S06.E10: The Rise And Fall Of Sue Sylvester

[tom87]

Can we talk about how silly it was that Bieste and Will stood up for Sue?

 

I get why they well Besite might not want to denounce her but to say she is a good educator?   Yes she may get results but by  the worse means possible.  

[Higgs]

The very last frame of next week's preview contains evidence of a potential ship whose maiden(head) voyage would have made every other look like the post-iceberg Titanic.

[ComfySweater]

I don't think it matters what Rachel picks. If she was an actual person acting like this, she would fall flat on her face either way. Carmen would also be fired by the board by now no matter what awards she has. The school has a reputation to uphold, and she's not doing the job.

[jjjmoss]

And who is the idiot leader of vocal adrenalin blowing to get so much vocal time on the show? Another pet of RM? Hell, at this point, hasn't he had more solos than Lea?

According to the Glee Wiki he takes the record for most solos for a non-regular cast member. 

 

He was in the one-hit-wonder (at least in the US) boy band The Wanted, whose Glad You Came was in season 3. I guess that makes him special?

[phoenixrising]

jjjmoss, that is the most criminal thing I've ever heard, when they've had Idina, Kristin, Adam, and other great vocalists on this show.

[ComfySweater]

His claim to fame is one of the thinly veiled orgasm jokes the Warblers made once they stopped being good? Sure. I'd be more upset if anything they did sounded good this season. Song distribution only matters if they have their mojo. As it is, let them do whatever.

[tom87]

jjjmoss, that is the most criminal thing I've ever heard, when they've had Idina, Kristin, Adam, and other great vocalists on this show.

I am glad the did not get a lot of solos.    The guest should be singing with the cast imo..

 

That makes Clint even more noticeable  considering he has 8 songs actually only one included a main cast member.

 

Take VA.  Jesse has 3 solos,  Sunshine has 2 solos and  Unique had 2 solos and Freida whatever her show name was had 1.   Only Jesse and Sunshine had none competition solos.

[jaytee1812]

According to the Glee Wiki he takes the record for most solos for a non-regular cast member.

He was in the one-hit-wonder (at least in the US) boy band The Wanted, whose Glad You Came was in season 3. I guess that makes him special?

He's not even that well known over here. I think The Wanted had a few hits, but honestly I know who he is because his ex girlfriend was in one of the biggest shows on uk tv.

This really is the season of underwhelming boys and Sue dominating the music.

[jjjmoss]

I am glad the did not get a lot of solos.    The guest should be singing with the cast imo..

 

Well, he also apparently (as of next week) has more than Tina in her 6 seasons on the show. Cuz the show hates her and all.

 

And he's tied with Will for Seasons 2-6. 

Edited March 7, 2015 by jjjmoss

[phoenixrising]

I am glad the did not get a lot of solos. The guest should be singing with the cast imo..

That makes Clint even more noticeable considering he has 8 songs actually only one included a main cast member.

Take VA. Jesse has 3 solos, Sunshine has 2 solos and Unique had 2 solos and Freida whatever her show name was had 1. Only Jesse and Sunshine had none competition solos.

I agree with that. But, if they are going to have a guest sing so much, at least let it be someone amazing, which this guy is not.

The Tina/Will comparisons make this even more depressing.

He's not even that well known over here. I think The Wanted had a few hits, but honestly I know who he is because his ex girlfriend was in one of the biggest shows on uk tv.

This really is the season of underwhelming boys and Sue dominating the music.

In the states, "Glad You Came" was huge. For a few months. Then they vanished. And I think Glee did it in season 3, which was when that was popular. So I find this choice strange.

[jaytee1812]

I watched the performance of Rather Be pretty much because that all I was interested in.

They really did hire three very talented women and a bunch of mediocre men for this years ND. I laughed when Mason did his backflip then that attempt at a handstand. Way to actually highlight he's not a patch on the guy he replaced!

Sammie Ware is another one who has been criminally underused.

