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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S01.E16: Josh's Sister Is Getting Married!

ElectricBoogaloo

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Eyes High

Eyes High

I feel like as the show progresses it's starting to resemble Inside Amy Shumer show. Anyone feel this way? Not saying it as a critique or anything. Just an observation, I like Amy Shumer. 

Not just you, but I always got an Inside Amy Schumer vibe. The "Sexy Getting Ready Song" and "Put Yourself First" were straight out of Inside Amy Schumer, although CXG has yet to do anything as funny or as catchy as "Girl, You Don't Need Makeup."

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calliope1975

calliope1975

I think both are okay, but no stand-outs like "You Stupid Bitch", "Settle for Me", "Getting Bi" or even "Put Yourself First". 

 

They're more in line with "Group Hang" - songs with interesting ideas that needed to be fleshed out a little bit more in satirical sharpness and musical arrangement. But given the rough time schedule of producing a show like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, they're still pretty good.

 

Agreed. I like the Boobs song, but I actually think it could have gone further or been more cohesive. That's probably not the right word, but yeah.

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kirinan

kirinan

Someone needs to take out Paula. I would gladly volunteer. Even her fear that Rebecca wouldn't be friends with her anymore didn't make me feel sorry for her.

 

But I'm so happy about Rebecca and Greg! Except I, too, don't trust it will last.

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Lila82

Lila82

(edited)

As a graduate of the Harvard of the South, and a lady with big boobs, this episode spoke to me in all the right ways.  Although it's good dinner fodder next time my Vanderbilt grad brother is in town.  We can rip this argument wide open again.  Furthermore,  at work, we occasionally have to wear matching polos that everyone hates and my A-cup coworker will not get it through her head that button-downs are not a feasible alternative.  And while I've never taken out someone's retina, running is just not an option for me. 

 

I'd agree that Paula is the worst if she wasn't so pathetic. 

 

My guess is that things do work out with Greg and Rebecca spends season two battling the crazy in an effort not to sabotage it.

Edited by Lila82
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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

(edited)
But I'm so happy about Rebecca and Greg! Except I, too, don't trust it will last.

Well, few things last forever. But it's a move that's been a long time coming. And I was made so happy by the "Settle for Me" signoff.

 

I agree, Paula got off easy. But I expect that we haven't seen the last of Paula-Becks interaction, and that their different outlooks will be revisited.

 

And I love how seemingly one-shot characters will turn up again, months later. Welcome back, Eyelid Guy from E3 and Awesome Hair Guy from E2!

 

Two episodes to go!

Edited by Rinaldo
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jecibels

jecibels

I'm thrilled about Greg and Rebecca. I've been shamelessly waiting for this, and I know it won't last, (at least this time around), but I know I'm going to enjoy watching them. 

 

My prediction? I think Josh is actually going to break up with Valencia before the season finale (or during the season finale) and Rebecca will have to choose. 

 

So I'm with everyone else here who is DONE with Paula. That is NOT ok. Ugh. 

 

Overall, I'm just so proud of Rebecca in this episode. She was so mature, so thoughtful, and so sensible in every decision she made in this episode. She was thinking of what was best for herself AND others and taking the high road over and over. 

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

Sorry Greg. Vanderbilt is totally the Harvard of the south. Emory is a very good school though. But, he gets to get with Rebecca now, so it balances out. I am so happy they finally went there! And with a reprise of Settle For Me! It was so sweet, and I am not looking forward to it inevitably falling apart. 

 

At this point, I think Paula would try to break her and Greg up, so she can keep living out her weird fantasies. Paula screwed up her relationships with Joshes family (who she seemed to really like spending time with) and Valencia, who she actually seemed to be connecting with. Paula sucks, and Rebecca would be better off without her. If I was Rebecca, I would have kicked her to the curb after the Instagram stunt. I am legit really pissed off. I do not feel bad for Paula. She is the real villain of this story.

