S01.E11: That Text Was Not Meant For Josh!

[Eolivet]

To be clear, I'm not rooting for Rebecca and Josh -- I "ship" Rebecca/Inner Peace.

 

Not because they've been worn down by their suitor's determined "niceness," but because they begin to see a friend in a romantic light and form an attraction where there wasn't one before. There's nothing sexist or unfeminist about depicting that kind of story.

 

It's just so tired. I can flip channels and see it a thousand different times. That's Ross and Rachel, Leonard and Penny, Niles and Daphne. In all cases, the guy doesn't really do anything to change -- the girl just suddenly decides she sees him differently. I'm sick of romantic relationships being launched because the woman changes her mind. It subtly reinforces the idea that women are changeable -- and in all these cases, the guy didn't have to do much of anything but wait for the woman to "come around."

 

I mean, I think "Settle for Me" is ingenious if Rebecca and Greg will never actually get together, but it's so depressing if they do. "Settle for Me" has been playing in the background of every TV show where a much more attractive woman suddenly decides some nerdy schlub is her true love, and where the opposite is seldom true.

 

I can argue the merits of Rebecca as hero or protagonist, the show as feminist or anti-feminist, but the one idea that I hope is universal is the show is original. I just find a potential pairing with predictable beats that have been done on every single sitcom, drama, movie, musical, book, anime and Web series to be stale, tired and far beneath this show's ample creativity.

[dubbel zout]

the one idea that I hope is universal is the show is original

 

I can sign on to this to a certain extent. Nothing is new, if you want to get pedantic, but I do like how the show isn't afraid to show Rebecca at her absolute worst. A lot of shows would soften that, and CXG just digs in deeper. The secondhand embarrassment is really high on this show, and as uncomfortable as it can be to watch, it's also true to life.

 

That said, I want Rebecca to know she's hit rock bottom soon and start to make some conscious, better choices. I can only watch her sabotage her life for so long before I want to see some sort of change.

[Eyes High]

I can sign on to this to a certain extent. Nothing is new, if you want to get pedantic, but I do like how the show isn't afraid to show Rebecca at her absolute worst. A lot of shows would soften that, and CXG just digs in deeper. The secondhand embarrassment is really high on this show, and as uncomfortable as it can be to watch, it's also true to life.

The show does remind me a little bit of The Office UK in that respect (the more squeamish The Office US wound up softpedaling the second embarrassment). Rebecca is definitely a spiritual successor to David Brent. What was her cringeworthy pole dance if not the heir to David Brent's infamous improvised dance? Greg also reminds me a little of Tim: stuck in a dead-end job, low self-esteem, wry and even cruel sense of humour, hopelessly in love with someone who doesn't love him back, self-aware enough and smart enough to know he's his own worst enemy but unable to do anything about it, etc. etc.

 

That said, I want Rebecca to know she's hit rock bottom soon and start to make some conscious, better choices. I can only watch her sabotage her life for so long before I want to see some sort of change.

 

Rachel Bloom has come out and said that if Rebecca does deal with her issues, the show is effectively over. The same goes for Josh and Greg:

 

1. Rebecca: Admits that her pursuit of Josh is unhealthy and self-destructive. Immediately ceases all attempts to pursue Josh or spend time with him. Goes back to therapy. Ignores Paula's attempts to get her back on the path of pursuing Josh. Politely begs off if Josh attempts to resume their friendship. Decides to stay in West Covina but seeks out a new group of friends with no connection to Josh's social circle. Eventually meets a nice boy with no resemblance or connection to Josh or Greg. Settles down.

 

2. Josh: Stops lying to himself and admits that he is attracted to Rebecca and that Rebecca has been pursuing him all along. Is compassionate towards Rebecca and acknowledges his own attraction but firmly draws boundaries and enforces them, given Rebecca's admitted pattern of deceit and manipulation. Tells Rebecca that he can't spend any more time with her because he values his relationship with Valencia more. Josh stops seeing Rebecca and cuts her out of his social circle. Josh and Valencia break up for other reasons, and Josh settles down with a nice, smart girl his family will approve of. 

 

3. Greg: Realizes that he only wants Rebecca because of his self-esteem issues. Is polite and distant with Rebecca and stops himself from getting involved in her life. Goes into therapy. Gets over his attraction to Rebecca. Makes his peace with West Covina. Finishes his business school courses and stops working at the bar. Settles down with Heather, who moves out of Rebecca's neighbourhood.

