posted
Fair point I suppose, though, Glee has a habit of being silly one moment and then turning super-serious when it wants to make a real point and sort of demands to be taken seriously. It's not like Friends or Frasier where EVERYTHING is a farce. Sometimes they demand your attention. I'm somewhat less likely to give it these days.
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: And by the way, Heather Morris is the hottest thing on that show. She absolutely nailed it. Surprisingly, she's one of the better singers in the group, and with the dance moves, I think she comes off as one of the top individual entertainers of the show.
As for the episode, thank goodness for Brittany. I am so sick of victim-Kurt and ridiculously-immature-Schuester. And, of course, Rachel forgets all of her growth in recent episodes and continues to cling to Finn and hit on her friend's crush.
The show can't seem to find the right balance between comedy/drama. The writers should start taking a clue from the early seasons of Scrubs. Here's another show that utilizes absurdist humor but still makes me care about the characters. Its so hard to cheer for the Glee kids (and adults who act worse than kids.) Unless we're cheering for them to have their hearts destroyed and their dreams crushed. THAT'S something I could get behind.
Except for Brittany. I already fear for the day when Artie has his obligatory worst-character-of-the-week episode and breaks her heart.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Carrie: Let's focus on the positive, shall we?
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: And by the way, Heather Morris is the hottest thing on that show. She absolutely nailed it. Surprisingly, she's one of the better singers in the group, and with the dance moves, I think she comes off as one of the top individual entertainers of the show.
She's awesome, plain and simple.
Yeah Heather Morris was just amazing!
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quote:If Finn had been a girl, we'd be calling Kurt a sexual predator.
We have called Kurt a sexual predator. He's creepy as heck. He's such a poor human being I have to wonder if Ryan Murphy even knows what he's doing - if we are supposed to be rooting for Kurt, then making him a self-righteous stalker isn't the way to go.
quote:Then you would have to call the protagonist in most romantic comedies a sexual predators.
No, because of: 1. The bordello shared bedroom. 2. Manipulating the parents. 3. Finn uncomfortable even in the bathroom.
All towards a person who has stated, emphatically, that he is not only not interested in Kurt, but isn't interested in his entire gender. It's less While You Were Sleeping and more Misery. Definitely creepy.
But the biggest problem with Glee is that we are supposed to weep for Kurt after the lightest slightest sneer and laugh hysterically as other characters are subjected to experiences that should send them into a sobbing fetal position. All in the same episode.
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quote:Originally posted by Phanto: Yes, if you rephrase it as a guy hitting on a girl, it is fairly icky.
- A guy has a crush on a girl so he orchestrates their single parents marrying so that he can sleep in the same room as the girl.
Plus the other things.
I'd almost say that if you stop that part way through then it's fine. Guy likes girl so guy tries to get girl's parent to like his. But, the sleeping in the same room and sneaking peeks thing for a step-brother/step-sister relationship? That's off no matter what the gender is.
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posted
Did anyone else laugh when Blaine called Kurt the "most moral and compassionate" person he knew? The same guy who gave him grief last week for possibly being bisexual.
I like Diana Argon as well but I don't like what they're doing with Quinn this season. As for Brittany, her stork speech was epically hilarious.
Has anyone else noticed that the kindest characters all have names that start with the letter B? Bieste, Blaine, Burt, and Brittany (for the most part.)
I will say that I was very moved by Santana's storyline last night. But alot of credit goes to the actress for the delivery. Its interesting that she's not just the cliched "mean girl" but that she lashes out in order to keep people away and not have to investigate her feelings. It makes sense. However, I feel like we kinda already did this storyline with Kurt's bully.
I'm still interested to see where things go. I think Brittany may care for Santana more than Artie but she's obviously cares enough to not want to break his heart. However, I'm worried its going to turn into yet ANOTHER love triangle. I'd count them off but we've had so many that I can't keep track enough to care.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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None of these chracters have the slightest bit of veracity.
Blaine said that to Kurt because Kurt is a Mary Sue, and Ryan Murphy is a raging narcissistic who can't see the monster he's created because its him.
Kurt does a lot of whining and he's been the gamut from petty to predatory. Being a victim doesn't make someone virtuous, especialy when they deal with it, as Kurt does, by victimizing others (Finn, Rachel). Maybe he saves orphans off-screen, but from the evidence of the show, Blaine was hallucinating.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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quote:Originally posted by katharina: None of these chracters have the slightest bit of veracity.
Did you see this ep? If you don't think Naya Rivera's character had veracity, you need to get out more.
