I am really loving how they are bringing in a real look at mental health in a respectful manner and entertaining manner. This is how you start to get rid of its stigma.
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Crazy Ex Girlfriend: Season 3 |OT| She Has No Underlying Issues to Address (Spoilers)
- Thread starter PhoncipleBone
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This show is meticulously crafted, way more than I expected. That level of attention to details and the overall tactful treatment of very serious issues (ie. mental illness, depression and suicide) is astonishing. Not to mention the humor and funny songs, and the incredibly talented actors.
This show has everything.
On a side note: they went full on the D joke.
This show has everything.
On a side note: they went full on the D joke.
I can't find the interview right now, but apparently they hadn't settled on what her actual diagnosis (diagnoooosis) was until about halfway through season 2, and after they looked at her actions throughout the show and did a lot of research, they kinda felt it was BPD. But then they showed the series to actual mental health experts and asked them what her diagnosis (diagnooooooosis) would be, and they all came up with BPD too.
So the season I thought would be the worst continues to deliver.
Just... fuck, man. They did a great job of handling Rebecca's diagnosis, her denial, her anxiety, all of it was just fantastic. I've never seen mental illness tackled in such a direct way on a TV show. And for a protagonist no less? Rebecca's a pretty relatable character as is, but this is just... man.
I really love this show, lol.
Just... fuck, man. They did a great job of handling Rebecca's diagnosis, her denial, her anxiety, all of it was just fantastic. I've never seen mental illness tackled in such a direct way on a TV show. And for a protagonist no less? Rebecca's a pretty relatable character as is, but this is just... man.
I really love this show, lol.
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Oh wow, I hadn't noticed the thing with the titles before. But they're probably going to start changing the episode titles now right? Josh is irrelevant... so it makes sense that the titles might start with "Rebecca" now? It would be meaningful if they also changed the punctuation week to week, too. Therapy (once you buy into it) can be a rollercoaster and so much of learning to live with mental illness is three steps forward, two steps back.
And, for real, Paula needs a therapist.
And, for real, Paula needs a therapist.
Paula and Rebecca's relationship isn't healthy, something that the show hinted at a couple of times. While Rebecca lashing out at her was mostly Rebecca throwing a fit, she wasn't wrong though: Paula latched on to Rebecca because she was unhappy with her life, and Rebecca's love life (and all the shenanigans that that entails) helped her to find the excitement she was craving for. As a result, she became Rebecca's best friend, partner in crime, enabler and surrogate mother, all at the same time, and you could say that she is even more dependent on Rebecca than Rebecca is dependent on her.
On the "surrogate mother" part: it is both a good and a bad thing. It is definitely a bad one, as Paula isn't her mother and shouldn't act as one, as it conflicts directly with her "best friend" status and leads to an overprotective and almost wrathful attitude from Paula if she feels her "cookie" is in danger. Rebecca also falls into this trap, as she finds in Paula the motherly love she feels she didn't get from her mother (it is pretty clear that Rebecca doesn't view her mother in a good light, despite the fact that Naomi does love her a lot, but Naomi is partly responsible for this situation with her "jewish mom" traits turned up to eleven, and she can be incredibly demeaning and smothering to Rebecca), and she ends up acting like a child looking for approval, love and comfort from Paula, making their relationship all the more unequal (and, I dare say, disturbing). Rebecca even calls Paula "mom" at the end of the "bus" episode from season 1.
On top of Rebecca working on her diagnosis, her relationship with Paula needs to be addressed (something which Dr. Akopian put a lampshade on), and I believe this will lead to an emotionally-charged episode.
Finally, on the topic of mothers, Naomi's absence from this episode is quite strange. As Rebecca has been hospitalized for a suicide attempt, someone must have told her what her daughter went through (and even if no one told her the news, something which I find implausible, at worst she could have heard from her indirectly through Valencia's facebook updates). Which raises the following question: where is she?
