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The musical numbers were okay, but the writing surrounding it was awful. It sounded like it was written by Madonna's publicist - I think much of it might have been. I like the musical numbers better when they adapt them, but several (Vogue, Express Yourself) were shot by shot and note by note remakes, which isn't as fun. More meddling my Madonna's people, I suspect.
But I'm pretending that episode never happened and enjoying the rest of the show very much.
Okay, I did love Emma's line about role models: "Lindsay Lohan looks like something out of 'Lord of the Rings.'"
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I actually loved the Madonna episode after I switched from thinking "wow, this is writing is pretty ridiculously terrible" to "wow, this is just ridiculously funny." Glee in general works a lot better when you don't take it too seriously.
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Does anyone know how much time has passed between sectionals (the end of the first half of the season) and the restart?
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Quinn's lack of baby bump suggests almost none at all. As an aside, did they have the pregnant gal doing push ups in Express Yourself, or did I mix her up with Brittany?
I think my favorite moments were Tina's triumphant freak-out, complete with victorious arm raising, and Will actually winning a fight with Sue. Ok, and the Like a Virgin number. That was hysterical.
I'm also really impressed with how much better Finn sounds this half. I wouldn't think four months would be enough time to improve that much. I'd like to see them find more excuses to have him and Puck harmonize; the characters may not be friends anymore, but the actor's voices are nice together.
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Part of that is them picking songs that fit Finn's voice a lot better. He did a lot of stuff that was outside his range in the first half.
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Judging from the beginning of the first episode when Rachel said "We are at the top of this school now!" indicates to me that only a few days have passed since they won sectionals.
If regionals and nationals has to happen during that school year, I can't see much time passing between the last episode in December and the first in April.
I have really been let down the past couple of weeks with the lack of Puck and Quinn. Everyone else has had a subplot in the past couple of episodes except those two. We have no idea how Quinn is coping with the pregnancy and losing Finn, and likewise we have no idea what Puck has been doing. I mean, Santana has had more screen time than either of them.
The thing that worries me about this show is keeping it fresh and not losing its charm. If the Glee club wins Nationals, what then? What happens after the school year is out? Are any of the cast members seniors? Or do they plan on having a rotating cast each year?
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Well they are looking to add a couple new cast members next year. It doesn't look like any of them are seniors, probably sophmores or juniors, but I bet they still find a way to keep them around. Either by creating Glee: The College Years or just saying to hell with the time line.
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Okay, so if it's been just a couple days, I'm definitely getting squicked a bit by the Like a Virgin segment. I'm not surprised by how fast Santana moved in on Finn, but what about Rachel with both Finn and Jesse and Will with Emma? Maybe especiallly by Will/Emma given her OCD issues. And when did Terri move out, considering how recently Will was sleeping on mattresses in the school building?
I did giggle at Sue's claim to be 29, although that would make her 7 when she claimed to be at the Palladium. Not so sure about that one LOL.
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I think the first episode was a few days afterwards, but the second episode could have been a week or two.
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What did you all think about last nights episode?
Spoilers below if you haven't watched it.
Quinn FINALLY got some lines this episode. About time. Mercedez was great, and I hope Sue learned a lesson from the pep rally.
The whole thing with Kurts dad and Finn's mom was hilarious, especially since it began as a ploy by Kurt to get closer to Finn. I kind of felt bad for Kurt since his dad and Finn ended up getting along so well. At the same time, Finn deserves a father like figure he can relate to. Kurt obviously gets along with Finns mother, so I think Kurt is just being selfish.
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quote:Originally posted by Geraine: What did you all think about last nights episode?
Spoilers below if you haven't watched it.
Quinn FINALLY got some lines this episode. About time. Mercedez was great, and I hope Sue learned a lesson from the pep rally.
The whole thing with Kurts dad and Finn's mom was hilarious, especially since it began as a ploy by Kurt to get closer to Finn. I kind of felt bad for Kurt since his dad and Finn ended up getting along so well. At the same time, Finn deserves a father like figure he can relate to. Kurt obviously gets along with Finns mother, so I think Kurt is just being selfish.
