Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Badly Named, Brilliantly Made

[@SerenaSkybourne]

Become a patron today and access extra content from me! 😍 www.patreon.com/SerenaSkybourne The latest two videos up are about Wren Kingston (from PLL) and the fatphobia in Bridget Jones’ Diary!

[@telercoi3234]

I actually really did appreciate the way Valencia’s bisexuality was handled! To me, it helped demonstrate that there’s no one response to finding out you’re LGBT. Darryl found out he was bi and had a huge musical number in the middle of the office repeatedly announcing it. Valencia met someone she liked who wasn’t a man and just went “Oh neat” and started dating them without any fanfare. As a “figured out later in life that I’m bisexual” person, I really loved it

[@pennyraehawkins9788]

Agreed! As satisfying as it would have been to see her discover these feelings, I appreciate how she was able to just Be Bisexual™️ without it having to be made out to be A Thing™️.

[@celia1888]

@@pennyraehawkins9788 we don't even know if she found out later in life if I remember correctly. It's just something WE learn at this point. That's something I love because it means both could be true and it doesn't have to be a thing

[@graceellison118]

Yes! I love that bisexuality isn’t something that needed to be announced and discussed, but rather, it was just something casual. Because it’s not an out-of-the-norm thing.

[@brigutierrez5249]

Nathaniel was the best love interest for Rebecca. They pushed each other but also accepted the ugly sides of each other in a way that neither Greg or Josh did. I get why they didn’t have her end up with anyone but it would have been nice to have them verify she would be invested in a healthy romantic relationship too.

[@rahbeeuh]

I was kinda pissed they built up that Bachelorette-like plotline only for it to lead nowhere. I get it now but at the time I didn't like the finale.

[@shoujokadyan5502]

There was an article published about an interview Rachel Bloom did after the finale aired. She said that Rebbeca ultimately ended up with Nathaniel after a few years have passed.

[@brigutierrez5249]

@@shoujokadyan5502 that makes my Nathaniel loving heart so happy

[@Danielle-zq7kb]

@@shoujokadyan5502A great interval for the therapy she needed to complete!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

@@shoujokadyan5502 omg i need to find that interview ASAP

[@ShyannxNicole]

**spoilers for people who haven’t watched the whole show** I do really wish we would’ve been able to see Valencia discover those feelings for Beth. I was so sad that it got lost in the time jump. It would’ve been interesting to see them connect Valencia’s history of failed female friendships with her queerness. A big part of me discovering my own queer identity was realizing that it hurt so much more when certain girl friends would talk badly about me behind my back or do something to hurt my feelings because subconsciously, I had feelings for them. Since that’s my own little headcanon, I like to think that part of the reason Valencia was so hurt by Rebecca kissing her at Spiders in the first season is because the nonsexual connections she was making with another woman were emotionally more fulfilling than the sexualization she’s always faced from men. I think she thought that the sexualization from men is how relationships are supposed to feel so when she started making emotional connections with a woman, it was scary & unfamiliar. Also I really fucking love Nathaniel & it’s so nice to see another Nathaniel lover out there 😂😊

[@devilinred3319]

We need more Valencia analisys out there, i havent really think about what yo mention till now, and have a lot of sense.

[@trinaq]

I really appreciated that Rebecca wasn't one of those skinny models, but had a realistic body shape.

[@PrincessSybilla77]

The body diversity in the show was great

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

I also like how it shows how her relationship with food is affected by her mental health because that’s so damn relatable

[@shoujokadyan5502]

Rachel Bloom said she was going to hire a personal trainer and try to look like your typical TV heroine for the show. I'm so glad she decided against it in the end.

[@NatBKyiv]

@becoswald Not realistic? Having two heads is not realistic. Being skinny is NORMAL. Stop spreading this nonsense

[@NatBKyiv]

@becoswald stop calling skinny people “unrealistic”. That’s all I wanted to tell. It is absolutely 100% realistic body type

[@falconinthedive]

Honestly there was something refreshing about Valencia not having to have a giant realization or struggle with being bisexual. So often the only narratives we get of queer characters are them coming out and angst over that or like, death narratives. And we already had a coming out narrative with Darryl. You may see it as her "suddenly being bisexual" out of nowhere, but like, it reads more like, she was bisexual the entire time she was with Josh but in a monogamous relationship with a man and then when she left him winding up with a woman which wasn't a big deal or a shock to her because it was a thing she knew about herself. This show does a good job with a range of bi and queer visibility which make it feel like a more natural part of the characters than stopping and introing "this character's the bi character". It comes up when it organically would in character rather than being the point of the character.

[@nooba220]

Maya is a good representation because she says it when Daryl comes out and just says "Im Bi too" and that was that. But thats not why we remember Maya, we remember Maya calling Daryl D-Money and her weird book clubs and activities.

