Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Review: I Have To Get Out (Season 4 Episode 13)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 13, “I Have To Get Out,” is a playful but deeply important tap dance that brings reality and fantasy face to face.
With just five episodes left, (don’t mind me, just sobbing in a corner over here) “I Have To Get Out,” is a perfect way to mark the arrival of the final phase of Rebecca’s journey. She is saying goodbye to Tyler Darkness and hello to her dream reality.
I am still wiping my tears from the phenomenal Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 12, “I Need A Break,” but those tears are replaced with victorious fist thrusts as I watch “I Have To Get Out.”
I am not exaggerating.
When the music starts playing and Dr. Akopian gets up from her chair I know she is going to get a song and my fist is in the air! I am also cheering and screeching joyfully. I love Dr. Akopian!
From there, the joyful outbursts continue.
The tone shifts and becomes more whimsical and light, which is a needed relief. But, importantly, the messages and topics covered on the episode are just as meaningful.
Taking Antidepressants is Normal
Rebecca is back on her meds!
She admits to Dr. Akopian that in addition to her serious sleepiness, shame is a side effect of her antidepressants.
REBECCA: It kind of feels like a cop-out to me. Like, I should have been able to tough it out on my own. I feel a little ashamed.
It feels so wonderful and freeing to hear Rebecca articulate what so many of us fee in regards to medication. It can feel like taking medication is an admission of weakness. If I take medication I must suffer from some frailty of spirit or flaw of character, otherwise, my body would be able to fix itself.
Rebecca faces that fear head-on and as a result, we viewers can admit our shame and join Dr. Akops as we tap dance it away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_6VMKNK5mQ
Many times, the songs on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend reflect Rebecca’s imagined reality and are distant from reality.
On “Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal,” the distance between what’s in Rebecca’s head and what’s actually happening shrinks.
The tap dancing and expansive choreography is not that close to reality, but the message is. And, we see many past characters who have never been identified as having depression, but who we learn do in fact take medication to manage it.
Significantly, Ally and Jayma are two women of color who we see prance across our screens. This furthers to reduce the stigma women of color face when addressing mental health issues with medication.
Not only is the song fun and beautifully presented, it normalizes taking antidepressants and that is life changing.
For the umpteenth episode in a row, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend breaks down barriers and makes a difference with its inclusive, timely and hilarious representation.
Male Friendships Matter
The groundbreaking representation continues on the episode as we see Nathaniel, Josh, and Greg have a whole plot arc about their friendships.
While Rebecca is certainly at the center of many of their feelings and their history, she is not the subject of their conflict.
Josh feels betrayed by Greg because he didn’t spend time with him when he was in town from Atlanta. And Josh feels judged by Greg even though Josh has always been non-judgmental of Greg.
The bush sex-based argument is refreshing because it isn’t about machismo or winning the girl; it’s about acceptance.
Each of the men wants to be loved for who they are and appreciated for their strengths. They don’t always want to be in competition.
GREG: You got tall.
NATHANIEL: Did I?
The laugh out loud funny “Real Life Fighting Is Awkward,” makes fun of how ridiculous film is when it depicts fighting.
It also is another layer of fake that the episode peels back. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has always been real. But now, the characters are ready to get real as well (to be clear, Valencia has always been the realest).
A Crazy Dream
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend isn’t really a twists or cliffhangers kind of show. But “I Have To Get Out,” manages to make me gasp in surprise when it reveals that Rebecca’s dream has always been theater.
I mean, duh!
For four seasons she has been using the musical theater in her mind to cope with her life and process her emotions.
It makes perfect sense that this is where her dream is. It was right in front of us the whole time!
Bringing the “crazy” part of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to the healing and healthy part of Rebecca’s life is just perfection.
I am out of my pants excited to see how the blending of “crazy” and reality goes for the final phase of the incredible, unmatched, amazing, life-changing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Crazy Talk
- Valencia’s eyebrows are a character unto themselves. Very method.
- I love that Josh calls his doctor Dr. Man Akopian. Just like the Filipino mn gets to be the dominant Josh, while White Josh is the subset, so to the male doctor is the subset to the female Dr. Akopian. That’s the subtle subversiveness we can trust Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to deliver.
- Jim and any doorways is a ship and I ship it. Burl Moseley just works that frame and I love it.
- The Dr. Roth twins bit is so very random, but it really works. No show does guest stars like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
- The death discussions on the episode are refreshing and somehow not at all depressing.
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.