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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4

Started by Small Man Big Horse, October 21, 2018, 01:32:48 AM

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Small Man Big Horse

Previous thread for Seasons 1 - 3 here: https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=50363.0

I love this show to pieces but as anyone who read the previous thread is probably aware it doesn't seem to have a lot of fans on CaB. But it should as it's all kinds of amazing. As I'm being lazy, here's a repost of the review of the first episode that I wrote for my site:

Sometimes a tv show feels like it was written just for you, and that's definitely the case with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend for me. For one thing I'm passionate about musicals, especially those which are wondrously funny, and comedy is something I kind of tolerate on occasion,  but the series is also about the lead character's mental health issues and without going in to too much detail I've had my fair share of those as well. I'm fortunate that it's been nowhere near as severe as Rebecca's, but very few tv shows explore such issues and it's refreshing to see it done so well and so considerately.

The first season is fairly playful when it comes to Rebecca's various issues and doesn't particularly suggest that she has any serious problems, but throughout seasons two and three it becomes more and more clear just how much she needs help. All of this may sound a tad bleak, understandably, but the series is often joyously funny too. Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna have created a truly unique show, one which deals with difficult subjects whilst often being hilarious. The songs are also some of the best to be ever found in the genre, and given my love for musicals I don't say that lightly.

The show also has some beautifully well defined supporting characters, most importantly Rebecca's closest friend Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin), who initially thrives on the craziness Rebecca brings in to her life, especially as her own marriage is a stolid state. Over the seasons this relationship has only grown stronger despite all of the madness, as they've addressed their issues and it's been beautiful to see. Oh, and Paula can belt out a mean tune too, as last season's The Miracle Of Birth showed so well. Then there's her cheesy but lovable boss Darryl (Pete Gardner) and his relationship with White Josh (David Hull), one of the best portrayals of a gay couple on tv (if only Modern Family would take note of how to show to men who actually love each other), Rebecca's previous boyfriends Greg (Santino Fontana during seasons 1 and 2 but who amusingly is set to be played by Skylar Astin this year), and Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III), close friends Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) and Heather (Vella Lovell), and I feel a bit mean for not going in to why those characters are so great too, along with others from the cast, but this review is already overlong considering how I haven't yet begun to discuss the new episode.

Season three ended with Rebecca in court having pushed her stalker, Trent, off of a roof. Such an action was well deserved given that he was about to try to kill fairly new boyfriend Nathaniel (Scott Michael Foster), and had treated Rebecca appallingly since the series began, but there was a lack of evidence as to his all round shittyness. And it was also at this point that Rebecca felt the urge to come clean, to be responsible for her actions, and whilst her timing might not have been the best it was an extremely important moment for the character. Season four begins straight after this, with Rebecca and co in the judge's chambers, though Nathaniel's gone, which is probably for the best given that he's in a romantic relationship with the defendant and so couldn't represent her anyway, which is something I'm glad the show addressed. The judge won't accept her plea, largely because "It wasn't a really a plea, it was more of a speech filled with irreverent details that you delivered with your back to me" but Rebecca's insistent on pleading guilty, if not for this crime but all her previous ones, believing "Jail is what I deserve". So she gets what she wants, if only until she decides to give the judge a proper plea.

Glow's Britney Young (as superb here as she is in that series) is Rebecca's cell mate, and like the other prisoners we're introduced to she offers up a harsh if much needed dose of reality. Understandably Rebecca's not coping well, but then finds some reason to exist by joining the theatre group run by the non profit Bright Lights In The Big House. Soon enough she's running things and belting out South Pacific's "I'm in love with a wonderful guy" much to the annoyance of the other prisoners, which leads to the first song of the episode, "What's Your Story?". To be honest it's not one of my favourites being a somewhat disjointed effort, but it's important to the narrative as it reveals the true reality and bleakness of incarceration as it tells of the reasons why her fellow prisoners are there. But when she shares her own story "To show them how it's done" the other inmates are appalled when they discover Rebecca chose to be in prison. It effectively highlights the poor decision she's made, along with the privilege she has, and perhaps most importantly strips away Rebecca's belief that a song and a dance can help save the day.

