GLEE Recap: ‘Original Songs’
March 16, 2011 by Samantha Simorangkir
Before I say anything else, I have to get this one out of the way.
THEY KISSED!
It finally happened. Anyone who roots for Kurt (and who doesn’t?), along with anyone who adores Blaine (and who doesn’t?!) has been waiting for this for a long time. The Klaine fan in me is very pleased.
But if I’m being nit picky, (and I always am) I’m not a huge fan of how it came about. Blaine hears Kurt singing “Blackbird” to his dearly departed Pavarotti — who, might I add, is a yellow bird — and all of a sudden, he’s in LOVE? With the Kurt that he has been spending every day with, getting coffee outside of class, and having heart-to-hearts with on a daily basis? THAT is what it took for him to realize he wants to be with him? Yes, the performance was beautiful, and moving. I’m sad that Pavarotti’s gone too, but I’m just not buying it as that moment when things turned around for Blaine.
And, what happened to Blaine being incapable of romance — his original reason for shooting Kurt down? Is that still true, and is Kurt in for a world of heartbreak? Whatever…THEY KISSED! Yay. It is also noteworthy that Kurt finally stood up to Blaine about spreading the solo duties around amongst The Warblers. (Loved that he called them “Blaine and The Pips.”) I have had it up to here with Kurt being reduced to a back up dancer, so it is exciting to know that he will finally be getting more voice time.
Original songs on GLEE have been something I’ve dreaded ever since I first heard that it was a possibility. Well, it’s more like the sort of dread where you aren’t looking forward to seeing something, but you still really freaking want to see it. Like a train wreck. I just never thought the show would be an appropriate forum for original music — and I was semi-right.
With such low expectations, I wasn’t totally disappointed. “Get It Right” has some nice moments, and wonderfully-Berry glory notes. But on the whole, it sounds like every other female pop singer/songwriter sad song that is “radio friendly” in the worst way. I would have loved Rachel to have written something that was more legitimately a ballad — more Barbara, less Kara DioGuardi. The “Loser” song is just waaaay too HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL for my taste (and I actually love HSM to death, but GLEE should be GLEE). But the song seems to fit perfectly with the style of music they keep trying to incorporate lately. I actually didn’t mind Mercedes’ song. It is about damn time they brought back “Hell To The No” – her original catchphrase. *cough* back when the show was actually good *cough.*
The “original song” winners for me are all of Rachel’s duds – “Hairband” from a few episodes ago, and this week’s “Only Child” – and Santana’s “Trouty Mouth.” Rachel pouring her Broadway-inspired emotions into the most trivial of subject matter was absolute music-comedy gold. And with lyrics consisting of “guppy face,” more names of fish species than I could think of, and not much else, put to a sultry, jazzy tune, “Trouty Mouth” just killed me. Mike repeating the title to Sam as if he didn’t hear it was a nice touch, and a nice rare moment from Mike Chang. The writers must be jealous of Chord Overstreet’s lips, much like Ryan Murphy is jealous of Matt Morrison’s hair, because they just keep those fish face jokes coming! Puck’s song, oddly, I did not find funny. It was like the same joke that went along with “Fat Bottomed Girls” except this time with a song that wasn’t as good. Bo-ring. I am seriously so bored of Puck and Zises’ “relationship.” It seems like something that would have worked better as a one-off thing. Like Rachel’s crush on Schuester.
I wonder why Artie didn’t write a song? I bet he’d write a good one.
The biggest story line, besides Klaine and besides regionals, is the whole Finn/Quinn/Rachel fiasco. Okay, I know I said last week that I miss the Queenbitch Quinn, but I think I take it back. I don’t have a problem with her being cold and blunt, but I kind of do have a problem with her being straight up hurtful. She was so mean to my poor Rachel this week that I could barely handle it. Who is she to tell Rachel that her relationship with Finn wasn’t real? Quinn’s relationship with Finn was based on a LIE!
Then before the performance, when Finn said “break a leg,” I immediately remembered when she said the same to him last year, and he replied with “I love you.” And then they went out and sang “Faithfully,” and everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. Of course, Rachel remembered this too. What did she do to deserve all this hurt? I guess it sort of makes up for it when everyone gives her the MVP award at the end, and gives her a big group hug. Except not really because they all really hate her and are just nice to her when it’s convenient for them AKA when she helps them win at regionals. Writers — Berry needs a FRIEND. Someone besides Finn — a chick friend — who appreciates her for who she is, and can understand her passion and ambition and greatness!
