S06.E11: We Built This Glee Club

[Ceeg]

All of those things needed to be dropped off a cliff of some sort anyway. I don't mourn their sudden passing.

 

Well yeah. It's still bad storytelling though.

[heyerchick]

Donna Landrie, Ohio's favourite comptroller, reliably brings the Hate. She was as funny this time as last time :)

 

I actually quite enjoyed the episode, the Sue-Will stupidity aside. I thought Kurt and Jesse both gave Rachel good advice, that came from a place of both knowing her and having that shared sensibility. Groff always plays with Jesse with visible relish and this iteration seemed more adult and that much kinder than the old model. Rachel did light up around him and their scenes together had a lovely energy and fun that definitely left the door open for something to happen between them. The scene with Kurt was sweet and his advice was quite open, that he had her back no matter what she decided while prompting her to think honestly about that last year, while I did really enjoy Jesse not being afraid to call Rachel out on her crap but Rachel batting that straight back to him. There was a very welcome sense of equality there.

 

Blaine got hardly anything to say or do, which in the current circumstances suited me fine. I might wish Kurt had some actual storyline, but the wedding crap aside, Kurt is getting off pretty light in this season compared to others. Murphy took away Kurt's voice a while ago now, so I have to enjoy whatever small opportunities I get. Kurt seems happy and positive and focused on working for his future. He's going back to New York, to NYADA, and I hope we will get a performing payoff for him. I realise I'm going to be deprived of my cherished dream divorce, but it could have gone a lot worse for my boy. It's Glee. It's Murphy. A *lot* worse. 

 

I don't mind the focus on Rachel and Will - the show started with them, so it doesn't feel wrong to end with them, as shitty as the writing execution actually is. But I was sick unto death of Sue's malarkey in S2 and nothing I've seen this season has shifted my opinion one iota. God, how I long for Sue to have been playing this sort of game for real. I always believed she could be more terrifying as an ally than an enemy of the Glee club. But the writers refused to let her be more than a one trick pony, to evolve in any way, once the Emmy buzz dried up.  Chris's Emmy chances, they strangled unto death, with their refusal to actually write for his character.

 

I kind of like the new kids; Kitty has a lot of Awesome in her, the twins are fun, Roderick is kind and Spencer isn't as big of a douche as he used to be. Jane is woefully under-used even in comparison to the others and that I think is a shame. I like her and wanted to see more of her. 

 

Some of these episodes are unutterable shit, and the writers are manifestly not telling the Rachel earning her redemption story they THINK they are, but at least she's making some character progress, she got to take the harder road by her choice, and is going in with a better attitude towards learning and, as with my other darling Kurt, I think I'm going to be able to end the series as a whole on a note of hope for them. Kurt is never going to have the easy, mainstream success that Rachel is Destined for, but give me him performing, preferably on his own terms, and that's the happiest ending I could I imagine for one with his so very specific talent and desire to live on his own terms. 

[ComfySweater]

As Rachel gets a giant story about her return to life as performer, Blaine gets into NYU in an offhand mention and not even stating in what. Both of them are going to have some seriously insane student loans from this. Wow. Does anybody even have half a second to think what these things cost?

Edited March 14, 2015 by ComfySweater

[Sara2009]

One little moment that I loved(and I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet) was Will beaming at Kurt and Rachel while they watched ND perform.

[jaytee1812]

As Rachel gets a giant story about her return to life as performer, Blaine gets into NYU in an offhand mention and not even stating in what. Both of them are going to have some seriously insane student loans from this. Wow. Does anybody even have half a second to think what these things cost?

 

I always thought Blaine came from money. Though to be fair I'm not sure why I think that. 

[camussie]

My impression was always that Rachel's, Blaine's, and Kurt's parents were had the money to pay for college and that it wasn't going to cost any of them a dime.  

 

I always thought Blaine came from money. Though to be fair I'm not sure why I think that.