Edited March 7, 2015 by jtrattray

[Casual Viewing]

Apparently there were several other non-Sue scenes that were filmed but got cut. They should have cut 50% of Sue's scenes and saved them as out-takes and kept the non-Sue scenes in.

I want to know 1) who wrote this mess of an episode, and 2)who decided on the final edit.

This may be the first episode that that the majority of fandom can agree upon. Is that really what RIB were aiming for?

[Richness]

There were only two things I liked about this episode:

 

First was Sue hitting Geraldo. I actually laughed out loud. I was shocked that this wretched show managed to get a genuine laugh out of me.

 

Second was the burning down of the hurt locker. I consider those two-part episodes as the worst episodes of Glee ever. I've cringed in agony every time the show has referenced the hurt locker since then. So maybe, *MAYBE*, we'll never hear about it again.

 

Otherwise, I hated the return of Becky, though I was pleased to see her adorable boyfriend again. Now that the Warblers are a part of Glee and they now have an excess of members, can Ne Ne Leakes please come back to drown the new brat kid in the pool? And I despised her and her character. I really wish they had moved the Dalton burn down story to earlier in the season so we wouldn't have to put up with the brat or the gay stoner Jesus love interest of the gay football player.

[TribbleTrouble]

I kind of enjoyed the crackiness of " Final Countdown." Plus, Matt's vocals were great.

Did you notice his head scarf kept appearing and disappearing throughout the number? That's a bizarre continuity error even for a fantasy sequence.

Well, after last week's horror of an episode, I found this one to be at least marginally tolerable ("She even bit me on the lip on her way out." How did THAT get through? Teehee.). This entire final season has been a huge disappointment. They've effectively thrown out everything about the show that originally made it such goofy, quirky fun with genuine heart. It's the final season. I don't want to see VA. I don't really care about the new ND kids. I want to see and hear the original cast that I fell in love with. I want to see appropriate and well written character growth for them. I realize that Cory's tragic death blew up much of their original plan for the characters' story arcs, but whatever sharp left turn they had to take after that, they never were able to pull it back on track. I don't know...after that and with all the behind-the-scenes drama and nonsense, maybe nobody's heart was in it anymore. I've stuck with it this far and I'll see it through to the bitter end, but it's sad to see how a show that started out so innovative and fun has completely collapsed under its own weight.

[wayne67]

How many chances has Carmen given Rachel at this point? Too many. 

 

I think this would be the fourth ?

 

There was the original audition where Rachel choked (1st chance) then everyone went on about how talented and amazing she was in typical propping fashion and she was given another chance and got into the super exclusive performing arts school NYADA.

 

3rd chance was when Rachel was given the opportunity to make up for her missed performance at the schools mandatory song/dance thing ... Which she could have done easily if she hadn't sabotaged the whole understudy process.

 

And now we are on Rachel's fourth chance where after bailing on the school saying she didn't need them because she already had a job performing she's been invited to join NYADA again for reasons that were never explained or explored.

 

 

I don't really see why Rachel should go back to NYADA. Presumably the point of NYADA is to break out on the Broadway scene and get cast in musicals. Rachel has already done that and is getting offers.

 

I think Rachel's former dance teacher at NYADA explained succinctly why it's important to have a rounded education at a performing arts school. Cassandra explained that she was talented and was all set to be the next breakout star before she lashed out in anger in a public venue and her career crashed and burned.

 

Modern day performers need to be schooled in the art of public relations, taught coping strategies for dealing with rejection and bad reviews and have the regular routines of scheduled performances and deadlines so they are prepared for making the most of their opportunities.

 

While having a job in Broadway is a great achievement, that's only the first step, there's performing well under pressure, being gracious with other cast members and honoring commitments. Otherwise that one job will be the only job you have unless you have other people pulling strings for you. Though on this show Rachel has her friends sending her to auditions where she gets the leads without more than one audition. Yawn. BORING.

