Another AMERICAN CRIME STORY

Article first published as THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY on Seat42F.

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, the second season of the franchise, kicked off its run this week with episode one, “The Man Who Would Be Vogue.” Set in both 1990 and 1997, we see the eventual killer, Andrew Cunanan, as he first encounters the legendary designer, as well as the murder and its aftermath. The mostly non-fiction story apparently seeks to examine the relationship between the two men, as well as the manhunt for Cunanan, and how Gianni’s sister, Donatella, steered the company following her brother’s death.

That’s a lot to cover, but it doesn’t seem like too much for nine hours of television, which is how many episodes this will run. By keeping the story focused to only four leads (the three above plus Versace’s long-time partner, Antonio D’Amico), it avoids the sprawling that some such dramas get into, and provides a cohesive narrative, even as the timeline jumps back and forth.

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY feels very Ryan Murphy. What I mean by that is, like other Murphy properties, there are strong, colorful characters, sometimes understated, at its center, the direction and design are artsy while remaining relatively grounded, and the pacing is slow but purposeful. There’s a certain tone and style that has become a Murphy hallmark, and even with most of his familiar band of recurring actors absent from this outing, his fingerprints are noticeable on the work.

As usual in a Murphy show, the casting is spot-on. He brings back Glee’s Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan, who appears to be the lead character in the first episode. Criss is a talented man, and this role stretches him. Cunanan is a habitual liar, acting his way through life, and it’s hard to gauge his sincerity, even in the moments where he is alone. Criss balances this while still showing us why people would fall for Cunanan’s falsehoods and charm. It’s a complex and difficult performance, and Criss nails it.

The other leads are Edgar Ramirez (Gold) as Gianni Versace, singer Ricky Martin as Antonio D’Amico, and an almost unrecognizable Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) as Donatella Versace. Ramirez doesn’t have a whole lot of chance to show his skills yet, almost being set dressing in his own show, but Martin and Cruz prove themselves right away.

They are joined by a whole bunch of great recurring players, including Will Chase (Smash), Dascha Polanco (Orange Is the New Black), Jay R. Ferguson (Mad Men), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Jose Zuniga (Snowfall), Joe Adler (Grey’s Anatomy), Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex), and more, with Judith Light (Transparent) and Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story) slated for later this season. So the troupe should be solid.

The setting itself is necessarily opulent. Versace did not live simply, as one might expect, given what he’s known for. And Miami Beach in the 1990s was not a boring place. This makes for a locale that looks almost Hollywood glitzy, but is true enough to the reality. It makes one think of the trappings of wealth and celebrity, and the murder itself shows how none of that protects anyone from the darkest parts of the human soul. I don’t mean this to sound overly metaphorical, because it’s not; it’s a grounded show.

The frequent back-and-forth time jumps aren’t my favorite way to tell a story, but are the right choice for THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY. There’s really no other way to depict both the lead up and the aftermath without it feeling like two separate shows. By splitting it in this manner, it helps with overall cohesion.

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY airs Wednesdays on FX.

GLEE's "Dreams Come (Almost) True"

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Glee' Series Finale - '2009' and 'Dreams Come True' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee comes to an end this, week after six seasons on the air . The first hour of the two-part finale, “2009,” takes place during the pilot of the show, revealing different perspectives as the audition process for the brand-new New Directions begins, and filling in some of the gaps in motivation between these early characters and who they become. The second half, “Dreams Come True,” goes slightly into the future, glimpsing the fates of several key members of the cast, before ending about five and a half years down the world in a nearly-perfect world.

Glee’s quality is inconsistent; something that remains through the end. However, the series almost always hits the emotional points it needs to hit, which it does in “2009” and “Dreams Come True.” Honestly, there was little point to “2009,” having no real purpose to its flashbacks, other than to evoke nostalgia. In that, it succeeds, forcing fans to remember where Rachel (Lea Michele), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Artie (Kevin McHale), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Will (Matthew Morrison), and Sue (Jane Lynch) come from, providing context to where they end up by the series end. And while it was a completely unnecessary episode, it was also a very moving remembrance, especially when including memories of Finn (Cory Monteith, whose untimely death forever changed the show).

Some of the songs were recycled from the pilot; “Mister Cellophane,” and “I Kissed a Girl” are the songs with which Kurt and Tina auditioned, respectively, and the series wastes precious on them. I won’t complain about Glee using “Don’t Stop Believin'” yet again because it is the show’s signature song, and it does allow us to see Finn again, the rest of the episode masterfully matching up the re-used footage. Rachel and Kurt’s “Popular,” Artie’s “Pony,” and Mercedes’s “I’m His Child” are better because they’re new and they fit, at least adding a little bit of something to “2009.”

The episode is fun. Seeing Will married to Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) again, remembering how neurotic and in-lust Emma (Jayma Mays) first is, hearing the Tina we know justify the Tina Glee starts with, and having Howard (Kent Avenido) around for comic relief are all enjoyable. An unexpected glimpse of Blaine (Darren Criss) is welcome. There are a few poignant bits: seeing Will and Sue’s friendship sort of fall apart, and reminding us how poorly Kurt and his father (Mike O’Malley) communicate, as well as showing Kurt at an extremely low point, mean something. But overall, “2009” doesn’t serve much purpose in the grand scheme of things.

I would have had less of a problem with this bit of nostalgia if “2009” had not been part of the two-hour series finale. Had it aired last week, it would have been better. The issue is, after spending a full episode in the past, there isn’t a lot of time to tie up the endings, which means that many, many deserving characters don’t get their earned send-offs, some of which could be very brief, but aren’t present at all. These two hours do re-focus the story on the core cast, but even they aren’t all given their due, with Artie and Tina, arguably the least necessary characters, shafted in the second hour in favor of allowing Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Blaine some pay-off.

“Dreams Come True” presents an idealized version of the future. Rachel wins a Tony, for which she thanks Will, carries a surrogate child for Kurt and Blaine, and is married to Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff). Kurt and Blaine are on Broadway, and doing school visits in their spare time. Sam takes over the New Directions, something in which he’d never before shown, but does seem oddly fitting. Mercedes is on tour with Beyonce. Sue is winning a second term as Vice President under Jeb Bush. The last is a bit nightmarish, but it’s the outcome Sue would want.

The most optimistic vision of all finds Will taking over as principal at McKinley, now a school for the arts, and turning it into a model copied nationally. Glee has always championed arts education, positioning music as the magic bullet that can fix a severely broken system. As someone heavily involved in music and drama while in school, I am sympathetic, but Glee takes it all to the super unrealistic nth degree. I certainly appreciate what the show is trying to do, but by tossing believability so far out the window, it pretty much undermines its own message.

What I’d have preferred from the finale is something the two hours do in half measures. Mercedes gets to say goodbye with “Someday We’ll Be Together,” Will croons his “Teach Your Children” thank you to the alumni, Sue lets “The Winner Takes It All” express her emotions to Will, and Rachel is sent off in the penultimate number, “This Time.” All of these are great, especially the Sue song, and they are good ways to let these characters depart. Kurt and Blaine’s “Daydream Believer” is at least as enjoyable as these others, though feeling less final. There are non-singing moments, too, such as see Sue and Will watch the Tonys together, Blaine worrying about Sam, and Tina and Artie’s kiss, that are touching. But there are other characters who matter besides them. Santana (Naya Rivera) and Brittany (Heather Morris) arguably get their due in their wedding episode, but others in the cast are not featured, and that’s a shame.

