260 replies to this topic

[TWoP Howard]

From Comcast.net:

Rachel and Kurt audition for the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts, and Puck makes a choice concerning his future after he has a meeting with his father.

Puck has a father?

Edited by TWoP Howard, May 8, 2012 @ 4:22 PM.

[mustbekarma]

Damn. This episode was rather depressing. Rachel chokes during her audition. Shannon goes back to the asshole. Puck flunks his test even after studying that hard.

I want happy episodes, dammit. And I want Sue Sylvester and Black Sue to get all medieval on the abusive husband, stat.

Edited by mustbekarma, May 1, 2012 @ 8:05 PM.

[kcblue86]

I liked the episode. It made sense. I want a full version of Glee girls Cell Block Tango, though. Happy to see Tina sing twice without being interrupted. That's never happened.

Beiste needs a hug. As does Puck. Kurt gave Rachel a hug, so I don't feel the need to.

Aw, Sue bought Bieste 9 chickens. That's actually very sweet for Original Recipe Sue.

[merylinkid]

I know I have been asking for Puck to sing again. Please forget I asked. YUCK. I know he is the rebel, but his voice is not suited to heavy metal/punk songs. Not that TPTB on this show have ever bothered to match voice to song -- except Rachel.

Remember when Puck said he just wanted to graduate high school in the suicide storyline? Yeah, I don't think the writers do. Otherwise, why even have Puck contemplating dropping out. Of course, the writers have to fuck him over one more time the F. Geez.

The DV storyline was good. [snip] Cooter knows she has low self-esteem and is convinced no one else will love her. So he controls her that way. What I did not like was Sue's involvement. This is someone who belittles everyone. As Sugar so aptly pointed out. She also shoves students regularly. Violence is unacceptable. Period. Also, Sue continued the low self-esteem problem with saying she had a tent Dot could wear and six chickens in her freezer.

Edited by TWoP Howard, May 1, 2012 @ 10:23 PM.
Boards on boards

[mustbekarma]

Aw, Sue bought Bieste 9 chickens. That's actually very sweet for Original Recipe Sue.

HA! If that was intentional, Bravo! Otherwise, what a delightful Freudian slip.

[vienibenmio]

I'm actually glad that Beiste went back to him because it would have been really unrealistic had she left for good the first time. I was annoyed about the constant mentioning of "bad tempers" because DV isn't about someone losing their temper. I'm worried about what ideas they'll put forward with this storyline because Glee isn't always the best at handling important issues, and DV is an issue about which I feel very strongly.

Edited by vienibenmio, May 1, 2012 @ 8:15 PM.

[Demian]

Abuse has nothing to do with size though. It's about power and control.

Didn't we already get the domestic violence lecture from the episode?

Oh, and I love that the episode devoted to wife beating is called "Choke."

[BuffyAnnSummers]

My Rachel, why did they do this to you?

[QueenCharisma]

Dot acted the hell out of a really shitty storyline. Please stop with the PSAs for fucks sake.

[delplata]

I realize that Rachel wanted it so badly she choked..but pullease...why did they have her choke to that song.

This show.

Edited by delplata, May 1, 2012 @ 8:14 PM.

[natyxg]

OMG, it's like it gets exponentially worse as the weeks go by. I hated/disliked/was indifferent to every single storyline.

Thank god for the eye candy in Cell Block Tango.

Dot acted the hell out of a really shitty storyline.

That's what it was all about. Emmy bait. Doesn't she have one already?

[Demian]

That's what it was all about. Emmy bait. Doesn't she have one already?

She lost to Gwynnie.

[vb68]

I felt so bad for Rachel. That was not fun to see.

And that plot so isn't over for Bieste. I fear she'll end up in the hospital or worse.

Are they trying to a subtle recon on how dim Sam is with his lines lately about "his head hurting after tests" and so forth? I know he has dyslexia but didn't think he was suppose to be d-u-m-b.

[Colonel Green]

So after relying on "edgy" humour for three seasons we get a story about how some things are never funny? Writer hypocrisy readings are off the charts!

