S06.E05: The Hurt Locker, Part 2

[fakeempress]

 

God knows what Darren and Chris really thought when they were handed this drek in the script.

I was willing to bet they loved it even before their tweets, at least wrt Se and JigSue.  I bet they love all things puppets, scaffolding, wacky props of all kind, because it's fun for them as actors.

 

 

I would argue that they are purposely writing Glee this way to troll fans but that is what makes it so lazy.  Instead of sitting down and figuring out a way to end this show on a high note they seem to have spent their time lurking  on message boards and reviewing Glee related tweets to find inspiration/source material for their writing.  After all why make the effort to craft actual stories when you can spend that time mocking fans instead?

It is lazy, and also a middle-finger type of writing. They've always used meta to dismiss criticism of the show or mock the fans for their investment (regardless of how the fans can get over invested) instead of actually trying to write better. This type of arrogance and fan and audience trollling I find despicable as an attitude, and creatively barren. 

[Glorfindel]

The only reason why this episode wasn’t as bad as ‘The Hurt Locker part 1’ imo was because of the Kitty/Rachel and new ND scenes. Kitty was my favorite season 4/5 newbie and I’m glad they’ve kept her for season 6 (though I wouldn’t mind seeing Jake again either). Her scenes about the glee club with Rachel were nice, and Becca’s acting was very believable when Kitty was telling Rachel how everyone had deserted her (never mind the retcon).
Spencer however? Not that impressed by him, waltzing in glee club as if he’s the leader, getting a solo when Jane ex-Warbler didn’t, and tbh I don’t find him to be a very good singer. And what’s up with him first being such a cool gay guy noone messes with, while now he’s afraid that being in glee club brings out the gay in him so much the other football players will beat him up for it? Besides the contradiction in his characterisation it also reeks of that whole effemiphobic mess of the straight passing gay being considered the better gay on Glee.

 

The meta in both Sue/Becky at the locker scenes was terribly cringeworthy, with Sue showing footage of a dream sequence and talking about how many weeks Glee will still be on depending on the network decissions, WTF? Somehow Becky being the voice of reason and questioning Klainer-Sue and all that meta made it worse imo.

It’s like the writers are so arrogant they’re even proud of the total mess they made of Klaine and Glee in general, while they are wasting Glee’s final season’s precious screentime on obsessing over teen 'endgame' relationships and mocking the fans. I can’t believe these people still have a job as writers and producers.

 

There was also a lot of meta in the scene Rachel had with the deaf choir director/policeman, ticking several boxes off one by one: reminding the audience that Arts in school is important but the programms get cut, that Kurt and Blaine belong together in New York, that Rachel is a quitter and got what she deserves, that Karofsky will always be the bully he once was because he’s an obstacle for ‘endgame’ Klaine.

Maybe they think that having a “Here’s what happened on Glee” at the beginning of each episodes is not enough anymore for the viewers to keep track of Glee’s ridiculous and whiplash storylines, so characters randomly pop up in the middle of episodes as narrators to give us an extra recap (like Sam did in 6x02).

 

I absolutely HATED the Sue-is-a-Klainer storyline. I already did last week, but this week’s kidnapping of Kurt and Blaine, keeping them locked up as in a horror movie, including a creepy doll, untill they are forced to kiss, is just awful in so many ways. And imo sexual harassment is certainly not funny, romantic or ‘hot’. I know we’re not supposed to take Glee seriously (unless they're shoving a PSA down our throats) but I can’t with this show anymore.
It’s also quite ironic that it’s very clear that Glee is taking the piss out of the Klainers, reducing Klaine to a tour de force that basically only still excists because of fanpandering, but still many of that fandom are now happily squeeing over and reblogging the elevator ‘Kliss’, even thanking the writers and blessing crazy-evil Sue for making what seems to be a very bad fanfiction of their ship canon.

