The most recent episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “I’m Not the Person I Used to Be,” is the one we’ve all been waiting for. I’m late to the review game again, I know, but I honestly struggled to piece a coherent sentence together after the first time I watched the episode (just a long string of wows and an even longer string of questions.) I watched the episode a second time before writing this review, and I have some (only slightly) more coherent thoughts on the matter. As the midseason finale, “I’m Not the Person I Used to Be” brought out all the stocks, with two top-notch musical numbers and, most notably, by bringing back fan-favourite character Greg, who has been absent since early on in the second season.
The role of Greg has been recast, with Pitch Perfect’s Skylar Astin picking up where Broadway star, Santino Fontana, left off. In this episode, we get our first glimpse of Astin in the role, and I’ll admit I was a little hard on him on first viewing. Don’t get me wrong, he was charming and witty and everything I’d hoped the new-and-improved Greg would be – but still, he’s no Santino Fontana. On second viewing my opinion improved. I was more open to the change and the point the writers were trying to make with it. There’s nothing not to like about Astin’s performance – except for the fact he’s not Santino Fontana.
The show handles the recasting exceptionally well of course, with a record number of fourth wall breaks, making “I’m Not the Person I Used to Be” the funniest episode in a long time. The recasting actually has a deeper meaning as well (because this is Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, where every joke is grounded in something deeper). New Greg is, quite literally, an entirely different person to the Greg we left behind in season two. He’s finally sober, and he has a real sense of purpose now that he’s in business school like he always wanted. Like Rebecca, Greg knows who he is and he’s ready to move forward as a better, healthier version of himself. Once again like Rebecca, the qualities that made Greg so entertaining in the early seasons were qualities that were bad for both him and the people around him. Astin’s Greg isn’t the same hilarious embodiment of cynicism and sarcasm that Fontana captured so well – but that’s a good thing.
Up until this episode, I was pretty confident Rebecca wasn’t going to end up with any of her previous love interests, but after seeing this new version of Greg, I’m not so sure. Rebecca and Josh could never pursue a healthy romantic relationship again after everything Rebecca has been through to get over him – and Nathaniel has far too much catch up to do on his self-improvement journey to be a healthy counterpart to Rebecca anytime soon. Greg, however, has been through his own journey of self-improvement off-screen and returns as Rebecca’s equal. Sure, there would certainly be significant complications to the two pursuing a romantic relationship once more, but, if they put in the work, it might just be possible.
Whilst Rebecca certainly doesn’t need to end up in a romantic relationship, New Greg presents new possibilities. He is now someone that Rebecca could pursue a healthy relationship with if she so pleased – and he’s someone that fans already have an investment in. If Rebecca is to end up in a relationship, Greg is the only healthy option right now that would provide a satisfying conclusion for fans. Perhaps the characters will explore this possibility and conclude that they’re simply not ‘meant to be,’ despite Valencia and Heather’s ongoing belief that they are. At the moment I’d say this option is just as (if not more) likely than the show ending up with the two happily coupled together, but who knows? Perhaps Rebecca and Greg will get their happy ending after all.
New possibilities present a number of new questions. For me, many of the questions actually revolve around Nathaniel. What’s his place in the story now if he and Rebecca are truly over? Whilst Josh and Rebecca have managed to rekindle a friendship and make amends, I’m really not sure what a Rebecca/Nathaniel friendship would look like – it’s certainly something I’m curious to see. I’m also keen to see Nathaniel and Greg interact. Does Nathaniel know who Greg is? If so, Greg’s return will certainly test Nathaniel for any remaining feelings he may have for Rebecca. In any case, my main hope for Nathaniel is that we see him in therapy by the end of the season.
In a perfect world, we’d see everyone in therapy by the end of the season (except maybe White Josh.) It’s not every show where ‘they all to go to therapy and work on bettering themselves’ is an actual possibility, and it’s one of the things that makes Crazy Ex-Girlfriend so great. At the end of the day, the creators will pick the healthiest path for its characters. That’s what the show has been about all along – Rebecca’s path of self-improvement. It’s a wonderfully satisfying thing. We’re in the home stretch now, and I know I’ll be the first in line to see how Rebecca’s story plays out. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend returns on January 11 with episode nine, “I Need Some Balance.” Until then, I think it may be time to go back the start and see just how far we’ve come.
TheScreenReview 