S01.E13: Josh And I Go To Los Angeles!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rebecca and Josh head to Los Angeles to present their case, which also forces them to confront their long buried feelings. Greg grapples with his feelings for Rebecca, while Darryl and White Josh continue to explore their newfound feelings for one another.

 

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B-UQFjl470

[SeanC]

The "JAP Battle Rap" looks amazing.

[jecibels]

Here's a link to the JAP Battle Rap: http://www.people.com/article/crazy-ex-girlfriend-music-video-jap-rap-battle?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

[Primetimer]

Could everything be working out for Rebecca? Probably not! But a trip to Los Angeles proves very eventful for the entire gang.

Read the story

[SeanC]

"The JAP Battle Rap" is up there in the top five musical numbers the show has done, I think.  The Les Miserables parodies were also funny, if not as propulsive.

 

Trent was a fairly amusing parody of Rebecca's own behavior (down to the letter at the end), though I was distracted a bit because the actor really doesn't look like a peer of hers (I don't know what his age is).

 

Okay, so we're through with Greg dating Heather then.  I guess they're back to trying to find something else to do with that character.

[Rhetorica]

The Les Mis song wasn't as good as Galavant's spoof,  but close enough and the reprise left me smiling. Loved Trent, too bad he's leaving. Joshwhitefeather is sweet together. Rebecca's closing argument shows she's growing. Don't Settle for Me was a pleasant surprise. Now with The Kiss, what's next?

[hogwash]

I loved the rap battle song. It was amazing. I hate them for reprising the Les Mis song. It's gonna stuck in my head for days. I was screaming "DON'T KISS!!!!" at the end. It was very adorable but such a bad idea.

I love Josh and Darryl together but Josh needs to get his eyes checked. Tom Selleck...

[Rinaldo]

This show just leaves me with a smile. 3 good numbers this week (I definitely count "Don't Settle for Me," which slid in perfectly), and I really like that I never know where the overall story is going. In the pilot it seemed obvious,and then I was wrong again and again, and I love it. I've never tried to predict "endgame" -- just not my kind of fun -- but it seems especially pointless here. I'm happy to have them take me on the ride and see where it goes.

[PodcastTown]

Bj novak cameo was enough to recommend this episode.

[tennisgurl]

I LOVED this episode, but holy hell I am feeling so many emotions! The Les Mis parody that was funny and also kind of really inspiring, a slow clap song, the amazing rap battle, it was just a roller coaster ride. Then with the great call back to Settle for Me from Heather (who has a lovely voice!) , and Greg realizing he likes Rebecca, and then the freaking kiss! It was adorable and they have a ton of chemistry, but this is such a bad idea! 

 

White Josh and Darrel for the win! 

[PodcastTown]

Growing up in the 90s, all I did was watch sitcoms. This show is taking me back at a time when it was fun to watch those shows. I'm enjoying the ride.

[Irlandesa]

I love Josh and Darryl together but Josh needs to get his eyes checked. Tom Selleck...

WhiteJosh just owned this episode for me. I love how he waited until he was 12 to come out and isn't going to go back in the closet after those traumatic years.  I love he still came to support Darryl.  And he was absolutely the best part of the Les Mis song for me, possibly even better than B.J. Novak's Breaking Bad-esque cameo.   Watch him in the background. He starts by  looking strangely at the group.  Then he starts do march along (I think even doing the robot).  He doesn't sing until the slow clap reprise but he's adorable.

 

And I'm glad they had a random stranger point out that White Josh is out of Darryl's league and we get White Josh's perspective.  I find it hilarious that Tom Selleck is WJ's reference point. 

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the "Settle For Me" reprise.  Heather has a nice voice and I think that's the most personality she has shown this whole run.  I'm not terribly upset that she and Greg have broken up but I did think Heather's "go to her" was very anti-Heather in that she seems to be more sensible than that. 

 

I loved Trent. And I adored Greg and Valencia's reaction to Trent. 

 

I do need the other shoe to drop soon, though.  This episode was almost a little too hopeful.

[taragel]

This episode was pretty much perfection for me. It had the absurdity of Trent, Rebecca's stalker, plus actual moments of growth from Rebecca, as well as hilarious/excellent song parodies, and finally the big kiss (the attraction paying off/manifesting for all the right reasons and not based on a scheme or lie). Plus there were so many silly small details like the BJ Novak cameo, White Josh being completely perplexed by Darryl wanting to link arms but going with it anyway (his expression as the big crowd came along and began to march and sing as he stood to the side was also amazing), Heather finally singing a most excellent reprise of (Don't) Settle for Me, the sports bar owner's "I bet she likes to order everything on the side." Hee. I know they wrote it for a potential season finale since they didn't know if they'd get more and I could've been alright with this as the ender, but I'm so glad it'll be back. 

[TheOtherOne]

I think the hopefulness comes from the fact that this was the last episode of the original order, and, per the producer's interview on TVLine, they hadn't been picked up yet for the rest of the season when they wrote it, so they wrote it this way in case this really was it. It's not an ending-ending, but sort of a conclusion if it had to be. Luckily, they got five more episodes to unravel everything.

 

I have to say, I really appreciate it when showrunners do things like that. Makes me feel like they're considering the big picture and I'm in good hands and can trust them not to leave me hanging (especially since the season will be ending so early they'll have no idea about the renewal before the last episode is completed). Yay to writers not screwing over their viewers.

