You smell like Craigslist.
Dec. 6th, 2011 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellydash
Okay, first things first: I have a lot of Sam, Quinn and Mercedes feelings that might be best resolved in their choosing to have a polyamorous relationship. I’m just saying.
First off, Sam. SAM. SAAAAAAAM. I feel like I can’t write his name without threatening some kind of devolution into hysterical typing where I just interchangeably henpeck the letters S, A and M in various orders while shrieking with joy. This dude is legitimately my favorite character, and he’s almost definitely going to get ruined somehow now that he’s back, but until then, I’m just going to put a lot of really happy words about him on the internet. Yeah, he wasn’t perfect tonight – that condescending speech to Quinn about her “rich white girl problems” really bothered me – but I’m so thrilled to see him that I can’t find it in me to spend much time kvetching or, you know, have perspective.
Instead, I’m just going to focus on how starry-eyed the Sam/Mercedes moments tonight made me. The grin threatening to burst on Mercedes’s face when she was walking away from Sam down the hallway; how proud Sam looked during the Troubletones performance; that embarrassed and thrilled reaction she had during ABC: all of it was magic. This is all so unfamiliar to me – getting to see one of your OTPs actually become/be canon. I feel like I should talk to some Kurt/Blaine shippers to figure out how to process it. It’s like eating a lot of really great gouda when you usually don’t have any extra money to buy really great gouda, and you’re overwhelmed by how full you are, but the gouda is just so awesome that you want to keep eating. MORE GOUDA, GLEE. BRING THAT SHIT ON.
Mercedes herself continues to be flawless. She’s grown into her own this season, and she’s done it on her own terms; I especially love that she refused to come back to ND without making sure first that things would be different. It feels weird saying I’m proud of her, because lol fictional character, but you know, I’m really proud of her.
And then, Quinn. I just, Quinn’s storyline leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. It feels all wrong to me, like they’ve just thrown her into the mud and let her wriggle there for episode after episode, without bothering to ask questions about why she’s this messed up. It seems like we’re supposed to think Quinn’s problems have to do with her lack of perspective, judging by the “fix” she got tonight – apparently it’s as simple as getting her to appreciate her youth and the time she has with her friends. But what we’re being shown is Quinn leaping from irrationality to irrationality with no contextual acknowledgement that if she’s this divorced from reality, there’s something majorly, majorly wrong with her, and she needs way more help than her friends can give. It’s frustrating as hell, and I can’t bring myself to care about it as much as I’d like to, because there’s no sense that anyone involved in writing her has any interest in making this psychologically realistic.
The way she reached out to Mercedes at the end, though? That was beautiful. I’ve missed seeing their friendship so much, and seeing them dance together made my heart happy.
Is it heartless to say I didn’t much care for the Papa Chang/Mike/Tina storyline? I feel like that’s probably a very unpopular opinion. I didn’t hate it, but it felt so familiar and overdone, and tbh I kind of understand where Mike’s dad was coming from. Not that Mike shouldn’t embrace his dreams, if that’s what makes him happy, but a solid backup plan is a really important thing when you’re going for a career in the arts (or, hell, the humanities in general), and a little gray area would’ve gone a long way here. It was nice to see Tina speak and do things, too, but would it be too much to ask for her to have her own plotline that doesn’t revolve around her boyfriend? Don’t answer that.
Other things:
- Fuck it, the Troubletones should’ve won. I’m totally biased, and ND was pretty solid, especially during ABC, but the Troubletones killed. The music tonight on the whole was actually way better than it’s been for a long time, and I loved hearing so many different voices in one episode (especially Tina! Yay, Tina!). “We Are Young” was one of those moments where the song paid off because it benefited from storylines and context, and it reminded me that when it comes down it, my real OTP for this show is everyone/everyone.
- Finn did things tonight that were worth talking about, I guess. Whatever, I'm sure they were offensive somehow even though I didn't really pay attention.
- Kurt and Rachel singing along with Harmony. ♥_____♥
- PUCK PUCKERMAN, WHAT IS YOUR HAIR AND IS THERE EVEN A CURE FOR IT ANYMORE THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE A NUCLEAR OPTION. Like, is that an actual life choice Mark Salling made? Did he lose a bet? Are the hairstylists on the show trying to confuse him? Is he hiding all those unsold copies of Pipe Dreams in that waxy wave? I swear, I missed entire stretches of dialogue because I was giggling too hard to hear anything.
