The TV Chick

Last night’s episode of Glee was the big New York finale. For McKinley High, Nationals was the chance to prove to everyone and to themselves that they were that good. To be honest, going into the finale, I thought New Directions would win (or place very high). But it was about so much more than that. For Rachel, New York was about choosing her dream over love. For Schue, it was about finding himself and choosing between his dream and the Glee kids he adores so much. For Santana and Brittany, it was about friendship. For Quinn, it was about accepting herself for who she is. And for Finn, it was all about love. As Brittany so aptly explained in this episode, Glee is about family and not about winning. A twelfth place trophy might not be first place but for the Glee kids, their dreams still came true.

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Last night’s episode of Glee titled “Prom Queen” was a touching episode. It’s main focus was on bullying, and coming to terms with your sexuality. Heavy stuff for a show about a Show Choir, but we’ve seen this before with Glee (a lot) and I usually eat up the emotional episodes. Last night’s wasn’t as hard hitting as some have been (hard to believe I know), but to me, the one thing missing was amazing music. There were some great numbers, don’t get me wrong. But most songs were New Directions performing at Prom and I think they could have gone more top 40 with it. All that said, there were some amazing moments in this episode, and I think Chris Colfer probably earned his Emmy nomination again. There was also an amazing scene between Rachel and Quinn that perhaps will develop into something interesting.

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For the most part, everything I’m hearing about last night’s Glee echoes my own sentiments. I can sum it up in one word: Wow. I realize I have never-ending love for Glee, but if you read my review from last week, you would know that from time to time, I’m not super crazy about an episode. However, “Dream On” completely blew me away. The episode, directed by Joss Whedon, starts with Mr. Schue meeting Brian Ryan (the unstoppable, super talented Neil Patrick Harris). They have been rivals since high school and Brian has basically come back to make Schue’s life a living hell (and shut down the Glee Club but what else is new?) One of the best moments was when Brian is shown participating in a show choir support meeting. Brian decides to ruin the Glee kids dreams by telling them they will never achieve them. What a way to deflate hope, NPH! You redeem yourself later though.

The episode centers around the concept of dreams: Artie dreams that one day he’ll be able to dance, Rachel dreams about meeting her mom and Brian Ryan dreams about being a star again. Tina and Artie have their first of many heart to hearts at the beginning of the episode. She found out Artie’s dream, and he thinks it’s stupid and he’ll never become a dancer. Tina asks Artie to do a project with him (since Schue didn’t assign one) and asks him to dance with her. Tina and Artie rehearse and he gets up on crutches but then falls over and yells at Tina to go away. This scene has gotten a variety of different critiques. Personally, I don’t think the purpose of this scene was to pity Artie. He is a strong character with strong viewpoints who has a great personality. It was a sad moment, but it did show us that Artie had pride in himself and hopes and dreams like the rest of us.

Rachel’s dreams are quite obvious (to be a Broadway star), but she confides in Jesse (Jonathan Groff, so so happy you are back!!) that the thing that is missing in her life is her mom. Jesse wants to help her find her mom, and seems extremely overzealous about this. Rachel thinks her mom is Patti Lupone. She researches her and does the math and it was quite hilarious. Jesse asks why she’s so afraid of finding out the truth. They are going to investigate in her basement, at Jesse’s suggestion. We find out why he is so into this later in the episode.

But back to our favorite high school rivals, Schue and Brian Ryan. We find out that Terri Delmonaco was the one that got away from Ryan, and thus finally finding out Terri’s maiden name! I know she’s back soon, and I am so excited to see what happens. Schue explains to Brian that music gave him the strength to get out of a terrible marriage. Brian admits to being miserable since he stopped performing. He sneaks to NY to see Broadway shows. They sing “Piano Man” which was fantastic. This was one of their two duets on the show and both were amazing. Schue convinces Brian to try out for a local production of Les Mis. It is at the audition where they sing “Dream On.” Can I just stop for a second and praise Neil Patrick Harris. Not only is the guy a brilliant actor, comedian, magician and overall awesome guy, but he can sing his heart out. “Dream On” probably ranks in my top 5 musical performances of the entire season, and that’s saying a lot.

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Last night’s episode of Glee titled “Bad Reputation is the first that I wasn’t able to watch in advance. And in all honesty, I’m glad I didn’t, because it was one of my favorite episodes of the whole season (not just the back 9). There were many complaints circulating around about the first 3 episodes of the back 9 and their lack of storyline combined with too many songs. This episode went a completely different direction and I’m so glad it did. For the record, I adored the first 3 episodes but more because Glee was back and because the Madonna episode was epic than anything else.