 

I’m still not thrilled with Kurt dating Walter, but I have to admit I like how the guy wasn’t impressed at all by Sue and gave her a taste of her own medicine. “When you’re as handsome as I am very little bothers you”, lol. Anyone who defends Kurt (especially from people who push him back to Blaine) and make him laugh is okay in my book. Walter asking Sue how old she is was extra rich because she tries to shame him for liking a young man like Kurt when Sue is the one who basically has a creepy sexual obsession/fetish with Klaine (so that includes Kurt), salivating over secretly taken footage of Klaine PDA and forcing them to kiss a day later.

Also: Blaine really went for that forced kiss when he is the one who has a boyfriend waiting at home. But on Glee it’s apparently okay, even romantic, to (emotionally) cheat when it’s with your ‘soulmate’, ugh.

The less said about Samchel the better imo. Rachel is not so naive that she wouldn’t suspect something’s wrong with Sam, although she probably wouldn’t think of him being hypnotized by Sue, even though apparently she and Will immediately knew it was Sue who sent Sam to steal his mail. Bah, this storyline is too ridiculous to even think about.

I also caught those Finn lines that Sam said, and found them to be distasteful, but nothing I wouldn’t expect from Glee as they respect nothing and noone.

 

Why all of a sudden does who wins Invitationals matter? I mean, it was crazy Sue I-hate-the-glee-club organizing the Invitationals and doing the judging, so basically it meant nothing. So why are VA and the Warblers so bummed while ND celebrate and cherish a trophy that has a pig on it as if they won Nationals?
They were clearly imitating scenes of earlier seasons, and this was basically just a cheap way to have a second competition between ND, VA and the Warblers besides Sectionals in this last season (as Sectionals would cancel out those other 2 choirs). Why rehash something only once if you can do it twice, right? In the mean time we get more solos and songs from VA and the Warblers than from characters that have been on Glee from the beginning.

 

I did like Rachel apologizing to Will about Invitationals, so there’s that, and I don’t think she should have known all the names of the season 4 ND kids, but her calling Unique “cross-dressing Mercedes” was out of line and imo OOC, plus quite hypocritical of the writers after Beiste’s storyline.

Same goes for Sue mocking Dave by calling him suicidal, when she was crying when she found out about his attempted suicide.

 

One last thing: having characters call Rachel and Kurt good teachers over and over again still doesn’t make them actual teachers nor does it really help showing how important the arts are at school, not without any degree nor any real teaching experience between them.

[wayne67]

When Glee started, I used to compare it with The Simpson. I still do, in the sense that characters or plots aren't supposed to be taken seriously, II mean, what's  the point in  accusing Homer of being an awful dad or complaining because Mr. Burns should have been arrested a million times by now? To each their own, of course, but imo, this show made a huge mistake when it started to take too seriously the fans who were taking the show too seriously.

 

The question becomes if the characters are not supposed to be taken seriously and their motivations and characterisations shouldn't be taken seriously then why bother watching to see what happens to them?

 

I mean if you don't think of the characters as people to invest in then it doesn't matter if they live or die or get a happy ending.

I know I don't take anything seriously because I hate or find myself ambivalent about every plot point for the last 3 years. The only reason I watch lately is that I like some of the song performances and the awfulness is sometimes entertaining in it's own unique way. That said if they died all in a fire at McKinley High School I wouldn't be upset.

 

Simpsons is a cartoon, pointless antics and noone aging is a cartoon standard based around not having to learn to redraw something 15 different times after doing it a 1000 times the same way. In a live action series if characters don't have any forward momentum the show ends up becoming a bleak commentary about how for some people they peak in highschool and spend the rest of their lives wishing they were back. Which is odd for these people considering all the bullying, slushing and backstabbing that these people engaged in and are idolising as some sort of ideal.

[Helena Dax]

The question becomes if the characters are not supposed to be taken seriously and their motivations and characterisations shouldn't be taken seriously then why bother watching to see what happens to them?

 

I mean if you don't think of the characters as people to invest in then it doesn't matter if they live or die or get a happy ending.

