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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S02.E09: When Do I Get To Spend Some Time With Josh?

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend [V]

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Tara Ariano

Tara Ariano

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When Darryl sells the law firm, new boss Nathaniel threatens layoffs, which causes everyone to go into panic mode. Rebecca, however, goes to extreme measures in an attempt to save everyone's jobs.

(Each episode gets its own thread because there will be a separate piece of editorial content for each.)

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

Call it self-indulgent on their part, but I see all the meta-references in "Who's the New Guy?" as being smart self-awareness, and knowledge that audiences do this now: It's about time in the season for a new face! Are we supposed to get invested in him? Is he just going to stick around for two or three episodes?

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

Wow, two episodes in a row where Rebecca ditched Josh to help other people! So her growth is going to last?

Loved that Paula's explanation to the new clients was that Nathaniel was allergic to peanuts and Rebecca was trying to stab him with an epi-pen.

I really do not want to see Rebecca get involved with the new boss though. Can't we just let her be with Josh for a little while without another love triangle?

"Blah blah puka shells" might be my new go-to when someone is being dumb.

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tennisgurl

tennisgurl

I liked all the songs this week, especially the one about whether they should actually get invested in the new guy. On the other hand, the new guy? If he sticks around as the new antagonist who maybe shows a more decent side later on, I am totally fine with his existence for awhile. But as another possible love interest, or the start of a love triangle? Do not want! We just got out of the Greg/Rebecca/Josh triangle, we dont need another, but with a less interesting character. 

I miss Greg. I get why he left the show, but I really miss him on the show.

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alrightokay

alrightokay

3 minutes ago, nosleepforme said:

Happy we didn't lose anyone from the recurring players though (I don't count George(?), because I don't think we have seen him before).

I think we saw him in the episode where Darryl and Maya create their dance, and all of their officemates eagerly watch them perform it in the lunchroom.  I think George was the one trying to learn/mimic their movements.

Loved that they threw "intensive purposes" into Josh's stream of babble--that's one of my pet peeves!  

I wonder if they'll make Nathaniel into a hybrid of Greg/Josh: He doesn't have Josh's kind heart yet, but I have a feeling Rebecca will start whittling away at his tough, seemingly perfect facade.

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Empress1

Empress1

(edited)

Only interested in the new guy as an antagonist, not a love interest. Also I know she won't, but Rebecca should totally quit. There's a saying that people don't quit jobs, they quit bosses. This new boss is, as she put it, everything she left NYC to avoid. I'm guessing they're going to show that she hasn't left that driven, competitive, status-conscious side of her completely behind.

The Patton Oswalt cameo was gold!

Edited by Empress1
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rho

rho

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I really do not want to see Rebecca get involved with the new boss though. Can't we just let her be with Josh for a little while without another love triangle?

As someone who LOVES Scott Michael Foster in just about everything, he was really difficult to enjoy in this episode. I hope it means he'll have a nice character arc and we'll get more of him but I agree, he shouldn't be a love interest for Rebecca. I don't think this show needs another love triangle. That said, I could maybe jump on board with him as a love interest for Paula...

4 hours ago, alrightokay said:

Loved that they threw "intensive purposes" into Josh's stream of babble--that's one of my pet peeves!  

Oh my gosh, I'm surprised that didn't turn into a musical number on it's own. And now I'm racking my head trying to remember if Rebecca mentioned something about that in season 1. I feel like it's been a recurring gag or maybe it's just something I encounter far too often in my real life.

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seacliffsal

seacliffsal

One thing I appreciated about this episode is that the new boss did get Rebecca to at least consider Josh's personality and interests.  Before, he was the goal so his interests and interactions were catalysts for Rebecca's plans.  Now, she has to consider a real future with Josh and what it would mean for her.  Although the focus was on the potential firings of employees, I liked that he challenged her perception of her relationship with Josh.

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possibilities

possibilities

(edited)
5 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

I don't know how I feel about Josh and Rebecca being back together, though I get it, because what is the point of Josh if he's not even remotely tied to Rebecca anymore. I think they missed out on having Valencia in the episode though. How would she react to her new bestie getting back together with her ex, especially after they both have been so clear on wanting to move on. Guess I'll  just have to wait for next week. I really want them to remain friends though.

I was really bothered by the lack of reference to her girl group. I hope she doesn't ditch them now that Paula and Josh are back in her life.

