mercfan3

Why does it need to be a shocker album? Why can't he just be finishing it up? Darren's at least as big (if not bigger) of a name than Naya. There would have been reports that he was dropped, I'd think.

There was recent confirmation that he wasn't dropped. Not that he couldn't be in the future. It's not like labels have given artists much of a chance now a days. (Christina Grimmie was recently dropped after the label did nothing for her.) But once again, what all of those rules made clear was that Darren is quite the teeny bopper draw. A built in fanbase that has proven they'll spend money (something Grimmie's hasn't) to support will at least make a label supportive at first. Once again, I'm not sure how successful of a musician he'll actually be (in terms of radio play/sales..). He's very disney/broadway influenced. (Although a few of his reimagining of covers are pretty good. Particularly "Part of Me."), but I just don't see it becoming a big billboard hit. Granted, that might not be what he's looking for anyway.

Darren's already said he's going to be working on his album after Glee, months ago. Professional reviews of Darren on Broadway were mixed, NYT and Billboard loved him. A few other professional reviewers didn't. And some of course said the same thing many say "He's not the most talented, but he's got star power/charisma.."

Quite frankly, opinions on Darren's acting ability vary wildly. There are plenty of people who think he's pretty good. Really. I think Rachel, Quinn and Santana are just as cartoonish as Sue. Mr. Schu, Blaine, Sam and Tina only slightly less so. Kurt and Mercedes aren't cartoonish so much as they are stereotypes. Finn probably wasn't. But Finn was just simply there. The only actors that have ever had really great moments, IMO, were Kurt's father's growth arc early on, and Santana when she broke up with Brittany and during the Quarterback. (To be honest, I would have put my money on Naya for breaking out, if I didn't know what I do about how she's perceived.) And Coach Bestie a few times. There's no Sasha Pieterse in this cast. There's a few people who are extremely overrated in acting ability. The entire cast is essentially somewhere between mediocre to good, and are really only as good as the material given and how they are directed. But Criss...Criss is boy next door good looking. He's well connected and well regarded. He's charming. And he's a good actor and good musician. Amazing? No. But good enough to make you smile and tug at your heartstrings a bit. And he's got a built in fanbase. It's going to be easier for him to get more roles than some of the others, if he wants them..just because his options are more open. It's going to come down to who gets lucky and gets offered the right projects. But I just think, given Darren's other attributes/assets, it's more likely to be him.

See, I think all of the characters on this show are over the top and cartoonish or they are irrelevant. The only exception to that is probably Artie. I think that's the intent of the directors too. I don't think post show success will be about "talent" for these kids. It rarely is. (And some of that is a shame..why Meghan Trainer and Ke$ha get a music career and Lea Michelle doesn't..) My point is Darren has enough talent, and more of the other assets than the others..which would make me bet on him.

Whose to say Darren wasn't asked and didn't want it? And LOL at the placeholder and lack of fans. The guy had a sold out tour with no major impact on radio and no album. Darren being the "stunt casted placement between them" shows a lack of objectivity here. Once again, All Mila had lined up after TSS was voice over work (something Darren does have). To say someone isn't going to be successful post show because they don't have anything lined up immediately after the show, is just silly.

Woah..I didn't expect the Darren thread to be full of vitriol too. I'll admit, I took a hiatus (I was upset at the Naya situation.) from Glee for a while, but recently caught up. Criss was probably my number one reason for it. I guess I'm one of the oddballs that likes both Blaine and Kurt (as well as Darren and Chris). I noticed the vitriol for Darren around the time of his tour. When the "woah your actually straight!" interviews started happening. I think there was some blame unfairly handed to Darren for that, when he so very clearly got sick of that question himself. But I personally noticed an annoyance with Darren from a lot of people at that point. The acting thing is funny to me. Actors are as good as their directors, unless an actor is special. People complain about Darren's OTP acting, but Sue is over the top, Rachel is over the top, Tina is over the top, Sam is over the top, Mr. Schu is....basically the entire cast is over the top. Why? Because the show is over the top. It's a bunch of cheese. Does Darren carry some of the traits that a lot of stage to television actors carry..some..but honestly, that didn't exist in the movie he was in. And he is a very good comedic actor. His character is very rarely given funny material, but he can be funny with it. (His Harry Potter plays and that Big video clip is hilarious.) But really, all of the actors on glee are somewhere between mediocre and good. That's it. The post success after glee is an interesting question too. I think Darren's got the best shot of any of them. For two reasons..his conventional good looks and his charm. The entertainment industry is shallow, and that's what counts. I'm not sure he'd ever be mainstream musically. Although I think he's a very good musician, he's too heavily influenced by broadway and disney to make music that will do well on radio. But if anyone is going to pull an Ashton/Mila from this show, I'd see it being Criss.

I think I'm in the minority, but I'm actually absolutely loving the sixth season. I think Glee is at it's best when it's ridiculous and doesn't take itself seriously. It's very similar to season 1 for me. The Sue as a Klaine shipper is probably one of my favorite things they've done with Sue. And Darren Criss' reaction to jigSue was just too funny. I'm actually looking forward to a Kitty/Rachel friendship. Kitty is like a Santana/Quinn combo, and we all always root for Rachel to be bffs with one of them. Why not have the combo. Bestie is the only thing that bothers me. I know it's a Glee PSA..but with it being out of nowhere and with it being with the show just not taking itself seriously and being ridiculous, it just seems like having a trans man is a bit of a token.