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Kurt's dad is just a wonderful and believable character. You can tell homosexuality makes him uncomfortable, but that's because of his being a manly kind of guy from a previous, perhaps less tolerant generation and he doesn't let it influence his care for his son.
The whole lesbian twist strikes me as unrealistic, though. It was previously just something the two girls did because one is a somewhat clueless, sex fiend and the other is a moderately vicious, sexual woman. To elevate it to love seems melodramatic.
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quote:Originally posted by Shanna: Did anyone else laugh when Blaine called Kurt the "most moral and compassionate" person he knew? The same guy who gave him grief last week for possibly being bisexual.
I like Diana Argon as well but I don't like what they're doing with Quinn this season. As for Brittany, her stork speech was epically hilarious.
Has anyone else noticed that the kindest characters all have names that start with the letter B? Bieste, Blaine, Burt, and Brittany (for the most part.)
I will say that I was very moved by Santana's storyline last night. But alot of credit goes to the actress for the delivery. Its interesting that she's not just the cliched "mean girl" but that she lashes out in order to keep people away and not have to investigate her feelings. It makes sense. However, I feel like we kinda already did this storyline with Kurt's bully.
I'm still interested to see where things go. I think Brittany may care for Santana more than Artie but she's obviously cares enough to not want to break his heart. However, I'm worried its going to turn into yet ANOTHER love triangle. I'd count them off but we've had so many that I can't keep track enough to care.
Santana is kind of the female version of Karofsky. Lashing out for the very same reasons he is. Only she acknowledges it. I was actually kind of surprised when she essential said she was lesbian. Particularly after her " I like everything speech" earlier in the episode.
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My favorite part of this episode was Blaine's look of utter confusion as Sue started talking. We're so used to her odd mannerisms that we just roll with it. I liked the lampshading of how WEIRD she actually is.
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On a serious note Burt's sex talk was just about the most wonderful and honest sex talk I have ever heard,in media or real life. It was beautiful.
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I kind of liked what happened with Santana and Britney. At the very least, I really was impressed by the acting. I've given up expecting fluidity to this show, so I kind of take each moment as it comes.
What I thought was painful was that Santana finally opened up in a real moment, and was sort of shut down, which was exactly the thing she feared. Harsh. But I like that Britney didn't just drop Artie. In general, it was a good, enjoyable episode.
Didn't really care for most of the music though.
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Out of curiosity, is Landslide even a love song? For some reason, I'd always interpreted it as being about a woman leaving her husband.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I really liked the Santana / Brittany storyline as well. I think Naya Rivera (Santana) is a better actress than I thought she was. In this episode she showed that she can act as something other than a mean girl.
I think this season Brittany and Santana are getting a lot more screen time because we essentially know about every other character. In the first season we got a lot of the regulars, but Naya and Heather were guest stars. Since they got made regulars I think the writers are trying to make up for the story and screen time they missed in the first season.
I also don't like what the writers are doing with Quinn this season. In the first season she was a mean girl that was humbled when she got pregnant. In this second season she starts off as nice but now it seems the writers don't know what to do with her. She's been nice, she's been shady, she's been mean. Judging from the preview from next week, she's going to be downright cruel.
Oh, and I still hate Rachel.
Posts: 1937 | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
I think Ryan Murphy has the same problem that Stephen Moffat has (although Moffat is tens times better at everything else): he doesn't know how to develop a character. Both writers do interesting intros to a character, and then they flail. There's no arcs, no consistency, no sense of layers. Moffat's characters generally don't grow beyond their introduction, but Murphy basically creates a new character and uses the same name and actor every time.
That's how you get Quinn careening all over the place, why Sue ping/pongs between evil and saintly, why Emma is making out with Hot Carl who erases her OCD one minute and then back to the ice princess when it suits the plot, and why the Britanny/Santana thing went from played for laughs between a ditz and a Captain Jack to Twoo Wuv. Rachel never learns anything, Kurt never learns anything, and Artie switches between a sweetheart to *&&(^% and back again. I could not BELIEVE the way he treated Tina. And that's why the show can't decide who the main characters and can't follow a storyline for more than 1.5 episodes.
Anyway, Murphy writes moments, not characters. He did this with Popular as well, his other teen show. I don't think it's a coincidence that Brittany is turning into the most consistent character, because she's such a cartoon she could be melted by kerosene. The actors are fine and doing their best with what they have, and some are better than others. But writing isn't good. I don't think he knows how to make it so.
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That makes complete sense Katharina. I have noticed the same thing. I think right now the only real consistent characters we do have are Brittany, Biest, and Burt. I really hope the writers don't ruin them for us.
