Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 3, Episode 1 'Josh's Ex-Girlfriend Wants Revenge' Recap: A Woman Scorned [SPOILERS]

Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) is back and she is ready to amp up the crazy in the premiere episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Season 3. Last season’s finale almost looked like a happily ever after for Rebecca. Everything fell apart when Josh Chan decided to become a priest. In the first episode of season 3 titled “Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend Wants Revenge,” Rebecca is ready to get back at the man who left her at the altar.

‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Where is Rebecca Bunch?

The episode opens to Rebecca’s empty chair at work with a pile of unopened packages and everyone wondering where she might be. Episode 1 takes place two weeks after Josh left Rebecca at the altar. In “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” fashion it cuts to a musical number. The Disney-esque number has everyone dressed as peasants gossiping around a village about the whereabouts of Rebecca.  In the middle of the musical number, it cuts to a more depressing scene. It’s Rebecca staying in a dark room at the Covina Inn and Suites. In contrast with the merry number, she sings about her decision whether or not to take revenge.

Of course, she ends up deciding to get off her depressive state and get back at Josh Chan. But before hatching out the perfect revenge plan. She decides to change up her look to fit her image as a woman scorned. She then sends her friends and co-workers a Google calendar invite to a meeting to present a new and improved Rebecca. She describes herself as a “scorned butterfly” who will not take any flack from any straight men.

The ‘Chan Plan’ Poop and Casting Calls

Rebecca gathers Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin), Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz), and Heather (Vella Lovell) to discuss the perfect revenge plan. But Rebecca’s plans are not well received by her friends. Unlike most of Rebecca’s schemes, which were brilliantly convoluted. Her plans against Josh were either a little too juvenile or pushing boundaries. There was no in between.
She presented her first plan which was sending Josh poop cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes made from her own poop. A disgusting plan literally telling Josh he should go eat shit. Her friends tried their best to tell Rebecca as gently as they can that her plan was ridiculous. Rebecca then hatches a new plan involving a casting agency. Her new plan is to create a sex video of her and a Josh look-alike climaxing “I hate Jesus.” Not only humiliating Josh but also getting him kicked out of the seminary. Now this plan is no better than the first but Paula tells Heather and Valencia to ride along with it until Rebecca realizes it’s a bad idea.
Rebecca has a casting call for actors who will portray Josh when a British man named Collin walks in who looks exactly like Josh Chan. To fans of the show, it just looks like Vincent Rodriguez III having fun with costumes and showing off his accent impersonation skills. Ecstatic, she found the perfect Fake Josh and the plan was ready to set in motion with no signs of backing down. 

Other Relationship Issues On The Show

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” focuses on Rebecca’s love life but it also covers a few other relationships on the show as a contrast. There are actually healthy relationships represented on the show. They too are experiencing a few problems as well.
Starting off with Paula and her husband Scott are working on their marriage since the affair. Scott has been working hard to finally get back in bed with his wife. Paula is nervous about being intimate with Scott again she subjected him to a lie detector test. He passes and finally shares a bed with Paula. At first, it starts off awkward then escalates to freaky when she asks Scott to call her Tanya in bed. But before the episode ended Paula decides Scott’s affair is in the past and she will no longer ask him to call her Taya in bed.

Meanwhile, White Josh and Daryll are mulling over issues of their own. The two seek couples therapy when Daryll dresses up as an Ant Eater in an attempt to help White Josh sell his protein bars. As the two are working out their differences in the session. Daryll tells White Josh he is who is, a dad with parenting metaphors who will go out of his way to help people he loves. White Josh comes to a realization how amazing Daryll is and even considers on having a baby with him.

Generalizing Men and Suing Josh Chan

When Rebecca walked into her living room naked and ready to actually have sex with Fake Josh on camera, Paula finally told Rebecca how stupid her plan was and she wasn’t thinking clearly. Ultimately Rebecca did not go through with her sex tape plan. Feeling defeated and pathetic, Rebecca and her friends decided to get drunk and complain about men.
It cuts to the last musical number of the episode called “Let’s Generalize Men.” The song is an 80’s pop number taking inspiration from Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. But instead of singing about how girls just wanna have fun, they are angry. They put the usual male tropes in a catchy tune. From how men don’t know how to listen to only wanting sex and no emotional commitment—but don’t worry they only mean straight men. The song ended on a comedic note when Paula realizes she has two sons. Like most songs in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” it’s satirical and pokes fun.
During their drinking session, Valencia tells Rebecca she too is suffering the aftermath of Josh Chan. Valencia is having a hard time getting clients due to Rebecca’s disaster wedding. She playfully suggests she should sue Josh for the damage. Paula agrees and tells Rebecca that’s how she’ll extract revenge. The two start planning the paperwork needed for the lawsuit against Josh. But Rebecca still sends her poop to Josh.
The show’s Season 3 premiere promises Rebecca finally addressing her underlying issues—in the meantime, though, all she wants is revenge.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” continues next week with “To Josh, with Love,” Friday, 8/9c on The CW.