Bad Reputation centered around the Glee Club getting a bad reputation from a “Glist” or list ranking Glee Club members based on a hotness quotient (sexual promiscuity). Quinn was number one on the list and Rachel was at the bottom. The list was distributed to the entire school. Also, Kurt found a video of Sue dancing around to Let’s Get Physical and he (along with some fellow Glee Club members) decides to release it on YouTube.

Mr. Schuester sings (and dances to) Ice Ice Baby (a song with a bad reputation) along with the rest of the Glee Club. This dance number was awesome. It featured Matthew Morrison, Heather Morris and Harry Shum Jr. primarily but the whole Glee club joined in. Who knew Jonathan Groff was also a really talented dancer? He never ceases to amaze me. In this episode, Sue also meets her match. Molly Shannon is Brenda Castle, a new sassy teacher who laughs profusely at Sue and the video. I believe Sue uttered the words “I’ll punch you square in the taco.” Any episode that features Sue (and the ridiculously talented Jane Lynch) is great in my book. Personally, I would have liked another Sue C’s It but her diary writing more than suffices. Later in the episode, Sue shares a bunch of heartwarming scenes with her sister. I am so thrilled they brought her sister back. She really brings a human element to Sue, but in addition, she is very funny and sweet. Her storyline is not meant for viewers to pity Sue or her sister. They are incredibly close, no matter what disabilities her sister may have.

Kurt, Artie, and Mercedes are not on the Glist, so Kurt devises a plan to not be ignored. Brittany wants to be in the top 3 (she was number 4) and is in on the plan, despite taking all her antibiotics at once and not knowing where she was. (Brittany’s comedic genius continues to shine in this episode) Kurt’s plan involves making a big ruckus in the library. They sing and dance to You Can’t Touch This, which was all sorts of awesome.

Continuing on with the Sue goodness, Sue goes to Emma and tells her she is her new therapist. She spills the beans about Will making out with Shelby and sleeping with April (she knew this because of strategically placed baby monitors). Sue also tells Emma she sucks, and that she needs to stand up for herself and communicate her feelings to Will (in a public setting). First of all, I love Emma and was glad to see her back. And while this scene may have been quite over the top, it was hilarious and completely true to Sue. And I actually agree with her! Emma does need to grow a pair, so to speak, because Will has really been sleeping around. Even if “sleeping around” just means making out and singing duets. Emma decides to confront Will and yells at him in the faculty lounge. She even calls him a slut (LOVE IT) and tells him that she is through with him (don’t love it as much). Later, Will brings Emma flowers, he apologizes but she can’t get over it. However, she basically says that she hasn’t given up hope of a relationship. Both of them clearly need to work out their issues before giving us another perfect “happy ending” kiss scene like in the mid-season finale. I look forward to when they do so! And if they want to throw a little Terri drama in the mix, I am all for it. Meanwhile, Schue tries to get to the bottom of the Glist but no one will confess.

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Happy Glee day! Tonight’s episode titled The Power of Madonna, which I reviewed here, tackles the music of a legend. It is truly epic, and pays homage to a deserving artist. But really, I’m just happy Glee is back on my TV. What started as a little show with some big talent has had incredible success. In the back 9, there are new love interests, new couples and tons of new music. I recently had the chance to chat with the wonderful and extremely talented Jonathan Groff, a Broadway star who is now the new resident heartthrob. We talked about what it has been like working with his best friend again (Lea Michele), what goes into making an episode of Glee and the differences between stage and screen.

How did you get the part of Jesse St. James?
Well I actually about two years ago did a television pilot called Pretty/Handsome for FX with Ryan Murphy, that Ryan Murphy created and directed that never got picked up. And so I met him — I was doing Spring Awakening on Broadway at the time — and I left the show to do the pilot and I met Ryan and worked with Ryan, and then a year and a half later, he created this television show called Glee. He had known my work from Spring Awakening and also from working with him, and he said if the show does well and we get picked up for more episodes, I’ll create a character for you. And then he created Jesse St. James.

So you didn’t have to audition at all?
It was just written for me, so I didn’t have to audition or anything.

