Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Review: I See You (Season 4 Episode 6)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 6, “I See You,” is a tasty, satisfying meal, but it lacks the magic sauce that has been doused on the other episodes of Season 4. It earns a solid four pretzels. 

The episode is the end of the first third of the season and marks an impending shift to series ending plot-arcs. The men shine on the episode, with Josh Chan, Darryl, and Nathaniel delivering big laughs and sweet moments.

But the unexpected pairings on the episode don’t pack the emotional punch I want. They are sweet, not savory. 

Still, I am thrilled Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is taking risks and having fun on every episode of the final season. The show is many things and one of the most impressive is how tirelessly creative it is. 

“I See You” wastes time on characters talking about Darryl while he’s off-screen and that limits the episode’s ability to be rich. 

We know Darryl is extra. In fact, we even know the specific dad-brand of extra that Darryl is. Having all of the expository dialogue about what Darryl is like serves to reduce him to a recap of what we all already know. 

Also, on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 5, “I’m So Happy For You,” AJ says that Darryl and White Josh are the main feature on his #CoupleGoals vision board. On “I See You,” AJ claims he’s only met Darryl once. This doesn’t add up.

And, importantly, it’s superfluous. It’s garnish on a steak; what’s the point?

It’s Gardnish! 

That time could have, and should have, been used to either enrich the pairings we see or include Valencia in the trapped in a car duets.

True, she is in NYC, but it could have been really fun to extend the Skype chat we see at the top of the episode to include a car trip. We’ve already been set up for the visual storytelling of a cross-country conversation.

Valencia and White Josh could have been paired up and maybe even had some conversation about coming-out, something that many of us would like to hear from Valencia!

It is a missed opportunity, but it certainly doesn’t kill the episode. It is a minor miss on an overall strong showing. 

The episode features some of the loudest laugh-out-loud moments of the season. Here are my top three gut-busters from “I See You.”

1. Josh Chan Is a Hot Sexy Guy Who is Crazy Good at Therapy

When Josh Chan picks up the desk in one swoop and then changes the water cooler, I HOWL.

It is a cheeky reference to a previous season and a general nod to the fact the Filipino star is a super hot and hunky guy, something we just don’t see on TV.

It is also blocked perfectly to maximize the humorous impact. Paula’s face is perfection during the whole scene. I can watch it over and over and it never loses its funny or its charm. 

While Josh Chan is carrying that desk like it’s a pillow, he is also giving Paula that good truth. It is endlessly funny to me that Josh Chan has an intelligence to match those muscles, and that Paula who is pwning law school, needs him to illuminate those truths for her. 

It is not quite irony, but it has that lovely burn of perfection that irony can often bring about. Josh Chan wins this episode and for those of us who have always loved him, it is not a moment too soon. 

2. The Almost Kisses 

The “they’re definitely going to kiss” music that plays for Darryl and Rebecca’s moment at the gas station is unexpected, weird, and yell-laughing funny. These two love each other so it actually makes sense that they would, even if for just a second, consider a romantic connection. 

They are bbq-drunk and feeling close. But, it is just crazy to think of them together.

This is really ingenious of the writers because it is a return to trusting us as an audience to layer in all that we already know about the characters to enrich their interactions. 

The almost-kiss makes sense and at the same time is absolutely ludicrous. That’s good TV. 

Then, we see and hear that almost kiss between Nathaniel and Bert, and Paula and Josh Chan. It works every time!

It makes me laugh and then it makes me think about all the ways in which we love each other. Romance is so limited to sexual connections, but Crazy Ex-Girlfriend shows us that sexual pairings are not the only meaningful ones in our lives. 

I really love this show and the grief is already starting to kick in.

Back to the funny!

3. Ashes in the Drain

It is an emotional moment when Heather learns about Nathaniel’s au pair’s ashes not getting to the beach. When the camera pans over to the “Dumps to Ocean” sign I lose it.

It is just so wrong, but also so very right. 

Then they tap, tap, tap their shirts to get the ashes into the ocean. It is gallows humor that works, especially considering the sardonic quotient between Nathaniel and Heather is very high. Heather embraces the gruesome better than anyone else on the show and I just love that she comes to this knowing place with Nathaniel. 

Only  Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could make ashes in a drainage grate poignant. 

There is a lot to love on the episode and even with its faults, it fits well in the grand scheme of the season and series. 

Crazy Talk

• Darryl without a mustache is so weird! I love, love, love his mustache lullaby and it reaffirms that Pete Gardner is one of the most talented people out there. 
• Maya manages to make us laugh, even though she has zero screen moments on the episode. 
• Is anyone else just waiting for Greg to pop up at the end of every scene? I CAN’T WAIT!
• I hope Rebecca spends some time “on the apps” before her series-ending love interest is established. I want to see her Tinder so, so bad. 
• Scott Michael Foster uses every inch of time he has onscreen to make an impact. I may miss him the most at the end of all this. 
• Heather in her car is me. I am her. I am called out. 
• Especially considering all of the strife and pain California is experiencing, this episode reminds me that the show is also a love/hate letter to Southern Calfornia. It’s the letter I needed right now. 

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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