I watched the last 5 episodes of season 1 yesterday, so some thoughts on those before I get to tonight's:
-This show is kind of fickle. Examples: Quinn's freaked out by Terri's...well, freakish behavior (waiting for her in her car, for example) - no, she's going to give the baby to Terri - no, she's keeping it (she even sings so!) - no, she's giving it to Terri again - no, she's giving it to Rachel's mom, who she JUST met and mistrusted because she's the coach of Vocal Adrenaline and used Jesse as a spy; Mercedes and Puck are
sort of going out, even if Mercedes knows Puck's only doing it to boost his flagging popularity, and Santana is jealous/wrathful - oh, I guess that's done; Emma and Will are holding off on being in a relationship so that Will can take some time to find himself and Emma can take some time to work on her OCD - no, Emma's done waiting for Will and now she's dating Uncle Jesse; Rachel and Finn are finally going out - no, they can't be together! - Rachel is going out with Smarmy Guy from Vocal Adrenaline - no, they're through, because she did that video with Finn and Puck - oh, they're back together apparently - Jesse's a spy, but now he's really falling for Rachel - now he's breaking it off for no actual reason, but with Drama! - now he's slushee-smashing Rachel and acting like
she ended it. Now, maybe I should take this show more seriously, but I must say, I don't have a problem with most of
Glee's examples of turning on a dime like this. Also, it's a show about teenagers, of course it's gonna change its mind a lot.
-I'm a huge fan of
Pushing Daisies, and I'm so happy for Kristin Chenoweth for getting this great role on a good and successful show. I hope we see April again, just...a little more together next time.
-Mercedes and Santana dueling it out on "The Boy is Mine" took me way back; I remember when that video came out and played constantly on MTV (you know, when MTV played music videos). I wonder whatever happened to Brandy and Monica. Besides obscurity.
-The character of Jesse (AKA Smarmy Guy) was obviously a contrivance, but it's one the show had to go for; it's the
Glee version of
Romeo & Juliet, it's too good an opportunity to pass up. Howwwwwwwwwever...I think he should've been brought on earlier in the season. At the point when he
was brought on, we wanted Finn and Rachel together, so Smarmy Guy was just a stalling move.
-Idina Menzel as Rachel's mom, I KNEW it! I mean, I didn't
know it, but I knew it! Again (but even more so), too good an opportunity to pass up, because Lea Michele...well, Lea Michele doesn't just look
strikingly like Idina Menzel, doesn't just look like her daughter, but I am convinced that she stole her DNA somehow.
-My problem is, they dropped that storyline so quickly. I know I said above that I usually don't mind the gear shifts, but for every rule, there is an exception, and it felt like they dropped the ball on this one. It's true that in real life, we rarely have those perfect, clean emotional moments, and I like that Rachel and Shelby didn't run into each other's arms in slow motion and weep, but I feel it was somewhat of a missed opportunity. And they said goodbye by singing "Poker Face." Which brings me to my next point...
-A Lady Gaga episode. Seriously? I knew about the Madonna show (which was great), because it was hard to
not hear about it, even if I wasn't watching the show then, but I didn't expect this one. I didn't expect it, because Lady Gaga does not deserve a tribute episode. Maybe she will eventually, but not yet; Britney was easier to understand, at least the glee kids grew up with Britney's music. You know, I'm curious about the Springsteen-or-MJ episode - I want to see how they can make
that about female empowerment too. Seriously, though, these three single-artist episodes do harp on pretty much the same theme, with only minor variations - I'm not arguing against that theme, but in the cases of Gaga and Britney, it felt more like they were justifying the idea of doing an episode around this artist. I enjoyed the rest of that Lady Gaga episode, though, especially Vampire Tina scaring the whits out of Principal Figgins.
-I cringe a little at every moment where Sue shows that she actually has a heart (even if it is a three-sizes-too-small Grinch heart): when they introduced the sister with Down syndrome, when we saw that she actually voted New Directions 1st place at Regionals, the last moment of tonight's episode, etc. And then I think about it, and (1) those moments have been working, much to my surprise, and most of the credit for that should go to Jane Lynch, who should get just as much acknowledgment for being a damn fine actress as she does for tossing off a biting one-liner, and (2) if it was the opposite situation, and we
never saw Sue being less than the cruel, domineering supervillain, that would mean that they'd have to keep pushing that, to the point where she is an annoying caricature.
-I LOVED Olivia Newton-John playing this mean, conceited, condescending version of herself.
-Loved Emma flipping out on Figgins when it looked like he really
was going to cut the glee club. Talk about cathartic.
Favorite Sue Sylvester Quotes
-You know, for me, trophies are like herpes. You try to get rid of them, but they keep coming. You know why? Sue Sylvester has hourly flare-ups burning, itchy, highly contagious talent.
-That's what they said about a young man in Chicago in 1871, who thought he'd play a harmless prank on a dairy cow of one Mrs. O'Leary. He successfully ignited its flatulence and the city burned, William. That young terrorist went on to become the first gay President of the United States...Abraham Lincoln.
-So you like show tunes - it doesn't mean you're gay. It just means you're awful.
The Favorite Brittany Quote I Forgot To Put On My List Last Time
-I don't know how to turn on a computer.
Favorite Quote From Someone Whose Name Is Neither Sue Nor Brittany
-Rachel: I'm like Tinkerbell, I need applause to live!
I realized something earlier today: Ralph Wiggum and Brittany may be soul mates. Think about it: After Ralph Wiggum, what other character on television can you imagine saying something like, "My cat's breath smells like cat food?" Brittany S. Pierce.
Okay, now onto "Grilled Cheesus"
-Chris Colfer will be nominated for an Emmy again next year, and this will be the episode they submit. Not only is he that good, this is probably his best showcase episode to date.
-With the promos advertising an episode focused on faith, and specifically Kurt's crisis of it, and featuring "Only the Good Die Young," I did think, "Oh man, they're gonna kill off his dad, aren't they?" That hasn't happened, and I'm hoping it doesn't.
-Does anyone else think "Only the Good Die Young" was, as a choice, totally fitting, but, in execution, rushed and not placed very well?
-I'm not a Beatles fanatic, but I am sensitive to/more critical of Beatles covers far, far more than I am covers of anyone else. Kurt's take on "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was good, really moving.
-Sue's arch-enemy is Mary Lou Retton!

-It was good to see Finn with a fun comic-relief subplot. I liked his version of "Losing My Religion" too.