Okay, am I the only one who was ecstatic to see Greg and Heather hook up?
I’ve been really impressed with the Heather character. Fuck, she only appeared in four episodes so far, but, wow. Complete character arc in so little space. She went from “slacker college student making fun of the crazy lady” to "observer/EMPATHETIC person. She saw through Rebecca’s bullshit ("I just want … to be her friend.) And she saw through Greg’s bullshit, and called him on it, and made him grow up a little bit.
I just found a great explanation of this show, from two commenters on the video for
[QUOTE=Kevin Zuker]
I think the first episode makes it pretty clear that she’s been fixated on Josh for so long that it’s sort of self-perpetuating. She doesn’t see the real him and her as they are now, but as she thought they were in summer camp. Also she has a lot of other deep-seated issues. That said, it is sort of hard to see how she could “do better,” at least in the universe of this show. Her best alternative is Greg, and although I am a firm supporter of, for lack of a better term, “Team Greg,” he isn’t exactly a catch, either. Which is probably part of the point? The kind of happiness she’s looking for has to come from within, but she keeps seeking it out from external sources. It’s that kind of realism that makes this show so great.
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Ana Carolina Andrade]
I don’t think she is interest in Josh himself. Josh represents the last time she did something for herself, because she wanted to do it. She was 16 years old and had her heart broken for the first time. But, because she suffers from depression and other mental conditions, she became complacent and started doing everything her mother told her. She didn’t seem immediately happy or excited when she saw Josh walking down the street in NY; she just looked confounded. She probably hadn’t even thought about Josh in quite some time, because the whole situation was never really about him. Her whole life in NY didn’t revolve around her, but instead was a consequence of the choices her mother made for her and what her mother thought would be best for her. Like when she’s in the alley trying to open her pill bottle: “I’m so happy. Mom is gonna be so happy.” And then when Josh mentions she didn’t come back to summer camp the next year: “My mom made me do mock trial.” She was a supporting player in her own life. She associates Josh with the last time she did something for herself, the last time she had her freedom. So, she clings to the idea that being with Josh is what she truly wants and what will make her happy. Because the last time she was happy was when she dated Josh on summer camp 10 years before - not because of Josh himself, but because it was the last time she had control over her own life.
[/QUOTE]
Had I known Rachel Bloom of Bradbury fame was starring, I would have tried harder to watch it - maybe during rerun season here I will give it a shot.
Brian
I really hope people are still watching this show.
I had to do some catching up, but …
… the last two episodes did something that no other sitcom has ever done: they made me cry.
Up until the two most recent episodes, this show has been one laugh after another, fleshing out Rebecca’s crazy obsession. But these last two episodes were played almost completely seriously, and not in “a very special episode” way. The show has shown us this completely emotionally messed-up character in a humorous way.
And then, suddenly, it shows her having a complete breakdown. And the breakdown was (mostly) not played for laughs. It showed Rebecca finally collapsing under the weight of her own denial, and it was genuinely heartbreaking.
And it turns out that the “enabler” character wasn’t an enabler at all. She simply saw through Rebecca’s denial and had been trying to break through that denial.
And Josh turns out to be, not a man-child, but a really decent guy.
I confess that these two most recent episodes really hit me.
The camp episode strayed a bit too far into “awkward and uncomfortable humor” for me and I didn’t finish the episode. I like it more when it’s about silly shenanigans.
I liked the fact that they did this. The basic situation was unsustainable; there are only so many variations on her needing Josh that you can do. Having it come out opens up possibilities, and you’re right that her realizing that, yes, she was the crazy ex-girlfriend, was great TV.
Yeah, I posted previously about, “how long can they sustain this premise?” And now that person I quoted back in December seems really prescient:
"Her whole life in NY didn’t revolve around her, but instead was a consequence of the choices her mother made for her and what her mother thought would be best for her. Like when she’s in the alley trying to open her pill bottle: “I’m so happy. Mom is gonna be so happy.” And then when Josh mentions she didn’t come back to summer camp the next year: “My mom made me do mock trial.” She was a supporting player in her own life. She associates Josh with the last time she did something for herself, the last time she had her freedom. So, she clings to the idea that being with Josh is what she truly wants and what will make her happy. Because the last time she was happy was when she dated Josh on summer camp 10 years before - not because of Josh himself, but because it was the last time she had control over her own life.
(bolding mine)
Resurrecting this yet again. Sorry.
My God, this show continues to be freaking awesome. Keep watching it, you morons!
(sorry)
I am a huge fan of “story”. And OMG, Rachel Bloom seems to be a master of telling a good story. I continue to be completely hooked on the story this show is telling.
Resurrecting once-again.
The season finale was great.
I thought Josh would break up with Valencia and still end up with Becca. Season two would be the two of them dealing with their own baggage while fending off attacks from Valencia who would then be the “crazy ex-girlfriend.” Greg and Valencia would then form an unholy alliance to break them up…with surprise ally Paula! (she is kind of the WORST, and needs the drama) I also hope they are playing the long game with Becca’s family ring and didn’t just drop it altogether. She pawned it when she was out of money and they haven’t shown her going back for it. I really expected it to end up being the ring Josh got for Valencia.
Apparently next season is getting a re-title to just “Crazy Ex.”
The finale was a great one, especially the look on Josh’s face after Rebecca’s confession. Josh is already having second thoughts – and Greg knows he blew it.
I’ve watched it all along, and enjoy it a lot as well. Loved the finale, loved the look on Josh’s face at the end. Look forward to seeing more. I’ll spread the word around to get others hooked too.
Rachel Bloom is fantastic as Rebecca. I wasn’t sure I liked Josh, either as a person, or as a love interest. But this should be interesting.
I’m crossing my fingers that next season Father Brah has a brief crisis of faith after meeting Heather. Team Heather!
Wait, did I miss something?
Now that the season is over, what are your choices for the best songs?
My favorites:
Feeling Kinda Naughty
Good at Yoga
Heavy Boobs
You Stupid Bitch
The finale was great! Greg was definitely an idiot, but self-sabotage is something we’ve all witnessed before. I think the show is fantastic in that it shows mental issues in not just the main character, but that everyone has their own mental issues and everyone kind of needs to deal with their own stuff. Sure, Rebecca is the most apparent person that we realized had issues, and had to face them, but then we saw everyone was broken in their own way.
Also, fantastic, fantastic songs. Every week they hit it out of the park on that.