I’m a big fan of the “judges’ deliberation” formula that they repeated from season one’s sectionals: two obscure characters and Rod discussing the performances through their own very filtered and often very twisted views of life — with a clever mid-sentence freeze-shot and caption to introduce them. Kathy Griffin’s Sarah Palin clone was neither here nor there for me. The jokes were cheap, and I thought on the whole it was a huge waste of Kathy Griffin. I loved Loretta Devine’s appearance as a stripper-turned-nun, because I thought she had the funniest lines of the three, but mostly because I love that woman to pieces. Though this has ruined any possibility of my wish for her to appear as Mercedes’ cool and vocally gifted aunt to come true. Or has it? Continuity, schmontinuity.
Isn’t it weird how there was ZERO suspense as to whether or not they were going to win regionals? Oh no it’s not, because they sang about nationals being in New York back in episode one, and everyone says “when we go to nationals” as if it’s a given.
The best performances of the night were The Warblers’ “Raise Your Glass,” Kurt’s “Blackbird,” and “Trouty Mouth.”
The best line of the night goes to that lady who went onstage to announce the winners: “My husband is abusive and I’ve been drinking since noon.”
What songs were your favorites?
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Finally, Klaine kiss is done and they are official 🙂
I do agree about Puck/Lauren being so boring and repetitive. Its basically with Lauren insulting Puck/Puck bringing up fat jokes.
But, I honestly loved the Quinn/Rachel piano scene. Quinn was harsh, but she was speaking the truth. Rachel is too big for Lima and she needs to stop looking for happy endings and worry about herself. Though it is sad that Quinn basically sees herself as a Lima Loser that will never leave the small town.
My one request: bring back Quinn and Puck!
Take off your damn Rachel Berry glasses and hear what Quinn is saying look at her face hear her voice crack when she says “You don’t belong here, Rachel, and you can’t hate me for helping to send you on your way.”. When Rachel brings up not giving up Finn. Quinn gets mad because Rachel is not listening to what she is saying so she gives up on opening Rachel’s eyes.
Quinn the HBIC let her guard down in front of Rachel and was telling Rachel how special she is and all Rachel could see was Finn.
I swear some of you need to be hit with anvils instead of seeing the subtle signs.
Leah – Whoa, easy on the violence there…it’s just GLEE 🙂
I agree that Rachel needs a real friend. Hoping we see more of her relationship with Kurt. But now that you mention it, I think they all could use one really good friend. It seems Tina and Mercedes are buds but they never really talk about it unless we see them walking down the hall together. Last season Mercedes and Quinn were developing a strong relationship but it seems like the GLEE writers just dropped that storyline all together (not that I should be shocked as the inability of GLEE writers to stay consistent with a story). Finn and Puck were besties…until Puck knocked up Finn’s girlfriend….always a bummer.
Anyway, LOVED LOVED the kiss. I was spoiled via Twitter (damn you Perez Hilton) but it was even better than I expected. I too wished that we got to see more of the evolution of Blaine’s feelings for Kurt, but no matter how he got there, I’m glad he did.
Great recap! My favourite line of the article: “I wonder why Artie didn’t write a song? I bet he’d write a good one.” I heart Kevin McHale and think that he has been underused (like oh so many others!) this season and want him to do something other than trying to be “gangster” and “rapping”!
I liked this episode but, like the rest of this season, didn’t quite love it!
And I know “everybody” loves Blaine/Darren Criss but I wanted to kiss Kurt when he called him out on solo after solo after solo!!
P.S. I agree with the Lauren/Puck assessment too…I just kind of block that whole thing out of my mind! Move on writers…build that relationship in to something real or put Puck back with Quinn, Rachel, Mercedes, or Santana (who, btw, is quickly becoming my favourite part of the show!)