During all of this Nathaniel and Josh are coming to terms with events in their own particular ways, with Nathaniel putting himself through his own version of penance by going on a "Death Wish Adventure", in one of the funniest moments of the episode he's thrown out of a van in to the woods and chirpily shouts "Great beating guys, thank you". It's of course completely the wrong thing to do, but he's a mess right now and rather than thinking rationally – and being there for Rebecca – he tortures himself. Josh is doing the same as well, reconsidering his whole relationship with Rebecca until taking the easy way out, something he has done all too often, by deciding that he must have mental health issues too. Hector's on hand to respond "Maybe. Or maybe you're a little oblivious, self-absorbed and need to be more aware of the world around you" but naturally Josh rejects such criticism, excited by the idea of having an excuse for all his actions, and after taking a few online tests decides he has OCD, ADHD, Synesthesia and hey, maybe he's even on the autism spectrum too.

Considering Rebecca's actually innocent and was only trying to save Nathaniel's life it would of course be an injustice if she had spent much more time in prison, no matter how she's acted previously, and so it's a relief when 25 minutes in it turns out that Trent woken up from his coma and confessed all, and Rebecca is going to be free. She's appalled as she doesn't feel she's suffered enough, cue the second song of the episode seeing Rebecca in her cell, Nathaniel in the woods, and Josh in a bar alone and all are struggling with the fact that "No one else is singing my song. No one knows the rhythm enough to sing along." It's a classic Crazy Ex-Girlfriend song, with a little meta commentary on events, and one of the best they've ever done, with the rest of the cast (and Grocery Clerk With Half An Eyelid played by Ben Siemon) joining in with the song, which made me grin so much it quickly began to hurt and is quite frankly bloody fantastic stuff.

Fortunately there's resolution for all, with Josh going to see the therapist Dr. Man Akopian (because Crazy Ex is always great when it comes to naming characters), where we see him say "And that's my life story" and the good doctor replies "It really is, you started at conception". But he goes on to reassure Josh that whilst he doesn't have any of the disorders he thought he had, therapy will take a long time. Which echoes Rebecca's own story, whilst there's only 17 episodes left it'd be foolish to think that she'll be in any way miraculously cured. But as long as she's still continuing her journey and trying to do better, that's all that really matters. Meanwhile George (delightful as ever, especially when it comes to his love of ska) turns up in the woods to help Nathaniel out, and to tell him to stop torturing himself, and when he receives a text informing him that Rebecca is free he returns to civilisation.

Finally Rebecca gets some answers too, initially she's still lost and feeling guilty, and when Nathaniel arrives at her "Welcome Home From Jail" party they share a passionate kiss. But Nathaniel's always one for a quick fix, reverting to selfish behaviour and wishing to whisk Rebecca away to Hawaii, but thankfully she knows that now's not the time, and she has a lot of work to do before she's in that place. Of course it's never that simple, and she's still in self pity mode claiming "Everything I do is wrong" but having the amazing friends that she does, she's challenged on this by Valencia who tells her "Do something good for the world that actually helps or shut up, but stop whining" and it's the wake up call Rebecca needs. Hell, it might be the wake up call that we may all need given the state of the world right now. Or maybe I'm projecting my own issues on to society there. But I'm not convinced that's the case at all.

The episode ends with Paula asking the question we all want to know – "So what's next cookie?" and it cuts to Rebecca visiting the prison. To the prisoners relief she's not their to offer theatrical advice, but is volunteering free legal help, and it's the first step on a journey which will hopefully do a lot of good. And then there's a fantastic coda between Paula and Trent because who doesn't love it when Paula kicks ass for the friend she loves the most, despite their many issues.

Throughout the episode there's discussion of many important themes and concepts, from privilege to the realities of prison, how to deal with guilt and of course mental health, but that doesn't mean it's not also a funny episode. Admittedly the first half is more sombre than the series often is, but given the subject matter and the way it deals with the repercussions of the third season finale it was always likely to be. But there's a lot of wry humour in the ways the other prisoners treat Rebecca, and some laugh out loud moments thanks to Nathaniel and Josh, along with a fantastic running joke about online Sex and the City quizzes. Add to this one liners from the likes of Heather and Valencia, with the latter serving as the voice of reason in the episode though as always there's a sliver of narcissism involved, like when she visits Rebecca in prison and asks "What are you eating, you look so tight, I wish I was in jail", and it's clear that the show is more than capable of making it's audience laugh even when events seem bleak.

