Crazy Ex-Girlfriend first look: Skylar Astin introduces a new, sober Greg

“It’s funny, you remind me of this guy.” Standing in Rebetzel’s — Rebecca’s pretzel shop — Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) is in the middle of a musical number with someone who seems a lot like her ex Greg. Only, he is Greg. He’s just…changed. “Sometimes people disappear from your life for chunks of time, and when they come back they seem completely different,” says Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna. That’s the idea behind Crazy Ex replacing Santino Fontana, who played Greg until he left the show in season 2, with Skylar Astin. “We realized this was an opportunity to lean into the perceptual differences,” McKenna adds. “I go on Facebook now and everyone I’ve dated looks unrecognizable to me.”

But the biggest change in Greg has nothing to do with his appearance. When Greg returns for a high school reunion in the eighth episode (airing Friday) of the fourth and final season, he will be sober. “Greg being a different person is not as much about his looks as his vibe — the reason Greg is different is he doesn’t hate himself anymore,” says co-creator Rachel Bloom. Adds McKenna, “There’s a sweetness and a kindness that radiates from Skylar, and it’s wonderful for Rebecca Bunch. That’s the piece that they were missing in their relationship and they have come so far. He’s been in recovery for almost two years and so he’s learned a lot about his own fallibility, and that expands your humanity.” As Skylar Astin puts it, “When you go through a major life change like sobriety, you become a totally new person, and that’s the idea of [Greg] becoming a totally new person in me.”

And yet, as exciting as Greg’s return is, it’s not the first time he’s visited West Covina since saying goodbye in season 2. “He’s actually been back a few times but he was avoiding Rebecca and Josh,” Astin says. “So when he sees Rebecca, he’s forced to confront the new Rebecca and the old Rebecca and what they basically decide to do is just have a fresh start.”

That fresh starts leads to a duet called “Hello, Nice to Meet You,” which takes us back to Rebetzel’s. As the two attempt to start over by singing about their past, something feels incredibly familiar. It’s funny, even with a new Greg, their chemistry reminds us of a crazy couple we used to know…

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