"is mandy patinkin in on this?"

[falulatonks]

Oh my god, falulatonks is going to talk about how bad a Glee episode is again. Right? WRONG.

1. I actually really liked this episode. I didn't find it entirely memorable, maybe, but I have no complaints.


2. Is this because of Joss Whedon?: I hate when this show tries for big, emotional episodes, where entire storylines are dedicated to trying to make you cry, because it doesn't ever work for me. This episode, though, was serious. The jokes weren't in every scene, the storylines are maybe a little bit sad - but I didn't realise this until it was over. I basically really loved the tone of this. It was low-key, not the usual over-the-top that Glee usually is, but it still felt like Glee, which was neat. Basically, I want Joss forever.


3. NPH, I LOVE YOU. I was on your side all the way, boy. I loved how he was used in this episode. Kristin Chenoweth seems to take over the entire show whenever she comes on, but Bryan Ryan was there for the perfect amount of time, the perfect kind of catalyst.


4. Dream On was excellent. Whenever NPH gets into "PERFORMANCE!" mode I love to watch him, and this was no exception. Plus they sounded so good. I keep randomly singing that falsetto right at the end because I keep forgetting I have a sore throat and end up coughing. (Then I do it again.)


5. I love that you can hear that both of them were singing Piano Man live during the recording of the episode. And that's great and all, but can I have an iTunes release PLEASE?


6. I'm OK with how obvious the Rachel-Shelby storyline is. For a while I thought it's a part of some ultimately manipulative, evil plan that Shelby had to make Rachel believe she's her mom - my reasoning for this was that Joss would probably look at the script, sigh, and go, "Guys, don't you think this is too obvious?" and the writers would roll their eyes and go, "No, it's not real, she's trying to manipulate her even more, GET IT!" and then Joss would approve. But there was that one shot of Shelby right at the end of I Dreamed a Dream and I decided it was too out-there.


7. Speaking of I Dreamed a Dream, god, wasn't that gorgeous? Just watching them gave me the chills. And as someone who's been singing since she was 8 (although I stopped this year, boo), I absolutely have to geek out about the pure, clean way Lea cuts to unafraid and paid in her first four lines - it's so beautiful. And the harmonies!! THE HARMONIES!


8. Rachel Berry, I adore you. Everything in the library as she hypothesised mother identities made my life. And I adore how she called Patti "Mother" throughout that first recount. Also, she made me want to leap through the screen and hug her by the end of the episode. She has NO ONE. (BUT HER GAY FATHERS, WHOM WE WILL NEVER SEE, APPARENTLY.)


9. GROFFFFFFFFFF. Why do I love you so much?!?! DAMN IT. I haven't flailed so hard at anyone on TV for years. When he got into that car dripping wet from the rain I literally threw my hands up in the air. and he's gay. I HATE YOU WORLD.


10. Yay, Jesse! I love that he's there for the mother storyline, not to spy on the team. I don't understand why he went into New Directions, though. And how does he think anyone's going to believe he isn't there to spy on them? But I'm kind of thrilled he gets that escape route, because this means there doesn't need to be any heartbreaking, only "amiable break-ups" or something and they don't have to be all "YOU BETRAYED ME!" during the finals. I hope this is what they go with. I want Groff on this show forever.
    
    And it made me twelve-year-old-girl!giddy when he told her performing for a sold-out audience is an inevitability and he doesn't want to miss out on her drama and smiled goofily even though there was no need to be acting and said he kind of likes her and just calmly listens to her ramble about rubbish ("was Mandy Patinkin in on this? FAVOURITE.) and all that - all this is why they're made for each other. just saying.
    
    (I'm also impressed that he hasn't run away despite having been in her room multiple times. Her tape player looks like unicorns barfed sprinkles all over it.)


11. Artie! And Kevin McHale's mad dancing skillz, although I was basically staring at Mike Chang/Harry Shum/Other Asian in the background for the entire song. (And I kept thinking about Turk dancing to it on Scrubs. Hey, remember that show and how seamless it was at mixing pathos and wacky comedy in twenty-minute episodes?)


12. I loved the video-camera mix-ins in the Safety Dance video - the "flash mob" vibe added so much to the song, it made it so much fun. I love that it really seemed like the kind of thing you could catch on YouTube. I liked that if you paid attention you could see random people from the cast joining in with the dancers, too. Basically I've watched this more than any of the other songs so far. :P It's such great choreography! Everyone's having so much fun!!


13. Dream a Little Dream was lovely. I thought Kevin was perfect. I don't think Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) can act, but she was great at dancing, although Harry Shum looked like he was holding himself back to match up with her (because he has MAD SKILLZ, YO). I loved the final shot - the profile of Artie's face, next to a blurry Mike dipping a blurry Tina in the background. Artie will never be able to do that! D:


14. OK, something I hate: I don't like the dialogue of this show. When they're not writing the funny one-liners (which are, admittedly, really funny) or setting up for a couple of jokes (which do, admittedly, turn out to be really funny), how on-the-nose everything they say kind of bugs me. It's awkward and clunky. The worst part of this is that some of these lines can be avoided, especially considering this is a TV show. They have the time to show what they want to show or set up, why do they keep telling?


15. The songs fit into this episode SO WELL. It drove me nuts. They've proved they can do it, why don't they stick to that?!


16. Actually this episode proves that they can balance interesting storylines with interesting characters and guest stars and good songs (with a nice variety of genres, too!), and that they can get great acting (Leaaaa) and some nice humour on the side (NPH's "LIKE PORN!" wail, the Mandy Patinkin, Rachel's sleuthing, Jesse's "seduce her"/"befriend her"/"whatever" thing, Sue being dastardly and fantastic in smaller doses, etc.), too. Why don't they do this every week!? DAMN IT.


