This week's Glee review is gonna be setup in the same style as Simon's "Thoughts On..." posts. It's finals, and I gotta an essay to write, a play to revise, and 20 chapters of French to review. Anyway...
The writers acknowledging their bad songs was appreciated. Seriously! Somebody needs to be shot for the "Crazy In Love/Hair" mashup.
Blaine last name is Warbler? How fitting.
Christ, Jesse is a daft little douche!
Wha-WHAT?? "FRIDAY"??? WHAT????
For $5, those are some nice prom dresses.
I'll never understand the whole prom queen/king idea, but this episode makes me glad my high school didn't bother with the stupid thing.
Ending was nice.
God, people in this friggin' show never learn from their mistakes or take any lessons to heart.
I guess the writers started singing my tune because they finally decided to address how incredibly incestuous the Glee club is. This week saw rumors fly left and right, orchestrated by (who else) Sue, threatening to break up all the relationships that have cropped up. In order to combat this, Will decree's that the week's lesson will focus solely on the album "Rumours", the undisputed masterpiece of the band, Fleetwood Mac. It's all meant to help the club channel all their strife into making great music, but, of course, Sue isn't gonna give up that easy! Drama, involving stakeouts, sexual politics, duet woes, and fat cats, goes down!
Meanwhile, April has returned, following a disastrous, all white, production of The Wiz on Broadway. She enlists Will's help in writing an original musical based on her life. It goes well, and April invites Will to come to New York with him to get the show on a Broadway stage. Though it's his dream to sing on Broadway, Will can't see himself leaving the club when they are so close to Nationals. What will the good man decide?
Unlike last week's extremely plot heavy episode where shit actually happened, this episode masqueraded as a plot heavy episode when, in reality, nothing really happened. Sure, there is a shit ton of relationship drama, but everyone ends up in the same spot that they started out in, albeit happier. The only people who go through arcs are Will, who is considering pursuing his own dream, and Sam, who, it is revealed, is going through some serious familial troubles.
Music wise, however, this episode was so close to a dream come true. Every song featured here harks from Fleetwood Mac's legendary album, which is alright by me; I do love me some "Rumours"! And there are some real winners in the selections. Kristen Chenoweth's moody take on "Dreams" killed. Santana's heartfelt rendition of "Songbird" was aces, and "Never Going Back Again" sung by Artie stole the show. Unfortunately, the two biggest songs in the selection are probably the weakest. Finn and Quinn's duet of "I Don't Wanna Know" was just alright, and Rachel's take on "You Can Go Your Own Way" was eh.
Honestly though, I'm just pissed they didn't play what is easily the best song on the album. I don't know how they would have worked "Gold Dust Woman" into the episode, seeing as it doesn't really fit any plot line, but I wouldn't have really cared. That song is all kinds of perfect, so any use of it is more than fine by me.
Humor wise, there were some real winners. To see Sue dress up as David Bowie and Ann Coulter in the same scene, all in the name of "being incognito" was HILARIOUS!!! Rachel going around and naming what each glee club couple's moniker is was funny, made doubly so by Puck coining the term "Pisces" for him and Lauren. And Brittany's online show, Fondue For Two, is some of the funniest stuff she's done yet on the show! AND MY GOD THAT CAT IS FAT... and a smoker, apparently.
Glee this week had awesome songs, and good laughs. But nothing really happened in the episode. We don't see the Kurt/Karofsky dynamic furthered in any way. We aren't offered any real insight into the Brittany/Santana thing. And so it goes. All this episode really did was further show off how fucking unreasonable these people can be with each other. Seriously! What is Quinn's deal? I know she's worried of losing Finn again, but Jaysus! Did she have to be such a bitch about it?
Amazing how one terrible song can ruin multiple good ones.
Shit went down at McKinley this week. Will is finally addressing the fact that no one in the club except Brittany and Mike can dance, so he decides it's time for his little song birds to brush up. Unfortunately, even he could account for how bad a dancer Finn is. Not even five seconds into the first warm up, and already Rachel is suffering from a broken nose, courtesy of everyone's favorite dimwitted tenor. Under guidance from her doctor, Rachel heavily considers getting nose job to repair the damage as well as update her look.
This leads into another look at body image, with Quinn taking a central role. Since she's, like, the epitome of beauty, Rachel wants to look like her. Everyone in the club is against her changing her appearance, except Quinn. This is all explained as certain "aspects" of Quinn's past are brought to light, thanks, in no small part, to Lauren.
All this talk about flaws inspires Will for the week's lesson. The club will work on accepting who they are, individually, and embracing that which they think brings them down.
Meanwhile, Santana is still feverishly trying to win Brittany. Somehow, she discovers Karofsky's big secret, and threatens to out him to the school unless he does exactly what she wants. What she wants being go out with him so they can win Prom Queen and King, thus impressing Brittany enough so that she will leave Artie. But Santana has another request.
And thus concludes Kurt's brief stint at "Tolerance Narnia". With Santana's goading, Karofksy issues a heartfelt apology to everyone's favorite male soprano, and promises to support him from now on. With no threat of bullying from the closeted pigskin player, Kurt returns to McKinley, with the support of Blaine and The Warblers.
And Emma tries to work on her OCD, and Lauren makes a bid for Prom Queen with Puck's help, and Finn learns how to dance, and HOLY SHIT there was a lot of plot in this episode.
Regarding my throwaway remark at the top of this article, this music in this week's episode was aces! That is, until the club started singing Lady Gaga's worst song. Quinn and Rachel's melancholy mash-up of "I Feel Pretty" and "Unpretty" was gorgeous. Blaine and The Warblers serenading Kurt with Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" and brought the house down. Kurt had a solo, crooning out "As If We Never Said Goodbye", and it was the best thing he's sung on the show yet. Finn had a fun number, and the flash mob dancing in the mall to Duck Sauce's "Barbara Streisand" was stupid, but really fun.
And they go and fuck it all up with "Born This Way". Seriously, I know it's just because of the whole Gaga factor that that song is getting so much play, because if it were from everyone else, it would be universally declared a catastrophe. It's really an awful song, and basing a whole episode around performing it for the finale just sunk it. All the other songs ruled, but this one, the focus, brought the whole thing crashing down.
Humor wise, there's not much to write home about, shockingly. Santana had some winner lines int he beginning when she points out every glee club member's flaws. I especially like what she said about Finn's nipples. And Puck's shirt exclaiming his flaw ("I'm With Stupid" with a big arrow pointing to his cock) was easy to miss, but worth searching for. And that's about it. This was a plot episode, not a humor one. To be fair, Sue's not in it at all, so maybe that had something to do with it.
It was a good week, with well written plot and almost flawless dance lineup. A lack of solid laughs hold this one back, but it's friggin' "Born This Way" that really does the episode in. Seriously. I hate that song!
Yeah, sorry I didn't write a review of Original Song. Slipped my mind, and then God bestowed me with catastrophic computer troubles, and since then it just didn't seem worth it. Anyway...
