Recap / Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S2E5: "Why Is Josh's Ex-Girlfriend Eating Carbs?"

---

Songs:

"Thought Bubbles" (sung by Vincent Rodriguez III)

• Affectionate Parody: Of folk-rock, especially Jack Johnson.
• Hates Being Alone: The song is about Josh's inability to be alone with his thoughts, because when he starts thinking about things, he starts thinking about bad things (e.g. the memory of his lifeguard training reminds him of a kid who almost drowned; the thought that he no longer likes guacamole makes him worry that he might stop liking things that really matter to him, such as his mom.)
• Metaphorgotten:
  And now these thoughts are tapping me on the shoulder
  I'm like, "One second, bro, I'll be right over"
  And now the thought and I are fighting in a bar
  And I can't beat the thought 'cause he's super swoll
  'Cause the thought hits the gym more than I do
  If I can't even hit the gym
  How will I ever be a good father?
• Sanity Slippage Song: Downplayed in that Josh isn't going mad, but he's just as prone to anxiety as anyone else and is very troubled by it precisely because he thinks of himself as a happy and untroubled person.

"Triceratops Ballet" (instrumental)

• The Cast Show Off: Shows off Vincent Rodriguez III and Gabrielle Ruiz, who are both trained dancers.
• Dream Ballet
• Everybody Must Get Stoned/Mushroom Samba: Comes after Rebecca and Valencia take drugs without realizing it.
• Reprise Medley: Includes "I'm the Villain in My Own Story", "I'm Just a Girl in Love", "I'm a Good Person" and "One Indescribable Instant".

Tropes in the episode:

• Baby Talk: Rebecca and Valencia use this to mock Josh.
  Josh: Okay, Rebecca, Valencia, I-I know things didn't work out, but it was complicated with you guys. With, with both of you.
  Rebecca: [baby voice] Oh, was it? Was it complicated? Oh, no, oh, was it, [fake crying] Oh, was it complicated?
  Valencia: [baby voice]: Was it compli-mi-wonicated? [laughs] Yeah.
  Rebecca: Are you gonna cry now? You gonna squirt out a few tears? [mimes tears squirting out of her eyes] Pew! Pew! Pew!
  Josh: You guys are so mean.
• Excrement Statement: Rebecca and Valencia get back at Josh for breaking their hearts by peeing on his sound equipment.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Actually, Pee-Forged Friends. After jointly urinating on Aloha's sound equipment to signify their independence from Josh, Valencia and Rebecca become this, although there's no guarantee it will last.
• Higher Understanding Through Drugs: After the drug trip, Valencia gains a new outlook on her relationships with Josh and Rebecca which also helps her out of her depression.
• Homoerotic Subtext: A Running Gag in this episode, calling back to Rebecca's former obsession with Valencia on account of her being Josh's girlfriend:
  Rebecca: [preparing to pee on the Aloha sound equipment] Take off your pants!
  Valencia: Um, hello. I ain't that kind of party.
  • When they've finished:
    Rebecca: Wow. That's the best I've felt in, like, never. So you have the forceful stream of a leader.
    Valencia: The best thing about this is —
    Rebecca: [grinning] I know, we saw each other's vaginas.
    Valencia: What? No, it's that — that Josh will never know...
    Rebecca: Know it was us! Josh will never know it was us.
    Valencia: ...It was us, right.
    Rebecca: Yeah, right, right.
    • In the stinger, when they're bonding:
      Rebecca: So, this is the thing.
      Valencia: [enthusiastically] Yes!
      Rebecca: Women are afraid of being bitches, and so when they—
      Valencia: Yes!
      Rebecca: When they apply for a job, they just think, [begging] "Oh, please give me, please give me the job, sir."
      Valencia: Mm.
      Rebecca: But when men apply for a job, they're like, [arrogant] "What are my benefits?"
      Valencia: Preach.
      Rebecca: I, you know? They don't apply. The job applies for them. This is why I'm growing out my pubic hair. 'Cause it makes me feel like a fierce animal.
      Valencia: Wait, let me see.
      Rebecca: Oh, yeah, I'll show you again. [starts to open her pants]
• Ignored Epiphany: Getting another taste of Rebecca's antics makes Josh decide that being single for a while will probably be good for him. And then the next moment a woman comes on to him, and after that he can't get her out of his mind.
• Little Miss Snarker: Darryl's daughter Madison, although in context^note Darryl introducing her to White Josh for the first time it's rather sweet:
  White Josh: It's so nice to meet you, Madison.
  Madison: Nice to meet you, too.
  White Josh: [handing her a soft toy of a cartoon snail] I heard that you like snails.
  Madison: I'm more into Pegasuses now.
  White Josh: Oh, okay, yeah, let's take this back and get you a Pegasus, then.
  Madison: Oh no, let's get a Pegasus in addition to this one.
  Darryl: Uh, Madison!
  White Josh: [laughing] Okay. Done.
  Madison: I like your boyfriend, Daddy. He ain't cheap.
• Second-Hand Storytelling: Why Valencia is hungry.
  Valencia: Postmates won't deliver to me anymore. You throw a cold meatball sub at one guy.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Rebecca loves her feminist theory. Valencia is unfamiliar with it.
  Rebecca: Look, it's time we stopped being victimized by this man, okay? It's time we stand up to his cisgender patriarchal hegemonic hold on our imaginations and our hearts.
  Valencia: What?
  Rebecca: Okay, you just need to read Roxane Gay. Start with her Twitter. It's very provocative. Anyway, let's pee on his stuff.
• Stealth Insult: Valencia can't help handing these out, even after she's bonded with Rebecca.
  Valencia: Rebecca's a super-smart dynamo with a feminist bikini area that you should've treated with respect!
• The Unfair Sex: Rebecca and Valencia chews out Josh for his past bad behaviour, completely glossing over that neither of them (especially Rebecca) is exactly blameless either. This actually ends up helping Josh (temporarily, at least), who's been stressing out over being single but now feels that maybe taking a break from women won't be so bad.