Entertainment
This Week's 'Crazy Ex' Song Callbacks Mean A Lot More For Rebecca's Story Than You Think
Spoilers ahead for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4, Episode 15. As Crazy Ex-Girlfriend winds down its fourth and final season, we're finally getting closure on several storylines. And the March 22 episode shows just how much its characters have evolved — Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin) is now a lawyer, Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) is in a loving gay relationship, Heather (Vella Lovell) is married, and Rebecca...well, Rebecca's still figuring that out. But the musical numbers in Crazy Ex this week reveal how far each character has come — or hasn't, in some cases.
For nostalgia's sake, it's always exciting to see old songs brought back on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Other notable examples include Rebecca's reprise of Paula's "After Everything You Made Me Do (That You Didn't Ask For)," which re-contextualized both women's stubborn attitudes. But thankfully, both of these friends have changed a lot since then. And although Rebecca is this close to figuring out what she wants to do with her life (hint: we think it's writing musicals), she decides to put off making any hard decisions in order to focus on other people's problems (which is always a great strategy, right?).
The Math Of Love Quadrangles
How has Rebecca come so far over the past four seasons, only to end up right where she started? Or, as she sings here, "What's a girl to do when she's back here again? / After so much growth, she's still stuck between men!" Rebecca reprises her faux-Monroe persona for a "Math of Love Triangles" redux, wherein she shuffles into frame in the same blue dress, tucking in her bra straps and pulling a diamond bracelet out of her cleavage. But whereas last time, she was trying to decide between Josh and Greg, now Nathaniel has entered the mix, further complicating matters. As the three men sing, "Joke's on you, bitch, you'll never be free!"
While Rebecca is frustrated that she's still in a romantic entanglement, all of the men involved are being (fairly) mature about it, proposing that they all go on dates with her à la The Bachelorette to help her to make a final decision. And while White Josh can't get over the phrase "stand down," it's a fairly good plan, if not a contrived one. That said, Rebecca has been through plenty of character growth since her first love triangle — she's regularly attending therapy and taking medication, and is more comfortable asking for space when she needs it. In fact, that she didn't immediately jump into Josh's arms when he declared his love at the beginning of the episode speaks volumes.
Let's Generalize About Men...Again
While the ladies don't sing their '80s power ballad here, their bright, couture suits are definitely a reference to this beloved Season 3 ditty. And boy howdy, do they look incredible. Heather's wearing the same lemon yellow as in the music video, and Paula is once again in hot pink. Rebecca, on the other hand, has donned a powerful red in favor of teal, which Audra is instead rocking, front and center. And while the four women were mostly directing their frustrations at Josh, who had just left Rebecca at the altar, in "Let's Generalize About Men," they're all running away from their own relationship dilemmas this time around.
Heather is sick of babying her irresponsible husband, Valencia is upset that Beth didn't accept her ultimatum, Rebecca is stressed out by her love quadrangle, and Audra Levine's overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a mother. Only Paula seems to be doing OK — albeit stressed by the social pressures of her fancy new job. But when they all walk in slow motion across the casino, wearing the couture suits that Paula bought them with her poker winnings, you can't help but hope they'll break out into song.
Fortunately, they all have breakthroughs in this episode, too. Heather finally puts her foot down and tells Hector to handle his own problems, Audra returns to her family, and Valencia accepts the fact that Beth is not ready for marriage. And Paula? She bucks up and tells her boss that she can't afford anymore bespoke outfits, which her new employer is surprisingly fine with. It seems like all of that confident, slow-motion walking paid off, and that these ladies now know how to handle their problems. If we were back in Season 3, this would've taken a lot more than an episode.
The JAP Battle Redux
Rebecca drops everything when Audra Levine's husband calls her, asking to her to convince his wife to come home after an extended stay in Vegas. It's too tempting of an opportunity to pass up, and Rebecca gleefully sets out to see her lifelong adversary at her own rock bottom. Rebecca and Audra have long been academic, social, and professional rivals. Or, as the West Covina lawyer said back in Season 1, "Our life lines have been parallel like corduroys."
But as Audra admits in this episode, she actually admires Rebecca's bravery, and her skipping town was inspired by Rebecca's own decision to move to West Covina. But whereas their last rap battle was filled with insults, they realize how similar they really are in this episode, entering into a "JAP Praise Fight," which is still deeply passive-aggressive. While they start out happily trading flatteries, Audra and Rebecca soon become annoyed at each other for their backhanded compliments. So yes, both women have evolved, but they're still the same classmates from Scarsdale. And hey, even mature people are allowed to dislike someone.
Nothing is fully resolved in this episode, but the song reprisals serve as a reminder that the show has come full circle — which is not necessarily a bad thing. Rebecca may be in a similar position, but she's more prepared this time around. And her friends, who have likewise grown, will be there to support whatever decision she makes. Besides, not only can Rebecca now give relationship advice to others, she's also prepared to face her problems head-on. Now, if only she can do the same with her life plan, she'll be golden!