 

 

You thought that because Dalton was an expense private school and Blaine never seem concerned about the cost of college.

 

One little moment that I loved(and I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet) was Will beaming at Kurt and Rachel while they watched ND perform.

 

 

I liked it as a Will/former students moment.  I didn't like it as part of the bigger narrative that they were pushing - that just like Will inspired his students to give it their all Rachel/Kurt inspired this generation of ND to give it their all.  I think Will absolutely did that for original ND.  I don't think Kurt/Rachel did for this generation of ND.  Not since it was a mere two episodes ago that Rachel was saying she didn't really know the students at all.  

 

This also plays into an issue I will post about in the all episodes thread when I have time - how for all of RM's blather about the importance of arts education the awful message that comes across loudest and clearest to me is  "those who can't do, teach."

Edited March 14, 2015 by camussie

[Lady Calypso]

I always thought Blaine came from money. Though to be fair I'm not sure why I think that. 

 

I also thought that as well, to be fair. I think it's because he went to Dalton and back in season 2, I thought going to Dalton, a all male private school, meant that it must be fairly expensive to attend. They never outright stated that Blaine was rich, but they also never said he was of middle class either. That kind of just became my headcanon for a couple of seasons. The only characters they outright stated their financial status, or showed, was Quinn, Sam, Kurt and Finn. It's harder when we don't see these characters' parents at all, or very little of, so we also miss out on their home lives. 

 

I have yet to watch the episode; a major part of me just wants someone to upload the St Berry scenes on Youtube so I don't have to watch the episode, but....I have a feeling I'll be doing more fast forwarding.

[jaytee1812]

I have yet to watch the episode; a major part of me just wants someone to upload the St Berry scenes on Youtube so I don't have to watch the episode, but....I have a feeling I'll be doing more fast forwarding.

 

I've barely watched this season and I only fast forwarded the Will/Sue stuff. 

[Helena Dax]

I loved this. First, Jesse St. James! I almost squealed when I saw him. He and Rachel have always had an amazing chemistry together. I thought Sam was a terrible choice for her and I'm glad to see Samchel isn't going to be endgame. I mean, I don't know if she and Jesse will become a couple in the last episode, but at least she won't be with Sam. I like the character, I think he's a nice guy, but every time I look at him I have the feeling that he'll be a raging alcoholic in a few years.

 

Second, I was laughing so hard when Myron started to dance like Maddie Ziegler at the competition. (Well, sort of). That kid is hilarious. To tell the truth, I like all the newbies. Roderick, Jane and the twins have great voices. And this might be an unpopular decision, but I'm glad these episodes are about them because I wasn't interested in most members of the old ND anymore. 

 

Everything about Sue was bizarre and over the top, but I laughed when Will shave her head. I liked that he didn't thank her. 

 

I forgot: The Falconers were ridiculous XD And I  just love the way the judges usually don't give a damn about the competition and hate every group. I mean, all the kids take it so seriously... and for all we know, the dog chose the winner XD

Edited March 14, 2015 by Helena Dax

[LeeLeePanda]

I really wish they had done the full version of Take Me to Church. I listened to it last night, and it's gorgeous. One of the Warblers has a solo, as does Jane. In fact she harmonizes with Rodrick during the bridge before Kitty joins in. It's a shame that the decided to spend so much time on Sue the villain and cut the songs up so much.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the episode. Rachel and Jesse were on fire! I usually mess around on my phone while watching Glee. Their duet made me put it down and give that scene my full attention. I didn't actuallu realize that there were people rooting for Sam and Rachel until I started following the live tweets last night. Even now I refuse to believe they're real people and not trolls. I definitely teared up during the flashbacks. Ive watched faithfully since the very beginning. Though have always loved the show, I will definitely miss it.

[Beach Party]

ND wanted Roderick dancing in back row.  That was a risk to call him out like that, considering ND was relying on him to lead off the entire performance with "Take Me to Church".  Good that he and Spencer took it as an opportunity to improve. 

