Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

S02.E04: When Will Josh and His Friend Leave Me Alone?


Recommended Posts

I just can't with this week.  I just can't.  I've been heartbroken.  Scared.  Sad.  And I looked to this show for relief and then I read this after the show. I think any other week or year I could handle this news but I just can't.  I love Greg.  More importantly, I love Santino's voice and performance.  To lose his character, even if it's a happy ending, is the last thing I can handle.  It's to the point where I might have to drop the show even though I love it but I don't know if I can handle any more holes in my heart.  Suddenly it makes sense why they cast someone new.

Hilariously, up until the point of reading that article, I thought this show had finally done what I looked for and made me feel normal.  I adored both the "shit show" song and the tap dance bit which I suspect may have been trying to do a "Moses supposes" thing.

I'm also glad that Scott was the wrong to come up with ideas whether it's "options" or him taking on more responsibility at home.  I wish we could have had a bit more insight into how she reached that conclusion.  They did well at explaining that she got pushed back towards law school but what was it that led her to give herself permission to have an abortion?

  • Love 4
Link to comment

I'm kind of excited for CXG v.2.0, set in the wacky house where Rebecca, Heather -- and it's clearly headed that way -- an also-trying-to-rebuild-her-life Valencia lives and, despite Heather's protestations, antics. Paula will drop in all the time, and WhiteJosh and Darryl of course move in next door.

Edited by Corgi-ears
  • Love 4
Link to comment

Wow this show changes so much with every episode lately it's hard to keep up but still they manage to do it in keeping with the central theme very well.  I HATE it that Santino is leaving.  He was my major interest in the show.  The article did leave things somewhat open ended about the future, though.  I wonder if they still plan to make him end game for Rebecca when it looks like the show is close to ending.

I LOVED Heather's parents, they were a mild tease on millennial parents who want everyone to get a trophy just for existing.  I loved how Heather linked their treatment of her to why she never moved out.  It felt like they quickly wrote her parents into the plot to give her a reason to move out as it looked like she lived alone until this point.  In fact the apartment looked more maturely decorated than I remember it unless I'm just remembering it wrong.  Then again why assume she lived alone when she's a student working part time as a bartender?

So Paula went through with the abortion saying she just won't tell Fr. Bragh.  I still wonder if her character might not have that easy a time living with her decision considering where she's coming from religiously speaking.   The fact that she even mentioned the priest makes me think that, plus not telling Rebecca.  I do understand why it was the right decision for her, though.  If she can write a legal brief that good then she really should feel free to pursue her dream career as a lawyer.  I understand why the show didn't show us more of her following through on that decision to keep that plot a little less heavy and I actually appreciated that.

Edited by Snarklepuss
  • Love 2
Link to comment

I'd always assumed Heather lived with her parents. For her to have a place in the same complex as Rebecca's, it was the only explanation that made much sense. (My incorrect assumption was that she was South Asian - it never even occurred to me until this episode that she had black and white ancestry.)

  • Love 1
Link to comment
3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I'd always assumed Heather lived with her parents. For her to have a place in the same complex as Rebecca's, it was the only explanation that made much sense. (My incorrect assumption was that she was South Asian - it never even occurred to me until this episode that she had black and white ancestry.)

And I thought she was Latina. And I guess in this shitty week, I'll take a moment to be grateful that there are more and more faces on TV where I might wonder, in an intellectual way, what DNA went into creating a particular person's look, but it doesn't matter unless the story tells me it does.

  • Love 13
Link to comment

Love it!!  Yes, it is sad that the Greg character is gone, but he's kind of played out.  I never thought he and Rebecca we're end game, but I don't see her with Josh either.  Those three have a shit ton of growing to do before they are ready to settle down.  It's not realistic that we watch the growing every week.  Josh, Greg, Josh, Greg.......  It would get old.  Quick.  I'm glad we'll see more of Heather and Valencia!  And who knows, maybe Greg will be back.  I really don't think we've seen the last of him....

  • Love 2
Link to comment

Although I'm sad to be losing Santino as a singer, dancer, and actor on this show, I'm okay with his character leaving for multiple reasons. First and foremost, I'm ready for this triangle to end. As much as I enjoyed the first season, I don't want the duration of the show to be Rebecca ping ponging back and forth between Josh and Greg endlessly. Ending this triangle gives all of them a lot more room for growth. I'm glad that Greg accepted the opportunity to pursue his dream. I'm also glad that he realizes and admits that he and Rebecca aren't good for each other.