 

As a lady with a larger bust, I loved the Big Boobs song. I was feeling sympathy pains watching her boobs bounce around all over the place.  

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Lion

Lion

Oh gods, my breasts hurt just watching that.  I've always wished I could run.

 

It's looking like Paula might actually be(come) the crazy ex-girlfriend.  

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Eyes High

Eyes High

(edited)

Paula is the worst.

 

Rebecca got over Josh very quick. I don't trust it... 

 

"Settle For Me" was playing over their makeout for a reason.

 

Paula is definitely the worst.

 

Greg is also the worst...but I can't say I blame Rebecca. Get it.

 

I felt like the last scene was a callback to the episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel kissed for the first time.

Edited by Eyes High
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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

The episodes were written before the CW ordered them to episode, though, so it's hard to be sure. I can still see a through-line here, I think.

 

And on reflection, Rebecca letting Paula off easy is part of her new outlook, and taking the high road. Yes, Paula's choice messed her up, but it's not so different from the sort of thing they've done together before, so the classy thing is to let it go.

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itainttippithebird

itainttippithebird

This wasn't a great episode, in my book, but was doing some work to set up new ground - pulling threads on Paula's drama dependency, Greg's self-defeating tendencies, Josh's being a bit unmoored in the absence of Rebecca's adoration...all of which I"m happy they're pulling on. But I heaved a big ol' sigh at the Rebecca/Greg hook up at the end. That is going to self-destruct within two episodes, no doubt. The both alllllmost learned their lesson about pulling away from old patterns just to crash spectacularly back into them with each other.

I'm fine with them being endgame, but right now is the worst possible timing, imo! I hope CXGF knows too (and they almost always do).

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Eyes High

Eyes High

(edited)

The both alllllmost learned their lesson about pulling away from old patterns just to crash spectacularly back into them with each other.

 

Greg probably should have put the brakes on Rebecca's advances by pointing out that Rebecca had been nonstop obsessed with Josh and that even if she had legitimately changed her mind, they should take it slow and not rush into anything,but she was throwing herself at him and he's in love with her. It wasn't a smart choice, but it was an understandable one.

 

As for Rebecca, I was a little puzzled by her sudden interest in Greg, given that she never showed any attraction to him before.

Edited by Eyes High
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Snarklepuss

Snarklepuss

I don't think anything in this episode was permanent.  Rebecca suddenly becoming mature, getting over Josh and taking the high road?  Not going to last.  Her and Greg, as hot as that is and as much as I want to see that?  Not going to last.  Rebecca being Valencia's hero and Josh's family loving Valencia?  Not going to last.  Rebecca forgiving Paula for sabotaging her?  I HOPE that doesn't last, just as I hope Paula doesn't continue to try to satisfy her own needs through Rebecca's life.   I really think the show is just teasing us right now to prolong things.  I think they really don't know what to do with the characters so they thought they'd mix things up a bit.  But that's OK with me, I'm fine with seeing this show as a lighthearted romp until the day it finally decides to make all the serious end-game things come true.  Which would have to be at the end of the series because it would be no fun if they all happened now.

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itainttippithebird

itainttippithebird

 

I really think the show is just teasing us right now to prolong things.

 

I have faith. Every time I think they've gone off the rails or disappointed me by taking shortcuts, they've come roaring back with a twist in the next couple episodes that make me feel sheepish for ever doubting! So I'm hanging in there, even if this episode was a bit boring to me.

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bredcrumbs

bredcrumbs

I'm not Team Josh or Team Greg and reeeeeally not Team Paula after tonight, but I am Team Blow Up The Premise, so I liked this episode more than any so far. I don't know where it's all going either. That's exciting.

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possibilities

possibilities

I thought it was great. So much fun. These people are all each others' dominoes. Seeing Josh flail when Rebecca dropped the drama.... Seeing Greg seeing his own horrible behavior, swearing off it the way Rebecca swore off hers, and then seeing them basically relapse in each other.... it was great. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

And I almost felt bad for Valencia. Imagine that.