 

I mean, if the characters made healthy, sane choices, there's really no show left, is there? The love triangle goes away, because it's based on some extremely unhealthy relationship dynamics that would not withstand self-awareness and therapy, so what do you do? Bring in new characters for Rebecca to throw herself at?

 

That's Ross and Rachel, Leonard and Penny, Niles and Daphne. In all cases, the guy doesn't really do anything to change -- the girl just suddenly decides she sees him differently. I'm sick of romantic relationships being launched because the woman changes her mind.

You might be "sick of it," but it's a thing that happens (to both men and women). People, not just women but also men, do change their minds and see their friends in a different light, and there's nothing wrong or sexist about showing that, provided it's not freighted with baggage about the guy wearing an otherwise uninterested woman down with dogged persistence. (For a fictional example of a previously uninterested guy suddenly becoming attracted to the female friend who pined for him, there's Xander and Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) I'm not that familiar with Leonard/Penny, but I know that Rachel and Daphne fell in love with Ross and Niles when the guys were in serious relationships with other women and when the guys had stopped showing any interest in them (and not before), which reflects another universal truth of both men and women: people want what they can't have. (True, Rachel decided to pursue Ross when he was in China before he had formed a new relationship, but her vague interest only became love when she was confronted with his happy relationship with his new girlfriend.)

 

It subtly reinforces the idea that women are changeable -- and in all these cases, the guy didn't have to do much of anything but wait for the woman to "come around."

Aside from my quibble that there are plenty of fictional depictions of pining women waiting, often successfully, for uninterested men to come around (including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, where Rebecca is wearing down Josh despite his initial lack of interest), that's really not how Ross/Rachel and Niles/Daphne played out (TV child of the 90s here). Both Rachel and Daphne found out from a third party that Ross/Niles was supposedly madly in love with them, which piqued their interest. They then started to see Ross/Niles in a different light, but by that time Ross and Niles were both in serious relationships with other women, which of course had the effect of magnifying their interest (Rachel complains when she's jealous about Ross' new girlfriend about seeing Ross as not her friend Ross but as "this really great guy that I can't have"). Niles and Ross were hardly waiting for Daphne and Rachel to come around. In fact, they had happily moved on to new relationships on the recommendation of their confidants and got pretty upset when Rachel and Daphne expressed interest in them, because it mucked everything up.

 

the show is original

In some respects, sure. In other respects, not so much.

 

I just find a potential pairing with predictable beats that have been done on every single sitcom, drama, movie, musical, book, anime and Web series to be stale, tired and far beneath this show's ample creativity.

Greg/Rebecca is very different from Ross/Rachel or Niles/Daphne for a number of reasons, but first of all because unlike those characters, Greg has hardly been secretly pining. He's made his interest in Rebecca pretty clear from the get-go, and she has made her lack of interest in him pretty clear as well. It's not a case of "I never really thought about you that way before, but now I'm thinking about you all the time." It's more "I never thought about you that way, and I don't now, so deal with it."

 

"Settle for Me" has been playing in the background of every TV show where a much more attractive woman suddenly decides some nerdy schlub is her true love, and where the opposite is seldom true.

I get that nerdy schlubs paired with hot women is a definite thing on TV, but to be blunt, it really doesn't fit here, and you seem so eager to paint Greg/Rebecca as another iteration of nerdy schlub/hot chick syndrome that you're ignoring the way the show has presented the characters. Now, if Greg/Valencia were the pairing in question, it would be one thing, but Rebecca? Another kettle of fish.

 

Strictly physically speaking, Rebecca is decently attractive, but she's not by any stretch "a much more attractive woman" and Greg's not a nerdy schlub. Stout, squat, apple-shaped Rebecca is also a bit of a schlub herself, compared to stereotypical "hot girl" Valencia (taller, willowy). Now, it might be that it seems like Greg, who seems similar to Tim on The Office UK in personality (the quintessential nerdy schlub, paunch and all), should be played by someone who looks the part of a nerdy schlub (short, stout, average-looking, which by the way is a good description of Rebecca), but as it is, Greg is played by tall, fit, attractive, played-a-Disney-prince-on-Broadway Santino Fontana, and that affects the perception of the character. (The Office US had a similar issue, by casting as the US version of the UK Office's Tim a tall, athletic, handsome, and charismatic actor.)

