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S06.E01: Loser Like Me / S06.E02: Homecoming


Cranberry

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What I really disliked is that Rachel keeps saying she is such BFFs with Kurt and Blaine yet she didn't know they broke up months ago because she was in hiding for months. I get not wanting to go out in public after the show bombed, but to completely ignore your friends for that long without a text, an email, a phone call, or a peek at their Facebook walls to see what is going on with them? There's licking your wounds and then there's being a totally self-absorbed baby.

 

The thing I do buy is the alumni wanting to help get the glee club going again. Even though I agree that it would be nice to see them move on and quit talking about how being in glee changed their lives (when see very little evidence of that), I find it realistic that if someone told me that my choir had been completely eliminated and then had a chance to re-establish itself, I would feel obligated to do something to help even though I graduated more than two years ago and I don't even live in the same city anymore. I'm not saying I would quit my job, get on a plane, and move back but if I were already in town for something else (I would never make a special trip just to attend homecoming but if I were visiting my parents at some time during the school year) then I would be willing to stop by and try to help. I never had any illusions about becoming a professional singer but I loved my time in choir and would like other students to have that opportunity.

 

Ha, I do agree that 16 year old high school students would not find it that appealing to be swarmed by a bunch of old people who they have never met before though. When I was in high school, we always welcomed back any alumni who came back to visit (but note that mostly happened at the end of semester concerts because they were home from college - they weren't just randomly flying back from all over the country to attend the musical) but it was always people we knew who had been in choir with us so at most they were 2-3 years older than us, which is how old the original glee kids are supposed to be.

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Ha, I do agree that 16 year old high school students would not find it that appealing to be swarmed by a bunch of old people who they have never met before though. When I was in high school, we always welcomed back any alumni who came back to visit (but note that mostly happened at the end of semester concerts because they were home from college - they weren't just randomly flying back from all over the country to attend the musical) but it was always people we knew who had been in choir with us so at most they were 2-3 years older than us, which is how old the original glee kids are supposed to be.

This is why they should have had the old newbies back. (Yeah I'm not done banging that drum). Having the original glee club team up with existing seniors would look quite as weird. The cheerleaders get bit might've look less pathetic with Kitty joining in. Jake or Ryder approaching Spencer (that's the jock's name, right?) might've looked better. Same with Marley approaching Roderick.

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This is why they should have had the old newbies back. (Yeah I'm not done banging that drum). Having the original glee club team up with existing seniors would look quite as weird. The cheerleaders get bit might've look less pathetic with Kitty joining in. Jake or Ryder approaching Spencer (that's the jock's name, right?) might've looked better. Same with Marley approaching Roderick.

In theory I agree. In practice, the Marley triangle was bo-ring, she was boring me silly until the scene in City of Angels with Mercedes (granted, I may have missed stuff with her because I forwarded both mentally and for real) and Ryder overstayed his welcome. The only interesting character was Unique (even Alex improved in his latest episodes), also I got more interested in Jake when he had the story with Puck, and when was very blaze about the split with Marley (and how do you let go of the best dancer among the current group?), not when he was in the triangle or Marley's boyfriend. Kitty I can take because of the cheerleaders, or leave. The new newbies for the most part seem more interesting right off the bat, and adding Unique and Jake, it would be a plausible start, including for the recruitment. 

Edited by fakeempress
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It is messed up, but seriously, Rachel is a really self-absorbed person. It's why I found her so annoying in the first hour last week and why everyone's "aw, buck up champ" attitude just as much. And no, I get that she failed and she was beating herself up enough- I mean, was she? From what I saw, she was just hiding out- but seriously one of her friends needed to say to her, "Yes. You did screw up and the show was bad, really bad but now you have to live your life and take off your stupid beach hat and rejoin the world and answer your cell phone".. because all I saw was her pity party in a big hat. But hey, whatever. 

 

Can't disagree with this at all. As I said previously, it sucks for Rachel that she's in this position but she's got absolutely no one to blame but herself. No one held a gun to her head and made her quit Funny Girl and dragged her kicking and screaming to LA. I think that the show spent at lot of time in season five showing how her ambition was getting the better of her and that she was making stupid choices and tuning out the advice of anyone who was disagreeing with her. Fans of hers may think that this is out of order for her character but I think it would be hard to state that that she doesn't have a long history of making poorly considered and impulsive decisions or that her ego wasn't running away with her once she got cast in Funny Girl.