I think we'd all feel a little better about it if we saw Kurt bonding with Finn's mom. Kurt needs someone to go shopping with and all that jazz.
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I still love Kristin Chenoweth. So happy to see her again. I am now just patiently waiting for the Joss Whedon directed episode and Neil Patrick Harris.
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I thought "Run Joey Run" was a really good song. I didn't really like that they relied on two pre-shot music video style songs. I don't mind one here and there, but I hope they don't get carried away with them. I thought it was a good place to show the different vocal styles of the guys, and Puck really showed through.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was only off to me because I can't get the version with William Shatner out of my head. Otherwise it was fine. Also, it appears that Jesse is genuinely involved with Rachel. I don't see why he'd break up with her, assuming that's how it ends up, otherwise, since they made it look from the beginning that he was just setting her up for a fall.
Good music, and I liked the messages presented in it.
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It's so weird, because I was just thinking of "Run, Joey, Run" during the afternoon before seeing Glee. And wondering if David Geddes had done anything else.
The "Total Eclipse" cover was knock-out great. The performances on this show have improved a lot since it started.
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Everything about last night's show was good except for the Sue parts, which were weird, gratuitious, not original (shot for shot and note-by-note remakes), and felt shoehorned in.
The stuff with the kids was great.
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I wonder if they'll ever give Sue a comeuppance without having one of the Glee kids inadvertently handing her a big victory. Still, I liked the stuff with her sister. She has a way of delivering a message more powerfully because she is such a lovably reviled character. I noticed the heaviest yet use of electronic editing of voice with Sue in "Physical."
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If you like that one you should see the Meatloaf literal version... I think it is just as funny. Created by the same guy too.
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Okay, last night's was fantastic. There's my show - cheesy, sentimental, lots of songs, focused on the kids. I approve.
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I agree. I feel like this was the first episode that captured the feeling of the first half of the season. I really enjoyed the scene with Rachel and Finn's handicapped friend. It seems Rachel is finally becoming a bit more humble.
I still want more Quinn though! Every other character has gotten some lines, and she has just been on the back burner. I want a Quinn centric episode. They keep mentioning she is having a really hard time in her life right now, with getting kicked out of her parent's house and now leaving Finn's house and moving in with Puck.
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I feel like the writers/creators are bit impulsive, and they careen from one idea and story to another. I'm just holding my breath that this show doesn't go completely off the rails like their first one did. That means every episode is a bit of a crap shoot, and storylines are dropped and emphasized oddly. That's okay - they seem to be mostly consistent with Finn, Shue, and Rachel, so their center is okay, and for the rest I just enjoy the ride. Unless the soundtrack is Madonna.
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I continue to be impressed by Mark Salling's performance ability. His voice isn't the most powerful on the show, but I do think it's the smoothest, and the most able to pull off songs like "Sweet Caroline" and "The Lady is a Tramp" which require more than just belting it out. Plus, the more they do with him, the more his acting ability is fleshed out, though the character still comes off as pretty one dimensional.
Glad that Santana finally got to shine a little bit musically. She and Brittany are being bumped up to series regulars next year, which really just leaves Brittany as the only one in need of a solo nod.
I thought the scene with Rachel and the football player was powerful in a number of ways. It was excellent just for what it was, as a little PSA, as an exploration both of paralysis and identity. From purely plot based perspective, I thought it really helped move Rachel forward. It kind of makes me wonder why they didn't just do that scene with Artie, but I see the significance of actually doing a scene with a a real-life disabled person. If he was going to be a recurring character, I'd worry that there'd be a lead up to a big moment where he thinks Rachel loves him but the whole thing was a mistake. I'm almost glad he's a one-off, only because that scene would be painful to watch.
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Ok, spoilers for anyone on the other coast.
I'm betting on evil plot. I mean, the woman's motto is "Murder or be murdered". Getting maternal 15 years later doesn't seem all that plausible. (Aside, did Rachel say she was born in '91? Wouldn't that make her 19?)