  • Love 15
Link to comment
10 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I wish we could have had a bit more insight into how she reached that conclusion.  They did well at explaining that she got pushed back towards law school but what was it that led her to give herself permission to have an abortion?

I thought there was a moment earlier in the courtroom, right before the cut, where Paula had a look on her face that pretty clearly said to me "I want this, not that". So the transition to the reveal at the end did not feel unearned to me. It was more like a light-switch moment. She'd been leaning in that direction all along but was artificially giving herself pause. Until she didn't.

 

Man this show, any show, will win me over with a tap number any day of the week.

Edited by theatremouse
  • Love 7
Link to comment
29 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

I think one of the goals of the show is to get us to stop thinking in terms like ships and teams and endgames.

Agreed. I actually think Rebecca ending the series unattached and happy would be the best " endgame" for her.

  • Love 15
Link to comment
35 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

Man this show, any show, will win me over with a tap number any day of the week.

We of course already saw Santino tap in "Settle for Me," but Vincent Rodriguez has been saying in interviews that one thing he really hoped to get to do at some point in the series was a tap number, as that's one of the things he does really well (he tends to be dance captain in the musicals he's been in) and he hadn't had a chance to show it yet. So it's great that we got the blessing of the two of them tapping together.

  • Love 6
Link to comment

Wait a darn second? Greg is out forever? But he's still in season 2 right since they shot this thing over the summer? Or is this episode the last of him? Dude, that blows. Greg is part of the crazy ex girlfriend team. He is irreplaceable.  Please someone confirm this for me. I'm heartbroken right now. WTF??? GUYS???

  • Love 3
Link to comment
28 minutes ago, PodcastTown said:

Wait a darn second? Greg is out forever? But he's still in season 2 right since they shot this thing over the summer? Or is this episode the last of him? Dude, that blows. Greg is part of the crazy ex girlfriend team. He is irreplaceable.  Please someone confirm this for me. I'm heartbroken right now. WTF??? GUYS???

This episode was the last of him. The articles I read didn't rule out catching up with him once in awhile( but not this season), though. I think we'll see him again if the show gets renewed. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
7 hours ago, Blakeston said:

I'd always assumed Heather lived with her parents. For her to have a place in the same complex as Rebecca's, it was the only explanation that made much sense. (My incorrect assumption was that she was South Asian - it never even occurred to me until this episode that she had black and white ancestry.)

 

3 hours ago, kieyra said:

And I thought she was Latina. 

Vella Lovell is Indian-American, at least from what I've read online, so I figured she was adopted.

Link to comment

Aww, I don't think it's fair for the article to call Scott "completely unhelpful". Paula makes a decision to have the baby and Scott tries to help her still go to law school - he's not good at domestic stuff but you know, not everyone is. He really seemed to gently push Paula to consider that she was doing what she thought she should do, not what she wanted to do.  

And this is just the topper to a shitty week. I could care less about a relationship - I am #TeamGreg not #GregandRebecca. 

  • Love 5
Link to comment

I loved the pop-in by the guy Rebecca slept with from the farmers market (I think?) in season 1.

I feel bad for Paula that she can't confide in Rebecca the way Rebecca confides in her. I totally understand it—Rebecca would make it all about Rebecca—but it's still a bummer for Paula. 

Greg leaving does put to rest (for a while, at least) the Greg/Rebecca/Josh triangle, and for that I'm glad to see him go. And he gets a happy leave and two great songs, so it's a great sendoff.

  • Love 8
Link to comment
26 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I feel bad for Paula that she can't confide in Rebecca the way Rebecca confides in her. I totally understand it—Rebecca would make it all about Rebecca—but it's still a bummer for Paula. 

What's interesting to me is, I'm not sure if the issue is that Paula can't confide in Rebecca, or if rather she's smart enough to realize now is not a good time to. Obviously, friends can have crises at the same time, and Paula's was certainly more serious, but even if you have a best friend who generally is capable of being your rock (which Rebecca currently isn't) it's usually not a good idea to have battling crises. So, Paula was probably being very smart here, even if it is sad for her in the moment that she clearly wants to have the reciprocal relationship, she actually served herself better long term by being quiet for now.

Edited by theatremouse
  • Love 2
Link to comment
1 hour ago, SeanC said:

 

Vella Lovell is Indian-American, at least from what I've read online, so I figured she was adopted.

