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Thursday, May 27, 2010

About: Glee “Theatricality”


(RAH)² (AH)³ + [ROMA (1+MA)] + (GA)² + (OOH)(LA)²

When you think of going Gaga the first thing that comes to mind has to be the clothes. Last week’s wardrobe was outstanding…and then there was Rachel’s stuffed animal disaster! Of course I know it was intended to shock and appall us, so job well done there.

Now let’s get down to business. Am I the only one who thought that Gaga was a strange musical choice for such a heavy episode? First we’ve got Kurt and Finn fighting about living arrangements which eventually boils into one of the most emotional scenes I’ve seen on Glee so far. Then, Rachel discovers who her mother is and is dealing with all that drama to the tune of Poker Face. After listening to soundtrack I can understand how that song works in their situation, having to put on poker faces for each other so that they don’t feel so vulnerable…etc. But that was some really heavy stuff. Gaga seems more fit for a fun carefree episode, which we have had plenty of this season. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the episode, I just thought they could have used their resources in a more productive way.

I did love the guy’s rendition of Kiss’ “Beth”. It’s great to see Puck showcasing his talent. He hasn’t gotten much play this season and I think he’s got a pretty strong voice. Actually, kind of perfect for Kiss. I thought it was a creative way to bring Puck and Quinn closer. Their storyline has been put on the backburner a lot this season, and Quinn is due to pop soon (although this show’s timeline is a little foggy), so I’m glad they are bringing their story to the forefront. They are one of those couples that makes no sense together but you can’t help but root for them. Puck may be a douche bag, but he’s our douche bag and we love him. He is so innocent when it comes to love and it’s becoming clear that he loves Quinn and is prepared to love this baby too. I just hope it’s not too little too late for Quinn.

“Theatricality” had what seemed like the fight of the century! I loved the way the situation was handled. I found myself feeling so bad for Finn and the way he was ambushed by his mom. It’s really not fair to ask a teenage boy to leave his life behind and join a new family. It’s something that Kurt’s dad taking him to a few games can’t fix, so I’m glad they let it break. All these emotions that Finn was dealing with seemed to be funneled into his odd relationship with Kurt. Kurt is obviously in love with Finn and seems to think the sun rises and sets with him. So when Finn went off on him in such a hateful way it seemed to physically hurt Kurt. In that moment I felt like Kurt. I was shocked. I never would have guessed that Finn could be that filled with hatred. It shifted my opinion of who Finn was and what he had or had not learned about himself this season. When Burt Hummel intervened I could see Kurt’s embarrassment. He spends his life being different than his peers and his dad has come to his aid more than once. It seems like Kurt wants a “normal” father-son relationship more than anything but he doesn’t seem to realize that he has something better. His father just loves him. Not because he’s the son Burt always imagined having, but because he’s not.

I have really grown to like Burt over the season. He started out as an overly masculine clueless father but his character has really grown over the season. I thought he gave a very strong performance in “Theatricality”. I especially loved his comment after Kurt tells him that he didn’t take Finn’s use of the word “faggy” as a personal insult.

“That’s Because you’re 16 and you still see the best in people”.

Needless to say I was more than happy to see Finn attempt to redeem himself later in the episode when he came to Kurt’s rescue wearing that huge shower curtain. It probably wasn’t what Kurt wanted to hear. It wasn’t an “I love you”. It wasn’t even a proposal for friendship, but it was an “I’m sorry”. Something that needed to be said.

So overall I thought this episode definitely had its moments. If there was one thing I was missing, it was Sue Sylvester! And I could always use a few more songs.

2 comments:

  1. Do you think that they used Gaga as a means of calming the tensions between scenes? I agree that Rachel and her mom didn't just sing Poker Face for the hell of it, but in general, Gaga could have been the relaxer of an otherwise emotionally straining episode. Your thoughts?

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  2. Not a bad thought actually. It's always nice to have something to break the tension. I can think of a few Dean jokes or Cas moments that do the same thing for Supernatural.

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