 Rachel Bloom as Rebecca Bunch in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” (Eddy Chen/The CW) Every week, I answer a question from the previous Monday’s chat in the Wednesday edition of the Act Four newsletter. You can read the transcript of the Aug. 29 chat here, and you can submit questions to the Sept. 12 chat here. (The chat will be taking a break on Labor Day, as will I.) This week, a chatter who is catching up one of the best new shows of the 2015-2016 season wants to check in. I read your piece discussing the treatment of mental illness in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” alongside “UnREAL” and “Homeland.” I hadn’t gotten around to watching CEG at all until just recently, but I’ve found it really interesting and well-done from what I’ve seen so far: I think it makes a lot of jokes – and wild or over-the-top musical numbers – while under the surface having a view of mental illness that really is nuanced and empathetic, to the extent that I would imagine it might draw on first-hand experience. There’s an undeniable darkness to the characters, I think, as there is to everyone in “real life”, and at the same time they’re being treated humorously, it’s also apparent how unhealthy or painful their experiences and behaviors are for them. Did you get to keep up with the show after your essay at the beginning of the season? What do you think of it now? (I haven’t made it to the end of the season myself yet, but through the first four or five episodes, it’s definitely holding my attention.) Thanks! I did keep up with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend!” It was one of my purest pleasures of the past television season. And without giving too much away, one of the things I really appreciated was the way the series gave every single character a significant psychological issue to work on. Not all of these challenges rise to the issue of diagnosable mental illness. But whether it’s Josh’s career inertia, Valencia’s desire for her relationship to move forward, Paula’s treatment of Rebecca’s adventures as a distraction from her own problems or Greg’s tendency to self-sabotage, everyone on the show is trying to work through something that’s a genuine, realistic block to their happiness and self-actualization. Rebecca is just part of a continuum, and in a way, her craziness has become a spur to everyone else to sort themselves out. And on a purely artistic level, I was so impressed by series creator and star Rachel Bloom’s ability to keep turning out engaging musical and dance numbers throughout the show’s run. At least once a week, I pull up some of the music videos from the show because the songs have a great rhythm to write to. I have no idea how they’ll keep this going in the second season, but I’ve just been so delighted by the whole thing. Even if “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” falls apart this year, I’ll always treasure this season as an incredibly special thing, like that one golden season of “Bunheads.” |
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