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Glee: A Night of Neglect

To raise money for Nationals and the Brainiacs club, New Directions puts on a benefit concert. Unfortunately Sue has a new scheme to stop it, replete with henchmen. Will and Holly struggle with their relationship, and Lauren encourages Mercedes to demand respect.

Sunshine, Shrew, Sandy and Sergeant Smarmy

Sunshine is back! I would say hurrah but her role in this episode was a little bit random, it felt more like she was there to remind everyone what an amazing singer she is now that we are into the final stretch of episodes. It did work that Sarg Smarm was on hand to pull her out of the benefit, but why did New Directions ever think he would allow it in the first place? Sandy’s return made more sense given that he is rather a bitch and also a sucker for powerful women. Sadly for Boss Sue she didn’t factor that into her plans before he was taken out by a Mercedes/Aretha one two punch. Wow for an episode with so many guest stars I really didn’t get excited about them at all. Perhaps it is because the only one I really love to hate is Terri and her chance to wreak havoc has only just arrived.

Will and Holly

Whilst they did make an adorable pair eating pizza in front of a roaring fire, we all knew the Holliday holiday would come to an end, mainly since Gwyneth Paltrow was never going to become a regular on Glee. I did imagine that they would date for longer than one episode. The plot always moves fast on Glee but it seemed rather as if a tiny argument regarding Sargent Stupid and a single not-very-romantic Will/Emma moment was all it took to make Holly run for the hills. She and Will were a couple for all of two scenes. Maybe she will be back with her own unique brand of substitute teaching sometime soon – that I want to see her impression of Catherine the Great’s stallion Fred!

… and Emma


It was sad to see Emma’s OCD return with such a vengeance – I mean putting plastic gloves on to eat sandwiches can be kind of adorable (work with me people) but scrubbing a countertop with a toothbrush? Is that just Glee or do people really feel driven to do that? How debilitating. Thankfully Emma being all damaged again means that Will is into her because he has something to fix. I’m not sure how we as the audience are supposed to feel about Emma and Will. When Glee began we were all (mostly) rooting for them but now it just feels like Will wants to ‘make her better’ and Emma seems to be unable to control her feelings for Will despite it costing her the finest dentist alive.

Karofsky, Kurt, Blaine and Santana (or Rainbow Corner)

This was a great little scene that provided a bit of setup for next week’s episode Born This Way. I was worried we wouldn’t get to see the Dalton boys this episode, and I forgot how much I’d missed them over the hiatus. Poor Kurt can’t have five minutes showing his boyfriend round his old school without being accosted by Dave in Denial. Could it be that what he wanted deep down was to talk about coming out with the only other gay guys that he knows? Santana squaring off with him was brilliant, she gets MVP for her efforts. I liked that this was the first time we have seen her dealing with homophobia, but will she handle it quite as well when it is directed at her?

Loved

- It’s just like Sue to find a way to prevent the Cheerios funds from ever reaching the hair gel covered hands of Will Schuester!

- Other Asian finally has a role in the series beyond showing off his abs and shaking it like a polaroid picture.

- The irony of Brittany being on the Brainiacs team and being their secret weapon.

- Sue’s evil league of evil scene began with the clock striking midnight.

- Terri’s supervillain nickname – Honey Badger. The others were firmly in the Didn’t Love. I mean Pink Dagger sounds like a terrifying euphemism and Sergeant Handsome – not so handsome.

- How strange that My Heart Will Go On was mentioned in both Glee and Supernatural this week.

- Nice to see Becky and Azimio again. I prefer Jacob when he is being grotesquely pervy over Rachel.

- Mike’s ‘screeching to a halt’ noise when Rachel said she’d be singing Celine Dion.

Didn’t Love

- Even Santana is getting slushied? This has gone too far, this must end!

- Terri doesn’t hate Will? Why Not? Last time they met he banged her then dropped her, and she got all jealous about Holly and now he’s actually dating Holly and it would make perfect sense for her to hate Will. But since when has she hated the Glee club?

- The neglected artists thing? Bit of a bottom of the bag musical theme. Then again Glee’s demographic probably isn’t that up to speed on Eric and Aretha, and casual Jack and Adele fans might not have heard Bubbly Toes and Turning Tables.

- Dustin’s attempted seduction. I found him utterly reprehensible. I hope Will’s tiny fist encounters his face at Nationals.

