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 goes into a "Funk"

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

     There's a reason FOX's Glee stays away from funk music most of the time. It doesn't go very well with the characters or tone of the series. Yet, in "Funk," the penultimate episode of the first season, funk music is smashed into Glee throughout the episode, regardless of the low quality of much of the resulting material. There's a reason the "Funk" numbers do not end the Volume 3 soundtrack, despite airing last. And that's only part of the problem with a mostly lackluster episode.

     Perhaps the best, most interesting story happening in "Funk" is that Jesse (Jonathan Groff) returns to Vocal Adrenaline. His mission over, he must reintegrate back into his group. But the other members are suspicious, and test his loyalty, even making him crack an egg on Rachel (Lea Michele) to prove it. Given that Jesse undertakes the assignment to go to McKinley in the first place shows his level of support for his director and the group. So it is no surprise that, despite his feelings for Rachel still being present, given the expressions on his face, he does what he needs to to re-win the trust of his classmates.

     This is cool, because it gives some depth to Jesse. The face of the villain, Glee fans have gotten to know him these past months during his tenure at McKinley. As such, it's easy to care about him and his feelings. The test of Jesse's character comes in returning to Vocal Adrenaline at all, considering that buzz is the New Directions are poised to topple their reign. If Jesse were just a selfish jerk, he would stay at McKinley and take the win, with no regard for where he comes from. That he goes to such lengths to go back, and to prove that he's one of them, shows that Jesse is someone who has character, and who cares about his glee club.

     Though, it is hilarious to see his dispassionate "I'm so depressed" following his teammate's declaration that they are "soulless automatons" at the end of the episode!

     Rachel is upset, of course, not seeing why Jesse is doing what he's doing. If she were privy to his motivations, she'd probably forgive him, and help him do what he needs to do. Instead, she talks of feeling betrayed. This reveals that Rachel doesn't care as much about Jesse as he does for her. While he does choose his group over Rachel, were their positions reversed, he would probably stand by Rachel as she humiliates him for the sake of her group. Instead, she abandons Jesse, not even giving him the chance to explain himself. So Rachel is as selfish as she is so often accused of being.

     Will (Matthew Morrison) and Terri's (Jessalyn Gilsig) signing their divorce papers is also an effective moment. It's an end of an era, and one that both look like they regret to some extent, even if the union does need to be dissolved.

     As far as musical numbers go, there are two good ones. Vocal Adrenaline rocks "Another One Bites the Dust," and with the emotional investment established for Jesse, viewers will actually care when this other group does well. "Loser" is also a fun performance, not least of which because Terri, Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido), and Sandy (Stephen Tobolowsky) get to perform along with Puck (Mark Salling) and Finn (Cory Monteith). Unfortunately, just as fans are enjoying the shot of the characters looking like robots, the song is cut short.


      And that's it for positive parts of "Funk." Pretty much everything else in the episode is terrible. From Will seducing Sue (Jane Lynch) just to prove a cruel point, to Finn and Puck slashing tires, to various songs and one-liners, nothing else really works in the episode.

     For example, let's examine Puck and Finn's story line. Setting aside that Finn likely would never do something illegal like slashing a bunch of tires, they come off pretty well, since they offer to pay back the damage they've done. And that's not even nitpicking about why a local glee club in Ohio would buy all of their members SUVs! Is that legal? Not even the popular college football players get those! But I digress.

     Were the guys actually loyal to Mr. Schue, as they are in other episodes, they'd never go to work for Terri. There must be plenty of other jobs they could be doing! Why work there? Simply so Glee doesn't have to build new sets?

     Now, if one can set aside the circumstances that lead to this job, logistics enter the picture. Shelby (Idina Menzel) claims that the tires Puck and Finn ruin cost $200 each. Doing the math of $200 times 4 tires times twenty-six vehicles, the total the boys must pay back is over $20,000! Finn thinks they will have it paid back in a month. Given their age and experience, and the place of employment, Finn and Puck likely make $7.40 per hour, minimum wage, a fact backed up by Terri talking about how little they are being paid. Even if the two work forty hours a week, unlikely because of their extracurricular activities, they could only make about $2,400 in a month, before taxes. As such, they are looking at a very long road to paying things off.