“Dreams Come True” ends with a huge group number honoring Will and the auditorium named for Finn with “I Lived.” This is terrific, with almost all of the previous glee club members (sans Rory and Marley, most noticeably) coming back to be with Will. Such faces are glimpsed as Zizes (Ashley Fink, whose return I long yearned for), Joe (Samuel Larsen), Matt (Dijon Talton), Mike Chang (Harry Shum Jr.), Ryder (Blake Jenner), Jake (Jacob Artist), Puck (Mark Salling), Quinn (Dianna Agron), and many more. That it should include kids that come after them is debatable, since Will gives up coaching in the near future. But I would have liked to have seen a more full Mr. Holland’s Opus press, with all of the alumni parading past their teacher, showing viewers how they end up, while honoring the legacy Will builds.

While some of what I suggested is personal preference, and Glee is, of course, free to handle its swan song any way it wants, the way it did feels a little weak to me. By ignoring so many of the characters that made the show important and going overboard in its support of arts education, it just doesn’t live up to its potential. And yet, it hits emotional note after emotional note, and tears are flowing for much of the two-hour running time. So does it succeed at capping the six-year run, being as almost-great as the rest of the show? Or does is squander a chance at a lasting legacy by not entirely sticking the landing? I guess that’s up for each individual fan to decide for themselves.

It is with some relief that I end my last Gleekonomics column, but there’s no denying, Glee and its characters, despite all of their flaws, will be missed.

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 Sees "Sue"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee spends a bit of time on its primary villain this week with “The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester.” Sue (Jane Lynch) is the loud-mouthed, abrasive, arts-hating, championship-winning cheerleading coach-turned-principal at McKinley High. But why is she this way? What makes her tick? Why is she so bent on destroying the glee club? This hour touches on those things, stopping short of really delving into the part the way it should.

There’s no denying Sue is a complex character, but she isn’t always written that way. In the best Glee episodes, we see that Sue’s harsh attitude comes from pushing the kids to do their best, their future and self in her mind. She rarely goes after anyone for something they can’t help, such as sexual preference, physical disability, or gender confusion. Instead, she attacks their interests and the way they spend their time.

However, like the rest of Glee, the portrait painted above isn’t always consistent. Sometimes, she has attacked for petty or no reason. Sometimes, she shows unexpected kindness where she shouldn’t. Sometimes, her actions just plain don’t make sense. That’s the way this show is written, and it with the end a mere two weeks away, that doesn’t change now.

“The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester” makes some attempts to correct those inconsistencies, though it doesn’t go far enough. It attempts to explain away her hatred of the arts, not just because she thinks they are a waste of valuable time, but because they are the passion of her unloving mother, Doris (Carol Burnett). Bringing Doris in, the two sing a healing and fun rendition of “The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis, though Sue is not at all changed by this.

Following the number, she takes over coaching Vocal Adrenaline through the energetic “Far From Over,” determined to destroy Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) because of a personal vendetta. What has Will done to deserve this? I always assumed Sue’s annoyance with Will mainly stemmed from his pushing of a subject she detests, and that’s usually how it’s portrayed. They are often friends, especially in the later days of Glee, and Will, along with Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones), stands up for Sue when her character is attacked this week. Why is she going after him now? Other than providing a dramatic showdown for the story, it doesn’t make sense. Though, Sue and VA are a match made in heaven, er, hell.

The character assassination doesn’t make sense either. Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter), Sue’s best friend in the world and near clone of the coach, turns against her for no good reason. Becky exposes some of Sue’s lies to Geraldo Rivera (himself), and they are aired on television. This is a fun sequence with cameos by Carnie Wilson, Michael Bolton, and others, playing themselves, and it works to prove Sue is really insecure, making up things. Either that, or she believes what she says, and others attack her for no reason, like her mother did, also giving a credible explanation for her character. But this refusal to pick one direction ends up making the sequence messy and insincere, ruining it overall.

Lynch is an incredible actress and Glee gives her the break-out role she deserves. It’s fitting she should get such focus just before the series’ end. Too bad it’s done with such weak effort, stopping short of truly giving us an idea of who Sue Sylvester is.

Elsewhere in the episode, Dalton Academy burns down and the Warblers are forced to join with the New Directions because apparently there are no other legit private schools in the area. (This is not true, though it sort of depends on which area you’re talking about, as McKinley’s Lima and Dalton’s Westerville are hours apart in real life, but I’ll leave my complaints about how poorly Glee has always treated Ohio in my past reviews.) This should be a major plot, a coming together of two rivals, but since the meat of the hour is given over to Sue, it’s reduced to a couple small bits and a big, unearned healing number in “Rise.” Apparently we don’t get to see the adjustment arc; they are just now one big happy glee club with enough numbers for Sectionals. Oh, and it looks like maybe half the Warblers actually came, if that, even though the characters talk like the entire group has transferred, and barely a mention is made of how they screw over Jane (Samantha Marie Ware) earlier in the season. So, bad job all around.

The final subplot squeezed into “The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester” is that Rachel (Lea Michele) somehow convinces Carmen (sadly unseen this week) to let her back into NYADA, and Carmen relents just as Rachel is offered another Broadway role. Rachel is torn, understandably, with Kurt (Chris Colfer), Blaine (Darren Criss), and Mercedes (Amber Riley) supporting Broadway, and only a disappointed Sam championing school. This decision is actually handled pretty well by Glee, and while I think school has to be her decision, I’m not sure it will be. Thankfully, no answer is given, as this needs more mulling over.

My problem with this subplot is not how it’s done, but when it occurs. Rachel makes a promise to Kitty (Becca Tobin) and the New Directions that she will see them through to the end. Right before their all-important Sectionals, and during a transitional time as two groups come together, she disappears to New York. Then, when she returns, her focus is on her personal life, not them. She is making the same mistakes again and betraying more people. I hope this comes back to bite her in the butt, not because I don’t like Rachel, but because it should to deliver a solid story.

Song wise, there’s also a performance of “Rather Be” in the opening, which is fine, but pales in comparison to the other, better numbers in the episode, which are few, but memorable.

You might be surprised to hear that overall, I am satisfied with “The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester.” It is an enjoyable episode with some great moments, such as the Will / Sue fantasy battle in “The Final Countdown,” with the kids looking at them like they’re crazy. All of the complaints above are legitimate and important, but they’re not enough to completely spoil the hour. If you accept that Glee is always uneven, never living up to what it should be, then this episode is graded pretty well on a curve of past installments, partly because of the focus on the incredible Lynch. Or, maybe I’m just going to miss the show, for all its flaws, and I’m willing to look past the glaring mistakes it makes more than I used to.

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

Glee Celebrates "A Wedding"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - "A Wedding" on Blogcritics.

This week’s installment of FOX’s Glee, titled “A Wedding,” is set almost entirely in a barn in Indiana. See, it’s Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) and Brittany S. Pierce’s (Heather Morris) wedding day, and they still can’t legally tie the knot in Ohio, which is not harped upon, but is definitely wrong. As everyone plans and attends the wedding, the characters apparently make several trips that take multiple hours each direction across state lines, but almost no one important misses the big day, which turns into a double celebration.

Santana and Brittany are one of the two best couples on the series, arguably the best one, so it’s natural that they would get married before the series’ end. They always understand each other better than anyone else can, and their love is true. They break up for awhile and pursue their own interests, but eventually come back together because their bond is so strong. This episode is not surprising and a very welcome development, up to and including Brittany’s superstitious freakouts.

Brittany springs the idea of a double ceremony on Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) and Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), who are just getting back together, and while the boys acknowledge the craziness of the idea, they do say their vows. Klaine is another destined-to-be-together pairing who has explored separate avenues but always come back to one another. It does happen too fast, but no one cares because the guys know who they are and what they want, so it works.

Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) tries to make it a triple wedding when she proposes to ex-boyfriend Mike (Harry Shum Jr.), but he declines. This feels just as natural as the other two tying the knot. Not everyone meets their soul mate in high school, and despite Glee‘s propensity for mostly only having McKinley students and alum date other McKinley students and alum, most high school sweethearts don’t work out. The promise Artie (Kevin McHale) and Tina make to marry if they’re still single at 30 is a silly, dated reference, and one that probably won’t work out since Glee won’t still be running in ten years.

So, look, the general conceit of this episode, that two pairs of must-be spouses not only date in their teen years, but get married at twenty, is ridiculous. It’s not realistic. But Glee isn’t always realistic, and I’ve pointed out on numerous occasions in the past that the series tends to favor emotion over story structure. In this case, “A Wedding” is an enjoyably sweet episode, even if it doesn’t really make sense when viewed from a real-world perspective.

Which doesn’t mean Glee should be forgiven for all of its mistakes. Will (Matthew Morrison) not showing up until the last minute and Quinn (Dianna Agron), who is around earlier this year, not showing up at all, is pretty inexcusable. Where are the couples’ friends from New York? The frequent costume changes at the wedding and reception are downright ludicrous. Burt’s (Mike O’Malley) lack of surprise at his son suddenly getting hitched and Kurt having ready vows is unforgivable. The girls being gifted a month-long honeymoon while the boys get a weekend and none react to it is stupid, but clearly signals who’ll appear these next few weeks. Why isn’t Sam and Brittany’s fake wedding referenced? I’m just saying the overall feeling of joy one gets from watching “A Wedding” mostly outweighs this, but Glee would be a much better show if their writers exerted a little bit of effort on continuity.

Sue (Jane Lynch) isn’t invited at first because Santana hates her, understandably. But Brittany, like most of their classmates, forgives Sue easily, like one would a racist elder relative, so the principal manages to worm her way in anyway. Sue is a complex character at her best, and while she isn’t always written consistently, her support of these unions is nice and shows a good side to her character.

Sue’s ticket in is by bringing Santana’s abuela, Alma (Ivonne Coll), to the ceremony. I like that Alma doesn’t come around on gay marriage, but decides she wants to be a part of Santana’s life again. Alma’s tears during the wedding likely are as much from disappointment as joy, but this is a realistic take on the generational divide, with Glee’s trademark happy ending twist to it.

Finally, there’s a weird little subplot in which Rachel (Lea Michele) is afraid of what Finn’s mother will think about her moving on with Sam (Chord Overstreet). I guess, from Rachel’s perspective, this is a concern, but from a logical approach, there’s no reason to think Carole (Romy Rosemont) would disapprove, and of course she doesn’t. I’m still not a fan of Samchel, nor do I think this story is needed here, but if it is going to be done, this is the best way Glee can do it.

The musical numbers in “A Wedding” start late, but are solid. The moms group, including Carole Hudson-Hummel, Whitney S. Pierce (Jennifer Coolidge), Maribel Lopez (Gloria Estefan), and never-before-seen Pam Anderson (Gina Gershon), whom duet with the reconnected Troubletones – Brittany, Santana, Mercedes (Amber Riley), and Sugar (Vanessa Lengies) – on “I’m So Excited,” is all kinds of crazy fun mixed with real talent. Mercedes and Artie’s “At Last” is perfect for the wedding. “Hey Ya!,” which features Artie and a couple of high schoolers who probably shouldn’t be there, may not be generation-ally appropriate, but comes off great. Finally, the two couples sing “Our Day Will Come,” and it may not be the best piece in the hour, but is still pretty good.

“A Wedding” is a feel-good installment designed for maximum emotional impact, and it succeeds there. That the story is full of holes is sadly beside the point, but this close to the end, forgiveness of these glaring mistakes comes a little easier. Overall, I think this episode succeeds.

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

GLEE "Transitioning" Towards Finale

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

FOX’s Glee begins “Transitioning” to the endgame  as it reaches the halfway point of its final season this week. Coach Bieste (Dot-Marie Jones) returns to McKinley as a man, where he is protected by Principal Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and his players. But Will’s (Matthew Morrison) new glee club doesn’t share the same spirit of tolerance and compassion, going after Bieste to psych out the New Directions. This, while Rachel (Lea Michelle) is mourning the loss of her childhood home and Blaine (Darren Criss) is wondering if his future should bring him back to Kurt (Chris Colfer).

I stated in a recent review that it makes no sense, given the past history of the character, that Bieste would have gender reassignment surgery. That still holds true. However, the emotional execution of the story in “Transitioning” and the powerful performance by Jones almost make one forget that, feeling the character’s pain, and seeing Glee highlight yet another group of people are misunderstood and deserve acceptance.

When Glee starts down this route with Bieste, my immediate thought is, “Why isn’t Unique (Alex Newell) the one going through this?” It’s never stated on the show, but my guess is that a high schooler getting the surgery likely crosses some ethical lines and Unique isn’t yet a candidate for such a transition. Thankfully, Unique does return this week to offer emotional support, her first appearance this season, and organizes a three-hundred member transgender choir to make Bieste feel like he belongs. It’s touching, and despite a weird locker room scene between Bieste and Unique, by and large works.

An ongoing story this season is Will’s uneasy adjustment to Vocal Adrenaline. The group is led by Clint (singer Max George), a jerk of a student who doesn’t like or respect his coach. Will gets fed up and decides to quit when trying to reach the kids doesn’t work. It’s a tough decision that he makes with his supportive wife, Emma (Jayma Mays, finally back!), realizing he will never fit in to the culture of the school that pays him so well. But it’s satisfying when Will agrees to return to McKinley as an unpaid mentor who will surely get back his old, beloved job when Rachel inevitably returns to New York at year’s end.

Glee‘s handling of Vocal Adrenaline has been uneven, much like the rest of the show. They are introduced as villains originally, but evolve into something much better over time. While they do eventually run Unique off, there is a period where Unique is their lead. It’s regrettable to see this backslide, and it sucks that a teacher as dedicated as Will would give up on the kids. But without administrative support or the control needed to make real changes, it’s understandable that Will leaves and this group is firmly a two-dimensional bad guy at the end.

Rachel’s “Transitioning” involves giving up her childhood home, which affects her because it’s where she retreats after her early career failures. It’s a safe refuge, so while it may be a bit immature of Rachel to cling to it, I can also see why she does. Letting go of the place is part of the show’s final theme, moving on to the next stage of life. Sam (Chord Overstreet), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Kurt, Blaine, and the kids help Rachel get through this in a journey the audience is invested in as well.

It is weird that the alumni party with the students, though since none are actual faculty, merely outsiders serving as mentors, and Glee has always promoted student-teacher friendships, it kind of works. I’m glad the bar is closed in Rachel’s basement, despite how the New Directions used to drink down, there because that would have been highly inappropriate for Rachel to give kids booze. It’s also weird that Rachel and Sam are becoming a couple and that Kitty (Becca Tobin) is grouped with the alumni in helping Rachel. However, these inconsistencies, the worst parts of this hour, are overshadowed by all of the moving stories unfolding, so it doesn’t ruin “Transitioning.”

The one thing that really bothers me is that Rachel almost does an Ohio singers-themed lesson, which is abandoned. Despite being set in the Buckeye state, Glee gets almost nothing about Ohio right, and it would have been gratifying if the writers finally did some research and paid tribute to the setting. Sadly, this will not happen, though I did somewhat enjoy Glee poking fun at some of its own weaknesses around this part of the episode, a tongue in cheek acknowledgment it hasn’t done Ohio justice.

In the final subplot, Blaine kisses Kurt. But after Blaine and Karofsky (Max Adler) break up in a terrifically done scene, Blaine finds out Kurt is still dating Walter (Harry Hamlin), and so unavailable.