Glee Against the Music:

All By Myself - Eric Carmen (Sunshine):
I love this song, and Sunshine certainly did it justice. She’s got an incredible voice – where does that singing power come from? She’s so tiny she must be about 90% lung! I also liked Puck’s puppy faced grin, has someone got a new crush? Well I’m impressed with Sunshine, but there was something missing from this, I was left wanting more. Grade B+

I Follow Rivers - Lykke Li (Tina):
Ok this is getting ridiculous, I didn’t even have time to get into the song before it was ruined by hecklers. This is the third time this season that a Tina solo has been shortened, and it sounded pretty good for all of 20 seconds. Boo, writers!

Bubble Toes - Jack Johnson (Mike):
When this began I was wondering how it would work, but it turned into a great performance. Mike is a master of comedy and just flows around the stage. I especially liked his ‘move like a jellyfish’. That was all kinds of awesome. B+

Turning Tables – Adele (Holly Holliday):
I was a little disappointed by Holly’s swan song. It wasn’t a fun performance like those she does so well, the vocals were solid but I didn’t really feel the emotion behind them. Grade C+

Ain't No Way - Aretha Franklin (Mercedes):
I don’t think this was the best Aretha number to choose, but Mercedes really did bring the house down. Her performance and Rachel’s words after it were the perfect end to her side plot, which was great fun in and of itself. Now if only she had been carried on whilst holding a Pomeranian, it would have been perfect. B+

Quotes for Gleeks:


Brittany: “Ugh, I love saltwater.”

Will: “I get the three of you being on the team…”
Puck: “Is it because two of them are Asian and Artie wears glasses?”
Will: “No….but Brittany?!”

Brittany: “I’ll take cat diseases!”

Sue: “Terri Schuester, Shrew.”
Terri: “I’m also an Assistant Manager.”

Rachel: “Can you define what you mean by neglected artist?”
Will: “Umm, someone whose brilliance isn’t always appreciated.”
Rachel: “Oh, so you mean like me.”

Sue: “She’s looser than a thrift store turtleneck and probably just as diseased.”
Dustin: “Just my type.”

Mercedes: “Before every performance I like to wash my hands and after doing so I like to dry them on a fresh puppy.”

Sandy: “Ready for my close up, General Zod.”
Sue: “Sandy how do you manage to enter a building without setting off ALL the fire alarms?”

Santana: “Two choices: You stay here and I crack one of your nuts, right or left, that’s your choice, or you walk away and live to be a douchebag another day. Oh, and also? I have razor blades hidden in my hair. Tons, just all up in there.”

Sandy: “You just got poked. Poked by the Dagger!” Arrrrgh!

Finn: “What’s that saying – the show’s gotta go all over the place or something!”

Sunshine Corazon gets Quote of the Week:
“I’m such a better singer than everyone else so I know how it feels. I’m all alone at the top! Also, I’m Really short, so even when I’m in a group of people, it feels like I’m wandering alone through a forest!”

It wasn’t the best that Glee can do but it certainly wasn’t a disappointing return either. Three out of four fluffy puppies.

11 comments:

  1. Fun review, Harry. I liked this one too, though I will admit I'm wondering if they haven't gone as far as they can with the Asian potshots without it starting to get uncomfortable. All the Asians ever to set foot on the show are in the Brainiacs competition? Even Sunshine?

    I know it's all in good fun, and I definitely think the writers are making fun of the stereotype, not the stereotyped, but how much does that come across anymore?

    It's like the way David Spade keeps verbally abusing the Indian guy on "Rules of Engagement". The show runners claim they're making fun of Spade's racism, but fans of the show keep praising the character for saying "what we all think".

    Oh, and if it's any consolation, "Pink Danger" was actually "Pink Dagger", so no chance of it being a Fox News homophobic euphemism.

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  2. It just dawned on me "Pink dagger" can also be an icky euphemism and that may be what you meant. Woops.

    Oh, and, yeah, OCD can be that delibitating, especially in times of stress. Emma should be on medication though. To my knowledge, they've got pills for that.