 

 

The point of NYADA and other performing arts schools is not merely to prepare people for auditioning well enough to get a role but also to develop their skills to build and sustain a career. Some people can develop those skills on the job but Rachel has proved she cannot. She couldn't make it a month before she was bored with it all. Not to mention she never seemed to have a fundamental understanding of all of the different components of a production that contribute to its success.

Really why should I believe the same thing won't happen again given that there is no indication she has learned a damn thing this year? Sure her time at back at NYADA might not teach her those things either but I think she has a better chance at developing staying power if she gets that education. Right now if she goes straight back to Broadway I think it is entirely likely she will be back in Lima within the year whining about how it all fell apart again.

 

 

ITA Rachel hasn't learn any humility or dedication to a goal. She abandoned her goal of resuming her NYADA education the second she heard back about that audition. She will presumably abandon the Glee Club she funded once she flounces off to the next big thing that might amuse her in the short term.

 

Any time I think I might like Rachel's ambition I'm reminded of her selfishness in refusing a young boy a puppy because it inconvenienced her.

 

Kitty was hilarious.

Edited March 7, 2015 by wayne67

[KoBnR]

The only part I thought was classic Glee was the ending song. The rest of the episode was just bor-ing. So far, this season is sucking. The first couple episodes were good and since then, eh. The new characters are good but the writing stinks. It's just lost its luster. Here's to hoping the last couple episodes will be good with some actual good music and performances.

[Pink ranger]

Rock of Ages ‏@RockOfAges  9h9 hours ago
Yo @JaneMarieLynch & @Matt_Morrison! If you wanted an audition for ROCK OF AGES you could've just asked... @GLEEonFOX

 

lol

[Hana Chan]

Random thoughts...

 

Amazing that with girls and slender as Jane, petite as Kitty and Madison and guys as burly as Roderick, somehow they all magically wear the same size blazer. Because there was no jostling to find their size jackets on the rack.

 

I'm imagining Kurt's near total absence from 99% of the drama as to him being burnt out and just tuning out. Rachel, you want to go back to Broadway without having matured at all. Sure, go ahead. Sue and Will are battling again. Yawn. Just let me finish my internship so I can go back to New York.

 

Mercedes is still hanging out at McKinley. Why? They really have reduced her solely to be Rachel's cheerleader in chief. And to sing the occasional pointless solo.

 

Dalton is more than just one building. What the hell kind of fire was it that burnt down the whole damn place?

 

Happy thought... that ridiculous shrine that the Warblers had set up with Blaine' blazer and bow ties? Ashes now...

 

I just keep telling myself... only two more weeks to go....

Edited March 7, 2015 by Hana Chan

[starri]

Didn't Sue coach Aural Intensity in S2?  So much for her having no experience.

 

There was a lovely moment in S3 where Sue turned into a human being and I hoped that they were going to let her mature and bring in another antagonist.  No.

 

The only thing--the ONLY thing--I liked about this episode was them remembering Sue (again, back before they just gave up and turned her into a cartoon with no actual humanity) had been so instrumental in Sheldon leaving Cooter.

[RealityCowgirl]

I'm just now sitting down to watch, at 6 am, feeling like I'll need a stiff drink to get through it after reading response here. ;)

[Primetimer]

Did you think Glee would leave us without one last Sue Sylvester meltdown? Think again.

Read the story

[ancslove]

Sue coaching Vocal Adrenaline is the one thing that really makes sense.  They prioritize tangible success more than anything else, and the parallels between VA and Sue's Cheerios have actually been consistent since the beginning.  Possibly the only consistent thing on Glee.  The only problem is that not even Sue could stand VA's raging hate - what will Bieste think about this?

[Artsda]

That was awful. Way too much Sue.

[jaytee1812]

Weirdly enough for the first time this season I actually downloaded a performance to rewatch. I really liked Rather Be. 

