GLEE Finds Another "Child Star"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'Child Star' on Blogcritics.

This week’s Glee, “Child Star,” finally focuses on the new kids of the New Directions, even as they joke that another alumnus may walk through the door at any second (none do). Instead, we see much of their personal dynamic as couples come together and friendships are worked out, all while the group prepares to perform at a horrible kid’s bar mitzvah. Which leads to a couple of fresh faces joining the group.

I feel slightly bad for the seven kids who join Glee in its final season because they’ll never get the development that beloved favorites have gotten. At the same time, while I enjoyed “Child Star” overall, I spent a lot of time missing all the other long-time characters absent from the hour, caring more about them this close to the end than I do about any new people in the cast. It’s really a tough position in which to put this crop of youngsters, especially when two of them don’t even appear until this episode.

Mason (whom many believe has an incestuous relationship with his sister, Madison), reveals that he is actually attracted to Jane (Samanatha Marie Ware). Jane is flattered, until Madison erupts in jealous rage (see? incest!), and Jane backs away from the drama. Luckily, Mason isn’t content to stay all Flowers in the Attic with his sibling, and makes a stand in the best musical performance of the night: Queen’s “I Want to Break Free.” This leads to Madison understanding and loosening her grip, a fairly predictable story move, but, one that gives Mason and Jane as happy an ending as they’re likely to get in the short time Glee has left.

Meanwhile, Spencer (Marshall Williams) has a crush on Alistair (Finneas O’Connell, Bad Teacher), which he expresses in a the enjoyable “Friday I’m in Love,” but has no game. Roderick (Noah Gurthrie) wants to climb a rope but has no athletic skills. Synergy is found when the two agree to help each other out, though this goes horribly, Spencer having no idea how to motivate someone like Roderick, and Roderick not even attempting to coach Spencer. Somehow, though, it all works out in the end because this is Glee, where emotion always trumps logic, and Spencer, Roderick, and Jane (why Jane?) celebrate together in the fantastic “Uptown Funk.”

I mentioned that I like “Child Star,” and I do, but neither of its stories play out all that intelligently. I guess I’m getting soft on the series as the end looms near, realizing I’m going to miss its whacky unevenness.It does “heart” so well, making me feel for the characters even when I shouldn’t care. This episode is a prime example, a way to blatantly illustrate what Glee does well and what it sucks at, so it strikes the nostalgia note alongside the others it is trying to hit.

All of this may be burying the lead because the titular “Child Star” introduced this week is Myron Muskovitz (J.J. Totah, Jessie). Myron is having his bar miztvah, and being a flaming, drama queen, 13-year-old, he wants everything to be perfect. His uncle, Superintendent Harris (Christopher Cousins), forces Sue (Jane Lynch) to cooperate, meaning the New Directions get involved in the party. Strangely, Myron also demands Sue and Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) dance back up for him, which is fun, but completely goes against his drive for perfection. Anyway, everyone reluctantly agrees to meet the nightmare child’s demands, and in the end, his uncle strong-arms him out of middle school and into the glee club.

Myron is absolutely awful, so I’m glad there won’t be time to develop him. Don’t get me wrong; Totah clearly has talent. But his Disney Channel pedigree shows when Myron goes total spoiled brat, and is more annoying that he is likeable. His introductory performance, “Lose My Breath,” is more creepy than anything. When he eventually goes on at his bar mitzvah with “Break Free,” thankfully he blends into the background more than his character should, realistically speaking, since so many others are on stage with him. Still, that doesn’t mean he should be allowed to stay.

The silver lining is, with Myron and Alistair joining up, the New Directions now number eight, and twelve are needed for Sectionals in two weeks. Is anyone other than me thinking that now is a great time to bring back Marley, Jake, Ryder, and Unique? After all, while there is no way in the world these twelve should be able to have a credible set ready in time for judging, at least we know the four have chops and their presence has been missed. If they don’t return, the other spots are doomed to go to glorified extras, as has been done on Glee in the past.