[@alessiasecli8395]

I totally agreee! I found Valencia not having a big revelation with her being bisexual was more realistic and natural, it just showed that being bisexual wasn’t a big deal but just her sexual orientation

[@trinaq]

I love how this show explores mental illness, and really made Rebecca grow as a person, recognising her flaws. She also resolves to stop obsessing over guys to "fix" Everything, and ends the show single, but on the road to recovery.

[@rahbeeuh]

Hello again, Trina! If I wasn't sure you were a fan of CXG I'd figure that out about now. Such a well done show! I don't think we'll ever see another like it but it'd be wonderful if we did.

[@trinaq]

@@rahbeeuh Greetings, Rabia, I was hoping that I'd find you here, especially after our riveting chat about this very same show elsewhere on KZbin. I really hope that there will be more musical comedy shows in the vein of this one. The closest we've gotten is "The Rise of the Pink Ladies", but that's sadly already been cancelled.

[@taint1801]

My favorite part about the finale was actually Rebecca's moment with Paula, because as both her best friend and a mother figure, Paula was the one who truly showed Rebecca what it feels like to be accepted and even celebrated for who she is. And the way they did it with Paula entering Rebecca's fantasy world to me just represents the healthiest type of friendship, because there is no judgement and a genuine try to understand.

[@thevampirecat]

this show was the most body positive (for women) there ever has been on CW

[@SerenaSkybourne]

It’s very body positive and we love that

[@shoujokadyan5502]

I think this was because of Jane the Virgin. It was another show that showcased a lot body types too!

[@kweenychick32]

this show was criminally underrated ! Rachel Bloom did an amazing job

[@rahbeeuh]

Absolutely

[@jesserivera2043]

I'm just a boy in love with this show. The only part I don't fully agree on is Josh's development. He really did have a naive mindset that grew because Rebecca forced him to confront his complacency. He was also good commentary on how mental health affects everyone, as well as the downside of passivity and being stuck in the past

[@stephanieok5365]

I feel like Josh's development seems undercooked because he's the one love interest without childhood trauma. The folks that had the benefit of healthy childhoods can sometimes seem less developed that way.

[@Ange.revolte]

Yeah + we know he surrounds himself with people to avoid having to think and having intrusive thoughts

[@simonamicunkova60]

Josh was always a fantasy not a person in Rebecca's eyes... Greg and Nathaniel were real people to her because they wanted her from the beginning, Josh didn't so she was left to imagine how would it feel if he wanted her as well... And she starts to see him as a person around season 4. That's why he doesn't feel like a real complex person from the beginning. In my opinion. :) Love your videos. :)

[@pammy6429]

I think it was great for Valencia to be bisexual "out of nowhere" because in media they always feel the need to mention it in some way when a character is LGBT. But they treated Valencia's bisexuality just like any show would treat any character heterosexuality. Like it just it. No explanation needed. It normalizes it.

[@edgardfr]

30:33 I was also put off by the lack of building up to discoverig Valencia being bi but I i think they may have done it on purpose. Darryl was discovering his bisexuality for himself so we discovered with him. It's assumed that Valencia's bisexuality is common knowledge so the fact that she's dating a girl doesn't surprise the characters, just to us the viewers (challenging our heteronormative assumptions). Also i think they made a big deal about Darryl to put a light on the male bisexuality stigma and they dismissed it completely to go against the fetishizing of female bisexuality.

[@shehulkgolding2206]

I think the title of the show is the reason I was put off of the show. Watching the musical scenes on KZbin is why I've finally started waiving it.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

Yeah same

[@cepahreinholt8710]

Exactly. The west covina song popped 3 or 4 times before I was like "yeah ok that sound fun I'm gonna give it a shot"

[@missmoreno]

This was an AMAZZZZINNNGGGGG show and I’m happy that someone is FINALLY covering it

[@SerenaSkybourne]

who wants to start a Nathaniel fan club with me

[@rahbeeuh]

Make it Scott Michael Foster and you've gotta deal 😅

[@lorigarry6098]

Me

[@writerwannabe8778]

I'll be the head of the club. He's one of my special interests (that's an autism term for one of my autistic fascinations)

[@cepahreinholt8710]

I'm in

[@SerenaSkybourne]

@@cepahreinholt8710 excellent, we're building a good team here

[@shana9057]

Nathaniel was my favorite love interest. I like that she ultimately decided to stay single and work on herself, but I also wish she had ended up with Nathaniel.

