Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Josh and I Work on a Case!
Christine Laskodi
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Houston, West Covina has a problem!
Los Angeles is sucking West Covina's water supply, and it doesn't stop there. Luckily for all of those affected by this water crisis, Rebecca Bunch is on the case!
On Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 1 Episode 12, Rebecca's latest scheme revolving around Josh Chan started as a perfect Apollo 13 mission.
Josh: I haven't had hot water in, like, weeks. I'm showering with freezing cold water.
Rebecca: No hot water? That's terrible! You should complain!
Josh: Yeah, I don't like to complain about stuff.
But when Rebecca actually dives deeper into the off-handed comment Josh makes about his lack of hot water, she discovers a huge water conspiracy that could potentially win millions of dollars for Josh and hundreds of other citizens.
And the best part? Now she gets to spend a LOT of time with Josh.
When Josh last saw Rebecca, she had literally ruined everything, and I wondered how exactly the writers would get her out of her mess.
You did not see his face when he left my apartment that day. I was dead to him. Like, he didn't want to spend any more time with me and UGH...we were getting so close.
Rebecca
Bringing Rebecca's job as a lawyer back into the fold is an excellent idea. One of Rebecca's best qualities is her ability to talk herself out of almost anything.
Reminding the audience that she's a kick-ass lawyer and allowing her to showcase her ability to uphold justice is a great tie-in to getting her back into Josh's good graces.
It also helps Rebecca that the water problem seems like something that will help not just Josh, but so many others. Josh is a good guy at heart. If the case affected only himself and Valencia, he could easily stick to her wishes to drop it.
But Josh cannot resist an opportunity to help others. Because that's just who Josh is at his core.
I'm telling you, that bitch cray.
Valencia
Speaking of Valencia, she's kicking her disdain for Rebecca into high gear, even recruiting Greg into her plans to take down the New York City liar. (More on Greg in a moment.)
Valencia sees that despite everything she tells Josh about Rebecca and despite every crazy random happenstance surrounding her, he can't let his ex-girlfriend go.
Valencia is a desperate woman. She's even gone to the trouble of tracking down the real Trent, just to prove to Josh how crazy Rebecca is.
Which brings me to something I haven't mentioned in a long time when reviewing this show. This episode really reminds me how just HOW crazy Rebecca is.
Rebecca and Tenants: No hot water means which means cold showers!
Rebecca: Next thing you know, your kids will be on crack!
Tenants: This makes sense!
Rebecca and Tenants: No hot water means cold, cold showers! And cold showers are the gateway drug to crack...Cold water is drugs!
From her free drinks coupon scheme, her stalking to find out Josh's plans, her fake boyfriend, making this water case a huge deal just so that she can essentially eat around the world with Josh... her complete obsession with Josh is overly apparent.
And yet, with every insane move that she makes, I'm still rooting for her.
If Rebecca was someone I knew in real life, I'd judge her harshly for every crazy move. I'd be telling stories about her insanity to my husband and he'd ask why I continue to be friendly with someone who bothers me so much.
But Rebecca? I still adore her. I know she's making bad choices.
But every glimmer of hope that she shows in her self-aware moments make me want to stick around for that moment when she is finally redeemed and we see her accomplish that ultimate goal.
Whether it be just getting Josh, maybe realizing that Greg was the right guy all along, or maybe she just finds herself in a state of contentment, I want to be there when Rebecca DOES finally win a prize, in spite of herself.
Rachel Bloom has created in Rebecca a messy inky art piece, one where none of the blobs make any sense, but when you see the final product, you look at the piece as a whole and recognize the hard work and beauty behind it.
Or maybe I've just got a comedy crush on Rachel Bloom.
Dude, are we not friends anymore? Like, are you mad at me? Because, correct me if I'm wrong, it seems like you're scheming behind my back with Valencia. Wow. I'm sorry, don't you have a life? Don't you have a girlfriend?
Rebecca (to Greg)
Let's talk about Greg briefly and the fact that he might be just as obsessed with Rebecca as she is with Josh.
These two love stories have been somewhat parallel to one another throughout the entire series.
Josh absently ignores Rebecca's crush in the same way that Rebecca absently ignored Greg's crush.
Despite the fact that Josh is with Valencia, Rebecca can't let her feelings go. Despite the fact that Greg knows Rebecca has feelings for Josh, Greg can't let his feelings go.
Greg's in denial about his feelings for Rebecca. He's using hatred to mask love.
Side note, from a technical doctor aspect, oxytocin is the same chemical in the brain that produces both feelings. Greg might not know it yet, but he's crazy in love with the crazy ex-girlfriend.
Darryl: I like women. I like sleeping with women. I like the way that they smell, I like the way that they..the feel of their skin. I like their bird-like voices...I mean, does that sound gay?
White Josh: Nope. That sounds like a serial killer.
You know who else is headed toward love? Darryl and White Josh. (Though, they've got a long way to go.)
I am completely in love with the story that's been written for Darryl. The choice to make him a bi-sexual man is bold, brilliant, and completely fitting with his character.
It's also a progressive choice for the series; the growing amount of gay and lesbian characters portrayed on television is excellent, but the amount that are bi-sexual is much slimmer.
The bi-sexual community has had very few chances to watch a romance on television similar to what they experience.
I'm glad to see that THIS is the story that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has decided to tell for Darryl.
Darryl's confusion over his feelings toward both sexes was told very cleverly, with his questioning of manholes versus vaginas and which way the pipes run.
His deliberate glances to the asses of both the male and female aerobics classmates was a highlight. All ending with this moment of realization:
Darryl: Oh my god, could I be...
Class Member: Bye!
Class Member: Bye!
Class Member: Bye!
Class Member: Bye
Aerobics Instructor: You're bi Darryl!
Darryl: What?!
The thing I most enjoy about Darryl's sexual identity revelation is his complete excitement over it, and that the show isn't choosing to portray this as anything he's struggling with or feeling any confusing shame over.
Darryl seems to feel a sense of relief of finally realizing who he is and now he's just excited to share that with someone. I look forward to what the next steps will be with Darryl and how the show handles his coming out to everyone else.
What do you think TV Fanatics? Is Crazy Ex-Girlfriend hitting all of the right notes with you? Are you loving Darryl's story? Is Greg in love with Rebecca? Are you surprised that Josh was so quick to forgive his ex? Sound off in the comments below!
Missed a moment of this wacky group hang? You can watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend online right here at TV Fanatic! Don't forget to bring the nachos and margaritas!
Be sure to head back next Monday, 2/29 at 8/7c for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 1 Episode 13, “Josh and I Go to Los Angeles!” when Rebecca's case goes to trial and an old nemesis might just ruin everything for her!
