GLEE Almost Done Being "Built"

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Glee' - "We Built This Glee Club" on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee takes the team to Sectionals in the penultimate episode of the series, “We Built This Glee Club.” Like in the previous week, it mainly ignores the alumni who have been featured prominently for six years and keeps the cast small. The exception to this is Rachel (Lea Michele), who gets a visit from an old friend and finally decides whether to return to school or Broadway.

If Sectionals were a culmination of Rachel’s journey, or Rachel, Kurt (Chris Colfer), and Blaine’s (Darren Criss) journey, or even Will’s (Matthew Morrison) triumphant return, “We Built This Glee Club” would be a great episode. Instead, it’s only a pretty good episode. That’s because this close to the end of the entire series, there are few stakes and little payoff, no matter how enjoyable the hour may be. Yes, technically the glee club might be disbanded if they don’t win, but that’s not a threat brought to the forefront here. It would be so easy to build this installment into something, given where the season starts, and yet Glee stops short of doing so.

My problem is not so much with the Sectionals themselves. The Falconers doing “Broken Wings” is ridiculously silly, as is the judging panel made up of Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones), Butch (stand up comedian Fortune Feimster) and her poodle, and a cranky comptroller (Patricia Forte), and the uneven number of songs that each group performers is stupid, if practical, but that’s par for Glee‘s Sectionals episodes, and it’s fun they bring back the comptroller from their very first competition. Given how over-the-top showy Vocal Adrenaline’s “We Built This City” / “Mickey” piece is, focusing on pizzazz over vocal quality, it’s no wonder that the New Directions win.

I am a little disappointed by the New Directions, not because of their song choices, but because of who is featured. Powerhouse Jane (Samantha Marie Ware) is the lone newbie that doesn’t get a solo, which seems a massive waste, and while I get that the Warblers provide the dance moves, some of them should have gotten to sing out front, too, no? But it’s hard to argue about the effectiveness of the “Take Me to Church” / “Chandelier” / “Come Sail Away” set, which is well executed and delightful. I don’t completely excuse the faults, but it’s a solid enough performance to make the trophy feel earned.

I have no problem with Glee showing a Sectionals win with no promise of following the group to Regionals and Nationals, either. Viewers aren’t emotionally invested enough in this cast yet, and so this basically just lets fans know that the tradition will continue, long after our television screens stop showing it. That’s a nice thought.

Afterwards, Sue (Jane Lynch) tells Will she ensures New Directions will win as payback for him defending her, and her exploits of poisoning the school and sending glitter bombs to the glee club are merely her having fun and motivating them. I sort of buy this. Sue has many times in the past exhibited a tough love strategy. However, it just doesn’t quite add up, given how she blows Will off last week, and her continued persistence in trying to kill the club this year. This is almost a pay-off for Sue, but like the Sectionals themselves, falls a little short of that.

The best plot in the hour finds Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff) returning to McKinley to urge Rachel to say yes to the Broadway show. She would be starring opposite him. She chooses school, but doesn’t close the door on a romance with her ex, and their “Listen to Your Heart” duet is full of sparks. I never really bought into a Rachel / Sam (Chord Overstreet) pairing, and Jesse makes way more sense for her. The song makes up for not seeing them on stage together in New York, and if they can date despite their hectic schedules, they could make for a fitting Glee endgame.

“We Built This Glee Club” isn’t very focused on the conclusion, and that is definitely the reason it fails to meet expectations. As mentioned, it doesn’t concentrate on earned wins, nor does it satisfactorily tie up arcs, despite ample opportunity to do so. Kurt, Blaine, and Rachel’s impending return to the Big Apple without pay-off makes the entire final season feel like a bit of a waste, even if it teases tantalizingly for the spin-off that should have replaced the mother ship a couple of years ago, and that we’re not likely to get at this point. It also makes no use of the alumni contracted full-time this season, both those currently working in the school and those absent. Too bad, as a few tweaks would have made this a very worthy penultimate airing, especially in the touching throw-back involving the trophies and glimpses of deceased Cory Monteith as Finn.

