Glee

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#101

well, another episode that felt like it’s missing that ensemble feel, even though everyone seems to be in it. I guess the plot is seperated into pairs, and the parallels brings the story together. But for the most part, it still feels like chunks.

i liked some of the songs tho. Especially the ones they sing in group. Like What It Feels Like For A Girl, Like A Prayer and Like a Virgin.

I have to admit… Sue Sylvester sing Vogue is hilarious too… especially during the rap part…

stroy-wise, so much has been moved forward. Fin lost his, Rachel and Emma didn’t. Since Santana only did it to boost her cred, Fin is unlikely to keep his lie. Jesse joining the Glee club only makes thing worse. Now when Rachel finds out that Fin lied about it, it would only make her turn away from Fin more. And we all know Jesse’s betrial is down the road, which will leave Rachel with nothing. Things don’t look very bright for Fin and Rachel…

The good thing is now Kurt and Mercedes will get to sing more on their own with the Cheerios.

It is good, but not great… season 1.0 isn’t all great either, but i am waiting for the first great episode for 1.5

#102

even though I think it’s physically impossible, but if anyone who can do ballet and still be able to belch out a song, it’d be Leah Michelle…

#103

Now that we are four episodes in I would like to weigh in. The first two episodes of the second half of the season were ok, but in my opinion were specifically designed to embrace a new audience of people who had heard about the show but hadn’t seen the first half of the season. They were good, but they weren’t great. The Madonna episode in particular seemed all fluff no substance with only a few moments of brilliance.

Just as I was beginning to believe that Glee had lost its spirit they hit me with the third episode, Home. Home is everything I love about this show and may even trump my favorite, “All the Single Ladies” episode. Here you have complexity, richness of character, hi-larious comedy and deeply poignant themes without becoming sappy or overwrought. It dealt with the concepts of family, self-esteem-worth-body images and once again primarily relied on the B-cast (except Finn) to pull the story.

Then we get our fourth episode Bad Reputation. This episode is as hi-larious as it is totally perverse and gut wrenching. Having Emma confront Will in the teachers lounge having been twisted and let loose by Sue was an act of masterful writing. Many parts of this episode fell a little flat for me…the whole “Glist” storyline itself was more of a writer’s tool to propel the characters. The ways the kids acted out was a little silly (and perhaps this is by design) but singing in the Library? Really? Rachel’s video using her three former heart-throbs was a little closer to the mark, but not quite there.

All in all I would say even at its worst Glee is the best thing on television, period. The only shortcoming which I hope they address is the music. Is it good? The music is always good and the singers behind it are clearly getting better. What the music lacks is the creative re-interpretation that gives it life and power. Right now I feel like they are doing a note for note cover of the song instead of making it their own. A small gripe, but a real one for me. I have had no desire to go and download a song they had just performed because I had to have it…the song weren’t that different from their originals and therefore unneeded.

#104

you said my mind. especially not making the music their own part.

about the last episode, I really loved what they did with Sue. I felt like that was one of the more Sue centric episodes. From her being taken apart, to she digging herself out of the hole by manipulating others to humiliate her enemy. And having her failure turned into giant success, and all her scenes with her sister.

I enjoyed every bit of Sue in this last episode. I know there will always be people saying they don’t want to see the human side of Sue. But there is nothing wrong with a horrible person who is nice to their families. And I think the contrast makes them even more interesting.

#105

Totally agreed. Sue (or any villain) can’t be a one-trick pony without quickly becoming a caricature. What is that observation? That those that are evil don’t think of themselves as evil…they think of themselves as righteous, correct and misunderstood. In order for her character to continue to be compelling she needs to be human otherwise we will no longer believe in her.

#106

I came late to Glee. I watched it on DVD quickly to gear up for the new episodes, so sometimes a show falls a bit flat when you have to watch it in real time after the instant gratification of DVD.

I’ve been pleased, but I have FF through much of the music, and I’m a musical junkie. I think you make some good points Solai, especially about what the network might do to the show to attract new viewers. Having two teens in the house, I can say that the show depicts an adult’s view of high school as it is now. The social groups really don’t care about anyone outside of their own group. There isn’t mixing of groups.

My favorite part of Glee is how the show treats the handicapped. I work one on one with a special needs student and I can tell you, there are a lot of gray areas. Everyone wants to do the right thing, and make the kids in these populations feel okay, but really it’s us who want to feel okay because we all get uncomfortable thinking about these “poor” kids.