[starri]

I had a little "Being part of something special makes you special" get stuck in my throat with the trophies as well.

 

They couldn't just have Sue--the same Sue who once picked New Directions over Vocal Adrenaline and Aural Intensity because she realized that no matter how much she hated Will, she loved the kids and realized she wanted them to win, the same Sue who got hit with a bolt of humanity and decided to help coach the kids because A) She legitimately wanted to help them win, and B) knew Will needed an adult friend--just be a human being for once.  No, she has to go out as Snidely Whiplash.  Goddamn it, show.

[Sara2009]

I had a little "Being part of something special makes you special" get stuck in my throat with the trophies as well.

They couldn't just have Sue--the same Sue who once picked New Directions over Vocal Adrenaline and Aural Intensity because she realized that no matter how much she hated Will,

she loved the kids and realized she wanted

them to win, the same Sue who got hit with a

bolt of humanity and decided to help coach the

kids because A) She legitimately wanted to help

them win, and B) knew Will needed an adult

friend--just be a human being for once. No, she

has to go out as Snidely Whiplash. Goddamn it,

show.

I don't even think Sue hates Will deep down. There have been at least a few times throughout the series when she expressed admiration for him.

[Glorfindel]

As much as the competition storyline has been done over and over and over again I did enjoy the performances of this episode, especially those of the ND/Warblers (even though the dancing of the new ND members was still a hot mess). I think this was the first episode this season I didn’t fastforward through at all, so… achievement?
Though the crazy judges are often fun to watch I always felt they render all the struggles of the ND kids and their rivalries with other schools that were built up in the episodes before the competitions meaningless. If the judging is a joke then so is the outcome, so why even care? Not that there was any suspense about the outcome this time anyway. So ND won, whoopdeedoo.*yawn*
The trophies montage at the end was very nice though.

 

I liked the Roderick/Spencer storyline, with Roderick rightfully being concerned about the cortison injection Spencer wanted, and the idea he came up with to include Spencer in the performance anyway. Yes, it didn’t really matter if Spencer was in the competition or not, but there was genuine concern and comradery between them, and that little nervous sigh of Roderick right before the curtain was raised had me cheering him on when he awkwardly did the simplest of dancesteps on stage without falling flat on his face, so there’s that.
I laughed when Roderich and Spencer figured out they needed Kitty (because she would make at least one of them cry, lol) to give them tough love while teaching them their dance steps, and I like Kitty a lot, but I also thought that this would have been an excellent opportunity to have the new kids interact with either Rachel or Kurt. Like if they had asked Kurt and showed him as an actual co-coach of the glee club, as Kurt can be snarky honest too and there was this tiny storyline a few episodes back of him being (too) critical of the kids while Rachel was (too) nice to them. Kurt really has been reduced this season to nothing but a prop, especially in the coaching of the glee club storyline, clearly demonstrated tonight when he’s not even worth getting mentioned by Will in the glee club’s show circle.

 

Like Rachel, Blaine also lost NYADA and came back to Lima to lick his wounds, then his old school (where his job was) burned down, and he went through quite the relationship drama too, but never really got to talk about any of it. And now in this episode it’s mentioned by Kurt in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that Blaine got into NYU(?!) offscreen.

Now the less Blaine on the show the better imo, but this is ridiculous, especially in comparison to his Lima-loser twin Rachel not being able to pass gas this season without someone holding her hand.

 

So not only did Mercedes arrange the audition for Rachel but Jesse also convinced the producers to hire her. I guess a part of Glee’s important message of arts education is that in showbizz it’s still mostly about knowing the right people instead of doing the hard work yourself. But good for Jesse to point out to Rachel that her biggest mistake was leaving ‘Funny Girl’, I’m afraid that’s all we can expect this season of Rachel being called out on her own mistakes. Kurt also had some good advice for her: to look back at what she had (and threw away) and to take the time to enjoy whatever she chooses this time.