17. Finally, the showbiz world in Glee is crazy competitive, oh man. NPH cast as Town Person? Both Idina and Chenoweth being turned away from Broadway?! Rachel Berry, I don't know how you're going to make it!

I really liked Doctor Who this week, but I just really want to say for the billionth time how much watching Matt Smith has being my central delight of every episode. It's not even Eleven, it's Matt Smith, acting and reacting to things and people around him, being crazy and just-enough-alien and ancient. It thrills me to watch what he does and chooses to do on a weekly basis, because I love experiencing every scene with him. He's just fantastic.

One day I'll update about "real life", whatever that is. But I'm sick! The doctor told me my throat looks terrible, all inflamed and torn or something. I've been banned from junk food for a few weeks. :/

-- rachu

Comments

[hyacinthian.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, falulatonks is going to talk about how bad a Glee episode is again. Right? WRONG.

LOLOL ARE YOU ME. BECAUSE...WORD.

I think Joss makes a lot of things better. omg I know they go overboard with guest stars, but I want an episode with NPH/Idina/Cheno. With them singing some sort of harmonized ultra-mutant-number of awesome.

Dude, I was totally with you on #6. With that scene in the car, I was like OF COURSE SHE'S ONLY PRETENDING TO BE RACHEL'S MOM TO ... DO SOMETHING ABOUT NEW DIRECTIONS?

LOL and Harry Shum looked like he was totally holding back. But they were cute, so I approve.

[hyacinthian.livejournal.com]

And I just want to say, the dialogue on this show is ridiculous. It's always SO clunky. That whole scene with the research had such clunky sentences that I was like NOBODY SPEAKS LIKE THIS EVER. AND THIS GIRL IS SUPPOSED TO BE 16 AND FROM OHIO. ESPECIALLY NOT HER.

[hyacinthian.livejournal.com]

Considering the handful of 'musical' episodes of 30 Rock, I would love it if she did so.

[la-petite-singe.livejournal.com]

I'm still not over being totally burned by Dr. Horrible, so I was kind of tense and "oh shit, who's going to die??" at the beginning, for a while, but EEEE! I loved it! NPH was fabulous and I adore him, and "Dream On" rocked my f-ing life.

Aww, Jesse! I love that he took it from "befriend" to "seduce," the little scamp, and YAY, he's really starting to like her! I knew he would.

Artie! And Kevin McHale's mad dancing skillz, although I was basically staring at Mike Chang/Harry Shum/Other Asian in the background for the entire song.

THIS THIS THIS I LOOOOVE Other Asian and his mad dance skillz. He is so fabulous and I was so excited that he and Brittany were in the "Safety Dance" scene from the start, because they're the best ones. IA about the dialogue (the thing with the stars/black holes was making me facepalm), but honestly, when the dancing/singing is that good, I can TOTALLY forgive it. Because I am a terrible magnanimous person. And also a total show queen.

[sonni89.livejournal.com]

YES, THANK YOU AND AMEN TO EVERYTHING YOU SAID. Haha. I completely agree with all 17 points you made about Glee. I don't think I've ever agreed with anyone about everything on an episode of Glee, so YAY! heh.

[beatkicks.livejournal.com]

WORD to your Glee thoughts! I would have liked more Kurt (NONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE BEST EPISODE SINCE POSSIBLY THE PILOT!), but it was great, really. Visually too. GET WHEDON TO WRITE SOME AND IT WOULD BE AMAZING. IDEK. I WISH.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yay for liking Glee!! I was SO sad when I realized there was no Piano Man duet :( :( :( Why can't they do a studio version too???? *cries* I also loved how much Rachel believed in Patti as her mom. I just know if she was in the real world, she would TOTALLY believe that Idina was her mom no question. LOVED Jesse as well supporting her and actually liking her although I wouldn't count the betrayal out quite yet. Loved the flash mob vibe so much, didn't mention that but the Youtube video thing was super cool and I loved seeing all the other glee club people join in.

[cashewdani.livejournal.com]

The lack of "Piano Man" on iTunes is a crime against humanity.

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

I had very little to complain about in this episode as well! Really, only Bryan Ryan's schizo characterization and some of the hamminess in the Tina/Artie scenes (yeah... Jenna isn't that fabulous of an actress). Basically, the characters don't talk like real people. When they're saying snappy one-liners it's fine, but who actually talks like those "follow your dreams" speeches?

I thought I'd hate or laugh at the Shelby as Rachel's mother thing (I was spoiled), but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was handled. The scene in the car was rather touching (and Wet!Jesse was rather delicious).

I think why I love Rachel/Jesse so goddamn much (besides the fact that they are pretty and talented and JGroff rocks my world), is that they are so fucking compatible. AND HE MAKES RACHEL HAPPY. This is of great importance to me. They can be musical theatre stans together. I really believe that they would make each other happy without having to change, and I never got the impression with any other Rachel pairing. Basically, JGroff needs to stay forever. I will be heartbroken if he doesn't. I'm super pleased that Jesse is a tool because that's his personality and not because he's there to sabotage New Directions. Yay! I mean, I suppose if they wanted they could still go for the Betrayed! angle but at least he isn't a total cad. I'm just sad because I think Rachel/Finn is the established canon OTP and that needs to be re-written immediately.

Ugh, god I love your Glee reviews so much. I sometimes wonder if the show deserves such thoughtful analysis!