Spoiler alert! Here’s an alphabetical list of things we learned from Glee‘s latest episode. Alcohol is bad for you. Bisexuality happens when you’re drunk. Dads should learn about butt sex, so they can educate their gay sons about it. And last but not least, Ke$ha songs are slightly tolerable when they’re not being performed by Ke$ha.
No, but really! What was the overall message of last night’s show? The writers are always trying to “say” something, yet their soapbox lectures often get crowded by an effort to present all viewpoints. Blaine‘s remarks would have been quite daring (it’s a topic close to our hearts), and then he wound up proving Kurt was right all along. You can’t challenge your audience and take it back. It’s not an effective way to make your point.
Then again, most of us aren’t gaining any new knowledge or information from Glee. We’re here for the music, the comedy and the blatant cheesiness. There were some memorable lines in this episode, and the musical numbers occurred in a more organic manner. It was a nice break from the standard “I am going to perform this thing for you right now” formula. What did you think? Was last night’s show a hit or a miss?
– Dewitt
To watch the episode and read more, follow the JUMP:
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FULL EPISODE:
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Don’t You Want Me (Darren Criss & Lea Michele): We’re not sure why we liked this. A duet between Rachel and Blaine should have been so much more than this. Even so, this was a perfect example of what the show’s capable of. They took Human League’s classic ’80s track and transformed it into a glossy, contemporary electro-pop track.
While most of the series’ musical numbers feel like mediocre karaoke performances, this has potential to stand on its own. It’s especially funny, since in the context of this episode, this was a karaoke performance. (4.5 Points)
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Blame It (On The Alcohol) (Kevin McHale, Mark Salling & Amber Riley): While we would never actively decide to listen to this rendition of Jamie Foxx’s hit song, it wasn’t so blatantly offensive that we wanted to rip our ears off. We appreciated that it began as a sing-along in the hallway, then gradually transitioned into an on-stage rehearsal. This spontaneity made it feel a bit more like a traditional musical. (3 Points)
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One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (Matthew Morrison & Dot Jones): We’ve already established that we never want to hear Will Schuester rapping. The producers took notice of this common complaint, and they even made a self-aware joke about it on the second season premiere. And now we have something else to add to that list–Matthew Morrison should never attempt country or blues again.
Don’t get us wrong! Dot Jones was totally charming on this. We were able to believe her character’s affinity for the genre. Yet while it was “realistic” that Schuester doesn’t possess the right twang for this, it didn’t make it any easier to listen to him. Stick to the show tunes, bro-face. And for the love of Mike Chang’s abs, we never ever want to hear you doing anything like “The Thong Song” again. (2 Points)
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Tik Tok (Heather Morris & Full Cast): This was almost indistinguishable from the original version, with the exception of the Kidz Bop chorus. Also, Heather Morris is less grating than Ke$ha, even though they went very heavy on the Autotune. Considering the original source material this wasn’t much of a problem. What did you expect? Opera diva vocals? (3 Points)
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BREAKDOWN OF POINTS SYSTEM:
- 5 Points = Excellent or exceeding expectations in regards to vocal performance, choreography and arrangement. Fits well within the context of the episode, and potentially better than the original version.
- 4 Points = Not too shabby! May not be entirely on par with the original, but a fantastic effort by the actors and vocalists.
- 3 Points = Tolerable. Did not induce eye rolls or kept them to a minimum.
- 2 Points = Could be a variety of factors, including poor song choice or lackluster performance. Boring or uninspired. May be an insult to the original artist.
- 1 Point = Absolutely painful. Couldn’t wait for it to be over.
I had so much fun with this ep! The song choices were okay, not great, although Heather Morris’ natural charm did make me love Tik Tok, if only this once. Will should only be able to speak or interact when with Bieste, because her awesomeness rubs off on him quite well.
Oh, and how could you forget the perennial classic, “My Headbands”? 😛
I was HAPPY that Blaine “took back” his claim of bisexuality. I was extremely angry when he was questioning whether or not he was gay. The LAST thing people need is to think, “Oh, SEE, maybe gay guys just haven’t found the right girl yet.”
Where’s Karofsky been?
I loved the episode! Im just wondering when are pictures going to leek of Chord Overstreet (Sam). All I can think about when I see him are those gold short shorts from the Rocky Horror episode!
An example of Glee at its BEST! It showed the full range of being a teen – the good, the bad, the fun, the drama, the sex, the consequences and of course, the singing and dancing!!!
I loved Santana in this episode Mi Gusta! My favorite songs were Don’t You Want Me and Blame It On The Alcohol. My favorite line of the night was vaguely Eurasian babies. And was i the only one who thought Kurt was a little hard on his dad?
I think Kurt was out of line. He shouldn’t have jumped on his dad like that. Seriously whose father sits down with their son and discusses sex? Doesn’t his lazy ass have internet? I think that if a girl had stayed the night with Finn he would have had the same reaction.
I just cannot seem 2 watch this show ………..
sorry but that Bitch can not sing Daddy and Grandpa must have a lot of money to have her there the rest of the cast are great but that Bitch has to go even with auto tune she is awful uggghhh!!!!
Dewitt did a good job of summarizing the annoyance of the “afterschool special” episodes that don’t really teach anything, but I was most annoying because this was another one of those stand-alone, doesn’t have anything to do with any of the continuing storylines episode.
For the most part, this show could have aired at any point in any of the first two seasons and it would have fit right in, and, to me, that’s a waste of my time. This show is at its best when it uses songs to express characters’ feelings and to move story lines along. Random Britney Spears and Ke$ha-themed episodes just provide fodder for critics who thing this show is ridiculous.
(stepping down from soap box)
I gotta say I miss Will’s rapping, the Thong Song was hilarious, and that’s what made it so effective-it was a great parody–he’s not any worse than Artie, Puck, or Finn at rap. Let’s hope they finally get a black dude to take a sip outa Mercedes’ “steamin’ mug of hot chocolate”
well, i dunno … i was rather taken by their rendition of “Blame It.”
i’d love to know how you would go about improving this particular take, dewitt?