Hot off their win at Regionals, the club discovers, to no one's surprise except their own, that they are still the bottom on the barrel when it comes to social interactions. Even Santana is getting slushied now. But they soldier on, the like the ill advised, precocious little pricks that they are. They need a shit ton of money to pay for the trip to New York for Nationals, so Holly has the grand idea to have a benefit concert. All good, except no one shows up.
Meanwhile, Sue gets Terry, Sandy, and that absurdly douchy guy from the first episode of the season who coaches Vocal Adrenaline together to for a Legion of Doom to destroy the glee club. Every plan she comes up with goes down in flames, but it's what we expect from her by now, so, whatever.
Mercedes out divas even herself in the episode when Lauren convinces her that she is not getting the attention she deserves. This leads to her making egregious demands to the club in exchange for her performing at the benefit. Basically, she makes me hate even more than I already did.
Yeah, nothing really happened in this episode, save for Holly finally exiting the picture and brief segment that only served to remind us that the whole Kurt/Karofsky thing is still going on and that we shouldn't have forgotten about it, even though no one has said anything about it for the past few episodes. Boring.
Why are you here, and why do you look like a chipmunk?!?
Songs were eh this week. Sunshine makes a sudden reappearance, sings "All By Myself" and then disappears again, just as suddenly. Not worth the press, if you ask me. Holly has an ok song, and Mercedes has an ok song. They are both good, but neither of them go much further than "ok".
I also think this might be the first episode in the entire series where Rachel doesn't open her mouth to sing once. Not even for a choir position. Wow.
Humor wise, it faltered a bit, but still delivered some winning jokes. I laughed uproariously when Sandy referred to himself as "predatory gay", chuckled amicably as Mercedes' demand for a fresh puppy to dry her hands on, and got a kick out of Vocal Adrenaline's coach coming with for different ways to say "I'm hot" in one sentence.
As a film buff, I have to wonder if Paltrow's imitation of Wallis Simpson for her history class had anything to do with The King's Speech winning big at the Oscars. Either way, it's hilarious to hear her referred to as a "hermaphrodite Nazi sympathizer".
But, let's be honest, Glee wasn't all that this week. There's only a few episodes left in the season, so let's hope they can muster the troops and come back hard.
So, how bout that chick who spoiled the whole prom king/queen surprise for us? Bitch!
Gwyneth Paltrow holding a condom and a cucumber. That's probably somebody's fantasy.
So, for some reason, New Directions is fixated on boning this week. Unfortunately, all this accomplishes is bringing to light how naive the club is when it comes to the intricacies of sex. Lucky for them, that devilishly seductive substitute, Holly Holiday, is back, and willing to get down to the nitty gritty with the kids. This is the catalyst for some serious shit to go down.
First off, the throwaway line in the Sectionals episode last season that alluded to Brittany and Santana engaging in... uhh... sapphic pleasures has developed into a full on subplot, and a heavy one at that. They turn to Holly to help them figure out whatever it is that have, which leads to Santana making a pretty shocking discovery about herself.
Meanwhile, Kurt and Blaine, having been informed by Sue that New Directions are sexing up for Regionals, decide to bring up their appeal as well. Unfortunately, Kurt knows next to nothing about sex, and Blaine is legitimately worried. The kid is a junior in high school and he's hopelessly ignorant. Blaine appeals to Burt to have 'the talk", something that neither of the Hummels is very keen on doing.
Finally, the reappearance of Holly into his life has made Will do some thinking. He realizes that he's incredibly attracted to her, and wants to be with her. Unfortunately, Holly is, as she puts it, "damaged goods", and is not keen on engaging in anything serious. While this is going on, Emma is finally forced to address her sham of marriage to Carl. Oh, and Quinn gets back with Finn.
Yeah. Pretty heavy stuff on the relationship front in this episode. I wish to applaud the writers for their skilled work on the Brittany/Santana dynamic. Here was something that could have easily gone down the "exploitation for the purposes of comedy" path, but it didn't. Instead it went down the, "Yes, we're ok with dealing with lesbians! Deal with it!" path. The fact that Santana may be a lesbian is a very good idea for the character, and certainly something that we did not expect to be seeing from her when she auditioned for the club in the second episode of the series. It was very well told, and Naya Rivera did some of her best acting of the whole series in the scene where she confesses her love to Brittany. It's the first time where I've actually felt sympathetic for Santana, and the moment was more than welcome. I can't wait to see where this goes.
Music wise, the episode was a step up from "Blame it on the Alcohol", but still not great. Holly's down and dirty rendition of Gary Glitter's "Don't You Want To Touch Me" took it a bit far, but was still a good time. The Warbler's song, Neon Trees' "Animal" was alright, but what the hell was that bubble cannon for? Brittany, Santana, and Holly's soulful take on The Dixie Chick's "Landslide" was adequate, elevated by some baller acting by Rivera and Heather Morris. Emma's horrendous take on "Afternoon Delight" made me want to rupture my ear drums. Finally, Will and Holly's cover of Prince's "Kiss" was awful at the start, but got better. Also, that scene was friggin' hot, so a little creepy falsetto is something I can look past.
Humor wise, Glee, once again, offered plenty of juicy material. Of course Brittany would think that the stork who built a nest on her roof is a sign that she's pregnant. Of course Lauren and Puck would be looking into making a sex tape. Of course Finn would mistake Holly's demonstration of proper condom use to mean that a cucumber can give you aids. Ay-Yi-Yi! Good stuff.
Well, it all comes down to this. Regionals are next week. Can't wait to see what Rachel comes up with. I am really hoping that the writers don't let the Santana/Brittany plot be forgotten; it's too good for that. Looks like Paltrow might become a semi-regular now that she and Will are together. Ok then. Would be fine, if Emma didn't just effectively end her relationship with Carl. Jesus, why can't these people go drama free for one week. AGHGHGHGH!!!
So, Holly made a sex tape with JD Salinger. I think my mind just exploded!
So, for some reason, there's an epidemic at McKinley. It's not, as Will fears, head lice, but rather, public drunkenness. Kids are showing up intoxicated left and right, since there are now drinks out there being marketed to kids (Not so subtle Four Loko skewering FTW). Figgins, ever the righteous sword of truth that he's deluded himself into thinking he is, declares that this week is Alcohol Awareness Week, and enlists the help of the glee club to sing a song about the dangers of alcohol. Cue kids getting drunk.
Meanwhile, Rachel is hard at work composing the original song to win Regionals, but is stuck on the idea that you have to write about what you know, and apparently, the only things she knows is her head band. Her parents are out of town for the week, so Puck puts the idea of hardcore rager at the Berry house in her head. She's hesitant at first, but folds when Finn says that living a little will help her song writing. Cue people getting drunk!
In other news, Will is still trying to move past Emma, and Bieste decides to take him out to let loose. She takes him to a honky tonk bar, complete with gold-top Gibson Les Pauls, more cowboy hats that you could shake a tail feather at, and a fully stocked bar. Cue people getting drunk!
