Rebecca Bloom, writing alongside Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada"), has created a smartly-written, deeply empathetic, and above all, hilarious musical comedy series. The premise, hot shot lawyer Rebecca Bunch leaving her success in New York city behind in order to chase elusive and unrealistic ideals of happiness in the suburb of West Covina, California, seems a bit silly, especially since the impetus for this move is that “it happens to be where Josh lives,” Josh being her ex-boyfriend from summer camp ten years prior. Still, there is something movingly (and cringingly) honest about the “crazy” in this show — it’s relatable and it’s merciless, both to its characters and the audience who sees themselves in them.

With this basic premise given, here are my 8 reasons why I think you should watch "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend:"

1. The joy. This show is about a thoroughly misguided search for happiness, with Rebecca constantly confronted with the reality neither convoluted plans aimed at starry-eyed Disney-esqe ideals, or conventional achievement and recognition are what make you happy. The show itself brings joy from a genuine place, with lovably weird characters and bright song and dance, which pairs perfectly with dark humor, its frank realism contrasting with the exaggeration and drama that accompanies the idea of a musical show.
2. The learning process. One of the things I like the most about this show is the feeling that it is a process, and that we experience Rebecca’s break-throughs as she does. It’s actually therapeutic. One example is Josh’s girlfriend, Valencia, who is incredibly unlikeable and genuinely horrible to Rebecca and seen as an obstacle to Rebecca’s happiness. Still, as Rebecca learns to see Valencia as a person, even when she is pretty much consistently a bully, the audience starts to see her in a more three-dimensional way as well.
3. Representation. Sure, you don’t get a cookie for not being a racist, or in this case for having an Asian love interest who is also a muscle-y bro type. Still, representation matters, and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" has a diverse cast which is refreshingly unacknowledged throughout the show. No one is a “token” — they just are. Josh is a Phillipino surfer bro who is shockingly oblivious at times. Another character referred to as “white Josh” (because his name is also Josh and looks like Josh but white) is openly gay, but you don’t even find out until several episodes in because, as he says “everyone already knows.” Unlike many of the token LGBTAQ+ characters of other series, being gay is not his defining trait, or even a major plot point, creating a cast of characters whose diversity is refreshingly unaffected.
4. The music. It’s honestly good. Personally, the key to my soul can be found in this one. Rebecca Bloom (and everyone else involved in the music writing process) deserves a cookie for this part at least.
5. It attacks both cynicism and idealization. A balance between the two is rare, and often when a series focuses on one, it is at the expense of the other. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" makes joy a priority, with silly, upbeat musical numbers, but it also has a way of keeping you grounded, wincing and smiling at the same time as you feel yourself getting called out indirectly in the pitfalls of the characters. No one is safe, but everyone is forgiven.
6. Open discussion and honest humor surrounding mental illness. Rebecca is pretty upfront about suffering from a whole host of mental issues, having prescription meds for anxiety and depression, and claiming to have rehashed her childhood in the therapy wringer too many times to count. The loving honesty with which it’s shown that Rebecca has, frankly, a whole lotta issues, is blunt, not idealizing or softening the effects of her issues, but clearly empathetic and deeply humanizing, free from shame and stigma, as well as being extremely relatable.
7. The whole idea of the “crazy ex-girlfriend.” Even in the theme song, linked here, Rebecca protests, “it’s a sexist term!” — the idea of women as hysterical and stalkerish is made fun of in exaggerated musical parody.
8. The importance of letting things go when you know they’re bad for you. Something we all have trouble with, and one of the aspects of the show that is relatable and frustrating. It’s clear from the beginning that Josh and Rebecca are realistically not good for each other. Josh has a girlfriend, and Rebecca idealizes him as a kind of magic bullet key-to-happiness. It’s clear how toxic this idealization is for Rebecca as well as for Josh, and how sometimes the things you love the most have to be sacrificed when you know they’re hurting you. Because there is truly no antidote like the cringe that is watching Rebecca try for Josh again, and again, and again.
9. Finally, Rebecca Bloom. She’s funny and brilliant and wrote such a clever show. Her YouTube channel can be found here. (Hilarious, but raunchy, so don't say I didn't warn you.)