- I lost it at Will’s creepy “Hey guys, I’m here now, yeah! Aren’t we awesome? Hey, remember when I was a major character on this show? Wasn’t that fun? That was cool, right?” laugh at the very end. Like, legitimately got teary from cracking up.
- RIP Troubletones. ;______;
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Date: 2011-12-07 07:24 am (UTC)This is the best description tbh, lol. I've very rarely had an OTP that went canon but the few times it did happen, there was a lot of keymashing, and "hey guys. GUYS. GUYSSSS. IT'S CANON! C-A-N-O-N!" and I felt like screaming out windows or something. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, or something.
lol overinvestment in fictional charactersI don't really care for the Changs storyline either. I feel the same as you - I mean, it's good to want to follow what you really want to do but like. Not everybody gets their dream, and in reality, a dancer's career is usually over at 35 (unless they become a teacher or something), so, yeah.
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Date: 2011-12-08 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 07:44 am (UTC)Quinn, yes. Ugh. The epic condescension towards her this ep was infuriating (esp from Sam, who usually behaves much better than this). But I was grateful (!) for the small favor of having Rachel, another girl, ultimately be the one who gets through to her. At least it wasn't "straight white dude fixes crazy girl's problems." And Rachel has a perspective that's genuinely relevant, as Shelby's bio-daughter, and the adopted daughter of parents who as a gay couple are often de facto considered unfit.
The thing that was driving me most crazy while watching the episode was the whole WE NEED TO ENJOY BEING YOUNG BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEST TIME OF OUR LIVES OMG. It's a basic fact of lit/media for/about young people that it's always by and for adults primarily, and reflects adult fantasies of what young people are/are supposed to be. And omg, it was so incredibly obvious and clunky that the characters were mouthpieces for the 40-something writers looking back with fond nostalgia at their teen years in that ep. Glee, when it's good, is usually quite smart about examining the cultural construct of "what it means to be a teenager" -- characters like Rachel and Kurt are constantly aware of how much their expectations are shaped by media narratives about teenagers and how much their realities often fail to live up to that. And RIB are also very good at not overtly idealizing the state of being a teenager -- if anything, Glee-when-it's-good is all about how much that often SUCKS. So it's major tonal dissonance (on Glee? My word!) to suddenly be all "be GRATEFUL that you're YOUNG." Because dude, that's a perspective that generally only comes with age and nostalgia. The only character I could buy that from was Sam, because he's been forced out of normative-teenagerhood into responsibilities labeled adult -- and it's almost entirely people who HAVE adult responsibilities that think teenagerhood is something to hold on to.
(One of the things I always appreciated about Will, back when he had, like, characterization and stuff, was that he had a really interesting mixture of that idealizing "best time of my life omg" thing combined with a real understanding, because he sees it every day, of how shitty teenagerhood can be, and yet he still clings to those fantasies of himself and the kids around him. It always struck me as something very real, and embodies the conflict around how we think about teenagerhood in our culture -- especially those of us adults who love and consume (and CREATE!) teen narratives. He was like a window onto those ideas, while still being a real flawed person in his own right. oh, for those glory days when Will was interesting!)
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Date: 2011-12-08 05:22 am (UTC)If I agreed with you any harder on this, I'd probably rupture something. Honestly, one of the things about this show that first pulled me in was the (relatively) complex way it portrayed being a teenager - how Will and Terri's desperate need to relive their high school "glory days" bumped up against what Kurt, Rachel, etc. were going through. I can absolutely understand a character like Shelby telling Quinn "be happy you're young," but, as seems to be the recurring theme with this show, we're clearly supposed to agree with her rather than see her point of view as necessarily warped by the life she's had. Which, I mean, I'm all about a show where the adults are constantly looking back with regret and longing and all those complex emotions, because that's some good angst right there, but I would've given a lot to hear Quinn tell Shelby that if this is as good as it gets, then the good isn't much good at all.
It's interesting (at least, it's interesting to me!) to think about the way Glee constructs adulthood, in implicit contrast to young adulthood; it's never very positive, or affirming, and most of the adults on this show are or have been absolutely miserable for extended amounts of time. Will's only been happy since he's been with Emma (but we never see him), Emma's never been happy, Sue is lonely and self-sabotaging, Terri was a vortex of misery, Shannon's becoming defined by her need for a romantic relationship and inability to sustain one, Shelby is incapable of setting boundaries and is so desperate for connection that she sleeps with an 18-year-old kid, Judy Fabray is judgmental, Mrs. Chang regrets not pursuing her love of dance, etc. (Burt and Carole are the main exceptions to this, imo.)