I know I don't take anything seriously because I hate or find myself ambivalent about every plot point for the last 3 years. The only reason I watch lately is that I like some of the song performances and the awfulness is sometimes entertaining in it's own unique way. That said if they died all in a fire at McKinley High School I wouldn't be upset.

 

Simpsons is a cartoon, pointless antics and noone aging is a cartoon standard based around not having to learn to redraw something 15 different times after doing it a 1000 times the same way. In a live action series if characters don't have any forward momentum the show ends up becoming a bleak commentary about how for some people they peak in highschool and spend the rest of their lives wishing they were back. Which is odd for these people considering all the bullying, slushing and backstabbing that these people engaged in and are idolising as some sort of ideal.

 

But you can care about the characters without taking them seriously. I just love the characters from Galavant and I care about them, but I don't take them seriously. I'm not angry at king Richard the way I was angry at Joffrey Baratheon because the rules are different and it wouldn't make sense apply the same rules. To  me, Glee works that way. Now, I'm  not saying this show is perfect, far from it. By example, I think Marley and the others were boring beyond words. Some plots are awful. But I disagree with some things that most people sees as flaws or bad writing. 

[wayne67]

But you can care about the characters without taking them seriously. I just love the characters from Galavant and I care about them, but I don't take them seriously. I'm not angry at king Richard the way I was angry at Joffrey Baratheon because the rules are different and it wouldn't make sense apply the same rules. To  me, Glee works that way. Now, I'm  not saying this show is perfect, far from it. By example, I think Marley and the others were boring beyond words. Some plots are awful. But I disagree with some things that most people sees as flaws or bad writing. 

 

Galavant is awesome :P The difference though is Galavant is an entertaining satire about the medieval fantasy genre with random musical numbers that the characters don't take seriously. While the characters of Glee started off as semi sane normal individuals set in 2000 and something that joined a Glee club and now the show is ripping on itself because it's run out of actual material. The character ages and personalities fluctuate. Galavant characters have characterisation that remains consistent even as they change because they're reasonable character developments. Though the last 5 minutes of Galavant basically felt like the last 3 episodes of this show where it's random nonsense thrown at the wall. The difference being Galavant broke the 4th wall in a tongue in cheek way because they didn't know whether they were going to be continued while Glee basically seems to be giving it's fan the double bird where they get favorite pairings together by essentially mind raping them or imprisoning them. Glee seldom is entertaining in a legitimately entertaining way more of a "this is a so awful it's kind of funny" whereas Galavant started off sort of ridiculous but still managed to have characterisation, a romantic subplot, an actual friendship between Gareth and Richard and humor.

 

I care about the Galavant characters because while they're caricatures of medieval archetypes, they have a purpose, things to lose, things to gain a real chance of dying if they're unsuccessful. Glee... Well whether these new characters succeed at Sectionals feels irrelevant because they've been around 5 episodes and we know little about the new people. That and it's bloody show choir, there are no gallows if they fail and the school has gone back to not caring about Glee after its 15th mood flip about the Glee Club.

 

It's like Popular. That show started off a little nutty and went full out nuts but still had semi coherent rationales for the character behaviors. Glee seemed to stop caring a while ago about things making any sense.

 

Sue walks up to Sam and he says he's hypnotised. There's having a laugh at yourself and there's having a laugh at the audience.

 

Then again that's JMO... YMMV

Edited February 1, 2015 by wayne67

[messyone15]

I had a tape single of Justified and Ancient. I loved that song! (Am old)

[Camera One]

The Part 2 was much better than Part 1.  They should have just aired them on the same night.  Sue being so obsessed with Klaine still makes no sense, but I can't bring myself to care that much.  

 

I did enjoy Rachel and Kitty.  I'm not sure they needed to say everyone "abandoned" her, though.  I do hope the newbies all return for a cameo before the end, maybe as emergency fill-in members.  