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Snarklepuss

Snarklepuss

I just wanted to say I thought Valencia looked smokin' in that wedding gown.  She could be a bridal model.

 

Regarding the forgiveness:  I think Rebecca needs Paula just as much as Paula needs Rebecca.  Plus I think Rebecca really cares about her.

 

Regarding episodes without people - I just think this show is unable to keep every character in every episode without it starting to look forced.  I think they're doing the best they can in that department.  Plus I personally don't need to see Darryl, White Josh and Heather in every episode.

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STOPSHOUTING

STOPSHOUTING

(edited)

I thought this episode would be more polarizing. I really liked it. Rebecca is the newly-in-recovery person who is being very good about her addiction (in this case, Josh), and Greg also had enough self-realizations in this episode -- painfully so, poor Greg, whom I felt sorry for despite being a self-sabotaging dick through much of it -- that I think they earned the hook up with each other at the end without it feeling so much like, 'Last week she's in love with Josh, this week it's Greg.'

 

I think going to Greg is on the same through line as throwing away all her Josh Chan obsession stuff ... It's doing the opposite of what old Rebecca would do. Going for a guy she knows likes and cares about her instead of mooning over someone she can't have? However it ends up, that's still a way healthier choice. Do I think this is happy-ever-after? Since the show got renewed, I'm gonna say, no, just for storytelling purposes, but I'm happy to see where this takes them both.

 

Oh and, I've been in friendships like Rebecca's with Paula's, where you feel like best friends because you share the same (often unhealthy) obsession, and it's gonna be VERRRYYYY interesting to see how they play this string out, because the truth is those "friendships" usually are toxic and do, and should, melt away when one or both people give up on the object of your mutual obsession.

Edited by STOPSHOUTING
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

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Even more than hearing "Settle for Me" at the end, I liked hearing a tiny bit of "I Have Friends" when Rebecca left Home Base and was drinking alone at her house.

 

I didn't love Greg's song, but I enjoyed the message of his song because it sums part of Greg up well. He likes to think he's so smart and above it all, and then he gets to blame his lack of success/happiness on not making an effort. He thinks that if he had gone to Emory then his life would be different, and maybe it would but that doesn't necessarily mean that his life would be better. I have known some people who are variation of Greg, people who constantly sought certain symbols of success but then didn't follow through with those things. It was like they just wanted to get that piece of paper so they could tell people they got it and then chose not to use it. Some examples of these things include: being accepted into Teach for America, going to amateur night at a strip club and being offered a job afterward, becoming certified as a joy counselor, a massage therapist, an aesthetician, and a Bar Method instructor (yes, all the same person). Greg is definitely angrier and more defensive about his choices though.

 

I don't know why anyone would try on someone else's wedding gown when they were already in a bridal shop full of other dresses they could have tried on. When Jayma left and asked Rebecca and Valencia to make sure that the dress got packed up, I was waiting for them to spill red wine on it or accidentally rip the skirt off.

 

I don't know how much any of the learning/growth we saw in this episode will last. I think that the most likely candidate is Josh's family not hating Valencia anymore. Now that they have softened towards her and she feels what it's like to be part of his family, hopefully both parties will continue to make an effort. But everyone else? I think it's going to be one step forward and at least one step back with Rebecca, Paula, and Greg. I am glad that both Rebecca and Greg were making a conscious effort to break their old patterns and habits. Paula, on the other hand, wow. What she did was WAY over the line.

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Rhetorica

Rhetorica

I can understand why Paula did what she did, not that it wasn't despicable. She explained it to Rebecca when she gave examples of every other time she had a scheme. Rebecca would say, "no, no, no!" Then finally say "yes!" Paula actually thought what she was doing was acceptable. That scene almost had me tearing up.