Sue blasts all that feel-good BS out the door and I love it. She called her sister “handi-capable” and I love that too. When you work with mentally handicapped kids, everyone wants them to blend in: their parents, the administration. But they don’t completely blend in. How is my student supposed to feel like everyone else when I sit by her in class all day helping her? I absolutely love my job, but there are aspects of it I find frustrating in terms of expectation, how much do I push her to be like everyone else? How much to I sit back and let her just do what she can at her own pace? What’s the right answer?

Glee shows that paradox so well.

My second favorite storyline is the one with Kurt and his Dad. It’s so beautifully done.

#107

Really great insight Dawn. I totally agree with you, especially about how they are handling Kurt and his Dad. It resonates off the screen as being a completely honest take with a Father who you would expect to be intolerant and totally defeats that expectation over and over. He is loving, understanding and still struggles with the situation. Pure art.

As for my observation about the music, this last episode knocked it out of the park in my opinion. The songs were not fluff, they were critical to the plot, enhanced the characters and were well executed. My only minor gripe is I feel they need to get back to interpreting the songs instead of doing straight note-for-note covers where the chorus is basically forgotten and the lead is mimicing the original. Think, “Don’t Stop Believing” where everyone was involved and important in the song versus, “One” where besides a random moment it was basically a solo act.

Small gripe. The show is getting back in the groove.

#108

the first major Kurt/Dad story really was beautiful. this second try was decent as well. I can imagine what Kurt must be going through, seeing his dad with Finn and thinking he wasn’t the boy his dad really wanted.

oh… Britney… you gotta love Britney…

#109

this week’s Glee is the best since the hiatus…

I mean NPH !!! nough said! There are even some noises he makes that sounds like throw backs to Dr. Horrible.

I loved last week’s episode, but it is a little heavy. And the show’s titled Glee :stuck_out_tongue: This episode revealed so much. And Jessy finally is openly lovable. Even Rachel is a bit more lovable in this. Artie’s dance is AMAZING. They finally put Kevin McHale’s boy band back ground to good use. Matthew Morrison really can act!!! He didn’t just dress young and put on makeup, he really felt like a high school kid to me, like he was someone I know in those few memory scenes.

Overall, all the songs are in it for the story, and they were amazingly done. The plot and twists are pretty sweet. I can’t wait for next week’s episode, and that’s just like the old Glee.

#110

I agree that this is the best episode since it’s been back on the air. My first favorite is still the episode from the fall with Artie and the reveal of Sue’s handicapped sister (for reasons see my previous posts). Maybe it’s the Artie thing for me, because they treat his disability with such honesty. And the actor is amazing too.

I’m very happy with Glee.

#111

I am a little amazed by how often they use auto tune though. I mean these are broad-fraking-way actors. I heard a bit of auto tune in the Dream On duet. That was Matthew Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris!!! Why autotune any one of them…

By the way, this is also the episode directed by Joss Whedon

NPH + Joss Whedon, no wonder this episode was so perfect.

And Joss did a masterful job with the mall dream dance sequence.

#112

I have to admit that I have a touch of dread for the upcoming Lady Gaga episode. The Madonna episode in my opinion was tolerable, but a little forced. I know they will be able to pull it off with style, but I hope this isn’t a pattern the show falls into in the future.

#113

it’s like they want to force the story into the songs they picked instead of the other way around in the Madonna episode. They are releasing it as a separate CD, so maybe it’s about CD sales.

I dunno… the Madonna episode was fun but doesn’t have any impact and felt a bit gimmicky… hopefully there won’t be as many episode like that.

#114

During tonight’s episode it hit me- that thing about the post-break Glee you were talking about Solai. The quiet disconnect, the meh music. Tonight I felt like I was watching American Idol and Lady Gaga and Kiss were the guest judges. The episodes have felt like theme nights, rather than the character driven show we all love.

Musicals (which I love- West Side Story being my favorite) use song to further character development, not in place of it. In writing there’s always the debate about character driven or plot driven fiction. I feel like Glee has moved away from the character driven stuff in favor of plot (how can we work the story around this week’s musical guest?)

I’m not a hater, I really like the show, but I hit the FF during Rachel and Shelby’s song. I’d just had enough.

#115

The episode itself left me a little torn. The whole Lady Gaga thing worked in my mind on the two levels they played it: Expressing one’s self and the beauty of her music. Unlike the Madonna episode they didn’t feel completely obligated to only use Gaga’s music and the moment of Finn walking down the hall in the red shower curtain made the episode for me. Oh, and the Kurt Dad scene after Finn reacts to decorating choices? Brilliant. I love Kurt’s Dad.

The Poker Face song I struggled with a little. On one hand it was beautifully crafted and an interesting approach in making it a duet. My one main problem is, and we are all adults here: the song is about sex. Whether you follow the story that the Poker face is one that is worn during sex while you are fantasizing about someone else or the very low brow interpretation (poke 'er face…I’ll let you do the math) I had a hard time getting beyond this.