Glee concludes its six-season run with a two-hour episode next Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Glee gets "Naked"

Article first published as TV Review: Glee - "Naked" on Blogcritics.

The latest installment of FOX's Glee finds out many of our favorite characters getting "Naked." At McKinley, the guys are putting together a shirtless calendar to raise money to pay for their bus to Regionals in Indiana, while in New York, Rachel (Lea Michele) considers doing a topless scene in a student film.

A few minutes into "Naked," this episode is looking pretty bad, one of the worst we've seen all season. It begins with the Warblers being charged for steroid abuse, prompting the local news to report that McKinley is going to Regionals in their place.

First of all, it doesn't look like the case has been settled yet. Isn't it a little early to write off the Warblers? Second of all, the New Directions are disqualified at Sectionals, and another group isn't, so what logic leads anyone to believe that McKinley is still in the game? Thirdly, while it may be local news-worthy to cover steroid abuse in a glee club, they certainly wouldn't talk about McKinley at length, even if the New Directions are the defending national champions. And the entire thing is presented incredibly unrealistically, complete with a trumped-up version of an anchor rant.

For the record, I live in Columbus, Ohio, hours away from Lima and McKinley, which are actually hours away from each other, and our local news is not anything like Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Andrea Carmichael's (Earlene Davis) program, which appears to be Columbus-based. Even when Glee stretches reality for the sake of a joke, it does not do a service to Columbus to portray it so poorly.

Then we go to the choir room where Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) announces her calendar idea. Marley (Melissa Benoist) pops in with the musing that it is January so it is the perfect time to sell calendars. Wrong. January is a terrible time to sell, especially if they won't be ready until late January or early February. Dumb.

Continuing on this trend of bad writing is a scene in Figgins' (Iqbal Theba) office where he tells Brittany (Heather Morris) that she got an almost perfect score on the SAT, even though she just drew pictures in the dots. This is not possible, and for a girl who didn't graduate high school in four years, a cruel plot twist. For Figgins to reveal this in front of Sam (Chord Overstreet), whom he then says has a very, very low score, is unprofessional, and should not happen even in a fictional education setting.
 
However, after these completely terrible first five or so minutes, "Naked" steadily grows better. Glee's episodes are often not of consistent quality from week to week, but usually the bad episodes are bad, the mediocre ones are mediocre, and the good episodes are good. "Naked" turns this old idea on its head by having on of the worst starts and best endings, with a pretty good middle.

I have to admit, even though it could be lumped into the opening chaos, I mostly enjoyed Marley's guest spot on Fondue For Two. Brittany unthinkingly makes a joke out of Marley's eating disorder, and it surprisingly works!

The only part that should have been left out of Fondue For Two is Lord Tubbington using the computer. It ventures too far into ridiculous territory.

The main story of "Naked" deals with body image issues. At McKinley, this centers around the guys. Artie (Kevin McHale) doesn't want to take off his shirt, and not just because he's in a wheel chair. He says that boys can have insecurities about their body, and he's totally right. I like the message this sends out, and how even after Finn (Cory Monteith) and Sam cluelessly keep pushing the issue, they come around and not only tell Artie how brave he is, but find a way to include him while respecting his wishes.

A strong selling point of Glee has always been acceptance of who one is, and promoting helping others. "Naked" brings that mission to the forefront again in an intelligent way, without getting preachy.

The only regret here is Blaine's (Darren Criss) continued attraction to Sam. It's actually done very well in this episode, with Blaine being a really good friend, making a video to cheer Sam up when he's feeling stupid. Blaine does not try to push the straight man into anything gay, and Sam stays in the dark about Blaine's feelings.

What's sad is that Blaine is being set up for a big slide down when this arc comes to a head, and Sam has to gently tell him it's never going to happen. I hope Sam takes the news well, and finds a way to not shun Blaine for emotions that he can't control.

I'm going to ignore Tina's continued annoying habit of hitting on Blaine, since he already let her down, and girl still won't leave him alone!

