Bert’s evidence on Greater City Water getting thrown out because he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia is so awful, and I love that the show doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t make him a punchline or a one-off. First of all, Rebecca sticks up for him in court. He has two PhDs, he is clearly knowledgeable, and his diagnosis shouldn’t detract from that. Don’t rule out his evidence just because of that.
But then they bring Bert back. They reintroduce him as one of the members of Rebecca’s group therapy. Then he comes to work for Whitefeather. We learn more about who he is as a person, his motivations and character. He’s a beloved member of the ensemble cast by the end, and he’s developed strong relationships with the rest of the cast.
This show is all about humanizing archetypes, beginning with the titular “crazy ex-girlfriend.” We start out with characters who fit into classic archetypes (“sweet dumb jock,” “rich entitled asshole,” “vain shallow girlfriend,” “funny best friend,” etc.) and then meticulously peel back their surface layers, delve deeper into who they are, reveal the real people they are. Even the minor characters get this treatment, no one is neglected. (Look at Jim, Tim, Maya, and Father Brah as other examples). In Bert’s case, he’s presented as “crazy conspiracy sewer guy.” But then they take his case and evidence seriously. Then they bring him back in several new contexts and tell us more about who he is. Then they make him the co-owner of Whitefeather and show us that he’s really good at his job and he’s friends with his coworkers. He ends the show thriving!!
One of the best things about this show is that every action has consequences. No detail is trivial. Everything is taken seriously, even throwaway one-liners are brought back like “wait let’s think about that for a sec.”
