Looking at the entire second season as a whole, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” has — for the most part — maintained the high standard of quality it set in its freshman season. The music has remained cheeky and catchy, spanning a variety of genres — from Marilyn Monroe-inspired “The Math of Love Triangles” to Ed Sheeran-esque “Let’s Have Intercourse.” In only thirteen episodes, the inhabitants of West Covina have confronted — or actively avoided — an array of romantic, professional and personal problems.
The second season has been a funny and often dark ride, and on the list of appointment television, it resides near the top. So although the finale’s title asks, “Can Josh Take a Leap of Faith?”, there was hardly a leap to be made for viewers. Even still, the finale exceeded all standards by “leaps” and bounds in the show’s strongest showing yet.
“Can Josh Take a Leap of Faith?” begins on the eve of Josh and Rebecca’s wedding — and, as secondary character White Josh comments, “Those are the last two people who should be getting married. To anyone, possibly ever.” To drive home this point, the majority of the episode’s running time evaluates the highly problematic flaws and outstanding anxieties Josh and Rebecca have. For Josh, it’s his tendency to run from his problems in his relationships. For Rebecca, it’s her daddy issues and somebody named Robert. But who is Robert?
Rachel Bloom does exceptional acting work in this episode both in the present day and in flashbacks. This is no small feat. In the present day and scenes that delve into Rebecca’s past with Robert, Rebecca is both herself and upsettingly not. The strong writing supports her, but it’s Bloom who allows Rebecca to evolve the “crazy ex-girlfriend” trope into something that is troubling and real.
It’s no small task to undertake both Josh’s and Rebecca’s demons in the finale, but the episode efficiently conquers this task — as always — with its expansive musical library. “What a Rush to Be a Bride” is an average song by “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” standards, but “Rebecca’s Reprise” is painful and touching, and throughout the episode are subtle musical cues that go a long way in setting the scene.
“Can Josh Take a Leap of Faith?” ends on an emotional, shocking cliffhanger which redefines the rules of the West Covina universe. While the second season has a few underlying issues to address — namely in pacing — there is no better place for the third season to begin than after a finale this crazy good.
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