 

I love this show.

 

eta: Damn. Guess I need to type faster.

Edited March 1, 2016 by TheOtherOne

[gpgurl50]

Wow.  Rebecca and Josh kissed.  I didn't see it coming until their scene together.  I will say, I think Trent was someone who could really appeal to Rebecca.  I think she likes someone who could out crazy her.  The fact that he was a parody of herself only helped things I think.

 

I loved the random bit with BJ Novak.  It was just there.

 

I love White Josh and Darryl's relationship so far, complete with the Tom Selleck stuff.  It's nice to see what White Josh sees in him a little.

 

I enjoyed the music this episode.  The rap was my favorite.

[possibilities]

Appeal! Appeal the water case!!

 

I was actually shocked that Josh kissed Rebecca. After he convinced Valencia to trust him, it's especially bad. And that he didn't know Rebecca thinks about him is not credible. But ooookay. The show put me in the mood to just follow along and not fret too much.

 

Tom Selleck, eh? Love goggles. I wonder if WhiteJosh likes the movie "In and Out"-- Daryl seems a lot like the lead character in some ways. Also, I really loved the "didn't come out til I was 12" line-- as a formerly baby Dyke, I feel his pain. It's great how this show can be funny and still get it in so many different ways.

 

Greg's feelings for Rebecca and the idea that he was going to rush in and declare his love? Again, not credible, but whatevs. The show is too fun to worry about that.

[wayne67]

I was actually shocked that Josh kissed Rebecca. After he convinced Valencia to trust him, it's especially bad. And that he didn't know Rebecca thinks about him is not credible. But ooookay. The show put me in the mood to just follow along and not fret too much.

 

Tom Selleck, eh? Love goggles. I wonder if WhiteJosh likes the movie "In and Out"-- Daryl seems a lot like the lead character in some ways. Also, I really loved the "didn't come out til I was 12" line-- as a formerly baby Dyke, I feel his pain. It's great how this show can be funny and still get it in so many different ways.

 

Greg's feelings for Rebecca and the idea that he was going to rush in and declare his love? Again, not credible, but whatevs. The show is too fun to worry about that.

 

Yeah I can't say I'm fond of characters that cheat on their girlfriends/boyfriends. So Josh is dead to me and I'm bored of Rebecca.

 

I did find White Josh's line about waiting till he was 12 hilarious. 

 

As for Greg and Paula. I don't even have the words to describe how tedious they've both become to me. 

 

Maybe I'll just bail and watch the songs on youtube. I'm not feeling this so much any more. 

[arc]

"JAP Battle" has an explicit version on Rachel Bloom's Youtube channel.

 

I dunno, as far as the legal case was concerned, it felt a bit shaggier than most (early season?) Ally McBeal episodes, a show which was otherwise comparable to this one in that it really wasn't about the cases, and the main character was a mess, etc etc. But I guess David E Kelley being a lawyer might have meant more care for the legal aspects of his shows.

 

As for the rest of it, I liked the Greg-Heather stuff, I liked the Trent stuff (which was creepy but stayed creepy-funny rather than going all the way into horrifying), I liked the Rebecca-Josh stuff... I did think the bit with Paula saying "sorry, Greg" started out nice but went a lot too sour, tonally, for me.

 

Also, I continue to love the aggressive cheerfulness of Kevin.  I just wish he didn't look so much like Greg.

Edited March 1, 2016 by arc

[BooBear]

As for Greg and Paula. I don't even have the words to describe how tedious they've both become to me.

 

Greg is. I have no idea what they are doing with him. I am not even sure I want him as end game. Rebecca totally KNOWS Greg is into her. She has rejected him. Plus if Josh drops out my order is Trent, Rebecca single, and then Greg, but only if there is some sort of end of the world scenario.  Unless they rehab Greg I think he is wrong for her.

 

I did enjoy this episode. I thought the Josh kiss was surprisingly good and the musical numbers were great. I enjoyed the call backs to Rebecca in NY can you can see how much she has changed and how much better of a life she has. Love that Paula is such a devoted friend.

[vixenbynight]

Loved last night's episode.

Heather's right: She's too hot to have Greg settling for her. He's still in love with Rebecca and until he finally deals with it and realizes that she'll not (for now) give up on the fantasy that Josh is "her precious", he'll not have a chance with her. He should also gain some strength and not want anyone to settle for him. Rebecca isn't right for him and I don't see "endgame" for those two.

White Josh is fantastic and as much as I want Darryl and WJ to really fall in love with each other, I think that these small romantic steps will lead to Darryl becoming a stronger man, who doesn't have to feel so alone and lonely about his life. Maybe WJ will end up falling for him. Especially if he had a crush on Tom Selleck.

Josh and Rebecca. The look of sheer terror of "What did I just do?", to me overrides any giddiness from Rebecca. Josh clearly is in love and loves Valencia.

Is Rebecca willing to try and be his side piece, if she continues to pursue him?

I hope that Paula will finally gain some rational sense and stop encouraging Rebecca's behavior.

She's going to keep digging the depression hole deeper and deeper, once Josh ends up choosing his current girlfriend over her.