The other thing worth noting in “Child Star” is that Will (Matthew Morrison) finally goes toe-to-toe with Sue on her level. Will has been through quite a journey, and coming back from Vocal Adrenaline, he’s found inner strength. He always stands up to Sue, but as he calls her Suzy Q and gets in her face, something seems different in their chemistry. Since Sue is likely to stay on as principal and Will will surely be back in charge of the New Directions at the end of all this, I’m thinking Glee is going to do a plot where Will finally turns into the man Sue has slyly been trying to make him into, even if her hilariously jumping on his back indicates otherwise.

I have a few last complaints about this episode. First, where is Kurt? His honeymoon is only said to be a weekend, meaning he should be back already. Why are Will and Rachel (Lea Michele) left to run the glee club alone? Also, why is Kitty (Becca Tobin), the lone glee clubber without plot this week, demoted to guest star this year when she is around more than Artie (Kevin McHale) and recently re-promoted Mercedes (Amber Riley)? She deserves better, and so does Mercedes for that matter, getting the credit but not the screen time. I’m not complaining about the lack of Artie. Lastly, the final number of “Child Star” is “Cool Kids,” which falls flat and serves very little purpose in the story. Bad ending choice.

Over all, “Child Star” is emotionally fulfilling enough, though not as much as some other recent hours, and despite plot holes, works OK. The end is in sight. Let’s get to it.

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

GLEE Needs Work to Master Puppets

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'Puppet Master' on Blogcritics.

Glee aired a brand new episode on Thanksgiving entitled “Puppet Master.” It’s odd that a series would present fresh programming on a major national holiday, but since that is the case, I guess it’s appropriate that the episode was trippy and surreal. Those tuning in with a full belly of turkey will be forgiven for thinking that the weird story had something to do with their food-induced haze. It did not.

In “Puppet Master,” Kurt (Chris Colfer) is excited to book Pamela Lansbury’s first gig. It’s at a Broadway bar, though, and they are a Madonna cover band, so his band mates aren’t so excited, arguing that this is a bad place to launch themselves. Kurt has other ideas, imagining a packed crowd as he, Rachel (Lea Michele), Santana (Naya Rivera), Starchild (Adam Lambert), and Dani (Demi Lovato) perform a rousing “Into the Groove,” much to audience’s delight.

This is just a dream. In fact, only on person shows up to the actual show. But it’s someone who has a connection, and the performance (which, unlike the dream sequence, we don’t see) is enough to earn them a second booking at much more appropriate venue.

Interestingly, Dani is in the back when the band plays, and is barely in the episode, sitting out more scenes that the other four are in. I wonder if it has to do with Lovato’s availability. Otherwise, it’s annoying to sideline someone who should be a part of the plot, much as the Ohio-based stories so often do.

Kurt is the “Puppet Master” of the group since he’s the one in charge. The others do what he tells them to, and they let him have the final say. This does tie into the title and theme of the overall hour OK, just perhaps not quite as strongly as other subplots.

It’s odd when Glee chooses to show Kurt’s inner vision. It’s not that the show hasn’t done something like this before; in fact, many of the musical numbers seem enhanced by fantasy, not quite realistic. This one just feels different, more out of place.

In fact, this label applies to just about every song in “Puppet Master.” Three of the four McKinley numbers are gas-induced hallucinations. I guess that’s why “Into the Groove” is off. There is no gas leak in New York, so why is a character there experiencing something very similar to what his former classmates are seeing in Ohio?

Even stranger is Blaine’s (Darren Criss) story, in which he suddenly gets bossy, is rejected by his friends, and retreats into the world of puppets. He first sees his classmates in felt form singing “You’re My Best Friend.” Then Blaine builds a Kurt puppet to talk to, and later, constructs versions of the rest of the cast, all exactly matching the ones in his mind.

I really enjoyed the puppet versions of Sam (Chord Overstreet), Will (Matthew Morrison), and the others, and the closing number of the episode, “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” is fun, split between Lima and NYC. However, forcing the connections between the two settings feels just that – forced – and it doesn’t exactly make for the best or most cohesive story.

Blaine has been part of the New Directions’ leadership, but he’s never been one to really try to take over. As such, this “Puppet Master” arc comes out of nowhere. I absolutely get that a kid could be having a rough time and speak up to try to assert some form of control, which is what Blaine seems to be going through. What’s weird is that everyone else acts like this is how Blaine normally is, which just isn’t true. And Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) quickly forgives him for his creepy interactions with Puppet Tina, who is, for some reason, wearing the exact same clothes as Tina when she finds her.