 

Furthermore, Ross/Rachel, Leonard/Penny, Niles/Daphne and similar TV/movie relationships are usually based on the guy falling in love with the girl primarily because she's beautiful (or at least because he sees her as very beautiful). In these cases, the guy is much nerdier and supposedly much smarter than the girl, who is beautiful but ditzy, as well as more accomplished and higher status than the girl (scientist/waitress, scientist/waitress, psychiatrist/caregiver). This is not at all true of Greg/Rebecca. Rebecca is extremely accomplished and wealthy, while Greg tends bar. Rebecca has a genius-level IQ, and Greg, despite being no intellectual slouch, does not. Rebecca is more nerdy than Greg. 

 

In fact, Greg/Rebecca can be read as a genderswapped version of the frequent nerdy schlub/hot chick dynamic, with Rebecca as the nerdy schlub and Greg as the hot guy pining for her. Given your complaint about the lack of such relationships on TV, you should be applauding Greg/Rebecca for presenting an unusual spin on the dynamic.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Eyes High

[wayne67]

Rachel Bloom has come out and said that if Rebecca does deal with her issues, the show is effectively over. The same goes for Josh and Greg:

 

1. Rebecca: Admits that her pursuit of Josh is unhealthy and self-destructive. Immediately ceases all attempts to pursue Josh or spend time with him. Goes back to therapy. Ignores Paula's attempts to get her back on the path of pursuing Josh. Politely begs off if Josh attempts to resume their friendship. Decides to stay in West Covina but seeks out a new group of friends with no connection to Josh's social circle. Eventually meets a nice boy with no resemblance or connection to Josh or Greg. Settles down.

 

2. Josh: Stops lying to himself and admits that he is attracted to Rebecca and that Rebecca has been pursuing him all along. Is compassionate towards Rebecca and acknowledges his own attraction but firmly draws boundaries and enforces them, given Rebecca's admitted pattern of deceit and manipulation. Tells Rebecca that he can't spend any more time with her because he values his relationship with Valencia more. Josh stops seeing Rebecca and cuts her out of his social circle. Josh and Valencia break up for other reasons, and Josh settles down with a nice, smart girl his family will approve of. 

 

3. Greg: Realizes that he only wants Rebecca because of his self-esteem issues. Is polite and distant with Rebecca and stops himself from getting involved in her life. Goes into therapy. Gets over his attraction to Rebecca. Makes his peace with West Covina. Finishes his business school courses and stops working at the bar. Settles down with Heather, who moves out of Rebecca's neighbourhood.

 

I mean, if the characters made healthy, sane choices, there's really no show left, is there? The love triangle goes away, because it's based on some extremely unhealthy relationship dynamics that would not withstand self-awareness and therapy, so what do you do? Bring in new characters for Rebecca to throw herself at?

 

Just because a character admits they have an issue with boundaries doesn't automatically mean they become a perfectly bland well rounded person that has no boundary issues.

I'm sure there's lots of drama to be mined from Rebecca meeting other obsessive people or from Josh realizing that even though he's attracted to Rebecca and Valencia that neither really suit him and he should try and date more than 2 people in his entire life before settling down. Then Rebecca could have Heather as her sponsor or her watch dog in order to shut down obsessive behavior instead of Paula enabling her unhealthy obsessiveness due to boredom. 

Having this show being a rinse and repeat of Rebecca and her rationalisation hamster for obsessing about Josh in unhealthy ways leading to failure and embarrassment followed by depression and self hatred is both formulaic and repetitive. 

 

If Rebecca dealt with her problems, she could have awkward conversations with her mother about all the lies she told to gain approval. She could track down her father and deal with that emotional trauma and have that out. 

 

If every episode is going to be an emotional train wreck, it would be nice to have a bit of variety. Issues with father, mother, friends, coworkers and love interests. Maybe an episode with Josh and his family or speed dating at Greg's workplace or some follow up with Darryl and White Josh.

[ToxicUnicorn]

The problem is that Greg and Rebecca feel like the only real people on the show. They are not particularly original characters in many respects. Rebecca's Neurotic Professional Seeking a Simpler Life shtick has been done, done, done; the only novel aspect is that the character is canonically mentally ill. Similarly, Greg's Sensitive Bartender With Commitment Issues And a Fucked-Up Family type has also been done to death, most recently on Hart of Dixie. With that said, they have depth that the other characters just do not have; they have complicated inner lives and are painfully aware of their issues.