I did really love that she stayed with Paula and was committed to saving the jobs-- is it actual growth, for real? Not just a momentary pause in her dysfunction?

I admit I laughed that the line about not being interrupted was harshly interrupted by the commercials. I actually thought my tv had misfired at first.

I do worry that the references to their terrible ratings is a bad sign. I really want to see all 4 seasons they've got planned, but I don't think there's ever been a show this low rated that made it that far.

Hate the new boss, and really don't want him to be made to seem like a nice guy who's just doing what he has to do. Don't like how Rebecca was so distracted by him at the restaurant and REALLY don't want to see him as a love interest for Rebecca OR Paula.

Paula throwing her husband out made me cheer. I was genuinely surprised he turned out to be such a total jerk, but I guess I'm too used to seeing excuses made and schlubby guys "redeemed" on TV.

Also: Paula's rage over the ice cubes was totally justified.

How did Darryl get through law school and stay so naive?

Edited by possibilities
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Eeksquire

Eeksquire

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Hate the new boss, and really don't want him to be made to seem like a nice guy who's just doing what he has to do. Don't like how Rebecca was so distracted by him at the restaurant and REALLY don't want to see him as a love interest for Rebecca OR Paula.

I do kind of enjoy the prospect that Rebecca picked up on his Daddy issues so quickly - that could be an interesting plot line... as long as we don't have to watch another love triangle.

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Irlandesa

Irlandesa

5 hours ago, rho said:

That said, I could maybe jump on board with him as a love interest for Paula...

OMG, get out of my head! I think SMF in this role is kind of charmless which is weird because even though I wasn't Cappie's biggest fan, SMF did ooze charm on Greek. And he and Rebecca have less chemistry than she has with Josh (and I think Bex and Josh had far less chem than she had with Greg.)  But somewhere in his scenes and Paula's attraction to his looks, I started thinking Paula should get some.

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

I admit I laughed that the line about not being interrupted was harshly interrupted by the commercials. I actually thought my tv had misfired at first.

I saw this coming as soon as he sang "I will not be ignored."  I liked how 'stage musical' the songs felt in this episode.  It's my favorite genre.

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angora

angora

Paula and the coworkers' meta song about Nathaniel was awesome.  I loved how their in-show justifications for their meta comments kept getting more and more specific, "I mean Karen's manic episodes!"  I also liked the bit about why they should care about someone who was straight and male and white, because I'd just been musing on the fact that, with Greg gone, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was now a show with ZERO straight white males in the main cast (can't be too many of those.)  Side note:  it amuses me that both Greg and Nathaniel are played by actors who've also played Frozen characters (Santino as Hans, obviously, and Scott Michael Foster as Once Upon a Time's version of Kristoff.)  Double-amusing that, here, Santino was the sensitive curmudgeon and SMF is the handsome asshole.

Paula's delighted "I've got two pelvises!" at the graveyard tickled me so much.  I liked the tag at the end with her and Patton Oswalt, too.

Josh's dad gives great deadpan.

I adored White Josh resignedly agreeing to take that eagle (or was it a hawk?) statue home to display prominently somewhere, as well as his barely-restrained sarcasm as he tried to reassure Darryl about his office decor.  "None of his dream-catchers work in here" - too funny.

When Rebecca was first pointing Josh out to Nathaniel, I cracked up at how proudly she said, "He made that cup tower."

If Nathaniel is going to be a presence at the law firm for a while, I wonder if we'll see the toll/drain of the higher demand on everyone, not just Rebecca, and consequently Rebecca/Josh.  Will Darryl and White Josh struggle to spend time together?  How will Paula manage between work, law school, kids/house, and no Scott?

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rho

rho

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

OMG, get out of my head! I think SMF in this role is kind of charmless which is weird because even though I wasn't Cappie's biggest fan, SMF did ooze charm on Greek. And he and Rebecca have less chemistry than she has with Josh (and I think Bex and Josh had far less chem than she had with Greg.)  But somewhere in his scenes and Paula's attraction to his looks, I started thinking Paula should get some.

Step-Brothers-Did-we-just-become-best-fr

For real though, I think Paula and the new guy would be a match made in hell, but that's kind of par for the course on this show. Now that Rebecca is in her love bubble with Josh Chan (I love that he always goes by both names, like White Josh) it's time for Paula to get the romantic storyline. I'm already imagining the absurd musical numbers! 