Perhaps my favorite part of Blaine’s bit is Blaine’s conversation with Brad (Brad Ellis), the piano player. Five seasons in, Brad has appeared in dozens of episodes, but has never had a line of dialogue that I can recall. In “Puppet Master,” he has several. They could be part of Blaine’s imagination, but whether they are or not, the meta feeling one gets seeing Blaine ignore Brad who deserves a little attention, which can be construed as a commentary on Brad’s overall role in Glee, is great.

Jake (Jacob Artist) also has visions. Continuing his recent thread, he wants to get back with Marley (Melissa Benoist), who resits. After a pregnancy scare with Bree (Erinn Westbrook), Jake imagines himself and the two ladies doing a mash up of “Nasty” and “Rhythm Nation,” complete with many female dancers. It’s a pretty enjoyable number, referencing Janet Jackson and her work, which seems a good fit for Jake’s character.

If Jake wants Marley back, he has to get over his pride. I feel like the player persona he gives off is purely a coping mechanism that he reverts to when rejected. But it’s exactly this side of himself that is so unattractive. Now that he’s lost his main plaything, Bree, despite that fact that he claims to be sleeping with the rest of the squad, too, maybe it will be a wake up call for him. He desperately needs one.

Sue (Jane Lynch) has her own rude awakening when Superintendent Harris (Christopher Cousins, Breaking Bad), whom she’s been flirting with, thinks she’s a dude. Sue doesn’t take it well, and tries to find her femininity (with a little help from Unique (Alex Newell)). Her own brush with the poison gas has her dancing with Will to “Cheek to Cheek,” but whether in a dream or reality, she doesn’t quite find herself comfortable or able to pull off a traditional lady look.

Let’s be honest, one would have to be blind to think Sue is a man. Even in her track suits, there is definitely something woman-ish about her. Whether she conforms to stereotypes or not, her gender is not something that anyone has ever questioned, nor could they. The whole thing with Harris is dumb, even if it’s great to get a little bit of vulnerable Sue and a fantastic flashback to her first donning of the current look.

It turns out, the gas leak is a ploy by Figgins (Iqbal Theba) to wrest his office back. This is completely unacceptable. No matter how much Sue deserves to be de-throned, any halfway decent principal would never do anything that poses a danger to the students, and that exactly what Figgins does in “Pupper Master.” He proves himself unfit as principal, and even as a janitor. Sue can’t prove anything, and I assume she doesn’t try because she realizes this. And, admittedly, the episode doesn’t explicitly name Figgins as the cause of the leak, however, it seems to be implied. Because of this, the story is infuriating.

To be honest, in the end, it seems like Glee had the opportunity to have puppets made of most of its key cast members (a trend other shows, such as Angel and Community, have already done better), and decided to come up with, at the last minute, a quick story that made use of them. Perhaps that’s why the installment is sloppy and a bit of a train wreck. Some large plots do get a little screen time, and the musical numbers aren’t all bad. Yet, this episode is not good by almost any general measure. Maybe they’ll do better with Christmas next week?

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

Please "Live Free" Breaking Bad!

Grade: 88%

AMC’s BREAKING BAD moves into its final season this week with “Live Free or Die.” After the usual cryptic opening set in the near future, the premiere does not set up a new story. Instead, the events of the hour deal with the aftermath of last year’s finale. With Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) recently killed, everyone tries to process that news, and figure out their next step.

Gus may be dead, but Walt (Bryan Cranston) and the others aren’t out of the woods yet. Remember that video camera that followed Walt around the lab? So does he. But before he can get his hands on the footage, Hank (Dean Norris) and the police take Gus’s laptop as evidence. Locked up in a very secure evidence room, it seems there is no way that Walt’s nefarious activities won’t come out. Mike (Jonathan Banks) advises they all run.

Walter White has come a long way on his journey to becoming a kingpin. In earlier seasons, the former chemistry teacher would have panicked, or perhaps not known what to do. And Walt will do something, because he has no intention of uprooting this life he has built himself, or fleeing from anyone. While Mike doesn’t even consider any other option, Walt remains calm, and quickly devises a plan.