[Hana Chan]

I just don't get what they're trying to do with Rachel. Except for putting her temporarily back in Lima, what was the point of setting her up for a series of bad decisions that could be clearly chalked up to her overblown sense of entitlement, fail in the most spectacular fashion when they're just going to give her all the prizes again without eve the most minimal consequences for her actions. That she'll break her contract for Funny Girl and less than a year later be cast in a new show after a single audition (with not even a call back). Or that she can quit the most competitive conservatory in the country (after showing her lack of investment once she got a professional part) and gets readmitted just by asking.

 

Rachel may be exceptionally talented, but she's not God's gift to musical theater. Broadway would exist very well with or without her. Why someone who has already proven that she is unreliable would immediately be cast in another part is hard enough to swallow. But for it to happen so totally effortlessly on Rachel's part really puts it well outside the point of being in any way defencable. And then to have her also get back into NYADA is just the icing on a shit story cake.

 

And by focusing on "returning to NY a winner" and showing that she's apparently not learned anything at all just makes me want to tune out. It's one thing for Rachel's success to be preordained, but it's another to make it so totally undeserved. She's done nothing to have actually earned these two golden chances (on top of the other golden chances that she gained and then just threw away) so it just takes what could have been a really compelling story and made it totally unsatisfying. There is no way to justify Rachel getting even one of these two chances, let alone both to choose from.

[caracas1914]

Every SL this year has been absolutely pointless. Why have Rachel fall so dramatically in 6.01 if there isn't even a comeback journey at all?

I'm trying to think what character SL was better served by giving Glee a 6th season and not ending with the finale of Season 5.

Still trying to find one.

[TV Anonymous]

If the Dalton Academy is completely burned to the ground, should the very first priority for the students not be finding a place for study? So now an extracurricular activity takes precedence over teaching and learning?

[Pink ranger]

I am glad that we saw Daniel Schuester on screen and Will and Emma as parents dealing with issues as common as career and more unique as Emma's OCD. We also saw Klaine and Britannas wedding. Also the redemption of the glee club after 512/513. These wouldn't have happened if the show ended in season 5.

[jaytee1812]

I just watched The Final Countdown. Oh dear god... That's all I've got.

[caracas1914]

So what was the point of Rachel failing so spectacularly ?

The same point of Samchel, Klaine breaking up, Blaine flunking out of Dalton, Will versus Sue Version 500,

Never mind.

Edited March 7, 2015 by caracas1914

[jaytee1812]

Remember Glee used to be big on diversity? They now have a fifteen person glee club, 3 girls, 2 people of colour, all able bodied, and two gay men*. For those counting, that's ten straight white men. 

 

*I'm right in thinking The Warblers told Blaine they were all straight. 

[caracas1914]

Yea, the point of The Warblers not including Jane , which to be honest was to me the only half interesting new story (only to be dropped abruptly) results in the Warblers included in New Directions with no follow through.

These writers have a flair for utterly pointless stories.

So 13 year old Myron , 30 year old hipster boy , Dickish gay jock and Dalton prep boys are the sum result for new students after ND is formed with Noobs "recruited". How the fuck is that related to the importance of arts in education.

[Kristen]

All I have to contribute is that Jane Lynch, in that wig, is how I imagine Patsy Stone might've looked in 1985.

 

Oh, and Carol Burnett is a treasure.

[Glorfindel]

Wow, this show has become almost unbearable to watch. I promised to sit this through till the end, but it’s getting harder with each episode.
Way too much Sue, but tbh the Sue-less parts weren’t any better either. The only time I sniggered this episode was when that Warbler wanted to throw a show at Sue. Granted: that was funny. The rest not so much. Not the worst episode of Glee ever (lol, there are so many other episodes that qualify for that title), but close, very close.

 

The Geraldo Rivera stuff was the worst to watch as I never liked the guy nor his way of 'reporting' news, but besides him I didn’t find anything funny in the entire “fall of Sue Sylvester” storyline, it was just cringeworthy and embarrassing. But what really bothered me was that after all Sue has done her biggest crime, according to her boss (who was ready to overlook everything else in her hurt locker, including her Klaine fetish), was her posing for the Penthouse. So a woman showing her naked body is more despicable than her physically attacking students for years. Right.