You come from a Broadway background. How has it been making the transition to television?
It’s been really interesting. It’s a totally different thing and I’ve sort of been comparing it to long distance running maybe as opposed to short distance running because in the theater you’re doing eight shows a week, and you have to pace yourself in order to be able to fit them all in. So you have to know when to push and pull back and when to conserve your energy and when to give it and all of that. And in television, you do a scene once with no rehearsal, and you had a day or half of a day to do your work on it, so it’s very intense, it’s fast, it’s high focused, and it’s acting. It’s sort of the same thing, but the mediums are so different that you have to adjust the way that you work. It’s been a real education.

And do you find that you have a preference: Broadway vs. a television show?
For me, acting is acting. As long as the part is good and the director’s good and the cast is great, it’s sort of fun to do that in whatever medium as long as you really love what you’re working on. I loved working in the theater and the projects that I’ve gotten the chance to work on, and I’ve really, truly loved working on this show and getting to spending time with the people and the material there. So I don’t think I do have a preference.

Well, that’s a good thing.
Yeah, yeah. (laughs)

And you and Lea Michele are best friends. I actually saw both of you perform at Feinsteins in the winter.
Oh really??

Yeah, I loved it!
Oh cool! We had so much fun at that concert. That was so fun.

Yeah, it was sort of like both of you unplugged. I loved it.
Aw, awesome.

So, what has it been like to work with her again?
Words can’t properly describe it. It’s been a blast. You get to sing and dance with your best friend. And not only do you get to work with your best friend, with sort of all the fun and good times and ease that that involves, but I also get to work with a peer who is an artist that I completely respect and admire. When you are an actor, or a musician or an athlete or whatever, you want to be challenged and work with people that push you and that inspire you, and Lea happens to be one of those artists for me that I have always really admired and really been inspired by and I’ve always been sort of made better by. And so it’s sort of two fold, because I love her so much as an actress and a singer and a performer, and then I also love her so much as a human being and as a person, so it’s been really incredible to get to work with her again. And we have that history together, so there’s an ease in our working relationship that comes with years of knowing each other and know each other’s work.

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“You don’t deserve the power of Madonna,” are several words uttered by Sue Sylvester (who else?) to a fellow faculty member (it might surprise you which one) that epitomize the brilliance of this episode. Throughout my life, I have watched an incredible amount of TV. However, I can safely say I have not seen anything like the Power of Madonna episode of Glee. It is probably the most epic hour of television ever made from beginning to end. Every little detail you see on screen is perfection.

The whole foundation of the episode is Sue’s love of Madonna. She blackmails Figgins to blast Madonna’s music over the PA system all day. She of course still wants to take down the Glee club and won’t stop at anything. Remember those details I was talking about? Look in the background to see people walking the hallway dressed as Madonna at different points in her career.

Throughout the episode, we learn that the guys are not treating the girls very well. Mr. Schuester tries to fix this and encourage them to treat the girls with respect. This leads to a heartwarming rendition of “What It Feels Like For A Girl.” At the same time, Emma decides to step up and take control (by channeling her inner Madonna) and she decides she wants to ramp things up with Will.

Mercedes and Kurt decide to tackle Madonna in a multimedia project. They approach Sue and learn the deal behind that haircut (it’s actually touching in a weird messed up way but I don’t want to spoil). This leads to the amazing Vogue video, which by now you have all seen. Besides the fact that it proved that Jane Lynch can do anything and hit it completely out of the park, it also proves the same thing for the creative team of Glee. The video was absolutely breathtaking and almost an exact replica of the original video. The aforementioned Glee kids also decide they want more of a starring role and join the Cheerios. (I know this isn’t a huge spoiler since there are pictures and promos everywhere).

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How did you like Glee’s triumphant return? I know I loved it (even if the Madonna episode is leagues above), and the ratings agree with me. The Gleeks are truly a strong contingent, as Glee broke records with 13.6 million viewers. This show deserves so much success so I’m ecstatic it did so well. I hope the momentum continues to build through the back 9 episodes.

I wanted to share with you my favorite videos/songs from last night, as well as Sue Sylvester’s Vogue rendition. I will say I was a little surprised they released the video before it airs in the episode because the Madonna episode is so amazing and the context of the video is equally so. However, no one should be without the magic of Vogue, so I wanted to share it anyway.