[@rahbeeuh]

Every time Serena mentioned sum'n that reminded me of a song from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend I put the closest timestamp to what was stated followed by the song I thought of for it. 27:59 Nothing's Ever Anyone's Fault 28:05 Friendtopia 28:33 or 29:07 (could be) I'm Not Sad You're Sad 28:48 I'm So Good At Yoga 29:00 Heavy Boobs 29:34 Makey Makeover 29:38 I'm A Good Person 29:59 Research Me 30:26 Gettin' Bi 33:00 Feelin' Kinda Naughty 33:12 Thought Bubbles or Angry Mad 33:35 I Could If I Wanted To 33:43 Without Love 33:51 I Have Friends 34:00 I Go to the Zoo 34:59 Love Kernels (iykyk) 35:41 You're My Best Friend (Even Though I'm Not Yours) 37:34 West Covina 37:40 Who's The New Guy? 37:48 I Gave You A UTI 37:53 Who's The New Guy (reprise) 38:13 My Movement 38:25 Villain In My Own Story 39:02 Our Twisted Fate 39:38 Settle For Me 40:09 End of the Movie 41:00 I Wanna Be A Child Star 41:04 Slow Motion 41:16 The Math of Love Triangles 41:18 The Math of Love Quadrangles 42:01 Love's Not A Game 42:09 You Ruined Everything 43:54 What A Rush To Be A Bride (idk why but that's where my mind went) 44:45 It Was A *Bleep* Show 45:46 Settle For Me 46:40 The Darkness 46:27 Hello. Nice To Meet You 49:53 Let's Have Intercourse 50:43 After Everything I've Done For You 51:17 Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal 51:24 A Diagnosis 52:57 Women Gotta Stick Together 58:12 So Maternal 58:20 Sex With A Stranger 58:22 The Miracle of Birth 58:33 Put Yourself First 58:52 Ping Pong Girl 59:17 Group Hang 59:43 OMG I Think I Like You 1:00:13 You Go First 1:00:30 Fit Hot Guys Have Problems Too 1:00:33 Our Twisted Fate 1:01:20 In One Indescribable Instant 1:02:00 I've Always Never Believed In You 1:02:10 I'm So Good At Yoga 1:02:17 Triceratops Ballet Medley 1:02:46 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (theme) 1:03:15 Sexy French Depression 1:03:32 I'm Not Sad You're Sad 1:04:01 Without Love

[@gravity-arbor]

Wow you’re a true fan of the show :) Great playlist !

[@rahbeeuh]

@@gravity-arbor thanks! The situation is a lot more nuance than that lol

[@MrsBasia99]

Love this!! Nice work.

[@rahbeeuh]

@@MrsBasia99 thanks so much! I'd forgotten I did this 😅 happy to come back to this so thank YOU 🫶🏾

[@lydwiniaeathelyn5004]

Love these videos! One comment in the Valencia section: Rebecca at this point isn't aware of her illness or the symptoms common with it. And with BPD it's common to have black and white thinking and not be aware of conscious of the manipulative behaviors you express. This DOES NOT excuse her actions. And she probably should've had some more heart to heart conversations and accountability with Valencia. But her lack of honesty isn't something she is probably aware of at that point in time. Especially since you can switch between legitimately idolizing and demonizing a person so quickly. And in those moments of "splitting" (as it's called) you sincerely believe the emotions and thoughts you have. So Rebecca sincerely believes herself when she lies saying, "I just like her and wanna be her friend". The diagnosis really sucks and effects every relationship is some really difficult ways.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

Yea great point; that makes her a lot more sympathetic because she’s trying her best but genuinely couldn’t do better, this is why she’s such a good character

[@april4524]

i have borderline personality disorder rebecca is so relatable i can’t watch it more than one episode at a time bc i cringe knowing it’s me 😭

[@annaippolito8889]

Okay so the all the boys being obsessed with Rebecca in season for (in my opinion) was great writing. It is unrealistic. She has acted extremely poorly toward every single one of these men throughout the show, and it just generally doesn’t make sense. Even Audra Lavene mentions how odd it was that she was a “5 pulling 10s”. The whole point was that even with this completely unrealistic Marilyn Monroe level of attraction and luck, Rebecca is still unhappy. These men cannot be her source of joy. It’s also why it’s so big of her at the end of the show to have chosen herself. She was not at all forced to do so, she had every man she was obsessed with begging her to choose them, and she chose the fourth option.

[@Nelia2705]

Yes, this!