This is the final season of the show and jesus I will miss it when it's gone. But in some strange way I'm glad it's coming to an end as if they maintain this quality (which I have no doubt they will) it will work as a beautifully self contained story with an amazing narrative from beginning to end, and I'm sure it'll be a series I'll watch again and again. And whilst viewing figures are low right now I hope word spreads, and many many more people will see just how wonderful a show it is.

Mister Six

Not read most of your post because I'm scared of spoilers, but I too love it and think it's marvellous. Especially once they dialled back the number of episodes. At 18 episodes, season one is too long for a semi-serialised show. The later seasons' 13 episodes are much more palatable, especially because they do such a marvellous job of building up the supporting cast and making them all so deranged in their own ways.

Basically, if anyone is reading this and dropped out in season one, do give it another go - it really becomes something special. And the songs get much, much better.

Dr Rock

I've just started the first season. I like it.

Moribunderast

Just wanted to pop my voice into this thread to say "Yeah, this show is great." I originally never gave it a shot due to the shitty title but after SMBH recommended it earlier this year, I tried it and was duly rewarded. Definitely takes a while to get into the tone - I kinda stalled 6 episodes in but once I got back into it I ended up flying through all 3 seasons in a little over a week. Rachel Bloom is just fucking brilliant in the lead role (and was great in the episodes of Off-Book and Comedy Bang Bang podcasts she appeared in) and the supporting cast, who seem quite bland at first, all become funny in their own way as the show progresses.

Can't really champion this show any more eloquently than the OP did but if you're perusing this thread like I was a similar thread earlier in the year, thinking "Should I give this a go?" I say yeah, you should. It's a grand ol' thing that just gets better as it goes. Sad that this is the final season but I also appreciate when a show goes out at it's peak, so kudos to them for staying true to their vision rather than over-extending things due to the show's success.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Mister Six on October 21, 2018, 03:13:25 AM
Not read most of your post because I'm scared of spoilers, but I too love it and think it's marvellous. Especially once they dialled back the number of episodes. At 18 episodes, season one is too long for a semi-serialised show. The later seasons' 13 episodes are much more palatable, especially because they do such a marvellous job of building up the supporting cast and making them all so deranged in their own ways.

Basically, if anyone is reading this and dropped out in season one, do give it another go - it really becomes something special. And the songs get much, much better.

I agree with about season one, as much as I love it there are a few filler episodes and I much prefer seasons 2 and 3, but then the show as a whole matures during that time and tackles a lot of more complicated themes. Season 4 is going to be 18 episodes again but I don't mind this time, mainly as they're going to wrap everything up during that time.

Quote from: Moribunderast on October 21, 2018, 12:14:09 PM
Can't really champion this show any more eloquently than the OP did but if you're perusing this thread like I was a similar thread earlier in the year, thinking "Should I give this a go?" I say yeah, you should. It's a grand ol' thing that just gets better as it goes. Sad that this is the final season but I also appreciate when a show goes out at it's peak, so kudos to them for staying true to their vision rather than over-extending things due to the show's success.

It's amazing it's stayed on the air for as long as it has given the low figures, I think if it had been on any other network it would have been cancelled by now but the simple fact that it's won awards for the CW channel, and so few of their other shows even get nominated, has meant they've stuck with it.

Mister Six

Watched the first episode of the latest season today, and what I'd forgotten when I was effusively praising it upthread was the turn it took in season three towards making so many of its episodes Big Educational Moments. Whether that was always at the heart of the show, or whether it emerged because they got writers with personal experience of mental illness I'm not sure, but a distinct and slightly po-faced didacticism crept into the show as the characters took it in turns to sit around and make big pronouncements about the importance of listening to friends, not self-diagnosing on the internet (a lesson repeated in the latest episode), etc etc.

