Still, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tuned in for the next few episodes and...
PAUSES FOR EMPHATIC DRUMROLL....
Josh just happens to live here! This is real estate lawyer turned crazy lady Rebecca Bunch's (Rachel Bloom's) favorite justification for moving from New York to West Covina, California because a butter commercial made her take a way too real life re-assessment.This is also the title of the first episode.
In case you can't tell, I am into this show. The show is certainly quirky, and promises at least three musical numbers per episode thus far, and I'm betting everyone in the cast will sing at some point, including Rebecca's oddball boss, Darryl Whitefeather.
The story in a nutshell, plants miserable Rebecca in California after following chill surfer dude Josh Chang, a guy she dated in summer camp, back from New York to California, which is commonly known as a "Flipped Felicity". (I am trademarking this term). She arrives in West Covnia, breezes into a law firm and gets hired at a moment's notice, since she went to Harvard and loves to remind people it's not such a big deal, and sets to work the 9-5 of getting herself into Josh's life. One of many ways she gets to worm closer to Josh is the three or so accidental dates she goes on with Josh's bartender friend, Greg, who is played by Broadway legend-in-the-making Santino Fontana (he did the voice of the prince in Frozen). After meeting Greg and hearing Josh will be at a party, Rebecca gets ready (singing the "Sexy Getting Ready Song, a true ear-worm) and shows up to the party all over Greg to make Josh jealous. As luck would have it, Josh never shows, and here begins the love triangle. Rebecca befriends many people including her psych major neighbor Heather, pep-talking paralegal Paula, and even meets Josh's yoga teacher girlfriend, Valencia.
Wait, Josh has a girlfriend?
Yes, that was a surprise to Rebecca too. In the course of a few short days, (Episode: Josh's Girlfriend is Really Cool!) she meets Valencia, befriends Valencia to set her at ease, gets Valencia a deal on a new space for her yoga studio, and makes out with her at a club, which alienates Valencia, Josh and Greg. Rebecca follows up with trying to show Valencia she's not a threat to Josh (Episode: I Hope Josh Comes to My Party!) by throwing a "casual" house party with her paltry gathering of friends, greatly overcoming her fear of house parties that began the day her dad walked out on her mom at her birthday party. As bad as Rebecca treats Paula, she comes through and helps throw the best house party and gives Rebecca the peace to get over her parent's divorce.
In this week's episode (I'm Going on a Date With Josh's Friend!), Greg reluctantly asks Rebecca out to a taco festival (after an elaborate ballroom dance and tap number in black and white) and Rebecca accepts. Rebecca recently chose to become a vegan, as a drastic kickback from dating inappropriate mean and making unhealthy decisions. Things go great until Rebecca sabotages the date, running off with briskets and an unwashed vegan cook, leaving Greg and the viewers disappointed and once again confused- doesn't Rebecca really like Josh? Doesn't she seem like she is really a better fit with Greg? Rebecca apologizes to Greg after he finds the vegan dude leaving her house, but it may be the third strike for the more-than-perfect-if-they-could-get-out-of-their-own-way pair.
In a side story, Rebecca helps Josh with a job application for a Hawaiian themed electronics store (wow, super retro) and he looks over-qualified for the job. When Josh is forced to work in his dad's radiology lab instead, Rebecca storms into the Aloha Tech Center and demands that some Harvard book smarts and average smarts like Josh's, should not preclude someone from selling computer games.