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posted
I pretty much agree with Kath as well. But I also take Lyrhawn's approach ("I've given up expecting fluidity to this show, so I kind of take each moment as it comes.") I'm under no illusions that the show is going to move forward with good, well written character arcs. But periodically we get some decent acting, and it's more enjoyable if I pretend that that acting had the appropriate set up.
I actually liked the Santana/Britney thing quite a bit, and DO consider it a place where the previous writing actually WAS the right set up. (Even if it's more likely to be random chance than deliberate plotting). I never felt like the Britney/Santana relationship was just played for laughs. It always felt like deliberate foreshadowing to me.
As for Santana's proclamation of "love," I think the word "love" is probably overkill, but I also think that it's a perfectly accurate portrayal of inexperienced teenagers who have powerful feelings they don't fully understand yet.
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1. Rhyming dictionaries? Seriously? 2. Trouty mouth was just plain mean. I can't believe Shue let it go on that long. 2. Big A$$ Heart totally rocked. 3. Mercedes is always spectacular. 4. The Jewish star at the end of that song was just gross. 5. Blaine's solo sounded like this Purim song I heard recently. 6. And how about that? Rachel didn't do a single thing to make me hate her this week. Neither did Kurt. Will wonders never cease?
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
As the show started and Blaine and the Warblers were singing, I was going to comment to my wife about I was wondering how Kurt was liking always being second or third fiddle to Blaine. It had seemed to me that the group was Blaine and the Warblers. Then Kurt brings it up.
Kurt's performance of Blackbird was one of the best I have seen this season.
Right now if I were a judge at a singing competition, I would be furious at the writer. For two years running the judges have been jokes. Who would want to win when you are being judged like that?
posted
At first, I was happy to see Kurt call out Blaine on all of his solos. But as the episode progressed, I really wish Kurt has kept his mouth shut.
Because then the bird dies and Kurt has a solo. And since you can't rule anything out with Glee, my brain jumped to "wow, Kurt faked the bird's death as an excuse to sing a solo and since Blaine is already feeling guilty, he'll plead Kurt's case to the council."
Blaine falling in love with Kurt at that moment could not have come more out of left-field. But that's cause I keep forgetting how in Glee, a gorgeous solo fixes everything.
And since that's the case, it suddenly makes sense why Quinn's character has done a complete 180. By having Quinn use Finn to win Homecoming Queen and then bullying Rachel, we can now view Rachel as the victim and the only one who could truly love Finn. I love how the writers manipulate the audience into forgetting that Rachel cheated on Finn and broke his heart. Oh and look, see how Finn stares at Rachel during her gorgeous solo. Its like music heals all wounds.
Seriously, someone make it stop!
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Shanna: At first, I was happy to see Kurt call out Blaine on all of his solos. But as the episode progressed, I really wish Kurt has kept his mouth shut.
Because then the bird dies and Kurt has a solo. And since you can't rule anything out with Glee, my brain jumped to "wow, Kurt faked the bird's death as an excuse to sing a solo and since Blaine is already feeling guilty, he'll plead Kurt's case to the council."
Blaine falling in love with Kurt at that moment could not have come more out of left-field. But that's cause I keep forgetting how in Glee, a gorgeous solo fixes everything.
And since that's the case, it suddenly makes sense why Quinn's character has done a complete 180. By having Quinn use Finn to win Homecoming Queen and then bullying Rachel, we can now view Rachel as the victim and the only one who could truly love Finn. I love how the writers manipulate the audience into forgetting that Rachel cheated on Finn and broke his heart. Oh and look, see how Finn stares at Rachel during her gorgeous solo. Its like music heals all wounds.
Seriously, someone make it stop!
Blaine's falling for love was not out of thin air. It happened when Kurt quit acting like a love sick puppy and started.(for the first time since he went to Dalton) like himself.
Did you completely miss what Quinn was actually saying in her conversation with Rachael?
Winning Finn is the only real victory she has to look forward too. Rachael is going places. Quinn is not. Quinn was all but begging Rachael to let her have Finn but Rachael couldn't see that. It was all about herself. Your "writers manipulate the audience into forgetting that Rachel cheated on Finn and broke his heart" line is way off. The writers are doing no such thing.
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Kurt is so dramatic about everything that its hard to tell when he's being genuine. Its easier to accept him as an overblown caricature. There's a throwaway line about him buying a fancy cover for the bird cage and so we're supposed to believe that Kurt has really been struck by the bird's death.
