This episode was a lot. A lot good too. It possibly was cinematic art just as Lilo & Stitch.
Perfect songs, perfect writing.
Even if at first I felt this season was kinda shaky, now I'm glad they took their time to explore other corners of the story, so that when they get to back to the titular "crazy ex-girlfriend" plotline it packs even more punch. And Paula's was great too, down to the parallel about taking care of one self's health.
Also, Tyler Darkness, what a legit snack.
Great songs, and great episode.
The only issue i had was them perpetuating the "pharmaceutical antidepressants are good" lie that I see in every show that addresses mental illness. No show is ever able to really challenge this assumption openly, (or even crack some doubt or let some light in) not with any success, not in a way that doesn't fall back in on itself, and even Crazy Ex is no exception.
They set up the Bex taking antidepressants part perfectly with Paula's crisis, and I really wanted to be on board with it. It'd be great if those drugs worked like they say they work. They did have her complain about being a zombie on that stuff, but that was just part of the background flavor, the alcoholic before they go to their AA meeting, the "thing" people say in those situations before they've seen the light and found the right antidepressant or combo-cocktail. And while it's great that she's taking care of herself, and that she reached out for help, in reality, I've only ever seen one person ever benefit from drugs like that, and the downsides were huge.
Medical scientists haven't perfected stuff like "altering a persons long-term brain chemistry, changing how much serotonin the uptake inhibitors/receptors receive." The medications are blind surgeons knocking furniture down, ripping out the plumbing, tearing walls out, plus awful side effects. Brain chemistry is in its infancy; they still do electric shock treatments and only a few decades ago it was ice pick lobotomies. Their tactics are akin to playing russian roulette, and my prediction is that in a few hundred years, or maybe much sooner, unless we're in some horrible dystopian science novel, doctors will be horrified that people were actually ingesting this stuff. It will be all "Remember when doctors thought arsenic cured cancer?" except in this case it will be "remember when doctors prescribed lithium/zyprexa to fix insanity."
So, besides my rage, which got stoked each & every time they perpetuated this "psych drugs cure psych problems" thing, at least I got to enjoy two pretty brilliant songs:
A) the one that was a retaliation to Greg telling her to go be sad, (I loved watching Rebecca storm around in that leather jacket with the tag still on, telling Nate she was going to find a great lyft ride with mints and water in the backseat and a driver that wrote screenplays) and
B) the song about "Tyler," her boyfriend, Mr. Darkness.
Shout by leneVIP 6BlockedParent2019-02-02T17:28:11Z
As a person with BPD, I've never felt more personally attacked as I did by this episode !!! The episode is too accurate. Also, thanks for finally getting back to the core of the show! It's been a bit dull up until this point, and this episode nails it.