     Plus, this is supposedly a legal issue. Shelby mentions choosing to not press charges, something she very well could do. Why isn't there a police officer present in the meeting between Shelby and the McKinley people? None of it makes sense.

     Glee is a musical series, so perhaps some people may not care about the factual matters facing the characters. But the songs in "Funk" are no better. Will's "Tell Me Something Good" is anything but seductive. There's no chance Sue would fall for his games, even if she were inclined. Which she isn't, and she's too smart to be tricked so quickly. "Good Vibrations" rings hollow, even with Mercedes's (Amber Riley) fantastic runs, mostly because it's a song that just doesn't fit the series. The same can be said for "Give Up the Funk," despite the dedication that each of the cast members use to sell the performance.

      Worst of all is "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." For one thing, Dianna Agron does not have the right vocal quality to convincingly pull off the number. For another, it's distracting that she is suddenly visibly pregnant after barely showing a bump all these months. And now she'll be giving birth in a week? And how bad a town is Lima that there are half a dozen other teenage mothers, coincidentally at the same stage of their pregnancy, and who can sing, available to back her up?

      Overall, "Funk" is a failure. Glee can, and usually does, do much better.


Random Bits:

• The New Directions talk about the buzz in the Ohio show choir chat rooms. Who still uses chat rooms? Especially among teenagers? And even if anyone does, would there really be multiple ones dedicated to such a narrow concept?
   
• Sue cites betting odds in Las Vegas for the New Directions' Regionals chances. Las Vegas does not care about high school show choir, and certainly not a little Regional competition. Again, a load of baloney.
   
• Mercedes asks Quinn to move in with her. Just how many of her fellow glee club members' houses will Quinn be staying at during her pregnancy? This marks the fourth, starting with her own, in about as many months.
   
• Why is Artie wearing a medical mask when the group cleans up the toilet paper job Vocal Adrenaline does to the choir room? No one else is, and there's really not a point to it. Did someone just think it was visually funny? They were wrong.
   
• Will suggests to his kids that they steal a rival school's statue. Besides being illegal, he usually tries to talk them out of escalating things. Not cool. Why aren't any of the kids shocked by the suggestion? This would probably cost him his job.
   
• Kurt (Chris Colfer) says he is so depressed that he wore the same outfit to school twice this week. In the previous episode, he wears the same Lady Gaga costume all week, and it doesn't appear that he is doing it because of depression. Why is this week so different? If he cared so much, wouldn't have have made multiple Gaga costumes the previous week?
   
• Sue wins the cheerleading Nationals after not practicing the entire week before? And with a fourteen minute Celine Dion medley in French? They expect us to buy this?
   
• How is Sue able to get a display case built for her trophy right in the choir room without disrupting the New Directions' practices? Not to mention, who paid for it, and why would the school allow such a thing?

      Check back for the last Glee season one review later today! And don't miss the Glee season three premiere this coming Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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

 

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

 

 

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

Glee takes a dose of "Vitamin D"

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

     Glee's sixth episode, "Vitamin D," is light on music, but heavy in furthering the recurring arcs in the beginning of this season. With the New Directions growing complacent (after only six weeks as a group!), Will (Matthew Morrison) decides to evoke a competitive spirit by pitting the guys vs. the girls in a mashup contest. Finn (Cory Monteith) finds himself exhausted and unable to lead, but soon all the kids are flying high - on drugs. Meanwhile, Sue (Jane Lynch) decides to destroy the club through Will, so she gets Will's wife, Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), a job as the school nurse. After seeing Will and Emma (Jayma Mays) together, Terri is not happy, to put it mildly.

     Six weeks is all it takes the New Directions to get lazy? Seriously? Sure, their competition for Sectionals looks weak on paper, but they've barely become a group. Several of the students have only been a part of the New Directions for a month, having been recruited after the initial batch. The complacency plot comes far too early in the series, when the students have little reason to be overconfident. This story would work better later in season one, or especially in season two, as they get better and better. Not sure why the writers choose to go this route now, but it didn't fully fit.