Also, I'm glad I screamed at the tv two weeks ago when they made me feel a little bad for Jesse. He's still an evil spy, and evil spies get no sympathy.
As for the numbers, I think Dream On may be my favorite of the year. I thought they were just fantastic. And I loved that Safety Dance looked like one of those You Tube videoes where the dance troupe surprises people with an unscheduled public dance number. I thought that was a nice touch.
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Too bad it's a momentary laspe in suckiness. I've been getting closer and closer to dropping Glee every week but I'm glad I stuck around for this episode.
Maybe it was because Sue wasn't in every scene. Maybe it was the complete lack of Finn and lines for characters like Tina and Artie instead. Maybe it was because, for the first time in awhile, Rachel's craziness was endearing rather than simply annoying. Maybe it was because Will acted like a decent human being and lived the lessons he's always telling his kids, instead of being a man whore and getting into childish fights with Sue.
Having NPH on was AWESOME, but even if he hadn't been on, it was still the best episode this season.
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I love that video. The Fonzi has an army of clones and It started out as Hogwarts and now it's Lord of the Flies" brings me to tears everytime.
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Half the episode, after the initial competition for Jean Valjean arose, I was wondering what was wrong with one of them being Javert. I mean, it's not as good a role, but it's not bad.
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We already know that he can pull off Javert quite well. I was honestly hoping their audition duet would be Confrontation rather than Dream On. And I think that talk show clip led to NPH being Dr. Horrible. So I'm really hoping that he'll be at least a recurring guest so we can get Confrontation eventually
Meanwhile... I find myself wondering how long they've been planning the maternity storyline with Rachel. My daughter actually thought that Idina was playing Rachel when the show first started.
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I wish they had done The Confrontation from Les Mis. NPH is always joking that he breaks into it all the time with his fellow actors from HIMYM and it might have been interesting.
I'm glad they went a bit more into why Idina's character wanted Jesse to spy on Rachel other than just to bring down the glee club. Unless she isn't really her mother and this is part of a larger plot, but if that's true, I don't care for it.
Musically, loved Dream On, liked I Dreamed a Dream, most of the rest was meh, except I actively disliked Artie's "Dream a Little Dream."
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I agree. Dream a Little Dream was just off.
I too wonder whether Jesse was sent to McKinley to spy on Glee because of Shelby's relationship to Rachel, or if she merely jumped on that expressed dream as a way to further fracture the group.
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I actually wasn't super impressed with it as a duet. I think Lea Michelle would have absolutely nailed it by herself, and I bet Idina Menzel would do okay with it on her own. I'm not sure I'd even say it was better than Susan Boyle's version. I don't think it compares to the London stage version.
I know the theme of the episode was dreams, but I would have highly preferred to hear Lea and Idina do "A Little Fall of Rain." I think it would have fit, it's a duet, it's in their wheelhouses musically, and Lea Michelle was cast as Eponine in the anniversary revival of Les Mis. Plus, I think it would have been better than their rendition of IDAD.
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quote:Originally posted by katharina: It wouldn't have made any sense, though, unless Shelby was dying.
That might just explain why she was so antsy to have Rachel listen to the tape. She did tell Jesse that Rachel's under 18, so Shelby can't approach her openly, Rachel has to come to her. If Shelby is dying, she may have been told that she doesn't have enough time left to make it to Rachel's 18th birthday.
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But if she was dying, they might have sung Little Fall of Rain. Granted, we don't know why now - what prompted this? I think it was Shelby watching Rachel Berry blow the roof off at Sectionals.
Maybe they still will, although I doubt they'd repeat another song from the same musical.
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I Dreamed a Dream wasn't used the same way in the show as it was in the musical. To express regret sure, but under incredibly different circumstances.
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quote:I'm not sure I'd even say it was better than Susan Boyle's version.
I ask this question often: If you hadn't seen the backstory for susan boyle and someone had just sent you an .mp3 of her Britain's Got Talent performance, would you still find it impressive?