In New York, we also have the issue of nudity, couched in a plot about how Rachel is growing up. Lest we forget high school Rachel, the episode gives us college Rachel and her former persona side by side, singing a wonderful duet of "Torn."

Rachel has changed a lot since going off to higher education, as many do, and "Naked" provides a chance for her to step back and evaluate her choices, deciding if she wants to stay on this path or not. She is getting in touch with who she is as a woman, and her sexuality, a fact made more obvious when we see the old sweaters, buttoned up so much higher.

Interesting that both Rachels have miniskits on, no? I guess the new-found sexiness isn't coming out of nowhere.

Sort of weirdly, it's Quinn (Dianna Agron) and Santana (Naya Rivera) that give Rachel her life raft. Rachel's friendship with the Cheerios only begins to form just before she leaves McKinley, but it's sweet that they remember their time together fondly enough to travel to the big city and give Rachel some advice at an important juncture. Plus, they are more experienced than Rachel when it comes to such adult matters, so they serve as appropriate advisers.

In the end, Rachel decides not to go through with going topless, a wise decision, and a sign that she won't change who she is completely. It's the support of her friends that provides her out, but it's her own strong will that carries her through. As she leaves the set to sing "Love Song" with the girls, it's a triumphant moment for Rachel Berry.

I am really intrigued by Santana's comment that New York might be her kind of city. I like Rachel and Kurt's (Chris Colfer) relocation this season, providing a way for Glee to grow, as their portions of the episodes tend to be the strongest. I really want to see more characters join them, and Santana is one of better developed on the show. She would greatly shake up Kurt and Rachel's dynamic if she should move, and I would love her to get more screen time again. I hope the writers go this direction.

The music in "Naked" is some of the best in recent memory on Glee. As stated before, "Torn" is amazing, and "Love Song" is enjoyable, and not just for nostalgia's sake. The New Directions' mashup of "Centerfold" and "Hot in Here" is downright inspired, and very clever. "A Thousand Years, Pt. 2" is sweet. Only "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)" is mediocre, but that can be forgiven because of the part it plays in the story.

"Naked" ends with its best piece of the week, "This is the New Year." It's done in a very artistic style, with the twelve current members of the high school glee club coming together and just plain having fun. If ever an episode ended on a high note, it's this one, letting them celebrate their victories and accomplishments in the hour in a cute and entertaining way that bears repeat viewings.

Another subplot in "Naked" involves Marley and Jake (Jacob Artist). Things between them have been brewing, but it suddenly turns serious. Jake admits to Ryder (Blake Jenner) that he loves Marley, and is disappointed when Marley can't quite say that she loves him. Ryder encourages Jake to go first, and it's the perfect decision to do so, leading to a mutual statement of attraction.

I know it's early in the plot for Jake and Marley to get too close. Yet, it's refreshing for a young pair to be so in love, without having to go through seasons of drama to get there. Their relationship might not last, but hopefully it will stick for a little bit, as these new characters are very likeable, and deserve some happiness. And yes, they do say the l-word too soon, but I'm sure plenty of real high schoolers who don't actually understand love do, too.

In New York, we get just a taste of Kurt's frustrations with having Brody (Dean Geyer) living with them. It was foolish and rude of Rachel to invite Brody in without consulting Kurt, and the arrangement is clearly not working out. There's only a little bit of conflict shown this week, but it's definitely brewing towards a larger confrontation. It is gratifying to see Kurt not dance around the issue, standing up for himself, and this probably means the thrown down will happen sooner, rather than later.

Lastly, Finn fights back against Sue's (Jane Lynch) bullying, tricking her into admitting she once posed nude in a magazine. That in of itself ventures into hokey territory, especially when Sue thinks that she can destroy all the evidence in a digital age. Good thing for her, Finn doesn't seem remember that the internet exists, either.

That being said, I get the impression that Sue is slyly pushing Finn into being a better teacher, not just being mean for no reason, and if that turns out to be the case, I'm glad she's around for him. She won't ever admit it, of course, but I sense that she's starting to treat Finn as a colleague and worthy opponent, the same way she treats Will (Matthew Morrison). That's a good sign.