 

So I guess Sue's emotional trigger songs are mine too... I liked all three of those.  I too found it was weird Jane didn't get a solo.  They could easily have had 3 characters sing that song instead of just the brother/sister.  It makes no sense how they make these decisions.  

 

I'm so glad the whole Rachel/Will feud thing is over, and hopefully the dumb hypnosis of Sam as well.  I must admit I googled all three of those horrible songs that Sue suggested.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Camera One

[natyxg]

Holy meta, meta, meta everywhere! Wow! "If you're gonna go lezzie with a Cheerleader, I think the world is rooting for you and Quinn Fabray". Sue and Becky pretty much parroting discussions between pro and anti Klaine fans online....

 

Okay, the Sue-Saw doll was funny until she she wanted to make them kiss. That was creepy.

 

Wait, ND didn't have 12 members, did they?

 

[Higgs]

The episode featured two great ironies. The first was that, despite all the farcical manipulations involved in staging the "Invitationals", ND achieved the most clear-cut and naturalistic show choir victory in the history of Glee, via the simple expedient of singing harmonically, or, as Sue put it, "in unison"**, Essentially, the ND show CHOIR actually deserved, on the bases of individual and group technique and musicality, to beat their competitors' SHOW choirs.

The second irony was that Lea gave one of her most memorable performances on Glee by evincing ineffable joy and pride without a single utterance.

And kudos to the Incestuous Twins, the funniest Glee duo since NYADA's Gay Sycophants. All in all, as The New Yorker recently put it (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/26/house-chords), "Glee is finally on an upswing".

**Great meta joke alluding to the completely unrealistic use of (Rachel) solos/duets in show choir competitions.

[mywinston]

Beyond a funny line here and there and a few enjoyable musical numbers, this is kind of agonizing. I in no way care about Blaine or Kurt, together or otherwise. If I was Kurt, just the knowledge that Blaine shacked up so quickly and easily with someone who had not only treated me like shit in school but also threatened to kill me would really kill any attraction. Does a huuuge disservice to both of them. If the characters weren't so already far ruined I'd say this would do it. Their kiss in the elevator lacked even the hint of a spark, compare it to say, them fooling around in the limo at Will's wedding that wasn't. 

 

The Warblers are boring, Max George has a weak voice, that's all I have to say about that.

 

Loved seeing Kitty again. You know, as much as I didn't care about them, I'm surprised at how disappointed I'd be if we never go to see Jake, Ryder, Marley and Unique again. Hopefully they can come in last second to fill out the New Direction's 12.

 

I'm also really, really tired of Becky. She was a novel character at first, but now I hate listening to her stumble through her lines just to call everyone a bitch seventeen times. The shine has really worn off. 

 

Samchel, ugh. Sam is stupid and has banged literally every one of Rachel's friends that have a vagina. Maybe I wouldn't hate this so much if it wasn't completely out of nowhere, not even mentioning that whole Mercedes thing. Just distasteful all around. Plus Lea and Chord's voices go together like peanut butter and cyanide. Maybe if it were season 2 era Sam, or whenever he was tolerable. What happened to the stripper with a heart of gold who does impressions and takes care of his little siblings and told Quinn to 'hold on to sixteen'? 

 

This whole last season is taking place in like, bizarro land. It's always good to see the old crew again, even tho they give most of them nothing to do. Santana and Britt have been bright spots, and I've liked some of the music and humor, but jeez, it's just so bad. It's like they're just trolling us. Beiste's turning into a guy, Blaine's shacked up with Karofsky, Sue is a Klainer, Rachel and Sam are hooking up, Will is coaching VA while Blaine, Kurt and Rachel, already a Broadway burnout, return home to coach their old high school Glee clubs and Sam just hangs around ironing jock straps? It's just so damn bad. And like, weird. Nothing accidentally sucks this much. It's like shitty fanfic. 

 

I will, however, watch it until the last episode. Wonder what song they'll go out on.