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  3. I didn't mind this episode, I think it was more of a filler though. The writers needed to show Kurt missing WMHS in order for his future return to make sense and they needed to have the Will/Emma moment to possibly write about their relationship in the future. On that note, I am going to miss the idea of John Stamos on the show but since they barely had him on in the first place, it won't be too hard without him. Even though I'm a huge Rachel fan, I liked her more in this episode. I love those rare moments where she puts her career aside and helps those around her who don't get the chance to be in the spotlight. As much as I dislike Terri, I'm excited to see her attempts at bringing the glee club down. We all know that what the glee club does best is keep pushing through despite how many people try to destroy them. I will also miss Holly Holliday even though the writers confirmed her return next season. I'm so beyond excited for nexts weeks 90 minute episode though!

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  4. Usually the lack of reality doesn't bother me so much, but when the backup choir showed up, and then the background orchestra, I thought -- all of these people plus all of the Glee kids, and not a single parent or friend showed up and bought a ticket?

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  5. Oh, I agree! I kept wondering where all of their parents were. Also, in an odd continuity moment, I went back and I'm re-watching season 1. The Kristen Chenoweth episode, (the first one)and the glee club had an invitational which filled the auditorium. I was just blown away by the fact that back when they were really losers they could fill an auditorium, but now that they've won sectionals and regionals, they can't even get their parents to come watch them! Craziness.

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  6. Thanks for spotting my Pink Danger error Dimitri, I've changed it now. I definitely would have had something to say if they had nicknamed Sandy 'Pink Danger' and had him announce that he is what is known as a 'Predatory Gay'. Yikes!

    It's a shame about the Asian cracks yeah. I would like to believe that Sunshine being Asian and on the Brainiacs rivals was coincidence but there was not much of a reason for her to be on the team.

    Haha Marissa you always have the best info to share :) Holly is coming back and next week is 90 minutes?! Ohmigod!

    Billie and Anon, funny I didn't think about the lack of reality at all this time. Perhaps their tendency to do really unbelievable storylines has finally broken my sense of logic and regular expectations...

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  7. I don't like the way Glee is dealing (or rather, not dealing) with Emma's OCD. I have an anxiety disorder myself that I dealt with for years before finally seeking therapy. There is a huge stigma associated with having any psychological disorder, especially depression or an anxiety disorder, which many people think can be overcome through sheer willpower. There's possibly an even bigger stigma about seeing a therapist for any reason, and that has kept some people from getting the help they need. If Glee had Emma get professional help for her severe OCD, it certainly wouldn't get rid of all the stigma...but every little thing helps.

    The episode as a whole was filler, and not even good filler. I'd go so far as to say this episode is outright bad, not to mention boring. The Brainiacs club that came out of nowhere? Come on.

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  8. I think it was just Sue's new League of Doom that kinda carried the episode for me, everything was just OK filler - the Night of Neglect, which had an impossibly low turnout yet surprisingly they mustered a whole lot of resources for it (I mean, a choir? And you'd think at least the other teachers would be there...what about Beiste?)

    But Dustin Goolsby and Sandy pretty much made it interesting. In fact I find just about every Sandy episode amusing, and he of course conveniently solved the Glee Club's funding problem in that very Glee-like twist that we expect. I'm getting pretty indifferent to Will/Holly/Emma or whatever it is now. I guess it being a not-preachy episode made it nicer than usual (and the Kurt/Blain/Santana/David showdown in the corridor was pretty great)

    Fun, fun review Harry :)

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  9. Yes, very much a fun review, Harry. :) I must be in the minority, because I'm still rooting for Will and Emma. She definitely needs medication and/or therapy, though.

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  10. I think I keep watching Glee for the musical numbers, because what little plot there was just keeps getting more absurd by the week!

    I can usually manage my suspension of disbelief each week with the school musicians always knowing the music to whatever song someone just happened to decide to sing... but a full orchestra up on stage behind Holly? Or that gospel choir with Meredith? yeah, right!

    "not a single parent or friend showed up and bought a ticket? "

    That wwas the single element I had the most trouble with!!! The kids' families, Beiste, Figgins should have been there too... the families of the musicians. Seriously writers!!!

    Best moment of the episode? Santana vs Karovski!!! :o)

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  11. Great review again, Harry.

    One thing that jumped out at me was the conversation Holly had with the hecklers. I wonder how much of that was the writers and/or producers having a dig at the boards. One can hardly blame them; some of the comments (I hasten to add NOT on this site) are downright vitriolic. I hadn't really thought about the anonymity of the boards providing protection against reprisal.

    I also thought it was interesting to have GP give the speech. She has had her fair share of problems with the press and the paparazzi. She seemed to deliver it with quite a bit of conviction!

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