"Naked" is not Glee's best outing, but if there was an award form Most Improved episode from beginning to end, it would win it. There are some important issues brought up, some great character moments, and some fantastic musical numbers. Overall, I'd give it a solid B+.

Glee airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter.

Glee competes in "Sectionals"

      This summer, I'll be going back to review the season one episodes of FOX's Glee. These are fresh reviews, not reposts, and I hope you will enjoy reliving the first season with me.

     We continue with season one episodes of FOX's Glee, this week, "Sectionals." This episode is iconic for a number of reasons. Coming as a winter finale just before a four-month hiatus, it is the first hour to feature the New Directions in performance competition, something the initial thirteen episodes all build towards. "Sectionals" not only finds the group having to come together as never before. With the outing of Quinn's (Dianna Agron) baby daddy, Finn (Cory Monteith) must find his heroic qualities to save his friends. Plus, Will (Matthew Morrison) and Emma (Jayma Mays) make big decisions about their romantic lives. And Sue (Jane Lynch) suffers her first significant defeat. 
     Glee is a music show, and in an episode like "Sectionals," the songs are front and center. While there are campy portions of the other competing clubs doing "Don't Stop Believing," "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," and yes, even "Proud Mary" in wheelchairs, "Sectionals" is a chance for our main characters to shine. Given the stakes in the episode, and the emotional heft that those scenes carry, every New Directions number is top notch, and among the best the series offers. For the primary group, there is not a single weak number among their set list.

     The first example is Mercedes's (Amber Riley) rendition of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." It comes early in the episode, likely both to space out some of the bigger singing numbers, and also to feature Riley, who the writers have scant time for later in the episode. It's nice that she gets to shine at all, considering Mercedes isn't as central as some of the other characters. This performance proves she can hang with the top dogs. Besides being just as exciting as the other characters' reactions indicate, it also makes viewers long for more from the powerful diva, who often gets overlooked more than she should be.

     "Don't Rain On My Parade" does something similar for Rachel (Lea Michele), though, of course, Rachel never has any shortage of opportunities to showcase her talent. Still, it's an awesome moment, as she strides down the aisles and captivates the audience with her ballad. The song is a perfect example of the girl's talents, and is staged in an interesting way. Though one does wonder how appropriate lighting is arranged so quickly, but only if one nit picks, which one tries not to do with such a great scene.

     "You Can't Always Get What You Want" solidifies the New Directions predictable first place trophy. Since the group's third and final piece is not shown in this episode, even though it is mentioned to be a repeat song from an earlier installment, the second number has to prove that the group deserves the win in very little time. Though some arguably corny dialogue from Will spurs Finn to choose the particular song, it is still quite effective, showcasing a number of the group members in Glee, as well as being a very enjoyable performance. Simple choreography helps it come off as believable for a last minute fill-in, but at the same time, is also appropriate for the piece.

     Finally, "My Life Would Suck Without You," despite boasting cheesy, uneven choreography, including line dancing with cowboy hats and fair flipping, is both effective and moving. Some of the lyrics are quite appropriate, and it's hard not to tear up. For the teenage characters, Will makes a very important impact in their lives by forming this glee club. Even Santana (Naya Rivera), while admitting to being a spy for Sue, says she is glad to be there. It's a fitting ending for the initial batch of episodes.

     Despite the glowing evaluations of the musical selections performed, there are a few things wrong with the Sectionals competition. First and foremost, setting aside that this system doesn't actually exist, at least in present day Ohio, why are only three groups performing? It's not economically sensible. Many choirs in the state compete for ratings, but these are days long events, with dozens of schools coming together. Putting on such a big thing for only three small groups seems unrealistic, especially considering the current state of budget cuts. And the auditorium audience is full for three dozen kids? Nope. Never going to happen. Not to mention, none of the parents shown in Glee so far are at the event.