     However, the results of the mashup contest are fantastic. The only two songs sung in "Vitamin D," it's nearly impossible to decide if the guys' "It's My Life / Confessions Part II" should beat the girls' "Halo / Walking on Sunshine" or not. Both are high energy, excellent remixes of great songs. All the performers are top notch, and the lights and choreography only make the competition tougher. Luckily, viewers and judges alike are spared that horrendous choice by Finn and Rachel (Lea Michele) disqualifying both teams for using performance enhancing drugs.

     Glee often goes the opposite of school appropriate in its plots, and because that's a hallmark of the show, it would be folly to complain on that element alone. But as the series is supposed to be a positive role model, it is disappointing that the New Directions are so willing to use pseudoephedrine, and there really are no negative consequences for them. Yes, the characters talk about it being cheating, and agree to go off of it, but what is shown on screen is that the drug makes them all perform excellently, and their health does not suffer at all. While it is good that there is a moral stand against the practice, it would have been beneficial to show negative physical side effects, too, such as uneven heartbeat, severe dizziness, anxiety, easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness, fever, chills, body aches, etc, which are all actual possible side effects.

     This episode successfully dwells on the two central student characters, Rachel and Finn. Both show a morality and conviction that make them good leaders. They make mistakes, but they feel guilt, and take responsibility. Michele and Monteith are definitely sure in their footing as the duo, drawn together, but avoiding committing to it, for a variety of reasons. Rachel even tries to befriend Finn's pregnant girlfriend, Quinn (Dianna Agron), cementing Rachel as likeable, despite her flaws. She also makes an effort to be a team player, something important in her growth. And wrong or not, Monteith is hilarious in "Vitamin D" when Finn takes the drugs.

     It is a little frustrating that Glee continues to dump on the public school system. While Terri is the one who actually insults the establishment, saying she needs no training to be school nurse because of their low standards, the fact that McKinley High goes along with that backs up the negative, and largely inaccurate, stereotype. Certainly some public institutions have their flaws, and no system is perfect. But many public schools in this country, and in Ohio, are very good, and few would hire someone unqualified to be there. In most places, that would be illegal.

     Which makes it a stretch that the only punishment shown to anyone involved at the school is that Sue will now be the co-director of the New Directions, to Will's frustration. That's an interesting plot, and one that will be explored further, but there are ways it could have been gotten to without going totally off into left field. Poor Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido) is arrested, but assumedly he is let go once it is revealed he isn't directly doing anything illegal, since he later appears in the show, seemingly unaffected by the experience. Though he is an accomplice to illicit activity. No idea why the police investigation doesn't lead them to Terri, who does deserve jail time.

     Also slightly offensive and unrealistic is that Sue would put a nurse in a coma as part of her plan. Sue is ruthless in many ways, but to show her causing severe physical harm is not funny, nor should it be acceptable on Glee. The fact that she completely gets away with it is even worse. Doesn't this school have cameras in the hallways, as most do nowadays?

     Once more, Terri is made a bit sympathetic in her marriage to Will. There is a commonly held belief that their entire fight seems one-sided in Will's favor. But keep in mind, Will is having an emotional, if not physical, affair with Emma. When Terri sees them together, it hurts her deeply. To hose who might say that Emma is nicer to Will, Terri has a point when she says to Emma that it's easy to be nice for a few hours a day to someone. No one really knows what goes on in a marriage besides the couple. Terri is surely not all to blame, as she has a well defined personality, which Will would have known before marrying her. She also stays loyal to her husband.

     A far worse example of marriage is the one Emma is about to enter into with Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher). Among her demands are continuing to live on separate sides of town and not spending time together after school. Really, who is the worse wife in this scenario, Emma or Terri? If one stops and thinks about it, Terri may actually be a better human being at this point. Emma claims she doesn't want to die alone, but she certainly isn't willing to overcome any of her phobias to achieve the goal, and so it becomes impossible, and cruel to Ken for being an enabler. If one is a fan of Will, how can you wish them together?

Random Bits:
 
     While not exactly clear, I assume the episode title "Vitamin D" is a reference to pseudoephedrine being used in Claritin D, which is what it appears the kids are taking, as well as Finn calling them his vitamins.

