Are you kidding me? For weeks I’ve been complaining about Glee being too dramatic, and then “On My Way” hits me out of nowhere, like … well, I think you can imagine the correct metaphor after watching this episode.
All of the promos guaranteed some fun-filled songs at Regionals and the hilarity of Sue being pregnant, so I was completely unprepared for something as tragic as Karofsky attempting to kill himself after he gets outed. It’s one of those incredibly sensitive issues that, to be perfectly honest, shouldn’t be taken on so directly by a light, silly musical comedy like Glee.
The step-by-step scene of Karofsky preparing to hang himself was definitely haunting, but also painfully jarring. Suddenly nothing else in this episode, not even Rachel’s wedding to Finn or the outcome of Regionals, seemed important. The Karofsky storyline just kind of hijacked the story and gave it this heavy cloud of “a very special episode.”
To Glee‘s credit, I really like that they included one of the least popular opinions in the form of Quinn, who felt sadness for Karofsky’s family, but not him, calling his suicide attempt “selfish.” That’s harsh and might seem mean, but it’s the way some people feel, and I appreciate that Glee included it.
What I don’t appreciate is Mr. Schuester’s embarrassingly uncomfortable speech about how he almost killed himself as a kid when he cheated on a test. It doesn’t quite have the same gravity as dealing with teenage homosexuality and it made me feel kind of gross and offended when he was talking. For him to compare himself to this situation is just wrong.
I also resent the simplistic storytelling of Glee, because they totally used Karofsky’s suicide attempt as a deus ex machina for Sebastian. It’s just an incredibly easy and pointless way to put an end to his ridiculous storylines. Luckily, before turning good, Sebastian did make a clever joke about Tina being sick, which I guess is Glee‘s way of addressing the big mystery: Where in the World is Tina Cohen-Chang? Although I have no idea how Sebastian would know about Tina’s health or Rachel’s engagement. Perhaps he has a mole inside New Directions.
This whole thing gets wrapped up when Kurt visits Karofsky in the hospital and says “It gets better” without actually using those words. He has Karofsky envision a magical future 10 years later where Karofsky is a successful sports agent with a hot life partner and a cute son. That’s nice, but it’s also incredibly unrealistic. I’m all for encouraging gay teenagers to stay optimistic, because it really does get better. But that doesn’t mean it gets AMAZING. It doesn’t mean that all the bad things disappear and you never need to worry about them again. It’s just plain lying if you promise all gay teens that their lives are going to be perfect.
Regionals
This was all prelude to the 20-minute intermission, by which I mean Regionals performances. Did we really need to see BOTH Warblers performances? There aren’t even any series regulars in the group.
Also, are ALL of the Troubletones in New Directions? Because I haven’t seen any of those girls who performed with Santana, Brittany and Mercedes at any of the rehearsals. And I really hope that the third glee club from Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow is a shout-out to the all-girls Catholic school Donna was sent to on That ’70s Show.
After a stupid and unfunny vampire judge (which is a rip-off of the stupid and unfunny clown judge from Sectionals), New Directions wins, naturally. Part of me was hoping Sebastian’s shameless attempt to score sympathy by raising donations in honor of Karofsky would sway the judges’ emotions and score an upset victory for the Warblers, but there was never any chance of that since New Directions winning Nationals is the ONLY way this season will end.
Oh Yeah, Then Quinn Got Hit By a Car
As if Karofsky’s suicide attempt wasn’t enough of a PSA, Glee manages to cram in another one about the dangers of texting while driving. Yes, throughout the episode Quinn seems to finally have her crap together and Sue even lets her back on the Cheerios for her senior year before going off to Yale. But then, on her way to Rachel’s wedding at the courthouse (which will hopefully be stopped by this tragedy or one of Hiram’s cockamamie plans), Quinn texts Rachel and gets blindsided by a truck.
I hate to admit this, but the accident actually made me laugh. Following the intense seriousness of Karofsky, the whole set-up for Quinn’s accident was so obvious during that final scene that it almost seemed like a joke. The cutaways to the texts. The giant tractor in front of her. Anyone who’s ever watched TV before knew what was coming. It’s hard to be serious about not texting while driving after dealing with gay teen suicide. I wonder if this is God’s way of punishing her for calling Karofsky’s suicide attempt “selfish”?
Glee Poll: Should Quinn Die?>>
The worst part is that we need to wait until Tuesday, April 10 to see if Quinn survives, Finn and Rachel get married and, most importantly, who is the father of Sue’s baby. OK, that might not seem the most important, but I’m still interested.
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
