Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 12 Review: I Need A Break
Yana Grebenyuk
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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend took a break from romance to make a statement about health, both mental and physical.
In a perfect parallel, the audience got to worry about two lead female characters that we adore, only for them both to end up in the same boat.
Rebecca and Paula must be protected at all times, and yet this time around it is up to them to take those steps to make sure they are okay. That fear that came with them almost suffering huge mistakes with their health was too close a call.
During Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 12, Rebecca didn't want to take antidepressants that would help her mental health. This becomes a backslide for her in her relationship with Greg, and her relationship with herself.
Rebecca spends all night making mistakes that eventually lead her to make her mental health a priority again, which includes incorporating medication to help her with that.
Meanwhile, Paula feels horrible all day but she has so much to do that she refuses to take a break. This becomes a wake-up call when she founds out she was suffering from a heart attack and needs to put her physical health first now.
"I Need A Break," written by the wonderful Ilana Peña (who you may recognize from a certain taco stand), handled the heavy topics in a remarkable way. It was like a ticking time bomb, both for Paula and for Rebecca, and the episode played off that breathless worry for the heroines and their health.
There was still plenty of water slide inspired humor, which the show was still able to return to its roots as the lead continued to try to better her mental health proving it isn't just over in a blink of an eye.
Related: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 11 Review
Rebecca's Mental Journey
First things first, Raging Waters was everything I thought it would be and more.
The only real wish is that Rebecca got to have some more fun there before she descended into darkness, only to have to face reality.
But in a way, Greg was still right in the situation even if he made that clear in a song where he listed everything he hated.
It is tough sometimes to side with a guy who hates something as lovely as sunshine.
But this trip was something Rebecca idolized, and in an effort to experience it she tried to cram whoever she was dating into that fantasy. She forgot to reasonably take a step back, and more importantly to remember that Greg isn't just part of a fantasy.
He is his own person, and he is a person who doesn't like this specific thing. In an attempt to be better, the both of them conformed to what the other person wanted, not really checking with themselves on these choices.
Greg wanted to make Rebecca happy, so he went out of her comfort zone, and Rebecca tried to adjust even though the compromise just wasn't good enough.
Let's go on a slide backwards!
Rebecca
These two need to be their best selves, but they shouldn't lose themselves in that process.
And yet things have changed, with Greg being the adult in the situation when he didn't lash out like he would have before. The best thing he could have done for him and Rebecca and their relationship was back off.
Rebecca needed to hit "rock bottom" on her own, and by removing himself, Greg made sure their relationship could still be repaired and that he didn't fall down there with Rebecca first.
You have very powerful feelings for Greg ... and waterslides.
Dr. Akopian
There is something so staringly about Rebecca's worry when it comes to medication.
The conversations about how necessary and helpful medication might be for some people is growing, but that doesn't mean that everyone feels that way.
There are still negative connotations and worries that people have, even if it is approved by a doctor and could only help the person. Rebecca's bad associations had to be dealt with before she could push herself to reassess never taking a prescription again.
And unfortunately, that turned into Rebecca submerging herself in bad decisions, even if those decisions were smart enough to make sure she didn't do something she really regretted,
It was like this impending doom as we followed Rebecca's path to possible destruction, even though it is worth commending Nathaniel and Josh for looking out for her.
It was a necessary evil for her to end up on that bench waiting for Dr. Shin, and it can only get better from here. Rebecca has a pattern where she thinks she is getting better so she drops what she needs to continue to do better in an effort to move past that.
Instead, she had to first face what losing all control again would lead to, and what she would risk in the process.
The fact that she realized it so quickly though means there is progress, it didn't need to get horribly bad before it got good. Rebecca is growing and learning to pick up on signals way sooner, which will only help her as she continues to put her mental health first.
Related: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 Episode 10 Review
Paula's Physical Journey
Paula getting a heart attack and not even knowing it was a new fear we all developed today.
Having symptoms and being able to still function is something I didn't know could still be a heart attack, maybe because media showed it to be such a huge event that happened at the moment.
It is an actual worry that a real heart attack could go unnoticed, especially for as long as Paula went through that.
There were so many possibilities that would go through your head before you would even consider a heart attack, which goes to show how out of nowhere it could be.
The fact that Paula had to slow down didn't even dawn on us, much like with her.
It felt like she was on top of the world, a hard parallel to Rebecca at first when she found happiness with Greg.
I napped once, it was 1983.
Paula
It is so easy to fool yourself into thinking everything is perfect, so simple that ignoring the signs of anything being wrong becomes second nature.
Hopefully, Paula will only continue to get better from here, even if it involves salads.
Which by the way, what exactly is wrong with a salad? They are simply amazing if structured a good way.
I still get a very heavy period. It's like the Earth cracking open and a hot lava.
Paula
Before Paula can put herself first though, the firm needs to count on someone else.
She is always pulling the slake, and it isn't fair to her, especially when we see what it could lead to.
Exploring Paula's health felt like a fitting way to bring up different ways in which people can suffer, usually silently as well.
It is empowering to feel like this will be a theme that continues to live up to what the show represents, because both mental and physical health is never off the table on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
What did you think of the episode? How worried were you about Rebecca? How worried were you about Paula?
Do you think they will manage to look after themselves better? Do you think Greg and Rebecca can make it work after this?
Which part of the episode was your favorite? Which part of the episode was your least favorite?
How much did you enjoy the cameos by the writer of the episode and by Rachel Bloom's real-life husband?
What do you think about how both Josh and Nathaniel handled the situation with Rebecca?
Let us know what you think below!
And don't forget that you can watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend online, right here at TV Fanatic.
Yana Grebenyuk was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in April 2021.