That was in full force in this episode, in which the three story strands were linked by the theme of privileged people slumming it by temporarily adopting marginalised roles (prisoner, poor person, mentally ill person) to distract from their own personal problems. Which is a pet peeve of mine too, but it doesn't make for terribly good comedy, and just kind of puts a lead weight at the heart of the episode. Every time it seemed to be heading towards the kind of wacky extremes that made earlier seasons so much fun, it held back - because it had a Serious Point to make, and they needed to curtail the various plots so the characters could be told how they'd screwed up.

Hope future episodes embrace the silliness and ditch the pompousness. Even the songs weren't much cop this week.

Sin Agog

Rachel Bloom spent a hefty chunk of her episode of WTF berating Marc Maron for using old man patriarchy words, so I'm thinking she had some say-so when it came to the moral of the week drift.  Although I don't necessarily hate it, as there are enough feathery pinky perky comedies already.

Mister Six

I wouldn't mind if it didn't increasingly feel like the moral of the week stuff was more important to the writing staff than the jokes, story or characters. It feels like they're working out the point they want to make, then bending the characters to accommodate that, even when it doesn't necessarily lend itself terribly well to humour.

I didn't mind it so much last season because the stuff about borderline personality disorder actually did feel educational and useful, and because it generally only appeared in Bloom's plot and not the B- and C-plots. But this first episode was all Big Important Messages, and rather thin on both gags and character development. Hopefully it'll ease up on that once the rest of the cast get their season storylines in gear though.

bobloblaw

The quality threshold of comedy songs in this is off the scale. They've done more than 100 of them now and there was one episode in season 3 that crammed in four of them. They're as specific in their genre pastiches as Conchords at their best, but without the benefit of touring the songs on the road, and with a much greater need to drive the characters and plot forward.

It's fascinating to watch as a show that pushes boundaries too - originally pitched to Showtime, where it could have done what it wanted, it has instead worked around the CW's censorship rules and this I think has been to its benefit. Progressive on issues such as bisexuality and abortion, its songs have found rich pickings in healthy sperm, penises, vibrators and more - and the all-time great lyric about 'choking on your own cock....suredness'.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Mister Six on October 25, 2018, 02:17:57 AM
I wouldn't mind if it didn't increasingly feel like the moral of the week stuff was more important to the writing staff than the jokes, story or characters. It feels like they're working out the point they want to make, then bending the characters to accommodate that, even when it doesn't necessarily lend itself terribly well to humour.

I didn't mind it so much last season because the stuff about borderline personality disorder actually did feel educational and useful, and because it generally only appeared in Bloom's plot and not the B- and C-plots. But this first episode was all Big Important Messages, and rather thin on both gags and character development. Hopefully it'll ease up on that once the rest of the cast get their season storylines in gear though.

I can understand where you're coming from but don't have any issue with the moral of the week side of things, mainly as the show still makes me laugh a great deal and the songs are stunning stuff. But it's obviously a case of horses for courses and all of that sort of thing.

Small Man Big Horse

I really enjoyed the latest one but after Mister Six's post I was aware that the moralising was a little heavy handed this week, and hope they make it a bit subtler in future episodes. It's only a minor issue though and the episode was mostly a joy, the Simon and Garfunkel-esque song by the pretzels especially. Plus it was nice to see Josh get further character development, and that his friendship with Rebecca has been reignited too.

Small Man Big Horse

I've been enjoying this a lot after a slightly patchy start, early on in this season there were a few episodes which felt like filler (and new Greg is a bit naff) but from episode nine onwards it's all been extremely funny and lovable stuff. The songs have been fantastic, seeing Rebecca deal with her issues in a realistic way has been very satisfying, and in general it's just been incredibly endearing stuff.

I've also really liked the way the last couple of episodes have built up the storyline with all three of the men in her life wishing to be with her, personally I want her to end up with Nathaniel, with Josh a close second, but I'll be annoyed if it's Greg because, well, Skylar Astin's just not that great in the role. I won't be surprised if it's not any of them though and Rebecca finally realises what she wants to do with her life rather than becoming obsessed with a new boyfriend, but hey, either way I've a lot of faith that Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna will create a satisfying ending to the tale.

olliebean

I thought there were two episodes to go but it looks like there's just one, and then episode 18 is a concert special, shown straight after the finale. I don't know whether the concert will make it to Netflix.