[@ginao6810]

I expect a whole video on PERIOD SEX Also I felt the end of series depression when I the last Harry Potter book came out. I started reading HP in 1999 when I was 11 and the last book came out in 2007 when I was 19. I had an existential crisis and was furious at my parents and boyfriend for about a month. I feel you ❤

[@verinha0256]

Hey I love your video but at 30:24 you talk about how Valencia "randomly becomes bisexual" and I wonder what exactly you mean by that? You didn't elaborate much in the video and it feels really weird, like, when was she ever not bisexual? She rejects Rebecca, sure, but I think it's very clear there are many reasons for that that are not her gender. The fact that she never had to come out as bi in the series is really powerful to me and many people I know, since it kinda puts in check the assumption that straight is the default and you gotta warn people if you're something else. Valencia absolutely changed A LOT from the first to the last season (and much of it was too quick), but I don't think her bisexuality is one of those things.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I say “randomly” because when they were sexy dancing and then Rebecca tried kissing her in season 1 she seemed disgusted by it, and with the way they framed it with her dating Beth; it was as if she almost surprised herself with her interest in Beth

[@SerenaSkybourne]

So I felt like the show made some kind of decision to change her character after season 1 because earlier they never gave any clues, hints or her mentioning liking girls, anything that shows usually do to explain a character

[@SerenaSkybourne]

But in regards to your comment I 💯 agree that it’s great she didn’t need to justify herself and give a whole drawn out explanation because she shouldn’t need to explain her sexuality to anyone

[@cepahreinholt8710]

I love the pure look of surprise and delight when beth tells her she's funny. She's so used to be valued for her look. That sells their relationship very well for me.

[@berlineczka]

I think it actually fits her arc perfectly. When we meet her first, Valencia lives her live to impress others. She is pretty, well dressed, skinny, good at yoga, in a 7-years committed relationship with her high school sweetheart that she was king and queen of the prom with. She projects her life as a teenage fantasy. She even has a whole binder of her perfect wedding. When she is hurt too deeply by Josh and leaves him a bit on a whim which is more like a straw that broke the camel's back, she is forced to reevaluate her life and life choices. Her perfect picturesque life she created for herself and others to see is over. She indulges in food, looses interest in yoga and is generally lost. Her way out of it is also not lineal. When she discovers that she could be a great event/wedding planner, she is still driven by her mirages and wants to make "classy events for classy people" even if this is not what people actually want. It takes her a while to realise that she is not there to "create" and mould the people to her vision, but to listen and actually hear what people are saying. Her ignoring her bisexuality for so long also fits that pattern - being attracted to girls did not fit her fantasy persona and her fantasy life, so she never allowed herself to explore or even realise this things. Remarks about girls not liking her could also be some sort of unconscious internal homophobia - she was scared of being possibly attracted to her female friends that she rejected them to shut down these fears.

[@albasmaranch5620]

I watched Crazy Ex-Grirlfriend the first time before quarentine, and I loved it, it had all the elements to make it one of my favourite shows ever. And then months after I finished the show, I had a pretty terrible episode that made me had to get diagnosed, and turns out, I have BPD and I am autistic. And honestly, this show has been a great comfort for me to be able to process my diagnosis. I now have a lot more knowladge about mental health than I did before, and this show is honestly such a preacious thing to me, it has helped me a lot, and it's really nice to have representation in media, specially when it comes to things like personality disorders. Also, musicals are one of my special interests, and it just makes me so happy to have so many great songs about things I relate to a lot.

[@sheianus]

I do agree about the final season having more filler and less things impactful to the plot, esp with the songs. But I did grow to appreciate the plot at the end of the whole town watching the dates and betting. Once I watched it again, I realized that it’s kind of the fulfillment of her fantasies. She becomes the star of the show, not just in her mind, but in a comically overblown way. She gets what she has been having all these fantasies about, but is still dissatisfied and has her final confrontation of reality vs fantasy as they kind of converge here. So, with that in mind, I very much found it more impactful on the second watch through!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I love this take and it makes me feel slightly better about season 4

[@taryn12]

Amazing deep dive! I love this show so much and felt like I was the only person who watched it when it was on the air. I think the only reason it wasn't cancelled was because it got critical acclaim and awards. There are SO many great songs, I couldn't possibly pick a favourite. I do love Nathaniel and can't wait for your video on him!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I can’t wait to talk about Nathaniel

[@karrenb5094]

I've been rewatching the series lately, just in time!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

It’s like fate

[@pennyraehawkins9788]

Personally, I thought Greg leaving was a really strong move. He definitely should have told her he was leaving, but he needed that time away to work on himself and he came back a much better person; Someone Rebecca could reasonably choose one day. That being said, I totally see why you prefer Nathaniel despite my disagreeing. ✨

[@sweetnlo13]

Every season I would say "that show's still on?" Then two years ago I watched it and binged it all so quickly. Rachel had a plan and executed it through out the seasons, I loved it

[@nameless568]

One of my fav shows for SO many reasons! Not only are so many important issues addressed but I feel like ppl can really benefit from seeing it

[@steakraw9452]

AAAH I REMEMBER WATCHING THIS SHOW i love it so much !