My God! There was a lot of booze consumed in this episode. Like, seriously! It was practically Skins up there, those kids were acting so crazy! I actually kind of appreciated this. Up till now, the show had painted most of the glee kids as saints (with the exception of Puck, Santana, Brittany, and Quinn), showing them behaving like good little school children. But, at the end of the day, they are teenagers, and teenagers go out and drink on the weekends. It was nice to see the club in an environment where they could act like real people, outside of the preconceived notions the show has created for them.
Apart from that, nothing really happened in this episode. We had an interesting tryst between Blaine and Rachel, which saw Blaine questioning his sexuality, but it ended up exactly where you knew it was going to from the start. Will preaches to the club about how drinking is bad, then goes out and gets plastered himself, and then lectures the club about how he learned with them. Same! Old! Song! And! Dance!
Music this week was also "meh". The show stopper came at the end with Brittany leading the club in a tantalizing rendition of Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" but that was about it. The clubs take on Jamie Foxx's "Blame It" was alright, but it was the choreography that did it; the singing was nothing special. Rachel and Blaine's drunken duet of The Human League's "Don't You Want Me" was surprisingly weak, given how strong the two of them have been in past weeks. And don't even get me started on Will and Bieste's version of Amos Milburn's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer". That song is just all kinds of not good!
Humor wise, however, this episode was aces! The party scene at Rachel's house was HILARIOUS, and Finn's counting down of the kinds of drunks (Santana is the weepy drunk, Brittany is the stripper drunk, etc.) was great. The best moment came when Brittany, who had finally had one too many, spews all over Rachel in the middle of their number. Rachel's face on that was absolutely perfect!
Also, Figgins referring Ke$ha as "Keh Dollar Sing Ha" was excellent.
But booze fueled humor can't really save this episode, since the stories and songs aren't up to snuff. Since nothing happened in this episode, there's really nothing to speculate on. Oh well. Until next week then.
Also, Brittany wearing almost nothing? Yes please!
Glee this week sees Rachel trying to stage a comeback. From what? I don't know. Anyway, she hires Brittany to start sporting her style in order to start a trend. That blows up in her face.
While all this crap is going down, Sam is trying to win back Quinn. How does he do this? He starts a Justin Bieber cover band. Amazingly, this works. All the girls thrown themselves at his feet and all the guys want in on the action. Only Finn acknowledges the stupidity of the whole situation, but even he's not above cashing in on the phase when it becomes clear that Quinn is turned on. Sad stuff.
Meanwhile, Sue is in a bit of a funk, even attempting to commit "Sue-icide". Will is actually sympathetic and, at Emma's goading, grudgingly lets her into the club. Though she does attempt her usual tricks, she is actually moved by Glee's exploits, and becomes one of them. Of course, she goes turncoat on they asses in the end, but it was nice to see a good Sue for a change.
These three plots are handled pretty well, though the Bieber one does get forgotten about halfway through the episode. Sue's arc in this episode was nice, and even though we all knew she wouldn't really change in the end, it was refreshing to see her soft side again. The Sam/Quinn relationship was destined to fail from Day 1, and this seemed like a very natural way to end it. I'm curious to see what happens to these people, since Finn still seems to be harboring feelings for Rachel even though he wants to be with Quinn. Powerful stuff.
Music wise, this episode was a corpse at the start, but was revived once the writers decided to stop playing Bieber. While it was hilarious to see all the girls charge Sam and all the guys stand in bewilderment, the fact remains that Justin Bieber is a plague upon all that is good in music, and his songs, no matter well they are handled, will never be good. This is remedied by an inspired diva off between Rachel and Mercedes, set to, of all things, "Take Me Baby Or Leave Me" from Rent. Finally, they play some Rent!!! Lauren finally flexed her solo muscles with "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses. That was alright, but a solo voice is something the character is lacking in. She didn't sound very good, despite the fact that she gave it her all.
The best song came at the end. Sue, fed up with all the Bieber, suggests a proper anthem for the club to use at Regionals. He suggestion? "Sing" by My Chemical Romance. OH! HELL! YEAH!!! That's one of the best songs off My Chem's new album, and the club knocked it out of the park. That's how you sing a bloody rock song!
Humor wise, the trend of being spot on continues. Brittany had some winner lines, and Rachel's description of her look as being "Sexy Schoolgirl Librarian Chic" was fantastic. But the funniest parts came from the episodes spot on skewering of Biebermania! The punchline came early, and saw Sam singing a pathetic version of "Baby" to a bunch of downtrodden girls at a Bat Mitzvah. Barely two bars in, and he's being attacked by said girls, who now in a feverish frenzy of excitement and pre-pubescent love. Good stuff. Sue had some good lines, and Brittany was actually given a chance to lay down some pain, as when she tells Rachel what people are really thinking when they look at her. "They see a cat getting its temperature taken and then they hear it screaming." Awesome! Also, Puck in a toupee? Come on! That's great!
It was good episode. Not quite up to the level of the last two, but keeping the streak of strong offerings from New Directions and Co. It'll be interesting to see how the new plot lines pan out. Rachel's going to write a song for the club, and Sam is on the outs with Quinn and on the ins with Santana. Sue has reverted back to her usual self and has been named the coach of Aural Intensity, the club's rival at Regionals. What will she do, we wonder?
You know, it's right in front of our faces, but I don't think anyone's acknowledged it yet. That is one incestuous group of individuals right there. I mean, jeez!
Picking up where Sunday's Shuffle left off, this week's Glee sees Finn enjoying his new status as official King Bee of McKinley, thanks to the football team winning the championship. His new fame has gone to his head so much, that he comes with a grand plan to help the club raise some money. He is going to open a kissing booth, and every girl who wants a smooch has to pay a dollar. What a douche!
Meanwhile, the spirit of the stupid holiday is rife amongst the glee kids. Puck, for some reason, has eyes for Lauren. However, this isn't like when he had eyes for Mercedes. He seems to genuinely like Lauren. Uhhh... ok then. Artie and Mike are high on life since they are both in drama free relationships. Wish I could say the same for Sam and Quinn. Sam is getting increasingly suspicious of Quinn and Finn, and rightfully so, as they are questioning whether or not to get back together. Rachel is desperately trying to win Finn back, but is slowly coming to grips with that fact that maybe he wasn't good for her in the first place. And Kurt's preconceived notions that Blaine was into him come crashing down when it is revealed that Blaine has the hots for some dude who works at GAP. And Santana, much to her surprise, is single, and can't stand it.
AGHGHGHG!!!! SO MUCH DRAMA!!!!
I can tell the writers were having a lot of fun with this episode. Puck schmoozing on Lauren was a piece of inspired lunacy, the high point of which saw Lauren beating the crap out of Santana. Finn was delightfully sleazy with his whole kissing booth thing, but showed some real heart when confronted by Rachel and Quinn. The whole Kurt and Blaine dynamic really progressed, as Kurt finally reveals to Blaine his feelings. It's good stuff.