And all of this is ok with me because the musical numbers are a lot of fun, and the acting by all is perfectly pleasant.

 

I don't think Rebecca is the hero.  She's the protagonist, definitely, but not the hero.  The show isn't afraid to let her be wrong and wallow in that wrongness.  It isn't afraid to let her be her own worst enemy.

Rebecca is extremely accomplished and wealthy, while Greg tends bar. Rebecca has a genius-level IQ, and Greg, despite being no intellectual slouch, does not. Rebecca is more nerdy than Greg.

These are good points.  I do think this show feels fresh and different.  It is not I Love Lucy, who certainly was her own worst enemy, and it is not every-professional-female from '80s tv, who worked but still needed permission or somehow still wasn't secure in some aspect of their femininity.  Rebecca is way beyond some of those issues, in her way.  She just happens to act like she's still 14 years old when it comes to Josh.

 

Rachel Bloom has come out and said that if Rebecca does deal with her issues, the show is effectively over. The same goes for Josh and Greg:

 

... awesomely logical speculation, on potentially very boring consequences, omitted for space ...

 

I mean, if the characters made healthy, sane choices, there's really no show left, is there?

I agreed with all of this.  I'm watching this as a comedy.  An over-the-top, musical, probably short-lived comedy.  And it's amusing me greatly.  I think it's a bit of a miracle that we get any of these episodes at all, and I think it's doing a great job already of putting some new material on the table.  To expect it to tackle true character development and any kind of "non-crazy" relationship assessment seems to expect it to go against its very premise (imo).  This show never promised that we were going to get to see Rebecca learn how to make healthy choices, no matter how many butter commercials it shows us.

[LisaM]

When Rebecca picked up the glass shard during her song, I was afraid she was going to attempt self harm.

[jecibels]

Can I just say that I love how differently we all approach this show? Like we've watched the same episodes but I feel like everyone's come out of it with a different perspective, which I think is a really cool testament to how nuanced the show is. I.e., some of us find Rebecca sympathetic while others find her intolerable; some of us are convinced Greg is right for Rebecca, others see Josh, others think it'd be better if she weren't in a relationship at all.. etc. I think that's pretty cool, actually, and means the show is full of potential for discussion! 

 

I just wanted to say that because I feel like it's really come out in this whole thread and while I didn't pipe in before and don't feel like going back to the numerous points from earlier posters that I had thoughts on, I think in general it's something really special and fun about this show! I'm so excited to see where things go in this last third of the season..

I really hope Rebecca can be honest with him in the next episode... I don't think their relationship can go anywhere at this point if she's not. 

 

Also I just looked back at my post from last week and based on the promo/episode clip, it seems like my wish is not going to come true on the Josh front... 

[STOPSHOUTING]

Also, how pathetic is it that Paula and her husband boned over their over-involvement in Rebecca's fucked-up love life?

 

Umm, maybe you haven't been married a long time, or maybe you and I just saw this differently, but I watched this with my husband and I when I said, 'Do you get why she is suddenly turned on right now?'

 

He was like, 'Because he's actually been listening and paying attention to what she's said.' And, frankly, I was little excited he even got that so quickly.

 

LISTENING. That's the key; not the subject matter. It's that Scott took an interest in what Paula's been interested in (OK, obsessed with), instead of just nodding and saying 'Em hmm, that's nice honey,' distractedly. His ability to fill in the blanks of the story proved he'd been paying attention which, frankly, is genuinely very, very hot (and all too rare) for a longtime coupling that's started to feel very rote, romantically. 

 

I admit I was kind of rooting for Rebecca to sleep with Greg when he came in and comforted her. Not because that would be an objectively “good" decision, for either of them, but because adding more layers of complication, confusion and consequences to both of their lives seems like it would be good fodder for the crazy on this show to keep flying.

 

I LOVED the settlement conference quickly bonding together to help Rebecca solve her text-mergency. The “I’ll get a police escort” capper line almost had me crying I was laughing so hard. Was that proper legal procedure? Umm, no. Did I believe it would ever, in 1,000,000,000 years, even in the least professional law firm known to man actually occur? Also, a big N-O. Still loved it. Still so true to the show’s truly crazy core.

 

That moment and Paula and Scott speaking the show’s opening were my favorite moments from this very, very good episode. The random, and timely, insertion of the theme song has become one of the show’s best, and most clever, running gags.