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

Rebecca is the newly-in-recovery person who is being very good about her addiction

Exactly. That's why I found her behavior in this episode (within the theatricality of the show overall) believable. It's relatively easy to make "new healthy choices" in the first few days of your self-reform (diet, sobriety, celibacy, generosity, whatever...). You can remind and edit yourself at each step, and you have the glow of self-aware virtue ("I'm being better now") to reinforce your decisions. It's after a week or two, when life becomes more routine and you maybe miss the old comforts, that it's harder to keep it up.

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STOPSHOUTING

STOPSHOUTING

(edited)

Oh and, as for music, Heavy Boobs was great, and the visuals truly painful yet hilarious, but I really liked Clean Up on Aisle 4. "I'm the pimento, to your olive, I want to be inside of you," just about made milk come out of my nose ... and I wasn't even drinking milk.

Edited by STOPSHOUTING
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FurryFury

FurryFury

(edited)

Wow, that was a lot of plot in this episode! Way more than I've come to expect. I guess I'll need time to process it, but meanwhile...

 

- The boobs song! Loved it so much! I also have big breasts and I really, really felt for Rebecca. And yes, the left one is smaller too.

- Also felt for Greg a lot because like him, despite being smarter than average, I tend to avoid doing something because I'm very afraid I'm going to fail, so it's easier to not even try and at least live with the thought that I could have done it. The worst part of that is over, but I have a long journey ahead of me yet (I guess the same for Greg).

- For a bit, I thought that the show was going for a very unexpected and intriguing parallel between Greg and Paula with him acting as a crazy friend/enabler to the grocery guy, but apparently not.

- Paula was forgiven really easily. I'd love to see more repercussions of this type of behavior, TBH.

- I did like the message of the episode, even if it was a bit heavy-handed. And of course, in the classic Rebecca Bunch style, she blows up most of the hard-earned lesson, or, rather, sets it up to blow up later.

- Poor Greg, there's no way it's going to end up well for him. I did give him points for trying to get away from Rebecca and change his life. I think the show redeemed him somewhat from that chain of episodes when he was barely present and acted as a dick all the time. Didn't like his song, though. I love his voice and I want more and better songs for him, show!

 

When Jayma left and asked Rebecca and Valencia to make sure that the dress got packed up, I was waiting for them to spill red wine on it or accidentally rip the skirt off.

 

Oh God yes!

Edited by FurryFury
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Jael

Jael

I liked the idea of the Greg song more than the execution (was the lip-synching off or what?), but the ending made up for it. Greg can come on over and ruin me anytime.

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Eyes High

Eyes High

(edited)

When Jayma left and asked Rebecca and Valencia to make sure that the dress got packed up, I was waiting for them to spill red wine on it or accidentally rip the skirt off.

I think anyone who's ever seen a movie or watched a TV show was waiting for that.

 

Greg, whom I felt sorry for despite being a self-sabotaging dick through much of it

Those are my feelings towards Greg in a nutshell. He is such a dick--and he reminds me of certain guys I've known to the point that it's almost painful to watch his scenes--but I still feel bad for him.

 

Regarding the forgiveness:  I think Rebecca needs Paula just as much as Paula needs Rebecca.  Plus I think Rebecca really cares about her.

Paula is definitely a source of support for Rebecca, but right now that "support" comes with a lot of supremely bad advice (you don't need a therapist, you have me!) and enabling. If the friendship is going to be at all healthy, Rebecca needs to draw firm boundaries and enforce them.

 

I think it was also nice of Rebecca to call out Josh on running over to her and asking him to leave.

Well, you could say it's a tad hypocritical for someone who's gleefully neglected Josh's boundaries to suddenly insist on hers, but better late than never, I guess. I love how Josh was befuddled by Rebecca pointing out that Josh showing up unannounced was not cool. 

 

Poor Greg, there's no way it's going to end up well for him.