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Serena

Serena

1 hour ago, shang yiet said:

Am I the only one who finds the new boss hot? I don't blame Rebecca for being attracted to him. He won't go for Paula. His kind goes for the Ivanka Trump types.

I think he's pretty clearly gonna go for Rebecca, who I really wouldn't call an Ivanka Trump type.

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Empress1

Empress1

I dont think think the new boss is good-looking at all. I get why people think so - he's got that Ken doll thing going on - but that type does nothing for me. (See also: Brad Pitt.) I did like that the show acknowledges that looking a certain way takes work. One of my least favorite TV tropes is the character who eats junk constantly and talks about not working out yet looks like ... well, a Hollywood actor.

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possibilities

possibilities

I wouldn't say the woman who had an affair with Paula's husband was devoted to him. Affairs are not about devotion. They work together, seem to have bonded, maybe he's a relatively decent guy in a workplace where they have a common bond over hating the job or another coworker or the boss, and they had sex in her car "accidentally" because he was mad at Paula, acting like a manbaby, and she was lonely. People develop feelings for people they work with or otherwise see regularly for all kinds of reasons other than true love or classic good looks.

Less than staggeringly awesome people have sex all the time. They get married. They date. They hook up. I don't think anyone is saying that Paula's husband is a leading man type of gorgeous or mind-blowingly personality-perfect. But he doesn't have to be any of that for him to have a relationship or a fling. And for sure the woman he did it with doesn't have to be devoted to him.

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Chicago Redshirt

Chicago Redshirt

22 hours ago, possibilities said:

I was really bothered by the lack of reference to her girl group. I hope she doesn't ditch them now that Paula and Josh are back in her life.

I did really love that she stayed with Paula and was committed to saving the jobs-- is it actual growth, for real? Not just a momentary pause in her dysfunction?

I admit I laughed that the line about not being interrupted was harshly interrupted by the commercials. I actually thought my tv had misfired at first.

I do worry that the references to their terrible ratings is a bad sign. I really want to see all 4 seasons they've got planned, but I don't think there's ever been a show this low rated that made it that far.

Hate the new boss, and really don't want him to be made to seem like a nice guy who's just doing what he has to do. Don't like how Rebecca was so distracted by him at the restaurant and REALLY don't want to see him as a love interest for Rebecca OR Paula.

Paula throwing her husband out made me cheer. I was genuinely surprised he turned out to be such a total jerk, but I guess I'm too used to seeing excuses made and schlubby guys "redeemed" on TV.

Also: Paula's rage over the ice cubes was totally justified.

How did Darryl get through law school and stay so naive?

I'm expecting a big plot point within the next few episodes to be Valencia learning that Josh and Bex are back together and the scheming Valencia will do to make her the crazy ex-girlfriend.

WRT to the ratings, the CW announced that it is renewing CXG for at least another season. At that point, I'd have to imagine that a 4th season is a gimme to make it eligible to be sold in syndication. 

WRT to Darryl, I can see people making it through law school and remaining blissfully oblivious to the hard knocks of the real world.

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Irlandesa

Irlandesa

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I'd have to imagine that a 4th season is a gimme to make it eligible to be sold in syndication. 

I can't see the CW giving this show a 3rd season without at least giving the creators the opportunity to wrap up their four season plan.

But I don't think a 4th season makes it syndication eligible.  Any show is eligible if a network wants to pick it up.  But a 4th season usually leads to 88 episodes being created which is considered the magical syndication number that leads to shows getting picked up. It used to be 100.  That number is derived from a traditional season of 22 episodes.  I bet this order is 13 eps, like this season, and they will only have 57 at the end of 4. 

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Tara Ariano

Tara Ariano

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On 1/7/2017 at 4:31 AM, Eeksquire said:

Did I miss the new guy's girlfriend? When did that happen?

Cut between screener and air, apparently! Which is crazy because those screeners are from, like, the week of Christmas. Anyway: post edited!

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rabidchipmnk

rabidchipmnk

Did I miss the new guy's girlfriend? When did that happen?

Was gonna ask the same thing... I was multitasking but didn't think I was THAT distracted as to miss a whole scene?