     Not only that, but there would never be long lulls between the groups, so much so that the New Directions can put together an entire new set. The audience just sits for long silences staring at an empty stage? It just doesn't make any sense at all, the way it is portrayed. To accept what is shown, belief must be suspended, and one must look at Glee's competition system as operating by its own rules, strictly for the purposes of the series. Which is possible to do, but it does take one out of total immersion, reminding us that Glee doesn't actually take place in the real world.

     The scene with the Sectionals judges is out of sync with the rest of the episode. Perhaps it's kind of fun to see Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) in this unexpected setting. Patricia Forte (Happy Endings) and True Blood's Anna Camp are not unwelcome as the other judges, either. But their scene debating the winners is fluff. It makes no sense to include it in the episode from a storytelling perspective, and serves no purpose to do so. Should Glee want to feature Sectionals judges, give them something to do, as in done in other episodes, or just don't do it.

     Even more bizarre is Will being reinstated as head of the New Directions at the end of "Sectionals." While it's unfair that Will must quit, the rule he breaks to be taken away from New Directions is not caused by anything that Sue does. Even exposing the Cheerios' coach's manipulative, cheating ways would not lead to Will being allowed to work with the kids again. The two have nothing to do with each other, and the explanation given just doesn't hold up.


     "Sectionals" features some pivotal moments for principal characters. Finn really gets a chance to shine as an heroic lead. He's still flawed, of course, as he cannot bring himself to forgive Quinn and Puck (Mark Salling). But really, who would in his shoes? It's enough that he steps up as a leader and helps the group win the competition. Monteith handles several pivotal moments better than expected, and shows he has real acting chops for a wide range of emotions, including anger and disappointment.

     Agron also continues her trend of making a complicated Quinn sympathetic. Her torn feelings between her two men, as well as not being truly angry at Rachel, someone Quinn always seems to hate, make for a very good performance for the young actress.

     Rachel's plot reveals some fundamental truths of her character. She is able to overcome her own personal desires for the good of the group when stepping aside to let Mercedes sing the ballad. Initially, anyway. But when it comes to the Finn situation, Rachel is OK with risking the glee club's chances in order to sabotage the relationship between Quinn and Finn for her own possible gain. This is a duality that will come back later in Glee. Rachel can be kind and work well with others, probably because it also helps her own goals in a way. But her feelings for Finn cloud her judgment, and ultimately put her future as a performer in jeopardy. The seeds are planted for an arc that is not yet finished, a year and a half later.

     Will's love life is now a full-blown triangle, as he leaves Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), and Emma professes the depth of her feelings. Again, Gilsig makes the character slightly sympathetic, reminding Will (and viewers) that she didn't always act so crazy, she's seeking professional help, and the couple once had a real relationship. Will can't be with her, though, because her betrayal is too deep. At the same time, although Emma wants very much to be with Will, and thinks of Terri as repulsive, she is smart in recognizing that Will is still upset over his wife, and this is a bad time to start a relationship. Sure, there's the cheesy, predictable kiss at the end as Will seeks to stop Emma from quitting her job. But overall, the trio is handled very well here.

     Sue touches on being out of character in "Sectionals." This is because her revulsion for, and efforts to destroy, the glee club are later explained as a personal vendetta against Will. While not being kind to the glee kids, Sue is not usually nice to the students she likes, either. But Sue does care about kids, or so we're told down the line. Yet, in "Sectionals," Will is no longer part of the New Directions, and she still tries to screw up their Sectionals performance. Perhaps this is because Sue knows Will will eventually be reinstated, or it will hurt him to see them fail, but both seem a bit far fetched.


Random Bits:

• Rachel claims to be a little psychic. Really? How so? Just because she senses that something doesn't feel right between Finn and Quinn? As enjoyable as Rachel's eccentricities usually are, it's good that this one is not explored further in future episodes.

• Brittany (Heather Morris) actually admits to many members of the group that she and Santana have sex in "Sectionals." Talk about a bombshell spoiler that is treated as a throw away line! Which works because of how insane many other things that Brittany says are.

• Having the various New Directions members talk on a party line in their cell phones in school, with many walking right beside each other, is silly and insipid. Yet, it allows many minor characters to get small bits in a busy episode, and it funny enough that it can easily be forgiven.