Oh, and it's obviously going to be Greg, btw. Unless it's none of them.

EOLAN

I will bet that she won't end up with anyone. Find her inner strength and realise she is not in a strong enough position to have a guy and can be independent for a while and let things happen rather than chasing them. Though as I type that; it almost feels too obvious so will go with Greg, who seems to be the obvious build up for this.

If I was hoping for one it would have to be Greg, but I think this was a hangover from the previous actor (whose name I will never get right). I just connected with him so much, though partly I was probably drawn in 'cos he had that look where I couldn't place where I saw him before (probably reminds me of a sidekick character Veronica's Closet or Suddenly Susan or the like). New actor doesn't give me any sort of connection but it strangely works for me to signify the turn around in the character since he returned.   

olliebean

Still hoping Greg turns back into original Greg in the finale, even if only for a moment.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: EOLAN on April 04, 2019, 09:30:57 AM
If I was hoping for one it would have to be Greg, but I think this was a hangover from the previous actor (whose name I will never get right). I just connected with him so much, though partly I was probably drawn in 'cos he had that look where I couldn't place where I saw him before (probably reminds me of a sidekick character Veronica's Closet or Suddenly Susan or the like). New actor doesn't give me any sort of connection but it strangely works for me to signify the turn around in the character since he returned.

Santino Fontana was the original Greg, and if he was still around I'd have no issue with Rebecca ending up with him, but I'm just not getting on with Skylar Astin's take on the role, or the way he's written as he's just so bland these days, so I hope she doesn't.

Quote from: olliebean on April 04, 2019, 04:17:16 PM
Still hoping Greg turns back into original Greg in the finale, even if only for a moment.

That would be really great but I can't see it happening. Even though publically they've been polite about Santino Fontana leaving before they wanted him to, reading between the lines I don't think they're that happy about it as they had to curtail the original plotline they'd created for him.

mjwilson

I think it has to end up with her not choosing any of them, but I would hope there is some kind of positive turn her life takes in the finale. Obviously it's not going to be musical theatre and it doesn't seem likely it will be pretzels. If there had been a bit more build-up I could have seen her going back into the law, but as it is it would come out of nowhere I think.

gotmilk

#17
I haven't watched the finale yet, but I've generally been very disappointed in the show for a while. I think the turning point was the time-jump a couple of episodes after Rebecca's suicide attempt in series 3. I used to love the show because it was capable of portraying people in such a dark and cynically funny light, with the songs illustrating the gaps between their self-perceptions and reality. Rebecca was almost a comic take on Walter White, this brilliant whirlwind of a character crashing into people's lives, lying and manipulating to get what she wants but revealing everyone else's hypocrisies and insecurities (Paula's boredom, Valencia's insecurity, Greg's lack of motivation) in the process. Like Enlightened, the show was excellent at showing the difficulty of finding meaning in life, and how people can often latch onto ideas and people in order to fool themselves into believing there are easy  answers.

All the way through there was an underlying understanding of mental health issues and flashes of warmth, but as of mid-series 3 I feel the show has attempted to emphasise these aspects to the detriment of everything else. Every episode feels like a condescending think-piece on dealing with mental illness, with predictable, pat morals abound. The scenes with the therapist in particular feel like they are written with articles like 'What Crazy Ex Girlfriend gets right about Recovery' in mind. Rebecca herself has become a boring vacuum of a character, with no distinguishing features in place of her mania. And because there's no thrust to the narrative outside of vague romantic possibilities and questions about Rebecca's future, a bunch (ha!) of disposable B-plots have completely overtaken the show. Where there used to be doses of lying and cheating among the peripheral characters in a way which felt human and reflected the main storyline, now Josh, Valencia, Daryl et al are constantly learning to respect each others' boundaries, accept responsibility, grow as human beings and nuture each other, again with the constant think-piece smuggery. I feel like Rik in The Young Ones watching The Good Life - "IT'S SO BLOODY NICE!"

Now that the characters are all the best of friends and are constantly reassuring and supporting each other, the show has basically become a deeply anodyne version of itself, with a focus on gifable moments and a relentlessly saccharine tone. The show's voice is no longer there, with jokes which basically feel indistinguishable from a billion other Twitter-lauded, adorkable american sitcoms with woke credentials. Even the songs have lost their bite, with most of them serving as bits of whimsy and conventional parodies rather than the incisive expressions of character they were in the past.

