Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Recap: Gravy

Rebecca isn't the only crazy ex-girlfriend in West Covina. This season, Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin) is staying true to her promise not to join Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) in all of her hijinks to win Josh's heart. Instead, Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) is apparently filling that role. We knew Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) was infatuated with his new girlfriend, Anna (Brittany Snow), from last week's episode, when he annoyed the rest of his friend group by constantly texting her. This week, we get to see the Josh-Anna dynamic — as do Rebecca and Valencia. While sitting with Heather (Vella Lovell) at their kitchen table, Rebecca and Valencia both see Frida Kahlo-inspired latte art on Josh's Instagram. Of course, they both immediately reverse-image search the photo, tracing it to a hip coffee shop in Silver Lake. The social-media hole quickly leads them to discover that Josh has a new girlfriend. Whatever anger the pair had towards Josh in the past is quickly channeled into jealousy towards Anna. After seeing her photo on Instagram, Valencia and Rebecca spend a full three days researching Anna on the internet, chronicled in a hilarious song. They learn that Anna has an eyebrow studio — and against Heather's advice, they decide to pay it a visit.

Unfortunately, while Rebecca and Valencia attempt to determine whether or not Anna is dealing drugs — she isn't — Anna's cat, Gravy, runs out of the store. Rebecca inadvertently hits the cat with her car — and offers to drive Anna and Gravy to a vet when she refuses to own up to the fact that it's her fault. Luckily, Gravy lives to see another day, thanks to a tail reattachment. But when Anna tells them that the salon has security tapes, Rebecca and Valencia decide they have to break in to delete the footage. (Incredibly enough, they do manage to erase the evidence — but thanks to Rebecca's lip-reading skills, they also watch Josh tell Anna that he's never felt about anyone the way he does about her.) Breaking and entering, lying to cover up hitting a cat with a car — these are the kind of ridiculous things Rebecca and Paula would normally do together. While it's fun to see Rebecca and Valencia teaming up — and great to see Paula gaining more dimension this season — it's still sad to know that Paula really is no longer a part of Rebecca's schemes. Instead, Paula is busy studying for law school with Sunil (Parvesh Cheena). So busy, in fact, that she accidentally misses Scott's (Steve Monroe) barbershop quartet performance. She and Rebecca are still fighting, but the most meaningful and raw moment of the episode comes from Paula's relationship with her husband, not with Rebecca. When Paula admits that it's totally her fault for missing the performance, Scott responds, "I don't care whose fault it is, I just feel bad right now." It's honest and it's heartbreaking, especially after we've watched Paula and Scott rebuild their relationship. Hopefully, they'll find a way to work things out (that doesn't involve a come-on from Scott's annoying coworker). As for Rebecca and Paula's fight — it's still a thing — it finally gets the song it deserves, although not until the end of the episode. The duo performs an '80s-style power ballad about wanting to apologize, as long as the other apologizes first. The format is perfect for the topic, although it would have been more impactful at the beginning of the episode.

If the previews from the next episode (which won't air until January) are any indication, they'll be making amends eventually. Rebecca will apparently babysit Paula's son, Tommy (Steele Stebbins) — and it doesn't look like she'll do a great job. Until the show returns next month, here are a few lingering thoughts and questions I have after the midseason finale. — Every week, I'm impressed with what this show can get away with saying on network TV. This time, it was a subtle joke about Josh liking anal play. — Rebecca's lecturing Valencia on body dysmorphia is perfect, as was the period sex callback. — Wouldn't Anna recognize Rebecca or Valencia from Josh's old Instagram photos or Facebook posts? Is the "Research Me Obsessively" singer really too good to have done a little digging of her own? — Where is Trent? Is he still in West Covina? — How has Darryl not had a song yet this season?