Poor Greg? I dunno. On the one hand, yes, Rebecca assured him that he wasn't second choice. On the other hand, Rebecca has been obsessed with Josh for as long as Greg has known her, Greg knows that Rebecca is an impulsive liar, and he also knows that she's never shown any interest in him before. The sensible thing to do would have been to put the brakes on, not jump into bed. Not saying he was an idiot to have gone for it, but when this all blows up in his face, as it surely will, he will bear some of the responsibility.

 

This episode did one thing that I have been wishing for since episode 2: Humanizing Valencia and making her more of a multidimensional character than the bitchy antagonist stereotype. I thought she was very likeable in this episode, but still kept her somewhat "unpleasant" personality. I hope they will keep writing for her this way. She's a more successful character this way. Loved her line about how she was practicing on her humor and the actress looked stunningly beautiful in the dress.

I would love to see a genuine Valencia/Rebecca friendship, with Valencia becoming the bitchy, dour yin to Rebecca's sunny, peppy yang. 

Edited by Eyes High
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vibeology

vibeology

I'm with most here who think that Greg and Rebecca isn't going to end well. Not that they don't make sense together on some level, but both need to work on themselves. You don't have to be single to do that, obviously, but I do think for them doing the work while together is going to be so much harder. Rebecca seems to be in a bit of a better headspace than Greg, but not by much. Greg has decided to try in life but because all it took was the smallest smidgen of effort to get exactly what he wanted, I don't think that he's really learned yet about putting the work in.

 

I was proud of Rebecca when she let go of Josh and loved their last scene when he showed up at her house and she kicked him out. That was incredible. And I loved that it showed that Josh "needs" Rebecca in the same way she "needed" him. He's gotten used to the adoration and attention and doesn't like living without it at all.

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

Just taking a step back to consider: Isn't it interesting that after a pilot that seemed to set up a familiar premise of "Rebecca pursues the unattainable attractive guy while ignoring the nice ordinary guy right in front of her," the season has become, to coin a phrase, "a lot more nuanced than that"? It really has found considerable depth that I wasn't expecting. At this point, I'm largely willing to trust them and wait for whatever happens next.

  • Love 9
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taragel

taragel

I'm all for forward progress (yay for Rebecca acknowledging breaking her patterns) but it bummed me out that those last two scenes felt way too soon. A little bit too soon for her to be so cold to Josh, and way, way too soon for her to be so open to Greg. We didn't see the work really to get her there on those points, and wish they'd waited till at least the next episode to give those both some space. I would've liked to see her revive her friendship with Greg before launching at him for a big smackeroo. I think they have great friendship banter/camaraderie and loved the bar scene before he turned her down and she felt awkward and left. I'm not sold on him as the romantic interest she needs though.

 

And poor Paula, I thought Rebecca could've been more angry or harsh with her too, but I'm glad she wasn't, because my heart broke for her when she said Rebecca wouldn't want to be her friend if they didn't have the common goal of "winning Josh". I think Rebecca could understand/relate to that feeling (they should've played a quiet reprise of "I have friends" behind that--maybe they did!). 

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Eyes High

Eyes High

Just taking a step back to consider: Isn't it interesting that after a pilot that seemed to set up a familiar premise of "Rebecca pursues the unattainable attractive guy while ignoring the nice ordinary guy right in front of her," the season has become, to coin a phrase, "a lot more nuanced than that"? It really has found considerable depth that I wasn't expecting. At this point, I'm largely willing to trust them and wait for whatever happens next.

I like that Greg isn't all that "nice." I don't doubt that he's a good person, but he is also an unpleasant dick who's as fucked up as Rebecca. Even what he imagines to be flirtatious banter--calling Rebecca sad for being a lady showing up at a bar by herself--is mean as hell.

 

A little bit too soon for her to be so cold to Josh, and way, way too soon for her to be so open to Greg. We didn't see the work really to get her there on those points, and wish they'd waited till at least the next episode to give those both some space.