Music wise, I'd say this one was pretty good, though not as impressive as Shuffle. I don't know what possessed Puck to serenade Lauren with Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls", but whatever, it was hilarious! Arite and Mike's rendition of Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" was alright, made better by Harry Shum Jr.'s awesome dancing. The Warbler's two songs were on point, if not as solid as "Bills Bills Bills" from last episode. But the one that stole the show came from, surprisingly, Lea Michele. Rather than sing a somber ballad as has become custom for her character, this week saw Rachel Berry launching into the fast and upbeat "Firework" by Katy Perry. FINALLY!!!
Humor wise, it doesn't get much better than Santana breaking down in tears because people just don't understand how honest she is with people who suck! The whole Puck and Lauren dynamic was absolutely hilarious, and the fight that saw Santana feebly try to fight back as Lauren tossed her around like a rag doll was great. I don't know if I should have been laughing when Tina broke down in tears during her song, but Will's perfectly timed "Alright then. That was... powerful" brought a huge smile to my face.
And this episode offered up the biggest "OH DAMN" moment of the entire series so far! It saw the entire club ganging up on Santana for, quite simply, being Santana, but it was Rachel's line that sealed the deal. "The truth is, Santana, you can dish it out, but you can't take it. Maybe you're right. Maybe I am destined to play the title role in the Broadway musical version of Willow, but the only job you're gonna have is working on a pole!"
:-0
I! AM! SPEECHLESS!
On the note of character, it was nice to Blaine display some sort of human emotion this week. I mean, I've always liked the character, but he could get really annoying with how friggin' cheery he is. Getting shot down like that really forced Darren Criss to show off some other emotion that wasn't blind optimism, and it was really nice.
Two rock solid episodes in row? Say it ain't so! It seems that the interim has been kind to Glee, and the start of the second half of the season easily trumps anything that came before it. Let's hope they can keep it up.
A football themed episode that airs right after the Super Bowl? Excuse me. I need a minute to step back and let the originality just waft over me.
Glee returns with a huge bang this week. Under the tutelage of Coach Bieste, the McKinley football team has not only improved, but they are going to the championship game. Unfortunately Karofsky, Azimio, and the rest of the football jocks are still being huge douches to Finn, Puck, and Sam, leaving a sizable rift within the team. Knowing she has no chance of winning the big game unless the whole team bands together, Bieste enlists Will's help. The entire football team is temporarily inducted into the club so as to cultivate some solidarity amongst the two worlds.
While all this goodness is going on, Sue is going through something of a crisis. Quite simply, she is bored with the Cheerios. So bored, that the combination of boobs and fire does nothing for her. To spice things up for the upcoming regionals, she decides to fire Brittany out of a cannon. This will most likely kill her, but when has Sue ever given any regard to human health. She also decides to steal the thunder of everyone else in the world and schedules her competition on the same night as the big game, leaving the football team without cheerleaders or a halftime show. Leave to Glee, with the help of the jocks, to step up.
In a fantastic return to form, this episode dialed way back on the seriousness, and let us swim in a sea of absurdity. This was an episode in which you had to check your brain at the door, and we were so much the better for it. Sue shooting a guy out a cannon? Check! Rachel, Mercedes, Tina, and the Fat One joining the football team? Check! Sue going on a prolonged rampage that probably left the school in significant debt due to damages? Check! Brittany asking how many Ms there are in the letter R? Check! The laughs came fast and furious, and it was all topped off by a delicious cameo by Katie Couric, interviewing Sue, who had just been voted as The Loser of the Year, beating out such things as the economy, Mel Gibson, and Lindsay Lohan's dog. Pure! Unadulterated! Genius!
The music was also on point. The much touted about mashup of Michael Jackson' "Thriller" and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Heads Will Roll" sounds like a disaster waiting to happen on paper, but in execution, it was almost flawless. The guy's take on The Zombie's "She's Not There" was great, made all the more awesome by the elaborate zombie makeup they were sporting. But the show stopper came, not surprisingly, from the Kurt, Blaine, and the infamous Warblers. Their rendition of "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child was all kinds of fantastic, and Darren Criss rocked it!
Humor wise, this was exceptional! There were so many winner lines here, from Azimio declaring that show tunes are the music of his oppressors, to Bieste asking if Will was going to try and kiss her again, to the football team, in full undead regalia, moaning "Brains" as a distraction method. It was good stuff. Sue rampage all around the school was funny, and it's reintroduction was perfectly timed! Santana having to hit herself and then Brittany in the face with a chicken breast was hilarious, and you couldn't help but laugh when Puck decrees that getting hit in football hurts, and not in Mellancamp way. Great stuff!
I really hope Glee can stay on track from here on out. The first half of the season was weak by comparison, but this episode was a huge step forward. We'll have to wait and see.
I was talking about this with another musical inclined friend awhile back. What the hell kind of budget does this school have that they can give their cheerleading squad a man cannon and provide Hollywood level effects and makeup for the glee club? Maybe you'd be able to pay for the bus to Regionals if you stopped wasting all the money on sets and costumes, Will! Just something to think about!
You know, that brings up a good point. What is the difference between a Santa elf and a slave?
Tis the season bitches, and not even McKinley High is above celebrating the most magical time of the year. The teachers all draw names for Secret Santa, and the glee club attempts to raise money for the homeless by caroling around the school. Both ventures fail epically, Secret Santa because the whole thing is rigged by Sue so she would be the only one whose name got drawn, and the caroling because people still hate the glee club., resorting to throwing shoes at them and shouting, "You're making me hate Christmas!" as they walk out.
Meanwhile, Artie rallies the club to play along with the fact that Brittany, not surprisingly, still believes in Santa. Brittany's wish this year is for Artie to walk, which, as anyone with a brain can tell you, is impossible. So, Artie, Bieste, Will, and Brittany's parents fashion an extremely complex plan to let Brittany know that Artie can't walk without destroying her belief in Santa. Ai-yi-yi!
Also, Finn and Rachel break it off for real, as if last week's break up didn't count.
Now that some serious plot lines are out of the way, this episode was a return to Glee's former glory. A Very Glee Christmas was chock full of ridiculous plots, great humor, and some solid songs. The Brittany/Santa thing is a little hard to believe, but it was honestly very sweet to see Artie go to such lengths to keep her happy. Who knew their relationship had gotten so serious so quickly. Sue rigging the Secret Santa was a wonderful return to her usual shenanigans, and when the cherry on top is her dressing up as the Grinch to steal all the presents from the choir room. Priceless.
Song wise, this episode was pretty good. The clubs soulful rendition of "The Most Magical day of the Year" was great; Kurt and Blaine's duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" was decent enough, even though the song is creepy as hell; the finale "Welcome Christmas" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas was alright. Rachel's two songs were just ok. It's not that they're bad. It's just that it's the same stuff we've seen her do countless times. I wish she would give up on the ballads, and sing a raucous show stopper already.
Humor wise however, this episode was on point! The scene where the club goes to see Santa had me rollicking the whole time, especially when Mike states that he wants Channing Tatum to stop being in stuff. Brittany had some winner lines, and it was a delight to see Sue up to her old tricks again. To see Sue dress up as the Grinch and Becky dress up as Max, and then see her drag a wagon full of presents as Sue lunged on top of it, was pure comic gold!