 

I do like how they keep mentioning Finn. Still gets me every time.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Cranberry
We don't allow the word "retarded" here!

[mercfan3]

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. 

[Kromm]

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.

Not totally alone.  As I said, on one level I actually appreciate what they're doing and on some level think there's a level of cunning to it.  It actually takes some planning to make Sue SO over the top that she's basically existing in this parallel dimension where she's practically all powerful.

 

At the same time I can see how arrogant and on many levels just plain rude that all is to the fanbase.  The ridiculousness is, after all, coming mainly out of holding up the fan notions and mocking them.  Rather viciously.  Which can be fun viewing if you aren't feeling personally vested... but if you are?  It's just a big "fuck you" in their faces.

[Myrna123]

I think I've pinpointed the issue I'm having with Glee's tone this season. The analogy I'd make is a restaurant going out of business. They've publicized that they'll close the doors March 15th, and they have a loyal group that are still patronizing the restaurant until it closes. But instead of cooking food the customers have enjoyed over the years, they're just walking around the neighborhood, picking up all the dog shit they can find and throwing that down in front of the people stupid enough to still be hanging around. Now it's totally possible that some of the people still coming to the restaurant like the dog shit and are glad to eat it, but I'm just really pissed they're serving me dog shit.

[Hana Chan]

Myrna123 - That's a very good way to put it. The audience still watching (of which some of us must be counted) are the remnants of Glee's original audience. Some of us (myself included) have been watching since the beginning and stuck by this show even as the quality declined and the storylines became even more idiotic. It's become increasingly difficult for me to justify continue watching Glee. I've watched my favorite character increasingly sidelines and the original message of outsiders finding their place and affirmation has been replaced with those who were conventional and easily accepted always succeeding.

 

I'm not going to lie - if Chris was no longer on the show, I would have quit by now. But so long as he's there and still giving Glee his best effort, I'll be watching. My loyalty is to him (and Jane and to a lesser degree Matt), not the show. I've resigned myself to Kurt and Blaine being reconciled, but to do it in such a ridiculous and forced manner where anyone not wearing stan glasses would see absolutely no reason for them to watch to be together is really insulting to those who actually care about the characters.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Hana Chan

[jaytee1812]

 I'm not going to lie - if Chris was no longer on the show, I would have quit by now. But so long as he's there and still giving Glee his best effort, I'll be watching. My loyalty is to him (and Jane and to a lesser degree Matt), not the show. I've resigned myself to Kurt and Blaine being reconciled, but to do it in such a ridiculous and forced manner where anyone not wearing stan glasses would see absolutely no reason for them to watch to be together is really insulting to those who actually care about the characters.

Im a bit like you except my favourites are in and out so I've been dipping in and out all season. I watch this episode pretty much for Becca and fast forwarded the rest. I want Homecoming and Jagged Little Tapestry for Jenna and Dianna. I actually read these threads before deciding to watch, and at best it take me about 20 mins to get through an episode!

I watch Rachel's bit on the old newbies, it's weird. Cross-dressing Mercedes manages to be both racist and transphobic in three words, that's impressive even by glee standards. The one with the fat mom is also fairly offensive, and weird, she doesn't know Marley's name but knows she has a fat mom, and I thought she didn't know Puck had a brother, but she does but doesn't know his name. It actually looks like she knew them, not well but to friends of friends level. It just made her look bad at remembering names. Which isn't that bad.

[Camera One]

I watch Rachel's bit on the old newbies, it's weird. Cross-dressing Mercedes manages to be both racist and transphobic in three words, that's impressive even by glee standards. The one with the fat mom is also fairly offensive, and weird, she doesn't know Marley's name but knows she has a fat mom, and I thought she didn't know Puck had a brother, but she does but doesn't know his name. It actually looks like she knew them, not well but to friends of friends level. It just made her look bad at remembering names.