 

And sure... wanting to cheer up someone who so totally trashed their own career is natural, but I'm really shocked that no one who sat there watching That's So Rachel with her didn't turn to her and say, "You left Funny Girl for this? Were you high?"

Edited by Hana Chan
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The thing that was so awful about the whole Funny Girl debacle of a storyline--aside from everything--was that it happened in such a vacuum.  There were no angel/devil castmates on Rachel's shoulder warning her to keep her head about her or egging her on to embrace the fame (and clear out the role so one of them could take it).  There was no wise old broad (why not use Shirley MacClaine for THAT role) giving her sage advice about navigating the universe.  All we saw was Rachel flitting about making stupid career decisions without an adviser anywhere to be seen, except to as a roadblock to our precious girl's well deserved fame and fortune.  And for what?  So Rachel could end up in Lima, OH for the last paltry few episodes of the show?  A place that clearly didn't teach her absolutely anything useful about anything for her to have failed so spectacularly.

 

RM is such an emperor with no clothes.  Glee imploded.  It didn't gradually fade away as viewers' attention was pulled to something shinier and more interesting; it didn't wilt because RM turned his focus onto other shows (because, let's face it, Glee has been one impulsive flash-in-the-pan scene after another since Season 3).  It blew up due to lack of a long view, lack of discipline, and what had to be simpering applause for every whim RM belched forth.

 

I think 95% of the phenomenon that Glee (briefly) was can be attributed to the casting--the way they looked, the singing, the dancing (well choreographed even if most of them weren't graduates of Joffrey or anything).  I think a lot of the actors recognized as "better" may not actually be more talented, I think they just recognized early that if they didn't control the consistency of their character they'd look like an idiot, so they made more concrete choices that couldn't be easily undone one scene to the next.  And, with absolutely no concrete evidence whatsoever to back up my impression, I think those are the actors that one by one fell out of favor with RM.

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The thing that was so awful about the whole Funny Girl debacle of a storyline--aside from everything--was that it happened in such a vacuum.  There were no angel/devil castmates on Rachel's shoulder warning her to keep her head about her or egging her on to embrace the fame (and clear out the role so one of them could take it).  There was no wise old broad (why not use Shirley MacClaine for THAT role) giving her sage advice about navigating the universe.  All we saw was Rachel flitting about making stupid career decisions without an adviser anywhere to be seen, except to as a roadblock to our precious girl's well deserved fame and fortune.  And for what?  So Rachel could end up in Lima, OH for the last paltry few episodes of the show?  A place that clearly didn't teach her absolutely anything useful about anything for her to have failed so spectacularly.

 

 

But that's not how it was happening. Rachel was getting advice left and right that she was making bad choices. Ms. Tibideaux was telling her that she was rushing into a professional career that she wasn't prepared to handle and was more focused on the spotlight than her responsibilities as an actor. Kurt was trying to keep Rachel from making rash decisions and ended up getting ripped apart by her for his efforts. Even when he saw that she was set on doing something, he kept asking if this was what she really wanted (as if trying to get her to reconsider without telling her outright that she was making a mistake). Even her producer at Funny Girl was warning her what would happen if she screwed around on the show (after pampering her as their little starlet). Rachel was getting a ton of advice and warnings that she was making huge mistakes and she was just tuning them out because it wasn't want she wanted to hear.

 

I get that her fans hate that this is what her storyline has come to and to a degree they are right that some of this was done with the intention of bringing her back to Lima. But that doesn't change the fact that it did happen, it didn't happen in a vacuum and it didn't happen without a lot of support in the storyline. It's very much in Rachel's character, going all the pilot that she tended not to listen to people who weren't agreeing with her. So for it to finally catch up to her in a way that she can't just escape? Totally supported in canon.