     Hilarious that while Finn is complaining he doesn't have enough time in his life to get everything done, he is sitting and playing video games. I have a suggestion for what he could cut back on.

     Quinn is so evil at this point in the show! She is complicit in Terri's scheme to pass off her baby as Terri's. She admits to Rachel, were their positions reversed, she would not be nice to the other girl. She continues to lie to Finn about who the father of her baby is. Is any teenage girl, who isn't criminally psychotic, really this mean? After watching the movie Mean Girls, sadly, I fear the answer is yes. Makes me glad to be a guy.

     Sue says in her journal she is "almost 30." It's hard to come up with a reason why Sue would lie to her journal, so perhaps it's true, though it doesn't really gel with other details later revealed about Sue's personal life, such as her rivalry with Olivia Newton John, nor the ages of her sister and mother.

     Sue also reveals she ran for office twice. In season three, she will become politically involved again. Nice early seeds, and it makes sense for the character. But it does beg the question, what happened when Sue previously ran, and why did she stop being involved in politics?

     Ken is pushed into proposing to Emma by Terri. Marriage is a huge life decision. Could one be so easily talked into it?


     Check back tomorrow for another Glee season one review!

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


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

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

Glee introduces the "Acafellas"

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

     FOX's Glee's third episode is "Acafellas." In it, Rachel (Lea Michele) insults Will's (Matthew Morrison) choreography skills, so he turns his attentions to forming a boy band called Acafellas. The New Directions set out to hire a new dance teacher, except Finn (Cory Monteith), who understands that Will just has bruised feelings, and they should fix things with him. Mercedes (Amber Riley) is depressed about being single, and is encouraged to seek out Kurt (Chris Colfer) as a potential boyfriend. Needless to say, this does not end well. At the same time, Sue (Jane Lynch) has her Cheerio spies pulling the strings to divide the glee club, and their actions are related to the unfortunate events above.


     The main theme of this episode is confidence. Those that have it will achieve their dreams and be happy. Those that do not will fail. Many of the characters face various dilemmas of confidence.

     Quinn (Dianna Agron) perhaps figures it out best, telling Sue that the cheerleading coach teaches her a valuable lesson. If one is confident, they do not need to bring other people down. Does this mean Sue is deeply not at peace with herself? There's not much to indicate that that's true, however Quinn has an excellent point. It's why the Cheerios will soon stop trying to destroy the New Directions. It may also be why Sue will not be happy anytime soon. Luckily, things in the late season two episode "Funeral" hint at another path for Sue to find fulfillment.

     Finn is confident that the New Directions can succeed, while Rachel is not. This leads Rachel, and the others, to seek out legendary choreographer Dakota Stanley (Whit Hertford). But despite all the effort it takes to land Dakota, Rachel eventually realizes Finn is right, after all, and Dakota just wants to change the club. He is an angry, little man, not at all happy. Whereas the New Directions are better off without him trying to change them. Thankfully, Rachel comes to her senses, and fires Dakota, finally listening to Finn.

     Kurt is facing a serious lack of confidence, in that he can't bring himself to come out of the closet. The fact that he has no trouble airing his flamboyant tastes and wearing "fashionable" clothes, but can't bring himself to tell people that he's gay, should help the straight viewers understand just how big a deal it is to admit one is homosexual. Or so I imagine, finding myself in the straight viewer category. This is a boy who shows tremendous courage every day in being himself, but has one big "secret" he cannot find the strength to admit. There's hope, as he does come out to one person, Mercedes, in an incredibly sweet scene. The first of many for breakout star Colfer.

     Mercedes is still struggling with being confident in herself two years later. She is just finding her first boyfriend as season two ends. This is sad, because she is extremely talented, compassionate, and has a lot of offer. She proves her brass with the only solo performance in the episode, "Bust Your Windows," a fantastic demonstration of her sassy attitude. She is confident in her voice, but not with her body. Sadly, this is not an unusual problem. Having confidence in something about yourself does not automatically cover everything

     "Acafellas" is brimming with wonderful guest stars. Among the top talent are Victor Garber (Eli Stone, Alias) and Debra Monk (Damages, Grey's Anatomy) as Will's parents. Both of these two are fabulous singers, yet neither get the chance to croon on Glee. They just show up as supportive parents. While they are great in those roles, it's a little sad they never showcase their singing abilities. Will's father's decision to return to night school to become a lawyer is a decent explanation for why they have never returned, since that would keep him very busy. Yet they are now overdue for a comeback, with a song this time.

