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.

Return to Downton Abbey

American fans eagerly awaited the series three premiere of Downton Abbey on PBS. We finally got it this past Sunday night with a special, two-hour episode. In the first part, the guests arrive for the highly anticipated wedding of Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) to Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens). Among those attending are Grandma Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine, Steel Magnolias), who would like to help loosen up her stuffy British in-laws, and Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) and her "commoner" husband, Tom Branson (Allen Leech).

Unfortunately, the guests aren't the only thing causing trouble, as Robert (Hugh Bonneville) gets some disturbing news: he has lost virtually all of his money. This means, without a cash infusion, the family could lose Downtown Abbey. Luckily, Matthew has just inherited a large sum. Unluckily, he feels guilty about keeping the cash, given the circumstances of its passing to him so he plans to give it away, an act that Lady Mary not only has trouble fathoming, but also spurs her to consider calling off the nuptials.

Viewers of the series have watched Mary and Matthew go through so many ups and downs that the writers simply could not follow through with another break up! It would have utterly killed the show. Plot reasoning be damned, there is frustration at these last minute complications, and the only good part about them is seeing the concerns pushed aside in the name of love, cementing the couple's union.

The person who manages to save the day here is Tom, surprisingly. I don't care much for Tom's character, who pushes things further than he should. But his spirit adds a dash of acceptable drama to the proceedings, making him an invaluable part of the cast.

When Matthew stands up for Tom during a prank gone wrong, Tom returns the favor by talking Matthew into righting things with Lady Mary. The relationship developing between the two brother-in-laws is fun and satisfying. They may come from different worlds, but they are both sort of outsiders. Dealing with the family gives them something to bond over. It will be interesting to see if Tom begins to change to adapt to the Crawley way of life, as Matthew has, or if living away in Ireland will save him from that.

And so, the wedding takes place, with smiles all around. It's beautiful, of course, but it's odd that it ends so abruptly. PBS pushed together two separate episodes on Sunday night, so there has to be a transition somewhere. But the way it is edited together, cutting off after a mere moment at the alter, feels stilted. Perhaps nothing could be done about such an issue, but it really breaks the flow of the story.

In the second half, Lady Mary and Matthew have no sooner returned from their honeymoon than Mary and the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) begin to hatch a plan to get Martha to give up (more of) her money to save the estate. Like any scheme, it's ill-thought-out, and does not unfold according to plan. In the end, Martha is willing, but doesn't have the liquid assets to acquiesce, though she offers other assistance.

The dinner party that Mary and the Countess plan is a comedy of errors. Part of this involves a servant feud, which I'll get to in a moment, but that's only where some of the blame lies. Neither woman is truly cold-hearted, which is what it takes to pull off master manipulation. They are working towards what they see as a noble purpose, and they go about it through the positive light, rather than by hurting anyone. Which, while sympathetic, even if it it displays their out-of-touch attitudes, sadly fails.

Martha salvages the party as things go awry. She is a wonderful energy to add to the house, even temporarily, bringing a modern (for the 1920s), American sensibility with her, but also a lot of genuine love. She may not approve of the way her daughter, Cora's (Elizabeth McGovern), family lives, but she doesn't judge them too harshly, nor try to tear them down. She only encourages an acceptance of the change that no one can stop. She also does her best to keep things light and fun for everyone around her.

My favorite interaction Martha has, though, is not with the upper crust, but with new footman Alfred (Matt Milne). Martha doesn't look down upon those working at Downton Abbey, and her teasing back and forth, at first not picked up by Alfred, is delightful!

Besides Martha, the Dowager Countess gets all of the best lines in these two hours. Maggie Smith always adds something wonderful to every episode she is in, but she has stepped up her wittiness in the series three premiere, and seems to have slightly increased her screen time. This only benefits the show.

The last story I'll mention among the upper half is Lady Edith's (Laura Carmichael) serious pursuit of Sir Anthony (Robert Bathurst) as a husband. She has flirted with him before, but it's gratifying to see such a serious turn happen for the couple, as they get engaged. Edith is the last of the Crowley sisters to marry, and while her romantic life has had some missteps, she seems well suited to Sir Anthony, besides his obvious drawbacks as a spousal choice. I hope their nuptials go off without a hitch, and they live happily ever after, even if that makes for boring television.

Now, down to the lower class. Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) is still in jail, despite Mrs. Anna Bates' (Joanne Froggatt) efforts to clear his name. I have to be honest, this plot has been dragged out quite enough. Yes, getting absolved of a murder charge isn't something that can easily be done. But the show has spent more than one series dealing with Mr. Bates' first wife and her subsequent death, keeping Anna and her hubbie in misery. It would be great if Anna can find something and put this whole thing behind them.

In Downtown Abbey itself, O'Brien's (Siobhan Finneran) nephew, Alfred is the new guy. One would think that he might be a bit evil, since O'Brien has caused more than her share of trouble, even if she seems to have somewhat turned over a new leaf. But no, this apple falls far from the tree, and Alfred proves to be a kind and amusing addition to the downstairs. Especially as he takes up with Martha's naughty maid (Lucille Sharp).

The issue with Alfred is, he is hired behind Carson's (Jim Carter) back. Then, he jumps from footman to valet too quickly, which makes Thomas's (Rob James-Collier) resentment justifiable, for once. None of this is Alfred's fault, but it's not doing him any favors. Alfred is very likable, but he hasn't yet found his place within the staff. I'm sure it'll sort itself out in time.

As mentioned, Alfred's presence is not tolerated well by Thomas, which sparks his villainous streak once more. This time, though, O'Brien is on the opposite side. After watching them team up to take on good people who don't deserve it, I like the pay off of seeing them battle against each other. I just hope that Alfred doesn't become too damaged in the crossfire.

Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) has a lump in her breast that might be cancerous. When things start to calm down, why does something like this have to come along? I get that it keeps the plot moving forward without having to bring in another character, but if anyone does not deserve breast cancer, it's Mrs. Hughes. The only good thing that comes out of this story so far is when an oblivious Carson tells Mrs. Hughes that he cares about her.

Mrs. Hughes also has support in the form of Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol). At first glance, Mrs. Patmore might not be the person one would like to lean on, given her blunt, outspoken attitude. Yet, her tendency to tell it like it is can be a breath of fresh air, away from all the fronts put up by the others, both upstairs and downstairs. And it gives her something to do that's more meaningful than comic relief, or putting up with the whiny, thoroughly unlikable Daisy (Sophie McShera).

A few more tidbits:

• The scene where the women of the staff welcome Tom home, even while the men take umbridge, is sweet.
• I did not expect to see Ethel (Amy Nuttall) again, and especially not as a prostitute seeking Isobel's (Penelope Wilton) help!
• When Matthew makes Tom his best man, I'm not sure if Robert or the Dowager Countess will have the first heart attack, but they both look awfully close to a cardiac episode!
• I think it's possible that Carson may even more stuffy than the people that he serves.
• It's nice to see Robert and Cora's marriage has been repaired.
• Robert keeping the money issues away from the staff, while issuing an unexplained hiring freeze, makes the two classes seem further apart than they ever have before.
• Finding out that Mrs. Hughes sees the same village doctor as the Crawleys do, even while outside of the estate, makes the two classes seem closer than they ever have before.

The heart of Downton Abbey is clearly the characters, as that is all I have been talking about this entire review. In this, the show continues to do well, using its sprawling cast mostly wisely, and allowing the people to grow, both as themselves, and on the viewers. There is relatability in both major groups, and yet, the show still shows us a world that few living today are used to, and which is fascinating.

Downton Abbey continues Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre.

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Article first posted on TheTVKing