Having said that, "adulthood" for Glee gets so wrapped up in the adults' younger selves - Will and Terri's nostalgia for high school was a major plot point in S1, of course, but a lot of Emma's problems stem from her childhood, and I know Jane's said in interviews that she sees Sue as choosing to dominate a high school as an attempt to obtain some kind of control over her own miserable teenage years. Calling them "childish" is imo a reductive and disparaging use of the word that doesn't allow for the ways actual children are capable of growth, empathy, etc., but I think there's something in noting that their relative immaturity both contradicts the whole BEING YOUNG IS AWESOME thing and also simultaneously reinforces a narrative of "don't be in a rush to grow up."
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Date: 2011-12-07 04:24 pm (UTC)Beyond sick of saint!Finn, though. And everything Blaine. I mean, lol okay, Finn is threatened by Blaine's talent (figured that was Finn's beef)? Uhh, way to bag on the other members who have ALWAYS had better talent that you, like Artie who sings circles around everyone.
It’s like eating a lot of really great gouda when you usually don’t have any extra money to buy really great gouda, and you’re overwhelmed by how full you are, but the gouda is just so awesome that you want to keep eating.
Welcome to Brittana. Were we have been eating American cheese, with treats of Cheddar for those special occasions, for the past two season. NOW SUDDENLY GOUDA. THE GOOD STUFF IS STUPENDOUS. Lol, though. I was torn over being sarcastically (or not so) bitter that, "HERE LESBIANS, HAVE A HANDHOLD," but also LKAJFL;KASFJ BRITTANA HANDHOLD ALKDJFAL;. I mean, Santana initiated public affection. Help.
Your cheese analogy could be used for Quick, too. Season 1 we got Cheddar. Season 2 we suddenly became violently lactose-intolerant and now. CHEESE.
I hear you on Quinn. We've seen this before. I'm not holding my breath that this Quinn will last 'till the end. BUT. Okay. I was happy that somehow the episode kind of ended up being about her. Like, she was kind of the hero. And oh my Jesus, refreshing as fuck to have a girl solve a problem without having a guy spoon feed her through it and/or a girl be the cause of a problem for once. And with Rachel being the ultimate *sigh*
SAMCEDES ♥♥ GET HER, SAM. I'm glad that it ~looks~ like there won't be a Quinn/Sam/Mercedes battle.
I didn't have issue with Sam. I saw some, "Wow, Sam's changed," comments last night. Uh, I would hope that he's changed given what he's been through.
I have been Troubletones all the way, and their number cemented why they are better. That number was genius. I mean, they did waacking. Which came from gay and latino discos (and who is gay and latina?!), while singing disco. *slow clap for Ryan and Zach on that one* Buuut, on a re-watch I enjoyed ND just as much if not more, no matter manipulating it all is because we always see ND's full set-list and not the competitions. Their choreography matching the era of the song was great, too. It's nice to know that we will very well see Mercedes, Santana Sugar (oh god, I hope so) and Brittany get a number along with ND.
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Date: 2011-12-08 05:59 pm (UTC)It really was nice to have Rachel be the one to talk to Quinn - given their history, it fits, and like you said, thank heavens we didn't get Puck or Sam or Finn or Will or whomever being the one to "correct her."
I'm glad that it ~looks~ like there won't be a Quinn/Sam/Mercedes battle.
Me too! Although (spoilers to follow) apparently we're in for a Sam/Mercedes/Shane love triangle. Which, on the one hand, I'm stoked that Mercedes has two dudes fighting over her, because she's hot and awesome and worth fighting for; on the other hand, ANOTHER LOVE TRIANGLE, REALLY?
If Santana, Mercedes, Brittany, and yes, Sugar don't get their solo number at regionals, I will be a very angry panda.
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Date: 2011-12-08 07:55 pm (UTC)Bring it!
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Date: 2011-12-07 04:30 pm (UTC)First off, things I enjoyed:
- I actually did enjoy the Mike/Tina/Mike's dad storyline, but I think that's probably because it hit pretty close to home. IA that a solid back-up plan is required, but I'm relating 100% on the "one half of the family doesn't support your dreams and it's tearing errbody apart" bit, so from the very beginning Mike's storyline this season has meant a lot to me. I think HSJr has been doing a great job with the acting/singing as well as the dancing, so I hope they continue giving him focus :D
- sam Sam SAM SAM! omg omg omg he's back bb he's back idek what to do with myself i'm just all a-flutter~! His and Mercedes' faces just made the episode for me <3_____________________________<3
- Puck's hair has crossed that thin thin line between horrifying me and giving me great joy, and it was perfecting in its awfulness.