This is only temporary, of course; Kurt and Blaine will end up together. Once Cory Monteith, and, by extension, his character, Finn, passes away, Kurt and Blaine replace Rachel and Finn as the show’s favorite twosome. Santana and Brittany are awesome and I’ll always love them, but Klaine is who most viewers are particularly invested in. Walter is merely the last obstacle to be overcome, and hopefully he will be at least half as understanding as Karofsky of the situation.

By and large, the music in “Transitioning” is good, too. Blaine and Kurt’s “Somebody Loves You” isn’t their best work, but it’s serviceable. Mercedes and Roderick (Noah Guthrie) are a perfect pairing in “All About That Bass.” Sam and Rachel make me forget how weird their coupling is when they sing “Time After Time.” Vocal Adrenaline, assholes that they are, rock “You Give Love a Bad Name.” And, of course, Will and Unique’s “Same Love” and the trangender choir’s “I Know Where I’ve Been” are incredibly sweet, powerful stuff.

There have been many times in the past few year’s where I have regretted taking on Glee as a weekly column (you can find a review of every single episode of Glee ever by clicking the “Gleekonomics” link at the top of this page). That regret is melting away as Glee begins to nail its final season. The story isn’t air-tight, nor has it ever been, but the ensemble usually excels at emotional stuff, and there is plenty of that in “Transitioning” and season six. A couple of missteps early in the year worry me, but if the last six installments are anything like this one, Glee will end strong.

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

GLEE "Hurt"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - The Hurt Locker' on Blogcritics.

I’ve reviewed every episode ever aired of FOX’s Glee, good or bad. Still, I couldn’t help but combine last week’s “The Hurt Locker, Part One” with this week’s “The Hurt Locker, Part Two” into a single article. So close to the end of the series, the show takes a side trip into some truly horrendous stories, emphasizing the inconsistency that has always been a hallmark of the characters, and with far less singing than normal. To say I’m disappointed in this two-hour episode is an understatement.

The main problem with the episode concerns the story in which Sue (Jane Lynch) hypnotizes Sam (Chord Overstreet) to seduce Rachel (Lea Michele), starts a new feud with Will (Matthew Morrison) over a forgotten plastic fork, and works hard to get Klaine, a.k.a. Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) back together. Sue is often an uneven character, combining an underlying soft heart with true villainy, the two sometimes in direct conflict. But “The Hurt Locker” is a new low for a character that has no true investment in the show’s gay twosome, overreacts more than she usually does with Will, and brings an unneeded, stupid supernatural element into the show.

Despite Sue’s flaws, I usually like her because of the amazing Jane Lynch, who sells some pretty ridiculous things enough to almost be believable. Even she cannot overcome a swinging watch and a creepy storage shed, though. When a Saw-like puppet of her is introduced, one knows Glee has completely lost it. What are the writers thinking?

In these interweaving threads, Sue brings the New Directions, Vocal Adrenaline, and the Warblers together for a show choir invitational. This is a convenient plot to get nearly all of the main characters (save Beiste and the mostly-MIA-this-year Mercedes and Artie) in one place, and allows for performances from the show’s major groups. This, in theory, is a solid concept, even if it is poorly executed.

The invitational actually delivers most of the music for the two hours, including the only songs sang in part two. Sadly, though, these performances are as flawed as the story. Vocal Adrenaline’s “Rock Lobster” and “Whip It” are clearly the best, even if they are awarded second place because of emotional manipulation. The Warblers’ “My Sharona” and “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” are surprisingly flat, and I’m not sure how Sue could possibly be moved by the New Directions’ lackluster “It Must Have Been Love,” “Father Figure,” and “All Out of Love.” Not to mention, Sue doesn’t bring up the 12-member requirement spoken of in the first half, and the New Directions are once again the only group to perform three songs.

There are some better numbers during the episode’s first hour. Sue’s “Bitch” is goofy, but enjoyable. Rachel and Sam’s “A Thousand Miles” is also good. Too bad those are first, and everything else that comes after it pretty much sucks.

It certainly seems that Glee is setting up Sue to be the ultimate villain in this final season. It makes sense for Will to soon abandon his new kids that hate him to return to the fold, and Blaine doesn’t fare much better with the Warblers, whose performance he completely misses while being stuck in a fake elevator. But I guess that is something to sort of look forward to in the end game.

A hint of goodness exists in the way Kitty (Becca Tobin) is recruited back to the glee club. Rachel’s words to her sound sincere, though we know Rachel isn’t the most reliable. Kitty, however, is someone to count on, and now that she’s back on board, the club should only grow. In a perfect world, Kitty will find and bring back her four former classmates whom she thinks abandoned her to fill out some of number needed to compete in Sectionals. But if only one person from that class is going to return, I’m glad it’s her.

I don’t think for a minute anyone thinks Kurt and Blaine won’t end up together. I like Max Adler’s Karofsky, and I’m surprised at how much I enjoy Kurt’s budding relationship with much-older man Walter (Harry Hamlin, Mad Men, Veronica Mars), but Klaine is destiny. “The Hurt Locker” leaves no doubt in my mind about that.

So what will it take Glee to get its act together? I think the answer is: more involvement from Ryan Murphy. I can only assume that most of the troubles plaguing Glee these past years are because he’s busy with many projects, as his other work such as The Normal Heart and American Horror Story have been excellent. Glee has almost always stuck its landing on emotion, though, so I’m expecting a moving finale. Comparing Spencer (Marshall Williams) to Finn in this episode strikes a wrong chord, but hopefully there will be less of that moving forward and more of what Glee does well. Unfortunately, since Glee has disappointed many times, including in this double episode, I can’t say with certainty it will give fans the conclusion they deserve.

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

"Jagged Little" GLEE

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'Jagged Little Tapestry' on Blogcritics.

This week’s episode of FOX’s Glee, “Jagged Little Tapestry,” is about unexpected pairings. There’s Rachel (Lea Michelle) and Kurt (Chris Colfer), clashing in the way they’d like to run the new New Directions. There’s Becky’s (Lauren Potter) new boyfriend, whom everyone is suspicious of. And, of course, there’s the music, which mashes up Carole King and Alanis Morissette. None of these seem like a particularly good idea.

I very much enjoy Carole King songs, and I very much enjoy Alanis Morisette songs. However, the mashups in “Jagged Little Tapestry” are not very good. The kids sing “Hand in My Pocket” interspersed with “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” intermingled with “Head Over Feet,” and “You Learn” intermixed with “You’ve Got a Friend.” All six of these tunes are excellent on their own, but the pairings are disjointed both melodically and in the messages of the songs. Every switch back and forth is jarring, and it just doesn’t work as it should.

The best of these three is the middle one I mentioned because it is performed as a very charged duet between newbies Jane (Samantha Ware) and Mason (Billy Lewis Jr.). Mason and his sister, Madison (Laura Dreyfuss), seem far too close, so I wonder if this is the beginning of something between Jane and Mason which will cause serious jealousy from Madison. The sparks are already flying in one manner here, and as creepy as the Mason / Madison thing is, the writers could have some fun with a love triangle involving siblings.

Plus, putting the Blaine / Kurt flashes into this song strike a very strong emotional chord. Well done.

Also in this episode are “It’s Too Late,” a sad lament between a separate Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt, and “So Far Away,” in which Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and Quinn (Dianna Agron) try to help Becky impress her boyfriend. The latter is cut short when Becky runs from the room. These King songs are emotional and well used, so no complaints there. I only wish the rest of King’s songs were better sandwiched into the episode.