Not interested in new guy as a love interest for anyone. Kind of wish they'd kept Josh out on his own storyline too, I really enjoyed Rebecca/Valencia/Heather capers.

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possibilities

possibilities

Glad to have the girlfriend thing clarified. I was feeling like I somehow must have not been paying attention, and I really thought I had been!

RE fewer than 88 episodes for syndication, I am hoping the new tv landscape will make this less of a hard and fast rule. The show could be re-aired as a "special marathon event" somewhere (some of my favorite shows turn up in unexpected places on the "dial" and I think some of the smaller or newer channels are still looking for content), or it could become a regular feature on a streaming site like Hulu or a Netflix favorite, even if it's only half the usual number of episodes. I'm hoping, anyway.

On 1/7/2017 at 0:42 PM, nosleepforme said:

I miss Greg's voice, not his singing voice, just the snarky/sarcastic voice of his character amidst all the craziness.

Me, too. I like the show's sweetness, but it feels unbalanced right now. Greg was as dysfunctional as everyone else, but he had a different tone about him, and I think the show benefited from being seasoned with his particular brand. I can only take so much of the pop and Disney songs and sweet format love before I need some straight up bitter, cynical snark and ascerbic style self-hatred.

I think the budget for song production may be one of the ways the budget has been cut, because they haven't done as many ambitious and varied musical numbers lately, and I miss that as well.

But my nostalgia should not be taken as a lack of gratitude for the show's continued existence and I am completely thrilled it's been renewed, regardless.

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allonsyalice

allonsyalice

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I think the budget for song production may be one of the ways the budget has been cut, because they haven't done as many ambitious and varied musical numbers lately, and I miss that as well.

Also Love Kernels ate up a lot of the budget, "literally almost everything."

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niklj

niklj

On 1/7/2017 at 6:51 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Loved that Paula's explanation to the new clients was that Nathaniel was allergic to peanuts and Rebecca was trying to stab him with an epi-pen.

Where was this in the episode?

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Irlandesa

Irlandesa

14 minutes ago, niklj said:

Where was this in the episode?

It was when Rebecca and Nathaniel were fighting.  The potential clients came in and Paula moved to stand in front of the glassed in conference room.  The clients looked at Rebecca on top of him and that's when Paula threw out the peanut allergy excuse.

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niklj

niklj

13 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

It was when Rebecca and Nathaniel were fighting.  The potential clients came in and Paula moved to stand in front of the glassed in conference room.  The clients looked at Rebecca on top of him and that's when Paula threw out the peanut allergy excuse.

Oh okay, thanks. I was watching on OnDemand and it cut from Rebecca jumping up doing the squirrel pose to commercial so I missed it.

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Snarklepuss

Snarklepuss

I guess my husband, being one of those WASP-y "straight white men" as referenced in this episode, was perhaps the only person watching this show that caught the Donald Trump tie that Nathaniel was wearing plus the way he yelled out "YOU'RE FIRED"!!  Yikes, even I wouldn't have made that connection.  Very good Mr. Snarklepuss.  And very good on him for being able to laugh at the openly deprecating humor hurled at such WASP-y straight white men in this episode, since that seems to be the one of the only ethnic/sexual groups that is still PC to deprecate as a specific ethnic/sexual group anymore.  I admit I split my sides but then again I felt it was not necessarily intended as an outright dis, but more of an affectionate poke intended ironically.  Or at least I hope so.  We're going with that for now.  We're not getting upset that Nathaniel is being portrayed as everything evil so far.  He may still have a redemption arc so the show will acknowledge that straight white WASP-y men can be redeemed!  LOL

I don't see Nathaniel as a definite threat to Josh as in a new Greg, but someone that will at least provide a counterpoint in her mind to question her relationship with Josh, which will at least bring back that "will she or won't she" dynamic that's missing from the show since Greg's departure.   And she may end up sleeping with Nathaniel, or at least thinking about him "that way".  That would be in context for Rebecca, after which she would wake up and realize she just sold her soul to the devil, making her spin around and sabotage her relationship with Josh.  It's what Rebecca does.  And maybe in time she can actually influence Nathaniel somewhat.  I'd like to see growth in his character.  I'd hate to think the show will make him the poster child for everything evil forever.

