Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: I Need A Break

February 1, 2019 10:41 PM - Season 4, Episode 12

When Rebecca and Greg take a day trip, things don't go quite as planned. Meanwhile, Paula has an incredibly stressful week.
posted by JimBennett (17 comments total)

i thought this was a really good episode. seeing rebecca spiral was scary, but it was also really fun in a weird way, like she was literally a different character that we spent three seasons with and now she's back for a one episode guest spot before the finale.

speaking of the finale, it's going to be followed up with a concert special the same night it airs. yay! unfortunately that special counts as the eighteenth "episode" of the season order, which means the actual show is ending one episode earlier than expected, and we only have five more to go. also a heads up: for some reason after next week's episode they're taking another month off. the series will end on april 5.
posted by JimBennett at 10:48 PM on February 1, 2019 [2 favorites]

I don’t love that it costs us an episode, but I went to the CExG live tour last year and it was basically amazing, so I am kind of excited about the concert episode.
posted by terilou at 8:14 AM on February 2, 2019

I really liked this episode as well - I liked the way they paralleled caring for your mental and physical health. Also, continuing their commitment to giving time to women's health concerns by doing a plot about how cardiac distress symptoms are different for women. I like how this show is basically an expanded Very Special Episode, but in a way that works.

Also, it cracked me up that the trigger for Rebecca's backslide ("Let's go down the slide backwards!") was Greg's disinterest in Raging Waters. I don't see a lot of myself in Rebecca's character - I'm more of a Paula - but disappointment when your partner doesn't enjoy this fun thing with you, even though you knew going in it isn't their thing .... oof, yeah, I feel that.

I will say, I missed Santino Fontana a lot this episode, even though I enjoy Skylar Astin as Greg generally. Skylar is great as New Greg, but I felt like this episode was really emphasizing the ways he's still same old grumpy Greg, and some of the lines I couldn't help but hear as Santino in my head.

I thought the songs were especially strong this episode, Greg's Springsteen and Rebecca's Lily Allen were both fun, and I liked the Tyler Darkness bit a lot.

Best episode so far this season, imho.

Pretty much, I just agree with the A/V Club recap
posted by the primroses were over at 9:45 AM on February 2, 2019 [6 favorites]

That scene with Rebecca and Dr Akopian was so great - Dr Akopian's body language alone was a masterpiece. Such great acting in this show.
posted by simonw at 9:48 AM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

This was so good. I liked the parallel of Rebecca's and Paula's illnesses, and how they both come to the realization that they need to take care of themselves.

They did such a good job of depicting Rebecca's spiral and as someone training to be a therapist, i always appreciate her therapy scenes and talks with the psychiatrist.

Also, Greg's song was really funny and the new actor does a good job in the character.
posted by bearette at 10:40 AM on February 2, 2019

I think this was my favorite episode of the season so far. Greg is finally being written like a healthier version of the character we knew in S1/2 instead of a totally different guy, Paula's heart attack was handled really well (nitpick: she's still got one son at home! Where was he at the hospital?), and having Rebecca start to spiral and then realize she needs to get help was a great way to show her progress. "I hate Everything But You" was top-notch too.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:55 AM on February 3, 2019 [2 favorites]

My aunt walked around for 48 hours after a heart attack, and didn’t make it. So I both loved that storyline and also worried that the writers are actually stalking me for material.
posted by politikitty at 2:50 PM on February 3, 2019

The thing about life is, how do we know if it's bad enough for hospitalization vs. "I'm going to rack up a $10k emergency room bill I can never pay off for what turned out to be nothing?" We have no effing idea what the signs are for REALLY BAD vs "just that time of life" or "the flu" or "panic attack" or whatever.
I'm going to end that medical rant now because what good does that do on a TV show.

Anyway, I did like the Springsteen "I Hate Everything But You" number, it's so very, very Greg. I could see both actors doing that one. Greg is such an NYC personality in a SoCal world.

I concur that sticking with boring chore-y things like squats, your workbook, salads, and/or medication forever and ever with no break does suck donkey balls and there is some side of you that will rebel and yell "I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DO THIS FOREVER."

Really, isn't Josh the guy you would want to take to Raging Waters?

Someone on AV Club pointed out that medication isn't really a thing being done for people with BPD, so that makes me wonder.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:19 PM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

Yeah, but BPD can be comorbid with depression and a lot of other things. We can presume that Rebecca was previously being treated for depression and/or anxiety (see "Boy Band Made Up of Four Joshes"), which may not have been totally off-base, just not quite the right approach considering the BPD.
posted by the_blizz at 7:39 AM on February 4, 2019 [2 favorites]

I so deeply appreciate that Nathaniel and Josh both immediately went to oh no this needs to stop, right now, but kindly as soon as they realized that Rebecca was putting the moves on them. (The nonverbal work for both of those actors, for me, really spoke volumes.) And of COURSE they stop it, because decency demands it, and in this show, as in life, only a slimeball takes advantage of someone when they're so clearly not okay.
posted by brainwane at 11:45 AM on February 5, 2019 [4 favorites]

Boy, does this reviewer not like New Greg. However, what are you gonna do? Either they couldn't get Santino back or they didn't want to or both, so you gotta do what you gotta do.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:52 PM on February 5, 2019

I liked SantinoGreg (as a character, not as a person; he's a fucking horrible person). I like Santino Fontana. I like Skylar Astin. I hate SkylarGreg. My spouse thinks it's because Astin is too nice to play Greg's edge, but I dunno. I just can't get past it.
posted by Etrigan at 7:03 AM on February 6, 2019 [2 favorites]

I've seen that a couple times, that Santino Fontana is a terrible person, but nobody ever says why? Was there some scandal that I missed? The googles tell me nothing!
posted by Bibliogeek at 7:21 AM on February 6, 2019

Sorry, I was unclear: Greg is a horrible person but a great character -- i.e., someone I love(d) watching but would hate knowing in real life.

I don't know anything about Fontana as a person.
posted by Etrigan at 7:33 AM on February 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

I, too, have a hard time buying Skylar as Greg.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:48 AM on February 6, 2019

I vaguely remember reading some folks hinting somewhere that Santino was not super fun to deal with on set. I couldn't tell you where I saw it though. No concrete scandals so far.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:55 PM on February 6, 2019

Ditto jenfullmoon- all I heard were whispers, nothing concrete.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:13 PM on February 6, 2019