The character could be adopted, but that's not necessarily the case. I met someone who I thought was of South Asian descent (like me) and he turned out to have 1 white and 1 black parent. He was very patient, as he  was used to being asked his ethnicity.

Link to comment
4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Although I'm sad to be losing Santino as a singer, dancer, and actor on this show, I'm okay with his character leaving for multiple reasons. First and foremost, I'm ready for this triangle to end. As much as I enjoyed the first season, I don't want the duration of the show to be Rebecca ping ponging back and forth between Josh and Greg endlessly. Ending this triangle gives all of them a lot more room for growth. I'm glad that Greg accepted the opportunity to pursue his dream. I'm also glad that he realizes and admits that he and Rebecca aren't good for each other.

To be honest, I actually didn't think that was going to happen. I thought that Greg and Rebecca were going to have distance from one another for  long time and not just because he moved away, but because he was working on getting better. I even think that Josh is over--I could be wrong, but that break feels final. It's interesting though that Greg was the one who wouldn't leave as far as her memory ghost goes, but that scene did feel final.

  • Love 5
Link to comment
15 minutes ago, huahaha said:

Noooooooooooo. I love Santino and am so sad not to be able to see him every week. He was the show's major star (from Broadway to Frozen). Who are they going to get who can replace him?

They did hire Scott Michael Foster from Greek who will recur this season and could be a regular next season. Although I don't think they can "replace" Greg.

  • Love 1
Link to comment

 I am so miserable about Greg being off the show, and so happy that they did it. 

The show could have slowly yanked that love triangle for seasons to come, but they ended it and had Greg choose himself. His dream came true. Rebecca's life is in West Covina, and his fondest wish was to get out of it.  

 It was gut wrenching, I will miss his voice, his comedic talent and his character, but I am so proud of him for recognizing that Rebecca is a tornado of destruction and he needs to choose himself first. 

At the places they were, they had no future. I can see him getting an MBA and a good job, and at the season finale, offering a second chance to Rebecca. 

Paula's abortion felt really sad to me, but it was clear she got her dream. 

Rebecca needs to find her dream as well. 

  • Love 6
Link to comment

I never got into the Greg/Rebecca relationship, but his leaving was really poignant. I liked him more as a character when they removed him from Rebecca's orbit, and focused on his relationships with the other guys (last week was a great example of how I thought he fit in the best -- even if he never really fit in with them). And what a hummable-mumable melody to leave on! I will be humming "It Was a S*** Show" for many weeks to come.

I was also happy with how they portrayed Paula's decision -- including having her a little upset/down afterwards. Completely understandable, and it had just the right amount of emotion, to me. I'm excited for her law school endeavors, though.

In retrospect, I kind of wish this episode was the season 1 finale. Or the midseason 2 finale (the proverbial "fall finale"). It was a good reset button, albeit a little awkward...four episodes into season 2.

Link to comment
4 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

They did hire Scott Michael Foster from Greek who will recur this season and could be a regular next season. Although I don't think they can "replace" Greg.

Wait, really? Can Cappie sing? He's no Santino Fontana, but that's the best news I've heard all day. 

Link to comment

Totally agree with the people saying they are sad to see Santino Fontana leave the show, but super glad to get out of the Josh/Rebecca/Greg love triangle business.

I'm also weirdly glad (because who really cares) that they made Heather's ethnic background align more with the actress's, because she is definitely a type that probably gets cast as all kinds of things. 

The CW is really becoming the pro-choice network, huh? 

  • Love 6
Link to comment

I'd be more upset about Santino leaving if I didn't know how bad the ratings were and have to realistically figure this will be the last season anyway. Which stinks, because I would really love to see their whole story arc play out. 

But anyway, he got a really lovely exit, and I'm glad to see the end of that triangle. Rebecca always downshifted way too fast from one "relationship" to the other anyway, and hurrah that that won't be an option going forward.

Very glad to meet Heather's parents and get more of her, and her and Rebecca living together, and excited for Valencia's return.

I love that Scott very casually offered up abortion as an option and I'm so glad Paula didn't martyr herself and is going to law school. I thought having the son very nonchalantly yell about getting the door because she just had an abortion was hilarious and perfect. I was a bit sad that she didn't feel she could confide in Rebecca about this at this time for whatever reason. I think one of the larger arcs of this seasons is hopefully going to be Rebecca learning to be a better friend to Paula.