All in all, it was a decent episode that proudly returned Glee to its old ways. There are some things that drag it down. Rachel trying to win back Finn was annoying as all holy hell! But, the ending, which sees Artie "walk" for the first time was really sweet. Speaking of which, how the hell does Bieste have that much money? Just something to think about.
So, that's it for now. Glee returns in February. This first half of the season, not gonna lie, was a little lackluster. For every Britney/Brittany or The Substitute we got an Audition or a Never Been Kissed to go with it. Hopefully, in the interim, Ryan Murphy will take a critical look at Glee and revamp it. He'll take out the pointless celebrity cameos. He'll do away with tribute episodes. Everything will be good. Although, it's been reported that Katie Couric will be on the first episode to air in February, and that episode will feature "Thriller". Uh-oh!
With Kurt gone, Mr. Schu is struggling to find a new member of the club so they will be able to compete at sectionals. He finds one in the resident fatass Lauren. You know, that whale of a girl who wanted Mr. Schue's babies in Brittany/Britney, andthe one who got him sick in The Substitute? Yeah, that girl. She's a bitch! Big deal. Not the point of the episode.
As the club gears up for Sectionals, tensions don't just flare. They explode! Will finally realizes that he has been ignoring the other talent in the club in favor of Rachel and Finn, his two heavyweights. So, he pulls a fast one on everybody, declaring that Sam and Quinn will sing the opening ballad of their set list, and that the big number will be more dance centric so as to give Mike and Britney a chance to shine. Well, Rachel's pissed, and begins acting even more ridiculous than usual, stooping so low as to come into rehearsal with duct tape over her mouth as protest of being silenced, which causes Will to finally lose it with her. Powerful stuff. Meanwhile, Kurt is taught a lesson in humility when his tendencies to take control are rebuffed at the first rehearsal of his new club. He takes it a lot better than Rachel though.
On another note, Special Education was pretty heavy in terms of relationships. Santana finally spilled the beans on her and Finn sleeping together way back in Season 1, leading Rachel to drag him to couples therapy, and then cozy up to Puck. Artie and Brittany run into snags along with Mike and Tina when Artie and Tina begin to suspect that Mike and Brittany, who are spending a lot of time together rehearsing, are going at it. Oh, and Emma impulsively marries Carl. Yeesh!
I must say, it was sort of refreshing to see everyone blow up in each others faces like that. Sure, they all bicker at each other and whatnot, but they have always kept their emotions in check. To see people actually start shouting was a welcome change of pace. Gotta say though, I wanted to punch Rachel and Mercedes in the face in this episode, especially Rachel. She's always been a selfish bitch, but she was a raging selfish bitch in this episode. She claims to learn about being part of team and things like that, but the second she doesn't get a solo, she's goes crazy! It's gotten to the point where it's stopped being funny, and is just aggravating. I don't like the character anymore, and I was actually on Finn's side when he broke it off with her. While I think it was nice for all the other relationships in the club to remain intact, I think it was a good move for the writers to break up Rachel and Finn. They got together way too quickly, and they couldn't stay together forever. People would get bored.
Sang it sista!
Music wise, this episode was strong. The Warbler's rendition of "Hey, Soul Sister", led by Darren Criss, sounded awesome. Sam and Quinn's duet of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" was beautiful, and soundly destroyed Finn and Rachel's duet of "Faithfully" from regionals last year. New Directions' big number, "Valerie", was a lot of fun, as was the finale of the episode, Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days are Over". The only weak song, if you can call it that, was Rachel and Kurt's rendition of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita. It's not that it's a bad song. It's just that, compared to the raw power of the other numbers, it felt a little tame.
All the humor in this episode fell to Puck and Brittany. Puck was righteous hoot as he tried to get the other football players to man up and join glee. His version of the Bruce Springsteen story was hysterical, and I loved how he shouted Karofsky down for how he forced Kurt out. Brittany also had some winner lines, as when she confuses adultery with being stupid, or, as she puts it, being adult. Funny stuff.
I honestly don't know how I feel about Glee this week, or anymore, for that matter. There have been some very heavy plots being thrown into the mix, which is all well and good. I love me some serious drama, but it comes at a cost. The stuff that makes this show so great is being pushed to the side, that being, absurd humor, a celebration of cliches, and fun songs. The songs are still there, but the cliches are not so much being celebrated as they are being condemned, and the humor isn't anywhere near as biting. That could be because Sue hasn't been showing up as much, and her material isn't as strong when she does. Even so, Special Education was a decent episode. A lot of the dramatic stories were finished in this episode. Kurt's at Dalton, Rachel and Finn have broken it off, Emma's married (though it's not gonna last long. I'm calling it), and the club is moving on to Regionals. So, hopefully, now all this serious stuff is wrapped up, the show can return to its fun loving ways. I sure hope so!
So, Brittany does motocross. Strangely, that makes complete sense.
Oh how I wish I could shove a knife into Karofsky and twist it!
Glee has gotten pretty serious this past season, hasn't it? What was once a cheesy little musical serial that delighted in the high school cliches has now become a brutally honest look at what it is like to grow up and, pardon the expression, face the music. This week was a continuation of that trend.
Furt begins with Burt and Carol telling Finn and Kurt that they are engaged, meaning that Kurt will become Finn's brother for real. Surprisingly, Finn actually seems ok with this new development, or, if he's not, he does a good job of hiding it, since he doesn't want to spoil his mom's happiness. They grow up so fast!
Meanwhile, Kurt is still being tortured by Karofsky in the halls, and the club has finally had enough. Mike, Artie, and Sam all stand up to him in the locker room, and all get severely beat down. Puck is all for joining in, but, he's still on probation, and is not looking to go back to juvie. Finn, on the other hand, has no good excuse for not standing up for Kurt. Once again, he is obsessed with being cool and keeping his standing in the social hierarchy of the school, so much so that he won't help Kurt. I don't know about you, but if one of my friends was being tortured like that, fuck social standing! Whoever the culprit is better watch out cuz I'll take him down!
Whew, sorry. Let my emotions get away from me. Where were we?
There is a Sue plot line, but, honestly, it's pretty friggin' stupid. The half assed attempt to make Sue look even more self centered would have been solid gold, and would have done a lot to alleviate the stress of this thematically dark episode, if she wasn't as level headed as she was in the rest of the episode. This is the sweetest we've ever seen Sue when she's not interacting with Jean. The way she resigns her position as principal and vows to keep an eye on Kurt to make sure Karofsky doesn't pull any more shit is legitimately heart warming. So, why the stupid plot about her marrying herself? It was an excuse to bring Carol Burnet, who plays Sue's Nazi hunting mother. Unlike last week's inspired guest appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow, the addition of Burnet to this episode just seemed tired, like the writers didn't care enough. She comes on, sings a song, and then Sue tells her off for being a bitch. Could've seen that coming from a mile away.
