It was 2015 when a woman in a blue dress first sailed across a TV screen on a giant pretzel. If you weren't watching The CW back then, you missed the start of a quiet revolution. Rachel Bloom, a YouTuber who’d gone viral for a song about Ray Bradbury, teamed up with Aline Brosh McKenna to create something that looked like a musical rom-com but felt like a gut punch. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend didn't just break the fourth wall; it dismantled the entire "crazy woman" trope with surgical precision.
Most people saw the title and ran. They thought it was another show making fun of a desperate woman.
Wrong.
The show was actually a Trojan horse. Inside the glitter and the catchy parodies was an incredibly raw study of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), female friendship, and the lie that a romantic partner can "fix" your life. It's been years since the finale, but in 2026, the show is having a massive resurgence. Rachel Bloom is back on the road with a 10-year reunion concert tour, and her newer work like Death, Let Me Do My Show is reminding everyone why she’s one of the sharpest writers in the game.
Why the Title Was Always a Trap
Rachel Bloom has been very open about the fact that "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is a sexist term. That was the whole point. By naming the show that, she and McKenna forced the audience to confront the label. Rebecca Bunch—the high-powered lawyer who ditches Manhattan for West Covina, California—isn't just "crazy." She’s a person struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness while trying to live out the "happily ever after" scripts we see in Disney movies and romantic comedies.
The songs weren't just filler. They were the internal monologue of a woman who couldn't express her feelings in prose.
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Take "The Sexy Getting Ready Song." It’s a classic from the first season. It starts as a parody of R&B prep montages and ends with a rapper being so horrified by the reality of female grooming (specifically "ass blood" from waxing) that he apologizes to women everywhere. It was funny, sure. But it was also a direct attack on the impossible standards women are expected to meet.
The BPD Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Most TV shows handle mental health with the grace of a sledgehammer. They either glamorize it or turn the character into a villain. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend took a different route. It spent two full seasons showing Rebecca’s downward spiral before finally giving her a name for what she was experiencing: Borderline Personality Disorder.
Honestly, that episode, "A Diagnosis," is still one of the most important hours of television ever made.
For many viewers, it was the first time they saw BPD portrayed with empathy rather than fear. Bloom didn't make Rebecca's actions okay—she did some truly toxic stuff, including stalking and manipulation—but the show explained why she was doing them. It showed the terror of abandonment and the "unstable sense of self" that defines the disorder.
What People Still Get Wrong About Rebecca Bunch
- She isn't a villain. People love to judge Rebecca for following Josh Chan to California. But the show argues that we all have "crazy" impulses; she’s just the one who actually followed through.
- The show isn't about the guys. Whether you were Team Josh, Team Greg, or Team Nathaniel, you were kind of missing the point. The final choice Rebecca makes isn't a man. It’s herself.
- It’s not "just a comedy." While it won Golden Globes and Emmys for its humor and music, the suicide attempt in Season 3 is one of the most grounded, heartbreaking depictions of a mental health crisis ever filmed.
Rachel Bloom’s Legacy in 2026
It’s hard to believe it’s been over a decade since the pilot. Bloom has been busy. She’s voice-acted in everything from The Simpsons to Trolls World Tour, starred in the underrated Hulu gem Reboot, and is even showing up in The Devil Wears Prada 2 this year. But the shadow of Rebecca Bunch is long, and Bloom seems to embrace it.
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The 2025-2026 reunion concerts have been selling out because the fans—the "CXG" cult—are incredibly loyal. They aren't just there for the songs about heavy boobs or period sex. They’re there because the show made them feel seen during their worst moments.
There’s something about Bloom's writing that feels like a secret handshake. She captures the specific anxiety of being a woman in the 21st century. She talks about the stuff we usually hide, like "Jewish JAP" battles, the weird competitive nature of female friendships, and the way we use sex to seek validation.
Real Insights for the Long-Term Fan
If you're looking back at the show now, or watching it for the first time on a streaming binge, here is how to actually get the most out of it.
First, pay attention to the theme songs. Each season has a different one because Rebecca’s mental state changes. Season 1 is denial. Season 2 is "I'm just a girl in love." Season 3 is a literal identity crisis. Season 4 is the slow, hard work of recovery.
Second, look at the secondary characters. Paula Proctor, played by the powerhouse Donna Lynne Champlin, isn't just a "best friend." She’s an enabler who uses Rebecca’s drama to escape her own stagnant life. Their friendship is the real love story of the show, but it’s a complicated, sometimes unhealthy one.
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Finally, realize that the music is a map of pop culture. From ABBA-style disco to 90s grunge and Stephen Sondheim-esque patter songs, Bloom and the late, great Adam Schlesinger (who we lost to COVID-19 in 2020) created a library of over 150 original tracks. It’s an insane feat of creativity.
How to Apply the Lessons of West Covina
You don't have to be a musical theater nerd to learn something from Rachel Bloom. The show’s core message is pretty simple: your "story" is yours to write. Rebecca spent years trying to fit into a narrative someone else wrote for her. She thought she had to be the lead in a romantic comedy.
In reality, she just needed to be a person who liked herself.
If you're feeling stuck or like you're performing a role for other people, take a page out of the Bloom playbook. Acknowledge the "crazy" parts of your brain without letting them drive the car.
Next Steps for the Obsessed:
- Listen to the full soundtrack on Spotify, especially the "Demos" to hear Bloom's raw writing process.
- Watch the "Death, Let Me Do My Special" on Netflix for a look at how Bloom's humor has evolved since becoming a mother.
- Look up the choreography by Kathryn Burns; it’s full of hidden jokes you probably missed on the first watch.
The show might be over, but the way we talk about mental health in pop culture is forever different because Rachel Bloom decided to get on that pretzel.