It’s definitely not an ideal solution to her redemption arc (that would have been Rachel going back to NY to work her way up from the chorus line in an off-off-Broadway production) but given the very generous offers the writers provided her with NYADA is the right choice for her to build up her character again.

 

Whoah, Sam got friendzoned quickly, lol. We probably saw nothing of Sam and Rachel breaking up because as soon as the Groff walked into McKinley’s auditorium all that Samchel stuff faded to the background and noone cared anymore.
The only thing that bothers me about this is how they handled Samchel in this season to begin with, with Sam being hypnotised, the erasure of Rachel’s history with Finn on her picture-wall, and Mercedes basically telling her old beau to go fuck her friend.

But I’ll take St. Berry over Samchel any day, so I’m good.

 

Sue poisons an entire school, blows up a piano-forte in a room full of kids (think of the damage those flying wood and piano strings could have done) and sets Will’s car on fire, but she’s still not arrested. And ugh, nazis? They’ve taken Sue too far and it’s not remotely funny or entertaining anymore. And why ruin the nice friendship that she and Beiste clearly developed since season 3 in the process?

Are we supposed to believe Sue deliberately sabotaged VA and helped the New Directions, or was she just trying to save face by telling that to Will? Her smile at the end (when she looked into the choir room) suggests the first, but if that so I think that in this case the ends definitely didn’t justify the means.

 

I’m trying not to be too negative here, because I actually enjoyed this episode more than most of the rest of this season, and there were some nice seasons 1 and 2 echoes. But I’m well aware that this episode only reminded me of those golden first seasons because it was one big repeat (of repeats) of previous storylines.
And on top of that there’s simply too much Rachel woes and Sue nonsense for my liking, while other (imo more interesting) characters are reduced to their props and have been neglected this entire last season while Glee's time is ticking away.

[ComfySweater]

I always thought Blaine came from money. Though to be fair I'm not sure why I think that. 

It must be a lot and they're totally on board with his extremely young marriage because that is the, if not really close to it, most expensive school you can possibly choose. 

[CMH1981]

Did we ever get an explanation as to how Sue is able to come and go on the McKinley campus after being fired, as well as the eye drops/glitterbomb/setting William's car on fire attacks?  That last scene I just kept thinking...how is she at the school again?

[Kromm]

I'm on the bus with the other posters laughing at Samchel fans hopping with joy over no Mercedes and now how Samchel limply petered out in the most pathetic way possible.   

 

Talk about erectile dysfunction of the legendary Samchel chemistry.

Nude Erections?

[GaT]

WTF did I just watch? It's apparently OK for Sue to blow up a piano, set Will's car on fire, & POISON people? 

[spiritof76]

Uhmmm exactly where are the happy newlyweds (Kurt and Blaine) living? That is bugging me. With Blaine's family? At Kurt's? Are Carol and Burt running a boarding house? Who is paying for school? How are they getting an apartment when they go back to NY? For that matter where the heck did Rachel move to? I just want to know how the heck everyone is living! What are they living on? Love don't pay the bills people!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Two positive things about this episode that I forgot to mention in my previous post:

(1) I loved that Mason looked like he was totally laughing when all those glitter bombs were going off (I actually didn't understand why any of the NNND were acting like something traumatic was happening - it's just big chunks of shiny paper, people)

(2) They finally got the sound editor back on the job this week. In the two previous episodes, I could hear everyone's feet tromping around on the floor during the musical numbers and it was driving me crazy. It's actually realistic (when I was in show choir, we wore character shoes and we were always told to walk on the balls of our feet because the judges would deduct points if we were stomping around on the stage), but it seemed weird that we got six seasons of having the feet noises edited out of performances and then suddenly we were hearing everyone's very obvious foot/shoe noises.

[starri]

I don't even think Sue hates Will deep down. There have been at least a few times throughout the series when she expressed admiration for him.