Taken at face value (pardon the pun) the song is meaningful. They acknowledge the relationship they have with each other but can’t openly acknowledge it. Thus they have to wear their respective poker faces when they see each other.

I think I just talked myself into liking the choice of the song and feeling a little silly for weighing it down with my own baggage. I will now repent by purchasing a copy. :smiley:

#116

While Kurt’s dad speech was good. Kurt himself has got to be one of the most insensitive people on the frakkin planet. Seriously. How could he think that was even remotely a good idea.

#117

I’m going to defend Finn concerning Theatricality. First off, was he wrong in using the “f” word? Yes, but I understood why he did it.

First off, Kurt has been coming onto him more aggressively in the last few episodes since his dad has been dating Finn’s mom. Little by little, Finn’s notion of his life has been torn apart. I understood his mom getting rid of her dead husband’s things and trying to start making a new life for herself. I understood Burt trying to make Finn feel more comfortable almost to the expense of tearing his relationship with Kurt apart (and Kurt’s own anger towards that). But then he’s thrown into moving in with Kurt INTO Kurt’s Room with only a sparkling cider toast’s warning. His look should have told his mother, Burt, and Kurt that he was very uncomfortable about this and NO ONE asked him anything. He was given $300 (which Kurt took away) to make the room his own, and when he got back, it was a place even I would feel uncomfortable living in.

Add on top of that that while Finn likes Kurt as a friend, Kurt has been slowly violating Finn’s personal space like a frog in slowly boiling water. The room was the last straw and he snapped. I seriously doubt that Finn is a homophobe, even a closeted one, but when we are pushed too far, our worst natures come out as a means of equalizing the situation.

Burt, who has been supportive but unsure about his own feelings towards his son’s sexual preferrence, should have understood that about Finn as he HIMSELF have been trying to work out his own feelings. But I understand why Burt did it as well. He was trying to affirm his love for his son by defending him. The problem was that his son was in the wrong here but Burt cannot see this.

And I am most disgusted by Kurt because he knew he crossed a line, but allowed his dad to treat Finn that way, playing once more into the victim/martyr role that he seems to be slipping into more frequently as the season progresses. This was the same kid that made proud when he made a grown-up decision to put his dream on hold in order to protect his father. How the tables have turned…

Again, Finn was wrong in using that word, but everybody else was wrong by not listening to the other words coming out of his mouth.

#118

DP and MovieDude point to many of the reasons that makes this show great. This is not a straight and easy narrative, this is layers of complexity. Kurt’s Dad says the right things but without knowing they are for the wrong reasons. The situation is not as plain as Finn using a hurtful word, it is the result of the slow erosion of Finn’s sense of self and family compounded by the fact that Kurt is trying way too hard (and for reasons more than brotherly) to accelerate the situation.

Brilliant.

#119

I am pretty sure Finn came back to Inara’s shuttle…

If it was Inara in there, but bet Finn would not have protested as much.

I think you are absolutely right about Kurt. Yes, Finn used the wrong word when he was in rage, and that was Finn’s mistake. But Kurt should not be off the hook just because Finn used that word.

Kurt is the one that pushed things to the place they are. Maybe he was blinded by his feelings for Finn, but that does not excuse him for intruding into Finn’s personal space and attempting to force Finn to change who he is either.

At the end of the episode, I still think Finn is the bigger man here.

About the themed episodes, I liked this one a lot more than the Madonna episode. It felt a lot more cohesive. And yes, the original Poker Face song is about sex, but we have been talking about how they should reinvent the songs, and they did it with poker face. When they were singing that song, I listened to the lyrics and I just hear how much they wished things could have worked out.

Besides, Rachel of all people chose the song, I would not be surprised if Rachel had no clue what the song is about.

#120

Any of you see the season finale of Glee yet? I predicted the ending since March when it was confirmed they were getting a second season. The Rocky/Apollo rematch will have nothing on New Directions/Vocal Adrenaline. After last week’s episode, I sooo want to see Jesse St. James get what’s coming to him. I was almost hoping that Rachel would jump on stage and take him to task in front of the judges.

I love how the show explains why the results came out the way they did because if I were to judge VA’s performance, it was soulless and more flash than substance. St. James can certainly sing, but there was no ensemble and nobody looked as though they were having any fun up there. I love Bohemian Rhapsody and I love how the show incorporates it with the episode, but just compare this performance to ND’s hair-raising rendition of Somebody to Love, which I’m sure Freddie Mercury is still beaming about from the heavens. They should have done Gaga or even Highway to Hell if they were taking the competition seriously.