 

While I get the comparisons to Ally McBeal and respect everyone’s right to their own opinion, it kind of sounds like TO ME, that some of you are taking this decidedly, and intentionally, very silly show WAAAAYYYY too seriously. I could understand, and would likely agree, if this were season 6 and it was all there’s-a-dancing-baby-I-get-it-already (or, in this case, wacky hijink #652 and Josh is still clueless), but it’s 10-12 eps into what will likely be a one-season wonder of a delightfully dark and funny musical comedy that I’m just glad ever got on TV at all.

 

I’m enjoying every insane, unhealthy and truly twisted moment!

Edited February 23, 2016 by STOPSHOUTING

[ToxicUnicorn]

He was like, 'Because he's actually been listening and paying attention to what she's said.' And, frankly, I was little excited he even got that so quickly.

Bravo!

 

I admit I was kind of rooting for Rebecca to sleep with Greg when he came in and comforted her. Not because that would be an objectively “good" decision, for either of them, but because adding more layers of complication, confusion and consequences to both of their lives seems like it would be good fodder for the crazy on this show to keep flying.

 

 

I'm guilty of this, too.  Especially for wanting to see Greg's reaction afterwards.  It's not so much that he would be confused about how he would feel.  It's that Greg feels so many things very distinctly, and hates all of them, that makes him so much fun to watch.  He's such an intelligent, perceptive, articulate self-loather.  And he sings like a dream, and dances, too.  (Can you tell I really loved Settle For Me?)  Truth be told, I care more about Greg getting a happy ending than Rebecca.

[STOPSHOUTING]

I'm guilty of this, too.  Especially for wanting to see Greg's reaction afterwards.  It's not so much that he would be confused about how he would feel.  It's that Greg feels so many things very distinctly, and hates all of them, that makes him so much fun to watch.  He's such an intelligent, perceptive, articulate self-loather.  And he sings like a dream, and dances, too.  (Can you tell I really loved Settle For Me?)  Truth be told, I care more about Greg getting a happy ending than Rebecca.

 

Probably irrelevant since no-one's asking me and, moreover, how doubtful it seems that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will even get a season two (sadly), but shows this out-there frequently have a sophomore slump, and I saw that direction as potentially a way to set up a whole new direction for the hypothetical season two.

 

If it does buck the odds and continue, I worry a bit about where it’s going just because eventually quasi-reality meets relate-ablity and all the how-far-can-you-really-take-the-crazy-before-we-hate-them-all question so many in this thread are already having. It’s not there yet, for me, but I can see how it could get there.

 

I could totally have seen Rebecca sleeping with Greg, him leaving afterwards realizing it was a mistake, because she's so hung up on Josh. Followed before season’s end by Josh realizing Valencia doesn't make him happy and them breaking up, which means Rebecca moving towards actually dating Josh and then, surprise, seeing she's really a better fit for Greg, who is now super disgusted with her. That path keeps the wants-what-you-can't-have premise going in a fairly realistic way, allowing Rebecca's crazy to expand with both her desire to live the Josh fantasy but dealing with the Josh reality, and still pine for someone else. And with Josh being rather temptable himself, they could allow Valencia to stick around and try to win him back as well, with her now being a bit of a crazy ex herself.

 

Anyway, I actually thought that might be a clever way to go ... Guess those silly professional TV writers disagree. How dare they! ;)

Edited February 23, 2016 by STOPSHOUTING

[SmithW6079]

Umm, maybe you haven't been married a long time, or maybe you and I just saw this differently, but I watched this with my husband and I when I said, 'Do you get why she is suddenly turned on right now?'

He was like, 'Because he's actually been listening and paying attention to what she's said.' And, frankly, I was little excited he even got that so quickly.

LISTENING. That's the key; not the subject matter. It's that Scott took an interest in what Paula's been interested in (OK, obsessed with), instead of just nodding and saying 'Em hmm, that's nice honey,' distractedly. His ability to fill in the blanks of the story proved he'd been paying attention which, frankly, is genuinely very, very hot (and all too rare) for a longtime coupling that's started to feel very rote, romantically.

Thanks for the snideness, but it doesn't matter that he was LISTENING to his bully of a wife and her obscene encouragement of a crazy stalker who moved cross-country to break up the relationship of a summer crush from a decade ago. That they were bonding over such reprehensible behavior is pathetic.