Edited March 1, 2016 by vixenbynight

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This episode was really fun, not so much because of the actual plot but because of the characters. Trent was totally wacky but I loved his brand of crazy exhibited right next to Rebecca's as a parallel. I think that if Rebecca gave him half a chance, she could really like him. He's a good listener, he is resourceful (aside from the hacking he did for her, he found out where she lived when she obviously hadn't told him), he is upbeat and positive, and he's open about his weirdness.

 

Loved Heather's "Settle for Me" reprise. I didn't love the Les Mis song as a stand alone song, but I loved the way they fit in the same attitude of "Do You Hear the People Sing" with the case.

 

Kevin's relentless cheerfulness is awesome. I can't wait to see how Heather handles working around Kevin's constant positivity.

 

I'm glad that White Josh was honest with about being okay if Darryl needs to stay in the closet but that he isn't willing to do that. I have seen some gay people shame people for not coming out faster in situations like these and it can be really hurtful. White Josh wasn't judging Darryl or telling him that he needs to come out in any particular way (like demanding Darryl tell his family immediately). He just isn't willing to date someone who won't go to a local bar because he's afraid someone he knows will see him there.

 

Oh, Josh. I know you have faith in Rebecca, but don't buy an expensive new suit with your credit card! At least he was smart enough to buy Skittles instead of chocolate before going to court.

[FurryFury]

Great episode. Hated the kiss though, can't stand cheating and don't care about Josh\Rebecca.

 

I have to say, while I still ship Greg\Rebecca, I understand people who dislike him and I feel that the show should really work on the character and rehabilitate him.

[vibeology]

One really great move this show did was un-silo Heather by getting her a job at the bar. Before this, it very much seemed like Heather was in her townhouse and could only come out if either Rebecca or Greg knocked on her door and invited her into the action. Now with her working at the bar, she can more organically interact with Rebecca and Greg but also really interact with Josh, Daryl, Paula, Valencia, White Josh and whatever that kid's name is that's always there. At least Heather won't rely on one of two characters to add her to the weekly story. That's a very smart move on the show's part.

 

The kiss was fine. I don't really ship Rebecca with anyone. I think she needs to be happy alone before any guy will really make her happy. I did hate Paula in that moment with Greg. Rebecca may not want to be with Greg, but for Paula to shove her nose further into this mess was just so off-putting and ugly. It was almost like she was taunting him. Just say nothing and let him process it rather than piling on.

 

Trent was nuts. I think he was crazier than Rebecca. The blackmail was gross and while Rebecca deserved some discomfort for lying again, that was maybe too much. The idea that she had to let him stay in her space really grossed me out. Reading here I can see why some people liked him, but I'd be happy to never see him again, personally.

[FurryFury]

I really hope to see more of Trent because it was such a great idea and I think that an episode more focused on his interactions with Rebecca could provide a lot of development for her. Audra's interesting too, but Trent was a stand-out for me. 

[Wax Lion]

This show is great at subtle burns. A few weeks ago there was the Terry Richardson stand-in (in the "Put Yourself First" number). I don't think it' was a coincidence that Tom Selleck came up in an episode that also featured a song about celebrities stealing water, even if the joke wasn't directly about Selleck's water stealing.

 

It took a few times for me to realize BJ Novak was saying "Back to the old ecstasy factory" I kept hearing "Lexus-C factory" and couldn't figure out the joke.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Wax Lion

[theatremouse]

As much as I love the JAP Rap battle, I was disappointed by the Les Mis parody. I have enjoyed some of the conspicuous parody songs on the show because they were funny enough that I couldn't help myself. But I think this one relied far too heavily on "see what we did there?" which I generally find much less enjoyable, and moreso distracting. Galavant frequently had the same problem. But I get it. Writing new songs for a weekly show is not easy and you have no where near the time you would if you were writing a full-blown musical. Still not loving that song, nor the red flags. I felt that was over the edge. I already get what you're parodying. If they wanted to do some sort of flag bit for extra comedy...they probably could've come up with something that'd make me laugh, but this one seemed to just be "look, look, even with the flag waving".

Not sure how I feel about the kiss. I dig that was the "if cancelled, conclusion here" but the build up was sort of anticlimactic for me. And I have knee-jerk disgust at someone cheating, which Josh was. So I'm sort of annoyed.

The Trent situation was a remarkable balance of completely-uncomfortable and yet somehow still made me laugh out loud. That is not an easy feat.

I want to see how they'll dig themselves out of this one (or futher in? who knows).

[arc]

It's a shame they named Audra Levine in the pilot, because the actress's real name - "Rachel Grate" - is to me even funnier as the foil to a character played by and co-created by someone named "Rachel Bloom".

[Rinaldo]

WhiteJosh just owned this episode for me. I love how he waited until he was 12 to come out and isn't going to go back in the closet after those traumatic years.  I love he still came to support Darryl.  And he was absolutely the best part of the Les Mis song for me, possibly even better than B.J. Novak's Breaking Bad-esque cameo.   Watch him in the background. He starts by  looking strangely at the group.  Then he starts do march along (I think even doing the robot).  He doesn't sing until the slow clap reprise but he's adorable.

