The Gleecap is a column dedicated to recap and review the zany antics that occur in each episode of the television show Glee. Blog posts will be released each Wednesday following an episode. Beware, there will be spoilers.
Crunching old newspaper underfoot, he drops himself onto a beaten loveseat as the television flickers before him. He watches the current show, oddly bemused by the musical numbers and the boy who wears too many bow-ties.
When the program concludes, he asks the television set one question.
“Why so serious?” said the Joker.
Story Overview
It was an average episode in the land of Glee. Rachel and Finn were talking about their wedding plans, New Directions was all atwitter about Regionals, Sebastian was blackmailing Finn with photoshopped por—
SUDDENLY A TWIST COMES CRASHING THROUGH THE PLOT.
Amidst the usual pomp and circumstance, it’s revealed that David Karofsky, in direct correlation to the bullying seen in last week’s episode, tried to commit suicide after rumors spread and he was rejected by his mother.
Karofsky’s condition stops everyone, teachers and students alike, in their tracks and causes everyone to reevaluate what in life they’re most looking forward to. Sebastian vows to quit tormenting New Directions, Sue contemplates the effects of her actions, and Kurt tries to make amends with Karofsky after ignoring his phone calls. Somehow, peanut butter is also involved.
Regularly scheduled programming resumes.
Using Karofsky’s suicide attempt as a signal, Finn and Rachel decide to get married after they win Regionals. And they do win, much to the delight of both Finn and Rachel’s parents.
Never one to forget its supporting characters, Glee also gives Quinn a storyline as she makes yet another bid to join the Cheerios. Sue denies at first, but, thanks to wonders of pregnancy hormones, later decides to accept her plea. With Yale and Cheerios in her future, Quinn makes strides forward on to her bright future.
Then, on the way to the wedding, she and her car get t-boned by a pickup truck.
Happy seven week hiatus everyone!
Characters
Karofsky – Although the storyline felt sudden and forced, it was done justice in the short time frame in which it was handled. Having seen the pain of those who’ve been bullied and lacking the support system that Kurt has had, it makes sense that Karofsky would turn to what would be his only way out. Also, the dream sequence induced by Kurt’s trip to the hospital was beautiful, precious, and everything that’s right with the world.
Kurt – Kurt ignoring Karofsky’s phone calls makes perfect sense given his past with his ex-bully. He probably wanted to be supportive, but was too afraid and possibly creeped out to handle this sudden bout of emotional drama. It also makes sense that he would go to Karofsky and do what he could to repair the damage.
Sebastian – Holy whiplash, Batman. He went from vicious, snake-tongued bully to repentant ally in no time flat. The sudden change of heart, however, is welcomed because his story was running dry.
Quinn – Her calling Karofsky a coward for his decision, although a common response, felt out of place for Quinn. If her lowest lows were as dark as the show has lead the audience to believe, she would understand the thoughts of suicide. Her sudden car crash at the end of the episode also felt like some perverted message of “she deserved it” from the Glee writers.
Songs
“Cough Syrup” by Young the Giant: Vocally, the song was quite impressive. The context made sense, and the choking, somber tone of it all made the backdrop all the more sickening and sad. Blaine’s visual performance, however, was too jarringly over-the-top in comparison to the heavy material being shown. It looked forced and artificial, and it lacked the subtlety it needed.
“Stand” by Lenny Kravitz: Last year, the Warbler performances were a spectacle to look forward to thanks to killer performances and the inclusion of Kurt and Blaine. Warbler performances haven’t met their Warbler-y standards and there is little reason to care about Sebastian. In short, this song was boring, flat, and did not warrant its screen time.
“Glad You Came” by The Wanted: See the above comments + better vocals + entertaining choreography. It stuck to basics, which worked since the song’s basics are pretty fun already.
“Fly/I Believe I Can Fly” by Nicki Minaj ft. Rihanna/R. Kelly: Glee specializes in very clever and mash-ups, and this song is no exception. Blaine’s rapping was surprisingly well delivered, and the vocals provided by Artie and Rachel were impressive. Santana’s lines, although scant, were decent but not as good as Blaine’s. It’s also impressive that the Glee writers were able to work Nicki Minaj into a show.
“What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” by Kelly Clarkson: The Troubletones are…back? Although it was great seeing Brittany and Santana get more vocal limelight, it was weird to imagine that all of those female back-up dancers were just waiting around to perform in one song. Regardless, it was a decent performance. The vocals worked; I just wish that they had done something special with the song.
“Here’s to Us” by Halestorm: Despite the fact that Rachel has had a million and a half solos on this show, this song managed to stand out. It lacked the trademark “single-tear-rolling-down-face,” it was uplifting, and it spun a country vibe that Rachel hasn’t sung before. Easily New Directions’ best performance.
One-Liners
“I’m not going to negotiate with terrorists.” – Rachel Berry
“I want Lord Tubbington to quit his ecstasy addiction.” – Brittany S. Pierce
“I just want a song.” – Tina “Who’s That?” Cohen-Chang
“Can I be a sports agent?” – David Karofsky, in what was the sweetest line of the episode.
Overall Score
I wanted to adore this episode. It covered grave matters such as teen suicide, texting while driving, and the deliciousness of peanut butter. It lacked its common moronic storylines and delivered gorgeous character moments.
The plotting, however, felt choppy and forced. The Karofsky storyline genuinely should have had more build up, and the Quinn crash practically defines “jumping the shark.” The songs were mediocre as a whole, and some scenes, including Schuester wanting to kill himself over a test, were just bizarre.
I appreciate their attempt towards gravitas this episode, but a lot got bogged down due to some poor filming decisions.
“On My Way:” B-