Music wise, this episode was weak, but, for the first time this season, I didn't care. The story was clear focus of this episode. The writers were more interested in furthering characters than they were in entertaining with song, and, unlike the tepid Never Been Kissed, they took the story telling to a whole new level in order to make up for lack on fun songs. With the exception of the Sue plot, the writing on display here is some of the best Glee has had so far. This should be the episode the producers submit to the Emmys for consideration. The resolution of the whole Kurt/Karofsky thing was a long time coming, and, God Damn, was it heart breaking. Sam and Quinn finally become a real couple, with an emphasis on the real. And to see the guys stand up to Karofsky like that was some of the rawest acting to come out of anyone so far in the series.
On a character note, Karofsky. I can honestly say I have never hated a character as much as I hate him. Seriously! Props to Max Adler for going all out with this character, giving us every despicable detail about him. He doesn't seem like a caricature of a confused bully, he's a real person, and Adler plays him exceptionally well.
The ending of this episode is incredibly sad, despite the revelry that was previously seen at the wedding. It's what's best for Kurt, and even though it pains him to leave McKinley and New Directions, to stay would have been the death of him, especially after the school board refuses to expel Karofsky. I had a major problem with Rachel in that last scene. "Are you going to be competing with us at sectionals?" Come on girl! One of your best friend's is leaving you. No one's that shallow!
Can't wait to see how the club is gonna punish Karofsky after this! Dude better watch out. Something tells Finn is out for blood and Puck doesn't care about juvie any more!
I say. Those casting people sure do know how to attract the talent.
There's a disease spreading through the halls of McKinley. Strangely enough, this new strain of "monkey flu" only seems to effect people who pose a threat to Sue. Maybe she bioengineered it to attain her goals, which is totally something she would do. Anyway, Will comes down with it and is forced to take a sick leave. Enter the substitute, the comically named Holly Holiday. Not only does she take over in Will's Spanish class, but she also takes the reins of the glee club, much to the chagrin of Rachel, who was hoping to lead the club in Will's absence. Holiday is a big proponent of letting the kids do the songs they want, a big change of pace form Will, who is still looking for a Journey song that the club hasn't performed yet.
As this power struggle plays out, we see Kurt and Blaine's relationship progress, albeit through the eyes of a ticked off Mercedes. It's nice to see Kurt finally have someone to relate to and chat with, but, God Damn, he was dick to Mercedes in this episode. Mercedes thing with the tater tots was pretty stupid, but, as with everything in this episode, was taken to such glorious heights of ridiculousness that it is easily overlooked. The plotline that saw Will and Terri briefly reconcile was also interesting, and handled better than any other plotline between the two so far in the series.
But, the main focus was Mrs. Holiday, and boy was it a good focus! Gwyneth Paltrow guest stars as the substitute, but it's not a just a movie star cameo designed to ring some extra viewers. I mean, the total viewing population of Glee is probably bigger than some countries, so, they aren't exactly starved for an audience. Paltrow is fantastic as this spunky, fun loving, but ultimately damaged woman. She's hilarious, but also heartbreaking. And damn, can that woman sing!!
The songs this week were also a big step up from last week. They were all exciting, interesting, and each brought something new to the table. The "clean" version of Cee Lo's "Fuck You", as sung by Paltrow, was great, as was her and Rachel's rendition of "Nowadays" from Chicago. Will's and Mike's reimagining of "Make Em' Laugh" from Singing in the Rain was hysterical, and the last song, a mashup of "Singing in the Rain" and Rhianna's "Umberella" was the best song so far this season, and the dancing on the number absolutely killed!
"The Substitute" is, hands down, the best Glee episode of the season, and certainly one of the best of the whole series, ranking right up there with "Dream On", "Journey" and the pilot as the strongest of the bunch. There's talk of making Paltrow's character a regular. I don't know how I feel about that, but, for the time we spent with her this week, it was absolutely wonderful.
Also, how awesome was it seeing Beiste burn Sue when she tries to disband the football team with a "But then who are your Cheerios gonna cheer for?" Priceless.
So, now that Paltrow is out of the way, who's next for big name guest star? Javier Bardem is on the list, and Stamos and Chenoweth are sure to make reappearances. I don't care about any of those; I only care about one of them. Please let the rumors about Bruce Springsteen guesting the show be true. Please let be true. If The Boss were on Glee, so many dreams would come true!
Nice to see Finn's mailman incident come up again.
With Puck back from juvie this week, everything is back to normal within New Directions, or so it seems. In preparation for sectionals, Will decides that now is as good time as any to have the annual Battle of the Sexes.
With this as a foundation, the episode delves into some solid storylines. The comedic one, which involves Sam, Bieste, and pretty much everyone else, sees Sam taking Finn's advice on how to cool off when making out with Quinn, since she's not going anywhere past first base. So, Sam takes to fantasizing about Beiste, which is a huge turn off. Unfortunately, since he still hasn't grasped how things work around McKinley High, he shoots off his mouth, telling everyone in the club about is new method of killing the mood. Everyone gets in on the action, even Tina. Of course Beiste finds out, and shit goes down.
Another plot saw Puck being Artie's aide as part of his community service. What this entails is Puck intimidating kids into giving up money when he and Artie busk in the school yard, and showing him how to woo Brittany and Santana, though that one doesn't end very well.
The final plot sees Kurt as he finally meets another gay kid, the star of a rival glee club played by newcomer Darren Criss. This blossoming friendship helps Kurt muster up the courage to stand up to Karofsky, leading to a totally unexpected shift in the dynamic. That was well handled.
Plot wise, this was a great episode. Puck's return wasn't just a comedic thing, it was a real story that showed a more vulnerable side to him. Kurt's storylines so far this season have been aces, and the one about the kids cooling off by thinking of Beiste in neglige chopping meat is almost perversely funny.
There were some unbelievable moments in the plots though. I bought the ending of the Kurt/Karofsky face-off, and especially bought the aftermath, but I did not for a second believe that Will and Beiste would end their final conversation that way. That made no sense.
Music wise, however, this episode sort of sucked. There was only one number that really popped, that being the girl's mashup of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Start Me Up". That one was awesome. The others were awful. Any time Katy Perry is played, I want to drill into my brain, even if it is sung by a bunch of uber talented men; the guy's mash-up was eh, but it was the first song of the episode that hit the nail into the coffin. For Puck's busking session, he and Artie sang Bob Marley's "One Love", and the show could not have fucked it up more. My GOD, that was horrendous! None of the songs had anything to do with the plot, making them all seem like complete afterthoughts. Also, what is it with the Bon Jovi and the mashups? Seriously, last year during this contest, the guys sang "It's My Life" with "Confessions". This year, the girls sang "Livin' On A Prayer" with "Start Me Up". What's next? "Wanted Dead Or Alive" with "Like A G6"?
...
Actually, that would be pretty cool.
On the comedy front, this episode was solid, though. Brittany didn't have much in the way of funny lines, but this was balanced out by Sue, who had tons. Her conversation with Quinn about how she thinks Sam is fantasizing about Bieste was hysterical! Also, the images of Beiste when the love makers fantasize about her, including one where she is doing ballet whilst smoking a cigar, are comic gold!