As Rachel Bloom tweeted, it worked out this way because it was decided only minutes beforehand that WiJo, being present at the scene, should actually be part of the song. So he'd had no chance to practice lyrics or choreography, and they made the best of it by using his status as just a bystander to the case, and letting him relate that way to the performers too. Nice job of turning what might have been awkward into an asset.

 

As has been noted, this would have been the season finale had CW not approved an additional 5 episodes last fall. Hence the relatively big finish.

 

Rachel's explicit version of the JAP battle is really explicit this week.

[Ms Lark]

I just realized something when the NY lawyers showed up. In order to practice law you have to pass the Bar for the State you want to practice in. I doubt few, if any, of the NY lawyers have. Certainly not Audra. Then I got to thinking, how can Rebecca practice law in CA when it's pretty clear she hasn't passed the CA bar? I suppose, given all the other legal anomalies in the show, I should probably just handwave it away.

 

That said, I did love the Flooded Basement of Justice revolution song! And Joshwhitefeather. I'm glad this wasn't the finale, but the whole Josh/Rebecca "craziness pays off" didn't work for me.

[Eyes High]

The case didn't really do it for me, because all the lawyer stuff on the show is just so unbelievable (and I say that as someone who has no clue about lawyer stuff). But it was nice to see Rebecca lose and not be the best at her job for once.

I was surprised that Rebecca didn't anticipate that her star witness' credibility would be attacked by suggesting that he was a delusional crank. Isn't she supposed to have a brilliant legal mind? Just the fact that he has schizophrenia doesn't automatically invalidate his evidence, of course, but one can imagine that if the witness' tale involved a detailed description of a conspiracy to divert water that could not be otherwise verified by objective evidence, then Audra could dismantle it very easily. (Even then, procuring an admission as to his schizophrenia wouldn't be enough, although I can see why the writers used it as a shorthand for Audra successfully undermining the plaintiffs' best evidence on the basis that their witness was a delusional conspiracy theorist.)

 

The whole legal proceedings were pretty silly, though. No class certification? No discovery process? Rebecca could have gotten at the emails that way; no need for hacking. Going to trial in a matter of days? 

 

The more immature Josh is written to be--he's childlike at this point--the more uncomfortable and predatory Rebecca's designs on him appear. Josh seemed more like an adult (albeit a doltish one) in the beach episode, but the writers can't stop themselves from regressing him emotionally and intellectually for laughs. 

 

To come back to the discussion on the 1x12 about CXG and feminism, it was sad how Audra's career success in this episode was undermined by the writers' suggestion that she wasn't happy, and that therefore Rebecca, who took an enormous career hit to pursue "happiness" (a man), has succeeded where Audra failed. Successful Audra is the "loser," and unsuccessful Rebecca who has thrown away her career to chase after a man is the "winner." Soooooooo bad. Sooooooo bad. Isn't that like all those shitty chicklit novels? "She was on top of the world, with a promising career and a high-powered job as a CEO/lawyer/millionaire entrepreneur...but something was missing: love (meaning a heterosexual romance, lest you think love from family or friends matters at all in this equation)." I suppose we should be grateful Rebecca's even still practicing law, as opposed to fucking off to be a housekeeper or nanny or some shit (looking at you, Sophie Kinsella).

Edited March 1, 2016 by Eyes High

[taragel]

In defense of Paula's comment to Greg, I honestly don't think she was trying to be mean here or even would think she was being mean if someone pointed it out. "Josh and Rebecca are meant to be" is honestly her lifeview. And I think the tone in which she said sorry to Greg showed that she did understand how hurt he was and why he was there, but she was trying to help him by saying "Surely, you can see this unquestionable truth! Especially now that they're kissing!" 

 

There were a bunch of little things that felt surprising or rushed or not quite in character, the Greg/Heather Hallmark movie moment was a little too light and not cynical enough for either of them...but...it's a turning point they had to hit (esp if they're hoping to make Greg/Rebecca a real thing later). And Josh saying he didn't know Rachel thought of him that much was silly but also I think true. Dude really is quite oblivious to the level of her obsession. Even after the break-in....he didn't figure out the why of all that--just that she was being "weird."

 

I'm fully expecting a bit of a reset next week -- Josh clearly immediately was horrified at what he did and this kind of development is just going to fuel Rebecca's obsession obviously. I'll be okay with them just every few episodes giving her real breakthrough moments like the one in the courthouse where she actually forgot about Josh briefly to not only do the right thing with the hacked emails but also address the other people in the courthouse earnestly and Audra as well. This isn't going to be a show where the character gets on a progressive trajectory of growth, there'll be lots of starts and stops and some backpedaling along the way. I think that actually is important because it grounds the show when it's so very surreal in a lot of ways. Life isn't a straightforward trajectory (unlike storytelling generally is) but because there's so much other stuff that's wacky and over the top...it's kind of nice that the characters react mostly like real people do emotionally, stunted at times and all. 

[Eyes High]

I'm kind of surprised Greg rushed off to Rebecca after his big revelation. He's usually smarter than that. Seriously, how did he expect that would go?

Greg: Rebecca, I'm in love with you...which you already knew, since I more or less admitted as much two episodes ago.

Rebecca: I'm in love with Josh and not you...which you already knew as well, since last time we saw each other you were sabotaging my attempts to get closer to him.