Edited by Hana Chan
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In theory I agree. In practice, the Marley triangle was bo-ring, she was boring me silly until the scene in City of Angels with Mercedes (granted, I may have missed stuff with her because I forwarded both mentally and for real) and Ryder overstayed his welcome. The only interesting character was Unique (even Alex improved in his latest episodes), also I got more interested in Jake when he had the story with Puck, and when was very blaze about the split with Marley (and how do you let go of the best dancer among the current group?), not when he was in the triangle or Marley's boyfriend. Kitty I can take because of the cheerleaders, or leave. The new newbies for the most part seem more interesting right off the bat, and adding Unique and Jake, it would be a plausible start, including for the recruitment.

Marley in particular was weighed down with bad writing. But as a smaller part of a larger ensemble cast she'd be fine, as would Ryder.

The dancing was noticeably poorer in these episodes especially with Becca not doing anything and Heather not at her best. The newbies are awful to a man and woman on that score. There certainly ain't any of them who could turn down Julliard.

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Maybe Will could call her out in a later episode.

 

Unfortunately it'll probably be during a fight over competing for sectionals or regionals or whatever and they'll all say sorry later and the actual valid criticism of Rachel never listening to anyone unless it serves her own ego will be overlooked for the millionth time.

 

Yes Rachel is talented but she reminds me of the 'poor girl' from Make it or Break it who was talented and ignored every rule because she had to do it her way instead of actually asking for support from her friends and the support network in place. So she ended up pregnant and washed out of the program even though she was the one most 'talented'.

 

I want to see Rachel stay crashed and burned because it doesn't feel like she's ever really worked that hard for stuff. She fails and she gets rewarded with unwarranted second chances because plot... and she never ever learns anything. I mean yes she learns a lesson about teamwork and not letting her ego get the best of her for 3 seconds and there she is trying to dominate everything like in the Glee Club.

 

Speaking of ? Wouldn't they need an actual teacher to sit in on the new Glee Club since none of them have a college degree or presumably has been cleared to work with children in a professional capacity? That and considering their lack of boundaries and self control I wouldn't want them around my kid (My theoretical one ).

 

Puck hooked up with a teacher and is presumably deserting his post to hang out with his reject high school friends.

 

 What happened to Unique and Guitar guy ?

Edited by wayne67
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I'm curious where all the failures form last season have gone. Did Sue really have them all transfared... somehow? Well I'll go with it, because as long as I don't have to see them (especially Marley), that's a win.

I was really hoping that "Let it go" would be a duet between Rachel and Kurt, when Rachel started singing it. How it actually turned out, was just too similar to Menzel's performance of it.

Their take on "Take on me" was pretty cool. Especially how Sue drew herself into the frame. There seems to be still some creativity left in those writers.

White Precious still has to learn that Sue Sylvester only gives people she secretly likes insulting nicknames. But he seems to have a really good voice. I'd just really like to hear it without all that auto tune...

From the one line the football player sang I have to say, he doesn't seem very good. Actually early-Finn-bad. So should he join, Sue doesn't even have to bribe him, to bring the club down with bad singing.

Two good episodes, overall.

Edited by Miles
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I just can't get over how they had Rachel "learn" absolutely nothing from her previous HS experience to help her cope on Broadway.  So she goes back to HS to relearn her lessons like a musical Ground Hog day but with diminishing returns each time.

 

That would work if the show still tried for black comedy, (and Lea would so frigging milk it for every comic ounce)  instead they want to push it as pathos and tragic for the character.

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I want to see Rachel stay crashed and burned because it doesn't feel like she's ever really worked that hard for stuff. She fails and she gets rewarded with unwarranted second chances because plot... and she never ever learns anything.

 

 

Oh she certainly learns stuff and has been demonstrated to work hard, but nothing ever has any real payoff on this show. Glee is basically a live action cartoon and nothing sticks in for any of the characters from episode to episode.  It's why Kurt suddenly forgets Blaine cheated on him.  Rachel goes from Broadway bound and obsessed with performing to being bored of Funny Girl after a month.  Blaine doesn't care that Karofsky assaulted his ex-fiance at one point.  Sue goes from supporting glee club and education to bullying kids to transfer out.  There is no continuity anywhere, except the sets I guess.

