Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S2 E2: "When Will Josh See How Cool I Am?"

After last week’s tension between Rebecca and Paula, it’s nice to see them on good terms again. Rebecca’s excitement over Paula asking her for a letter of recommendation for law school was adorable. I think that the Rebecca-Paula plot and the Greg plot represented one of the highlights of the episode and of the series as a whole. Despite some very somber moments, Rebecca and Greg both showed that they had grown in the end. It actually made me misty-eyed, seeing them morosely reflect on past events. The “I Have Friends!” song from the first season playing in the background as a leitmotif only made it more touching.

The humor was in fine form this week. Not only did Heather have a substantial part in the episode, but she also represented a refreshing moment of (relative) sanity amidst the chaos of the other characters. She really does remind me of Parks And Recreation’s April Ludgate in more ways than one. In addition, I think that Rebecca’s mini-rant on football contained one of the best jokes of the episode. Josh accuses her of hating it, before she lies about liking it, then starts grumbling about how it’s boring, the societal issues that come from it, and the concussions before finally admitting that she really does hate it. Combining with more Jewish representation, I enjoyed the scene with Rachel cooking noodle kugel for Josh and he cluelessly refers to them as ‘Jewish noodles’ a few minutes later.

All of the songs in this episode were great, one of the best being “Maybe This Dream,” Paula’s solo number. Not only was it great to see her singing again, but it also provided more insight into her character and life. The song combined the traditional woodsy setting of a Disney number with the boring legal office as she sung about hoping that following her passions would help her feel happy again. She really sells it. You could hear the raw emotion in her voice after the song ended and she despondently picked up the phone to answer a call.

Josh and Greg also had their chances to enjoy the musical spotlight. Not only did Greg briefly reprise the “I Could If I Wanted To” song about his anger, but he also gave one of the funniest songs in the series so far. It’s already one of my favorites. Titled “Greg’s Drinking Song,” it features him singing about the troubles that come from his alcoholism in the style of a traditional Irish drinking song. After hearing it, I’m tempted to go back through the last season and comb it for foreshadowing. I also really like Josh’s “Ping Pong Girl” song. Something about the style reminds me of the What’s New, Scooby-Doo? theme song. I’m pretty sure that it’s in the rock band genre. Imagined by Rebecca, it shows an interesting glimpse into her mindset.