Greg: ....Right, then. Good talk.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Eyes High

[FurryFury]

Yeah, that moment was forced, and the trope is far too cliched for the show that tries to be more than just a romcom. I do hope they'll play with this the next episode quite a bit, though.

[tennisgurl]

And suddenly, a wild BJ Novak appears! 

[BooBear]

I just realized something when the NY lawyers showed up. In order to practice law you have to pass the Bar for the State you want to practice in. I doubt few, if any, of the NY lawyers have. Certainly not Audra. Then I got to thinking, how can Rebecca practice law in CA when it's pretty clear she hasn't passed the CA bar? I suppose, given all the other legal anomalies in the show, I should probably just handwave it away.

 

No this one is real. Pro Hac Vice. Basically some CA attorney vouches for them. Also lots of Lawyers take more than one bar -- NY and CA go together because they have similar entertainment laws so most people take the two at the same time.

[theatremouse]

I just realized something when the NY lawyers showed up. In order to practice law you have to pass the Bar for the State you want to practice in. I doubt few, if any, of the NY lawyers have. Certainly not Audra. Then I got to thinking, how can Rebecca practice law in CA when it's pretty clear she hasn't passed the CA bar? I suppose, given all the other legal anomalies in the show, I should probably just handwave it away.

It's very common for entertainment lawyers to do both, since they probably have clients who work in both places. Specializing in real estate, maybe less likely, but if the NY firm had lots of entertainment biz clients, it seems reasonable plenty of their lawyers would have taken the bar in both states (and probably CT and NJ too).

[Chicago Redshirt]

Oh, Josh. I know you have faith in Rebecca, but don't buy an expensive new suit with your credit card! At least he was smart enough to buy Skittles instead of chocolate before going to court.

 

The way I heard it, this was his only suit. Which seems strange, given that as a good Catholic kid, I would think he'd have at least one for Christmas and Easter.

 

I just realized something when the NY lawyers showed up. In order to practice law you have to pass the Bar for the State you want to practice in. I doubt few, if any, of the NY lawyers have. Certainly not Audra. Then I got to thinking, how can Rebecca practice law in CA when it's pretty clear she hasn't passed the CA bar? I suppose, given all the other legal anomalies in the show, I should probably just handwave it away.

 

 

Others I think have made the point that some people might have taken both the NY and CA bar if they have clients in both places, and that you can also get a one-time pass if you are approved by a member of good standing. Given Audra and Rebecca's competitiveness and skillz, I wouldn't be surprised if each had taken a lot of bars. New York and CA of course, Delaware because a lot of corporations are based out of there, New Jersey and Pennsylvania because of their proximity to New York. Also, in some cases, you can waive entry to the bar of State A by showing you were a member of good standing of State B's bar for some number of years.

 

I was surprised that Rebecca didn't anticipate that her star witness' credibility would be attacked by suggesting that he was a delusional crank. Isn't she supposed to have a brilliant legal mind? Just the fact that he has schizophrenia doesn't automatically invalidate his evidence, of course, but one can imagine that if the witness' tale involved a detailed description of a conspiracy to divert water that could not be otherwise verified by objective evidence, then Audra could dismantle it very easily. (Even then, procuring an admission as to his schizophrenia wouldn't be enough, although I can see why the writers used it as a shorthand for Audra successfully undermining the plaintiffs' best evidence on the basis that their witness was a delusional conspiracy theorist.)

 

The whole legal proceedings were pretty silly, though. No class certification? No discovery process? Rebecca could have gotten at the emails that way; no need for hacking. Going to trial in a matter of days? 

 

The more immature Josh is written to be--he's childlike at this point--the more uncomfortable and predatory Rebecca's designs on him appear. Josh seemed more like an adult (albeit a doltish one) in the beach episode, but the writers can't stop themselves from regressing him emotionally and intellectually for laughs. 

 

To come back to the discussion on the 1x12 about CXG and feminism, it was sad how Audra's career success in this episode was undermined by the writers' suggestion that she wasn't happy, and that therefore Rebecca, who took an enormous career hit to pursue "happiness" (a man), has succeeded where Audra failed. Successful Audra is the "loser," and unsuccessful Rebecca who has thrown away her career to chase after a man is the "winner." Soooooooo bad. Sooooooo bad. Isn't that like all those shitty chicklit novels? "She was on top of the world, with a promising career and a high-powered job as a CEO/lawyer/millionaire entrepreneur...but something was missing: love (meaning a heterosexual romance, lest you think love from family or friends matters at all in this equation)." I suppose we should be grateful Rebecca's even still practicing law, as opposed to fucking off to be a housekeeper or nanny or some shit (looking at you, Sophie Kinsella).

 

Rebecca probably has a blind spot about mental illness. Also as someone on the autism spectrum (I'm guessing) she may have just thought "Well sure that guy's a little off but his information checks out because I verified the objective info, so it shouldn't matter." when obviously it does quite a bit.

 

There have been maybe a couple television shows about the legal system that doesn't gloss over the discovery process or the fact that if you file a lawsuit today, the possibility of actually going to trial before 2017 is between slim and none. The only one I can think of is Murder One.

 

I could believe that Audra would cheat and not turn over the incriminating e-mails. But Rebecca could have still called the executives who were corresponding at witnesses and asked questions informed by the fact that she had the e-mails. The point, though, was to show Rebecca has changed and was willing to take the higher road rather than do anything to win, even against her frenemy. 

