Gleeview: Original Song
Spoiler Alert!
"Original Song" was the fourth competition episode of Glee, and it seemed to me to be the weakest. Competition episodes are always a little different, and this one just didn't hit the same high notes as its predecessors. It was definitely a mixed bag, but there were still a lot of small but significant moments to love.
But, first, we'll tackle the less good, and you might guess it has to do with Kurt. There were a lot of Warblers songs. I think I understand this because New Directions were singing original songs, and it's a big gamble to put all your iTunes sales in the "original song" basket.
Aside from that, I didn't hate the way the Kurt/Blaine story was advanced, but I didn't love it. I'll acknowledge the possibility at least that Ryan Murphy, who wrote this episode, intended for Klaine's first kiss to not be a big deal. If that's the case, he succeeded. It just seemed inevitable, and it didn't have the same emotional impact that Santana's declaration of love for Brittany did last week. It wasn't a surprise that Glee wouldn't be afraid to have two teenage boys kiss. They already did it with Karofsky and Kurt earlier this season. Obviously, there was a different dynamic at play there, but it definitely wasn't a joke. So, it just seemed to me that with the introduction of Blaine and Kurt's obvious attraction to him that they would eventually kiss. I hope it has the same positive impact that the Brittana scenes last week will hopefully have, but it just seemed ho-hum.
What was not ho-hum was the storyline involving Rachel, Quinn and, oh yeah, Finn. Finn is not my favorite character, but he has his good points as well as his weaknesses. Unfortunately for him, he has steadily become simply an accessory at best and a tool at worst for the girls in his life, especially Rachel and Quinn, to use. Sure, Rachel really did and maybe still does "love" him, but she really hasn't ever seemed to want to put the effort into a long-term relationship with him. He's a high school boyfriend to her. Her real goal is Broadway. She did lose her focus for awhile there, but over the last several episodes, culminating in tonight's confrontation with Quinn, she seems to have gotten back on track.
Quinn has officially become a tragic figure. We know now for sure that all she really aspires to is to be prom queen, get married, have children, and settle for being a real estate agent. Clearly, her character is meant to feel stuck at this point in her life, the epitome of a "Lima Loser." She knows she's smart, but she also knows she made a mistake getting pregnant at sixteen. And, in her world, that means she's doomed to a life as a Midwestern wife, only one small step above the 1950s housewife. I'm hoping that at some point in the series she'll realize she can do so much better, and I'm hoping Rachel has something to do with that.
This brings me to the best scene of the night, the auditorium confrontation with Quinn and Rachel. If you haven't been paying attention, the dynamic between Rachel and Quinn (Faberry!, not Quinchel) is nothing short of sizzling. It has a lot to do with the close relationship between the two actresses who play Rachel and Quinn, Lea Michele and Dianna Agron respectively. But, Glee has regularly used this chemistry to their advantage. From the early confrontations over Finn to more sporadic but no less sparkling interactions later on, the Faberry dynamic has been quite impressive. It would be a good move for the Glee producers to begin to take more advantage of this, and I'm optimistic they will.
Quinn was the focus of the scene itself. A lot of what was already hinted at with Quinn was confirmed. She wants Finn because he can provide a life for her with children and comfortable income. The more interesting revelation about Quinn's character though was something I've suspected for a long time. She really does think Rachel is made for more, and she obviously cares a lot about her. The way she talked to Rachel in that auditorium about how she had lost her focus revealed that she does think Rachel is destined for more than just a life with Finn. And, the emotion that she showed over Rachel revealed that she wants Rachel to go for her dream. There was almost a tough love dynamic with Quinn telling Rachel how frustrating she is for chasing after Finn, who just holds her back. Watch for more Faberry in the episodes coming up.
Favorite Lines:
My favorite scene was the Quinn/Rachel auditorium confrontation, but my favorite line comes from Quinn's earlier monologue.
...and another thing, without him I'm never gonna get one of these [prom queen crown]. I know what you're thinking. Prom queen? You're smart and super pretty and relatively sane for a girl. Does being prom queen really matter to you? Well it does! Prom queens live on average five years longer than regular people. It's probably because they smile a lot, and smiling has been proven to ward off diseases...
Musical Rundown:
Lots and lots of songs (eleven!), mostly original. Most of the originals weren't meant to be completely serious, but I'll list them anyway.
"Misery" by Maroon 5--The Warblers opened the episode with this typical song for them, full of close harmonies and solid singing performances. The Warblers lost this Regionals competition, and it seems like this would be the reason for it. They've always been a one-style group.
"Only Child"--This was the first of a series of original songs by the members of New Directions. Rachel's second attempt was only slightly better than "My Headband." Lea Michele can sing anything, and I love it. And, this was pretty funny too. She's singing about how hard it is to be an only child, but it seems to me she really likes it.
"Blackbird" by The Beatles--This is Kurt's second Beatles solo this season, and I have to say his voice is very well-suited for this type of song. I really enjoyed it.
"Trouty Mouth"--Who would have thought that some really hot jazz music could be written about a guy with a fish mouth. It happened, but probably some of that has to do with Naya Rivera's (Santana) skills. She made me forget she was singing about fish.
"Big Ass Heart"--Rockabilly following jazz. This was just fun. Mark Salling (Puck) does well with this type of music too. Really fun.
"Hell to the No"--This was definitely Mercedes. It even used one of her favorite phrases. Fun R&B that succeeded in being the best in a progression of better and better original songs to this point. Good stuff.
"Jesus is my Friend" by Sonseed--This was so funny! Predictably for a Sue Sylvester-led group, they pandered to the nun who was one of the judges and tried some simplified Vocal Adrenaline-style choreography. It just didn't work, but that was the point.
"Candles" by Hey Monday--Chris Colfer (Kurt) and Darren Criss (Blaine) sound really good together! This performance lacked the spontaneous feel of "Baby It's Cold Outside," but their polished sound is really good too.
"Raise Your Glass" by Pink--Typical Warblers again. You do have to give the music producers of Glee credit for doing a good job of adapting varying styles of music to the Warblers sound, but it's still just kind of boring.
"Get it Right"--This is the Rachel Berry song I've been waiting for, and I was not disappointed. It may not be hit material, it still has a teenage girl angst type feel, but I really liked it. Lea Michele sang it well (duh!), and the lyrics really did reflect where Rachel Berry's character is at this point.
"Loser Like Me"--This will probably be the more popular of the two serious original songs of the episode, and I can understand that. It was a really great big screw you to Sue Sylvester and everyone else who try to keep them down. Loved the fake slushies.