- HOW ABOUT MERCEDES THO? CAN WE TALK ABOUT MERCEDES? Because oh my goodness but she has grown. Making requests for herself and being confident that she can make them happen, leading a choir thhrough (what I imagine to be) a flawless setlist (I mean we only heard IWS/S and it was glorious.) I just have so many Mercedes feelings all the time because it's like we're watching her grow into this amazing person ;______________♥
So continuing on that plot bunny vein from a few weeks ago wherein somehow Rachel and Mercedes become co-captains, here's how I'm seeing it:
So as competition (regionals? Nationals? IDEK.) nears, Will starts worrying about the sheer numbers the other teams have -- that whole Wall of Sound thing he was talking about last season. Mercedes mentions that the rest of the Troubletones would probably be willing to join ND, because they really enjoyed being in the TT, and Will is like ~seized~ with the idea of all of those
nubile young bodiesvoices. Only problem is, the TTs are all Cheerios, and they heard through the magical Cheerio grapevine that it was Finn who got overheard, so out of solidarity or something idk, they refuse to be captained by him. In fact, they say they want Mercedes because she did such a fantastic job. Finn fights it, but after a brief period of inner struggle Rachel embraces the idea and convinces him to do so as well (because it's her last year at school and she really wants to win this competition, no matter the cost.) AND THEN CO-CAPTAINS AND DUETS AND UST AND AWESOME THINGS LIKE THAT.The not-so-good-things:
- Troubletones should have won, tyvm.
- I'm sure there was more but I'm choosing to focus on the positives this week and also I have to leave so yeah.
D'JA SEE MY ICON? DIDJA SEE IT? SAM/MERCEDES COME TO ME ~~~
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Date: 2011-12-09 10:28 pm (UTC)That being said, SAM SAM SAM SAM I am still not over how excited I am about him and Mercedes, holy cow :DDDDDDD
WE CAN ALWAYS TALK ABOUT MERCEDES, OFC. She's just really grown up this season - she's become a real leader, and it's so much fun seeing her back up the verbal confidence she's always had with her actions. ♥
You better write this plot bunny, I'm just saying. Especially the CO-CAPTAINS AND DUETS AND UST part, because ♥_____♥
I SAW YOUR ICON, DO YOU SEE MINE :DDDDD
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Date: 2011-12-10 12:13 am (UTC)TAKE TWO!
Oh, I absolutely agree that it can be a difficult career choice. I actually considered going into theatre, because I was (and still am) super into it, but I discarded that for the very reasons you mention and went into science instead. It's not that I don't love science, because I do, so it wasn't a hard choice to make. I'm really very happy, for all that I have a million things to do and my courses are insane. I relate more on the "parents not wanting you to go after what you want/let you make your own choices and mistakes" level, although I have a lot of friends who did try to get into theatre, and I really hope they make it. So I sympathise with both Mike's dad and with Mike, but a little more with Mike because the whole "overprotective and slightly controlling father" thing resonated a lot.
SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM omg, he is so flawless. On the one hand, a lot of the stuff was really heavyhanded, at least in the beginning, but I attribute that to sloppy writing. And anyway, I've always pictured Sam as a kinda cheesy guy anyway, so it works for me. But did you see the "All I Want For Christmas" video? dasjfkla;sdjf;ajd o m g. They have so much chemistry, I can't even handle it. So qt *_______________________*
I have become such a Mercedes stan over the last two seasons. I just really love how much she's grown and how amazing she is. She's so strong and so fierce, and she's the first person to really say "fuck you" to Will and stick to it (besides Sugar.) I love how caring she is and how stubborn she is, and I even love that she's sticking to her guns right now about staying with Shane because she's dating him (even tho part of me is like "sorry dude from fnl, you've got to gtfo to make way for Samcedes right fucking now") because I can respect that. She's just so perfecting (and when I say that obvs I realise she has flaws, etc etc etc.)
I WILL. I mean, once I finish these xmas fics. I have so much headcanon and I've been wanting to write them forever. It'll happen, I stg.