Well, I guess it's just one more thing the show is schizophrenic about.  Although arguably, the schizophrenia with which she treats Sheldon is worse.  Even as cartoonish as they make Sue at times, hearing her tell Sheldon that the Nazis would have put him in a zoo or a circus or whatever is pretty much completely unforgivable.

 

I guess I'd just prefer to remember the hardass coach who reminded everyone that there's not much of a difference between a stadium full of cheering fans and an angry crowd screaming abuse at you as opposed to the ridiculous villain she became.

 

Hey Glee writers:  characters can grow up.  It's okay.  It happens.

[SadieT]

(2) They finally got the sound editor back on the job this week. In the two previous episodes, I could hear everyone's feet tromping around on the floor during the musical numbers and it was driving me crazy. It's actually realistic (when I was in show choir, we wore character shoes and we were always told to walk on the balls of our feet because the judges would deduct points if we were stomping around on the stage), but it seemed weird that we got six seasons of having the feet noises edited out of performances and then suddenly we were hearing everyone's very obvious foot/shoe noises.

 

I noticed the sound thing the last couple of episodes too. Thought I was going crazy because I never remember hearing their feet during performances but then during Cool Kids it was distracting. And the sound jumped out at me during a performance last episode too but I don't remember which one. 

Edited March 15, 2015 by SadieT

[Bill1978]

Maybe the foot noises was a deliberate decision to highlight the lack of dancing skills of some of the New Newbies, and so since Kitty whipped them into shape they now can dance and hence need no foot noises to show us how heavy on their feet they are. Or maybe I'm in denial with the sloppiness shown by this show this year

[caracas1914]

Sam as the advocate for Rachel finishing her college schooling first is laughable considering he opted out of college entirely as not being for him.

In fact, as someone who has not demonstrated a need/passion for performing ( ala Jesse) or even champhioned the need of higher education as a foundation ( ala Kurt/NYADA) it was pulled out of the writers asses this role for him.

Of course now we will probably have a flash forward where Sam's football coach , which uh.., OK, implies he'll have to finally go to college and get that degree for his calling. Unlike theatre acting, he can't teach sports without that degree.

Then again this is a Glee so anything is possible.

At least Kurt still wants to perform, erego he goes back to NYADA. Shows now how little development even now on Blaine that his going to NYU and we still don't know exactly what he wants to do. I'm going to assume performing arts though it's hilarious that after nearly five years he still hasn't actually voiced what is his passion.

Will as a teacher who takes over the choir reigns again at McKinley High has been the only logical progression resolution in the episode, though it's diminished as it's the same epiphany he had in Season One after the first battle with Sue.

I have to say t think Mason has a certain ' star' quality whe he performs "Sail Away". He's technically good enough , as even someone like Melissa/Marley was. However he has a confidence and charm onscreen that shines through and is nice to see. He doesn't look like he's working so hard at it.

Edited March 15, 2015 by caracas1914

[Maisonette]

I strongly disagree that it is "laughable" for Sam to urge Rachel to go back to college. Some of the most passionate advocates of college education are people who didn't have one. Just because Sam thought it wasn't right for him doesn't invalidate his opinion.

[caracas1914]

How can it not be right for him if he wants to be a football coach? Of course instead of having Sam have that epiphany for himself he's too busy propping up Rachel. At least with Jesse/Kurt they are working for what they want while still advising Rachel but in his case the position he's advocating applies more to himself than her.

The point is it's debatable whether she actually needs NYADA whereas Sam can't be a coach without that degree.

[Maisonette]

Not "it's not right for Sam." Sam didn't THINK it was right for him. When he made that choice coaching had never entered his (rather empty) head.

[txhorns79]

Not "it's not right for Sam." Sam didn't THINK it was right for him. When he made that choice coaching had never entered his (rather empty) head.

 

I think for me, it's odd that it never seems to have occurred to Sam that he also needs a college education if he wants to be a football coach.  Yes, I know it's Glee, and logic doesn't always apply, but I am not aware of many states that allow someone to be a high school teacher absent a college degree. 