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Eeksquire

Eeksquire

I think Greg was one of the only characters on the show that really wanted to get OUT of West Covina - everyone else is basically content to live there, which gave him a very different voice than the rest of the characters.  It also makes structural sense why he had to leave, but the show is really lacking that. If Nathaniel provides that, "This town is terrible and meaningless" perspective as an outsider from LA (albeit from a different perspective), maybe he'll work. He'll be like the Anti-Rebecca - a transplant that hates it there.

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Bruinsfan

Bruinsfan

8 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

And maybe in time she can actually influence Nathaniel somewhat.  I'd like to see growth in his character.  I'd hate to think the show will make him the poster child for everything evil forever.

I would imagine running him to ground like a wounded gazelle will help immensely with that. Previously Nathaniel was playing mindgames with Rebecca to show dominance, but now that he knows she could snap at any moment and go all Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction on his ass surely he'll be more careful about setting her off. (I also bet as a repressed yuppy with Daddy issues he's going to be fixated on her romantically after being overpowered like that, so it's not just Rebecca leaving that encounter with sexual fantasies.)

Paula was the MVP of this episode as far as I'm concerned. The "Who's the New Guy" number was golden, and she was more enthusiastic about digging up a grave than the leads on Supernatural have ever been!

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dubbel zout

dubbel zout

41 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

Previously Nathaniel was playing mindgames with Rebecca to show dominance

I think Nathaniel underestimated Rebecca because a) she's a woman, b) she's working at a law firm in West Covina, and c) she was wearing a water suit (hee). When it comes to the actual work, Rebecca is a force to be reckoned with. She's no pushover. I enjoyed watching him learn that.

I loved Maya (I think it was her) saying, "Oh, no, the flying squirrel!" as Rebecca lunged at Nathaniel. 

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holly4755

holly4755

I think he knew some of that because he credited Rebecca as being the thing that put the firm on the radar. 

Just want to say, I could watch the intro for hours, love it, it is so Ruby Keeler, especially the make up in the POW!  

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

3 hours ago, holly4755 said:

Just want to say, I could watch the intro for hours, love it, it is so Ruby Keeler, especially the make up in the POW!  

If you felt that (and hadn't heard), you might enjoy knowing that one of the dancers in that intro is Ruby Keeler's granddaughter Sarah Lowe. Rachel mentioned that more than once in interviews and tweets. (The choreographer has also mentioned how Ms. Lowe had to hunch over for that opening shot so she wouldn't show up too soon.)

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holly4755

holly4755

Thanks I didn't know that,  Very cool. 

I have to admit my love of 30's musicals, as a child of the 50's we had a TV before most of our neighbors and not too much was on, add to that  the paranoia of hollywood in not selling movies to TV because they were afraid people would stay home to watch them, so they only allowed old movies to be shown,

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femmefan1946

femmefan1946

I don't understand US racial divides evidently.

Isn't Greg a straight white male? And his father and stepfather (bit parts but...)?

And the hippie one night stand? And Trent the stalker? And Paula's husband and family?

Also the Canadian lawyer -- don't we make it as SWM?  This is a very very pasty country.

I thought the basic problem with Nathaniel was not that he was a SWM, but that he was born on third base and thought he had batted a triple.

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Chicago Redshirt

Chicago Redshirt

I think the issue might be that there is a stereotype of white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men as bossy, insensitive, arrogant, douchey frat boys. Most of the other white men haven't played to that stereotype.

Seems to me that the show mocks everyone, because or in spite of their stereotype. Rebecca is an intelligent but socially awkward Jew. Josh Chan gets super-Filipino parents and has jokes about his Catholicism. (I miss you, Father Brah!)  

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Serena

Serena

1 hour ago, adam807 said:

FWIW, Nathaniel played Olaf (from Frozen) on Once Upon A Time. The epitome of blandly good-looking in the Disney prince mold. It worked!

Olaf was the snowman. SMF was Kristoff.

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theatremouse

theatremouse

(edited)
On 1/8/2017 at 11:07 PM, niklj said:

Oh okay, thanks. I was watching on OnDemand and it cut from Rebecca jumping up doing the squirrel pose to commercial so I missed it.

Paula's "it's an epi-pen" line came immediately following that commercial break, if I'm remembering it right. They did cut on the jump, but when it came back, Rebecca and boss were on the floor, and she was attempting to stab him with a (regular) pen.

Edited by theatremouse
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