I DO SEE YOURS AND IT IS GLORIOUUUUS :DDD
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Date: 2011-12-10 01:48 am (UTC)Totally understand you relating to the storyline on that level - I do think it's a great topic for discussion on Glee, and it makes sense to show a parent objecting - I just wish it weren't so black-and-white, you know? Like, couldn't they show a parent saying, "I'm worried about the life you're choosing, because it could lead to a lot of heartbreak for you, and you're my kid and that scares me," and then the kid saying, in turn, "I know you're worried, but I love this, and I have to explore it or I'll regret it." Sure, it wouldn't be as dramatic as what happened with Mike and his dad, but it would've been more effective, imo.
I HAVE BEEN FLAILING OVER THE AIWFC VIDEO ALL DAY, OMG. They are just the cutest together and I want to throw confetti all over life.
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Date: 2011-12-07 05:37 pm (UTC)Yes. This.
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Date: 2011-12-09 10:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-07 09:00 pm (UTC)And then, Quinn. I just, Quinn’s storyline leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. It feels all wrong to me, like they’ve just thrown her into the mud and let her wriggle there for episode after episode, without bothering to ask questions about why she’s this messed up. It seems like we’re supposed to think Quinn’s problems have to do with her lack of perspective, judging by the “fix” she got tonight – apparently it’s as simple as getting her to appreciate her youth and the time she has with her friends. But what we’re being shown is Quinn leaping from irrationality to irrationality with no contextual acknowledgement that if she’s this divorced from reality, there’s something majorly, majorly wrong with her, and she needs way more help than her friends can give. It’s frustrating as hell, and I can’t bring myself to care about it as much as I’d like to, because there’s no sense that anyone involved in writing her has any interest in making this psychologically realistic.
^This^
Quinn has potential to be an incredible three-dimensional character, but they just throw her around like she doesn't matter and it's very frustrating.
But there was a lot that made me really happy too. Just about all the kids got a chance to shine. I love Tina singing. She has such a sweet voice, and even though she's not a powerhouse belter, her voice is still strong. I wish we heard more of her. I'm not the biggest fan of Jenna's acting on the show, but I think she shines on stage, and is probably a really great theater actress.
Sam and Mercedes - they're so lovely together, and Mercedes is really adorable. I remember seeing the prom episode and when he asks her to dance, I got shipper feelings because they had such a nice chemistry, but thought it would never happen. Then we got the scene in the Lima Bean with them, and I was so happy until I heard Chord wasn't coming back, so I lost hope. But now Sam's back and him and Mercedes better become canon,
because Mercedes and Shane is really awkward and uncomfortable to me and his way of supporting her annoyed me.Is it confirmed what year Sam and Mercedes are in? I would assume they're seniors, but I can't remember it ever being explicitly stated.
I like that Blaine finally exploded (even though I think he should have apologized to Sam) because I like Finn better when his apologies make sense and feel genuine even if I'm not sold on Blaine being the most "talented well-rounded member" of New Directions. I'm glad we got a little more information about Blaine, because for a character that gets so much screen time, we still don't really know a lot about him. I also like thinking that him and Puck know each other through fight club, but I doubt it'll ever be brought up again.
I liked Kurt's everything in this episode and found him adorable.
But what I loved most of all this episode was all the female friendships. Girls being supportive of one another, girls being strong and caring of one another. Also, girls knowing what they want and not settling for anything less. Last week was supposed to be about girl power except it was anything but, and this week, they did such a good job showing strong females, and it was glorious.
And Sugar was once again absolutely amazing even though she had no lines.
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Date: 2011-12-09 10:56 pm (UTC)Most of the kids singing was fantastic. I'm really not a big Tina fan, mostly because Jenna's acting just rings so false to me, but I absolutely love her voice - it's so clear, and she did a fantastic job on ABC.
Mercedes is a senior, I'm pretty sure. Almost positive Sam was a sophomore when he started at McKinley, so he'd be a junior this year. Judging by upcoming spoilers, it looks like we've got a great chance of seeing the two of them end up together at some point! :D
I also like thinking that him and Puck know each other through fight club, but I doubt it'll ever be brought up again.
Someone better write fic for this, because it's a goldmine scenario waiting to happen. With Finn and Blaine - boy, Finn sure does spend a huge amount of time needing to apologize for something he did, doesn't he? And yeah, it really did seem like Blaine was taking out his anger with Finn on Sam - being sick and tired of having his opinions overridden and all - so I can understand why he blew up, not that it was fair to Sam.
Kurt was flawless this week. My favorite Kurt is snarky egotistical Kurt, so I loved his verbal takedowns of Sebastian.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes to the focus on female friendships this week being awesome. More of that please, Glee.