The plot where Becky brings her new boyfriend, Darrell (Justin Prentice, Terri), home to her unseen parents, but everyone from Sue (Jane Lynch) to Santana (Naya Rivera) to Coach Roz (NeNe Leakes) reacts poorly, is an interesting one. You don’t often see someone with Down syndrome dating someone without it or a similar condition. Sue, in particular, wants to know if Darrell is messing with Becky because Sue is extremely protective of her former student. But Darrell does come across as genuine in “Jagged Little Tapestry,” and even if it feels wrong to many viewers (admittedly including myself), I like that Glee challenges our prejudices and makes us rethink them. Because Darrell is authentic, which I think we must assume for now, the issue is in the person who is uncomfortable, not the couple themselves.

Less satisfying is learning that Coach Bieste (Dot-Marie Jones) is going to have a sex change. It’s not that I don’t think it’s a compelling story or that it doesn’t fit in the show; it absolutely is and does. The problem is that it is Bieste herself that the plot surrounds. We see Bieste searching for love and being comfortable with herself on numerous occasions in the past. Sure, some people can hide their true feelings, but she doesn’t strike me as one to do so, especially given some of the raw moments we witness of her. To have her, of all people, go through this feels inconsistent for the character. Which is a shame, because I am excited to see Jones as a full-time cast member, and I just wish she were given material more in line with who she’s been since her introduction.

The good Sue is back in her support of Bieste. Sue is usually shown to be cruel in order to inspire and push people to do their best. The exception is when she eliminates arts education from the school, but maybe this can be justified in some twisted way because she thinks such pursuits are holding students back. I don’t quite buy it, but I’m glad to see Sue hasn’t been turned into a cartoon villain in the final season.

Another weakness in “Jagged Little Tapestry” is how the Kurt / Rachel conflict is handled. Knowing the two of them, obviously they will be at odds, and obviously they will work through them. Perhaps because of everything else going on in the hour, though, this arc is zoomed through, skipping steps between break and heal. This either needs to be a bigger focus or spread out over multiple episodes. Maybe it will be, but they seem to come back together far too easily at the end.

Luckily, to balance out the flaws, the hour contains some of the best Santana / Brittany (Heather Morris) stuff ever. Unlike the rest of the rocky pairings, their union is solid, and it finally blooms into an engagement. (I do hope it is mentioned this season that Ohio, where the show takes place and where I live, is one of the handful of ridiculous states that still outlaw gay marriage.) We are given a really intimate post-coitus scene that is a little more adult than most of Glee has been, but earned for these two. More importantly, we see them express their feelings for one another in a very authentic way, for them. I’m so happy this couple is making it and set for a happy ending.

Kurt’s jealousy here is completely natural, and while he mishandles it, he does apologize to Brittany. I wish we’d see how Santana takes the sorry, especially given how she (deservedly) rips Kurt a new one, but I’ll settle for what’s in the episode, glad Kurt is chastised, even though his pain is understandable.

“Jagged Little Tapestry” is a middling episode. Great music not well used, and two pretty good plots alongside a couple lesser ones keep it from reaching its potential, but also keep it from being a disaster. Overall, I’m pretty happy with Glee‘s final season. Hopefully, that will hold.

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

"Homecoming" For GLEE

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'Loser Like Me' and 'Homecoming' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee began its final season with two episodes this past Friday. In the first, “Loser Like Me,” Rachel (Lea Michele) sees her Hollywood dreams crash and burn. Returning to Lima, Ohio, she realizes the program that inspired her is no more as well, so she petitions the superintendent to revive the arts at McKinley. He agrees – if she will run the show choir. The story continues in the second hour, “Homecoming,” in which many of Rachel’s fellow alumni return to help her recruit.

I’ve been pretty critical of Glee in recent seasons as the quality of the show, never consistent, noticeably declined. The bright spot was whenever the series moved to New York, with the Ohio plots being much lamer. Unfortunately, this sixth (and final) season pretty much eliminates New York altogether, as there is no one left in the Big Apple to follow.

That being said, something Glee usually nails is emotional heft, and season six is already showing greater willingness to use this hammer. The story may not be entirely believable (Sue’s antics so ridiculously misrepresent what would be allowed in education that I want to scream) nor make total sense (why did Chord Overstreet’s Sam decide to move home and become the assistant football coach?), but “Loser Like Me” succeeds in making me feel something for the characters again. Many of them, especially Rachel and Kurt (Chris Colfer), are at a crossroads in their lives. Things haven’t exactly turned out as they’d hoped, something many young adults face, and they may need to readjust career goals and priorities.

Adding to that is this desperate crusade in the final war against Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) to save arts education. The New Directions did something very special for all of the core characters, and Rachel, Kurt, et al. want to make sure that tradition continues. This is an idea many fans of the show can get behind, and it makes it all the more special when old friends, including Puck (Mark Salling), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Artie (Kevin McHale), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Brittany (Heather Morris), Santana (Naya Rivera), and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), come together to help one another.

A quick note on casting. I’m glad to see Riley back to full-time status, and the promotion of Dot-Marie Jones’ Coach Beiste makes sense, as well as being very satisfying. But why is McHale sticking around, given that he should be the only one left in NYC? And it’s with great regret to note that Rivera has been downgraded to guest star, though she’s expected to appear in several episodes.

The final season will not only see people come together in opposition to Sue, but it will also test the bounds of new relationships. Kurt and Rachel are heading up the New Directions, and two of their loves ones are now coaching their own glee clubs, Will (Matthew Morrison) having been hired for Vocal Adrenaline and Blaine (Darren Criss) returning to his Warblers. This will provide needed drama, which already begins in “Homecoming” when one of Blaine’s students switches to McKinley. But Kurt and Blaine are destined to repair their relationship and Will clearly isn’t happy with his less chummy group, so those are all just obstacles to overcome, rather than signaling an unhappy ending.

Speaking of Kurt and Blaine, their breakup, shown in flashback in “Loser Like Me,” is incredibly sad. I get why it happens, and I think it’s one of the better fleshed out developments in Glee recently, but it’s still incredibly hard to see this “perfect” couple fall apart. I enjoy Karofsky (Max Adler) getting into the triangle, but I have faith the series will bring Klaine back together in the end, which is how it should be.

The evolution of homosexuality in Glee‘s six short years on the air has been astounding. In the beginning, Kurt is bullied for being gay, and Karofsky certainly can’t bring himself to admit who he has feelings for. In “Loser Like Me,” we are introduced to Spencer Porter (Marshall Williams, How to Build a Better Boy), who is “post-gay,” meaning he doesn’t fit into any of the stereotypes gay boys usually fit into, and hardly anyone has a problem with his sexuality. I don’t think the world has changed quite that dramatically in six years, but it certainly has moved majorly in that direction, thanks in large part to shows like Glee and Modern Family, which gets a name drop this week. I hope those involved in Glee are proud of their societal contribution in this arena, and it’s awesome that the show is able to realistically include a character like Spencer before they go off the air.

Joining Spencer (who is not yet in glee club, but certainly will be) in the fresh batch of newbies are: chubby transfer student Roderick (Noah Guthrie, Dancing With the Stars); discrimination-busting Jane (Samantha Marie Ware); and Flowers in the Attic-esque siblings Mason (Billy Lewis Jr.) and Madison (Laura Dreyfuss). Virtually all these performers are unknown, not a rarity for Glee, but they seem like an interesting group, and even if the latter are only comic relief, they should make for some worthy, albeit brief, narratives in the final season. Plus, they can all sing quite well.