• When Rachel is lecturing the glee club, she mentions trying out for community theater productions. Kurt (Chris Colfer) puts her in her place by pointing out that Rachel never wins those parts. Seriously? Someone with Rachel's immense talent cannot score a role in community theater? I don't believe it.

• Why is Emma in her wedding dress when Will arrives to the empty reception? Glee shows before that Ken (Patrick Gallagher) is furious at her for postponing the wedding slightly. Does she really not know he's not coming until she arrives?

• Plus, where are all the guests? They might have gone home, but it seems unlikely some family members wouldn't stay to offer comfort. A kitchen worker is still there waiting. Why?

• And Emma knows Will is still coming and waits just to tell him they can't yet be together? Setting the dialogue aside, the entire scene is full of plot holes.

     Check back for another season one Glee review soon!

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Glee reviews.

 

     To purchase Glee DVDs, streaming episodes, music, and more, please click here.

 

 

Article first published as TV Review: Glee - "Sectionals" on Blogcritics.

Glee makes a "Mash-Up"

     This summer, I'll be going back to review the season one episodes of FOX's Glee. These are fresh reviews, not reposts, and I hope you will enjoy reliving the first season with me.

     FOX's Glee presents "Mash-Up," which actually features not a single mash-up song. But it does have several clashes, or mash-ups, between characters. Will (Matthew Morrison) helps Ken (Patrick Gallagher) and Emma (Jayma Mays) prepare for their wedding dance. Ken gets angry about being a consolation prize to his bride, so he forces the football players to choose between the team and glee club to get back at Will. Sue (Jane Lynch) also takes advantage of Will's dancing techniques, only to be disappointed in turn by her own beau, Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones), the reporter. Quinn (Dianna Agron) and Finn (Cory Monteith) seek to regain their popularity, while Puck (Mark Salling) takes a romantic interest in Rachel (Lea Michele).

     Perhaps the more appropriate title for this episode of Glee would be "Will Can Dance." Matthew Morrison certainly gets no shortage of time to show off his impressive dancing talents, as if a certain amount of doing so is required in his contract, and the writers decided to cram it all into one episode. He boogies through "Bust a Move" and "Thong Song." He sweeps Sue off her feet with "Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing)," and also does somewhat the same for Emma in "I Could Have Danced All Night." That's a full two thirds of the music featured in "Mash-Up," and in half of those, Will doesn't even sing. Morrison has the talent to pull off such a decision, but it also makes the teacher look a little like a show off. Thankfully only one number is in front of the New Directions.

     It's interesting that not a single one of the songs mentioned above, nor "Sweet Caroline" and "What a Girl Wants," two solos covered in this episode, are part of a mash-up. Glee uses the trick of combining two songs into one many times in the series, but ironically, in "Mash-Up," has not one actual instance, using the episode title metaphorically. It can be applied to Ken and Emma's personalities. The episode also features budding, and quickly ending, new relationships. Then, there is the case of conflicting school activities. Will does ask the kids to come up with a mash-up, and tries to write one himself. But none of those efforts ever make it on screen.

     Not one of the songs in "Mash Up" stands out as a Glee classic. Only two make the Volume 1 soundtrack, and they are more filler than feature. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, as not every song can be a break out hit. The only point here is that "Mash-Up" is not one of the most memorable music episodes of the series. That being said, there are no bad songs in the episode, either, that the Glee staff should regret including, so that's a bit of a triumph. Also, "Mash-Up" features Jayma Mays singing, a very rare treat that should happen more often, though the song itself isn't impressive enough to rave about.

     Another suggested title might be "Slushee Wars." After all, the episode opens with a panning shot of a slushee being carried, as numerous members of the glee club duck, fearing its cold touch. This shot is repeated twice more in the episode, with varying endings. Quinn and Finn are covered in the stuff as a sign that their popularity is waning. Finn is forced to slushee Kurt (Chris Colfer) in order to gain his status back on the football team. Which, by the way, leads to an amazing dramatic moment for Colfer. Finally, the New Directions give Will a taste of their daily torment. While having a slushee thrown on a character is not an infrequent occurrence on Glee, never has so much of the syrupy treat been worn in a single episode.