Hopefully the finale will restore some of the show's character, but I'm basically expecting the usual hallmarks of a bland US sitcom finale: a lot of reiterations of the characters' importance to one another, a load of callbacks, some uplifting monologues (probably about finding fulfilment in a healthy way), more gifable moments, and a complete lack of the trenchant quality which made me love the show in the first place.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on April 03, 2019, 09:52:25 PM
I won't be surprised if it's not any of them though and Rebecca finally realises what she wants to do with her life rather than becoming obsessed with a new boyfriend.

Quote from: olliebean on April 03, 2019, 10:42:09 PM
Unless it's none of them.

Quote from: EOLAN on April 04, 2019, 09:30:57 AM
I will bet that she won't end up with anyone. Find her inner strength and realise she is not in a strong enough position to have a guy and can be independent for a while and let things happen rather than chasing them.

Quote from: mjwilson on April 04, 2019, 06:33:00 PM
I think it has to end up with her not choosing any of them, but I would hope there is some kind of positive turn her life takes in the finale.

Well we called it. And I'm still not sure what I think about it all, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that it was so predictable. And everyone got their happy ending (well, bar White Josh, that was the one note of cynicism in it all), and, gah, I don't know, I liked it a lot but I still feel let down. It's something I'm definitely going to mull over for a while, and though not a disaster by any means, it's not quite what I wanted from the show. Perhaps if they'd just shown Rebecca's song at the end it would have been different, but no, it was just one long speech and then that's that, and I thought this show was a bit more inventive than that.

mjwilson

Yeah I was in the mood for one big last song to round everything off.

mjwilson

I watched to the live musical after the final episode. Now I keep singing "you ruined everything, you stupid stupid bitch" and I feel like I am going to need to break that habit before going in to work tomorrow.

EOLAN

Quote from: mjwilson on April 07, 2019, 09:09:57 PM
I watched to the live musical after the final episode. Now I keep singing "you ruined everything, you stupid stupid bitch" and I feel like I am going to need to break that habit before going in to work tomorrow.

Enjoyed the after-show, but glad I wasn't there either. Although could have been my mood at watching them at 2am in the morning on my own. I definitely don't think I could have coped with a gang of wild enthusiastic Californians. Much prefer shouting mild abuse at Jack Grealish and Chris Brunt for my interactive entertainment events.   

Virgo76

Literally one of the best comedies of the decade. Just superb.
I wonder if it will develop a strong following now it's ended.

Icehaven

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on April 06, 2019, 11:43:54 AM
Well we called it. And I'm still not sure what I think about it all, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that it was so predictable. And everyone got their happy ending (well, bar White Josh, that was the one note of cynicism in it all), and, gah, I don't know, I liked it a lot but I still feel let down. It's something I'm definitely going to mull over for a while, and though not a disaster by any means, it's not quite what I wanted from the show. Perhaps if they'd just shown Rebecca's song at the end it would have been different, but no, it was just one long speech and then that's that, and I thought this show was a bit more inventive than that.

I really thought she was going to start singing "I was working hard at a New York job..." but in hindsight that would have been a bit crap as they'd already done a few callbacks to it throughout the series including (I think) in the same episode, so it wouldn't have worked. I definitely thought there was going to be some implication that she'd spent the year writing the series in some way though.
Overall I enjoyed it (I must have done, seeing as I really don't like musicals but sailed thought all 4 series in a few weeks) but the whole thing with the same 3 blokes again in the last few episodes was starting to get a bit tiresome. I mean I know it's not a show that was exactly steeped in reality (although as others have said in this thread with all the learning and mental illness stuff it does sort of try to be) but I was kind of with White Josh and his bemusement at all his friends continually falling in (and out and in again) love with the same woman several times. Although that might just be because of how Netflix have a sentence about the plot under each episode I knew the whole having to choose between them thing was going to be the finale from the first episode of the series, so I was anticipating it anyway and had the first half of the series to get bored with the idea. 8/10 overall, haven't watched the concert yet.