, especially since it really help to sum up this episode’s themes in a pretty decent musical number. I like that Josh, like Rebecca, is trying to diagnose himself with a disorder rather than acknowledge that he just doesn’t really get how the world works. Nathaniel’s punishment adventure camping trip was a bad idea, and good for George for following him to make sure he didn’t die a miserable death in the middle of the woods. Let’s hope for a fun and fresh final season!

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season Finale)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 3, Episode 13 “Nathaniel Is Irrelevant” (C+)

This was a disappointing finale. I felt like this show really achieved something this season once Rebecca acknowledged her depression and took steps to change her life, distancing completely from Josh and trying to keep things unemotional with Nathaniel so that she didn’t slip back into familiar dangerous behaviors. I knew that Trent wouldn’t be gone forever after last week, and unfortunately he didn’t even die now when Rebecca pushed him off a roof. He has contributed nothing positive to this show, and he worked so, so much better as a fake boyfriend even though that wasn’t a home run either. What we got here was a situation that legitimately made Rebecca look like a crazy person since the trio of Tim, Maya, and the suddenly returned George didn’t think it was weird that he was holding a knife over Nathaniel. And Nathaniel didn’t even hate Rebecca at all for what she had done, and just wanted her to get better, even breaking up with his girlfriend because of the strength of his feelings for her. I see no situation where Rebecca going to jail is a good direction for this show, and ending on her confession of guilt with everyone in her life behind her was an odd way to end, especially since a fourth season is far from guaranteed, though hopefully likely given the CW’s recent decision to expand back to Sunday night programming. Paula finally cutting Rebecca out of her life barely lasted ten minutes, and Heather gave birth without much fanfare thanks to the epidural, leading to White Josh’s return in which he seemed much more okay with babies than in the past. I just don’t think that this closer properly sums up the entire season, and it’s a sad way to leave this show in the middle of February.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Rachel Bloom

What I’m Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 3, Episode 12 “Trent?!” (C)

This was a true waste of an hour. When there are only thirteen episodes in a season, why devote an entire one to this? I and I imagine most other viewers had completely forgotten about the plague on this show that is Trent, who represents its less intelligent impulses. There’s plenty of good material here, and Trent just goes and makes it all stupid and pointless. Rebecca getting back to a good place in her life didn’t need to have Trent show up to do anything, and all it did aside from made her miserable was cause her to lie to Paula and have Nathaniel to get angry that she was moving on so quickly. For the latter, that pushed him deeper into his relationship with another woman who apparently has been aware all along that he and Rebecca were sleeping together. Not much else was achieved here, and Trent just walked away without putting up a fight, so I worry that he could return at any point should this show be renewed for a fourth season, which I surely hope it will be. Valencia going all-out on a party that didn’t do justice at all to what her client wanted was no surprise, and while it was entertaining to see her dance with Josh, I find it very hard to believe that she even wanted to do something like that since it does demonstrate skill but also doesn’t fit with the way that she presents herself to the world. We have one episode left to close out the season – let’s hope it’s much, much better than this!

What I'm Watching: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 3, Episode 11 “Nathaniel and I Are Just Friends!” (B+)

It was equally optimistic and foolish for Dr. Akopian to think that Rebecca had turned over a new leaf. What was much more unexpected was the mid-episode time jump in this episode, taking us almost to the end of Heather’s pregnancy and to a place at which few things have changed for the majority of our characters. The most theoretically minor and random of these was Paula’s decision to hire Sunil which quickly sent him to the click that includes Tim, Maya, and Jim, leading her to realize that her “office bitch” mug apparently isn’t a joke. I’m not all that fond of Sunil so having him around doesn’t add much, but at least Paula seems to have reached a good place now. Valencia’s new client turned into a girlfriend, something that we never would have expected for Josh’s ex but will hopefully be featured as a positive influence in coming episodes. Josh doesn’t appear to have gotten any smarter, still obsessing over “Happy Tats for Manatees,” but Heather, fresh off her yellowtail crudo and other business improvements, has been affected by her hormones and become much more motivated to do things, namely skateboarding since she couldn’t stand becoming an adult. Hector reacting to her crying was amusing and taking care of her was sweet. Rebecca and Nathaniel’s supply closet sex got awfully repetitive, especially since he’s still officially dating Mona, and it’s a shame that she second-guessed things and disappeared from his door after texting him. Very sadly, there are only two episodes left this season, so let’s hope that this fast-forward device was worth it and we’re headed exciting places!