It was good episode, to be sure, but the lack of any decent songs brings this one down to the level of the season premiere. There are plenty of funny moments, and great story telling, but, this is Glee. If anything, we expect the music to be good, and it wasn't. Oh well.
On another note, Gwyneth Paltrow is guesting next week. Wonder how Coldplay feels about that...
They really like the tributes this season, don't they?
Never one to take a hint, Will starts off this week's Glee still trying to woo Emma. Upon hearing that she had a blast at a midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Carl, Will impulsively decides that the glee club will perform Rocky Horror for the school musical. Rachel and Finn immediately jump on the roles of Janet and Brad, Sam nabs the role of the monster, Kurt refuses to play Frank-n-furter, and instead gets Riff-Raff. Mike is forced to drop out of the production when his parents order him to, which leaves a gap in the cast that Will cannot fill. Enter Carl, who, as it turns is a Rocky Horror fanatic with a killer voice. He offers to step in for Mike as Eddie, leaving the role of Frank-n-furter to fall to Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Sue infiltrates the production under the guise of helping out so that she can run a piece on inappropriate content in schools for Sue's Corner. Will and Emma continue to just run circles around each other, and end with Will promising to leave Emma alone. Didn't he do that just two episodes ago? Jeez, the guy just doesn't learn.
The big theme this episode is body image, as both Finn and Sam will be forced into revealing outfits for their roles. This doesn't bother Sam, who apparently has aspirations to become the next Stallone or something given how much he works out and the diet he adheres to. Finn, on the other hand, is terrified of appearing on stage in nothing but his tidey-whities. It's an interesting concept that Glee hasn't covered before, and it is handled surprisingly well.
Musically, this week is on point, though that's not saying much. The music of Rocky Horror isn't exactly the epitome of the rock opera, if you ask me. Still, the cast does a great job with their songs. "Time Warp" is a lot of fun, John Stamos' rendition of "Hot Patootie" is a rollicking good time, and Finn and Rachel's, albeit quick, cover of "Dammit Janet" is absurdly funny. There are a couple of blemishes though. The best song in the whole thing, "Science Fiction/Double Feature", sung so wonderfully by Santana, only lasts a couple of seconds. I'll admit, it was funny to see Emma sing "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me", but here voice is surprisingly weak, and didn't lend itself well to the song. And what the hell were the writers thinking making Mercedes Frank-n-furter? I mean, really? That was just stupid.
Comedy wise, this episode was strong. There were tons of great lines. I loved when Finn admitted to not knowing what was going on in the show, and not in "a cool-Inception kind of way." Becky's line "Give me chocolate or I will cut you!" was brilliant, and to see Santana being so forward about her desire to screw Carl was quite amusing. It was also hilarious to see the cast rehearsing with Will playing two roles. "Finn's line. Eddie's line. Finn's line." Awesome!
It's not the best episode so far this season. The whole Will/Emma thing just ends up in the same place as it began, and am I the only one who is getting weirded out by Will performing with the club? I don't know. Apart from that and few missteps in terms of music, this was a good episode. As a tribute, it probably could have been handled a bit better, but it was a fun time with plenty of laughs and a well delivered message about body image.
Well, after months of teasing and speculation, the big kahuna was finally delivered to us. Santana and Brittany finally made out!
This week's Glee started off on one of the funniest notes the show has hit yet, with Will revealing to the club that Puck is in juvie after driving his car into the front of a convenience store and jacking the ATM, cuz, you know, Puck's thug like that! Will sees this as a good thing though, because it leaves a temporary space for Sam, who has officially joined to club, to fill.
The focus of this week is duets. Each member of the club pairs off with another member and each group sings a song. Will, in a competitive mood again, makes it a competition, the winner getting a certificate for a free meal to this inexplicably popular italian joint. Anyway...
Artie pairs off with Brittany in an incredibly misguided attempt to make Tina jealous. He goes all the way with Brittany and, not surprisingly, immediately regrets it. Meanwhile, Finn and Rachel decide to throw the competition so that Sam can win, making him feel welcome in the club, Santana and Mercedes combine their respective diva strengths into one awesome amalgamation of bitchiness to win, and Sam schmoozes on Quinn, who is hesitant to engage in anything after the birth of her bastard.
Kurt takes on a big part in this episode as well as he finally comes to terms with the fact that his advances on the straight men of the club are making them uncomfortable. He finally realizes that he is as much to blame for Finn calling him a "offensive word that even I'm too much of a pussy to use" as Finn was.
Music wise, this was probably the best episode of the season thus far. All the songs popped and stood on their own. The big deal was that this was the week we would finally get to see Harry Shum Jr.'s Mike Chang get to sing a solo, although singing is a bit misleading. He had the male part in "Sing", from A Chorus Line, which is more a rap than anything, but, even so, it was nice to finally have him in the spotlight.
Santana and Mercede's song was awesome; Kurt's duet with himself was spectacular; Rachel and Finn's throwing of the competition was hysterical; and Sam's and Quinn's duet of Jason Mraz's "Lucky" was one of the best songs of the season!
On a character note, I'm interested to see how the events in this show effect Brittany. The episode ended with Artie telling her off about how cavalier she is with sex, and, shockingly, it seemed to resonate with her. And am I the only one who was touched when it panned to her pushing a meatball with her nose all alone? Are we finally going to see Brittany act like an actual human being? I hope so.
All in all, great episode. It's without a doubt the best of the season so far. Plenty of comedy, great songs, a good drama add up to a quality hour of television.
Glee got serious this week! In a big change of pace from last week's insanely entertaining, but ultimately unimportant Britney/Brittany, this week's episode sees Will and Co. tackling religion and how each member of the club views that tricky subject.
It all begins when Finn makes a grilled cheesus, aka, he sees the face of Christ in the burn marks of his grilled cheese. This hilarious concept turns into one of the heaviest episodes Glee has given us. Kurt's dad, Burt, has a heart attack, and the prognosis doesn't look good. All the members of the club tell him to pray for a cure, while they do the same, but Kurt isn't having it. He adamantly believes there is no God, and cruelly, but understandably brushes off their help.
Meanwhile, Finn is praying to Grilled Cheesus for help with his everyday problems, namely, going farther with Rachel in the sack, and traversing the ranks in the football team. He accomplishes all this, but, big fucking surprise, has a realization that maybe it isn't right what he was doing.
Sue shows a significant more amount of humanity when she tries to stop the club from singing spiritual songs, as she shares the same opinion as Kurt. This doesn't stem from Sue's pathological need to ruin New Directions; it is actually a deeply personal feeling for her, one that we haven't seen from her yet.
Unlike last weeks Britney Spears focused episode, the songs in here all have connection to the plot and what each character is feeling. The only problem is that, while all the songs are well performed, most of them are so painfully obvious that the message is lost! I really dug Puck sticking to his mantra of only singing songs by Jewish artists, leading him into a rollicking rendition of "Only the Good Die Young". Kurt's heartfelt ballad of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", was beautiful, and, though I could see it coming from a mile away, Finn singing "Losing My Religion" was pretty good, if only because it's REM, and they rule! All the other songs, especially the finale, made me pull a face palm on myself. Both of Mercedes' songs were good, but, oh so cliched. Whitney Houston's "I Look To You" was nice, but Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge of Troubled Water" rang hollow. And then the finale. "What If God Was One Of Us"? Really? Can't you think of something a little less obvious?
