The episode started with the characters all reeling from the previous week's gun scare, and being a bit terrified about what could be coming next. They all handled it in uniquely a Glee fashion. Tina changed her look once more, Unique decided to start taking birth control pills, and in the best moment of the episode, Sam decided to take on the persona of a twin brother, perfectly named Evan Evans. Seriously, I don't know if the writers were pitching totally random ideas and realized this was genius, but can I just say I hope this isn't the end of this character (and not just because, like Wallace, I have a thing for guys with glasses)? Also, kudos for the fourth wall breaking with Tina wondering aloud if she was still in the Cheerios, a thought that I'm positive the writers had before they had to go on a Wiki to figure it out.
Marley, on the other hand, was ready to move on, and was even writing songs about it. I wasn't too taken with this development, but not in a Mr. Schu way (clearly having anger management issues and deciding to take them out on teenagers), but in a Kitty way-who wants to hear the innermost feelings of the sappiest, most insipid character on the show? I was proven correct when her first song sounded like a cross between Debby Boone and Barney the Dinosaur. The fact that the song made Mr. Schu want to hear more makes me seriously wonder if he really does think Hammer and Vanilla Ice are strong musicians.
Will was once again headed into creepy old man territory (I say this acknowledging that I am not much younger than him and would totally be a willing boyfriend for Matthew Morrison if he chose to come out and had a thing for snarky bloggers). This week, he was pining over the loss of his best friend, the nineteen-year-old Finn Hudson. Like I said last week (well, actually a couple hours ago-still catching up!) Will needs to start expanding his friend base outside of this circle of students. At one point he did hang out with adults (his wife, the Accafellas), and while I don't think the show needs more characters, just have him discussing life at a poker game or something. Like we all knew they would, Finn and Will reunited before long, and thankfully that part of the story was over.
Finn and Puck were both partying...and can we just skip this one? Finn has spent so many episodes through the past four years finding himself again and again and again that it seems silly to rehash it for the 4,823rd time. I know he's still a young man on the show, but shouldn't he have some semblance of, not necessarily where he wants his career to go, but at least an ambition to be better than a partying frat boy (or at least find a balance between the two?). He's had multiple adults who have given him a strong, supporting home, and yet he still floats listlessly without ever finishing something. Even this would be fine if they didn't treat it as a revelation every time it happened. This, the Will saying "I love you" to his students, and the constant "we're the outsiders taking over" stories all go, and you could negate 90% of my (and the collective internet's) criticism.
Finally, we have a story that actually seems to be going somewhere: Ms. Rachel Berry taking her brilliant self to the Great White Way and auditioning for Funny Girl. The second she started singing "Don't Stop Believing," you knew that she was getting that callback, but it was still exhilarating to see the joy on her face. I also loved the Miley Cyrus aside-this is particularly true of producer's of musicals in Hollywood (all of whom seem to not realize that people need to be able to sing, and with a hot property you could go with Broadway stars rather than just big names).
But, to contradict myself right away (this is a Glee write-up, after all, so it's par for the course), am I the only one wishing this was really happening for Lea Michele? I love this show, I really do, but part of me is getting a little worried about what's next for the most talented of these actors, primarily Michele and Darren Criss. Both of them are non-traditional stars in the Hollywood sense, and while I want to see them make it big in Hollywood, New York is just begging for them to take on Fanny Brice or Tony on the boards. Part of me wishes that one of them would give it a shot. And in Michele's case (here's the contradiction), I have a feeling that obligations to this show may have cost her the part of Eponine in Les Miserables, a role that likely would have nabbed her an Oscar nomination (Samantha Barks probably just missed, and would have hit had she been a little better known). Oscar nominations are a tough sell and open an incredible number of doors for an actor, and they're worth more for your career than another couple of seasons on a (still hit but not as much as it used to be) TV show. If she doesn't believe me, just look at her onscreen mother Idina Menzel, who is a huge stage star, no doubt, but will almost certainly never get to play Elphaba in the inevitable big-screen adaptation of Wicked, and will miss out on film awards love as a result.
And that's my thoughts on last week's episode, but what are yours? Do you also wish Criss or Michele would take the leap into actual theater once again? Do you also wish we'd take the focus off of Will? And when are we going to learn who the catfish is?!?
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