[heyerchick]

I cracked and bought "Listen To Your Heart" from iTunes. This episode has made me feel very nostalgic for the old days, so I'm busting out the S1 blu-ray.

[Maisonette]

Well, Sam tends not to think too much at all. He needs a Marley to tell him "Go get one!" Perhaps Coach Beiste could do the honors this time.

[dizzyizzy01]

At least in my school district, you don't need a college degree to be a coach, but you do need a degree to be a teacher.  My HS coaches didn't have degrees unless they were also teachers.  Isn't Sam also a health teacher?  Either way, him as some sort of proponent of going back to school as the right choice was plain stupid.  Dude has no place giving advice on the subject.  He didn't go to school himself, doesn't want to be a performer, and can barely string together coherent thoughts.  

[theschnauzers]

I think for me, it's odd that it never seems to have occurred to Sam that he also needs a college education if he wants to be a football coach.  Yes, I know it's Glee, and logic doesn't always apply, but I am not aware of many states that allow someone to be a high school teacher absent a college degree. 

Actually, in many places you do not need to have a college degree to teach, or to coach. They do at the college level, but not at the high school level. (One example I know of is a high school head coach who led his high school in Miami-Dade County Florida to three consecutive national championships, after leaving the University of Miami staff as an assistant. He went back to the U last year at the invitation of the current head coach and specifically so he could finish the coursework for his college degree on the U's dime (a fringe benefit of the job, actually). He's expected to become a coordinator coach (level just below head coach) once he finishes this spring or summer either at the U or elsewhere.)

 

Point is that all Sam needs are the actual courses to get his teaching certificate at the high school level to be a full time coach on the faculty. That he could pick up at the community college, which is what Finn was doing, and then Puck.

 

At least in my school district, you don't need a college degree to be a coach, but you do need a degree to be a teacher.  My HS coaches didn't have degrees unless they were also teachers.  Isn't Sam also a health teacher?  Either way, him as some sort of proponent of going back to school as the right choice was plain stupid.  Dude has no place giving advice on the subject.  He didn't go to school himself, doesn't want to be a performer, and can barely string together coherent thoughts.

 

 

Sam could teach Phys Ed as well as coach. There usually isn't a college major for Phys Ed. And even if he did need a college degree eventually, there's nothing preventing Sam from working for the school district as a coach and some other capacity (athletics director or student activities director or even Glee Club!) which are not teaching positions per se, which he finishes a college degree later on.

Edited March 15, 2015 by theschnauzers

[jaytee1812]

Haven't football coaches usually played the game to some level before coaching? Sam never played after his sophomore year in high school. Any players in junior or senior year are more experienced.

[dizzyizzy01]

Haven't football coaches usually played the game to some level before coaching? Sam never played after his sophomore year in high school. Any players in junior or senior year are more experienced.

 

Depends on how serious the program is I guess.  My basketball coach played professional ball in Europe, but he eventually left to go play pro ball again.  The head coach for my high school football team was our history teacher that did it for some extra cash, but our football team hadn't won a league championship in over 2 decades so sports was perhaps not the biggest priority in my high school.

[camussie]

That he could pick up at the community college, which is what Finn was doing, and then Puck.

 

 

Nothing wrong with community colleges but Lima U was not a community college.  Also Puck was not going to college.  He was simply hanging around the dorms.  

[theschnauzers]

Haven't football coaches usually played the game to some level before coaching? Sam never played after his sophomore year in high school. Any players in junior or senior year are more experienced.

There is an offensive coordinator who has been with several college and NFL teams, who has never played a down of football. Name is Judd Fisch (has been with the Seahawks and the Jaguars, and with the U and now has just signed on to another college program after the head coach in Jacksonville was fired a couple of months ago.) So it is entirely possible to be a good coach and not to have actually played the game. There are skills involved in coaching that are necessarily developed on the field.

Edited March 15, 2015 by theschnauzers

[Beach Party]

I hope Sheldon Bieste is the future coach of WMHS football.  Sam could go back to modeling in NYC. 

[camussie]

Sam doesn't want to live in NYC.  He made that very clear.  He accomplished his goal of getting his junk on a bus and headed back to the small town life he wanted.  

Edited March 15, 2015 by camussie

[Beach Party]

Then maybe the show will have Bieste step down as coach in five years.

[dmmetler]

In the real, non-Glee world, Health and Physical education absolutely is a college concentration and/or major depending on which state you're in, and if you're teaching classes as more than a substitute, you have to be highly qualified, which requires X college credit hours in the field (basically at least a minor or concentration). Otherwise, it counts against the district, and federal funds can be affected. In many states, it can also lead to state takeover in this post NCLB era. Sam substituting for Bieste for a few weeks (since apparently in this Glee-World surgical transitioning is a snap of the fingers process), fine, but he can't be hired full-time as a permanent part of the faculty as a teacher. And the alternative certification, pick up just a few courses to get a license requires a bachelor's degree (usually in the field you're going to be teaching in, or at least something where you have enough content hours in the field you're teaching to hit that magic X-for example, someone with a degree in accounting probably is pretty close to what it takes to teach high school math). There are also a lot of college athletes who pick up the bare bones basics to get a minor in some academic field along with teaching credentials with the expectation that they'll coach. My high school had a biology teacher and two history teachers who were hired primarily to coach football (plus the PE teacher, who was hired to coach basketball), and an accounting teacher hired to coach baseball. All of them except for the PE teacher were marginal teachers in their academic field at best.

 

I'm sure there are schools that hire outside coaches as well. In my area, that happens most with cheer and dance team, where a faculty adviser is appointed, but the actual coaching is done by someone outside the school who is paid by the "booster club" (which means that parents write checks so their child can be on the team).

[Omnihelix]

It was good to see Rachel Berry finally at peace.

[RealityCowgirl]

I work in a college of education, at an institution where the health and kinesiology program (where the P.E. teaching program is located) is nationally renowned. The "highly-qualified" requirement is serious business. Our secondary ed students get the equivalent of a second degree in their concentration area to meet it. Post-baccalaureate students (already have a college degree, returning to qualify for teaching certification) participate in a multi-year, multi-course process.

 

The misrepresentation of teachers, and education generally, on this show is downright criminal. No biggie - unless you're insisting on centering your stories in a high school where there appears to be one credible, responsible teaching professional (Coach Beiste).

Edited March 16, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[spiritof76]

 

Our secondary ed students get the equivalent of a second degree in their concentration area to meet it.

As someone who has a degree in secondary education with a concentration in English I have to agree. By the time I was done I practically had a degree in English as well. (I ended up not going into teaching but that's another story). I had a few friends in my education class who were majoring in physical ed so it is definitely something one can get a degree in. In some states you can't even be a substitute teacher without a college degree. It doesn't have to necessarily be an education degree however. So, Sam could possibly be a football coach without being a teacher, but usually if that's the case it's because the person has some great football talent/success. But if they want us to believe he is operating in anyway as a teacher? He needs to have gone to college and not just gotten a degree but also be certified to teach. Getting a degree in education is separate from getting certified. I know it's Glee, but for a show that says they care about education they sure on't seem to know a lot about it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know it's Glee, but for a show that says they care about education they sure on't seem to know a lot about it.

Ha, we could say the same thing about Glee's knowledge of show choir, college, Broadway, and pretty much everything else ever depicted on the show! They are equal opportunity about their ignorance!

[Hana Chan]

I'm made multiple comments about her lack of real direct effort in obtaining any of these goals, but Broadway in particular. She at least went to Ms. Tibideaux to ask for her spot at NYADA back, which shows some initiative on her part. You can't say that about the Broadway role. She did nothing except show up to the audition. Mercedes was the one who used her influence to get her the audition in the first place and then Rachel learns that likely the only reason that she was being offered the part was because Jesse was pulling strings on her behalf. The impression that I was getting was that Rachel wouldn't have been offered the part had Jesse not used his influence to get the producers to give her more consideration.

