This spring, two extremely beloved television shows on The CW are coming to a close. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Jane the Virgin” are ending after four and five seasons on the network, respectively.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” premiered back in fall 2015 with so-so ratings but great reviews. It was a sleeper hit; even though the ratings were atrocious for the network, it found some success on streaming sites. Personally, I found it to be a breath of fresh air as far as sitcoms go. It had elements of cringe-comedy, funny musical numbers and deep sentimental moments.
The show is known for its portrayal of discussing mental illness and treatment. Major characters in the show are depicted as suffering from psychological traumas, including the main character Rebecca.
In addition to this, the show has discussed sexuality and parenting quite candidly and as a result, has been placed on multiple articles for “Best Shows,” from Variety, USA Today, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Vulture and many others. A fan-favorite was the character Darryl, who was originally a goofy boss-type character, but in the first season, came out as bisexual and had more realistic traits that people found they could connect too.
Despite the good reviews and praise, the show has struggled for viewers. In any other era, the show would have died right on the spot, but it survived due to The CW deals with Hulu and Netflix. The show was put on the streaming services eight days after the premiere and received a boost in viewership.
After four seasons, the show aired its series finale April 5.Even though the show is titled “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” the show decided to come full circle and instead of revolving around the main character Rebecca’s love triangle, she decides to take steps to like herself and find what makes her happy. It was a calming conclusion to a series that was otherwise filled with insane shenanigans.
Another hit show on The CW, “Jane the Virgin,” started airing its last season March 27. After what seemed like an eternity for the network to announce a season five premiere, the show picked back up to reveal that Jane’s love interest, Michael, came back from the dead. The show is known to break the fourth wall with a narrator detailing the absurdity of what occurs on the show, usually poking fun at telenovelas.
“Jane the Virgin” is known for its wholesome moments, whether it is between family or romantic aspects with significant others, and it has prided itself on constantly having multiple plot lines. Although it is sad that the sweet show is coming to an end, I just hope they can tell Jane’s story off in the right way, just as “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” did with Rebecca.