 

Basically, they were trying to make fun of those newbies and get a cheap laugh.  I don't think they cared whose mouth it came out of, and in this case, it was Rachel.  They could have used practically the exact same lines if Sue was making fun of them to Will.

[tom87]

Basically, they were trying to make fun of those newbies and get a cheap laugh.  I don't think they cared whose mouth it came out of, and in this case, it was Rachel.  They could have used practically the exact same lines if Sue was making fun of them to Will.

 

   Everything Rachel said had been said before anyway.  So yeah they do not care who's mouth it comes from.   Even Kurt has slut shamed so no one is exempt.

Edited February 1, 2015 by tom87

[fakeempress]

 

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.

I beg to differ, I never rooted for Quinn or Santana to be Rachel's bff.

[camussie]

Me either.  I always thought the Rachel/Quinn stuff was dang weird.  

[tom87]

I never like the Quinn/Rachel stuff either.  It was weird that Rachel put her up on a pedestal when she didn't deserve it one bit.

 

At least with Santana  Rachel would fight back.

 

One of the worse lines ever in the history of glee was when Rachel said her biggest accomplished was being Quinn's friend.  

Edited February 1, 2015 by tom87

[CleoCaesar]

Faberry will always be my crack ship, so I definitely got a smile out of Kitty saying to Rachel "If you're thinking of going lezzie with a cheerleader, I think the world's kind of rooting for you and Quinn Fabray."  RM likes to throw crazy-enthusiastic Faberry fans (I used to be one years ago, hah) a bone every now and then.

[dizzyizzy01]

Except these were the same kids who asked Rachel to not go easy on them because they wanted to improve as a group. I think that they were pretty aware of just how outmatched they were and while no one likes to lose, I didn't get the impression that the kids were especially anxious.

 

Rachel, on the other hand, was. I think Rachel's very failure-adverse now and was projecting a lot of her issues on the kids. If she saw their performance as a reflection on herself, then losing is probably the last thing she was able to stand at this point. And that was getting hammered home with the periodic reminders of just how bad her TV show was (and criticisms now of her acting ability).

 

I don't know.  I think the whole invitational plot is pretty nonsensical, but I think Rachel is reading the new kids pretty well.  It's true that Jane and Mason came to her and said they wanted her to be harder on them, but Roderick does look like a breath away from keeling over.  Also, I thought the kids did have pretty stunned expressions on their faces during the VA and Warbler's performances.  

 

Also, with Sue deciding to be the judge, there was actually no feasible way for New Directions to win in a fair manner.  I doubt Sue would give New Directions the win even if they were the best.  Anyway, I can't take the invitational competition too seriously.  I enjoyed the Kitty/Rachel scenes though.

 

Still too much Sue and Klaine in this episode.

[jaytee1812]

but Roderick does look like a breath away from keeling over.

That's cos someone asked him to sing and he's dreadful at it.

[darkestboy]

Yup, that was bad. Painfully bad.

If the show wanted me to care about Kurt/Blaine, then this episode wasn't the way to go about it. The crappy Saw homage and Sue's continuously annoying shipping of them. I swear someone on Tumblr could've penned a better episode.

It did feel like Kitty and Spencer were both easily persuaded into joining New Directions and the win was a little trite but whatevers.

Sam's gonna stop being hypnotised at some point, right?

Nice moments for Rachel and Will though, other than that, pretty dreadful stuff, 5/10

[ComfySweater]

I swear someone on Tumblr could've penned a better episode.

Well, John Green is on Tumblr. Seems a safe bet.

[jaytee1812]

Basically, they were trying to make fun of those newbies and get a cheap laugh.  I don't think they cared whose mouth it came out of, and in this case, it was Rachel.  They could have used practically the exact same lines if Sue was making fun of them to Will.

 

They didn't though - they just made fun of the girls in the most offensive way possible. Puck's brother and Raider aren't offensive.

[Casual Viewing]

I finally watched "The Hurt Locker," doing both episodes back to back. I liked parts of it and didn't really hate any of it. Glee used to make me rage and want to throw things at my t.v. but I seem to be much more mellow about it this season, perhaps because I am no longer emotionally invested.