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Impressive? Yes. The back story didn't really do anything for me anyways. It rarely does on BGT, because most of the bigger performances on their are scouted beforehand. Very few of the breakout performers come to BGT without the producers already knowing who they are before they do the preliminary audition.
Sellable? Probably not the BGT performance. It was raw, and they only aired half the song. But it was impressive. She obviously needed a fair bit of work from that point on. But her recorded version is quite good. I think if she was going to do it on stage, I'd suggest something in between the raw emotion of the BGT performance and the more polished studio version.
You don't think it was impressive?
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No--it was average. Close to pitch, well-produced, but totally average. There's thousands upon thousands of college-trained singers that are better. I found the social media campaign offensive--especially because people were so manipulated by BGT's setup. Boyle had been through 10 rounds of judges (including Simon Cowell) before she showed up on stage. They knew exactly what would happen.
If you truly enjoy her singing for what it is, I won't deny you that. That's just an argument of taste. But from someone who studied music in college and is still active in the music community, I ask people to examine their assumptions and broaden their perspective a bit.
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Went back and rewatched this week's musical episode. I really wish there was a full-length version of the "Piano Man" duet. Neil was rockin' that one.
I liked "Dream a Little Dream." But its hard to hate the vocals when I'm distracted by the lame tap choreography. I have a feeling that whoever choreographed "Safety Dance" was there for a one-time thing. Overall, considering that the glee club is competing as a show choir, they're gonna have to start dancing soon if they want to beat Vocal Adrenaline. Standing on stage and swinging one's arms while singing "passionately" is not gonna cut it.
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quote:Originally posted by Launchywiggin: No--it was average. Close to pitch, well-produced, but totally average. There's thousands upon thousands of college-trained singers that are better. I found the social media campaign offensive--especially because people were so manipulated by BGT's setup. Boyle had been through 10 rounds of judges (including Simon Cowell) before she showed up on stage. They knew exactly what would happen.
If you truly enjoy her singing for what it is, I won't deny you that. That's just an argument of taste. But from someone who studied music in college and is still active in the music community, I ask people to examine their assumptions and broaden their perspective a bit.
I'm not a trained musician beyond being able to play the saxophone, so I can't really evaluate based on technical things. And like I said, as far as her back story and what not go, I couldn't possibly care less.
I thought her BGT performance was pretty good, but I didn't buy her CD, and other than watching it a couple times on Youtube, I've never gone back to it. I actually thought her other song on BGT, "Memory" from Cats, was pretty awful. Furthermore, I was pleased that she lost the show, not so much because I wanted her to lose, but because I felt there were contestants that were far more interesting and deserving.
A story about a performer's life might get me to listen to something once, but unless what I actually hear is good, it's not going to get me to buy it.
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quote:Originally posted by Shanna: Went back and rewatched this week's musical episode. I really wish there was a full-length version of the "Piano Man" duet. Neil was rockin' that one.
I liked "Dream a Little Dream." But its hard to hate the vocals when I'm distracted by the lame tap choreography. I have a feeling that whoever choreographed "Safety Dance" was there for a one-time thing. Overall, considering that the glee club is competing as a show choir, they're gonna have to start dancing soon if they want to beat Vocal Adrenaline. Standing on stage and swinging one's arms while singing "passionately" is not gonna cut it.
Safety Dance was a particularly impressive number. I really liked the tap dancing number at the end as well. Yeah to beat Vocal Adrenaline they will need more dancing.
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quote:Originally posted by JonHecht: Half the episode, after the initial competition for Jean Valjean arose, I was wondering what was wrong with one of them being Javert. I mean, it's not as good a role, but it's not bad.
It isn't just that. You can't decide that you're giving your part to someone else. That's just silly.
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I love hearing NPH sing, but I think MM, at least going by this ep, is a better singer. Much more power and resonance.
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everyone has been picking it apart. I honestly think it was the wrong song choice for both of them, but I still enjoyed NPH in it. At least in the beginning. He controls his voice uniquely.
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