     Also appearing is Josh Groban as himself, which he later does again in this first season of Glee. The conceit to get him there in "Acafellas," with him showing up to watch the Acafellas because Sandy (Stephen Tobolowsky) invites him, but he really comes to deliver a restraining order, is thin, at best. Surely, restraining orders are not usually delivered personally. And on that errand, the victim doesn't stick around to watch a musical group perform for the PTA. It's gratuitous. But one hilarious line he utters, "Josh Groban loves a blousy alcoholic," makes it worth it, even though it adds nothing to the plot.

     Musically, this episode doesn't give anything to the New Directions, which is pretty unusual. Mercedes gets the aforementioned number, which strangely enough, she does with Cheerio backing, even though her fellow glee club members are nearby. Granted, the entire thing is in her head, but still... Why would she choose the popular kids that don't like her rather than her supportive friends?

     Vocal Adrenaline also returns with "Mercy," apparently a piece just meant to show that Dakota is a ruthless dictator with his choreography. It looks impressive, but without any characters to care about in the group, that's all it is.

     The rest of the numbers are performed by Acafellas, which originally consists of Will, Ken (Patrick Gallagher), Howard (Kent Avenido), and Henri (Tony Award Winning Broadway star John Lloyd Young). Strangely, and regrettably, Henri is only in this one episode, and does not get to be featured heavily singing. Another missed opportunity, like Garber and Monk. This first group sings "This Is How We Do It" and "Poison," as well as "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" with Sandy.

     Then Howard and Henri quit, and Finn and Puck (Mark Salling) join, as does Sandy, and the group does "I Wanna Sex You Up." All the Acafellas songs sound great, but they are only there to let Will taste a bit of his dream, not for any larger plot point. As such, the music in this episode, while well done, is less moving than in most episodes. After all, none of these pieces even make the Volume One soundtrack, save Mercedes's number.

     In what has become a regular part of these season one reviews, random continuity notes:

     Brittany (Heather Morris) is sometimes shown hanging out with Quinn and Santana (Naya Rivera), but mostly is left out, and it even missing from at least one New Directions group scene. Funnily enough, Morris is paired with Rivera in the opening credits. At least Brittany is featured dancing in "Bust Your Windows."

     Windshields do not bust in the manner in which Kurt's does. They are comprised of two sheets of glass with an adhesive bit in the middle. It takes a lot to put a hole in it, and it would develop long cracks, too. It appears to be tempered glass, which is generally used in the side windows. I actually found usefull, applicable knowledge from my sixteen months of handling auto insurance glass claims!

     Also, how does Kurt's father afford that vehicle? He is a mechanic, and is never shown as rich. It seems extravagant for effect, not realism.

     A school car wash made $8,000? Seriously? Has any school car wash ever made that much? That's a heck of a lot of clean cars. They should just do another one in season two when they need to raise money to get to New York City.

     Emma (Jayma Mays) slams John Stamos (Full House, ER) by saying "It takes more certainity than talent to be a star; look at John Stamos." A joke? Stamos will later play Emma's husband Carl in season two. Surely the people behind the series don't think badly of him, or he would never have been cast.

     This is the first episode Will is seen longing for a performing career. He gives it up because he finds teaching is his true calling. Watching this episode, his decision in the season two finale, "New York," should be predictable.

     Dakota Stanley calls Finn "Frankenteen." This will not be the last time Finn is called that. Actor Cory Monteith must enjoy it, because it's his twitter name.

     Puck says he has a thing for moms. While his attraction is about maturity, it could possibly have something to do with having kids, or Puck wanting to have kids. Perhaps this is foreshadowing, as once Quinn reveals she is pregnant with his baby, he tries to get with her.


     I welcome all of your musings and insights in the comments section below. Join me next week as I review the fourth episode of Glee season one, and also the fifth, if I have time.

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

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

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