These two episodes clearly showed just how absurd Klaine is as a couple. If the Klaine fandom don't see that the writers are both giving them what they want while at the same time laughing at them, well that's fine. I'm enjoying the return to absurdity. It was when it started to take itself seriously and add PSA's while at the same time trying to be an over the top comedy that it lost its way. It's too bad that they are doing the Bieste storyline this season because it doesn't belong with the crackiness of season 6.

VA's lead singer bored me; not an impressive voice (Unique was so much better)and he also lacked Jesse's presence and showmanship. I preferred the Warblers set and their lead singer to VA's. I really liked ND's set. I really do like the current roster of ND. They aren't like pale copies of the originals and their voices are all interesting and different from each other.

The only chemistry I see between Rachel and Sam is a friendship one. If they make them endgame I don't really care because just like with Klaine they wouldn't last as a couple for long.

[camussie]

I just really don't see the last two episodes as a return to the biting comedy of season 1.  In season 1 they invited the audience in to laugh with them as they made barbed social commentary about everything from high school cliques to big box retails stores.  We were in on the joke.  The last two episodes the audience was the joke.  We were the target of their barbed commentary.  To me that is why these last two episodes weren't like season 1 at all.  S1 was smart and biting in what it mocked.  HL 1 & 2 was just throwing whatever against the wall in hopes of landing some punches on the audience.  

Edited February 3, 2015 by camussie

[Casual Viewing]

I just really don't see the last two episodes as a return to the biting comedy of season 1.  In season 1 they invited the audience in to laugh with them as they made barbed social commentary about everything from high school cliques to big box retails stores.  We were in on the joke.  The last two episodes the audience was the joke.  We were the target of their barbed commentary.

It would be impossible for Glee to return to the biting comedy of season 1. It destroyed itself too badly for that. But I prefer the absurdity of season 6 to the dreck of the past three seasons. Glee has become a cartoon now and I can enjoy that and the songs (YMMV).

What did drive me crazy was when it seemed like the writers really believed the relationships they were writing were healthy. Now it's more like they are writing crack ships deliberately.

I've gone into watching season 6 as though seasons 1 thru 5 never happened and I'm happier for that.

[jaytee1812]

I I really liked ND's set. I really do like the current roster of ND. They aren't like pale copies of the originals and their voices are all interesting and different from each other.

The old newbies could all sing. Can't say that for this lot. Only Jane and obviously Kitty have that talent. (So one never got a solo, and one was drown out by the asshole footballer).

I don't really understand this, they aren't carbon copies. You quite clearly have gay Sam, straight Blaine (he even looks like Blaine), and straight white cis Unique, which is pretty offensive. As is the whitewashing of the male cast.

The only one who looks vaguely interesting is Jane, which is probably why she's had least to do. If it wasn't for the incest twin thing I would've forgotten about the other girl.

[Casual Viewing]

The old newbies could all sing. Can't say that for this lot. Only Jane and obviously Kitty have that talent. (So one never got a solo, and one was drown out by the asshole footballer).

I don't really understand this, they aren't carbon copies. You quite clearly have gay Sam, straight Blaine (he even looks like Blaine), and straight white cis Unique, which is pretty offensive. As is the whitewashing of the male cast.

The only one who looks vaguely interesting is Jane, which is probably why she's had least to do. If it wasn't for the incest twin thing I would've forgotten about the other girl.

Who one finds enjoyable as a singer is subjective.  I happen to like all of the current newbies' voices with perhaps the exception of gay jock (so far he's just meh, but he hasn't sung much.) Your preference for voices is different from mine, and that is fine, as I said it is subjective.