[@SerenaSkybourne]

It’s so goodddd

[@dimanthehedghog]

I think the Greg recast was handled excellently, to the point where it seriously almost feels intentional, I love the way that the recasting is meant to represent the way that Rebecca was so caught up in her own mental illness and obsession that she genuinely couldn't even see Greg for who he was

[@tamerafarly7666]

1. Thoughts on Rebecca: • I like Rebecca. I like how much she grew throughout the series. Instead of the Love Quadrangle, I would have focused more on her working on her play. She should have had one love interest for Season 4, either Jason or a New-Greg with a different name, and break up with them after her spiral where she tried to sleep with her exes (who shouldn’t re-develop feelings for her.) Also, I wanted to see Rebecca take Paula, Heather, and Valencia to Raging Waters. And I wanted to see more of her little brother. 2. Thoughts on Josh: Josh was an interesting character. I think that his character really needed to grow, but his growth was undercut by his falling in love with Rebecca in the finale season. I feel like he really needed to be single. He’s been in a relationship with Valencia since high school, then he dated Rebecca for the one summer that he was single, and then it was back with Valencia, and then Rebecca, and then the eyebrow girl, etc. I think that he needed to stay single, and I liked that he was doing therapy. Josh should have become a kid's magician or something. 3. Thoughts on Paula: I don’t really have many thoughts on Paula. 4. Thoughts on Greg: I don’t believe that Greg should have come back. Honestly, I love Greg and Rebecca and when the series’ first ended, I wanted Greg and Rebecca to be together. But I’ve rewatched the show, a lot, and I’ve realized that Greg deserves better than Rebecca. She jerked him around when they first met, she cheated on him during their first date, she started sleeping with Josh before they officially broke up, she slept with his father, and she tried to cheat on him with both Nathaniel and Josh. I think that the original actor should have made one more appearance so Rebecca could get her closure and tell him what she did with his dad, and Greg could give her his forgiveness and return to Emory. He could have also made another appearance in the finale to see her play. The other Greg should have been a new love interest that she dated for the season. 5. Thoughts on Heather and Valencia: I love Heather, and I was very proud of her growth. I liked Valencia too. I didn’t really like Beth. I feel like she was just there to be there, and I wish that Valencia’s relationship had been fleshed out like Darryl and White Josh’s. I’ve read some fics that made me think that Valencia and Heather might have been a better couple. No offense to Heather’s boyfriend. 6. Thoughts on Nathaniel: Nathaniel needed to let go of Rebecca. After “I’m almost over you,” Nathaniel should have let her go. He grew so much as a person, and while I really do like him with Rebecca, I don’t think he’s as he accepts too much about her. He almost killed Josh’s family member, he sang “Nothing is ever anyone’s fault,”, he was cool with the fact that Rebecca stalked his family, etc. Rebecca needs to grow alone first, while Nathaniel goes on his own journey as a Zoo worker. They’ll most likely find their way back to each other. Also, I don’t particularly appreciate that he cheated on his girlfriend for months with Rebecca. That was terrible, and it feels like it's often glossed over. 7. Thoughts on Darryl: I was a little disappointed that Darryl and White Josh didn’t end up together. I loved Darryl a lot and him having a baby was a good storyline. He was a nice character, though he gave off weird vibes in the 1st season. 8. Overall Thoughts: It was a really good show. I didn’t watch it until it came to Netflix because the name put me off. Glad I gave it a chance.

[@ilse3924]

I do have to say that personally i really didnt mind the switch to valencia dating a woman, sure the progression of it got lost in the time jump and that would have been fun to see but, I myself being bisexual I actually think it's a breath of fresh air to see her just dating a woman. You talk about wanting to see the character progression there but I feel like that doesn't always need to happen, I do understand where you're coming from, with her failed friendships with women throughout the show but I actually like how it was portrait on the show like just something there. Especially after we got an entire bisexual related song earlier in the show with Daryl, it shows multiple ways and multiple journeys and I really like one of them just suddenly being there with a character we already know

[@ItsTheCatSpeaking24]

Absolutely loved this show but it really threw me off when they had to recast Greg 😢

[@strawberrylove5684]

I love this show so much, thanks for covering it! I rewatch this whenever I’m feeling especially down

[@olivesgarden]

I haven't wanted to watch this show because of the name. It immediately puts me off. But now I'm curious. I'll have to give it a chance. You've sparked my interest.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

The name put me off too but give it a chance!

[@cepahreinholt8710]

It's so worth it. Tell us if you liked it when you're done.

[@BryonyClaire]

I so agree with everything!! Its sad how this show went under the radar, I agree, i think the title hurt it too because i was originally not keen on watching it until people told me to

[@randomgeekcrap]

This is best show on the cw.😊

[@SerenaSkybourne]

Yep

[@mollypocrass4562]

This show is one of my comfort repeat shows! I am so happy the CW gave it everything even with the low ratings. They could afford to with all the superhero shows.