 

BTW, the same token of Rachel seemingly keeping herself in isolation and being self-absorbed is that apparently neither Blaine/Kurt kept her in the loop either.  They were both going through traumatic things and apparently neither party picked up the phone. For BFFs, nobody seems to talk to each other until it's convenient for a plot reveal =P

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BTW, the same token of Rachel seemingly keeping herself in isolation and being self-absorbed is that apparently neither Blaine/Kurt kept her in the loop either.  They were both going through traumatic things and apparently neither party picked up the phone. For BFFs, nobody seems to talk to each other until it's convenient for a plot reveal =P

 

 

It seems as if they are the only young people in the universe that disconnect from all social media and even cell phones.  Did they all got to a monastery in Catalana with no phone reception?    For a show that purposes to be cutting edge how kids react, this is one of the biggest fails in that when it's convenient nobody on this show communicates for fucking months.  I don't know any kid who can stay off his phone, twitter, instagram, social media crap and yet now the Glee kids who are suppose to be so savvy and show biz smart  are back in the 50's when you could stay incommunicado.

 

What happened to all the kids in NY who couldn't stay off their phones for five seconds and were constantly texting, tweeting and calling each other?  I think there was even a dinner scene where some are so immersed in their phones that Kurt gets annoyed.

Edited by caracas1914
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I just can't get over how they had Rachel "learn" absolutely nothing from her previous HS experience to help her cope on Broadway.  So she goes back to HS to relearn her lessons like a musical Ground Hog day but with diminishing returns each time.

 

That would work if the show still tried for black comedy, (and Lea would so frigging milk it for every comic ounce)  instead they want to push it as pathos and tragic for the character.

Rachel learned that even when she fails to do it herself, someone else will invariably pull all the stops for her sake. Repeat audition for NYADA, Prom Queen crown, Funny Girl audition, cover her ass to her FG producer, etc. She's now

following this lesson as choir director, asking Will to go out on a limb for her choir and not his own

 

Uh forgot about the spoiler tags. 

Edited by fakeempress
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It seems as if they are the only young people in the universe that disconnect from all social media and even cell phones.  Did they all got to a monastery in Catalana with no phone reception??    For a show that purposes to be cutting edge how kids reacts, this is one of the biggest fails in that when it's convenient nobody on this show communicates for fucking months.  I don't know any kid who can stay off his phone, twitter, instagram, social media crap and yet now the Glee kids who are suppose to be so savvy and show biz smart  are back in the 50's when you could stay incommunicado.

 

 

It's just set up as lazy exposition.  I mean Rachel didn't know what happened to Blaine and Kurt so that they could flashback to their breakup during Blaine and Rachel's conversation.  It all just boils down to the lazy terrible writing.

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It all just boils down to the lazy terrible writing.

 

That is why an anthology series like American Horror Story sort of works for them.  The horrible writing is camouflaged because  (a) it's a reboot every year so who cares if it doesn't make any sense at the end and (b) there are no rules in their definition of "horror" but to   © make the characters do deliberately WTF actions for shock effect.

Edited by caracas1914
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Oh she certainly learns stuff and has been demonstrated to work hard, but nothing ever has any real payoff on this show. Glee is basically a live action cartoon and nothing sticks in for any of the characters from episode to episode.

That really isn't fair to cartoons. Cartoons nowadays have the best continuity there is on TV. Go watch some Adventure Time or Gravity Falls, you'll see. :)
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That really isn't fair to cartoons. Cartoons nowadays have the best continuity there is on TV. Go watch some Adventure Time or Gravity Falls, you'll see. :)

 

Venture Bros and Archer both have continuity and running gags that only work if you pay attention for the run.

 

Glee doesn't really have that except if you're still trying to keep track of how many of these people dated/screwed/screwed over their 'friends' during the course of their time together and even that is mostly pointless because the majority of the time these people don't act like people with actual typical reactions to those 'betrayals'.

 

I did find it funny that Kurt was left in the cold and the rain by his 'supposed friends' because they're all too self involved to show up. Then again he's an idiot for not just calling them a week before and reminding them of their 'pact'. These people are shallow self involved idiots which was fine when they were 15/16 but now that they're supposed to be 19/20 just comes across as them being stuck in toddler stage expecting the world to bend to their every whim and tantrum.