On the "surrogate mother" part: it is both a good and a bad thing. It is definitely a bad one, as Paula isn't her mother and shouldn't act as one, as it conflicts directly with her "best friend" status and leads to an overprotective and almost wrathful attitude from Paula if she feels her "cookie" is in danger. Rebecca also falls into this trap, as she finds in Paula the motherly love she feels she didn't get from her mother (it is pretty clear that Rebecca doesn't view her mother in a good light, despite the fact that Naomi does love her a lot, but Naomi is partly responsible for this situation with her "jewish mom" traits turned up to eleven, and she can be incredibly demeaning and smothering to Rebecca), and she ends up acting like a child looking for approval, love and comfort from Paula, making their relationship all the more unequal (and, I dare say, disturbing). Rebecca even calls Paula "mom" at the end of the "bus" episode from season 1.
On top of Rebecca working on her diagnosis, her relationship with Paula needs to be addressed (something which Dr. Akopian put a lampshade on), and I believe this will lead to an emotionally-charged episode.
Finally, on the topic of mothers, Naomi's absence from this episode is quite strange. As Rebecca has been hospitalized for a suicide attempt, someone must have told her what her daughter went through (and even if no one told her the news, something which I find implausible, at worst she could have heard from her indirectly through Valencia's facebook updates). Which raises the following question: where is she?
I have MDD/GAD, I have two close friends with borderline personality disorder, and I got pretty fucked up by a loved one's suicide attempt years ago, so these last couple of episodes were really hard to watch but really really good. I am so impressed and grateful for the sympathetic, de-stigmatising, but painfully real way this show is handling mental illness, and now I'm trying to persuade everyone I know whose interest flagged during season to catch up on season 3.
The subplot about Nathaniel made me realize that on top of Rebecca, all the characters have a trouble relationship with their parents, when the parents mean well (Josh, Heather). I think the only major character whose parents we don't know is Valentia, I think?
And then we have Paula, whose lack of connection to her children let us see the other side of the coin. I really hope she will manage to mend her relation with them before they get as hurt as the other characters.
And then we have Paula, whose lack of connection to her children let us see the other side of the coin. I really hope she will manage to mend her relation with them before they get as hurt as the other characters.
This show is so utterly fantastic. Thank you GAF (at the time) for convincing me to start watching it with season one.
I really hope Josh sticks around. I love his character arc even if he's "irrelevant" to Rebecca now, and hope they just don't drop him completely.
I really hope Josh sticks around. I love his character arc even if he's "irrelevant" to Rebecca now, and hope they just don't drop him completely.
Finally caught up; boy did the show take one hell of a turn in tone. I like where it's going and have always felt that Rebecca actually addressing her issues should be the end game and not ending up with any guy. But the episode when she yells at her friends felt off. I think it was Rachel's acting - she does over the top and melancholy well but her being seriously mean spirited felt awkwardly forced.
Greg's dad - yikes!
Greg's dad - yikes!
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Hmm, that title for the next episode.
Something major missing from that title.
Getting Over Jeff
Something major missing from that title.
Quite the heartwarming episode. Rebecca herself addressed the issue between Paula and her, and they can now build a better and saner relationship. It feels good to see Rebecca's character getting better.
A little sad about W.Josh and Darryl, but at least they ended things like adults.
A little sad about W.Josh and Darryl, but at least they ended things like adults.
That was a sweet episode, and the breather this show needed.
Nathaniel in those tight black corduroys, by the way...
Nathaniel in those tight black corduroys, by the way...
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And apparently based on a true story according to Rachel!
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That makes it even worse.
With Josh's parts, I just felt sorry for him.
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It's not necessarily Josh (even though he's annoying), but the pimple thing is barfy to me haha. My sister warned me, so I fast forwarded.
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The pimple part was barfy. I just flinched there. But his "I'm a big boy!" Stuff while trying to show off was just sad and pathetic.
On a different note, the Darryl/White Josh train is over. Dammit.
Yes, the big boy stuff was pathetic :/
Crying at Darryl and Whi-Jo :(
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I really enjoyed this episode it felt like a everyone was taking a breath and reassessing life except for Josh Chan, but he is irrelevant anyways. I hope White Josh sticks around, his deadpan always makes me laugh. That first penis song was amazing!
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Nathaniel is the new Josh now.
He has way more character development than Josh does, even though he only appeared mid-season in S2.
I really liked the first season of this show but kind of forgot about it in the glut of new media coming out. Are seasons 2 and 3 as good or better than that, or has it fallen off in quality since then?
Season 2 has a bit of a slow start imo, but finishes REALLY strong, and 3 has been pretty consistently strong
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