[@erisbob]

She chose herself, not for her career, but because she recognized she needed space to learn who she was alone, to heal herself before getting into any relationship with any hope of health. BPD relationships can be intense and sometimes short-lived. (I researched BPD before, during, and after the show) Sorry for so many responses. I'm passionate about all of this.

[@dimanthehedghog]

I actually really liked that there was no buildup or fanfare for Valencia being bisexual because she was always an out bi woman, part of what makes bi erasure so prominent is because people in straight passing relationships suddenly are no longer viewed as being bi Whereas Darrel was great representation because it portrays someone who normally wouldn't be written as bi coming out in life Valencia is equally good bi representation because it didn't need to be a big thing because bi people are still bi when in a straight passing relationship

[@xooeyengmann2020]

Coming here to suggest you watch Marvelous Mrs Maisel if you haven’t already! Would love to hear your thoughts on it

[@rahbeeuh]

Great video, Serena! I think the Valencia thing was foreshadowed in the song I'm So Good At Yoga. Finish the sentence: I'm so... ✨SPOILERY✨ I really enjoyed this deep dive and share your thoughts on the final season. I don't think the build up involving the dates helped the overall message of the show. It actually took away from it a bit. Also, it might've been added to pad the season. Initially, iirc, Rachel and Aline wanted 10 or so episodes but The CW wanted 18 episodes so they went to 17 and added the live musical episode as the finale I think. Not sure if I got the numbers right but I think that's what happened.

[@user-es7ui5mc1m]

I love this show so much! Great video!

[@we_see_you_opal]

Idk but i actually don't think josh is a Bad character...yes they make him Look kinda silly at Times but He is still pretty fleshed out?

[@SerenaSkybourne]

yeah "bad character" is too strong a word, i like him. i just dont think the writers rly cared about him as much as nathaniel and greg

[@we_see_you_opal]

@@SerenaSkybourne probably? But He is also Not that serious of a character, so maybe the scenes with him don't feel as grounded because they explore his character in a goofy way... He kinda reminds me of bojacks Mr peanutbutter..Like the way he had a very sheltered upbringing and has a problem dealing with comflict, responsability, or actually having goals and trying to acomplish them

[@PrincessSybilla77]

I just see Josh as a sweet himbo that Rebecca fixated on because he was popular, funny and had a happy loving family. Things she never had

[@SerenaSkybourne]

@@PrincessSybilla77 he was definitely her wish fulfilment, like everything she wanted to be

[@Emwaroccoanastasia]

❤❤❤❤ finally!!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@SerenaSkybourne]

Sorry for the wait 🥰❤️

[@capital_L283]

Your favorite show ending is devastating, I feel that so hard

[@SerenaSkybourne]

It’s acc devastating

[@suzysobrinho2921]

I love this show i have bpd and the way they dealt with all the negative stuff about it but also showed the things people with bpd that are actually positive. This is the only show that i saw that hasn't demonized bpd. Also men suffer from bpd equally they just don't get the right diagnosis everyone thinks this is only a female disornder example Trent! I wish they would have done more with her in group therapy i thought that stuff was great i so related to that! Sadly this is a very serious disoder and we shouldn't forget how much suffering there is with it. That said the musical stuff was great funny and creative! I am rewatching it 2nd time. I wish more people on social media would talk about the show and bpd at the same time. It seems like that was avoided😢. Thanks for taking time to break down the show and characters.❤

[@kimberlyn4996]

Love this! I think the thing with Josh's lack of character was intentional. It was indicative of what was discussed in the beginning of the video about Rebecca's obsession being about her not about him. The story is from her point of view so we learn more about people when she learns about them. She didn't actually care much for Josh past him being this hot, popular, cute, heart-of-gold-himbo so that's what we got of him. She had a slightly more grounded relationship with Greg because they had a bit of a friendly vibe before she saw him as an amourous interest so she objectified him less and we learnt more about his personhood. She cared deeply about Nathaniel and paula so we learnt a lot about them. Notice we started learning more about Paula as their relationship started to level out. When they were still in the early stages that were so toxic, the view of Paula's family was very sitcom : dumb husband that may be cheating, shitty kids etc. But the more respectful their relationship got, the more realistic her family became: yes they sucked as people sometimes but everybody does and they loved and supported each other ... I would've loved to learn more about everyone but I think this method is more true to life because you only get to know these intimate details about people when you actually try to get to know them. If you're as self centred as rebecca was in the beginning, you won't gain the privilege of other people.

[@Nelia2705]

Such good points, thank you so much!

[@MsMCjuh]

It's so true! I watched the show 3 times and everytime I found something new. 4th time coming in...

