Glee-cap: Round 2

We’re back with another recap of the last three episodes of Glee. It’s a bit delayed due to some brief hiatuses the show took, but let’s be honest, I think we all needed the break.

Promo photo for FOX's Glee

Though the show still gets some of the best ratings on television right now, the ratings have slipped a bit this season. It’s probably due to the fact that it’s weird as hell. Let us begin:

Episode 4 – “Duets” – Given the ridiculousness that has occurred in many of the episodes this season, this episode was actually a little boring. As the title would suggest, the glee club splits up into pairs for a duet competition. Santana and Mercedes paired up to belt out an Ike and Tina Turner special, while predictable couples remained couples with Tina and Mike singing an uncomfortable yet cute version of “Sing!” from A Chorus Line, and of course, Finn and Rachel paired up. However, they changed it up a bit by choosing to throw the competition (gasp! Rachel?!) so that the new kid, Sam, will win and feel comfortable enough to stay in glee club and help them win whatever competition they are preparing for this time.

While Santana and Brittany are making out, they decide — I’m sorry, what? Why were they making out? I’m all for it, honestly, but couldn’t we have established this as a thing before just opening a scene with it? I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be real or someone’s fantasy until the scene ended with no one waking up from a dream.

Okay moving on, Santana and Brittany somewhat harshly separate and partner up with completely different people. After Santana takes on Mercedes, Brittany seduces Artie and makes him her partner, going so far as taking his virginity, proving sex is just a tool for her (can’t tell you how many times I did this in high school). Poor Artie, on the other hand, feels used and abused and drops out of the competition altogether.

Kurt has a crush on the new blonde (who doesn’t?), but Finn doesn’t want Sam’s bullying to go any further so he forbids the pairing. Instead, Sam ends up singing with Quinn, thus establishing that attractive blonde people always have sexual chemistry with one another.

Episode 5 – “The Rocky Horror Glee Show” – Like every other tribute episode the series has done, anticipation for this one was through the roof. Perfectly placed as their Halloween episode, Glee took on the 70’s cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Many changes were made, obviously, to make it fit in to the setting of a high school glee club, but some of these changes seemed unnecessary.

Much of the casting was pretty perfect, such as Kurt as Riff Raff, Finn and Rachel as Brad and Janet, and Sam as Rocky.

It got off to a pretty good start with Mr. Schuester wanting to prove to the no-longer single Emma that they still had things in common by doing this show. The glee members were excited about doing the musical, everything was fun and exciting. That is until Finn and Sam realized they’d be half naked in front of the entire student body. The show did a great job of showing that boys can also face the pressures of having the perfect body.

Then things got weird. Mr. Schue, always having to be the star of my nightmares, decides he’s going to rehearse “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me” with Emma. While Santana and Brittany were the ones admiring from the window, I was the one running to the can as Emma rips off Will’s shirt. Really? The camera angles and facial expressions for the rest of the song were disturbing to say the least.

So of course, after realizing how comfortable he is with his body, and how uncomfortable the younger boys are with theirs, Mr. Schue ends up playing the part of Rocky. Of course. It’s as appropriate as that time he gyrated to Britney Spears during their high school talent show. It just makes sense people, just take his word for it.

Then there was the controversial casting of Mercedes as the legendary Tim Curry character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Undoubtedly the girl has got the pipes to pull it off. She sang the song perfectly and truly gave a great performance. However, Frank-N-Furter is a transvestite. That’s the whole point. I would have loved to see John Stamos try to pull that off as Mr. Schue had originally suggested (okay, he’s right sometimes). Nevertheless, props to actress Amber Riley for taking on that part. It wasn’t her idea to write her character into that role, and she did a great job.

Episode 6 – “Never Been Kissed” – The show took on the current topic of teen bullying in high schools due to peers being openly gay. Kurt does some research into how glee clubs in other schools are treated and swoons over prep school glee kid Blaine. While Blaine ran away from his bullying, he encourages Kurt to stand up for himself. Then came the predictable yet necessary confrontation in which Kurt’s bully, Dave, plants a kiss on Kurt when he finally stands up for himself. Dave’s aggression was coming from his frustration of not being able to accept his own feelings. Hopefully this encounter will bring a change for both Kurt and Dave.

Song-wise, the group once again split up into girls verses boys for some playful competition but mostly just so they could squeeze some musical numbers in amidst all the drama the episode had to offer. I know I’m working up the reputation of Rachel Berry’s biggest non-fan, but I actually really enjoyed her this episode. That could be because she was hardly in it, but her one comedic line this week was delivered well and actually made me chuckle (“Spies!”). The girls’ mash-up of “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones and “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi was flawless and one of the few musical numbers I actually enjoyed watching this season.

The main topic, however, was that Coach Beiste was being used as an off-switch for the guys’ (and Tina’s) libido during make-outs with their S.O.’s. Beiste finds out and is obviously hurt, admitting to Mr. Schuester that she’s never been kissed. So Mr. Schue, of course, thinks to himself, “Well she OBVIOUSLY wants to kiss me! Who doesn’t?!” And so he gives Beiste a charity smooch. It takes a sincere form of conceitedness to think that just because someone’s never been kissed they want you to kiss them. Mr. Schue, as always, you astound me.

And thank goodness for the return of Puck, because he and Artie’s rendition of “One Love” had me thinking of Coach Beiste just to calm myself down.

Until next time, Gleeks.

About Lauren Wiegand

Lauren Wiegand (COM '11) is a television writer for the Quad.

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