I am a bit sad “Loser Like Me” and “Homecoming” introduce a brand new batch of kids without including any of the most recent students like Marley and Unique. I mean, had Sue not transferred them to other schools, they probably would have kept fighting her, and thus Rachel would not have a clean slate. But I like those guys a lot, despite the horrible stories they are often given, and I’m sad they don’t appear to be returning. Kitty (Becca Tobin) is still around, but it doesn’t look like she’s re-joining the choir. It’s not like they’re the first people Glee regrettably diss-ed though; I still miss Zizes.

While I mainly want to talk story this week, I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on the music in “Loser Like Me” and “Homecoming.” “Suddenly Seymour” is a favorite song of mine, and Glee presents it beautifully. I’m not as big a fan of “Let It Go,” but it’s hard to complain about Ms. Berry’s fantastic rendition of it, and I love the mother/daughter angle because the woman that made the tune famous, Idina Menzel, plays Rachel’s mother on the show. “Take On Me” is telegraphed well before it shows up, but that doesn’t negate it’s effect when it finally does. “Uninvited” is nice, “Viva Voce” is cool, and “Tightrope” is spectacular. “Home” works well for the ending of the two-hour episode.

I was less thrilled with “Mustang Sally,” “Problem,”Dance the Night Away,” and “Sing,” but that speaks as much to the song choices as the performances of them. Though Glee has turned me around on icky songs before by finding a new angle, so the fact that these fail to wow is too bad.

Overall, I am reasonably satisfied with Glee‘s return. These aren’t the best two hours of the series, but they are mostly enjoyable, and they appropriately add serious emotion in the beginning-of-the-end plots introduced. It seems like the show is setting up the ending these characters deserve, and since creator Ryan Murphy has a tendency to nail the dramatic stuff, I’m cautiously optimistic about where the show is going.

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

GLEE Not True to "Rachel Berry"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'The Untitled Rachel Berry Project' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee ties up its fifth season and the New York-centric era with “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project.” It is an emotionally satisfying hour, though artificially so. The characters go their separate ways, but splitting away from the Big Apple isn’t what makes sense for several of their arcs, so it forces a false conclusion, allowing a reset for the sixth and final season. I guess the writers just wanted a clean break.

Obviously, Rachel (Lea Michele) is front and center, though one of only five characters featured this week. FOX sends writing genius Mary Halloran (Kristen Schaal, Bob’s Burgers, The Daily Show) to catch Rachel’s essence and write a pilot around it. The result is an absurdly weird show that feels nothing like Rachel. To correct this, Rachel sings “Glitter in the Air” to Mary, who is moved and writes exactly what Rachel wants. It’s time for Rachel to leave Broadway behind and move to LA!

Except, the whole time we’ve known Rachel, Broadway has been her dream. She gets a fantastic opportunity starring in a stellar role, and she is now burning all of her bridges and leaving it behind for a pilot that may or may not make it on the air. It seems a huge mistake, not only in abandoning her job, but in salting the earth so that she can never return to it. It would be one thing if Rachel’s ego got the better of her and led to this, but she doesn’t even seem to be approaching this from a place of supreme arrogance. What happened to Rachel?

Blaine (Darren Criss) is also faced with a choice between two things he loves: his fiance, Kurt (Chris Colfer), and performing. It’s time for Blaine’s showcase, but June (Shirley MacLaine) won’t even discuss allowing Kurt to participate, insisting she knows best. Kurt is hurt when Blaine breaks the news to him, and they have a big fight. So Blaine defies June and brings Kurt up for his finale, an “American Boy” so great that even June has to admit she is wrong.

I absolutely get Blaine’s emotional arc in “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project.” We see his pain as he laments through “All of Me.” Kurt’s anger is also understandable, as is his apology and their subsequent sweet reconciliation. This feels like something that has needed to happen between them for awhile, and once they get past it, Blaine moves back into the loft and they are happy together.

What I don’t get is June’s forgiveness. Sure, she shoots glaring daggers at Blaine, but once the number proves to be a success, she’s happy for the couple. Shouldn’t she be holding a grudge at Blaine’s defiance? Maybe she would take credit for the song and move forward because it works, but without any animosity? Her explanation, telling Blaine to stay true to himself, ignoring detractors, including herself, feels out of character for her.

Finally, Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) contemplate their future together. Their friends try to convince them to break up, since Mercedes will be on the road and everyone thinks Sam will cheat on her. Yet Sam proves his mettle in “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project” when confronted with a lecherous photographer (Beau Garrett, TRON: Legacy), crying when she kisses him and immediately confessing to Mercedes. Mercedes sees how hard things are for Sam and breaks it off with him, promising to revisit him in the future should it all work out.

Sam is a good guy and it’s a shame his friends keep underestimating him. He is loyal and true, and while he has made mistakes in the past, he’s only gotten more steadfast in their wake. Why is everyone so down on the model? I’d say Mercedes doesn’t deserve him if she can’t see that, but she’s the only one of the cast who does eventually understand Sam, believes in him, then lets him go anyway so they can pursue their own careers.

For Mercedes, this means touring with Santana (an unseen Naya Rivera) and back-up dancer Brittany (Heather Morris, who is great to see again, but seems out of place in this episode), which we see the start of in “Shakin’ My Head.” But for Sam, despite a successful shoot, a good performance of “Girls on Film,” and his naked body on a bus, he opts to go back to McKinley High. Why? Are his goals so short-sighted? What’s waiting for him in Ohio? It makes absolutely no sense at all.

But now all the plots are wrapped up and all the kids mentioned above, along with Artie (Kevin McHale), who’s also in the episode, but is at his most useless, declaring strong bonds of friendship without really contributing to the group, end with an excellent “Pompeii.” It’s the finale fans want, a big send off to the next stage of the characters’ journeys, and it is satisfying. Unfortunately, it’s a glittery cover for a stinky story, not earned.

Glee‘s sixth season, which will likely be cut down to a smaller number of episodes and won’t premiere until at least next January, should be interesting. It has the job of tying up the loose threads and sending each player to their final destination. I expect it will be heavy on feelings, and that’s a good thing. However, if they keep failing to make the story cohesive, it will be as disappointing as most of the run of the series has been, and that’s unfortunate.

Glee will return mid-season next year.

GLEE "Plan" Not Quite As Expected

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'The Back-Up Plan' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee presents a very frustrating installment this week in “The Back-Up Plan.” Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) is a Broadway star, earning rave reviews for her leading role in Funny Girl. A month into the run, though, she isn’t satisfied and begins to look elsewhere, despite her new agent (Richard Kind, Luck, Spin City) telling her she has a “face for radio” and can’t make it in TV or film. When Rachel catches the eye of a Fox executive (Community‘s Jim Rash), she risks her job to chase the next dream.

Throughout all of Glee, Rachel has wanted to do Broadway. Fewer than 50 shows, and she’s ready to give it up? It just doesn’t make sense. Had this episode taken place a year after opening, sure, I would buy it, and her stylistically cool “Wake Me Up” would work. True, Rachel’s heroes have crossed from stage to screen, so she’d eventually want to follow in their footsteps. But to finally achieve success and then risk it so carelessly, not appreciating what she’s accomplished? That doesn’t seem like Rachel.

I think Rachel’s producer Sidney (Michael Lerner), has it right when he says (I’m paraphrasing here) she’s a stupid, spoiled, bratty child. The only way to accept what Rachel is doing, lying to Sidney so she can fly to L.A. for a screen test and missing a performance, is to chalk it up to the brashness of youth. She doesn’t understand how badly she’s hurting herself, losing all respect and friendship from Sidney by the end of “The Back-Up Plan.”

It is to Rachel’s credit that she confesses what she does. That, combined with the reviews and ticket sales and a good friend are what save Rachel from being fired, barely. I really, really, hope she learns from this mistake and never tries something so boneheaded again.