  • Love 3
Link to comment

Loved the tap dance number and am very glad that we are going to see more of Heather. So pleased how they handled Paula's decision to have an abortion. 

Did not know about Scott Michael Foster - I know him from Chasing Life and am excited to see him again. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment

Side note, this is the second CW show in the last few weeks to have a major character have an abortion without making it the end of the world. (JtV was the other.) I wonder how much longer network shows will be able to do that in our brave new world. 

I'm a recent convert to this show and I've been spreading the word. Sorry to hear about the ratings, but don't forget to tell your friends there's a bingeable season 1 on Netflix (that's how I got into it).

Heather is fantastic. This should be good.

  • Love 4
Link to comment
Quote

Obviously, friends can have crises at the same time, and Paula's was certainly more serious, but even if you have a best friend who generally is capable of being your rock (which Rebecca currently isn't) it's usually not a good idea to have battling crises.

I'm honestly trying to think of when Rebecca has acted as Paula's rock.  I feel like the relationship has pretty much been one way. 

  • Love 10
Link to comment
2 hours ago, Jesse said:

The CW is really becoming the pro-choice network, huh? 

I'm so amazed and happy to see them do this, and that it's not ONLY this, but they are really championing female empowerment and feminism in general, and in such an accessible way. The shows they produce are fun and frothy as hell, and I don't feel like I have to disconnect my brain or my self-respect to watch them. In fact, they keep exceeding my most optimistic expectations. I am so glad you all are here to watch with, because in my daily life when I try to tell people I know, they simply refuse to even give these shows a try. They all think I'm exaggerating or that I've lost my edge, because no way do they believe anything on TV is really what I say these shows are.

1 hour ago, taragel said:

I thought having the son very nonchalantly yell about getting the door because she just had an abortion was hilarious and perfect.

That blew my mind. I loved it. It's something I never would have thought of. And I think it shows that her reluctance to tell Rebecca what happened is not about shame. It's really about Rebecca. I love that Paula's family supports her, and that she has the strength to decide who to tell or not tell based on her own best interests, not hiding in shame or to fulfill some theoretical obligation.

I wonder if Father Brah will ever find out, and what his reaction would be. If any show could make it interesting, this is that show. But I'm also fine with him never finding out.

  • Love 13
Link to comment
41 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I wonder if Father Brah will ever find out, and what his reaction would be.

He strikes me as pragmatic. He probably won't like it, but I can't see him damning Paula to hell or starting excommunication procedures. 

When did we learn Paula is Catholic?

  • Love 2
Link to comment
Quote

He strikes me as pragmatic. He probably won't like it, but I can't see him damning Paula to hell or starting excommunication procedures. 

I suspect Father Brah will focus on the church's message of forgiveness... I hope.  I loved Paula's storyline and I 100% understand why she didn't tell Rebecca what's been going on, but at the same time, glad that the show is letting her move forward with what she actually wants instead of what gets foisted on her by biology.

  • Love 2
Link to comment

"We Were a Shit Show" was so awesome.  Even though his official send-off as a polterguy (ha!) wasn't until later, this was quite an exit for Greg.  I loved "We Tapped That Ass," too.  All the cheeky references were fantastic - I think my favorite was the "uh-5-6-7-8!" in response to the "how many times on average" question - and I cracked up at the reappearance of Taco Festival Guy.

I wasn't sure what direction the show was going to go with Paula, but as soon as she said abortion was only an option for teenagers, I was almost positive that was where we were headed - there was no way Rachel would have a line like that in her show without circling back to it.  Overall, I think they handled it well.  I appreciated Scott's attempts to help, and I even liked that, earnest as they were, most of his efforts weren't all that helpful.  Ultimately, this was something Paula had to decide, and the best thing Scott did was assure her that he would be there for her no matter what.

I'd seen that video Optimistic Cynic posted above, so I grinned when Heather's parents came out and they were Black and white.  I do NOT buy, however, that Rebecca has met them numerous times without remembering it.  With her major mommy/daddy issues, she would've glommed onto a pair of kind, no-pressure parents like the Davises a long time ago.  Seeing her with them reminded me of the Thanksgiving episode last year where, even apart from the Josh of it all, Rebecca was just basking in the joy of being surrounded by an affectionate family.