 

I love Carol Burnett, but the Sue/mom scene was so weird: mom basically admitted she hated Sue the moment she was born and lied for years to get away from her daughter(s) as much as possible (no wonder Sue is the way she is), but Sue still wants her mom’s love and even apologizes to her! And no mention of Sue’s sister Jean at all, not even why her mother was not even at her funeral. But Sue still was eager to please her mother and sing a musical song with her, even though she hates musicals.

 

Becky was awful again, I really hate her screeching all the time. And though Sue is definitely evil and needed to be stopped I find it very ungrateful and backstabbing of Becky to be the one to expose her, as Sue always treated her well and even covered for her when she brought a gun to school and fired it twice!

 

The Sue/will feud is so overdone, and I’m so over it. They did it much better back in season 1(!).

I’m also over songs turning into semi dream sequences, complete with costumes, wigs and other props, like ‘The Final Countdown’. Lol, remember when Ryan (I think it was Ryan?) swore that there would be no characters spontaneously bursting out into song nor any dream/fantasy performances in Glee?

But count me in on wanting to see Matt Morrison on Broadway in a role that requires him to wear a wig and guyliner, singing pop-rock songs.

 

In the mean time Rachel is still the specialest snowflake that ever existed. As others have pointed out this is the 4th time Carmen gave her another chance, but Rachel was immediately dismissing NYADA again the moment she got cast in that musical. She wants to return to New York as a winner, and when that opportunity arises (without even a call-back, lol) she drops the faux humble attitude and her true self comes out: considering going back to a prestigeous college as NYADA pathetic, desperate and with her tail between her legs, even though she was begging to be given another chance in that same NYADA only minutes ago.

I wish Carmen could have heard that little outburst. (Wouldn’t it be funny if Kurt was sent to Lima for his internship to be Carmen’s spy, and recorded everything Rachel said?)

Rachel really has learned absolutely nothing this season and is just as much an entitled, immature and ungrateful brat as she was when she quit NYADA the first time and then  ‘Funny Girl’. It’s a pity (but undoubtly deliberate, and not just because they could get Whoopi back) that we never saw Rachel’s talk with Carmen, as that could have actually been a humbling and redeeming scene, with Rachel finally facing her own mistakes and faults.
Instead we get Sam being the voice of reason here. Sam!

 

It’s odd that Kurt has been kept out of every career and especially NYADA conversation Rachel has had this season, when Sam, Mercedes and Blaine all have been involved and giving her advice (and not just in this episode).

Maybe the writers just want to forget Kurt actually still goes to NYADA and is bound to have a Broadway career in his future as well, and is also a coach of the glee club right now: noone can stand next to miss Rachel Berry in the spotlight after all, or even have a modest succes story for themselves in the same field as hers.

 

There are now only 3 girls in the glee club. In the real world it would be quite the opposite, with more girls than boys in the school’s choir. Oh but wait: burning down an only-male school justifies the total sausagefest and the piped blazers. Ryan, your fetish is showing.
The Warblers and ND seem completely incompatible, especially dancing wise, even in the uniting "I-want-World-Peace" song 'Rise' they looked ridiculous performing together. I would have loved it if Jane had been allowed to really protest the Warblers joining, and them basically usurping the McKinley glee club. As there are more Warblers than ND-members, plus they insisted on wearing blazers (making everyone look literally uniform) this new ‘super’ choir doesn’t resemble nor represent the old glee club of misfits at all anymore. So why would I want to root for them at Sectionals?
Oh yeah, because of evil rival choir VA, who now accepted Sue as their coach. (The writers forgot that Sue coached several glee clubs before VA: Aural Intensity and also ND.) Vocal Adrenaline are as annoying as the Warblers were in season 2: why all those songs for mostly nameless and faceless people?