 

In terms of happiness, my sense is that most Big Law attorneys are generally unhappy with their lives and a fair number of articles bear out the stress and workload have their toll. Here's one:

 

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/what_explains_the_biglaw_happiness_gap_its_exhaustion_law_prof_says/ 

 

Like Rebecca said, her life and Audra's were parallel. She knows she was unhappy, and not just because of her lack of a man. She knows that Audra was along the same track except more intense because she's now a partner. I don't think it's unreasonable for her to conclude that Audra is not happy, generally.

 

And I do buy that Rebecca is generally happier in West Covina than in NY, although as the previews suggest, she may soon miss the notion that she could just withdraw $10,000 in cash and use it to bribe someone.

[Eyes High]

There have been maybe a couple television shows about the legal system that doesn't gloss over the discovery process or the fact that if you file a lawsuit today, the possibility of actually going to trial before 2017 is between slim and none. The only one I can think of is Murder One.

 

(...)

 

In terms of happiness, my sense is that most Big Law attorneys are generally unhappy with their lives and a fair number of articles bear out the stress and workload have their toll. Here's one:

 

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/what_explains_the_biglaw_happiness_gap_its_exhaustion_law_prof_says/ 

 

Like Rebecca said, her life and Audra's were parallel. She knows she was unhappy, and not just because of her lack of a man. She knows that Audra was along the same track except more intense because she's now a partner. I don't think it's unreasonable for her to conclude that Audra is not happy, generally.

 

There are a few shows that seem to care about the realities of legal practice--Better Call Saul, weirdly, is one of them, a show which also has a class action lawsuit storyline (which actually discusses issues like class certification and solicitation of clients, both of which were completely ignored by this show)--but yeah, CXG is far from the only offender on that front. It is a little frustrating when the show is so realistic about certain things and so ludicrous about others.

 

While it's true that biglaw lawyers are more prone to depression as a whole (although no more so than other high-stress, high-stakes professional fields, I'd say), assuming that a successful woman is depressed and unhappy despite being successful or maybe even because of being successful is an ugly sexist trope. Aline Brosh McKenna pulled this shit with The Devil Wears Prada, too. Was it "realistic"? Maybe. Was it shitty and sexist? 100% yes.

 

It's convenient for Rebecca to assume that Audra must be unhappy, because that softens the blow of Audra's victory over her. Isn't that the lie people always tell themselves when they stack up unfavourably against an old rival? Also, Rebecca's loneliness was a big part of her unhappiness--or so we're led to believe--and Audra got married not too long after Rebecca left, so Rebecca trying to convince herself that Audra is just as unhappy as her is weak, if not surprising.

 

I'm surprised Rebecca didn't get more traction in the battle rap out of Audra getting her sloppy seconds (the promotion she turned down) and copying her old look.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Eyes High

[BooBear]

Like Rebecca said, her life and Audra's were parallel. She knows she was unhappy, and not just because of her lack of a man. She knows that Audra was along the same track except more intense because she's now a partner. I don't think it's unreasonable for her to conclude that Audra is not happy, generally.

 

I thought it was left a little ambiguous. I do know a few big law ladies who love their lives and jobs. But I also know many that would be miserable. So I kind of like that you weren't sure about Audra but you know for sure that Rebecca knew she made the right decision. .

[PodcastTown]

Go Trent!!!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When Rebecca said that Cornell is the community college of the Ivy League schools, it reminded me of when Blair on Gossip Girl said that Princeton was a trade school. The hierarchy of Ivy snobbery is always hilarious to me (probably because I live on the West Coast).

 

In terms of happiness, my sense is that most Big Law attorneys are generally unhappy with their lives and a fair number of articles bear out the stress and workload have their toll.

I live in Berkeley and I swear that every time a new bakery opens around here and the owner is interviewed, it turns out to be a lawyer who was really stressed about work and used baking as a stress relief and then decided to quit their job as a lawyer and just bake full time. I think there are some people who love the pressure and thrive in jobs like that, but there are also people like Rebecca who had a goal to become a lawyer and then become the youngest partner at the firm and then realize that they don't have enough work/life balance to be happy. It happens in other professions too but it seems more pronounced with lawyers.

 

I agree that having Heather work at the bar with Greg gives her more reason to be seen than just being Rebecca's neighbor, plus now we'll get to see how Greg handles working with someone who knows he is in love with Rebecca. I'm really looking forward to Kevin being constantly upbeat around Heather (because I love Kevin anyway) and then seeing her reactions.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This week's songs (hopefully they will put up Heather's "Settle for Me" reprise soon too!):

 

JAP Rap (edited/broadcast version:

 

Flooded with Justice:

[wayne67]

While it's true that biglaw lawyers are more prone to depression as a whole (although no more so than other high-stress, high-stakes professional fields, I'd say), assuming that a successful woman is depressed and unhappy despite being successful or maybe even because of being successful is an ugly sexist trope. Aline Brosh McKenna pulled this shit with The Devil Wears Prada, too. Was it "realistic"? Maybe. Was it shitty and sexist? 100% yes.

