I don’t know what to make of this week’s episode of Glee. Sure, there were some high points, and it was a pretty enjoyable watch, but unlike the last few episodes this one left me a little high and dry. Am I just confused by Kurt’s turn? Or did you also feel it? Nonetheless, we’ve got some pretty good material to work with, and that’s how we begin this week’s gleeky wrap-up.
So what happened? Rachel lost her voice, which meant we got treated to her actually mangling a song (Miley Cyrus–perfect choice) but she has a little realization thanks to Finn’s paralyzed football friend. Puck gets back to the top of the popularity heap by dating Mercedes, and while it worked for a while, she didn’t feel comfortable about the set-up and neither did Santana. But props go to Kurt, who still feels uncomfortable after the events of two weeks back, and tries to impress his dad by going all butch on us by singing Mellencamp and making out with Brittany…
This week’s best, part one: Kurt becoming a guy…
There’ve been a couple of about-faces in the past few episodes. There was Mercedes, full of confidence in herself, suddenly out to get thin. And now there’s Kurt, full of confidence in himself, suddenly out to impress his dad by becoming a man. It’s funny and uncomfortable at the same time, and coupled with the ongoing storyline of his disillusionment after the events of “Home”, we have a winner. I’ve always liked Chris Colfer for how comfortable he is in his role, and he still deserves kudos for flipping and becoming this growling, macho man who reminds me of a cross between a hillbilly farmer and Toni Collette’s Buck in United States of Tara.
This week’s best, part two: Puck trying to hook up with Mercedes
Who would’ve thought that Puck was bad with pick-up lines? I don’t know if he was being offensive or just totally clueless. Then again, he only had to rely on his “great arms” to snag the ladies. Nice to see him get more exposure on the episode, both in scenes (especially after last week’s good showing) and singing (ditto). The results were pretty good, especially his take on “The Lady Is A Tramp” with Mercedes.
This week’s worst: Finn’s friend giving Rachel that realization
Don’t get me wrong here: I’m not saying it’s a bad development. Introducing us to Finn’s friend (is his name John?) is something you’d expect Glee to do after Sue’s sister Jean was introduced earlier in the season. But this felt totally forced into the episode, making Rachel’s epiphany–that she’s still all good despite temporarily losing her voice–very forced and unnatural. And the introduction to the final song of the night felt that way too. Or maybe it’s because I was also thinking, “They’re actually pairing her up with this guy, after Finn had the courage to tell her everything?”
This week’s best song: Kurt’s “Rose’s Turn”
After having to go through Kurt being out of his element again–after the Autotune of “$ Minutes”, he’s growling through Mellencamp!–it was nice seeing him back on his home turf. I’m not saying he’s only supposed to do show tunes (remember “A House Is Not A Home”?) but it’s a shame seeing his wide register mangled by such, uhh, manly songs. Thus, watching “Rose’s Turn”–his assertion that he’s got feelings too, and his way of declaring that he’s happy with who he is–is pitch-perfect.
This week’s quotables:
“You’re like a toddler with a loose lid on his sippy cup. No more juice!”
–Jacob, delivering the essence of being a nerd at the bottom of the heap
“I’m a sex shark. If I stop moving, I die.”
–Puck, showing his jaws… and failing, more or less
“You know what, I checked out of our conversation about a minute back, so good luck with your troubles, and I’m gonna make it a habit not to stop and talk to students because this has been a colossal waste of my time.”
–Sue barely made an appearance this week, so this works, right?
“I’m such a steaming mug of hot chocolate that one of the studliest guys in school wants to use me to harvest some mojo.”
–Mercedes, not realizing that I actually think she looks better with her old wardrobe
“Usually dip. Sometimes it tastes like burgers. Or my armpits. Kissing my armpits is really a big turn-on for me.”
–Brittany, explaining to Kurt how boys’ lips taste like
My thought bubbles:
So that’s where Quinn was all along. Now what? When Glee returned we all wondered whether Finn kicked Quinn out of his home after the sectionals fiasco. Now, all of a sudden, we know she’s living with Puck. Okay, that’s one answer provided for, but now what? Does this mean she’ll gravitate more towards him in future episodes?
Who would’ve thought Puck was that clueless? I mean, telling his dates how Super Mario Bros. changed the world? No wonder you’re not scooping MILFs…
Why wasn’t there much of Sue? I understand that she needs a breather every now and then, but remove a part of her in a Glee episode and we’re all left hanging. It happened before and it’ll happen again.
Are Jesse’s feelings for Rachel just a side effect of his plan to take down New Directions? You get the idea. He sabotages the competition but falls in love with one of them along the way, making him conflicted and troubled. Judging from last week’s promos–one of you on Twitter had this nifty theory that Jesse wants to make Rachel think Shelby is her mom–it seems the feelings are real, but so is the sabotage.
Finally, who isn’t excited for Neil Patrick Harris next week? Personally, I’m excited to see both Will and Bryan with ’90s looks. It’s a win.
(Image courtesy of Fox)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