 

How old is Puck and Quinn's daughter now ? Shouldn't one or both of them be stuck at home looking after her ? I don't remember them having much in the way of extended family to look after an unplanned child. Maybe that's where Puck 2.0 disappeared to, stuck looking after his neice/cousin?

Edited by wayne67
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How old is Puck and Quinn's daughter now ? Shouldn't one or both of them be stuck at home looking after her ? I don't remember them having much in the way of extended family to look after an unwanted child. Maybe that's where Puck 2.0 disappeared to, stuck looking after his neice/cousin?

 

She's 4 or 5 and living with her mother, Shelby

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I did find it funny that Kurt was left in the cold and the rain by his 'supposed friends' because they're all too self involved to show up. Then again he's an idiot for not just calling them a week before and reminding them of their 'pact'. These people are shallow self involved idiots which was fine when they were 15/16 but now that they're supposed to be 19/20 just comes across as them being stuck in toddler stage expecting the world to bend to their every whim and tantrum.

Weren't they (aka Tina) keeping track of each other on Facebook, and the other times social media was used in the plots. He could at least check with Artie who's presumably not hiding and still in NYC. It was dumb but they wanted to use the trope with the rain, so common sense be damned. 

Edited by fakeempress
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The pact was silly and Kurt was even more ridiculous for expecting them to show up. He dumped Blaine hard enough he failed out of college. That has to get a pass on a no show at a nostalgia meet up with the ex. Kurt hadn't heard from any of them before just heading out in the rain hoping people bought plane tickets to see a guy they can't even follow the relationship status of on Facebook? Nah, not buying. Kurt needs a refund from that therapist for so many reasons.

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Well, we're supposed to believe that these people have a bond so strong due to glee club that they'll drop everything at a moment's notice no matter the expense or inconvenience in their lives to help out at McKinley countless times (and in NYC). AND they made a pact!!! So, I don't know if he's really supposed to be stupid for believing in his friends. Although, would it really have ruined the scene to have Artie there waiting with him since they both are actually in the city? They both would've looked equally pathetic waiting in the rain.

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Rachel can definitely be self-absorbed, but I give her a pass for having a breakdown and shutting herself down after being fired.  That's not self-absorption, that's dealing badly with a new trauma.  Just like I don't blame Blaine, and wouldn't blame Kurt, for doing the same.

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I would get it if Rachel wasn't seeing anyone but I also agree that making her so self absorbed she can't answer Facebook or twitter or phone calls and texts doesn't endear her much.  So, they could have at least written something better and we still would have gotten her a flashback scene.

 

 

 Well yea.  Pretty much everything on this show can be written better.  We also don't know that Blaine/Kurt texted/called her about their breakup and I don't really believe there's any reason to read into that line other than the writers just went for the lazy setup.  I think that's really all there is to it.

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I just found it a little hard to believe Hummelberry wouldn't have been in some kind of contact for all those months. But then I'm not sure about the timeline surrounding the Klaine events and Rachel's story. (And what was up with the casting of Cert and Barney? Maybe Kurt and Artie were insulted and didn't talk to Rachel for a while. LOL)

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Maybe Rachel told them she was  just going to  get a way for a while and off the grid.   They respected that  and didn't won't to bother her with their troubles.

 

Once she got back to Lima she must have some how or another contacted them cause Kurt knew she was back in Lima (ergo going to her house) and she met up with Blaine so they must have texted at least to met for coffee.   Once they got coffee they caught up.

 

I mean Kurt said something about understanding  why she wasn't there due to near break down.

Edited by tom87
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Did I miss the part where Rachel had a mental breakdown?

 

I thought she had a terrible pilot and was laying low while it blew over.

 

So I'm supposed to believe Rachel went off the grid for months because she was embarassed about her public failure. Shouldn't she be used to being a public failure after that kiss with Finn during Sectionals where she was the laughing stock of the Show Choir community and highschool and NYADA and everything she failed at and then got through with *cough* perserverance.

 

Glee sucks at characterisation. I'm not sure why I'm watching other than to see how this train wreck ends.

Edited by wayne67
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Did I miss the part where Rachel had a mental breakdown?

 

I thought she had a terrible pilot and was laying low while it blew over.

