Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
It was always apparent that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend would be a show about more than just silly songs on the way to finding out if Rebecca and Josh end up together. But to realize exactly how much MORE it is about, is nothing short of a direct punch to the heart — you know, in a really good way.
After season 3’s most recent episode, “Josh Is Irrelevant”, so much has been revealed about the characters of this show in a way that sticks with you, not just making you sing along, but making you think. The whole season has found Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) in a dark spiral, after the fallout of her relationship with Josh when he bailed on their wedding at the end of season 2. She’s plotted ways to destroy his life, sent a poo-filled dessert, insulted all the people closest to her, and tried to numb the pain with sex, denial, and vengeance. Guess which one of those has worked? None, of course. But for viewers, these antics ranged from entertaining to cringe-worthy to completely horrifying.
Which is how we found our leading lady in the hospital after a pill overdose on a plane. And that’s when shit got real. While I was spending the season hoping for Rebecca and Nathaniel (Scott Michael Foster) to get together, the writers of the CW show were plotting something much more important and rewarding: a mental illness diagnosis! No, really. After Rebecca learns she has borderline personality disorder, we see each character’s genuine self come out. Rebecca impulsively fights it and looks up the diagnosis immediately after being asked not to. Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin) has her codependency kick into high gear, Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) becomes a social media star, making her friend’s diagnosis all about her, while it’s actually just a coping mechanism so she doesn’t have to face the tough times her friend is going through while still trying to make herself feel useful. Heather (Vella Lovell) remains the sarcastic voice of reason, and Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) is equal parts selfish, unsure of what to do, caring, and yet totally reading the situation wrong. But perhaps the biggest surprise of them all is Nathaniel, who turns to his own family for answers on BPD before reaching out to Rebecca who he realizes…OMG he actually cares about her. And let’s just say that his emotional connection to her turns out to be SO much hotter than their sexual chemistry.
By exploring the “crazy” over the “girlfriend” part of the show, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has cemented itself into a much more dynamic series than just fun little music videos and crushes on cute boys — dedicated viewers knew this to be true, but those considering watching the show should be convinced now more than ever to jump on in. They’re educating viewers on very real mental health issues and handling it with the appropriate amount of information and seriousness, all while somehow still managing to include moments of levity and comedy without feeling cheesy or insensitive. It’s not only an impressive feat for this show to pull off, it’s also elevating their status from super fun to essential viewing. Of course, this is not the first show to address mental illness — the topic has been a rightfully frequent theme in shows from dramas to comedies over the past several years. And it’s not so much that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend snuck it into the show, but the way they slid it from a subconscious thought to a very real diagnosis reflects the way many viewers might encounter BPD in real life.
Few shows have touched on the inventiveness and distinct tone that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has built upon in each of its three seasons. That they’re able to cover important topics in a way that never veers toward after school special territory while remaining true to the story they set out to tell is an accomplishment in its own, and yet not nearly the only one this show has achieved. By depicting the emotional roller coaster for all of those involved, from the hope to the fear to the strength it takes to learn about and work on a mental health diagnosis, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend continues to bring value to the current television landscape, while making viewers feel that much more understood and connected to the characters on-screen. While it might not be intentional, the show with all those song and dance numbers was able to plot out its story arcs better than Lost, using flashbacks to show us what we knew all along about Rebecca — without yet putting a fancy medical name to it or understanding how it would effect those around her. Watching her loved ones navigate her diagnosis is a better lesson in what to do (and also very much what NOT to do) than most professionals are equipped with.
Hell, even inserting the opening credits within the show was a genius, stylistically unique move we hardly saw coming, and one that served as a much-needed moment of fun at that spot within the episode as well. Bloom and co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna are working on a level few other creators are striving for, and it’s paying off in a significant way. Don’t underestimate this Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, as she’s teaching us all more than we even realize.