I did hear what Quinn was saying during her speech to Rachel but again, she doesn't love Finn since she's so sure he's going to be a "Lima Loser" just like her for the rest of his life. I hate Rachel, I really do, but Finn loves music and Rachel could inspire him to pursue his dream. Members of a nationally-ranked show choir can very easily get scholarship money for college.
I'm quite annoyed with all three of them. Finn's too easily manipulated, Rachel's loves being the victim, and Quinn, who has suffered more than any character on the show, has learned nothing. Sure, she was pregnant but she gave the baby up for adoption. The only thing holding her back is herself. She's not going to go anywhere if she's holding onto dreams of being homecoming queen. Its hard to feel for a character who not only has low self-esteem but seems determined to hold back others as well. In that way, she may be even meaner than Santana.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I disagree. Quinn more than any other character except Santana has shown the most growth this season. Unfortuantely she is very insecure and seems to be accepting her future limitations. She is settling instead of dreaming big.
Finn is kind (mostly) and not very bright but he does read people well but yes he is easily manipulated.
Kurt is over emotional and has been taking care of that bird for most of the season. Of course he was upset by it's death.
edit Kurt is always being genuine. Over the top and overly dramatic and sometimes very annoying but I can't think of a single thing he ever did that wasn't genuine .
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posted
I wondered how much of Kurt's grief was defensive. He'd been given the bird as a responsibility, and he must have been afraid that he'd be in trouble with his fellow Warblers. Displaying that degree of grief is good protection from that sort of thing.</cynicism>
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quote:Originally posted by Lisa: I wondered how much of Kurt's grief was defensive. He'd been given the bird as a responsibility, and he must have been afraid that he'd be in trouble with his fellow Warblers. Displaying that degree of grief is good protection from that sort of thing.</cynicism>
You seem to always take whatever Kurt does and twist it to the worst possible motivation. Why is that?
Posts: 305 | Registered: Jan 2008
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posted
Because I make the mistake of reacting to him the way I'd react to someone in real life. Which doesn't really make sense, since he's just a fictional character, and they can roll the dice on personalities all they want. But if I knew a real person who had displayed the sort of selfishness/selfcenteredness that Kurt has, then yeah, that's probably where I'd go first.
Also, I'm generally cynical. Comes with age.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
You know, the Star of David at the end of the Jesus song REALLY threw me. I looked over at my room mate and we both had a "huh?" face. This episode was remarkably predictable though. My room mate and I guess everything that would happen five minutes before it did, including my room mate guessing that Sue would deck the woman who presented the results, which was particularly hilarious.
As for the actual content: The songs were pretty hilarious, but really, I thought they really could have made fantastic songs out of them. "Hell No" worked more or less as is. "Trouty Mouth" would have been a sweet jazz song with better lyrics, and Naya certainly can do jazz. "Big Ass Heart" also had an awesome beat. The lyrics weren't even atrocious, but they could have been a lot better for what was musically a fun song.
I loved it when Kurt called Blayne out. It wasn't even malicious and catty like he normally is. He was even, and spot-on. I was fine with it because I particularly like his performances, but I thought that was nice.
The thing with Rachel and Quinn was interesting. I think Quinn is bitter because she realizes she's not getting out of that town, and thinks that marrying the quarterback prom king really is the best that she can do. It was a very resigned, cynical, bitter, angry speech that she gave Rachel, even while actually sort of being nice to Rachel by acknowledging, several times, that Rachel is the only one who will make it out because she is so talented. For Rachel's part, that song didn't at all brush under the rug the fact that she cheated on Finn. The song was all about the mistakes that she made, and acknowledging all the self-destructive things that she has done in the past. I thought she actually grew quite a bit. Too bad with this show that growth will never be allowed to last, but it was nice.
I was hoping we'd get another performance with Mike and Brittany dancing together, but this was fine. What I don't get is where Vocal Adrenaline is. I'm sure they have an explanation as to why they weren't there, but I don't see how two Ohio based groups can compete against each other at Nationals.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I thought that while Quinn could have been a little nicer about it, she basically asked Rachel to just let her have this one.
The speech about her becoming a realtor and Finn taking over Burt's Tire Shop helped me understand why Quinn was acting the way she was. In the first season she called Puck a Lima loser. She made it pretty clear she didn't want to be one. Now we have learned that she has resigned herself to that life and wants to make the best of it. I think she really does love Finn, but is afraid to let herself admit it because of their past.
Posts: 1937 | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
I think the Quinn speech was wonderfully done, and I thought Hell No had real potential. Rachel was less obnoxiously annoying than usual this episode, but still, the point that she is a naive person living in a fairy tale was not inaccurate.
Kurt was also better than normal. Not a bad episode.
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