For the record, I subscribe to to Parker/Stone view that you can't cordon off some subjects absolutely without being hypocritical. Context can make a joke inappropriate, but no subject is inherently taboo, which seems to be the line the show is pushing here. I've seen some hilarious jokes about genocide.

On one level, Santana should have been called on her constant off-colour jokes eons ago, but the show has always encouraged us to laugh at what she says, so this sudden reversal is arbitrary and, as usual, delivered with an utter lack of self-awareness (well, actually, they did offer a few lame justifications for why this is supposed to be not hypocritical, but those were, as stated, completely lame).

Also, as usual, the show completely fumbles a serious topic. Why the hell is Beiste apologizing for not telling five schoolgirls about her personal life? Are boundaries at this school not only nonexistent but actively wrong? Why does she make a blanket statement about "your boyfriends" when two of the five girls don't have boyfriends and one of them never will (domestic violence is, of course, a feature of the LGBT community as well, but the wording is still off)? Why is she thanking the girls when as far as I can tell they didn't do anything intentionally? Why do the girls suddenly care a lot about Beiste when she's never interacted with any of them?

LOL, Puck failed.

Show, you can talk about how risky Kurt's audition choice was, but you have to supply an actual reason for that, because there was nothing risky about song, musically or lyrically.

[LimelightQueen]

So, a domestic violence PSA from the writers who brought you Brittany's alien invasion "joke" in First Time? Not appreciated, at all. Actually, earlier in the season people brought up the idea that Shane was abusing Mercedes and I said I hoped not because I didn't trust Glee's writers to handle such a heavy, sensitive topic in a way that wasn't heavy-handed, insulting and over-simplified. Good to see that I was right.

Oh look! A reason to keep Lea Michele on for another season!

Cell Block Tango and NeNe were the only saving graces in this episode. Oh, and Tina actually getting to sing (twice!)

[BlakeSpeare]

What I did not like was Sue's involvement. This is someone who belittles everyone. As Sugar so aptly pointed out. She also shoves students regularly. Violence is unacceptable. Period. Also, Sue continued the low self-esteem problem with saying she had a tent Dot could wear and six chickens in her freezer.

I had the same issue. We're supposed to think that it's fine for Sue to make fun of Bieste's size when she's at her most vulnerable moment, because Sue also said some nice things to her?

Sometimes it feels like the writers think that the audience will tune out if Sue doesn't get in a "zinger" every few seconds that she's onscreen, regardless of whether it works for the scene or not.

And I'm sure the writers would say, "Sue can't help it, that's just the way she is; the people who know her should just be glad that she isn't being completely hostile." And that justification - "it's just the way they are" - is a common excuse that people make for abusers.

Are they trying to a subtle recon on how dim Sam is with his lines lately about "his head hurting after tests" and so forth? I know he has dyslexia but didn't think he was suppose to be d-u-m-b.

Throughout his time on the show, they've thrown in occasional lines indicating that Sam is supposed to be an idiot. At one point, he mentioned that Will was the person who was finally able to teach him how to tie his shoes.

Edited by BlakeSpeare, May 1, 2012 @ 8:23 PM.

[spanky91088]

I thought Glee had hit the shit ceiling, but they proved me wrong. That writing was ATROCIOUS.

Dot deserves all the Emmys for making me feel for her with the way that was written.
Mark should not have sung School's Out, it didn't fit his voice at ALL. By far the worst he's ever sounded.
Santana was completely out of character since her whole gay repression storyline was resolved.
Finn sucks, but surely he'll get to be the hero...again.
Cell Block Tango was COMPLETELY inappropriate; but the girls were hot, so I dealt with it.
Shake it Out and Cry were the only songs worth listening to.
Rachel breaking down at her audition was probably the saddest thing I've ever seen.

[Marl]

Glee's Very Special Episodes would have more impact if they weren't every other episode.

But anyway, I loved Kurt's performance. He's just so freakin adorable when he gets to sashay around.