 

Between Sue and Rachel, that stupid repetitive show choir competition storyline, and the occasional PSA, there's literally no storylines for any of the other characters, let alone career prospects. Glee's last minutes of its last season are ticking away and they’re absolutely wasting it.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Glorfindel

[Bill1978]

 But what really bothered me was that after all Sue has done her biggest crime, according to her boss (who was ready to overlook everything else in her hurt locker, including her Klaine fetish), was her posing for the Penthouse.

 

 

I do understand the argument you are making but I was too impressed that the writers remember that little subplot from Season 4 (I think). I've been rewatching random episodes lately and I totally forgot that Finn once blackmailed Sue with a fake copy of the Penthouse spread. Sue thought she had purchased every last copy and was hoping it would remain hidden forever as it could ruin her teaching career. So I guess she was right, if the board did find out about the spread (which she told Finn she was proud of doing) her career would be over.

[txhorns79]

The episode had great parts and awful parts.  I can't hate an episode that actually includes a fully performed song from Staying Alive.  The movie is  awesomely terrible, and I appreciate any reference being made to it.  At this point, I just accept that everyone on the show has mostly given up, so it makes the episodes much more tolerable. 

Edited March 7, 2015 by txhorns79

[CMH1981]

Well I had to watch this episode online today b/c for some reason my dvr refused to record it.  I'm guessing my dvr was trying to let me know I need to give up on this train wreck of a show.

 

A few thoughts...

 

So did the new outfits/blazers all come out of Rachel's funding for the glee club this year b/c if so I would be mighty pissed that Blaine just spent thousands of dollars on blazers b/c he and his team can't let go of the past.

 

I'm sorry but no way in hell would Carmen Tibideaux take Rachel back considering she barely got into NYADA the first time.  That woman is a bitch and wouldn't let a little thing of Rachel's undeniable star quality overcome her spitting in the face the first time.

 

I don't for one moment think that Rachel had forgot about her audition, she has probably been worrying offscreen since that audition.  It's Rachel after all.

 

So did the plot point of the Warblers rejecting Jane and now she was giving shade to them this whole episode get dropped for some reason?  I thought we would have a confrontation at some point about Jane not being as welcoming to them but it was just ignored.

 

I can't stand the character of Will.  I really haven't thought one way or another till this episode and I just find him smug and repulsive.

 

Loved seeing Carol Burnett, but all it makes me think of is how old she is.  I watch the reruns of the Carol Burnett Show on MeTV every weeknight, I suggest everyone does.

 

I was also mad that Sue didn't bring up the fact that her parents didn't show up for Jean's funeral.  I don't understand how Sue could be looked down upon for believing/going w/the story her parents made up to say they were Nazi hunters.  Obviously she only went along w/the story for her sister's sake.  I think we get the complete picture of Sue Sylvester now and the lies she told was to cope w/ parents who abandoned her and her sister.

 

So did Kurt and Blaine get married, b/c this episode it seemed like they were back to being acquaintances. 

 

How did the Superintendent find out about the "Hurt Locker?"  He was talking to someone else, so I was wanting to know who tipped him off.

 

I hate the blazers for New Warbler Directions.

 

I really hope Vocal Adrenaline kicks New Warbler Directions ass...there I said it.

Edited March 7, 2015 by CMH1981

[wayne67]

I think I shall call the New Warbler Directions by the easiest combination of their names I can think of... New Wardir pronounced like New Order...

 

I did LMAO during the air battle guitar especially when it was revealed that in the 'real world' they were two middle aged people making weird faces at each other to music while flailing around a stage to the mild dismay of assembled random students and alumni who never LEAVE.

 

It's like Klaine haven't come back from their honeymoon and are straight into old boring married people territory already. I guess the honey moon is over.

Edited March 7, 2015 by wayne67

[Glorfindel]

I was also mad that Sue didn't bring up the fact that her parents didn't show up for Jean's funeral.  I don't understand how Sue could be looked down upon for believing/going w/the story her parents made up to say they were Nazi hunters.  Obviously she only went along w/the story for her sister's sake.  I think we get the complete picture of Sue Sylvester now and the lies she told was to cope w/ parents who abandoned her and her sister.

