This Is A Musical Comedy You Will Be Crazy About
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Promo. Digital Image. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Accessed May 5, 2018. HULU
Musical comedies have a rich and long history within movies and in television. The songs would mostly address light-hearted and materialistic subject matter. But, these days, musicals are not as common as they once were. Less common are musical comedies that touch upon serious issues.
But what if there was a musical comedy that did that? What if this musical comedy also had great writing and great music? Well, such a show does exist. This is The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
This musical comedy was developed by actress/writer Rachel Bloom in partnership with screenwriter/producer Aline Brosh McKenna (previous works include 27 Dresses, The Devil Wears Prada, and We Bought A Zoo). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend first premiered on The CW October 12, 2015, and recently wrapped up its third season. The CW renewed this show on April 2, 2018, for a fourth season, which will be its final season. Before jumping into season four of this show when it comes back in the fall, it has three seasons under its belt I recommend watching the show from the very beginning, as to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend follows Rebecca Bunch (played by Rachel Bloom, BoJack Horseman) who, after a chance meeting with her childhood ex-boyfriend Josh Chan (played by Vincent Rodriguez III, Another Period) from summer camp, moves from New York City to West Covina, California in the hopes of finding happiness, while also trying to reestablish her relationship with Josh. The show also follows Rebecca’s co-workers Paula Proctor (played by Donna Lynne Champlin, Another Period), Darryl Whitefeather (played by Pete Gardner, Eagleheart), and Nathaniel Plimpton III (played by Scott Michael Foster, Greek), as well as her friends Heather Davis (played by Vella Lovell, The Big Sick) and Valencia Perez (played by Gabrielle Ruiz, Sex, Love, and Salsa).
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is not your typical musical TV show. The show’s songs are not only comedic and hilarious but also very catchy. The songs wonderfully show the characters’ traits and qualities, as well as represent the inner feelings and thoughts of the characters. I also find that the songs showcase the actors’ singing abilities quite well.
Besides the show’s great music, it too has excellent writing. The writers of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend construct a world with characters who are not only unique but complex. They are also great at making their characters relatable. You have Rebecca Bunch who is an intelligent and successful lawyer who suffers from mental illness. She is selfish, eccentric, socially inept, and somewhat self-hating, but with the help of her friends and co-workers, she slowly learns to love and accept herself.
Paula Proctor is Rebecca’s co-worker and best friend/mother figure. Before Rebecca, she was unfulfilled and dispirited. But through their friendship, Paula learns to go after her dreams and becomes a slightly more confident individual. You also have Darryl Whitefeather who is not only Rebecca’s boss but is also like the father she never had. He is emotional, needy, and insecure, but also caring, good-hearted, and fatherly.
Then there is the characters Josh Chan and Nathaniel Plimpton III. Both are similar in that they are Rebecca’s love interests, as well as being both confident, self-centered individuals. They differ in that Josh is more laid back and ambitionless, while Nathaniel is high-strung and suffers from an inferiority complex. But through their relationships with Rebecca, they learn to be more open and grow as people. As you will see, the writers create characters who are multi-faceted.
Along with its writing and music, this show also talks about deeper issues. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend discusses issues of mental illness, parenting, sexuality, and the female reproductive system. By addressing these issues within the show, either through comical musical numbers or characters’ storylines, it makes the show more relatable to its audience. It also helps to normalize these issues that can, otherwise, be stigmatic.
Though musical comedies can be a television rarity, I love that this show makes them relevant again. I also enjoy that this show takes on serious issues through its comedy, which makes it relatable. The writing and music of this show I find to be quite refreshing, as I’m sure you will too. So if you want a show with super catchy musical numbers, and that is undoubtedly hilarious, then I know The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is just the musical comedy for you.