Listen, I am crazier about Rachel Berry than I’ve ever been about any TV character ever before, but I think the writers are going for a Quinn/Rachel friendship. Quinn looked so sad and broken when she was trying to help Rachel write a song, and I’m sorry, but being mean to Rachel was clearly killing her. Quinn is clearly depressed, she knows Rachel is better than Lima and that she wants to help her break free. The Finn issue is really interesting. I loved him during the first thirteen episodes, however I’ve slowly come to despise him more and more. He is a pathetic excuse for a friend and a boyfriend. He’s AWFUL to Rachel, he constantly acts like he’s ashamed of her, only ever acknowledging her and her talent in private. He’s so mad at her for kissing Puck, yet he broke up one of his new best friends relationships so he could be with the girl who cheated on him and lied to him and clearly only wants to be with him because she’s depressed and has decided that being prom queen is going to be the highlight of her life. The fact that Quinn has resigned herself to her crappy future, and decided Finn belongs in there too, but Rachel is better than that speaks volumes.
Also, if you watch the first commercial they aired for this ep, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj1f4Neac8I there’s a shot in the beginning of Rachel and Quinn hugging and looking happy, and it doesn’t look like Quinn is faking to me, so maybe we’ll get a real friend for Rachel soon (yeah, Finn makes it awkward, but it’s Glee, they do not care about stuff that makes sense like that.)
Rachels little speech:
“I’ve always felt like the girl who never gets the brass ring and maybe i never will, but today, and at regionals, the way you guys believed in me and took a chance with me…. all i’ve ever wanted was to feel special and to feel chosen and i just, um… i wanted to thank you guys so much for giving me that.”
actually killed me, definite highlight of the episode for me, followed closely by Blaine and Kurt. I know people are all mad about how it went down, but I think Blaine kind of knew for a while, it just didn’t fully click for him until now, and I love that he just laid his feelings out there and kissed him. It was beautiful.
Great review! I think your point about Blaine is a great one — I guess they just needed to get them together so Darren Criss wouldn’t just leave after the Warblers lost, but it didn’t make sense knowing what we do about his relationship worries. And I think we all agree about the guest star judges — not that funny and a waste of talent…
Check out my blog for my full review!
Finn is clearly still in love with Rachel. He was a mess after she kissed Puck and with good reason. The only question is how he could actually go back to Quinn. I feel like his motives may mirror Quinn’s: feeling that Rachel is destined for things that leave him behind. I truly hope we get to hear what Finn’s feeling since he’s kept quiet about them since the Valentine’s ep. Finn and Rachel is the story here and always has been. Finn just needs to realize that he does not have to stay in Lima and be the unhappy jock that peaked in high school. He’s always had big dreams and while Quinn clearly doesn’t believe in him, Rachel always has.
Stephanie the problem there is that Finn and Quinn didn’t just end up together because they were friends who were lonely and missed the innocence of what they first had, Finn actively pursued Quinn, he fought for her, competed with Sam, and when they kissed Finn felt fireworks. He may still love Rachel, but he treats her like dirt, and when she was with Jessie he didn’t go to as much effort to win her over as he did with Quinn.
They will get back together before the end of the season, but I think it’s funny that you reason that Finn deserves Rachel because she believes in him, yet Quinn seemed to have more believe in Rachel than Finn does. It’s all very messed up, but hopefully Finn is going to wake up and realise the way he treats Rachel, like he’s ashamed of her when they’re in public is awful and Rachel deserves so much more than that.
As far as songs go – I enjoyed “Blackbird’, and was so happy to see Kurt not being a Blaine pip :-)…also liked Mercedes “hell no” song and the warblers second song at regionals. As far as the original songs go – my cynical mind keeps thinking that the reason the creators of the show are doing original songs is to get more airplay on the radio; which will help sell more records. I did like both the songs – and could listen to them again. I thought it was a great way for the show to do something new and different.
As far as the Blaine kiss – the whole starstruck reaction Blaine had during Blackbird was a bit much; but I loved the line “Oh, there you are…I’ve been looking for you my whole life”….awesome. Darren Criss is just such a phenom. I heard on a talk show that he had auditioned for Finn, but didn’t get the role (and he blamed it on his afro hairstyle he had at the time). Imagine this show with Darren as Finn? Wow !
What was with Sue punching out the announcer at the end? Will there be ramifications? Probably not…this is Glee after all.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me the appeal of Santana! She annoys the crap outta me and I haven’t enjoyed anything she’s said/done (except for that one song she had a little while ago).
I really could just watch “The Dalton Academy Show” and be just fine. Any chance of a spin-off? 😉
I couldn’t have been happier for Kurt and Blaine. i just hope the writers don’t screw that one up.
Quinn may be a snotty bit&*, but she is right. Rachel is too big for that “settle down” life.
And I am totally over the Lauren/Puck thing. Boring. Move on.