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Date: 2011-12-07 11:27 pm (UTC)SAM. Love u, Sam. His storyline about being pushed out of teenagerhood and having to be an adult resonated with me, a lot. I liked the chat with his parents in theory, but it was a little cheesy in practice. I liked Sam being a stripper in theory, in practice, in abs, in everything. What I'm saying is, someone bettah write fic where Sam gives
QuinnRachelBlainePuckSugarWillMike ChangMercedesEVERYONE a private ~show.Sugar is the best. I totes snarfed my bourbon when she yelled 'tickles.' Honorable mention: Harmony. Shit gurl, you cray and I love you for it.
Finn. Le sigh, Finn. Can you just be the dumbest and have silly one-liners about Backdraft: The Musical and being really good at looking busy, please? I'm trying to wash from my brain everything that Finn has done in the past few episodes because if I don't do that, I will go insane, and I will take you all with me. When he fist-bumped Blaine during the TT performance I CACKLED and was like "the only explanation is that he needs glasses and a hearing aid." But then I was sad because I knew what was gon happen.
Artie's line about tingling in a 50% tingle zone was hilar, not sry2say.
Speaking of tingle zones: The Troubletones, ladies and gents. No commentary needed.
Quinn, your storyline is so fucking odd I can't wrap my mind around it. I get what Sam was trying to say to Quinn, and it would be fine if she was like "oh no, I flunked my Trig test and my life is OVER" but girl has ISSUES and is trying to get CUSTODY of the baby she put up for adoption by ruining someone else's LIFE, so, uh, Sam—you should probably keep your advice to yourself. The whole thing is just so very Glee, and not in a good way. I guess at least they are acknowledging that Shelby is messed up, too? I dunno, I think they have no idea what the HALE they are doing with this mess. WEIRD, I KNOW, USUALLY GLEE'S STORYLINES ARE SO WELL-THOUGHT-OUT WITH FOCUS AND CLARITY.
I'm glad you have that unpopular opinion about Mike's storyline. During Tina's scene with Chang Sr. in his office, I was just like "uhhhhh sry Tina but Big Daddy Chang has a point."
Kurt was the most perfect Kurt that ever Kurted in this ep. JUST PERFECT.
And then of course I mean at the end when Will had the trophy and made the little "4 you" gesture and pointed out into the audience Emma was there but like Rachel was standing right next to her and well I ju—YOU GET THE IDEA.
The only crime is that we didn't get Puck Puckerman reaction faces when the other clubs were performing. A TRAVESTY. He we probably too busy feeding that thing that lives on his head now.
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Date: 2011-12-07 11:56 pm (UTC)YEEEEES. Also, I loled so hard when Mercedes said that even if Will signs off on their solos, it doesn't mean anything unless Rachel does too -- Rachel runs his ass, and they all know it. When combined with the "omg don't rat out Shelby!" thing, I am delusionally hoping for a Will/Rachel plotline come season 4.
The only crime is that we didn't get Puck Puckerman reaction faces when the other clubs were performing. A TRAVESTY. He we probably too busy feeding that thing that lives on his head now.
This! His hilar performing faces were great as always, but it was simply NOT ENOUGH.
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Date: 2011-12-08 08:53 pm (UTC)This will be my wish until Glee's dying day. When Rachel said "Puck's 18 so it's not illegal," I was just like UMMMM RACHEL ISN'T YOUR BIRTHDAY COMING UP?
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Date: 2011-12-10 01:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-10 01:12 am (UTC)How is this show so awesome at bringing on new characters? Like, every time a new character's announced I'm all, noooo, less screentime for people I want to see, but then the new people turn out to be amazing and hilarious.
Finn just needs to be dumb all the time. I legit howled at Backdraft: The Musical, but everything else was just Finn being White Heterosexual Privilege Ken, ugh.
KURT. ♥______♥ I adore him always, but I adore him the MOST when he's being snarky and hilarious, oh my lord.
And then of course I mean at the end when Will had the trophy and made the little "4 you" gesture and pointed out into the audience Emma was there but like Rachel was standing right next to her and well I ju—YOU GET THE IDEA.
I MUST'VE TAKEN OFF MY SHIPPER GOGGLES BECAUSE I DID NOT NOTICE THAT AND NOW I KIND OF HATE MYSELF, TBH. Atoning with this perfecting stalker icon.