 

So how could Rachel even start to think that she got that part because she really was the best there? Even at her most self-involved, she would have had to recognize that the only reason she was offered the role was because so many people went out of their way and vouched for her and used whatever pull they had to get her this opportunity. That's not like saying that she had her friends as good references. I think that the instant Jesse told Rachel that he was the one who convinced the director to offer her the part, the writing was on the wall that Rachel wasn't ready to return to Broadway (and that as importantly, Broadway wasn't really ready for her to return just yet).

 

If Rachel is showing more maturity, she's going to be wanting to look forward to a career, not just a single job. She's not going to get that if she's dependent on others to open doors for her all the time (or worse, that she gets the reputation of needing others to pull strings in order for her to get hired). Going to NYADA, for me, shows that she's now serious about her career and taking a mature outlook that what might appear to be a step backwards is actually going to put her in a much stronger position in a few years than she would be if she took this role straight away. And then, she'll be secure in the knowledge that if she does get a part, it's be because she really earned it and not because somebody else made it happen for her.

[Beach Party]

Rachel going back to NYADA satisfactorily addresses my concern for boredom with her dream role last season.  NYADA training might help develop her as a professional who can be fulfilled long-term doing the same lines + songs day in and day out.

[tom87]

It still is funny due to the fact that she had the longest rehearsal process in history plus did an out of town run of the musical and then a month or so and still they went with the boredom aspect which was still so unnecessary.  As I said before it would have been enough for her just to want everything to much and go for the shiny new project.

 

Seriously she was with the show for year overall.  She got the role in spring of 2013 and the show opened  spring of 2014.  Now it is just Nov/Dec 2014.   But its glee.

Edited March 16, 2015 by tom87

[caracas1914]

It was too hard not to veer in bad taste/exploitation for these writers, but Rachel saying it was a a bad year, It's plausible to me after Finn's death she wouldn't get fulfillment/satisfaction with anything she did.  She felt empty, and I think that disoriented Rachel and kept her off balance.  However going that route would have seemed using Cory/Finn's death for an easily SL device I suppose, but it makes sense for her character.

 

I think it was too soon; the  BW triumph with Funny Girl still felt empty and she was puzzled why since it was her lifelong dream, leading to her boredom and wanting to move on. 

 

Fully admit that is my new head canon.

Edited March 16, 2015 by caracas1914

[tom87]

It was too hard not to veer in bad taste/exploitation for these writers, but Rachel saying it was a a bad year, It's plausible to me after Finn's death she wouldn't get fulfillment/satisfaction with anything she did.

 

I think it was too soon; the  BW triumph with Funny Girl still felt empty and she was puzzled why since it was her lifelong dream, leading to her boredom and wanting to move on. 

 

Fully admit that is my new head canon.

I always wondered if they might circle back to her being restless like  when she got the tattoo.  Even wanting to grab for everything  since you never know when it might end would have made sense.

Edited March 16, 2015 by tom87

[Hana Chan]

The problem wasn't so much that Rachel was bored. It was that she felt trapped. She thought that doing one part would be an automatic ticket to future successes and at the first hint that it might not, then her discontentment with the show started to come out.

 

It was just more evidence at how unprepared for professional theater Rachel was. Not that she didn't have the talent, but she didn't have the mental fortitude to deal with the stresses of performing daily and seemed to be at total loss over how to handle the certain slow times when finding a new job might not come so easily. She needed more training and more experience in the lower levels of professional theater before being ready to not just have a lead role, but to basically be responsible for carrying an entire production.

 

Totally agree that because it came so quickly as so easily (as Funny Girl was literally her second professional audition period) that she ended up not really appreciating it and was so quick to toss it aside the instant someone else dangled a shiny prize in front of her nose.