Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Review: I Want to Be Here (Season 4 Episode 1)
As the ensemble gathers together, yet again, to support Rebecca Bunch I am reminded in a flood of joy how much I love each and every one of these broken people.
Heck, I love Nicky and I JUST met her! Such is the irreplaceable talent and timing of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 1, “I Want to Be Here.”
Unlike the Season 3 premiere, which set up a season-long tension, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s Season 4 premiere sets up a season-long love song to this community. It is a needed love song, to salve the sting of knowing this season is the show’s last.
The episode, and the entire Crazy Ex-Girlfriend series, is decidedly about Rebecca Bunch. It is from her frequently delusional perspective and all the conflict revolves around her.
Rebecca is the sun of the show, but on “I Want to He Here,” the supporting characters are the real stars. Every. Single. Character. on screen during the hour-long premiere makes leading character sized impact.
Britney Young as Rebecca’s cell-mate Nicky GLOWS.
Yes, she is currently starring on the Netflix powerhouse show GLOW, but Young truly shines on the episode. Her reactions to Rebecca’s self-centered nonsense help to hold a reality check mirror up, but don’t sacrifice any laughs.
Young’s performance showcases how Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has near surgical precision with its comedy and creativity. No opportunity or second is wasted or belabored.
How are we to handle only having 17 more episodes left, ever? Should we start chanting SPIN-OFF now, or wait till later?
Hector gets his big solo line (it sounds FANTASTIC!) and his ceviche sets up the most lol moment of the episode when Darryl pretend eats ceviche and then shares his pretend snack with Rebecca. Donna Lynn Champlin’s delivery of “Oh Darryl, you don’t have anything in your hands,” just kills me.
Did I mention that I love these weirdos?
Nathaniel Plimpton and George survive nature, ska, and some of Nathaniel’s self-harm.
With any other actors and writers, this set-up could seem just silly. But, with the talents of Scott Michael Foster, Danny Jolles and showrunner Aline Brosh Mckenna (who makes her own pee-joke cameo on the episode) the scenario works to enrich the development of the series while being so very cute. This pair is just too cute.
Also, Nathaniel paying $100,000 to eat a cockroach and leaf dew is surprisingly on brand for 2018.
Even Grocery Store Clerk with Half an Eyelid is back and it just works.
It is very challenging to put your finger on, but I think that the key factor that makes this episode work so well is that, although the key plot point is really about the main character’s self-hate and self-obsession, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is really an exercise in self-love.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend LOVES itself as a show. It loves its characters. And, it loves us, the viewers who are so sad to see it go, but so happy to have this high-quality closing act left.
“I Want to Be Here,” take us on the journey of a person with BPD, who wants to get better, but who struggles with empathy at each turn.
Valencia knocks it out of the park twice on the episode, telling Rebecca exactly how it is.
Valencia: You staying here doesn’t help anyone who’s been wronged, just like your guilty plea didn’t help anyone YOU’D wronged.
She then bluntly urges Rebecca to not just repeat over and over that she has privilege but to DO something about it.
Valencia is the friend Rebecca needs right now and I hope with my deepest hope that she is given the appreciation, screen time, and development that she deserves this season (SPIN-OFF, cough cough, SPIN-OFF)
The gorgeous and hilarious, “No One Else is Singing My Song” nimbly shows how narcissistic we all are. We all think we are the only ones who could possibly understand what we are going through.
Whole Company: No one can see how alone only I am.
The visuals and vocals support the point, and the whole effect is brilliant.
Not only is the point a really good one, but the song itself is also good, really good. Rachel Bloom belting out “Could, ANYONE UNDERSTAND! (of course not)” is masterful.
Her turn as Rebecca Bunch is truly a revelation that is not getting as much attention as it deserves.
Rebecca not putting together that the baby is Darryl’s is a completely underrated moment from the episode. It is another example of how deft the writing team is at portraying BPD and other self-focused diagnoses.
That child is from Rebecca’s egg. It is genetically hers. And yet, she literally forgets about its existence.
There, in one little line, is what it can be like to be around people fighting through BPD and similar struggles.
My issue with the episode is Josh Chan. His vocals are on point, and I really enjoy his journey through online quizzes to get his disorder. It is parallel to Rebecca’s own desire to have a diagnosis in Season 3.
I don’t like that Josh is treated as so dumb. Yes, he can be self-absorbed and not very observant.
That is not always the best quality in a romantic partner, of course. That quality also makes a person, like it’s made Josh, an easy victim.
Josh was victimized by Rebecca. He was stalked, assaulted, and framed. He may not have a disorder, but the messaging of the episode is basically that Josh Chan has made some bad choices and needs to do the hard work of changing some of those habits.
Yes. But, yes AND.
Dr. Akopian (Did Josh call him Manakopian? LOVE) should be talking with Josh about PTSD. Even if he doesn’t have that disorder, he isn’t making up the fact that he has issues. Any person who is stalked, assaulted, and framed is perfectly justified in reacting to those things.
The show is dipping its toe in invalidating Josh’s experiences because he is a bro. I hope to see this shift and I think Greg returning will be the perfect catalyst for the whole friend group realizing they’ve really dismissed Josh and his feelings because of his naiveté.
Even with this weakness, “I Want to Be Here,” is in my top five episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and I am beside myself with love for this whole team.
Stage Notes
- George’s tent humidifier is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen.
- Dr. Akopian getting in on the Sex and the City joke, and claiming his truth as an Aiden, is an anti-gender stereotype meta joke. We are not worthy of this writing team.
- Zip-Zap-STOP is unreasonably funny.
- Where’s Beth? Where’s White Josh?
- Rebecca and Nathaniel’s hug and make-up kiss manage to be hot and tender, even though they both are torn up by their week.
- The Lin Manuel Miranda references are life-giving. I will scream all the screams if he makes a cameo.
What did you think of this episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs Fridays at 9/8c on The CW.
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Janelle Ureta
Janelle Ureta is equal parts Veronica Mars, Raven Reyes, and Rebecca Bunch, but she aspires to add some Tammy Taylor to the mix. An attorney turned teacher, Janelle believes in the power of a well-told story. She is currently exploring how to tell short stories, 140 characters or less, on twitter. She loves to talk about TV, and right now she can't shut up about Timeless, Dear White People, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The 100, or Younger.