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Date: 2011-12-08 01:23 am (UTC)*Your Sam/Mercedes and just Sam and just Mercedes feelings are basically mine. The one exception is that Sam's speech to Quinn didn't really bug me. He's never actually been around for any of the most traumatic, screwed up times in her life, and I can see how "Quinn dyed her hair pink and went punk for a while" (which is probably all he heard about it from Finn and Rachel) would read to him as "rich white girl problems."
*Can we talk about Sebastian for a second? And how I still hate him? Are we stuck with him and the Warblers until Regionals? (Although, he does bring out Bitchy!Kurt, who I have missed dearly, so maybe he can come back. Once.)
*Mike Chang: I'm pretty cool with this storyline, but I think it probably should have been wrapped up earlier in the season. West Side Story would have been a more natural place to end it, but I get why they wanted to have it resolved at the actual glee club competition. I'm actually hard-core on Tina's side with this, though. I've known a lot of folks who've gone into the performing arts (mostly on the instrumental side, but still), and . . . for you to get good enough to be able to do the thing you really want to do with your life, you don't have time for solid contingency plans. A friend of a friend double majored in music performance and chemistry to have something to fall back on, and he didn't graduate for six years. And honestly, very few of the people I know who went to school for something that's more "useful" have been able to get into those fields anyway. Everybody's plan B is "I'll figure something out if I have to," and I don't think that's a bad way to think as long as you know what you're getting into. It seems like Mike and Tina understand that. [/end rant]
*The thing that *is* kind of bugging me is how everyone suddenly wants to be a performer. I have a lot of theories as to why RIB+ might be doing it, but none of them are very unified right now. It's just bugging me.
*Apparently I'm alternating good and bad here, so here's some good: I was *so* proud-parenting at my baby gays dancing together onstage for "Survivor/I Will Survive." Like, all of my Brittana feelings.
*I mean, TT totally should have won, but if ND had to win, I don't mind that it was for a performance where basically every character got to sing. (Sorry, Rory.)
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Date: 2011-12-08 01:24 am (UTC)*So, I guess I have to talk about Quinn at some point, huh? I just--part of me is almost okay with the band-aid fix, because it means this bullshit is OVER, but, yeah, they dropped the ball. And honestly, I do think a lack of perspective on her part is part of the issue, along with crippling self-esteem issues and severe depression. So, one out of three's not bad? At least it was Rachel who gave her the speech, and not one of the dudes. I do think this has potential to be one of those things that feels like it's resolved now but that they'll come back to later, and I'm not sure if I want it to be or not.
*Related: So, Quinn didn't tell on her, but did Shelby resign or something? The show didn't really make it clear what happened with her.
*Also related: Completely separate from the rest of her storyline, I fucking LOVE that Quinn was the one to get the club back together. As much as I would have liked to see Will crawling on his hands and knees begging the TroubleTones to come back, it was so satisfying for her to be the one to get shit done, and on terms everyone could agree to. Not Finn, not Blaine, not Sam, not even Rachel. Quinn. I think there's a secret thread in this show that would be more apparent if it were better written, and that's that the popular kids needed glee club just as much, if not more, than the original "outcasts." It's helped Puck and Quinn and Brittany and Finn (yes, even Finn) grow as people, and it gave Mike and Santana the room they needed to figure out who they are and what they wanted. And it gave them all a support system they could rely on without having to second guess other people's motives. So, the fact that Quinn was the one who got to be the hero just made me really happy. (Also, that dance with Mercedes made my shipper heart beat. So.)
All in all, I don't know that it was good, exactly, but I liked it, and I think that's how I'm judging the show these days. :)
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Date: 2011-12-10 01:36 am (UTC)This is a very good barometer, imo. Basically, if I don't end the episode filled with rage, I'm more or less happy, and if there were things I actually really enjoyed? That's an awesome bonus. (This show, man. Setting new standards for increasing low expectations.)
The one exception is that Sam's speech to Quinn didn't really bug me. He's never actually been around for any of the most traumatic, screwed up times in her life, and I can see how "Quinn dyed her hair pink and went punk for a while" (which is probably all he heard about it from Finn and Rachel) would read to him as "rich white girl problems."
Yeah, Sam being judgmental doesn't actually strike me as OOC or not understandable - considering what he's been through lately, Quinn angsting around without any visible problems would probably strike him as self-indulgent at best. I just felt like the audience was supposed to agree with him, and we've been around for her traumatic moments, or at least some of them, so I didn't like the way it came off on screen.