[DrScheme]

I'll give the writers this, I am super curious about how they are going to wrap up Rachel's story. Whoopi Golbergs character said "That's it". I'm afraid/intrigued about where they are going to take her. I wonder how many "pro's" that happens too. Is that really the rule, you miss dialogue and your off on broadway? How did Lea's nerves survive Spring Awakening? I felt even worst for her at her locker scene with Kurt.

Fave part of the ep was Rachel's monologue. She'll always be a little off-beat no matter how many hatchet's she buries with former foes.

But as usual, other than Rachel Berry none of the episode interested me much.

[Ranwing]

I have to give the show credit. Three very good storylines focusing on three very good characters. Am mostly impressed.

Bieste - Domestic violence stories are never easy to do well because they get preachy and while this one verged dangerous into the preachy zone, for the most part they kept it very, very believable. I liked how Sue and Roz came to Bieste's defence and tried to help her (as well as calling out the ND girls for their idiot comments) and Bieste's response was completely believable. First denial that there's a problem, and in the end deciding to go back to her husband and give him another chance. While I would have liked Bieste to have kicked Cooter's ass to the curb (as well as called the cops on him), I understand why she didn't. She has such low self-esteem and has been alone for so long that it's hard to just walk away. Here's hoping that Cooter doesn't blow his second chance.

Kurt - Always seen as the underdog when it came to getting into NYADA, he's shown that he has it within him to be a relevent stage performer. He learned from his mistakes with the WSS audition and threw down the best argument he could make as to why NYADA would be lucky to have him. It was an amazing performance on every level. His stage presnce is undeniable, his dance skills and his use of the entire stage for his audition shows amazing skill and growth. And those vocals were impecable. Probably his best performance to date. He threw caution to the wind and hopefully will be rewarded for it.

Rachel - I make no bones about the fact that I've been waiting for Rachel to finally be rejected for something that she wanted, and this was as painful as we're ever going to see. She completely psyched herself out and forgot all the lessons that Shelby had taught her back in the WSS auditions about the danger of playing it too safe. By picking to sing a song that she knew backwards and fowards, she spent all of her pre-audition time focusing on mentally building up the moment instead of actually practicing (which is something every actor needs to do, no matter how well they think they know the material). Rachel spent so much time making this audition the be all end all of her life that when the moment came, she fell completely apart. I felt more than a little sorry for her, but it's a lesson that she needs to learn. If she gets discouraged just from one bad audition, no matter how important the audition is, she'll never survive in the theater world.

As for the rest... can we cut Puck a small break? Let him do a makeup exam? And let me never have to listen to the ND boys butcher The Rain In Spain ever again. That was just painful. But Shake it Off was sublime.

[talktothemoose]

Are they trying to a subtle recon on how dim Sam is with his lines lately about "his head hurting after tests" and so forth? I know he has dyslexia but didn't think he was suppose to be d-u-m-b.

He just learned how to tie his shoes last year.

(I fear they're trying to turn him the male Brittany...)

How did Lea's nerves survive Spring Awakening?

Duh, she had Groff. Who could focus on anything else?



Overall, this was just dumb. All the plots were eh at best. Puck's dad showing up for one scene was literally stupid. I thought we would get some kind of domestic violence backstory there, too, but not to be, I suppose...

This is the least Blaine has ever annoyed me. Like literally ever.

Also, Shake It Out was GORGEOUS.

[natyxg]

Santana was completely out of character since her whole gay repression storyline was resolved.

What defined Santana as a character (and made her interesting) was that she was mean, she was afraid to come out, and longed to have Brit. Now that she's out, Britt is with her, and her being too mean feels wrong because she's bonded with the group, they have no clue of what to do with her. It's like she's stumbling aimlessly.

[Ranwing]

Is that really the rule, you miss dialogue and your off on broadway?

Botch an audition the way Rachel did and you certainly will get cut in the first round. Can't keep your lines staight and you're not a big name like Bernadette Peters and they will find someone else to play the role. They don't fool around. It's a hard business to be in because everyone (unless they are a marquis name) is expendable. There's always another young hopeful waiting to get their chance so if you can't pick things up quickly enough, you'll be shown the door.