Sue Sylvester does Vogue:

Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele sing Lionel Richie’s “Hello”

Glee cast sings “Hello, Goodbye”

The day has finally arrived! Glee is returning to TV and all is right on my DVR again. The first 13 episodes have brought an incredible amount of success from a SAG award to a Golden Globe to accolades for the show’s fashion. It is rare for a show with only 13 episodes to garner so much recognition so quickly. It has also built up one of the most devoted fan bases in the world. I am so filled with glee (yeah I said it) at the fact that people have fallen in love with this show. Back in May, when it was just a little pilot that could, I realized that there was something very special about it. And Ryan Murphy and his creative team have kept the momentum going since then. There is not a single episode of the entire show that I haven’t adored. Some I like more than others, which is only natural, but any show that is able to bring tears to my eyes simply from a song is at the top of my list.

Hell-O is the triumphant return we have all been waiting for. By now, you have probably read multiple recaps and reviews because it was screened at the Paley Center a couple of months ago. But I want to give you some highlights and tidbits that maybe you haven’t read, without of course spoiling the episode in any major way. When we last left our Glee kids, they had just won sectionals. The episode ended with one of the most amazing song and dance numbers (My Life Would Suck Without You) and Will and Emma finally kissing after weeks and weeks of waiting.

The episode picks up with that scene we’ve all seen in the promos: Kurt, Rachel and Mercedes walking down the hallway thinking they are going to rule the school and then getting slusheed in the face. As much as I don’t like to see anyone get slusheed in the face, this kept their characters grounded. Of course Glee won’t make them popular, why would it? We then learn a lot about Finn’s angst — he is now dating Rachel and she’s a little too, well, Rachel for him (as if you couldn’t tell from the Team Finn shirt she was wearing in the promos). But he’s clearly still very unsure of himself. Now onto another couple — Will and Emma, who really do care for each other but there are obstacles getting in the way. Some obstacles might have names, others take the form of crazy quirks. For those Wemma fans out there, the happy ending doesn’t come so immediately. And then there’s Jesse St. James (played by the lovely looking and super talented Jonathan Groff), the lead of Vocal Adrenaline (New Directions’ competition) who woos Rachel, which doesn’t please the Glee club in the least.

The theme of the episode is obviously Hello. Mr. Schuester gives the Glee Club the assignment to come up with a song with hello in the title. Finn chooses The Doors “Hello, I Love You,” Rachel and Jesse St. James sing a duet of Lionel Richie’s “Hello” upon their meeting (only they would break out into glorious song in the middle of a library), the Glee club sings “Hello, Goodbye” by the Beatles and Rachel sings one of the best musical numbers I think I have ever heard her do–and it’s not a Broadway show-stopper. It is “Gives You Hell” by the All American Rejects. I love this move into new genres of song — especially ones that challenge their Broadway belter to get out of her comfort zone. I have frequently said that I would listen to Lea Michele sing the phone book, and she turns this alternative song that I never really liked into one I will most likely listen to on repeat on my iPod. Well done, Glee!

There is also an amazing showdown between Emma and Terri. The best part about it is that it’s not any sort of yelling or screaming match but more of a subtle takedown where Terri gets into Emma’s head and makes her doubt herself. Ryan Murphy’s brilliance shines here yet again. Even if you hate Terri (which really, you shouldn’t), she still shares this history with Will that we barely know anything about. She is still a part of him even if they aren’t together anymore. From speaking with Jessalyn, I know this storyline/love triangle is really going to heat up and I think they are setting it up for greatness.

The episode ends with “Hello, Goodbye” which is relevant to all the Glee clubbers lives in different ways. And I have gone this entire time without talking about Santana and Brittany. Brittany has definitely become one of my favorite comedic voices on the show, with witty one liners and the ability to play stupid in a very smart way. She and Santana are both out to get Finn (under the master plan of Sue Sylvester), and it is quite hilarious. The best Brittany one liner of the episode is: “You know that dolphins are just gay sharks.” I think I may have made a lot of people turn around and look at me when I laughed so hard. I am really glad that Brittany is getting more face time (and more time for one liners) because she is so hilarious and adds such a great element to the show.

Hell-O is definitely a wonderful way to kick off the season. I have very high hopes for Groff’s character, and I enjoy Idina Menzel as well (she guest stars in this episode as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline). There is comedy, show stopping numbers and the Glee Club drama that we have all come to know and love. However, the 2nd episode (Power of Madonna) is epic. It is probably the best, most innovative 45 minutes of television I have ever seen. So if you are happy that Glee is returning (seriously who isn’t??), your mind will be blown next week.

Glee is back tonight at a special time of 9:28 pm on FOX.

And here are a couple of video previews to tide you over:

Rachel sings “Give You Hell:”

Will and Emma moment: