S06.E06: What The World Needs Now

[Cranberry]

Brittany and Santana plan their wedding. The Gleeks' weekly assignment is the music of Burt Bacharach, and reigning diva Mercedes is recruited to act as a mentor for the new singers. Brittany learns a shocking family secret.

 

[absnow54]

Did anyone else cry during "Arthur's Theme" because of that one time Finn said, "How can you get stuck between the moon and New York City? They're a hundred miles apart!"

[SeanC]

Which fanfic writer did they hire to do all the Brittana scenes in this episode?  And while for most shows a statement like that would be derogatory, in this case it's actually a compliment.

[Hana Chan]

Hey, let's spend an entire hour pretending that Rachel didn't torpedo her own damn career and have people who have no reason to lift a finger on her behalf to smooth her way back to Broadway. Because Gods forbid Rachel actually have to deal with the consequences of her behavior and pull herself up by her own bootstraps. Not when there are plenty of characters to do all the heavy lifting for her. I just want one of her enablers to tell her to stop moping because what happened to her career was her own fucking fault and if she wants to fix it, then let her pull up her big girl panties and do it herself.

 

And Kurt can't be trusted to run ND without Rachel for a day or two? The guy who's always managed to keep things together when everyone else is running around with their hair on fire? This coming from a girl who hasn't been able to do anything since Choke without everyone and their grandmother doing everything but wiping her ass for her.

 

Way to shoehorn Blaine into musical numbers when he's got no role in any of the storylines. It would have been nice to go another week without his screeching and ruining songs that I like.

 

At least Kurt had a vacation this week fro having to prop up Rachel. And cheers for Chris getting paid to basically stand around this week and look awfully pretty. Loved him in that white sweater.

[Hookian]

Well I guess I was right. What a shock. They got closure, Mercedes essentially is Samchel's number 1 supporter. They also could have set up a look during the final number but nope, she was all smiles.

 

She's also dating somebody and she's very happy. So of course she wants Sam and Rachel to be happy.

[camussie]

They should have just dressed Mercedes up in a fairy godmother outfit because really that was her sole purpose.  I still think Mercedes being Sam/Rachel's biggest fan 5 months after she and Sam broke up,  while they were living together and declaring their love to each other, is stupid.  Don't get me wrong i am glad she is not holding a torch but I feel it is way too much of a trope for her to be all you go Sam/Rachel.  Had they just left well enough alone and not revisited Sam/Mercedes last season then the Mercedes part of this would make so much more sense.  But they did so to hand wave it away by having Mercedes be their biggest supporter (just as we all predicted they would) is just crud and very tropey writing.   

 

I would also like to note that the speculation (including mine) Sam singing "Close to You" about Rachel was wrong.

 

As for Sam/Rachel I have no idea what the heck they are going for here because it honestly seems like, while there is an attraction there, each time they have progressed is because a third party is pushing them along, whether through hypnosis or breaking out their pom-poms.  And Mercedes saying she needs him to heal Rachel's heart doesn't scream endgame or love for the ages.  I will also say again, if this is only supposed to be a transition relationship, I still think he was the wrong choice because of the whole Finn lite thing.  Why? I  feel like she isn't moving forward as much as slotting the closest thing to Finn she could find in his place.  

 

Speaking of Finn lite when did Sam start wearing long sleeved flannels with t-shirts ? Not that Finn owns that but it is weird that I can't recall Sam ever  dressing that way until this week, when he and Rachel start maybe dating.  Then again I could have missed it because after the annoying initial Sam push in season 2 I usually tuned him out.  

 

Other than that:

• How in the heck does one make Jennifer Coolidge and Ken Jeong boring?  That Britanny family scene seemed to go on forever.  There was just too much Brittany this week in general as she  works better for me in small doses.  She was completely awesome in this episode but I just don't like the character.
• Still irked  that Kurt didn't sing at least a duet this week.  I don't even like Kurt's voice but I know it is perfect for Bacharach.  He should had at least had Spencer's part in "Arthur's Theme" because that guy is not good.  At all.  Along those same lines Rachel running down Kurt as a co-director was not needed.
• This episode didn't have as near as much meta but what they did have bugged.  Like the shot about Artie not having much to do.  That bugs because Artie filming a documentary about three former team members competing against their coach would have been the easiest way to tie all three narratives.  Instead we got Sue overload. Also the meta about "Old Dogs, New Tricks."  I didn't really like that episode but I still wish they wouldn't have mocked it.
• Rachel saying everything feel apart annoyed.  It didn't fall apart.  She blew it apart.  Before she can really grown she has to own her mistakes.  
• Finally I feel like Brittany saying it is our job as young hot progressives to educate old farts completely encompasses RM's over inflated view of his writing and Glee's impact on the world. And that Brittany/Santana/Abuela scene in the auditorium was very preachy and stilted even as I totally agreed everything Brittany said. 

 

All of that said congrats to Santana/Brittany fans because this was a good episode for them.  Also that last scene at Will's was really nice.  

 

And one question did it seem to anyone else like there were more commercials this week?  Maybe it is because the episode seemed choppy because of all the songs

Edited February 7, 2015 by camussie

[CMH1981]

Well Rachel kept that promise to Kitty about not abandoning the Glee club for her own personal goals for what...a day or two?  Just for the record I do consider Rachel going on an audition, even if she doesn't get a callback, then coming back to lead ND to Sectionals still breaking said promise.

 

So Sam is a teacher as well as the assistant football coach until Coach Bieste returns?  Okay...

 

I have a question in regards to Rachel's run in Funny Girl on Broadway...would she be eligible for a Tony nomination or was her run too short plus the fact that everyone knows she abandoned the role to try and become a tv star torpedo that?  I know that you have to do so many performances to be eligible for a nomination, but this is Glee so all the rules are out the window.

Edited February 7, 2015 by CMH1981

[natyxg]

Which fanfic writer did they hire to do all the Brittana scenes in this episode?

 

Never in a million years would I have thought we would get to this, to Brittana getting focus and the show trying to do them justice. Still... no thank you. Brittany may be less annoying this year and more like a person, at least, but whenever they try to act coupley I find them really fake.

 

Also, I wish Santana was allowed to talk to other people besides Brittany, agaaaain. This is why I was so happy when they broke up. I hope Santana has one last moment with Rachel and Kurt and Quinn (preferably Rachel and Quinn)  before she rides off into the sunset at least, which I guess will be in their wedding episode, whenever that is.

 

On an unrelated note: it was so weird to see the Emma stand- in . Better not do Will home scenes if they can't get the actress, imo.

[spiritof76]

 

Oh, Mercedes. Seriously, would anyone be all blase about their friend dating their ex? Their ex who they lived with? I mean, the writers are trying so hard to push this Samchel thing that they are acting as if Samcedes was a whole bunch of nothing. If Mercedes and Sam had stopped dating back in high school and this was happening, then sure.. but.. I can't with this. It's really hard for me to stomach her reaction just being all cool and chill, to me, living together meant they were serious; like I said before had these two ended things after Mercedes left Mckinely, I would totally buy Mercedes not caring, but.. I don't know. Whatever, show.

Maybe in Glee world, they think it's not a real relationship unless you have sex. I'm being facetious, but it is Glee and their treatment of women, and sex and first-times and virginity has always been so problematic, that it wouldn't surprise me I guess. Who knows.

 

 

And Mercedes saying she needs him to heal Rachel's heart doesn't scream endgame or love for the ages.

Wait, what? She said that? I'm not going to lie, I did not watch this episode. Thought I'd stp by here first, to see if I should bother. Thank you for giving me my answer. 

 

So it sounds like they threw Mercedes some kind of "phantom boyfriend"? Well that tells me all i need to know about where this story is going. 

They are setting Rachel and Sam up as end game. They at least had enough sense to know that it might look bad for the black girl to be the only one with no love life. So they gave her one, all be it off screen.

Well good for Mercedes. I hope he's awesome and great and totally respects her wishes about waiting (if she still feels that way). And after she wins her Grammy, they can get married and have awesome, hot, married sex, cause that's what Mercedes wants and I want for her what she wants.

Edited February 7, 2015 by spiritof76

[SeanC]

Maybe in Glee world, they think it's not a real relationship unless you have sex. I'm being facetious, but it is Glee and their treatment of women, and sex and first-times and virginity has always been so problematic, that it wouldn't surprise me I guess. Who knows.

Well, this is the same episode where Artie gets hired to be the wedding planner for a couple who, respectively, cheated on him and successfully stole his girlfriend from him (and the very existence of the relationship was joked about, with Brit not remembering it happened).  Basically on Glee, if a relationship isn't currently happening, it pretty much doesn't exist.

 

I've gotten so used to seeing Ivonne Coll on Jane the Virgin the seeing her back on this show was a bit jarring, particularly as there were a bunch of little bits in this story that recalled that show (including Santana reminiscing about play-acting a wedding with her as a kid, which Jane did with her mother on the show; and Abuela and Brittany watching telenovellas).  Anyway, in a remarkably mature note, singing Abuela a song didn't actually fix everything.

 

I repeat what I said about the last episode with Brittany:  why couldn't this be how Brittany is always written? 

[Cranberry]

Well I guess I was right. What a shock. 

 

I feel like you've been told this 100 times now, but no one is shocked that you were right. Everyone expected this outcome. People just don't like it.

[indeed]

Way to shoehorn Blaine into musical numbers when he's got no role in any of the storylines. It would have been nice to go another week without his screeching and ruining songs that I like.

it was ridiculous how many scenes he was in...I guess the Warblers were taking a break? Seriously, he's in a different frickin' school! But better Bliane as a swinging angel than Kurt.

And Kurt can't be trusted to run ND without Rachel for a day or two? The guy who's always managed to keep things together when everyone else is running around with their hair on fire?

Seriously. WTF Rachel? Missed opportunity, though, for some Kurtcedes in the choir room. Could've been fun.

I just want one of her enablers to tell her to stop moping because what happened to her career was her own fucking fault and if she wants to fix it, then let her pull up her big girl panties and do it herself.

Paging Jesse St. James...nobody else will do it.

[SeanC]

On an unrelated note: it was so weird to see the Emma stand- in . Better not do Will home scenes if they can't get the actress, imo.

Yeah, that got a laugh out of me.

 

On another note, if you're going to do a dream sequence where Kevin McHale gets to step out of the chair, give him more dance moves than that, please.  That number was fun, though -- though they missed the obvious ending of having Santana show up dressed like Satan.

Edited February 7, 2015 by SeanC

[tab19]

Well, I haven't commented on the Rachel/Sam/Mercedes spoilers we've seen, figuring I'd wait to see how it played out.  And frankly, thinking I didn't really care that much, so why get worked up?  So imagine my surprise when those scenes played out, and my overwhelming response was absolute rage on behalf of Mercedes (Amber?) for that absolutely forced, out of nowhere support for Rachel and Sam.  That is just... sad is the nicest word.  Seriously, disgraceful.  I *am* glad that part of Mercedes' happiness is that she's found someone else, but having Mercedes basically be Samchel's biggest fan?  Too much.

 

Also, I completely agree natyxg, I'd rather no Emma than a stand in!  That took me right out of it.

 

I confess I loved the Brittana stuff.  Though I was disappointed with the scene with Brittany's parents.  Man, sometimes Glee is just not funny.  Why is it funny that he's got an IQ of 60?  I wanted to like it, believe me, but wow - the best part was him saying The Robot??  -- so the actual scene was not as much fun as the sneak peek.

[Starchild]

Why do the writers have Rachel say things like "it all fell apart" instead of "I threw it all away"?

[Hookian]

They should have just dressed Mercedes up in a fairy godmother outfit because really that was her sole purpose.  I still think Mercedes being Sam/Rachel's biggest fan 5 months after she and Sam broke up,  while they were living together and declaring their love to each other, is stupid.  Don't get me wrong i am glad she is not holding a torch but I feel it is way too much of a trope for her to be all you go Sam/Rachel.  Had they just left well enough alone and not revisited Sam/Mercedes last season then the Mercedes part of this would make so much more sense.  But they did so to hand wave it away by having Mercedes be their biggest supporter (just as we all predicted they would) is just crud and very tropey writing.   

 

I would also like to note that the speculation (including mine) Sam singing "Close to You" about Rachel was wrong.

 

As for Sam/Rachel I have no idea what the heck they are going for here because it honestly seems like, while there is an attraction there, each time they have progressed is because a third party is pushing them along, whether through hypnosis or breaking out their pom-poms.  And Mercedes saying she needs him to heal Rachel's heart doesn't scream endgame or love for the ages.  I will also say again, if this is only supposed to be a transition relationship, I still think he was the wrong choice because of the whole Finn lite thing.  Why? I  feel like she isn't moving forward as much as slotting the closest thing to Finn she could find in his place.  

 

Speaking of Finn lite when did Sam start wearing long sleeved flannels with t-shirts ? Not that Finn owns that but it is weird that I can't recall Sam ever  dressing that way until this week, when he and Rachel start maybe dating.  Then again I could have missed it because after the annoying initial Sam push in season 2 I usually tuned him out.  

 

Other than that:

• How in the heck does one make Jennifer Coolidge and Ken Jeong boring?  That Britanny family scene seemed to go on forever.  Actually there was just too much Brittany this week in general as she just works better for me in small doses.  She was completely awesome in this episode but i just don't like the character.
• Still annoyed that Kurt didn't sing at least a duet this week.  I don't even like Kurt's voice but I know it is perfect for Bacharach.  He should had at least had Spencer's part in "Arthurs Theme" because that guy is not good.  At all.  Along those same lines Rachel running down Kurt as a co-director was not needed.
• This episode didn't have as near as much meta but what they did have was annoying.  Like the shot about Artie not having much to do.  That bugs because Artie filming a documentary about three former team members competing against their coach would have been th easiet way to tie all three narratives.  Instead we got Sue overload. Also the meta about "Old Dogs, New Tricks."  I didn't really like that episode but  I still didn't like that.
• Rachel saying everything feel apart annoyed.  It didn't fall apart.  She blew it apart.  I just think before she can really grown she has to own her mistakes.  
• Finally I feel like Brittany saying it is our job as young hot progressives to educate old farts completely encompasses RM's over inflated view of his writing and Glee's impact on the world. And that Brittany/Santana/Abuela scene in the auditorium was very preachy and stilted even as I totally agreed everything Brittany said. 

 

All of that said congrats to Sananta/Brittany fans because this was a good episode for them.

 

And one question did it seem to anyone else like there were more commercials this week?  Maybe it is because the episode seemed choppy because of all the songs

 

 

Why are you stating it like only you were right?   About everyone on this thread forum predicted that was exactly what was going to happen so it is more like most of were right because Glee is just that cliche and predictable,  

 

People denied the closure was coming, I said it was. :)

 

As far as where it's going they're obviously going to fall in love w/ each other and Sam's probably gonna wanna be with her in the end so he'll go to NY. I don't believe this is a transitional relationship. This is just the beginning. I do definitely now moreso than ever believe they're endgame but only time will tell.

 

The way they completely buried Samcedes and yeah made Mercedes captain of team Samchel was pretty telling.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Hookian

[dohe]

Santana and Brittany has a completeness to them as a couple.  Sam and Rachel, on the other hand, come across as an ill-fitted solution to what to do with Rachel's romantic life.  Sam and Rachel sort of remind me of the misguidedness of Artie and Brittany seasons ago.  There is nothing there.   It is a we have this character and this character and each needs to be with someone so why not.  At least with the mistake of the Artie and Brittany pairing, it was about both characters and ended up setting up Santana's comprehension of her love for Brittany - even if it is quite possible that was not the original intent.  In the case of Sam and Rachel, it is solely about Rachel's character.  While I think the show has never done a particularly good job with Mercedes and Sam - a situation effected from the get go by Overstreet being off the show for several episodes after the revelation and also hurt by Overstreet's acting - there is at least something there that is tangible.  Sam has never stopped showing a desire for Mercedes.  Ultimately this felt like Mercedes playing second fiddle to Rachel again and the blessing felt bogus. 

 

The show's meta with Artie on the other hand works.  That Brittany does not remember the romance with Artie is humorous as it works as a rather spot on commentary on going through the motions, transitory high school romances.  Yes it is over the top but so be it.  Santana and Brittany have just never really worked as a couple with anyone but each other.  Their best work has always been with each other and it is also then that Brittany seems to be best written. One of the great shames will be that Glee never took full advantage that they had such an honest feeling coupling and often relegated them deep to the background.  However at least they are getting the ending right.

 

As for Brittany's comments to Santana's grandmother, good for Brittany.  My sweetie had to do the same with some of his family members.  It is not our responsibility to put up with intolerance.   

[SevenStars]

I hate that Samcedes had to end in order for the writers to give Rachel a man. But I'm happy about the scenes they had together. They were maturing, loving and caring towards each other. This was the first time in while that I really loved Sam in a scene, because he wasn't the idiot. He was just the loving ex.bf who didn't know how to let go of the girl that he still loved because he was afraid that he would lose her completely. 

 

The writers are asshole for ending Samcedes for Samchel. But I liked the little closure Samcedes had.

[camussie]

People denied the closure was coming, I said it was. :)

 

 

Maybe one or two people (if that) but the vast majority of the forum agreed with you that what happened with Mercedes tonight was exactly what was going to happen so you tooting your own horn as if you were the only one to predict this makes little sense.  Most of us knew it was going to happen exactly like it happened.  Many of us just don't like it.  

 

As far as where it's going they're obviously going to fall in love w/ each other and Sam's probably gonna wanna be with her in the end so he'll go to NY. I don't believe this is a transitional relationship. This is just the beginning. I do definitely now moreso than ever believe they're endgame but only time will tell.

 

 

Each their own because tonight made me think more than ever that this will be a transitional this.  Of course I could be wrong so I wouldn't be as arrogant to say it will definitely be transitional but I felt like tonight was saying that.  Sam gave no indication at all he that NY is a possibility at all for him and Rachel flat out said we should enjoy this while it lasts.  That of course could change so time will tell.

 

I liked the little closure Samcedes had.

 

 

I liked it all up until Mercedes became the biggest Sam/Rachel cheerleader.  Them both being mature about this being over was a refreshing change for this show.  Heck Sam being mature at all was a refreshing change.  I just wish they had left the Rachel part out of it and instead had Mercedes say we make better friends so you should be letting go like I have been doing.  That still could have led into Sam dating Rachel.

Edited February 7, 2015 by camussie

[fakeempress]

I agree about Brittany's parents scene - not funny. Oh, well.

 

Even if she was a bit too much for me, Brittany works better as comedy than the awful Sue overload in the last episode. I liked the Fondue for Two part, and the reference to telenovelas, which was also what Bittany's stratagem with Abuela Lopez resembled. The speechifying in the auditorium, though, was written a bit to on the nose. But I felt for Santana, even though I don't like her as a person at all. Brittany and Santana's interactions felt like a couple, the support was nice to see, and I'm glad about that. 

 

Mercedes as the fairy godmother coming to Lima to sprinkle fairy dust over Cinderella Rachel, and allow Sam to date, was so expected. Her new squeeze sounds like a better match for her than Sam anyway, so of course he is invisible lol. Rachel and Sam still don't work for me, though they dropped enough anvils they'll be endgame - a prospect which I'm dreading. Chord just can't do conflicted feelings well, which he had to have in this episode. But Sam is absolved by Mercedes and can now move on to the next Glee Club girl, right on schedule!

 

No, it didn't fall apart for Rachel, nobody put a gun to her head or took the decisions for her. Nice try but no cigar here, writers.

 

Why was Blaine on all those songs when he should'e been at Dalton coaching the Warblers? Doesn't he have a day job? Why wasn't it Kurt singing and swinging in angel attire in his place since he's a co-coach at MKH? Why am I asking these questions when I know the answer?

Edited February 7, 2015 by fakeempress

[spiritof76]

Not liking something that happens is not the same thing as saying it won't happen.  Everyone who read the spoilers at least had an idea where this Sam/Rachel/Mercedes thing was going. Maybe not the particulars, but the general idea. What a lot of people are expressing is their dislike/distaste/disinterest in what was going to happen (and what ultimately did happen.)  Just because a story is happening doesn't mean everyone has to like it. It doesn't mean they are in denial it simply means they don't like a story.For example thanks to this to tonight's episode (and finally watching a clip of a few scenes) I know that Sam and Mercedes aren't together. I know that Mercedes encouraged Sam and Rachel to date. I know that it looks like they will do just that. I know all of that. And knowing all of that, I do not like it. Not going to like it, never going to like it. They can tell me that Sam and Rachel are soul mates and I still won't like it. Just like I wish Santana and Brittany were not getting married. I know ,thanks to what we have seen thus far, that they are, but I don't like it because, Brittany irks me and is really not a nice person. Santana isn't nice either, but at least she doesn't pretend to be. Not going to change the fact that it is happening. 

 

 

Her new squeeze sounds like a better match for her than Sam anyway, so of course he is invisible lol.

All that being said, go ahead Mercedes! (And no I doubt we see this "mystery man".

Edited February 7, 2015 by spiritof76

[fakeempress]

To add on the positive side, I liked the final performance and the inserted scene at Will's. 

[camussie]

That was a nice scene at Will's.  I wasn't bowled over by the final performance but it was a good thing to see them all coming together to support Santana/Brittany.  

Edited February 7, 2015 by camussie

[CoyoteBlue]

Well, watching this for Kurt sure does make the episodes go faster. Samchel song? FF. Mercedes singing to prop up Rachel? FF. >>>>>> Oh, look, we brought in someone from another school to make sure Kurt didn't sing, With Bonus "Tough shit if that's upsetting for you, Kurt. Blaine's presence is more important." And to top it off, Rachel kept her promise to see things through with NNND for a whopping few days before taking off for an audition arranged for her YET AGAIN (that she had to be praised and cossetted and propped into attending - well, hey, that's how she got Funny Girl. At least Kurt didn't have to be the fairy godperson this time....). And of course, Kurt can't be trusted to take care of NNND for a couple days even though he's the only one who seems to have his shit together and hasn't abandoned his responsibilities to be there.

 

Just... fuck you, Glee. 

[Ann Mack]

Damn a writer who might actually get it! http://tvline.com/2015/02/06/glee-recap-rachel-returns-to-broadway-season-6/

[Starchild]

Anyone here have first-hand knowledge of the Broadway scene? Would a performer who did what Rachel did (walking off a hit show and leaving everyone in the lurch for selfish purposes) realistically be welcomed back, or would she be generally shunned as an unreliable diva? Or somewhere in between?

[Casual Viewing]

I've Pvr'd it but haven' t watched yet. Reading the comments here, I see Rachel and Sam are continuing to be shoved down our throats as a couple. Sorry writers, I for one will never, ever accept that ridiculous coupling as an endgame. So, since I will be fast forwarding thru all their scenes I just want to know what people who have seen the show tonight thought about the songs.

[dohe]

Damn a writer who might actually get it! http://tvline.com/2015/02/06/glee-recap-rachel-returns-to-broadway-season-6/

If the writer doesn't get why the song "Alfie" was used, I am not so sure they get it.  

[Ann Mack]

If the writer doesn't get why the song "Alfie" was used, I am not so sure they get it.  

 

I was mostly referring to the Samchel of it all. Finally someone not promoting them like they have been paid by Glee themselves to further the Sam and Rachel parts.

[Beach Party]

Rachel was tired of Broadway after a few months.  The show/character development hasn't convinced me she will feel any differently if given a second starring role.  How about this time giving her a small supporting role to earn her way up.

[dizzyizzy01]

Rachel was tired of Broadway after a few months.  The show/character development hasn't convinced me she will feel any differently if given a second starring role.  How about this time giving her a small supporting role to earn her way up.

Well Rachel getting tired of Broadway after a few months was a complete retcon of her original characterization.  Consistent character development and show continuity is a foreign concept to these writers.

 

I think there was too much Brittany in the Brittany/Santana stuff.  Naya is just so much better than Heather.  I wish the focus was more on Santana rather than Brittany.  Heather takes me out of scenes a lot.

 

Did they bother to explain why Artie is still in Lima?  I suppose it doesn't matter, but it's so random that he's there when theoretically he should be in school.  It seems Puck has gone back to wherever he was.

[tom87]

Ok.

 

Mercedes or  should be known as "off- screen special snowflake".  Mercedes returns once again to McK  taking time out of her incredibly ridiculous rise to fame/success and in between the BET Awards, Paris, diamond shopping, lunch with new BFF Russel Simmons and her tour gigs.  But lets not rip on that since it is Mercedes and since it happened partly off screen we'll let that ride I guess. .  Ok  instead lets go with Mercedes "diva fairy god-mother " returns to bestow happiness, mentor-ship and encouragement to everyone with a song and some unrealistic attuides toward everything. I gets the complaints but in the end she comes off smelling like rose even with the lazy troupe writing.

 

But Mercedes's visit does raise an age old glee question, is is better to get focus and thrown under the bus or not get much focus and seemingly go unscathed by the writing?

 

Artie - the prop to the usual prop.   Why exactly does Kevin have regular status?  Oh well lets just cover that up with a meta joke about not having anything to do.

 

Brittany -  Too many scenes of Heather monotoning her way through another  Fondue for two, time to retire that.   And really  what was the point of her fake dad and all that, just for a sight gag and wanting to stunt cast these two actors?

 

Santana - a prop in her own story.  Naya look bored through the entire episode.

 

Rachel - Why writers do you drive right up to her burning issues only to make a sharp right turn and go around them  last minute and avoid them all together?   Why have do a 180 on Rachel's characterization (not to mention ignoring any realism  like contract obligations) and  have her make stupid decisions and then avoid her talking about them?  Is she humiliated by those decisions or just her tv show?  She should be humiliated to go back BWay by the way she left it but why skirt around that, you wrote it that way, own up to it and let Rachel own up ti it too.   Also let Rachel voice if she is still afraid to date  skirting around that issue too.

 

Sam - I think it was a bit unfair of Mercedes to bestow the burden of healing Rachel's heart on him when he himself still seems a bit broken.

 

On the plus side.  Rachel and Bway are endgame most likley and Sam and Mercedes still have a big chance .  Finally flashback to her real end game during a song.  

Edited February 7, 2015 by tom87

[tom87]

Anyone here have first-hand knowledge of the Broadway scene? Would a performer who did what Rachel did (walking off a hit show and leaving everyone in the lurch for selfish purposes) realistically be welcomed back, or would she be generally shunned as an unreliable diva? Or somewhere in between?

It would have never happened in the first place. Rachel was bound by a contract. Even the tv producer who approached her to do a tv show would have know she was unavailable until her contract was up and would have either past on her or waited.

[dizzyizzy01]

Yea...there's nothing realistic in any of these career storylines.  Rachel wouldn't have been cast in Funny Girl in the first place.  Santana wouldn't have been her understudy.  The TV producer wouldn't have gotten that show green lit.  That's so Rachel would have never made it to production, let alone make it on air. Mercedes wouldn't go from touring malls to suddenly attending BET awards, meeting with Russell Simmons pulling favors to get auditions.  Sam wouldn't be teaching anything.  Kurt would not be doing work study for a performing arts degree in Lima.  Realism is not the audience's friend.

Edited February 7, 2015 by dizzyizzy01

[phoenixrising]

As I'm pretty much only here for the Brittana at this point, I loved it. They were awesome, and the Brittany who will stand up for Santana is what I'm here for. Quirky, but not dumb. And the stuff with Santana and her grandmother hurt my heart a lot.

I do feel for Rachel, even though I'm thinking she realized how dumb the TV idea was. But the show even doing it was hella dumb.

Samchel is not what I'm here for. At least this episode was giving me a they're-here-for-now vibes, not endgame, which better be the case because...no.

At least Mercedes has an off-screen boyfriend. I hope he's less gross than Sam.

[wayne67]

I'm so sick of all the needless Rachel propping, just because she's a talented singer doesn't mean she automatically succeeds at anything realistically. I keep being reminded of the talented girl from Make it or Break it who refused to listen to anyone else's advice and did whatever she wanted and completely bombed out her Olympic career because she had no real discipline or dedication to the activity. Rachel seems to be unable to do anything any more without propping from the Glee Club, she's become increasingly dependent on random people and their pep talks to find motivation.

 

I find it super distracting that they mention that Sectionals is only 5 weeks away and none of the New Kids got any time in the spotlight or was shown to have any mentoring by Mercedes who spent most of her time at McKinley trying to make Samchel happen. *Yawn*

 

Rachel was an annoying Diva during her Broadway experience burning her bridges in tv land and Nyada and Broadway ignoring her contract and insisting that she didn't need an understudy. She needs to start from the bottom instead of randomly getting a killer gig in some musical nonsense at the end of the season.

 

Ugh this show. Neither Will or Blaine seem to want to spend any time coaching their teams.

Edited February 7, 2015 by wayne67

[jaytee1812]

The show's meta with Artie on the other hand works.  That Brittany does not remember the romance with Artie is humorous as it works as a rather spot on commentary on going through the motions, transitory high school romances.  Yes it is over the top but so be it.  Santana and Brittany have just never really worked as a couple with anyone but each other.  Their best work has always been with each other and it is also then that Brittany seems to be best written. One of the great shames will be that Glee never took full advantage that they had such an honest feeling coupling and often relegated them deep to the background.  However at least they are getting the ending right.

No that meta humour doesn't work, again it has Brittany hiding behind stupidity as an excuse for being vile.

Santana and Brittany have never worked as a couple with anyone else because they've never been a couple with anyone else, or Santana never has. How is it a woman who looks like that has had only one very short relationship with a lesbian?

Partly because Santana's so vile I find it funny she be lumbered with someone who drag her down and they'll be miserable together. But the show wanted a lesbian, they just couldn't handle two!

[possibilities]

The speechifying in the auditorium, though, was written a bit to on the nose.

I was dozing off all episode, and disgusted whenever I woke up and watched. But that speech to Santana's grandma blew me away-- Yes, it was on the nose, but it was on Network TV-- a no punches-pulling defense by one partner of the other and of their relationship, and a total demolishment of the person who hurt her and calls us sinners? Ryan Murphy is a hack but there is just no way to convey how powerful it is to see the things we all want to say to the haters actually getting said without apology in this mainstream of a forum, after lifetimes of holding it all in or getting our skulls bashed in and our lives destroyed every time we leak it out a little bit.

 

Happy Valentines Day, my people!

 

I got the feeling Murphy no longer gives a shit and is phoning it in with the rest of the show, and just using the hetshenanigans as a backdrop in which he can insert the stuff he really wants to say about LGBT lives, and for that I kind of have to grin a little and tip my hat his way. It's subversive hiding behind what looks like incompetence.

 

Usually the LGBT characters in any show are tokens, badly written, shallow, and cliched. With Glee, the script is suddenly flipping mightily an the heteros are now enragingly badly written, out of character, interchangable plot devices droning on in endless stupidity and insanely misplotted scenarios, while occasionally slipping out of their hazes to support the LGBTs. And our (LGBT) stories are the only ones being treated with any seriousness or care.

 

BWAH HAHA

 

A little medicine for the masses, and now you know how we feel when watching 99.9% of television, having to sift through the insulting portrayals of us and our families, while everyone else gets 3 dimensions.

 

I hope Murphy is laughing all the way to the bank.

[jaytee1812]

I

Usually the LGBT characters in any show are tokens, badly written, shallow, and cliched. With Glee, the script is suddenly flipping mightily an the heteros are now enragingly badly written, out of character, interchangable plot devices droning on in endless stupidity and insanely misplotted scenarios, while occasionally slipping out of their hazes to support the LGBTs. And our (LGBT) stories are the only ones being treated with any seriousness or care.

 

You think LGBT characters are well written on Glee. You have a lesbian relationship between the stupidest woman alive and the most vile, the do nothing but scissor each other and exchange 'sweet lady kisses.'

Klaine is the most poisonous and self-destructive relationship on the show. Kurt is dismissed repeatedly for not being masculine enough. Gay men have to prove they are straight acting and masculine to be accepted.

There are no bisexual characters unless you count Brittany but she's never identified as bisexual.

As for the two trans characters, Unique was a great trans character but was too often no more than a stereotype. Bieste is a great character but the trans storyline doesn't fit.

[wayne67]

I was dozing off all episode, and disgusted whenever I woke up and watched. But that speech to Santana's grandma blew me away-- Yes, it was on the nose, but it was on Network TV-- a no punches-pulling defense by one partner of the other and of their relationship, and a total demolishment of the person who hurt her and calls us sinners? Ryan Murphy is a hack but there is just no way to convey how powerful it is to see the things we all want to say to the haters actually getting said without apology in this mainstream of a forum, after lifetimes of holding it all in or getting our skulls bashed in and our lives destroyed every time we leak it out a little bit.

 

Happy Valentines Day, my people!

 

I got the feeling Murphy no longer gives a shit and is phoning it in with the rest of the show, and just using the hetshenanigans as a backdrop in which he can insert the stuff he really wants to say about LGBT lives, and for that I kind of have to grin a little and tip my hat his way. It's subversive hiding behind what looks like incompetence.

 

Usually the LGBT characters in any show are tokens, badly written, shallow, and cliched. With Glee, the script is suddenly flipping mightily an the heteros are now enragingly badly written, out of character, interchangable plot devices droning on in endless stupidity and insanely misplotted scenarios, while occasionally slipping out of their hazes to support the LGBTs. And our (LGBT) stories are the only ones being treated with any seriousness or care.

 

BWAH HAHA

 

A little medicine for the masses, and now you know how we feel when watching 99.9% of television, having to sift through the insulting portrayals of us and our families, while everyone else gets 3 dimensions.

 

I hope Murphy is laughing all the way to the bank.

 

I wish I could agree but Kurt and Blaine were locked in an elevator to restart their relationship after their second or third breakup. Blaine's relationship with Kurt's former bully is incredibly dysfunctional and the potential incest has been shoved in a black hole of stupidity. Kurt apparently wants to date a 60 year old man... Kurt dumps Blaine for the 3rd time in a row and now desperately wants him back or not... It's unclear.

 

I don't think any of the LGBT characters are getting significantly better treatment than the hetero pairings. They're all terrible written relationships with Britanna being the least toxic maybe...

Glee has resurrected  ships out of the blue before like Samcedes twice, Quick,  hints of Kitty and Artie tonight and even spoilers of Tike. 

 

 

Isn't Kitty being a student and Artie being a college guy all sorts of weird and creepy ? Or is that just me ?

[tom87]

I wish I could agree but Kurt and Blaine were locked in an elevator to restart their relationship after their second or third breakup. Blaine's relationship with Kurt's former bully is incredibly dysfunctional and the potential incest has been shoved in a black hole of stupidity. Kurt apparently wants to date a 60 year old man... Kurt dumps Blaine for the 3rd time in a row and now desperately wants him back or not... It's unclear.

 

I don't think any of the LGBT characters are getting significantly better treatment than the hetero pairings. They're all terrible written relationships with Britanna being the least toxic maybe...

 

Isn't Kitty being a student and Artie being a college guy all sorts of weird and creepy ? Or is that just me ?

Many HS senior girls have dated college boys.   They are only a year a part and dated before.

 

Better than Kitty and Puck or Puck and Selby.

[vb68]

 

So Sam is a teacher as well as the assistant football coach until Coach Bieste returns?  Okay...

 

I know.  The guy who bombed so hard in his one college interview that he came to the conclusion that school was never his thing, and he should never ever go.  Now he's teaching without even the college credits to be a substitute.  Oh the comedy.

 

I also still can't understand half of what he says.  I had to turn on closed captioning at the beginning to understand his impression.  That was suppose to be Elvis?

 

It seems like every time Rachel has a bonding moment with one of her former Glee females cohorts, like  Mercedes or Santana, she has to passive-aggressively put Kurt down.  "Yeah, yeah, Kurt is my best whatever but thank Jeebus  you are here so I don't have to deal with him."   It always comes off like that. I find it off-putting.      

Edited February 7, 2015 by vb68

[possibilities]

I wouldn't say the LGBT relationships are well-written by any objective standard, but that that particular speech was dead-on, and that the LGBT relationships are taken more seriously by the show (even if they're annoying to viewers, it's clear the show considers them much more intense and epically significant within the show's world than the revolving door of straight pairings and re-pairings).

 

Love or hate them, Santana and Brittany have been a through line since season 1, and Kurt-Blaine is also a darling of the show (all the other characters support them, even Sue loves them). I'm not saying they're my cup of tea at all. I was disgusted by almost the entire episode, until Brittany delivered her f-you to grandma. And despite the many flaws, I think the support of the LGBT stories and characters is given more seriousness than any of the other issues or dramas the show addresses.The showcasing of unanimous support by everyone else is also a consistent and increasingly strongly highlighted message on a show where they can't even remember week to week whether the so-called lead had her career "fall apart" or whether she sabotaged it herself.

[caracas1914]

its incredible to fathom that by by the end of episode 6 Klaine arent even a fucking couple yet , Blaine is still living with his new boyfriend and the core issue that they fight when living together hasnt been addressed.

[allonsyalice]

I'm only about half way through.

But WOW Mercedes. I feel actually so bad for the girl? Her only role was to be Rachel's prop-person and wear cute outfits. Her song was so cute, though. I've always enjoyed listening to Amber sing and this was no exception. I also love the outfits! The look really worked for the girl.

I think I'm in the minority here, but I love Santana, and Brittany really grew on me and I'm really happy to see them get married. Klaine on the other hand.......just no? (They were only really cute the first season Blaine came. now it's like just ugh. and I'm not even gonna touch Samchel. Why? WHY. Just bring Jesse St James back.)

Also, I think I am really enjoying all the music this episode even though I had no idea who Burt Bacharach actually is. 

I think this is the strongest ep this season so far, that's nice.  

[Ceeg]

Partly because Santana's so vile I find it funny she be lumbered with someone who drag her down and they'll be miserable together. 

 

What about Brittany and Santana's relationship makes you think they'll be miserable together? They've had like...2 disagreements in 6 years, and those got solved almost immediately, and with little drama. 

[Myrna123]

Bad show is bad. Everything that happens is pointless. How has coaching a high school glee club advanced Rachel's story? She was handed a Broadway audition but there was nothing remotely related to the glee club about it--not that any way she might have ended on Broadway would ever have been , but still. How is coaching a glee club teaching her anything about what happened in New York? If RIB didn't want Rachel's implosion to be based on anything she did, why did they make her implosion completely based on everything she did?

Why have Kurt and Blaine continually break up and reunite but never advance their relationship in any observable way? Why make Blaine the coach of the Warblers if you want him to sing and perform with the New Directions glee club? Why not just partner him with Rachel and have Kurt coach the Warblers?

Why make this god awful show if you don't want to make this god awful show?

I have never seen a show make so many conscious decisions that they simply completely walk back an episode or two or three later. Why do you make a flipping decision if you're just going to totally undo it in a few episodes???

Maddening.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I had mixed feelings about this episode. On the one hand, see how much easier it is when you are working with good songs? I know they're old songs but I'd rather see the girls singing "Baby It's You" (although I couldn't help but think that Quinn should have been a backup dancer instead of Rachel) than everyone running around the stage in animal print singing "Roar" by Katy Perry. The storylines are so ridiculous at this point that I'm willing to have less plot so we can have more music.

 

Despite Mercedes, Rachel, Santana, and Brittany having solos this week, the music still felt like the emphasis was on the guys. I did not need another Sam/Rachel duet and I did not need Blaine all over "Arthur's Theme" and "Wishin' and Hopin'" - I almost went Mean Girls style on my tv ("He doesn't even go here!"). Great that all the guys got some solo time in "Arthur's Theme" but what about Kitty, Madison, and especially poor Jane who hasn't had a solo since Jagged Little Tapestry? They brought her in as this amazing singer but in six episodes she has sung two solos. I know that's more than Tina got in most seasons, but still.

 

 

did it seem to anyone else like there were more commercials this week?

The episode was 43 minutes long so it had the same amount of commercials as usual.

 

 

 

Seriously, would anyone be all blase about their friend dating their ex?

In real life, many people would not be so blasé about it but on tv it's almost normal. I mean, on The Vampire Diaries, Elena has dated two brothers, the first brother is about to start dating her best friend, and the same best friend dated Elena's first boyfriend about five minutes after Elena dumped him.

 

 

 

So Sam is a teacher as well as the assistant football coach until Coach Bieste returns?  Okay...

Seriously. I was willing to accept him as an assistant coach who was washing towels in the locker room, but now he's actually teaching health class with nothing but a high school diploma? Sorry, no.

 

 

 

So Sam is a teacher as well as the assistant football coach until Coach Bieste returns?  Okay...

Yes, I totally support this! I know Jonathan Groff was filming Looking while part of S6 was being filmed, but San Francisco is only an hour away by plane. He could come down and shoot for a day or two and rid me of this stupid Sam/Rachel "romance."

Edited February 7, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[jaytee1812]

I had mixed feelings about this episode. On the one hand, see how much easier it is when you are working with good songs? I know they're old songs but I'd rather see the girls singing "Baby It's You" (although I couldn't help but think that Quinn should have been a backup dancer instead of Rachel) than everyone running around the stage in animal print singing "Roar" by Katy Perry. The storylines are so ridiculous at this point that I'm willing to have less plot so we can have more music.

 

The newbies sing Roar will always be better than any screen time that involves Brittany or Santana. 

[dohe]

I was mostly referring to the Samchel of it all. Finally someone not promoting them like they have been paid by Glee themselves to further the Sam and Rachel parts.

I see.  Sorry about that.  I read the Alfie part and was completely thrown off.  The writer is indeed dead on about the Sam and Rachel plotline. 

 

 

What about Brittany and Santana's relationship makes you think they'll be miserable together? They've had like...2 disagreements in 6 years, and those got solved almost immediately, and with little drama. 

I completely agree.  For any arguments against Brittany and Santana, the one thing they do is not make each other miserable when they are together.   I think, out of all the couples, they seem to be the healthiest in terms of what they bring to each other.  While they were originally partners in crime, they long since seem to, as I stated earlier, complete each other.  It seems a very soothing emotional bond and a strong sexual one which.  That Brittany cannot remember dating Artie is an exaggerated way of showing the reality that when many of us meet the one, it is as if every transitory, going through the motions romance sort of fades into the recesses of the mind.  Both Brittany and Santana have dated several other people.  Brittany identifies as bisexual which she has stated multiple times.  Santana came out as a lesbian.  And in the end, it all comes back to one thing - they are deeply in love and make each other happy.