     The episode tackles some of the social issues Glee is known for speaking out against. Popularity is mentioned many times, and in "Mash-Up," Quinn and Finn even seek Emma's advice on how to gain their status back. She does offer help, but also questions why they care what others think. "Be yourself" is practically Glee's motto. In addition, the football players make insulting insinuations that their teammates who are in the glee club are homosexual. Glee spends much time going after gay bullying, and the seeds for such a campaign are planted in "Mash-Up."

     Despite this being only the eighth episode of Glee, a number of characters are already learning what 'be yourself' means. When forced to choose between football and glee club, only Finn chooses the former, while his fellow teammates that do both activities chose the one that is more enjoyable. Being that football broke that compromise, they may also be standing up for what is morally right. It's a heart warming bit that proves early on what Glee is really about.

     It most be noted that, in the end, Finn does what is right, too. He is not willing to give up the team, nor should he have to, but he speaks up for himself, making sure he is not a pawn. He shows he is the series's heroic male lead. He also causes Ken to change his mind about the ultimatum, redeeming the coach slightly for using his students as pawns against Will.

     Ken's choice to basically use students for his own gain comes on the heels of Will and Sue doing the same last week in "Throwdown." This pair of episodes does not make the teachers at McKinley look good, and their behavior is very unprofessional. Thankfully, these are isolated incidents, for the most part, instead of a larger pattern of behavior.

     "Mash-Up" introduces the two main antagonists for the anti-gay bullying campaign, Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) and Azimio (James Earl). They have little plot in this episode, other than to sling a few insults and frozen beverages, but they are the faces to represent the negative, bullying attitudes. It's not enough to just have a vague menace, so Glee develops two characters with two very different motivations to make the story more realistic. It's only the first appearance of both guys, so an introduction is really all that is necessary at this early stage.

     Sue engages in a romantic relationship in "Mash-Up," and it exposes a softer side of her personality not seen yet in Glee. Not only is she smiling and agreeable, but her happiness extends to her interaction with sworn enemy Will, as she actually enjoys dancing with him. It's a strange scene as they swing, but one that reveals that perhaps, some day, a friendship between the two will be possible. It's sad that Sue's glee is so brief, as it would be nice to see Sue turn over a new leaf for a little longer than one episode.

     Rachel and Puck also engage in a coupling that is over before the credits roll. They are such an odd pair, and "Mash-Up" makes such an impression, that there are still fans yearning for a Puck/Rachel reunion years later. The two Jews are pushed together by circumstance. Namely, Puck is seeking to please his mother by dating a Jewish girl. But it takes very little time for him to see Rachel as an actual potential partner, which opens up some deeper feelings and insights within him.

     This is the episode where Puck becomes a full-fledged character, worthy of fan adulation, rather than just a background member of the group. That's not just my opinion. Watch Quinn during "Sweet Caroline," and her reaction seems to agree.
 
Random Bits:

     Puck's mother (Gina Hecht, Hung, Mork & Mindy) and younger sister are seen for the first (and only) time. They are never seen again.

     After the football players drench Quinn and Finn in slushee, one slips and falls as he is walking away. There's a brief flash caught on camera, and the action is more heard than seen. It appears to be a mistake, but it is hilarious, which is why probably why it is left in. Or perhaps it's intentional, and I'm not giving the writers enough credit.

     Sue apparently will never stop living and breathing cheerleading for even a few hours. During her date with Rod, she has the Cheerios on the television in the background.

     Rod invites Sue to a swing dance competition. While this proves he is referring to the dance when he asks Sue if she's OK with swinging, his later tryst with co-anchor Andrea (Earlene Davis) implies a double meaning behind the term.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Glee reviews.

     To purchase Glee DVDs, streaming episodes, music, and more, please click here.

Article first published as TV Review: Glee - "Mash-Up" on Blogcritics.