‘Crazy Ex’ plot twist: Is Paula’s true love … Darryl? (If so, we ship it!)

Having a small group of characters shuffling around, dating each other may seem weird in real life, but on a fictional TV show, it’s pretty much the norm. (What’s up, “Friends,” “New Girl,” “How I Met Your Mother, pretty much every sitcom, etc.) So, when two people meet in the workplace on a comedy series, the possibility of them one day hooking up is always there.

But this particular office romance on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” we did not see coming.  And on Friday night (Jan, 20), we couldn’t help but wonder: Is Paula’s (Donna Lynn Champlin) true love… Darryl?

RELATED: The ‘Crazy Ex’ Wedding: Rebecca & Josh… Forever? (We object!)

This is absurd, right? Darryl Whitefeather (Pete Gardner) is… Well, an acquired taste. But he’s a devoted father, a somewhat successful lawyer, and would not hesitate to walk across a pit of fire to improve Paula’s life in even the tiniest way. We’ve been so distracted with the “best friend” title he so desperately wants to earn from Paula that it wasn’t until she finally agrees to hang out with him — and he whisks her off to the fanciest restaurant in town, because as he mentions, she deserves the best — did our eureka moment happen: Darryl is totally crazy in love with Paula!

But Darryl has a boyfriend, you say? Well, his relationship with White Josh (David Hull) is the quintessential post divorce, I-can-catch-hot-young-tail kind of rebound. Darryl sang an entire song about his bisexual awaking back in Season 1, so being with a woman again is still totally on the table. But it appears Darryl hasn’t figured it out for himself that his feelings for Paula are more than platonic.

Oh, but Paula just allowed Scott (Steve Monroe) to move back in? Well, duh. She has to give him one more shot before ultimately figuring out that she’s way better off without him. It’s all a part of the process. Forgiving him will allow her to more on with a clear conscience. Giving that marriage one final go will ensure Paula has zero regrets the day she decides to go ahead with a divorce.

Darryl and Paula may seem like an odd pairing, but we ship it. These two deserve a happy romance, and maybe they’ll find it with each other. Or maybe it’s merely Paula’s perfect post-divorce rebound. She has probably forgotten what it’s like to have someone worship the ground she walks on, so the timing of it all works out well. For timing is actually everything, right?

Putting our Parryl (or does “Daula” sound better?) fantasy aside, “Josh is the Man of My Dreams, Right?” also focuses on the sexual chemistry between Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) and Nathaniel (Scott Michael Foster). After being trapped in elevator together, Rebecca can’t restrain the desire to passionately make out with her new boss. And Nathaniel is obviously into it. Guess him and that blonde bombshell aren’t anything serious.

We’d have a less of a problem with Rebecca hooking up with Nathan, since it’s clear she is not ready to say “I do” with Josh, if Rebecca then didn’t go home and convince Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) that they should get married in 2 weeks. Now, Rebecca is a liar and a cheat. She’s once again becoming very hard to cheer for, from an audience perspective. Or any perspective, for that matter.

Everything about this situation is: Awful. And the timing of it all couldn’t be more wrong. All the pressure and stress of trying to make something happen — that’s clearly not meant to be — is turning Rebecca into the worst version of herself. Just as no one can control the Santa Ana winds (side note: Eric Michael Roy as the singing narrator, Mr. Santa Ana, was gloriously entertaining), no one can control the timing in which people come into our lives and change everything.

It’s not that new boss Nathaniel is perfect for Rebecca — he’s borderline insane, dangerous and should be in therapy daily — but he’s the perfect man to show Rebecca she should not be marrying Josh. It wasn’t just the “evil Santa Ana winds” messing with things, and hopefully either Rebecca or Josh will figure this out before they make it down the aisle.

(Note: There is no way in hell that they’re making it down the aisle — but we’re still nervous.)

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” airs on Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

Source link