Agreed. I guess you could fanwank it that Rebecca always had a latent attraction to Greg that she realized she had with the assistance of her dream ghost, and that the dream ghost's cooing over Greg's attractiveness was actually Rebecca realizing that she's into him. It's still a big stretch, in my opinion.

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springbarb

springbarb

A few people have said that Rebecca has never shown interest in Greg, but I don't think that's true. If you go back to the "Settle for Me" episode, when they went on their date, it was the fact that she was on a date and having adult interactions with someone she liked--that clearly this was a relationship that could potentially go somewhere--that caused her to freak out.

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SeanC

SeanC

I think anyone who's ever seen a movie or watched a TV show was waiting for that.

With all the talk about Rebecca's size I was half-expecting her to rip it while wearing it, but then I thought "wait, that doesn't make any sense as a moral dilemma given that this is all about Rebecca and Valencia". 

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dubbel zout

dubbel zout

Yes, Paula's choice messed her up, but it's not so different from the sort of thing they've done together before, so the classy thing is to let it go.

 

And it did put Valencia into the bosom (heh) of Josh's family, which was what Rebecca said she'd try to do.

 

Even what he imagines to be flirtatious banter--calling Rebecca sad for being a lady showing up at a bar by herself--is mean as hell.

I hated that. It was vaguely misogynistic, despite Greg dinging himself for being a study drinker. I have to say, though, Santino Fontana is doing a fantastic job. He really nails Greg's self-loathing.

 

With all the talk about Rebecca's size I was half-expecting her to rip it while wearing it,

Heh, same here. I expected the bodice to explode, given all the talk about back fat and big boobs. I love how this show doesn't always take the expected route.

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

I have to say, though, Santino Fontana is doing a fantastic job. He really nails Greg's self-loathing.

And it makes so much sense of Fontana's story before the series aired, of how at his audition they kept asking, "Can you say it again, but hate yourself more?" which he found pleasantly surprising given the tendency of TV series to favor likability. It shows they were thinking ahead from the start.

  • Love 3
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aiherz

aiherz

I really liked this episode. I've being shipping Grebecca since the show started, even with all of their imperfections. 

But it maybe has to do more with my Santino Fontana obsession that I can forgive him anything, or maybe I get the angriness because of a mother who basically abandoned you, and a father who has a lot of problems.  

 

I didn't like Paula in this episode, I think she crossed the line, and like many have said already, she got off way to easy. 

Also, the scene with Josh at the end was sooooo goooooooodddddd, putting him in his place, it was about time, I was cheering for her, if this were a real person, I would have been proud. I was saying "In your face, suck it Josh", and I read in Rachel's twitter account about The Grocery Clerk With Half an Eyelid (who else is singing every time they read that?) being magician and acrobat are both things that Josh does, it was very smart. 

 

Finally, I did like "I could if I wanted to", I liked the melody and the 90's memories, maybe I'm crazy but it kind of reminded me to Beck and someone else I can't grasp. As someone who self-sabotage it self, I can understand Greg, every time I failed a test I always ended angry and saying I could have had an A if I wanted to, knowing that is also all my fault for not having study enough.

April the 20th I have a big german test, and I'm already seeing myself singing this after failing it. 

 

 

Also, The person who wrote about the audition tape, do you have a link? I'd love to see that!

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lovinbob

lovinbob

I loved this episode. Heavy Boobs was awesome for many reasons, my favorite of which is that she had to explain to an A-cup woman why big boobs aren't all that. Sends me back to my childhood of being prematurely top heavy and not understanding why the girls in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret did those "increase your bust" exercises and envied Laura Danker. 

 

I don't see Greg and Rebecca lasting, at least not at this point, but I loved their hook-up. 

 

Rebecca is such a great character and Rachel is just so immensely talented in every way. And Greg is so charming in spite of himself. Question, though: does Santino wear a hairpiece? 

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