https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-zzm6r-1ac7437
Aurora Brown is joined by Registered Counsellor and Student Clinical Psychologist HuiMei “Lulu” Lu and award-winning actor, singer, director, and vocal coach Richard White to kick off We’re All So Broken Inside — a deep dive into the portrayal of mental health and psychology in the CW musical dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Together, they unpack the pilot episode, in which Rebecca Bunch quits her high-powered New York law firm and moves across the country to reconnect with a summer camp ex — a decision that is, on paper, a terrible idea, and yet somehow completely compelling. So weird, right?!
The episode closes with the panel’s first Fanon Test ratings for the series, scoring Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 1, Episode 1 across all five scales. The verdict? A surprisingly strong opener — with a few notable caveats.
Connect with Richard on Instagram at @RichardLloydWhite, and check out his LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/richardlloydwhite
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📄 Download a transcript of this episode on IntersectionalPsychology.com.
⏳ Chapter Timestamps
00:00:00 Short introduction to representation of psychology and mental health in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S01E01
00:01:18 Land acknowledgement
00:01:47 Title credits: Glitter Just Happened to Explode Inside of Me!
00:02:29 Welcome and guest introductions
00:04:48 Content note
00:05:10 “SO WEIRD, RIGHT?!” Orientation to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CXG)
00:10:58 Recapping the plot of CXG S01E01: “Josh Just Happens to Live Here!”
00:14:45 “In that moment it was like everyone was my mom.” Summer camp scenes
00:24:46 “When was the last time you were truly happy?” New York City scenes
00:33:31 “I’m hopelessly, desperately in love with…” West Covina
00:36:40 “This is where I live. Yay for me.” Office and Home Base scenes
00:47:07 “Ass blood!” The Sexy Getting Ready Song
01:01:33 “To broken people.” The party scenes
01:10:21 Rating CXG S01E01 on the Fanon Test
01:30:25 Conclusion: “This is that time to obey the ticking clock of destiny.”
01:36:31 End credits
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References
Bloom, R. (Writer), Brosh McKenna, A. (Writer), & Webb, M. (Director). (2015, October 12). Josh Just Happens to Live Here! (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In R. Bloom, A. Bosh McKenna, & M. Webb (Executive Producers), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. MMXV CBS Studios; Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Bloom, R., Dolgen, J. & Geier, M. (2015, October 6). Sexy Getting Ready Song [Music Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky-BYK-f154
Bloom, R. & Kurtenbach, J. (2015, October 23). West Covina [Music Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92538NJ0lbE
Bloom, R. & Kurtenbach, J. (2015). West Covina Reprise [Song]. On Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Original Television Soundtrack (Season 1 – Volume 1). WaterTower Music.
Brogan, C. (2020). “That’s a sexist term!”: how Crazy Ex-Girlfriend flips mental illness and misogyny. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7, 396–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30160-7
Shine, J. (2020). “I’m on My Own Path”: Musical Development of the Musical in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019). Music and the Moving Image, 13(3), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.5406/musimoviimag.13.3.0015
Veilleux, J. (2025). The psychology lessons of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. University of Arkansas. https://tempt.uark.edu/the-psychology-lessons-of-crazy-ex-girlfriend/
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