Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a comedy-drama musical TV show that touches on quite a few difficult issues. It follows the life of protagonist Rebecca Bunch, played by Rachel Bloom, after she chooses to move from her busy NYC life to West Covina, California. Rebecca’s life is scrutinized and picked apart in the funniest possible ways, many of which are done through musical theater themed numbers. While it seems predictable, as soon as you start watching you realize that you truly have no idea what’s going to happen next. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend keeps you on the edge of your seat even if you might laugh yourself off of it eventually. There are many different reasons why I love this show so much, but there are 5 standout reasons I will recommend this show to everyone I meet.
- It does mental health so well.
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The first, and in my opinion most important, reason that you should be watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is that it portrays mental health better than any other show I’ve seen. The main character, Rebecca Bunch, goes through a journey throughout the show where viewers follow her declining mental health. In most cases in a comedy show, characters with struggling mental health are often the butt of the joke. This doesn’t happen with Rebecca. Every supporting character is supportive of her and the show even goes into her recovery process in a way that doesn’t stigmatize it. It is so important for modern media to represent mental health in a positive light and this show does just that.
- The musical numbers are hysterical.
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Usually, I’m not too big a fan of comedy musicals. However in this show, the straight-to-the-point way the writers went about crafting the songs appeals to me in a way I didn’t think musical theater could. The lyrics are honest and contain little room for interpretation past their baseline message, however I don’t think the show would work any other way. The numbers add to the plot and make it better, which often is not the case with musical TV.
- Everyone can relate to at least one character.
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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has every stereotypical sitcom character in the book. Each character is written beyond their stereotype, however, which gives the show a deeper level. Everyone who I have recommended this show to has mentioned to me that they relate to at least one of the characters, and they love it more for that. The cast does an excellent job of portraying the characters, and the writers made it incredibly relatable to every kind of audience. Truly, there is something in it for everyone.
- It shows a range of body types.
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With almost every TV show I’ve watched, almost every actor/actress in the series has the “hollywood” body type. As someone who can’t relate to the ideal body type standards, I was more than pleased to see a main character with a body type like mine. Rebecca’s body type is much closer to my own than most leading ladies in TV shows, but the show does not recognize this as a bad thing. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was one of the first pieces of modern media that I saw show a body type similar to my own as attractive and desirable.
- You never know what’s going to happen next.
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While it may seem predictable at first, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is full of plot twists and turns. In every single episode I found myself surprised at something that happened. The writers keep you on your toes for the entire series. The more you watch, the more you’ll realize that you really have no idea what’s coming up. The show is amazing at throwing plot twists at you like it’s nothing- but it is so addicting. I found myself binging the series after starting it because I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is unlike any show I’ve ever seen. It completely changes the way you look at relationships, mental health, and career choices. It is currently available on Netflix, and Youtube and Amazon Prime for paid options.