Final Call to Watch One of The CW’s Most Suprising Gems on Netflix

Between roughly 2010-2020, The CW had us all in a chokehold. Netflix, who, at the time, was still expanding its original library knew it too and signed a multi-year international distribution deal with The CW—a deal that is now on its last legs. One casualty of that deal coming to an end is Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Yes, it’s true. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will soon be removed from Netflix.

While most of The CW’s slate was taken up by superheroes, a few other gems made themselves heard. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was one such show; a romantic musical dramedy that shouldn’t have worked but somehow absolutely did, thanks in large part to the incredibly catchy, hilarious, yet often meaningful show tunes, Rachel Bloom’s work as leading lady Rebecca Bunch, and a stellar supporting cast, too. This was a show that wasn’t afraid to be bold, revel in its diversity, or talk about issues—especially women’s issues—that previously would have been seen as too taboo to be discussed so openly and honestly on network TV.

Crazy Ex-Girlrfriend was revolutionary and managed to garner enough of an audience for a successful four-season run, celebrating its time on TV with a final live musical performance broadcast on the network. It won multiple major awards, including a few Emmys, a couple of GLAAD awards, and a well-deserved Golden Globe for Rachel Bloom, without whom the show would have undoubtedly faltered, perhaps even failed.

This one’s for you, Rebecca Bunch

Rebecca Bunch is not your typical rom-com heroine. She isn’t always likable—this is something that Rebecca slowly comes to terms with as she builds a turbulent life in West Covina that is entirely her own, a life that is not always dictated by her mother, her friends, or her current lover (despite having moved there to rekindle a romance with an old flame). Rebecca has depression, but it’s more than that, too. In season 3, Rebecca gets an actual, legitimate diagnosis, one that helps her view her life, choices, and problems with an entirely new and much healthier perspective.

Despite the tongue-in-cheek title, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend never stigmatized Rebecca’s mental health struggles—instead, it showed audiences how those issues manifest, how crippling insecurities and self-doubt can be, and how important it is for someone to be diagnosed properly. All in all, few characters on TV have learned, progressed, and developed as much in a four-season run as Rebecca Bunch did, and she did it all while singing fabulously.

The music is just as important

We’ve all been burned by TV drama musical episodes. While some, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s celebrated “Once More, with Feeling,” are an absolute triumph, many are incredibly cringy or deeply unnecessary. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is, thankfully, none of those things. It is a TV musical drama turned up to the max, but it works like a charm, and more importantly, the songs are an important part of Rebecca’s characterization and the show’s world-building overall.

Many of the songs are performed in Rebecca’s fantasies—they’re a way for her to express her emotions, even when she doesn’t fully understand what she’s feeling (“West Covina,” anyone?). Some songs, like season 1’s ludicrously catchy bisexual anthem “Gettin’ Bi,” are just an outright celebration of life, love, and diversity, while others are downright funny and relatable, like “The Sexy Gettin’ Ready Song.”

If you love musicals and show tunes, I promise you—this is the show for you. And honestly, even if you don’t like musicals or are generally indifferent towards Broadway and the West End? You should still watch it anyway. Plenty of the show’s songs play around with other genres, as well.

Sadly, Crazy Ex-Girflriend was already removed from Netflix in the U.K. in September 2023. Now, the U.S. is about to follow suit. Readers, you’ve only got a little while left to watch (or re-watch) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix, as the show is set to leave the streaming service for good on Friday, September 6, 2024. That means your last day to watch this funny, feel-good, romantic, heartfelt, honest, and relatable show is Thursday, September 5.