Except, just when Rachel is at her lowest, the Fox exec calls again, telling Rachel she didn’t get the science fiction series she tested for (good, because sci-fi almost never thrives on Fox; see: Almost Human, Dollhouse, Firefly, etc.). Instead, he offers her a development deal. This means everything is still going right for Rachel, whipping her right back up another hill on the roller coaster. It’s a great moment for her, but I worry it will wash away any lesson she might take to heart in this situation.

The bad screen test could be another learning opportunity for Rachel. It’s hilarious how the execs squirm as Rachel delivers a fantastic rendition of “The Rose” because it’s so inappropriate for the role. This is what Hollywood is, where even greatness doesn’t mean anything in the wrong room, and Rachel should be humbled, even if her lack of preparedness isn’t really her fault here. Hopefully, she will understand she isn’t all that, but given the end result, it’s not likely.

Credit must be given to Jim Rash for a memorable turn. “The Back-Up Plan” is chock-full of big name guest stars, as next week will be, too, and yet, he stands out. It’s likely because his executive role could so easily have been a caricature, but he finds an authentic way to play it. He’s never a jerk, even when he could be, and is as supportive as he is rambling. There’s something likable and charming in the man that just shines through. Awesome.

Rachel isn’t the only character in Glee this week, of course. Kurt (Chris Colfer) invites Blaine (Darren Criss) to sing with him in front of a wealthy benefactor, June Dolloway (the amazing Shirley MacLaine). June only has eyes for Blaine during their fun “Story of My Life,” though, and sets her sights on making him a star, practically ignoring Kurt. This begins right away when she drags Blaine along to a fundraiser (the organizer of which is played by a completely wasted Eric Roberts, The Dark Knight), where they perform together. Then, she schedules him a showcase.
I love, love, love MacLaine, and I think June may be an interesting part for her. Unfortunately, her duet performance with Blaine, “Piece of My Heart,” is lackluster at best. Her voice does betray her age, even if she dances around like someone ten years younger. However, it’s the lack of energy in the song, inherent to this particular number, that does her in. Couldn’t someone have gotten a better musical choice for someone deserving of more? Plus, the way she looks equally at both Kurt and Blaine during their performance and talk after is teasingly cruel, not suited to her part, just done to build dramatics in the story.

Even worse, June means more strife for Kurt and Blaine. Blaine is determined to take Kurt with him on the train to stardom, and Kurt is more supportive than most would be in his situation. But June tells Blaine Kurt can’t be in the showcase, and Blaine lies to Kurt, unable to let down his fiance. Will Blaine choose Kurt or success? This could put a serious damper in their romance, either way.

Finally, Mercedes (Amber Riley) is faced with a similar choice when she wants to duet with Santana (Naya Rivera) on her album, but the producer (Gary Dourdan, CSI) wants a more famous singer, even after the two kill it with “Doo Wop (That Thing).” Santana tells Mercedes it’s fine, she should do what the label wants to give her record the best chance of success. Will Mercedes choose friendship or a chance at fame?

In the end, Mercedes doesn’t have to decide; she wins Santana a contract. This is just as much a cop out as Rachel being rescued at the last minute by the Fox exec. While Glee has only one more season to show us how these characters end up, and it’s always given their characters happy endings as much as possible, it still feels weak to have triumph come so easily now. Why can’t the characters spend the next year struggling, and only find what they seek at the end? It’s cool to see them doing well, but it just doesn’t feel realistic, sadly.

Disturbing are the rumors this week that Rivera has been fired from Glee. While unconfirmed, its been widely reported. The series would suffer a blow to lose her. She and Michele share a terrific scene in “The Back-Up Plan” as Santana saves Rachel’s bacon in the musical, then asks for nothing in return. After finally getting these ladies on good footing, it would be nice to see this friendship continue. I guess Rivera leaving means Santana and Brittany could finally have their happy ending, though if the actress is fired, we may not see the couple run off together, which would suck.

I’m also disappointed that Rachel’s leading man and director are still MIA even though the last two installments have featured major Funny Girl stories. Were the actors just not available? Why cast them earlier in the season if they couldn’t return when needed? It just makes the world seem less fleshed out and more fake.

Still, at least the story is moving and the actors remain as interesting as they ever have been. I love the more narrowed focus of a handful of players every week, giving them more room to breathe and develop than when ten story lines are being juggled. Three threads seems to be the perfect number for Glee, and overall, “The Back-Up Plan,” while frustrating, is a solid episode.

Glee has two weeks left in its fifth season; it airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Rachel's Big "Opening Night" of GLEE

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'Opening Night' on Blogcritics.

This week’s installment of Glee, “Opening Night,” has a couple of nice stories mashed together in a very unnatural way. Add to that a big list of what is missing from the hour that should have been included, and it feels uneven. Had this been split into two separate episodes, allowing room to add in some of the glaring omissions, it might have been really good. Instead, it’s a fair installment with some terrific moments.

The ‘A’ plot revolves around Rachel’s (Lea Michele) Broadway opening night in Funny Girl. Her friends rally around her, including Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), who has come to visit, but not Artie (Kevin McHale), who is out of town, so we trade one annoying character for another. Still, Rachel has severe nerves and has a hard time finding the will to get up on stage. It takes a former frenemy verbally slapping some sense into her before Rachel can perform. Once she does, as expected, she is amazing.

Rachel’s nervousness is understandable, and is well developed. It gives us the fun opening “Lovefool” with welcome appearances by former recurring players Karofsky (Max Adler), Jacob Ben Israel (John Sussman), and Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter). Those three are tormentors of Rachel’s previously, to varying degrees, so it makes sense to see them now. From here, we get to Rachel curled up in bed, unable to rise, doubting herself after reading online reviews of the preview shows. What nineteen- or twenty-year old wouldn’t be nearly paralyzed with fear in this situation?

It’s Santana (Naya Rivera) that manages to make Rachel see the light when her friends, including Kurt (Chris Colfer), Blaine (Darren Criss), Mercedes (Amber Riley), and Sam (Chord Overstreet) cannot. This works for the story, too. Not only does it solidify that Rachel and Santana are over their feud and really can be true pals, but Rachel needs a kick in the pants, not coddling, and only Santana can do that. Tina gives hard truths, too, but only unintentionally, not having the brass to back them up that Santana does, or wisdom to see what’s needed.

When Rachel takes the stage, she’s terrific. An audience kerfuffle tarnishes the first act a little bit, but Rachel’s chums remain supportive and the producer, Sidney (Michael Lerner), tells Rachel like it is, so Rachel rallies. Her opening, “I’m the Greatest Star,” is good, but her closing, “Who Are You Now?,” is even better. Rachel’s skipping of the cast party to hang out with her friends in a rowdy gay club, complete with a spirited “Pumpin’ Blood,” is a little rude, but she needs to let off steam her way. And the rave reviews in the papers the next morning are well-earned, the culmination of five years of story arcs for the female lead of the series.

The worst part of this storyline, though, is that Will (Matthew Morrison), who has come to New York specifically for the show, has to run home before it begins because Emma (Jayma Mays) is in labor. It’s not like Mays even appears in the episode, nor do Will or Rachel struggle with his absence, so what is the point of this? It seems gimmicky, like a bad sitcom, and the episode would have changed not at all had Will stayed, uninterrupted.

Or maybe the worst part is that Rachel’s dads, introduced as two men that would be mega-fans of their daughter, don’t show up, as they never do, their characters having been consistently wasted all throughout Glee. Nor do many of Rachel’s friends come, despite that fact that this person they know and like is starring in a Broadway show! Maybe Glee didn’t want another big reunion episode so soon after the ending of the McKinley plot, but “Opening Night” pretty much screams for one, and fails to get it.