I think the writers through a lot of inside/fans jokes in episodes.

Okay then. As far as I'm concerned, it may or may not have been Holbrook. Don't forget, they filmed 3 different edits of the scene when Toby was A. (Caleb and Paige also filmed it). Just so it couldn't be spoiled. That's not to say Holbrook wasn't their intention (and they planted the "he likes younger girls" seed early on, with his comment about Hanna), but it's not truly established in the story.

They can break up all the couples except Hanna and Caleb. Let me rephrase. Please break up all of the couples besides Hanna and Caleb.

Yea sorry, I meant Holbrook. Wilden is obviously a creep. We didn't actually see him kiss Ali right? We saw Ali kiss a santa, and Holbrook was a santa.

Garrett was also part of the NAT club. I still think that's tied in there. Gut feeling is Wilden is actually not a creep cop. (I mean..creepy in that he was kissing Allison, but that's not any creepier than any of the other guys minus Caleb and Emily's dad.) Oh, speaking of Caleb..there he goes again, being a better boyfriend to one of the other girls than said girl's actual boyfriend/girlfriend. I like new dude...and I think I could like new girl..but I have to give it time.

What's even funnier is that early on, Aria (and Alison) were paralleled with the book Lolita. In the book, the narrator ponders what he'll do when his 14 year old love interest gets too old for him.

So...now that it's going to be appropriate for Aria to date Ezra, and she won't actually miss out on anything, Ezra wants to break up with her. WTF. Are we still just pretending the book thing didn't happen? (Or did taking a bullet for them supposedly cancel out two years of creepy stalker?) Hanna and Caleb are the best. Also, I love Spaleb. The brotp that is forming there is awesome. Spencer..sometimes I love Spencer...and sometimes she annoys me. I think it might be my "don't yell at Hanna reflex" but girl...you tampered with evidence plenty, don't be defending your dick of a boyfriend (share with Hanna!) and don't be yelling at Hanna for protecting her ass too, when a week ago you were playing "let's drag my fingerprints across every piece of evidence the cops haven't found yet. Toby...although it's actually good drama, didn't Toby join the police force to be the inside guy. And now he's all about the letter of the law. Because being a professional is what Rosewood is all about. Also..psych major here..the polygraph thing pisses me off. Alison would not need any help passing it. Those things are unreliable and test stress. She's a good liar so she would pass it without help. Also...so the body was in a storage room in Hanna's name, and now Aria and Spencer have their fingerprints in a place where the bloody clothes and evidence are. Since Caleb corrupted the file, would that mean that really..only Aria and Spencer are in trouble now? And Aria has an alibi..(she was on the phone with Mona at the time of death, so obviously she didn't kill her.) So back to framing Spencer again? And how are they going to try and get Emily? Also, I always think it's funny that Emily and Aria can equate really small things with really big things. Maybe it's noticeable because they also get smaller drama (where Hanna and Spencer are pretty much always big plot driven..) but it's just funny to me.

I agree with that some too. And even her own songs, I mean..how much could she really connect to "Heart of Dixie"? Sure, she told a good story, but it's not like she's had anywhere close to the life experience of that story...and it wasn't a particularly emotional song to pull at her heart strings.. And actually, I think part of why people think Danielle can't emotionally connect is because of an improvement she needs to make improvements in. Carrie remained, doe eyed and stiff for the first few years of her career. But one thing she did that Danielle doesn't do as well is use louds and softs (vocal dynamics) as part of her songs. Danielle doesn't get too soft (I'm not even sure she knows where she should do that..) and her belts aren't nearly as strong as Carrie's. And that ability can really make people feel what you are singing (and feel like you are connected) But once again, that's an area she's improved on tremendously since the show and somewhere she can get better on.

I think the girls always had a protective streak, however. They tell each other information, but not if it will hurt them/put them in danger. (Aria/Fitz..and I remember something with Emily too. ) With the knife, Toby told Caleb and Spencer, because Bff and GF..and because of possible evidence against them. And Caleb and Spencer didn't want to get the other girls involved for Toby's sake and to keep them out of danger.

Sort of. People can be natural performers and have natural stage presence (just like they can be naturally great singers), but they need experience to really grow. And part of that is age. Jacquie Lee had emotion drip out of her when she performed (literally shook at times), but she wasn't in the least bit polished, and that's all about experience. So sure, she's farther along than Danielle, but she still has work to do. And to me, part of that is about age. Because typically (not always) someone who is 26 is going to have more experience than someone who is 16. And for Danielle (like Carrie) it didn't come natural for her, so the fact that she is 16 and had limited experience plays a huge role in how she came off. I absolutely adore Michelle, she's my favorite contestant on The Voice, ever. But I remember thinking it was so unfair to compare her stage presence to Danielle's. We're talking about one person who had been a part of a band for three years (a band that was successful enough to perform at Lollapalooza), went to a music program in college, and was ten years older than a kid who had essentially only performed in her bedroom prior to blind auditions. I think Michelle likely always had more of a natural presence about her than Danielle (there are only so many people who can get on stage with Usher and not be overshadowed..), but to compare the two was just completely unfair. And IMO, there's a huge jump in Danielle's performance ability (and ability to connect to songs) from two years ago. Also, speaking of Kristen, her EP is available. I don't love country and no songs stuck out to me, so I'm not sure if I'll get it. But they seemed like solid songs.