[@greatesteva7343]

Rebecca had to put her romantic relationships on hold because she needed to be able to find herself on her own. It’s not that she would never have a romantic relationship but until that point she didn’t know how to separate herself from her relationships so it makes sense that she puts it on hold.

[@UdoADHD]

I didn’t watch during its run time because of the name but someone recommended it and it’s one of my all time fave shows!

[@devilinred3319]

Actually im not even from the states, but this show its in mexican Netflix everyone!! And i start to watching after a guy made a video reacting to the show (a MUSICAL show

[@LaraOmar]

Gonna start a revolution to get you to post that wren Kingston pll video here on your channel 😂

[@SerenaSkybourne]

It will probably end up on KZbin a few months from now but early access and extra stuff is for the patrons 😂💓

[@katarinakrnjevic8183]

Crazy ex girlfriend was better than most shows who where popular at time .They got good yet unknown cast for example : Donna Lynnn Champlin as Paula , Vincent Rodriguez as Josh , Pete Garder as Darryl ,and of course Rachel Bloom as Rebecca

[@jaqijarboe3374]

This is the best show ever

[@Marxnchill]

It *is* criminally underrated lol

[@stephanieok5365]

I appreciate white Josh's "I never came around to you!" comment at the end.

[@458pinki]

I always viewed Rebecca and Nathaniel as right ppl, WRONG time. She needs a lot more time to work on herself than he does, and he can be overly supportive sometimes (like when he helped her almost kill Josh's grandpa, or convincing her that her poor choices werent her fault they were solely her upbringing) I didnt mind the over focus on the "whos she gonna choose?". When your whole life has been about your relationship with others its pretty realistic, to me atleast, that you'd genuinely focus on those as tho they're the ONLY options until you realize that NONE is also an option I agree they pushed Greg which was weird, but the end was still open enough that I had hope Rebecca would build herself enough to make a healthy relationship with Nathaniel work someday. I LOVED YOUR ANALYSIS!!! I don't see nearly enough love for this show ty so much for making this!!!

[@missmoreno]

Same for josh. He was so off putting for soooooo longgggg

[@wrongcielo]

as a logan lover, i can see why we both also love nathaniel lol

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I’m starting to notice a pattern here in our fictional crushes 😂

[@Strawlighte]

I love this show so much, I’m so excited for this video!

[@Ella]

omggg this is one of my favourite shows!! been watching you since the start of your PLL videos ❤❤ haven’t seen many people cover this show so amazing to see your recent videos on the show

[@maganhare8466]

So off topic but you look so pretty in this video!!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

Thank you so much 😀

[@writerwannabe8778]

You matched the outfit of Rebecca in the thumbnail, right? I really love your outfits, but this one is the best!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

@@writerwannabe8778 wow omg thats so nice! thankyou

[@duncanbrown8868]

This is a great review but I totally disagree about season 4 having bad songs. So many of the most iconic songs in the show come from the last season. No one else is singing my song, don't be a lawyer, I want to be a child star, trapped in a car, hello nice to meet you, what you missed while you were popular, sports analogies, anti depressants are so not a big deal, eleven o' clock. I'd say it's easily on par with the other seasons musically.

[@iuliac3087]

I saw The first season or so years ago when it premiered but I think I’m gonna give it another try now that I am older and (hopefully) wiser

[@free2trvl]

"Bitch its not that hard, what does your heart tell you?" Girl...... do you not know how hard of a question that it? 😂

[@SerenaSkybourne]

😂😂😂 she needed a push

[@musicalblonde9187]

I just finished this show today. I knew I had to start it when I saw you had a few videos on it. It was very enjoyable!

[@SerenaSkybourne]

It's so good!

[@YoSoFunnyx3]

The name is perfect. BPD’s biggest stigma is being the “crazy ex girlfriend.” At its core, Rebecca is showing her symptoms of BPD.

[@erisbob]

I hyper focused on this show & watched all I could. According to some interviews, the characters are also representations of other diagnosis, psychological conditions, whether genuine or how the public perceives the conditions. Thus the depictions/focus levels.

[@erisbob]

Spoiler for those who haven't seen it: Rebecca has BPD & those with it often don't recognize or admit to self about actions & motives. Hence, she couldn't admit to being a bitch in certain ways.

[@Marxnchill]

I loved this show but yeah the name threw me off for so long but I finally got bored enough and I don’t regret it!