Totally get your POV on the Mike and Tina storyline, and that's a fair point, about a Plan B often being a distraction from your focus. It just seems to me (and of course this is speaking from personal experience/the experience of friends in the industry and in academia, so bias freely admitted) that while you might know the intellectual risks when you're getting into your field of choice, the hard slog of the reality is often something very, very different and punishing. I definitely don't agree with Mike's dad, either, because he was expressing his concerns in a really unproductive and critical way, and Mike obviously shouldn't go into something like medicine when he doesn't want to, but - I don't know. Not sure that there's a way they could've done this plotline that would satisfy my misgivings about it, tbh. /overly critical opinion
YES re: Quinn actually doing something productive instead of destructive, for once! I'd even take one step further your argument about the popular kids needing glee club as much if not more than the originals, and say that the popular kids, overall, are the ones who've developed the most as characters since joining ND. I've started rewatching the show, and it's so weird to see Santana in Showmance and realize how far she's come.
I think Shelby resigned? They really didn't make that clear. Guessing it was a case of "the Troubletones storyline is over/Idina only signed for X many episodes/probably no one will notice we just dropped that anyway/lol Glee."
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Date: 2011-12-11 05:22 pm (UTC)Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's one of those situations where you're sort of damned if you do, damned if you don't. And I absolutely agree that just because you're intellectually aware of the risks doesn't mean you're really prepared for them. I think maybe this plotline is inherently dissatisfying because it's a dissatisfying *life* situation, where you don't know if you've done the right thing until you've got five or ten years of perspective on it.
(I also think it's weird for the audience because, while not all of the people on the show are triple threats, basically everyone is really good at some aspect of performance, so there's this strange disconnect between seeing these very talented people being worried about making it, because they clearly *are* talented enough to make it; that's why they're on this show. I dunno, that's just always something that puts me off a bit when they do these talent-based storylines.)
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Date: 2011-12-08 12:36 pm (UTC)I agree with this. I remember reading something in some teen magazine a few years ago with some guy who was either a rapper or a hip-hop artist (I feel bad because I can't remember who it was) and they asked him to give five pieces of advice to becoming a star. The thing that really stuck with me was when he said, "don't have a plan B." He saw it as a way of giving up and said that if you really want to do something, you should give it your all. It may not be the most sensible piece of advice, but I always liked it. Even back up plans have no guarantees, and if you're going to work hard to achieve something, I think you should put that effort towards something you love. Sure, you might never achieve your dreams, but I think if you're lucky enough to know what you want, you should go after it.
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Date: 2011-12-08 04:48 pm (UTC)I like the Mike storyline, except - and this is going to sound harsh, but I honestly cannot think of a better way to say it - someone needs to give Jenna acting notes. Her comedic timing is great, I love Jenna's singing voice, and I love Tina as a character, but her delivery in some of those lines was just... really bad.
I would like/have ~~~feelings about that storyline any way they did it, probably, because I'm one of those people that decided to 'throw away childish things' and pursue a career I could actually support myself in, but going through that decision, I don't know, I just have all of the creys for Mike and his dad and his mom and Tina.
And I had actual coherent thoughts about the episode but then when Sam did his little body roll thing and Kurt was trying to do it in the background, I just kind of got stuck on that.
Oh and Rachel's dress! Oh my goodness was I stuck on that. Except the Quinn issues, well, I mean, at this point, if I'm saying "at least it was Rachel that fixed her?" then it's a problem. In general, I also just thought Rachel was pretty great in this episode, and Mercedes, too.
Also, my best friend said - "You know my list? The one that has Will Schuester on it? Well, Finn is on it too!"
Oh Finn. Just. Stop.
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Date: 2011-12-10 01:57 am (UTC)Oh, gosh, Jenna. I think the reason I have so much trouble having feelings for Tina is that I just can't get beyond Jenna's acting. (And I say that as someone who loooooves Mercedes - but then again I think Amber's acting has improved a lot - she's no Lea or Chris, but she's definitely serviceable now.) I've heard she's great onstage, so - I don't know, maybe small screen just isn't her medium. But yes, she should get all the songs.
I completely understand having feelings about that storyline! Honestly, I feel like a cynical crank not having them.
Finn, ugh. Finn needs to 1) only say hilariously dumb things and try to dance in the background, because that's the best, 2) be a supportive brother to Kurt when Kurt needs him, 3) never be seen talking to another girl ever again, unless he wants to be platonic troll BFFs with Rachel again a la Duets.
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Date: 2011-12-10 02:22 am (UTC)