 

As to carbon copies, I don't see a Finn-lite, a Puck-lite, a Kurt-lite, a new Rachel, etc. etc.every time one of the newbies appears on screen like I did with Jake, Ryder, Marley etc.  Kitty perhaps is a combo of Quinn & Santana (and she was from the first set of copy cat newbies), but aside from that I'm not constantly thinking about the originals when the newbies are on screen and comparing them. For me that is a good thing, They don't have enough screen time (and won't due to the shortness of the season) so it's unlikely I'll get bored with them like I did the first lot of newbies.

 

I understand that you want more racial representation, but just be thankful there isn't.  Glee manages to be so disrespectful towards anyone who isn't a "masculine gay male" that you should count it as a blessing.

[fakeempress]

 

Only Jane and obviously Kitty have that talent.

I find this group more interesting voice-wise as well as character-wise than the previous newbies. Another matter is if they will be developed further, but the foundation is there for me to be more interested. The only drawback for me is Spencer guy. How many times can the show rehash the character of the bitchy cheerleader who secretly enjoys singing and joins the GC to spy but grows to like it: we had Santana, we had Quinn,  I didn't need to get Kitty as a rehash, let alone Brie, who were as boring to me as were Marley and Ryder. They could do something interesting with Jake but chose to stick him in triangle hell. 

 

This time I like most of the voices (only exception Spencer) while I couldn't care less about Melissa, Blake, or Becca. And there are different cheerleader characters, who aren't bitches, and who don't have any hidden agendas or are concerned with peer pressure. This I find refreshing.

Edited February 3, 2015 by fakeempress

[jaytee1812]

Who one finds enjoyable as a singer is subjective.  I happen to like all of the current newbies' voices with perhaps the exception of gay jock (so far he's just meh, but he hasn't sung much.) Your preference for voices is different from mine, and that is fine, as I said it is subjective.

 

As to carbon copies, I don't see a Finn-lite, a Puck-lite, a Kurt-lite, a new Rachel, etc. etc.every time one of the newbies appears on screen like I did with Jake, Ryder, Marley etc.  Kitty perhaps is a combo of Quinn & Santana (and she was from the first set of copy cat newbies), but aside from that I'm not constantly thinking about the originals when the newbies are on screen and comparing them. For me that is a good thing, They don't have enough screen time (and won't due to the shortness of the season) so it's unlikely I'll get bored with them like I did the first lot of newbies.

 

I understand that you want more racial representation, but just be thankful there isn't.  Glee manages to be so disrespectful towards anyone who isn't a "masculine gay male" that you should count it as a blessing.

Answering in the all episodes thread. 

[LindaT]

What does the word "meta" mean in all of these responses?

[Cranberry]

Here, this wikipedia page explains it pretty well.

 

I'd forgotten how much the meta amused me on Boston Legal:

 

Boston Legal frequently used meta-humor, with characters often acknowledging their status as fictional characters. In one instance, Alan Shore greets Denny Crane by saying "I've hardly seen you this episode!" In another, Denny mentions to Alan "I once captained my own spaceship" as a reference to his Star Trek character Captain Kirk.

 

Glee rarely does meta well. I did enjoy Sue's recent comment about accidentally saying something out loud when she should have said it in voiceover, though.

[fakeempress]

Apropos of meta:

Sue aka Klaine fandom/ CC tinhatters: Klaine! 

Kurt aka Chris: Stop calling us that!

[Craphole Island]

That was Blaine that said that I think, but still.

[fakeempress]

Right, it was Blaine, I got carried away by the meta implications lol

[GaT]

I stopped watching this show around season 3, but decided to see what was going on since it's the last season. Everybody is back in Lima? Sue is after Mr Schue because he left a plastic fork on the table? Fake elevators with Sue Sylvester horror dolls? Hypnotism? Mercedes (& Principal Figgins) in a truly badly fitting wigs?, and (to me) the worst thing, Coach Beiste is becoming a man? Seriously? WTH happened to this show?

[phoenixrising]

WTH happened to this show?

 

There are many theories, but I'm mostly asking myself this, and I've watched every ridiculous episode of this series.