Carmen was actually very generous to Rachel in allowing her a second chance to try her song again. It's unfortunate that Rachel was so completely rattled that she blew it a second time.

[eireann113]

I'll give the writers this, I am super curious about how they are going to wrap up Rachel's story. Whoopi Golbergs character said "That's it". I'm afraid/intrigued about where they are going to take her. I wonder how many "pro's" that happens too. Is that really the rule, you miss dialogue and your off on broadway?

Well you really can't start over on Broadway. You can ad-lib around it. You have to be able to think on your feet and improv. You can't say to a Broadway audience, "Excuse me, can I start that scene again?" So if someone did that, they likely would be off, but dialog definitely can change night-to-night.

I'm really curious about what will happen. This episode left a lot of stuff unresolved. Will Puck really not graduate? And I really don't think Bieste's storyline is over.

Also, I absolutely love Kurt getting an unadulterated positive response for once.

[talktothemoose]

Oh, did Mercedes, Britt, and Tina have on the Regionals S1 dresses? If so, I think that's literally the first time they've recycled any of their "costumes."

(I wore the same dress through four years of show choir, so this bothers me to no extent).

[swingkidpt]

Oh, look. The writers remembered Rachel is Jewish. I almost forgot there were non-Christian characters.

At first, I thought it was inappropriate for a bunch of high school girls to perform Cell Block Tango but then I remembered a bunch of girls performed it for the dance show when I was in high school. But yeah, not about women being abused.

About the DV storyline, yes true to life but I don't watch Glee to get preached to. First, teenage pregnancy, then bullying, then teenage suicide, then texting while driving, now this? What's next? Someone gonna OD from huffing? Or the choking game? Please stop.

Where was Quinn?

[dragonfirelance]

Ok, that was brutal. Please tell me Marti Noxon of Buffy Season 6 did not write a domestic violence PSA because, and I say this as one of the few fans of that season, domestic violence as foreplay was pretty much the point of Spuffy. [snip] However, Santana did get to sing Cell Block Tango and Naya Rivera was in what looked like black leather so sat least they was a payoff. So yeah get Naya Rivera in black leather and I'll up with a lot. However, show cutting away from that to do more PSA was crime; I was almost in tears. Espicially since they didn't cut that long, bland shake it off number, god Smash did it better.

Kurt's storyline was blah of course he gets in to NYADA despite the fact that he isn't even featured in his own show chior group and doesn't really have any CVs despite the offscreen Cheerio nationals win in S1. However Rachel's was just heartwrenching. That first real failure at that thing you define yourself by is never easy, and Lea sold the heartbreak. Brilliant.

Puck's storyline was good, and I loved School's out.

Edited by TWoP Howard, May 1, 2012 @ 10:28 PM.
Lecturing, opinion as fact

[ArianaX]

So, sometimes no matter how hard you try and how much support you get, weakness is just going to win out and you're going to give in to it. And that's what you missed on Glee!

It was at least an interesting choice to have all three of them essentially fail and give in to the worst part of themselves, given all the schmoopy bonding and speechifying. It almost came across like the message of the Cell Block Tango was shown to be at least a more effective one than the emotionally supportive number. So does this mean we should hope she's carving a chicken the next time, too?

[mysticowl]

Interesting, for the first time they had a song that I've seen performed live (saw Hugh Jackman in his show when he came to Toronto, it was amazing!). I actually started out not liking Kurt's Not the Boy Next Door, but I warmed up to it as he went and enjoyed it by the end.

How boring and generic was "Cry" after "Shake It Out"? Oh so very boring.

Is this their way of keeping Puck on the show for another year? Meh.

[yellowpride]

I think I wouldn't mind Glee's PSA's so much if they didn't insist on making characters awful so that they can learn their lesson. I seriously don't buy that Santana would make a joke about domestic violence (particularly about a teacher) or that Mercedes and Tina would be laughing along with it.

Also, Shake It Out was GORGEOUS.

That number may have actually made their involvement in that story almost worthwhile (almost).