Catching up on series we missed first time around, my wife and I started watching “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” a couple of weeks ago. We are enjoying it, and we both get some genuine laughs from each episode. The musical numbers are really good, and it’s clear that Rachel Bloom is a very talented individual.
From the get-go, it is obvious that the show is not just a fluffy, silly comedy; it’s there in the title and the opening song (“She’s so broken inside!”). Rebecca (the protagonist) obviously has issues that she should be in serious therapy to address. Her “friend,” Paula is only encouraging her increasingly terrible behavior (I use quotes around the word, “friend,” because a good friend would be calling Rebecca out constantly on her self-destructive behavior). Every character is dealing with some kind of trauma or family-of-origin issues, or self-esteem problem.
But last night got way dark in Season 1, Episode 11, “That Text Was Not Meant for Josh!” I think it’s impossible to briefly summarize the plot, but near the end of the episode Rebecca has asked her friend to throw a rock through her patio door, has all but outed herself to the object of her affections (in a pretty unhealthy way), and has alienated the “nice guy” friend that I think we are supposed to want her to be with. Rachel Bloom is a better actor than maybe some would give her credit for - I found her crying fit to be very authentic and moving.
“OK,” you might think, “that’s all sad and dramatic, but is it really that dark?” During this scene I found myself honestly wondering if Rebecca was going to try to kill herself. There was entirely too much broken glass lying around, and Bloom’s sobs were so despondent that I really thought she might slit her wrists. So - I guess that’s some good writing, excellent acting, and a solid enough story that I was this emotionally involved. I felt an actual sense of relief that the story didn’t go that way.
This is why we can’t watch more than one episode per night. This shit gets heavy.
So, I don’t know what this is: a general discussion about, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend?” Discussion of comedies with unexpectedly dark and heavy sub-plots? Have at it. If you would, please put anything after S1.11 in spoiler boxes.