Actually, it’s Jesse (Aaron Paul) who suggests the genesis of the scheme. Again, another character who has shown a lot of growth. Jesse used to be an idiot junkie. But after learning much about chemistry and attitude from Walt and Mike, he is able to keep a clear enough head to remember that magnets can destroy computers, and that might be something that they can use.

So after Jesse convinces Mike not to kill Walt, the three of them embark on the crazy mission of driving a giant junkyard magnet right up to the wall of police headquarters and cranking it all the way up. This is effective, and while their ride is sacrificed, they do make a clean get away. They are safe, for now.

Is there anyway that the magnet can be traced back to them in the upcoming investigation? Many, many criminals surely have things in the evidence room that they would like destroyed, and surely there are multiple laptops, even if Gus’s is the only one shown. But while the magnet may be nondescript, it shouldn’t take the police long to find the one junkyard in town that has a new one. After that, it is anyone’s guess how the employees at said junkyard will react to an interrogation.

Long before that happens, though, there might be a more immediate problem. The alliance between Mike, Jesse, and Walt is temporary. Who will fill the power vacuum left by Gus? One of them, or someone else? If it is someone else, they might stick together a little while longer. If it’s one of the trio, someone will have to end up dead, because these are some very strong personalities that just won’t become subservient.

It won’t be Jesse. Jesse is a follower. He naively trusts both Mike and Walt, and that will likely be his undoing, sadly. He may suggest a course of action, but he believes in them, is willing to stick his neck out for them, and is happy to take orders, rather than give them. Walt has already used this against Jesse, manipulating him by poisoning a child. Should Jesse realize this, the tide may change. But until that happens, Jesse is blind to his friend’s machinations, which means that he is putting his faith in someone that he shouldn’t.

Surprisingly, perhaps, Mike has developed a bit of loyalty towards Jesse. While Mike wants to shoot Walt immediately, he stands down when Jesse gets in the middle. It could also very well be that Mike only participates in the magnet plan to protect Jesse. Their mentor-mentee relationship was formed as another way to control Jesse, but if Mike’s affection for the lad wasn’t real, why would he go along with this?

Maybe it will take Mike and Jesse to bring Walt down, should the true depth of Walt’s dark soul ever be exposed. Walt has everything that he needs, but after each accomplishment, he only gets more over confident, and desires more power and money. This cannot go on forever. Look at Gus, a true power player, who is eventually stricken down. The play BREAKING BAD presents is a tragedy if ever there was one, and Walt will not, can not, end up on top.

Elsewhere, Ted (Christopher Cousins) wakes out of his coma. This sends Saul (Bob Odenkirk) and Skyler (Anna Gunn) into a panic, as just before Ted was injured, he was ready to expose their money laundering. Only a lucky fall saved them then.

Skyler rushes to the hospital to confront Ted, and see what must be done now. Given how disturbed Skyler was by Ted’s accident in the first place, as well as her horror at what Walt has become in killing Gus, it is unlikely she would sign off on any plan that would cause Ted further harm, no matter what the consequences to herself. Thank goodness Ted is now compliant, thinking his life is in danger if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut. Which means that Skyler shouldn’t have to follow her husband’s descent to protect her family.

What is more surprising is how Walt reacts to learning about the Ted situation. Previously, Saul and Skyler kept this issue from Walt. Saul tells Walt the story, and after a bit of anger, where Walt is clearly threatening Saul, Walt returns home, hugs his wife, and tells Skyler that she is forgiven. This is arrogant and creepy, something that plays well on Skyler’s face. What has Walt become? Does she even recognize who her husband is these days? And can she ever love a man like this?

BREAKING BAD is a masterful character study. With only fifteen episodes left, there is a real sense that some things will soon be coming to a head. Each character is going to have to figure out what they want, and what they are capable of doing to get it. There has to be betrayal, because many of these goals will run counter to each other. If the writing continues to be as good as it consistently has been for the past four years, viewers are in for one heck of a finale!

BREAKING BAD’s final season airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on AMC.