Well, A was obviously at Ezra's party thing. Figure it out idiots. Also, the only other thing I learned from tonight's episode is Holbrook is not involved. The four girls think he is. So he's clearly not. More Caleb/Spencer. I'm getting more and more nervous of where the show is going with him though, he's becoming way too useful for A to allow to stick around. There's something about Caleb and Spencer going behind Toby's back that I really like, too. But then there's the rare part of me that agrees with Toby in a sense..where it's like "OMFG guys..you are out of trouble..stay away from the evidence." I really want to know what A's problem with these girls are.

Danielle's only 17, Carrie in her early twenties had just as much (or little) personality on stage. Danielle's a lot better now than she was on the show. I preferred Amber and Michelle that season, but Danielle was damn good for being so young. I think Shakira or Usher would have done Danielle a little good on The Show though. As Blake isn't really the guy to teach someone how to perform better. (Of course, she wouldn't have won..but there would have been improvement in that area.) But she'll learn over time. Even three or four years after Idol Carrie looked stiff on stage, and people who attended her concerts often said she was pretty boring. But I don't think that's "bot." That's just inexperience. "Bot" was dressing her up like a pageant contestant and making sure to talk about what a sweet all american girl she is. No, Maddie and Tae were never on The Voice. (I do remember that duo. And I remember thinking they were awful.) They are like, the first women (Not named Carrie, Miranda, and Taylor) to get a number one in the past ten years. They are the girls with the song that pokes fun of bro country. I honestly want to give those girls a standing O every time I hear that song. (I mean, come on.."I ain't your tan legged Juliet." How awesome of a line.) I was just pointing out that they are around to counter Raelynn's "Women are decorations for men" mess.

I don't think that's fair to say about Danielle. The show made her out to be a bot and put her in princess dresses (because that's what gets you to win..) And her songs on her album are more generic (that's what happens when you get it out quickly..) But she's definitely got her own, non bot, personality that is evident post show and IMO, she's starting to develop her own sound. She always had a pretty voice though. Her cover series really impressed me. And I'm not here for Raye Lynn beating out anyone. She's a worse singer than Jake Worthington and that "God Made Girls" song is just awful. I'm glad Maddie & Tae are around to counter it. I do agree that Kristen was one of the best country singers on this show. (Her and Amber.) I wish Blake would help her out some, as Shakira isn't really in the position too. Her cover of "I Will Always Love You" is magnificent.

That's what makes me think Paige has something to do with Mona's death. Paige has always wanted to be in a relationship with Emily...to the point where it was almost desperate. And all of a sudden she doesn't want it anymore? Sure.

I've long thought that Jenna was also getting threatening texts from A. Even way back, I remember a scene where Jenna was on her phone then Spencer got an a text. People assumed it was a clue to Jenna being A, but I think she's been threatened too. Plus, someone has been trying to kill her for a while. In fact, I think whatever the A mystery is, is revolved around NAT, but A has been picking off NAT for a while now. So I don't know that, they were working with A, but rather that A gave them options. (To frame the liars). And they took it.

Maybe..because apparently EVERYONE thinks it's creepy. (seriously...the entire cast and producers have all called the Ezra/Aria relationship creepy) They are going to keep poking holes in that ship until it sinks. Not only did they make it creepy because of the age difference, and student/teacher concept. But then they made him a creepy stalker predator. And it's even realistic that Aria would keep coming back to him. Girls in those types of situations would. (Also, the fans...) I'll still hold out for him being Big A.

Wow, both of the colleges I attended allowed for the children of all workers to go for free. (I went to one public and one private). I thought it was standard. I think someone is keeping Aria out of college. I don't know if it's A or Ezra, but it's someone. We've been told, almost as much as being told Spencer is intelligent, that Aria is an excellent writer, and that she gets excellent grades. She's got volunteer work as well as extra curriculars. Plus she's gotten in less trouble that the other three. Hell, Emily struggled with grades and she's not having a problem? We never heard anything about a poor SAT score either. It's just Aria's turn. And honestly, I think she happened to either beat out A because she emailed that letter without A being able to stop it, and Jackie saw it. Or..A wanted to push her into doing something like that. (I still say it's not stupid, and using him to get into college is the least Ezra could do.) Or Ezra is just being a controlling dick again. Or he's big A, and used the book as an excuse the last time he got caught. Although, I'm with the conspirators over Paige killing Mona. Also, I have to stick up for Caleb here. He didn't think he was going into the kiln alone. He thought Spencer was right there..but she decided to wonder off. Still..more Spencer/Caleb scenes, show. Please.