Do you like binging on Netflix, funny people, and music videos? What about giant pretzels, decorative rocks, or boba tea? If you like at least one of those things, you’ll love the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend—and if you’re still not convinced, I’m here to tell you why.
First, the basic premise is this: Rebecca Bunch, a prestigious New York lawyer, finds that her new promotion doesn’t actually make her happy. But guess what does? Running into her high school ex. On a whim, she uproots her life and moves to California to be near him. Through hilarious misadventures and musical numbers—yes, this show is a musical—she makes great friends and big mistakes.
1. Rachel Bloom is the new Amy Poehler/Tina Fey/Amy Schumer.
She has a mix of Poehler’s quirkiness, Fey’s wit, and Schumer’s raunchiness (dialed down a bit). Bloom is the co-creator and star of the show, and won a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice award for her performance. She started out by making music videos on her YouTube channel racheldoesstuff, with songs ranging from “Historically Accurate Disney Princess Song” to “I Steal Pets,” the anthem of a girl who steals other people’s pets because she has no friends. (I seriously recommend checking out her channel.)
2. The show explores anxiety and depression in an honest way.
This show is definitely a comedy, but it doesn’t shy away from portraying the dark parts of its characters’ lives. In one of the first episodes, Rebecca explains that she likes to imagine her life as a musical—which is essentially what the show does—because it means that when things get bad, we can learn to laugh at it. This outlook is best demonstrated in the song “You Stupid B*tch,” an honest ode to the things we say to ourselves when we’re feeling bad. I’m not saying you should allow yourself to be self-deprecating, but sometimes just getting it out there and moving on is the best option.
3. The characters and their relationships with each other are imperfect.
Rebecca is sometimes terrible to her friends, but they work it out and move on. There is no “straight man” in this story—everybody is a little bit crazy, just like in real life! We also learn to forgive Rebecca for the ways she screws up, both towards herself and others. Sometimes—often—she makes decisions that are not healthy for herself. However, we understand why she does what she does because we know the background, and we know that she’ll learn from her mistakes and get better.
4. No, the title is not sexist.
Rather than making fun of the crazy ex-girlfriend stereotype, the show explores the reasons behind why we all might be a little bit crazy. Sure, she goes to some extreme measures (like faking a break-in to her own house) but this is TV, and we know why she did those things. This show consistently makes points by exaggerating stereotypes. See the song “Put Yourself First” for a great example.
5. You’ll have a whole new album to enjoy!
Seriously, I listened to the soundtrack this summer walking around New York City. The songs are catchy, and they’re all modeled after familiar musical tropes so they’re easy to listen to. For a (spoiler-free!) preview of the show, I recommend that you watch these music videos on YouTube: “Sexy Getting Ready Song,” “Put Yourself First,” and “Good at Yoga.”
There’s only one season out so far, so you can finish it in less than fourteen hours. Plus, the new season comes out less month, so when you’re hooked (which you will be), you can rest easy knowing that Rebecca Bunch’s new adventures are just around the corner.
Image credits: Tumblr.com