Of course, Glee sticks a couple of touching Finn references in, as it is beginning to do way too often. Rachel thinks of Finn while singing, and Will gives her child the middle name of Finn. These are sweet, to be sure, and definitely fit for the moment. But do we have to be reminded of Finn week after week? Many shows don’t mention a character enough after their passing; Glee is almost doing it too much.

Sandwiched into “Opening Night” is a ‘B’ story in which Sue (Jane Lynch), criticized for lambasting New York City in her news segment because she’s never been there, tags along with Will. Unable to sit through Funny Girl, Sue climbs over the New York Times critic early in the show, then meets up with a man named Mario (Chris Parnell, Suburgatory, Archer), who walks out in a similar manner. The two fall in love over dinner, then have sex all over Rachel’s apartment (because they didn’t know Will had left an empty hotel room?). In the end, though, Sue won’t stay in the city and Mario won’t move to Ohio, so their affair ends, but leaves Sue with an appreciation for the Big Apple.

Sue deserves a romance, and I like her how and Mario connect, Mario even sticking by her after Rachel (justifiably) loudly and harshly tells Sue off. So why bring this up if it’s not going to be an ongoing arc? And why stuff it into Rachel’s episode? Sue’s “N.Y.C.” number with Will is great, but the fact that Sue shares Rachel’s big closer, “Who Are You Now?,” is jarring and weird. It’s nice to see Sue get story, and good story at that,  but it’s just sandwiched so unevenly into “Opening Night” that it doesn’t land as it should.

I’m also a little torn over the Rachel / Sue showdown in this episode. Sue is known to be supportive of her students, using her cruelty as a motivator, not because she’s truly mean. So why can’t Sue be happy for Rachel when Rachel has succeeded? Is Sue resentful that it has come about so easily for the girl? If so, explore that, don’t leave us wondering. Rachel laying into Sue feels good because, in the moment, Sue seems to deserve it, and yet, because we see Sue emotionally bare this week, it also feels a little rougher than it should be, creating unnecessarily mixed feelings.

Once more, “Opening Night” is superior to the NYC/McKinley split episodes, but does not completely fulfill its potential. It will be interesting to see how Glee ties up the New York arc in the next three weeks, and if its final season, which will feature a new format and setting(s?), finally figures out what the show should be. Glee airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

GLEE Is Kid "Tested," Mother Sort of Approved

Article originally posted as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'Tested' on Blogcritics.

This week’s Glee is a bit odd. Though seemingly about love and sex, it sort of also promotes an abstinence agenda. Artie (Kevin McHale) gets an STD and loses the girl he likes because he sleeps with a couple of skanks. Mercedes (Amber Riley) wants Sam (Chord Overstreet) to wait until marriage to engage in carnal acts… maybe. And Blaine (Darren Criss) is feeling self-conscious, killing his sex life with Kurt (Chris Colfer). One would think this means “Tested” teaches a lesson that sex is bad at this age, yet most of the characters come out of the hour feeling the opposite.

I give Glee credit for tackling several elements of a sensitive topic without really taking sides. It dances around judgment, letting the characters fall into shades of grey, rather than being right and wrong. Many shows, this one included, often have a viewpoint they are trying to push. In “Tested,” however, it seems more a character exploration than a message episode, which is surprising in a good way, even if the execution is only fair compared with other recent installments (i.e. worst episode in the New York-centric run so far, but better than a lot of this year’s entries split with Ohio).

I have to admit, I don’t buy Artie as a ladies’ man. There is someone out there for everyone, and in the right environment, multiple partners may be interested in the same man at once. But Artie? He’s annoying and whiny and unlikeable. I barely understand why his high school classmates are pleased to see him in the city, let alone any new fellow students. I’m sure these girls could do better, and given Artie’s immaturity and nervousness when dealing with this week’s topics, how does he possibly handle himself in the bedroom in this scenario?

Artie seems an inconsistently built character. Which is all the more disappointing because Glee has portrayed people with disabilities and differences so well in the past and he’s the only one left in this category, no one else in the center of the story having something like this that sets them apart. But his wheelchair has nothing to do with his personality, and it’s the latter that’s the problem.

Artie’s conquests, Vanessa (Galadriel Stineman, The Middle), the crazy one, Jessica (Tahlena Chikami, Prom), the chill one, and Julie (Stephanie Hunt, Friday Night Lights, Californication), the sweet one, are a varied group. They all get to participate in Artie’s lame “Addicted to Love” number, and Julie pops back up in the confusing “Let’s Wait Awhile” performance, looking quite uncomfortable. None of the three really get developed that much as separate individuals, barely used in the songs, mostly as background, and more ‘types’ than fully fleshed-out people. So I guess they probably aren’t sticking around, leaving Artie back at square one.

“Let’s Wait Awhile” is confusing because it seems unnecessary in the thrust of the tale, as well as captures characters in ways that don’t quite gel with their established personas. Artie has to wait until his STD is treated, but he’s trying to play it off as being tender, which doesn’t suit the rest of him in this episode. Julie is understandably thrown because this is a first date and sex isn’t on the table. Surely she just wants to run off at this point. Why doesn’t she? She’s not shown to be shy later on.

Sam and Mercedes sing in “Let’s Wait Awhile,” too, as Mercedes asks Sam to wait for sex, and it’s just as confusing to their story. It’s hard to buy Mercedes’ religion as the reason she’d like to put this off, the girl singing a very secular (and unrealistic), though enjoyable, “I Want to Know What Love Is” in her church. This indicates she doesn’t have a ton of respect for the religious building, or she’s part of an extremely progressive congregation, which would most likely take a more liberal view on premarital relations. But I don’t quite buy the religious angle, either, because during Mercedes and Rachel’s (Lea Michele) girl talk, an excellent scene for the pair, Mercedes seems more scared about pain and pleasing a man than morality, and she hints later that she might not wait til there’s a ring on her finger after all.

Sam is a bit more consistent. It’s easy to see why the nineteen year-old boy wouldn’t want to wait forever, even if he does love Mercedes. But I like that he comes around, lighting a bunch of candles in a grand romantic gesture. I really enjoy the chemistry between the two, under-explored when they dated before, and I want to see them make it work. Sam does care deeply about her, so he’s willing to make the sacrifice. Good for him.

The final couple in “Tested” is Blaine and Kurt. Blaine is gaining the freshman fifteen (though his paunch only shows through in a couple of select scenes), letting himself go. The root cause is determined to be that he’s jealous Kurt has come into his own and doesn’t feel worthy of his fiance any more. This is a very sympathetic position, and it’s understandable how Blaine gets that way. Kudos also goes to Kurt for making sure Blaine feels comfortable discussing the issues and supporting his lover. Their union may be suffering some rocky stumbles, their beautifully-staged “Love Is a Battlefield” an excellent illustration of the latest, but it definitely looks like it has what it takes for the long haul. They’ll get through this.

One thing “Tested” does well is give us bonding time among pals. As mentioned above, Mercedes and Rachel get to share a special moment, and since we haven’t seen a lot of their friendship, this is really cool. Similarly, Sam, Artie, Blaine, and Kurt hang out at a restaurant a couple of times, enjoying one another’s company and offering advice. With this suddenly smaller cast, Glee has time to luxuriate in such dynamics, and it’s all the better for it, showing off a side of each player that is less well developed before now.

“Tested” isn’t the best episode musically; the songs more concerned with showcasing Riley’s amazing voice than furthering the plot, which is the major drag-down factor at play. (Side note: when is Sam going to get a true solo?) But the writing is more complex than I expected, and this does feel like new territory for Glee. If this is the worst installment we get in the New York run, it should still be seen as a triumph overall.

Glee airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.