Liked the mini-recurring theme of Rebecca's humiliating fiasco mostly being met with sympathy.  There was that throwaway line when she was lamenting about everyone she knew seeing the 9-1-1 call and completely glossed over the fact that everybody who contacted her about it was worried about her well-being.  And when she ran into Josh, pretty much his first reaction to her "new look" was to be concerned.  That felt pretty true to me, Rebecca thinking everyone would be laughing at her when, really, they just wanted her to know they cared.

  • Love 7
Link to comment
2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I'm honestly trying to think of when Rebecca has acted as Paula's rock.  I feel like the relationship has pretty much been one way. 

I think in the first season both were involved in Rebecca's problems and Rebecca's problems gave them something "important" to be about.  I don't know that Paula was really her rock.  Sometimes she could be.  Sometimes she gave her awful advice.  This season, however, Paula has been pretty consistently a good presence for Rebecca.  And no, we haven't seen Rebecca do that for Paula although, to be fair, Paula has often been in control of that choice.  Rebecca is a mess but if Paula shared, I do think Rebecca would pay attention.

5 hours ago, Kareny said:

Wait, really? Can Cappie sing? He's no Santino Fontana, but that's the best news I've heard all day. 

Supposedly.  Although I like SMF, I was more of an Evan/Jake McDorman girl so I'll still be wishing Santino were around methinks.

  • Love 2
Link to comment

 love that Scott very casually offered up abortion as an option and I'm so glad Paula didn't martyr herself and is going to law school. I thought having the son very nonchalantly yell about getting the door because she just had an abortion was hilarious and perfect.

I liked the way it was all presented.  It was a choice, a personal choice that Paula made and the show didn't decide to be all maudlin about the outcome.  It was handled in a surprisingly funny and frank fashion.  Just in support of the story choice, I think it was the wisest one they could make and they were pretty obviously determined to make it.   Good on you, show.  They treated abortion like a personal choice made on an individual basis.  Cool and well done. 

I'm sort of torn about Greg's exit.  I really liked the actor but what an awesome wrap-up for the character: self-realization and an understanding that alcohol wasn't the only bad choice Greg was making.  I'll just miss the actor and character a lot.  I am glad that it looks like we're going to have a household full of ex-girlfriends though, carrying on afterward.  Fun. 

Rebecca's 911 call made us both laugh so much we had to pause the show.     Rachel Bloom has pretty much flawless comedic timing.  I absolutely loved Heather's pancake making parents.  It's sort of delightful that someone so dry and cynical has these sunny, happy "Bunny or cat ears?" type of parents.  

I look forward to seeing where the show is going and I'm so glad that it seems as if it is gearing up to tell the tale of a handful of women who aren't just pining over, pursuing, or idealizing some guy.  This has the potential to be a lot of fun. 

  • Love 5
Link to comment

By the way, best weird line of the episode?  The douche lady saying her mother always smelled like salad.   There were a couple of lines in there this week that just caught me off-guard and made me laugh like a lunatic -- and sweet lords of mercy, did I ever need the laugh -- and that was one.  As was "I'll get it! Seeing as you just had an abortion!"  cracked me up too.  

Rachel Bloom in those heinous hair extensions and the least flattering pantsuit (possibly redundant as a term) was also good for a lot of hilarity. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Quote

Rachel Bloom in those heinous hair extensions and the least flattering pantsuit (possibly redundant as a term) was also good for a lot of hilarity. 

I think that was a jump suit, but yes, very unflattering. 

Quote

Rebecca is a mess but if Paula shared, I do think Rebecca would pay attention.

I don't know.  I think about the letter of recommendation where Rebecca promised to be there for Paula, and then proceeded to blow her off and miss the deadline so she could pretend she was good at ping pong. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
18 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

I don't know.  I think about the letter of recommendation where Rebecca promised to be there for Paula, and then proceeded to blow her off and miss the deadline so she could pretend she was good at ping pong. 

Oh I don't think she'd be good at things calling for follow-through.  But if, in that moment, Paula asked for emotional support, I think Rebecca could give it.  Rebecca is self-centered and will forget as soon as she leaves your presence but I think she'd be okay as long as she can't ignore you.

  • Love 3
Link to comment

I thought the way they handled Paula's abortion was very well done.  I do wish they had Scott next to her in bed, with an ice pack over his crotch, signifying that he had a vasectomy so there would be no future oops moments.  It would have been his way of saying hey, I can't cook, and can't handle the kids, but I can do this for you.

So sad to see Greg go, but those were two fantastic numbers to have as his last.  Just loved his crooning voice in Shitshow.

  • Love 8
Link to comment
×
×
  • Create New...