[aiherz]

I remember a few years ago, I had this huge crush on one of my coworkers, I was pretty obvious so he knew. So one day, I crossed him in the underground, and when he got off, I was so happy that I texted my best friend saying how much I liked him and some other things, but I made a mistake and I texted him instead of her. This episode brought this back to me, it was really relatable. He wasn't interested so he just pretended that nothing happened. 

[SlackerInc]

On 2/18/2016 at 2:58 AM, Eyes High said:

Josh is a groundbreaking TV character, as an Asian bro male romantic lead. Other than that, there's nothing cool or groundbreaking about the premise of this show. It's pretty much Felicity mixed with any number of fish out of water shows (Hart of Dixie bears a strong resemblance to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).

I can totally see that: I watched all of Felicity, and about a half season of Hart of Dixie.  The funny thing is that when I watched the pilot back when it came out, I didn't really think of the Felicity connection (nor HoD for that matter).  But in this episode (which is the only one other than the pilot I've seen, as when I decided to go back into it after hearing all the buzz, it was the earliest one available on Hulu), I was definitely reminded of when Felicity's

Spoiler

tape talking about wanting to have sex with Ben is played for the whole party as she desperately, and in vain, tries to stop it.  

But what about Gilmore Girls?  I'm definitely getting a GG vibe.  They even have the Sooki equivalent (with her Jackson in tow) be overweight.

I do think the show's pretty original with the use of music.  I laughed my ass off at the interstitial hair metal "textmergency" bits.  And there was real pathos in the "You Stupid Bitch" interlude.

Also, if there are other shows that mine the kind of comedy we get here from Josh (like wanting ice in his wine, LOL), I'm not aware of them but I should be watching them!

[phlebas]

I didn't watch this show live, though I did subscribe on iTunes and downloaded it as it came out.  

But I just finished binging, and I'm happy to have additional evidence supporting my hypothesis that Rachel Bloom is a genius.

For me, the "You Stupid Bitch" song was the emotional high point of the season. Interspersing that funny-but-painfully-raw song on Rebecca literally sitting in the mess her nested deceptions have caused is, to me, very moving.

I'm glad to have found something to fill the Galavant-shaped hole in my heart.

[KaleyFirefly]

On 2/9/2016 at 6:25 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Hooray for the return of Father Brah!

 

I loved that everyone in arbitration immediately agreed that the most important thing to do was to stop their pesky legal matter so that Rebecca could go delete her text from Josh's phone. Sending a text/email/other message to the wrong person is something that 99% of people can relate to because usually when it happens, it is so embarrassing.

One time I had a casual movie date with one guy and a casual museum date with another guy. I accidentally texted the movie info to the museum date guy! Oops!  I explained, but it was still very awkward.

[Blue Plastic]

On 2/10/2016 at 5:12 PM, possibilities said:

I was disappointed by Father Brah this time. Loved him before, found him kind of useless this time. It's true his advice worked, but I didn't enjoy the scene where he delivered it.

I hated this scene so much.  It was NOT funny at all.  And actually IMO Father Brah's advice is not all that great much of the time.

As for the discussion on whether or not Rebecca has feelings for Greg, I think she kind of does, but she's so focused on Josh and determined to "win" him that I think if she had even the tiniest spark of romantic feelings for anyone else, not just Greg but anyone, she would reject the thought without even noticing it.

I had been a Grebecca shipper but his "joking" insults toward her and saying disparaging stuff at her in front of Josh turned me off.  Either tell Josh in private that Rebecca is stalking him or keep it to yourself, Greg.

IMO it's somewhat like Josh's relationship with Valencia.  He knows that Valencia is grumpy, bossy, and never going to support any of his own thoughts or opinions unless they line up with something she already wants.  Yet it never really occurs to him that maybe he and Valencia need couples counseling or that maybe he should break up with her.  He can't see that or is ignoring his suspicion about that, even though he is not as extreme as Rebecca because he is not a crazy stalker.

[SomeTameGazelle]

I went back and rewatched this episode after the series finale because I remembered enjoying the Textmergency so much. As a whole I think it is one of my favourite episodes. I was surprised though when Paula told Scott that it was her mother calling when Rebecca called to get her help with staging a break-in at her place. When Paula and Rebecca visited Paula's father in Buffalo wasn't her supposed to be a widower? Or did they explain where Paula's mother was and I have forgotten?

[bijoux]

I think her mother was out of town and apparently her father couldn’t take care of himself for a few days.