#maya the intern

[kanasnaur]

you have 48 hours to respond.

og

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

Final Thoughts: “Nathaniel and I Are Just Friends!”

This was just a great episode. All around. There were several fun moments. I’m always stoked to see Dr. Akopian, and she got a prime role in this episode (more on that a bit later), not to mention an opening song. Valencia, though only appearing a few times, seems like she’s doing better than she ever was, and that’s amazing. Heather gets more emotional than we’ve ever seen her, but it never feels completely divorced from the Heather we know and love. Not to mention Vella Lovell nails it. The “Idiot Cult”, as Paula dubs it, seems to enjoy every moment, from actually goofing off to the scene at the shower where they are trashing Paula, and Sunil gets a bit of extra shine with the conversations where he and Paula make up. I could seriously go on for every single cast member. Everyone makes the most of their screen time, and that’s the sort of thing I always love to see. 

The true shining moment of the episode, however, is in the final therapy session between Dr. Akopian and Rebecca. I watched this scene at least 5 times, because I think it’s so important. It’s no holds barred, free emotion, and that’s a rare gift. Crazy Ex Girlfriend has blessed us with many of these scenes and moments throughout the run, and I never take this for granted. It’s an emotional turning point.

I’m just happy with this episode overall, and, with the return of Trent next week, things are bound to be interesting.

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

I'm sorry, Paula. I badly want to foster an alliance with a woman, but I have to be on the side of consent.

Maya, after Paula tries to start Slappy Slaps

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

Paula is from an older generation of women. She came up in an era where she had to fight and that's why now, sometimes, she such a big ol' "B".

Maya

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

OMG, what? This can't be happening! You guys are my #goals, I literally cannot with you guys. You guys are the best humans. You give me all the feels.

Maya is not a millennial; she is a tumblr fangirl

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

Even though Rebecca really tore into their lives, they all miss her so much. That’s what makes West Covina really special in terms of Rebecca. We never hear about any friends she’s made elsewhere (we just see people who had crushes on her or who she slept with), and there’s that flashback when we first meet Audra that shows that the other lawyers celebrated when she left. She’s never had a home like West Covina before.

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

Final Thoughts: “To Josh With Love”

This was the episode I think we all knew was coming--the moment when everything Rebecca’s done gets back to Josh. The execution of this was glorious. There were so many good things happening here. All the songs worked so well. The main plot with Nathaniel and Rebecca was very good, and the sexual tension that’s been there since the Santa Ana Winds was heightened here to the point where they were in bed together. Now that Rebecca’s cathartically let loose all the anger she’s been holding inside toward Josh, and immediately realizes the consequences, there’s a lot of interesting places the show can go. (By the way, Josh is mistaken if he thinks he’s not at all to blame for this or that he shouldn’t feel bad.)

Also, something pretty rare happened: background characters were at the foreground of a central plot. This obviously can’t happen in every episode. Nevertheless, the whole plot with Maya and Tim was absolutely hilarious. And Tim’s solo was the pinnacle.

Three central characters, however, were noticeably absent: Darryl, Valencia, and Heather. The story this episode’s trying to tell doesn’t necessitate their presence, but it still felt weird to have all three of them gone. Darryl could’ve made a cameo in one of the scenes at the firm. Nevertheless, this was a wonderful episode following such a strong premiere.

[prettylittlearrowfangirl]

Final Thoughts: “I Never Want to See Josh Again.”

I usually like to rewatch the whole season after it goes up on Netflix. With this episode, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through it.

It’s gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Hard to watch. In the best way. That final scene is everything it needed to be. I have a tendency to make note of all the funny quips and important character moments, but I don’t usually write much about the intensely painful moments, aside from saying they’re so painful. That’s not because I don’t like them--it’s because I don’t know what to say. Scenes like that last one aren’t usually what I’m compelled to write on this blog, because I feel like nothing I can say will capture the importance of it as much as simply watching it. And that is a remarkable scene.

This episode has some funny moments, but there’s a sadness coursing throughout. Even the funniest plot line--the Whitefeather employees trying to act like Cornelia is the same as Rebecca--has sadness at the core. And that’s good with an episode like this. Having a hilarious B-story alongside Rebecca’s main story would just seem wrong. I remember seeing a comment online (I think it was on Facebook) that Crazy Ex Girlfriend wasn’t as funny as usual--that her problems were getting to the point of not being funny. This commenter didn’t seem to take that as a good thing, but I think it’s essential. At this point, her psychological problems aren’t supposed to be funny, and the writers aren’t concerned about trying to make it funny to soften the gut punch of this episode. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Last week’s episode was the explosion; this is the fallout. Going into this, I knew there was no way it could measure up to last week’s outing. I’ve never seen an episode that follows one with such a huge turning point that quite measures up. In terms of fallout episodes, though, I think this is just as good as it can get.