Rebecca is in the best place that she has ever been in, and it is almost infectious getting to follow her in this new place.

There are bound to be some obstacles along the way, but Rebecca is handling them so much better now and it is a real testament to the work that she has been doing when it comes to her mental health.

During Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 4, Tucker visits Rebecca out of nowhere, and he seems like the perfect little brother. But when things are too good to be true, it is usually because they are. Tucker turns out to be using Rebecca to book an audition, and he is using her childhood diary to manipulate her.

Meanwhile, Paula tries to bond with her kids and finds out that when she wasn't looking, they grew up to be good boys. As for Nathaniel, he decides he wants Rebecca back and will do anything to make that happen.

Anything becomes letting Tucker use him too, just to get access to her diary that backfires in his face.

"I'm Making Up for Lost Time," written by Elisabeth Kiernan Averick showcases characters getting to a healthier place in their lives, while others end up in the same cycle that we've become familiar with.

The episode highlights making progress, and how that stems from interacting with those around you. Yet there is always the other side of that story, with characters going through that same loss of progress in comparison.

Rebecca Through Her Relationship With Tucker

Bringing Tucker into the story was unexpected, but it let Rebecca work on another part of her life that had to be weighing on her.

Her relationship with her dad was horrible and didn't deserve to be revisited for her sake. But Tucker was clearly someone she wanted to at least try to reach out to, and in some strange way, she was right about them sharing enough in common to build a foundation on.

Tucker using her diary to influence her was terrible, even more so when as the audience we knew he didn't have good intentions but still loved him.

Drive safe, or recklessly! Whichever makes me cooler.
Rebecca

Permalink: Drive safe, or recklessly! Whichever makes me cooler.

But the way that he manipulated Rebecca was twisted, and the more he did it, the darker it felt. It was good on Rebecca's side of things because she genuinely wanted to help her little brother and was so susceptible to his mind games.

It helped make it more hurtful to see Rebecca trying so hard because she thought this wasn't thought out before Tucker arrived.

And yet this was a useful comparison all around in the narrative.

Tucker (and Nathaniel) are gravitating to the same tactics that Rebecca used when the show started. Tucker though was a great representation of when getting help might work out in the person's favor.

If Rebecca had a therapist with whom she could talk about her issues or even a place where she could just be like at theater camp, there is room to assume that she would be in a better place.

She struggled a lot with herself and seeing that in Tucker was significant in the way that it may be made room to stop the cycle.

There was also the fact that Tucker and Rebecca's dad isn't present in his son's life like he should be, an upsetting fact that made way for a better family dynamic.

I love pretzels, they are a funky treat for teens.
Tucker

Permalink: I love pretzels, they are a funky treat for teens.

Tucker wasn't a big part of Rebecca's life but now they can be closer, and it will be good for both of them.

Struggling to fit in with their families is another thing that they have in common, which allows them to work on it together as they both deserve.

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That is also why it is easier to forgive Tucker, he is young, and he is still growing. He understood where he was wrong and it can be reasoned that this is a pattern that Rebecca understands.

Rebecca Through Her Relationship With Nathaniel

The same can't be said for Nathaniel.

Tucker using Rebecca was bad, Nathaniel helping invade her privacy was worse.

Tucker and Rebecca don't know each other too well, so their dynamic was off from the beginning of their first meeting. But in getting to know each other, they are working on making their relationship healthier.

Hello Rebecca. Please, I need to say something very important to you. First, little boy move aside, we don't have any money for your youth club overpriced candy.
Nathaniel

Permalink: Hello Rebecca. Please, I need to say something very important to you. First, little boy move...

Nathaniel and Rebecca have a history together, so the fact that he thought it was a good idea to go through her diary is beyond off-putting.

It served as a needed reminder that this was Rebecca when she thought she loved Josh. There was no thought being put into what Josh may have thought or wanted, just that Rebecca loved him and everything she did beyond that was done for a reason.

Nathaniel is using that same reasoning to explain to himself why he needs to take part in these schemes, and it isn't working.

He isn't thinking about what Rebecca wants, which is almost hilarious considering she told him repeatedly to his face where she is at right now.

While Rebecca is growing, Nathaniel is not.

And as someone who was rooting for these two to be together for a while, this episode did a good job in proving why that doesn't work.

Oh right, it's the theater. You can have female directors.
Rebecca

Permalink: Oh right, it's the theater. You can have female directors.

Nathaniel shouldn't be with Rebecca because this version of her frankly deserves better. There is room for him to be that better version, but for that to happen, he needs to stop chasing after her.

Rebecca was correct when she pointed out the ways they don't work and by extension not rushing into the arms of a guy just because he was there.

It is necessary for her to get to this place, and if Nathaniel is going to spiral, then he should do it without including her in his schemes.

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Because while the idea of Nathaniel loving Rebecca is great, what he is doing isn't love. He is so blinded by the realization that he cares for Rebecca that he almost forgot who he is in love with and what she needs from him.

Paula Through Her Relationship With Her Children

Wrapping up every character's story this season means checking in on their home lives as well.

Paula's boys haven't been around, and for a while, it did feel like they were going to become terrifying versions of their present-day selves.

So the surprise that they grew up when Paula (and we) weren't looking was a useful reminder that not everything stays bad forever

To Paula, it felt like she was stuck and when she was stuck, that related to just about every portion of her life. Her kids stuck out to her as a piece of her life that she wanted to help but didn't know how.

I just can't. I'm with child. I'm with a child, my brother.
Rebecca

Permalink: I just can't. I'm with child. I'm with a child, my brother.

This was an overarching theme for many of the characters, and just like that, it wasn't all bad all the time.

Paula improved her definition of what she wanted her life to be, and there is no doubt there that her kids would improve as they watched her.

Following Paula's time with her kids in that escape room was also well needed comedic relief compared to what was happening around Rebecca that day.

With there being two surprises that day, it was nice to end with the one that proved that Paula raised her kids good enough that they can now be independent.

There is that validation as well about her career choice; it doesn't limit the way that she managed to raise her kids and she is allowed to take something for herself. This all worked well in the episode because it served as a wrap up of another person's arc along the way.

What did you think of Tucker? Would you like to see more of his relationship with Rebecca?

Were you happy to follow Paula's family around for a little bit? Who thought that her children would actually become less terrifying?

Was Nathaniel right to team up with Tucker or is this further proof that they need a break? Do you think Nathaniel even wants to be with Rebecca when he seems not to understand what she wants?