I actually felt sorry for Sue because of that. Not to excuse her actions at all, but no wonder she's the way she is today with how she and her sister was mistreated by her parents.

 

How did the Superintendent find out about the "Hurt Locker?"  He was talking to someone else, so I was wanting to know who tipped him off.

As he was filmed when he was in the hurt locker I assume he was part of the Geraldo Rivera tv-interview.

[Helena Dax]

I liked the Europe bit. 

 

I just watched Bohemian Rhapsody from season one and Jesse St James would look at the present VA with utter contempt.

[fakeempress]

I do understand the argument you are making but I was too impressed that the writers remember that little subplot from Season 4 (I think). I've been rewatching random episodes lately and I totally forgot that Finn once blackmailed Sue with a fake copy of the Penthouse spread. Sue thought she had purchased every last copy and was hoping it would remain hidden forever as it could ruin her teaching career. So I guess she was right, if the board did find out about the spread (which she told Finn she was proud of doing) her career would be over.

They remember because it's in the character breakdown for Sue. In the Inside the Actors Studio, Ryan said how Sue didn't exist in the initial script they submitted to Fox, and it was Kevin Reilly who told them they needed a villain. So they wrote Sue in, and the description they sent to Jane Lynch to attract her to the show was: She may or may not have posed for Penthouse but definitely takes horse estrogen.

Edited March 7, 2015 by fakeempress

[Glorfindel]

I do understand the argument you are making but I was too impressed that the writers remember that little subplot from Season 4 (I think). I've been rewatching random episodes lately and I totally forgot that Finn once blackmailed Sue with a fake copy of the Penthouse spread. Sue thought she had purchased every last copy and was hoping it would remain hidden forever as it could ruin her teaching career. So I guess she was right, if the board did find out about the spread (which she told Finn she was proud of doing) her career would be over.

Yes, they chose to remember that, and also all the fake lovers Sue bragged about, but they vonveniently 'forgot' to remember that Sue coached 2 glee clubs before VA (ND even several times, and she helped them to win Nationals) and also that she raised and supported her sister with Down Syndrome till she died.

 

The Sue coaching VA plot is almost an exact copy of her coaching rivaling team Aural Intensity in season 2 (2x16 - Original Song).

[Glorfindel]

I just realized: they did nothing with the fact that Darren (co-)wrote a song in the episode. What I mean is: 'Rise' was not written in canon by Blaine.

So there's most likely no future career for Blaine as a songwriter.

[Petunia13]

I'm not feeling the mean conceited guy.

Omg Blaine's/DC bright red pants.

Oh joy Becky's back. And a bit of meta in the remark that Sue can't understand her screaming. Neither can I then or practically ever. I know RM thinks its so wonderful having a handicapped person act like a nasty, impossible to understand, violent shrew to show "hey don't pigeon hole them! They're just like us." But I'm not like that so its not relatable to me or endearing.

[Sara2009]

The reason " Final Countdown" worked for me was the fact that it was intentionally over the top. I loved that Matt, Jane, and Brad embraced the complete ridiculousness of it and got really into it.

I'm so over the Will/Sue feud, but those two actors work very well together. I wish the writers would give them better material.

[Florinaldo]

I think that this episode may be the result of a discussion in the writers' room which went something like this: "Here's an idea guys: let's write an episode that is even more boring and pointless than "Night of Neglect". Why not use a lot of Sue; the rubes seem to be easily impressed by her and she will make it easier for us to slip that mess past them. And let's do it 3 episodes before the end of the series, to make sure that anyone who tuned back to the show in anticipation of a string of quality episodes to end our run is completely disgusted and does not come back".

 

Quite a challenge, but they rose to to it.

 

A mega overddose of Sue; Becky yelling unintelligibly once again (although they finally provided consecutive interpretation, in the convenient form of her boyfriend); another solo from Max George, something we certainly have been deprived of; lots and lots of screentime for Geraldo Rivera; and two songs that Sue can destroy (although the second one was pretty much horrible to start with, even before her contribution).

 

I have rewatched it by skipping over most of the Sue contents and there certainly were the seeds of a good episode there. Rachel squirming under Ms. Thibodeau's glare had so much potential, but it happened off-screen (perhaps Whoopi Goldberg really could not be bothered to fly out West to film her part) giving no real foundation for the decision to let her back in (will she now get half a courseload, plus a Broadway time-share?). They also had an interesting conflict between the two merging choirs, with believable motivations for all: the Warblers and their quite understandable attachment to their destroyed academy and the natural desire to cling to their beloved memories, facing ND's equally understandable reluctance to accept all of the new guys' ways, plus Jane's resentment from her last encounter with them. But again, the reconciliation took place off-screen, including the making of the costumes that fit every singer perfectly, whatever their size, as well as how the two groups eventually came to a an accommodation which allowed them to really start integrating.

 

Probably so we could be treated to more of the Geraldo-fest, which could have fit snugly into a single segment instead of going on and on over a commercial break; the Becky bio was also filler material. It makes you wonder if the show felt they had some sort of moral obligation towards JL and had to include in a season that has already been dominated by Sue, one episode pretty much devoted to her, making S6 a true Sueson. Unfortunately, neither the character nor the actress are strong enough to sustain interest in such material over the 42 minutes or so that an episode offers in tems of story.

 

At least we got some snippets of the coaches working together as well as the graduated Gleeks acting as supportive friends with each other; and let's not forget Joe's funny dreadlocks line.

 

One amusing note: back in S2, many people were wishing for Dalton to burn down or be destroyed by a meteorite so the Warblers would get off their TV screen. Their wish has been granted, with one unforeseen consequence though: more Warblers screen time as an integral part of ND. And with blazers for everyone!

 

Ah, the sweet irony brought about by the passing of time.

 

Their addition certainly helped to perk up the club's choreography. ND still have some way to go but there's a whole real-world week before competitions, which is an eternity in Glee-time. Their opening an closing numbers were the only salvageable musical performances this week. The closing number is not a song that would necessarily find its way on my permanent playlist, but it's the kind of anthemic song that was an ideal fit for the resolution.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Florinaldo

[starri]

 

perhaps Whoopi Goldberg really could not be bothered to fly out West to film her part

Whoopi doesn't fly.  She has a rock star touring bus that takes her from one coast to the other.  If she didn't have any other reason to be in LA, it wouldn't have been worth it for them to arrange for her to be there to shoot at most two scenes.

 

Honestly, I didn't think the episode was hurt for the lack of her.  There was nothing about that whole subplot that an appearance by Carmen Thibodeaux would have salvaged.

[fakeempress]

 

Rachel squirming under Ms. Thibodeau's glare had so much potential, but it happened off-screen (perhaps Whoopi Goldberg really could not be bothered to fly out West to film her part) giving no real foundation for the decision to let her back in (will she now get half a courseload, plus a Broadway time-share?).

 

Whoopi Goldberg's debilitating fear of flying is very well known. She flies only when she absolutely must. I'll leave to everyone's judgment if this episode of Glee would have been a must-fly case for her.  

eta: Or what starri just said. 

Edited March 8, 2015 by fakeempress

[phoenixrising]

While I do not blame Whoopi for not coming back (because it probably wouldn't have been much screen time for her), I would've loved to see her drag Rachel. Even if she was going to end up ridiculously getting into NYADA anyway, Whoopi could've made her squirm and I would've loved it. 

[Florinaldo]

Whoopi doesn't fly.  She has a rock star touring bus that takes her from one coast to the other. 

I knew she did not like to fly; I did not know her distaste extended to never doing so and having a bus to shuttle between the two coasts. I guess she never leaves the continent then, except perhaps by boat?

 

Honestly, I didn't think the episode was hurt for the lack of her.  There was nothing about that whole subplot that an appearance by Carmen Thibodeaux would have salvaged.

She could have improved it slightly by replacing a portion of the time devoted to Rivera and to VA for example.