Noone said she had a mental break down.   I said Kurt said something  like she was near a break down.    Not to be taken literally.

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LOL, if Hummelberry were real people of course they would have sought each other out, but in the context of nonsensically written characters on a television show, it's the story they wanted to tell.

Well, yes, that's the reason for just about anything this show does; however, these two have been practically inseparable for years and then when they arguably possibly needed each other's support the most, they seemingly were out of touch. Just seemed, yes, more convenient to the plot than being consistent. I don't consider Hummelberry real people. LOL
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So she was near a break down for months ?

??????    I said don't take what Kurt said literally for one I don't have the exact quote.  It seems all it was was that she took some time to herself.   There is no canon that she was near a break down or had a break down.  End of story.

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Venture Bros and Archer both have continuity and running gags that only work if you pay attention for the run.

Yeah, even South Park started to have continuity last season. It's basically every cartoon nowadays. I just gave the two examples with the most complex worlds and plots.

 

How old is Puck and Quinn's daughter now ? Shouldn't one or both of them be stuck at home looking after her ? I don't remember them having much in the way of extended family to look after an unplanned child. Maybe that's where Puck 2.0 disappeared to, stuck looking after his neice/cousin?

Well she got adopted by Indina Menzel, so I suspect she is getting looked after by a snowman now. ;D

I just found it a little hard to believe Hummelberry wouldn't have been in some kind of contact for all those months. But then I'm not sure about the timeline surrounding the Klaine events and Rachel's story. (And what was up with the casting of Cert and Barney? Maybe Kurt and Artie were insulted and didn't talk to Rachel for a while. LOL)

When people get clinically depressed they tend to fall off the face of the earth. I know I did and I have heard the same from other people. You just don't have the energy to keep up realtionships. It's quite hard to rebuild all that afterwards.

You can be glad that you never experienced anything like it, so you can't even imagine it, but I think this was one of the more realistic plot points Glee ever did.

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Who says I can't imagine it or haven't experienced it? The setup just felt a bit forced to me given all the Hummelberry over the years. Glee isn't exactly a show that strives for reality in its writing so applying "real life" logic to it doesn't always work. This is just MO; no need to assume I'm not capable of relating or understanding the true depths of a Glee script and that's the reason why this scene rang false to me. (It wasn't the only one!)

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So I finally got around to watching these eps on hulu. Meh. I think that for the first time in years the show has a clear purpose, which is why the writing seems a bit tighter. However, it feels like the last two seasons were for nothing and TPTB continue to be obsessed with repeating the same patterns for all eternity: Sue, McKinley, Glee club sucks, Dalton, Warblers, blablablabla. Zzzzzz. Even though it's quite obvious that there will be a comeback in the end of the season, it's stupid and sucks that we never actually got to see the things we were looking forward to. Or at least I was. Rachel will become a star off screen anyway. Might as well have just not taken the show to NY ever and stay in McKinley if they were so into it. Now they are repeating season 4 trying to recreate the Glee club AGAIN and zzzz. Sue as the villain for the billionth time and trying to infiltrate the Glee club with a spy couldn't suck more, btw. And postmodern gay dude is gay villain # what now? For RM and company it seems like breaking stereotypes means making people into assholes rather than making them interesting characters. They do the same with Becky.

 

The new kids are better than S4 new kids, at least. I think I like all of them, except the new try hard gay character. And Will's kid is cute.

 

The storyline that bothered me the most was the one about the chick Warbler, btw. When women weren't allowed to study anywhere it made sense that they would try to enter all male schools and claim how unfair it was that they couldn't... because all schools were male schools. Now there are all male schools, all female schools and mixed schools. I don't think it's cool that she wanted to intrude in the one place where she was not welcome. It bothered me even more that the show painted the Warblers in the wrong and Blaine as the saviour against injustices in this case. I would say the same thing if it was a boy wanting to intrude in an all girls school.  Having said that, Warbler chick was adorable and I was glad that she went to Mckinley.


Another thing I didn't like was that we heard zero about the graduates lives. Did nothing happen to them in the last year or something? Reminded them of season 4 and how they were just pawns to build up the newbies. I don't even remember what Tina is studying. Maybe they will stick around and we'll find out more stuff.

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