Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Review: Oh Nathaniel, It’s On! (Season 3 Episode 10)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 3 Episode 10, “Oh Nathaniel, It’s On!,” heads gleefully off the rails.

It is as if Crazy Ex-Girlfriend took a heavy hit of laughing gas. The result is certainly giggle-inducing, but overall confusing and dissatisfying. “Oh Nathaniel, It’s On!” leaves me feeling completely out of sorts and in need of some pain relief.

The episode reminds viewers that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is monomaniacal in its use of Rebecca Bunch’s perspective. As she experiences an intense amount of hormones that bring out her BPD, the episode too acts out in frantic spurts of inconsistent emotions.

Rebecca Bunch is unapologetic — it is the greatest strength and the greatest weakness of “Oh Nathaniel, It’s On!”

Rebecca is unfiltered with her behaviors, and there is a gorgeous freedom to that. When she is high-key turned on by a visit from Nathaniel, she sets aside 8-10 minutes to go masturbate.

This is bold. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend doesn’t blink as it shatters gender norms that say women are less crude than men and have more tame sex drives than men.

Bravo, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend!

We also see Rebecca refuse to apologize for her public displays of injection.

Even though I think it indicates a disregard for the emotional needs of her friends, I also greatly appreciate seeing a woman not apologize for her body.

Rebecca never apologizes for her body’s size, sex drive, excretions, or medical needs (recall, her UTI was made into a rousing song). Likewise, Heather is free to comment on pantyhose trapping genital juices without even a whiff of shame from the show.

The shame-free, unapologetic treatment of women’s bodies is a consistent truth on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and it sets the series apart from every other show out there.

On Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, body positivism isn’t just about appearance, it is holistic and inclusive of all the body’s roles.

On the other hand, Rebecca’s unapologetic nature erases the concerns and experiences of the other people in her world.

During the reprise of “Who’s the New Guy,” in between fourth-wall breaks and meta-lyrics, it becomes clear Rebecca is not going to acknowledge that she abandoned these people.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 3 Episode 1, “Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend Wants Revenge,” shows us that there is village, literally, of support and concern available for Rebecca.

Rebecca is so obsessed with herself that she doesn’t even ask how anyone is doing. Maya and Tim have had entire songs since Rebecca’s been gone, but she has zero interest in others.

She isn’t even curious enough to wonder, where’s George?!

She is unapologetic about her obsession with her own story, and it is painful to watch. Yet again, Rebecca’s inability to sincerely treat her mental health issues is hurting the people around her.

There are only three episodes left in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 3. At this point, I have lost hope that the show will effectively address the stalking, cyber-assault, and other violence that Rebecca has levied upon her loved ones.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend does so much good by brilliantly and hilariously shining a light on BPD and mental health battles.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend also does much harm by refusing to examine the IMPACT of Rebecca’s behavior on Josh Chan and Valencia.

Heather has an identity-shifting arc on the episode, but it is far too rushed and surface-level.

While it is cool to see Heather calling out diversity issues within corporate culture, that is smooshed against her facing cultural insensitivity and bias at work, a DTR (defining the relationship) talk with Hector, and her on-going imbalanced relationship with Rebecca. Rebecca pays her rent but will not listen to Heather’s needs — that is a dynamic that must be addressed.

The writing feels inauthentic, likely because of how quickly and brashly it develops. The impact is more fleeting than a pair of sweaty boobs pressed against a glass wall.

Particularly with the women of color on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the character development lacks intimacy. I am waiting for the type of storyline for Heather or Valencia that opens up their lives to us in the way that Paula’s abortion storyline did.

Heather and Valencia develop via a series of jokes and quick career changes. Both of these incredible women, and the fantastic actresses who portray them (Vella Lovell and Gabrielle Ruiz, respectively), deserve more time and nuance.

Crazy Thoughts:

• Are huge open-air donut shops a real thing? How can we make that happen in every city?
• Heactor sets sail! I want to see much more of this couple as they conquer living together and pregnancy.
• The cultural references are spot-on this episode! That DOES impress me much.
• Heather has a butt piercing. I repeat: Heather has a butt piercing.
• “Horny Angry Tango confirms that Scott Michael Foster and Rachel Bloom have an EGOT kind of future.
• What is with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s serious derision of sons living with their parents? I could definitely do without the shaming of joyful inter-generational living.

What did you think of this episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs Fridays at 8/7c on the CW.

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