To say that that was rough might be a bit of an understatement, no? It is very tough to find positive things to say about an episode like that. We’ve all had bad days before. Things slowly add up against your favor … from a rainy day when you don’t expect it to, something random like someone stealing your laptop. While I’m not going to compare this week’s episode of Glee to larceny, but I think we can all get behind terms like “bad hair day” and “train wreck” can we not? I mean, for an episode called “Funk” there wasn’t very much of it.
First off, there were things that I liked. There were several musical numbers that rocked. I particularly liked “Loser,” though I felt it would have been much better if it had just been Puck. The symbolism of everyone in the store being a loser in some way or another would have been lost in that case. The final number was a lot of fun, too, specifically from a dance perspective. And while Julia was right (in our live-blog/chat … Wait, you weren’t there?) about the uncomfortable sexuality of Vocal Adrenaline’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” it still was pretty good.
And, well, that was about it. I’m tired of Jesse, and his Range Rovers, and his eggs. The rest of the music didn’t work for me. I love Quinn’s character, and enjoy the hell out of Dianna Agron, but that cover of “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” has to be the poorest song choice since, well, American Idol went off the air. And I won’t even get into the debacle that was “Tell Me Something Good.”
Oh, wait, yes I will. There’s no way in hell that the purpose of the Will-seduces-Sue storyline wasn’t specifically there to freak out (read: disgust) everyone in the country (including those that don’t even watch Glee). If that was, in fact, the goal, then damn if they didn’t knock it out of the park. I mean, those scenes were creepy with a capital ‘C’ and that rhymes with ‘T’ and that stands for terrifying. I don’t ever want to see anything like that again. Or the almost kissing. Definitely not the almost kissing.
Next week, the road to Regionals is finally over, as well as the inaugural season. For a first year show, it’s been a long year (considering the sneak preview last spring, it really has been a year, hasn’t it?). I’m looking forward to next week, obviously, but I think the bigger question is what is going to happen to this show next year? This episode was a bit of an eye-opener, in a negative way. If they do more of this, I doubt the glee will be back when Glee comes back.
Notes & Quotes
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Jun 01, 2010 @ 23:35 EST5EDT
Aw, I dunno, Ivey — isn’t that a bit harsh? Perhaps you didn’t enjoy Matthew Morrison’s butt the way I did, but I thought the seduction song was sexy and funny all at the same time.
Yes, the plotline was wayyyyy out there, but I was saying to Keith last night that the majority of the Gleeks probably don’t understand the show. Yes, it was a bizarre “It’s a Man’s World,” what with the girating pregnant tummies and all, not to mention the over-the-top dancing in the final number.
I really think the whole point of Glee is over-the-top, spoofing, making fun of itself and pushing the envelope in a way that makes you look at some of the other programming out there and realize how close it is to the ridiculousness of the Glee stuff. It’s totally tongue-in-cheek, and while we don’t want to see Will seduce Sue, how many shows that take themselves seriously would do just that? Far too many….
With Glee, you’ve got to enjoy the ride and laugh and remember that at its heart it really is a dark comedy, not a feel-good music show.
*POST AUTHOR*
Deb, I ironically liked the dance during “Man’s World,” in the same kinda weird way I was probably supposed to like the rest of the episode. What I couldn’t stand were the vocals and/or the arrangement in general.
I like the dark comedy aspects of this show. But for whatever reason, I just couldn’t get behind this episode. An opinion shared in the chat room, I might add. It’s rare that there’s any type of consensus in there :)
I’m respectfully disagreeing with you, Ivey. I thought this week’s episode was better than last week’s, which seemed to stumble along in order to push Lady Gaga. We had the return of Sue, a more cohesive Glee unit, and a number of good song selections.
Will’s fake seduction of Sue was one of the funnier moments of the episode while Quinn’s pregnancy dance was, um, unique (though, my wife gave me strange looks). Actually, if you take the theme of this week’s episode and apply it to the music and dance selections it was funky.
*POST AUTHOR*
True… It just didn’t work for me.
I agree with Ivey. I was physically pained by the Will seduces Sue song, I felt embarrassed for him (though I feel that way whenever he tries to be sexy, I’m not sure why, but this was more than normal). It was also much meaner than I think his character normally is, I felt like it was beneath him.
You’re right; Will’s not usually that mean, and it was beneath him, a fac he admits to Sue at the end of the episode, so it was intentional.
‘S funny, but I loved every part of this show (an opinion shared by the rest of my “room” of friends), except for the music.
I am with Debbie on this one. I didn’t even notice Sue in “Tell Me Something Good”, because my own face was super imposed over Sue’s. He’s The Yum.
And while I didn’t enjoy this episode that much, it was nice to get a bit of a break from Rachel. I think this show has been really listening to its’ audience in showcasing the others (no not a Lost reference) recently. They must have gotten the memo.
*POST AUTHOR*
Dunno. I don’t feel the Rachel overload that everyone else does, though I obviously advocate seeing more of the secondary characters (As long as it isn’t singing songs so terribly chosen (cough cough Man’s World cough cough).
But I’m also with Ruby below. Will =/= sexy. Just sayin.
I agree with Tara – I liked getting a break from Rachel. She is my least favorite character, so when she got egged, I didn’t even feel bad for her (anyway, she needs that every now and then to help knock her ego into balance).
Will trying to be sexy – eww. Never works for some reason. I don’t know why. Sure, he’s cute and would make an excellent trophy husband as Sue says, but he’s so … wholesome?… that when he tries to act sexy, it feels out of character. Anyhow, that said, I liked the seducing Sue story line. They had to address her attraction to him at some point.