 

It's convenient for Rebecca to assume that Audra must be unhappy, because that softens the blow of Audra's victory over her. Isn't that the lie people always tell themselves when they stack up unfavourably against an old rival? Also, Rebecca's loneliness was a big part of her unhappiness--or so we're led to believe--and Audra got married not too long after Rebecca left, so Rebecca trying to convince herself that Audra is just as unhappy as her is weak, if not surprising.

 

 

I'm confused as to how it's sexist for Devil Wears Prada to have 80 hour work weeks affect the work/life balance. Would you say the movie about Zuckenberg was sexist? He burned all his 'friends' on his way to the top too. The major difference is the protagonist of the first movie won back her friends by scaling back on her work commitments and the other ended up alone but rich. 

 

It was incredibly collectivist of Rebecca to assume that Audra was unhappy simply because she was unhappy on that career path, talk about projecting her issues onto someone else. Audra seemed quite satisfied with her life, she's got a husband, she's a partner in a prestigious law firm and she won her case. Rebecca had none of those things so her unhappiness wasn't too surprising as she had an unbalanced work/life situation. She apparently spent 90% of her time at the office when she wasn't obsessing about grades in her stripping class.

[Eyes High]

I think there are some people who love the pressure and thrive in jobs like that, but there are also people like Rebecca who had a goal to become a lawyer and then become the youngest partner at the firm and then realize that they don't have enough work/life balance to be happy.

"People like Rebecca," i.e. people with severe mental health issues like anxiety and depression (and who are cavalier about their treatment as Rebecca has been suggested to be), don't tend to "thrive in jobs" long-term. Sooner or later, they hit a wall, just like Rebecca did. Anxiety and depression are significant career obstacles. Furthermore, there are "people like Rebecca" in every line of work. Law doesn't have a monopoly on people suffering from anxiety and depression, or "unhappiness." There is any number of professions, even professions with "work-life balance," where Rebecca would have been a creditably self-destructive basket case: academia, education, some of the less demanding fields of medicine, dentistry (which wins the suicide rate sweepstakes), etc. etc.

 

Rebecca has a number of mental health issues which set her apart from the typical, otherwise mentally healthy person who leaves biglaw seeking more "work/life balance" because they realize they would like to trade income for more time to themselves, or maybe because they've started a family and biglaw is not exactly welcoming to new moms and dads. This sort of change is very different from Rebecca's, who experiences a nervous breakdown and, as I put it, hit the wall. There are "Rebeccas" in law, but there are "Rebeccas" in every job, even the ones which objectively appear to be lower-stress and lower-stakes. Rebecca is not the typical biglaw refugee. "Work/life balance" wasn't Rebecca's problem. Rebecca (more specifically, Rebecca's cavalier approach to her treatment regimen that led to her ditching her meds and her therapy) was Rebecca's problem.

 

I'm confused as to how it's sexist for Devil Wears Prada to have 80 hour work weeks affect the work/life balance. Would you say the movie about Zuckenberg was sexist? He burned all his 'friends' on his way to the top too. The major difference is the protagonist of the first movie won back her friends by scaling back on her work commitments and the other ended up alone but rich. 

 

I meant the scene in The Devil Wears Prada which "humanized" Miranda when Andie happened upon a makeupless Miranda; the scene showed her pathetically frumpy for one in a bathrobe, bitterly resigned to the failure of her second marriage. I will say that Andie going back to her pouty, resentful, completely unsupportive piece of shit boyfriend (who worked as a chef and yet was bitchy about Andie's hours) and mourning the disapproval of her shitty, equally unsupportive friends (who were happy with taking the perks of Andie's jobs, i.e. great swag, but horribly put out about the downsides, e.g. work commitments) was no victory for feminism, either. Her friends were garbage and her boyfriend was garbage, end of, and yet the film painted them as in the right for getting offended when Andie got mad about them messing around with her work phone (those irredeemable fuckers...no words! No words), chastising Andie about missing events due to obligatory work commitments (particularly rich coming from her shitty chef boyfriend), and for doing all of this while openly luxuriating in the perks of Andie's job (free designer swag, Andie's sexy new look). Shitty and sexist. I've got my eye on Aline Brosh McKenna, is all I'm saying. (Nor was 27 Dresses exactly a feminist masterwork, but that's another rant altogether.)

 

It was incredibly collectivist of Rebecca to assume that Audra was unhappy simply because she was unhappy on that career path, talk about projecting her issues onto someone else. Audra seemed quite satisfied with her life, she's got a husband, she's a partner in a prestigious law firm and she won her case. Rebecca had none of those things so her unhappiness wasn't too surprising as she had an unbalanced work/life situation. She apparently spent 90% of her time at the office when she wasn't obsessing about grades in her stripping class.

To be fair to Rebecca, "work/life balance" and "success in biglaw" aren't exactly on speaking terms.

 

I do agree that Rebecca was projecting her issues on Audra.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Eyes High

[wayne67]

I meant the scene in The Devil Wears Prada which "humanized" Miranda when Andie happened upon a makeupless Miranda; the scene showed her pathetically frumpy for one in a bathrobe, bitterly resigned to the failure of her second marriage. I will say that Andie going back to her pouty, resentful, completely unsupportive piece of shit boyfriend (who worked as a chef and yet was bitchy about Andie's hours) and mourning the disapproval of her shitty, equally unsupportive friends (who were happy with taking the perks of Andie's jobs, i.e. great swag, but horribly put out about the downsides, e.g. work commitments) was no victory for feminism, either. Her friends were garbage and her boyfriend was garbage, end of, and yet the film painted them as in the right for getting offended when Andie got mad about them messing around with her work phone (those irredeemable fuckers...no words! No words), chastising Andie about missing events due to obligatory work commitments (particularly rich coming from her shitty chef boyfriend), and for doing all of this while openly luxuriating in the perks of Andie's job (free designer swag, Andie's sexy new look). Shitty and sexist. I've got my eye on Aline Brosh McKenna, is all I'm saying. (Nor was 27 Dresses exactly a feminist masterwork, but that's another rant altogether.)

I'm not sure how having a human moment is a bad thing. She was temporarily depressed about the end of a marriage. Either because she realized she had wasted her time on someone who didn't appreciate the effort she put in for her career or that the marriage wasn't worth the effort of salvaging. Perhaps her next husband will be another busy CEO 110% work focused individual that will appreciate her particular focus on work and she'll have a productive marriage with someone like minded. 

That said I do completely agree that her friends were shitty for grabbing her work phone and interfering with her job. 

 

I'm not sure how it made the bf a bad person for wanting to see his girlfriend and being concerned about her complete 180 degree personality change. She went from being someone indifferent to fashion to someone who spent 24/7 focused on fashion which is a radical change for your SO to make. After some thought about the price of her current career trajectory she reevaluated her life decisions and decided to rededicate herself to her original goal of journalism after being side tracked by the ruthless fashion industry. I'd say that was empowering, refusing to give up on your dreams when offered a shiny distraction but opinions will differ.

 

As for Rebecca, she need therapy ASAP. If the next episode description is accurate she is so far off the deep end she makes Ally buying a house because of a flying hat look rational in comparison.

[Eucrid]

It was incredibly collectivist of Rebecca to assume that Audra was unhappy simply because she was unhappy on that career path, talk about projecting her issues onto someone else. Audra seemed quite satisfied with her life, she's got a husband, she's a partner in a prestigious law firm and she won her case. Rebecca had none of those things so her unhappiness wasn't too surprising as she had an unbalanced work/life situation. She apparently spent 90% of her time at the office when she wasn't obsessing about grades in her stripping class.

 

If Audra was a genuinely happy and fulfilled person she wouldn't be so obsessed with getting one over on Rachel even though Rachel is trying to be nice to her and end their rivalry.

I live in Berkeley and I swear that every time a new bakery opens around here and the owner is interviewed, it turns out to be a lawyer who was really stressed about work and used baking as a stress relief and then decided to quit their job as a lawyer and just bake full time.

 

Yeah half the craft breweries in America are run by former lawyers too for the same reason.

[WhineandCheez]

I live in Berkeley and I swear that every time a new bakery opens around here and the owner is interviewed, it turns out to be a lawyer who was really stressed about work and used baking as a stress relief and then decided to quit their job as a lawyer and just bake full time.

 

Read Oprah magazine and it is full of chocolatiers, cupcake bakers and exotic florists that just couldn't stand being fund managers, lawyers and stockbrokers anymore.  Of course, you pretty much need to have to have  the savings account of a former fund manager, lawyer or  stockbroker to have the funds to chuck it all and "go for the dream."  It pisses me off that they always feature these well to do people "Going for it".

 

My favorite part, which I don't think anyone has mentioned, were the harping comments by Rebecca's Mom delivered over a cellphone while  she was wearing a hospital gown--presumably having plastic surgery, was how I read it.

 

JapRap was a great concept but could have been waaay better.  I would have liked to see them interject more "street" into it.

Edited March 2, 2016 by WhineandCheez

[Rinaldo]

My favorite part, which I don't think anyone has mentioned, were the harping comments by Rebecca's Mom delivered over a cellphone while  she was wearing a hospital gown--presumably having plastic surgery, was how I read it.

That was a clip from an early episode (which may be why nobody happened to mention it this time) -- episode 2, I think, when Rebecca was showing Paula how awful her mother was. I love the way they take the trouble to link up early mentions-in-passing with characters introduced much later. Finally meeting "Beans" last week (a throwaway mention in the pilot) is another example. And of course now that we have a decent-sized library of musical numbers built up, they can be reprised, either in song or as underscoring.

[STOPSHOUTING]

I liked this episode and think Jap Battle Rap was one of the best of Crazy Ex-GF's many great songs, but I don't really get the high road approach of not using the emails. I mean, I thought she'd, at the least, go to Audra and say, 'Look, we could destroy you, but let's make a deal,' and get a settlement for all those people who had legit been effected by a serious issue. Settling, to me, would have been the high road, since she previously discarded an offer that was likely in her client's best interests in order to spend more time with Josh.

 

I'm ambivalent about the kiss. I don't really 'ship anyone on this show, and definitely think that Josh as a character has been infantilized to the point that he's really no good for Rebecca. I thought Trent was mostly funny as the the funhouse mirror reflection of herself back at Rebecca, which she mostly failed to observe, and I thought his being in love with her for years and more than willing to go along with her lie was a great twist. I loved the slammed door ending when he began to sing to her in the style of "Dear Joshua Felix Chan."