Despite this, the episode dealt with the heavy subject matter very well, thanks in large part to the acting on Chris Colfer. As Kurt, he displays wonderful vulnerability, and does a great job selling it. Jane Lynch also does solid dramatic acting. Cory Monteith is alright as Finn, but I couldn't help but get annoyed by his character this episode. Kurt's dad is in the hospital, and Finn is still a selfish asshole for most of it. This is the same exact we've seen him go through countless times. I wish he would grow the fuck up already!
A good episode all around. Not perfect, as some song choices drag it down a little bit, but, for sheer dramatic content, this is one of the best offerings Glee has providing yet.
Also, I love how Mercedes says hello to her congregation! "Hey Church!" Awesome!
Glee this week picked up with, no surprise, the club bitching about Will's song choices for them for the homecoming assembly. Kurt is big on the idea of doing Britney Spears at the assembly, but Will, clearly still shellshocked from the club's scandalous performance of "Push It" from the previous year, is not having it! Neither is Brittany, who reveals that she has a deep seeded loathing of Britney Spears since their names are so alike (Brittany S. Pierce).
Meanwhile, Emma's new BF, an unrealistically good looking dentist by the name of Carl, shows up, and Will suckers him into giving the club a lecture on dental hygiene. This leads to Brittany ending up in Carl's chair, due to her having "the worst teeth he's ever seen"! He knocks her out with some anesthesia, and puts on Pandora. Lo and behold, what comes on, but Britney Spears. With the combo of the music and the narcotics, Brittany hallucinates that she is just as talented as the pop diva (which is not saying much; the talent of Britney Spears is questionable at best). This leads her to become drastically more confident and willing to perform Spears' songs with the club. Santana, Rachel, and Artie soon all jump onto the drug wagon, and all have Brittany inspired hallucinations of their own.
Meanwhile, Will is trying to become less uptight, thinking that it will impress Emma. Rachel and Finn are still affirming their love for each other. Artie is still obsessed with winning back Tina. Santana is still a skank, and Sue is still Sue!
First off, the big thing about this episode! It's Heather Morris' coming out party! Though she is beloved all around as Brittany, she hasn't had her turn in the spotlight, until now. I think I can sum up how she did in one word.
YOWZA!
Who knew she could do that? Not only is Morris absurdly hot performing all of Spears' risque moves to the likes of "Toxic", "Me Against the Music", and "Slave", but the girl can sing! Unless she has been autotuned all to hell - which, knowing this show, is a possibility - Morris has a damn fine voice! Her one liners are here in full force, so worry not. Did I mention she's absurdly hot in this episode? To see her baring her stomach in a green bikini top and tiny jean shorts with a snake draped across her shoulders... I'm getting all hot n' bothered just writing about it! My out of control hormones aside, Morris' does a bang up job, and I really hope she gets more solos in the future!
The music in this episode was really good, and this is coming from someone who greatly loathes the artist who made it. The inclusion of Spears' songs is good for the show, though nowhere near as effective as "The Power of Madonna". The songs didn't really mesh with the story, since most of them were just hallucinations where the characters relived the music video of said song. As if to further drive home the fact that the writers weren't as inspired by Britney as they were Madonna, the episode ends with Paramore's "The Only Exception". What?
Speaking of weak points, Will's plot line of becoming less uptight was also not up to snuff. The show took it in some weird directions, as when he performs "Toxic" with the club on stage in front of everyone. There were some comedic moments, both involving Jacob, that were too over the top, even for Glee. The "Britney Spears sex riot", as Sue called it, was funny, but took it way too far, though the punchline of Sue getting trampled and threatening to sue Will was great!
John Stamos' Carl is a nice introduction to the cast. Sam and Sunshine are nowhere to be seen this week, further driving home the fact that they were just afterthoughts to begin with, and Bieste only made a brief appearance. All the other regulars are fine, but it's Morris who really stands out in this one. Her performance singlehandedly brings this episode back up to where Glee was before the lackluster premiere. Atta girl Brittany! Maybe you're not so dumb after all!
I've endured your scorn and ridicule for many things! My obsession with Muse. My recommendations of films that are generally loathed. Hey, Transformers was goofy fun! I was alright with that! I'm prepared to endure a whole hell of lot more after this; I really like Glee! I'm not a Gleek, but... well, no, actually, let's not mince words. I am a Gleek, and proud of it! Sorry, I like the show! So, in honor of this, I'm going to do what all good people with unhealthy obsessions do; write about it.
Tuesday night marked the beginning of the new season, and saw Will Schuester's glee club reeling from their loss at regionals in the season finale! Rather than push forward with new stories, the writers of the show pulled a fast one on us, and hit the reset button! So, we see all the kids start again. Just when they thought they were slowly climbing the social ladder, fate came down like a demon bitch and kicked them back down to the bottom! So, Kurt is still getting slushies to the face; Rachel is still a controlling pain in the ass, Puck and Finn are still obsessed with being cool and popular, Artie is still depressed, and Brittany is... well, she's still Brittany, but that's not a bad thing!
That's not to say that everything is the same, oh no! The show opens with Will and Sue "le gasp" on good terms, united against a common enemy in the form of new football coach, Shannon Bieste. That's pronounced "beast". It's french! Tina is dating Mike, having displayed extreme shallowness and dumping Artie because he wouldn't put out. Quinn, having given birth to her bastard, is ready to be the queen of the school again, which she accomplishes all too easily thanks to her exceptional bartering skills! And Santana comes back to school with a new set of, umm... assets!
The club is eager to recruit new members, leading them to single out two individuals! The guys scope out a transfer student by the name of Sam, who is clearly destined to be Kurts future plaything! Just sayin'. Rachel runs into a foreign exchange student by the name of Sunshine, who has a killer voice. But, of course, Rachel's epically huge ego gets in the way of Sunshine joining.
Ok, so, now that you have the set up, how was the episode! Well, the opening, which saw Jacob addressing all the complaints that real world have lobbied at the show, was brilliant. And then it was downhill from there! None of the songs really carried much punch! The "Telephone" duet that Rachel and Sunshine take part in in the girl's bathroom is alright, but the best part was Sue's perfectly timed "Shut up!" at the very end. Sam and the guy's rendition of "Billionaire" sucked, and Rachel's finale was the exact same thing we've seen her do countless times.
Thankfully though, the best part of the show, the humor, is still here in full force! Sue has some great one liners, as always, and everyone of Brittany's lines, all two of them, are solid gold! There is also some great line delivery on the part of Puck.
The actors all play their roles in the way we've gotten accustomed to. Nothing's really changed, and the newbies don't stand out, with the exception of Dot Jones' Bieste. This highlights my main issue with this season premier! It's treading old ground too much! It's only the beginning, so, I have plenty of hope, but, this is not the Glee I know and love! Come on guys! Give me some feeling!