[@withempress]

I swear she called the show that on purpose to lure in people who would use that term and get them locked in to change their minds. I swear I heard her talk about that in an interview 😊

[@karilemon7570]

30:59 Sooo idk about this I think its important to have queer people exist without needing to call it out I actually like the way they handled this I think it seems as though you're belief that this was out of nowhere was more of a projection of what you assumed I think maybe you should investigate why you assumed she'd be straight Like yah her dating a girl was different from before but nothing actually changed about her people can just be bisexual they don't have to announce it for it to be true nothing actually changed about her character it just broke an assumption you made about her That being said I feel like I should mention im not like mad about this and over all great video But I just think this point is maybe a little based in hetronormativety causing the reveal of a queer character to seem out of nowhere But its important to have characters that just are queer Also important to have stories about coming out and focuses on queer identity but its equally as important for characters to be allowed to be queer without a focus Cause its a normal thing

[@erisbob]

If you research Borderline Personality Disorder, you'll see a lot of reasons for many choices made in the show. Again, my responses are based upon interviews about the show over time.

[@erisbob]

My wife loved the first Greg so much, she refuses to watch past season 2. The original Greg had to go to do Broadway & another Frozen movie.

[@frankieloves7078]

Yes!

[@dimanthehedghog]

I don't see how you can say that there was no reason for nathanel and Rebecca to break up, they didn't make him a very good love interest because they made it very obvious that for a long time he didn't really view Rebecca as a person with her own feelings. He was very narcissistic he viewed her much more as an object that he should possess than a person to share a life with

[@idontneedaname318]

Terrible name? Id completely disagree. One thing I lovr is how its deliebrately called Crazy Ex Girlfriend rather than *The* Crazy Ex Girlfriend, centering The girlfriends persepctive rather than a man. Its not about skmeone dealing eith a crazy ex, Rebecca IS the crazy ex

[@1Lanavis1]

Great retrospection

[@dimanthehedghog]

I definitely gotta disagree about Josh, I agree there only felt like two valid choices but those two valid choices were to stay single or to choose Josh

[@writerwannabe8778]

I'm obsessed with you. hey, i just realised the show is about obsession, so this comment aligns with that.

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I’m obsessed with you though

[@writerwannabe8778]

@@SerenaSkybourne Haha. Thanks! I'm rewriting insatiable by the way, I'm trying to maximize its full potential. Also, crazy ex girlfriend is my favorite show. And I love that Vincet Rodriguez who plays Josh, also plays a character in Insatiable, although his character is awful and his storyline doesn't make any sense and was too random and all that, but I will fix that too! 😂

[@prageruwu69]

i watched the show as it came out, and god it made me cry so many times.

[@howtoaca7504]

💝💝

[@heatherstephenson3559]

Your videos are really cool and interesting, always here for vids on this fantastic show. ❤ It maybe doesn't make sense but I'm kinda intrigued by the idea of the songs in the show that Rebecca isn't a part of or doesn't know about and if they're representative of what she imagines that the others might be doing/thinking at that time. Loving your vids. 👍

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I’m so curious about that too, like maybe that’s what she imagines they would do when they’re alone? Or maybe she has no idea they have songs too

[@heatherstephenson3559]

Yeah, that's a good point, makes you wonder if the others have their own imagined musical numbers or if Rebecca imagines what they're feeling when she's not with them.

[@Nelia2705]

There's a video called "why crazy ex girlfriend is a masterpiece" that does talk about this! I really enjoyed that video, highly recommend 😊

[@devilinred3319]

33:18 I really think that Rebecca first relationship with Valencia, its actually the strugle a lot of women who born in the 80s-90s wave of feminist but grow up on the "not like other girls" and "pick me women" era... there were TOO MANY contradictory messages in media back then and poor jugement of the consumer, im younger but as a kid i grow up with a lot of "casual feminist" in media IN ANOTHER COUNTRY were this movement is still strugling cause of "thirdworld nation issues" and still have a lot of problems with media and culture that show very misogenistic women but start to give them confidence in thereselves: IT HELLA WEIRD. The new generation its more educated in the subject but still managing to understand their own internal misogeny, why we act like that with other women? why we react in certain way with gender roles in media?

[@luciferteaparty]

I absolutely loved this show ❤

[@LoserLeagueLeader]

I need the Nathaniel episode.

[@juliuss.1336]

I hated Greg. Lol

[@savannaherickson6895]

I am a greg girl forever.

[@jmejocyrus3625]

The show is leaving Netflix in September 😢

[@stephanyol]

Now it's gone 😭

[@julasad]

The last is season is my fav, because it goes deep into therapy and mental health stuff

[@ab.122]

Yes ! This is one of my favorite shows

[@khh7231]

thank you so much for this video and especially for the Josh section. i think at some point i even started fast forwarding his scenes because he infuriated me

[@SerenaSkybourne]

I totally agree! Some of his scenes were so mediocre

[@Danielle-zq7kb]

I wish you would do a Felicity analysis.

[@Shiba_Inu_Mika21]

It is fantastic, i loved it ❤

[@leafmebee]

Definitely bad name great show. Name put me off at first.

[@dannyvladi1199]

23:48