The Glee Club's Big-Screen Summer

As every true 'Gleek' knows by now, the cast of "Glee" will hit the big screen this summer in "Glee Live! In 3D!" which is a 3D film of the glee club's 2011 concert tour "Glee Live!". The concert (which I attended with my friend Rachel on June 16) features all the members of 'The New Directions', Rachel (Lea Michelle), Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Cris Colfer), Mercedes (Amber Riley), Artie (Kevin McHale), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Puck (Mark Salling), Santana (Naya Rivera), Brittney (Heather Morris), Sam (Chord Overstreet), Lauren (Ashley Fink) and Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) singing and dancing to some of their most recognized tunes. It also features special guest appearances by Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) and 'The Warblers,' Holly Holiday (Gwyneth Paltrow), and last, but certainly not least Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). The concert also includes a video cameo of Will Schuster (Matthew Morrison) talking to real live Brittney about singing a song by an idol of hers (which led to her stripping into her Brittany Spears-Gear and performing "Slave For You" (but with no snake). Some special moments in the show included the opening number (introduced by Sue) which was, of course "Don't Stop Believin'," Rachel belting out "Firework" (with an incredible amount of fireworks exploding around her), Sam and Quinn singing together in "Lucky," Holly Holiday and the club performing "Forget You," Blaine and The Warblers singing "Teenage Dream," "Silly Love Songs" and "Raise Your Glass," and a surprise performance by Kurt and a few girls in black leotards dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (Remember that from the episode "Preggers"?) It will certainly be an epic summer movie and a huge event for Gleeks everywhere!

Besides the concert and the movie, a few of the glee clubbers have other things to look forward to this summer.

Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury) will be featured along side Neil Patrick Harris (Bryan Ryan) in this summer's "The Smurfs" (in theaters July 29). Mays will be playing the role of Grace Winslow. Harris will be playing the role of Patrick Winslow.

Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams) stepped out of his wheelchair this summer in Katy Perry's new music video (which premiered on June 12) for her hit single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),"  along side Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson). McHale played the role of Everett McDonald. Criss played the role of Aaron Christopherson.

Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson) will be seen in theaters this summer in the new movie "Monte Carlo" (in theaters July 1). Monteith will be playing the role of Owen.


Have an awesome summer, Gleeks! Don't forget to see "Glee Live! In 3D!" in theaters August 12.

"NEW YORK"

After two long hilarious and wonderful years, the New Directions have finally made it to Nationals! This season’s finale takes place (where else) in New York City! The show choir is definitely up to their knees in drama and big questions. Will Rachel and Finn get back together? Will Mr. Schuster go to Broadway or stay with the glee club? WHERE’S WALDO? And, the question on everybody’s mind: Who will win big at Nationals??? Well, unfortunately there was a tight time slot, so we never found out where Waldo was, but all of the other questions were answered in “New York” which premiered May 24 on FOX. All good things must come to an end, but I’m glad this season of Glee went out with a bang!

Rachel Berry looks out at the busy streets of Manhattan. Marquis for famous Broadway shows surround her. This is her future. This is her life. She and the glee club have finally made it to the Big Apple. As the group sits on the TKTS staircase, eating lunch in Time Square (exactly what I was doing the day before they began shooting), the group discusses their excitement for the big event. Finn suggests that they try to complete their original songs for which they are planning to perform at the upcoming competition, but the gang is really excited to be in NYC, and want to see the sights. As the New Directions are checking into their hotel, Finn approaches Rachel on her questionable relationship with Jessie St. Stupid Head. She says that he has been trying to talk to her, but she insists that she will not let boy drama spoil her trip. While Will leaves the kids in the hotel to work on their songs, he heads over to the theater where he is scheduled to perform in “CrossRhodes: The April Rhodes Story.” Back at the hotel, the glee club has gotten nowhere with the songwriting. Quinn suggests that they should go out to get some inspiration. The other agree, and they head out to the streets of Manhattan and sing Madonna’s “I Love New York” which was filmed in various popular sight-seeing areas such as Time’s Square, Central Park and Lincoln Center. In the boy’s room at the hotel, the other guys persuade Finn to ask Rachel out on “one of those big awful dates you see in those unwatchable romantic comedies that you grow a vagina if you watch all the way through” (classic Puck dialogue). Meanwhile, back at “CrossRhodes,” Will enters the stage. He looks out on the large audience, contemplating on what decision to make. Morrison performs his own song, “Still Got Tonight,” which impresses one of the producers, who says that Will is one of the greatest performers he’s ever seen. Meanwhile, Finn has invited Rachel on a date, and they meet up in Central Park. Finn claims that the date is strictly professional (that’s a bunch of happy horse s***), and is just a ‘work date.’ The First stop is Sardi’s Restaurant ‘The Birthplace of the Tony Award.’ When Finn tries to tell Rachel his true feelings, Rachel notices a familiar face in the restaurant: Patti LuPone, the Broadway legend. She instantly becomes a nervous reck and starts freaking out. She conquers her fear and approaches Ms. LuPone. She tells her that she is her idol and that they are in a show choir competition. She wishes them luck, and tells Rachel to never give up. When Patti exits, Rachel sits back down, completely star struck. As Rachel and Finn leave the restaurant, Rachel tells him how great the night has been and the only thing left would be a group of singers serenading them (and, whaddaya know? Sam, Puck, Artie and Mike Chang just happen to be there at that exact moment to perform “Bella Notte” from “The Lady and the Tramp). Finn tries to kiss Rachel, but she refuses and storms away (Epic Finn-Fail). The next morning, Kurt wakes up Rachel and they sneak out to have “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” As “Moon River” plays, the two stand outside the famous jewelry shop with coffee and a bagel (seem familiar?). Rachel reveals her plans to come to New York after graduating high school, as is Kurt. She also seems conflicted on whether to choose love or Broadway. Seeing that she is torn between two halves, he takes her to the Gershwin Theater (where their favorite show “Wicked” is performed). They break into the theater, and perform “For Good” from the show on the actual stage (didn’t Lea Michelle look exactly like Idina Menzel during this song? It was kind of creepy. I just wished they put Kurt in Glinda’s bubble and had him flying around the stage! Haha). When they finish the song Rachel realizes that she doesn’t have to choose, because Broadway is her true love. Meanwhile, at the hotel, Quinn exposes her pain from the breakup. She questions Brittany and Santana why Tina and Rachel and Lauren have love and she doesn’t. The two try to cheer her up by taking her to get a haircut (are haircuts really that exciting for girls?). While in the lobby, Will is approached by Dustin Goolsby (the coach of Vocal Adrenaline) who wishes him good luck in his Broadway debut. The two have a conversation, and Goolsby reveals his hatred for his students. Will tries to explain why he loves his kids so much, but Goolsby just wishes him good luck again and leaves, unmoved by Will’s emotions. In the hotel rooms, the kids tell Will that they found out about his Broadway debut, and they encourage him to go for it. Will tells them that he has decided to stay with them, and they all share in a group hug. At the competition, the group is very confident. A show choir impressively performs Usher’s “Yeah!” making the glee club a little nervous. Speaking of nervous, while in the bathroom, Rachel finds Sunshine Corazon puking from the stress of the competition. Rachel frames her of sticking her finger down her throat, and the furious Sunshine asks her why she hates her so much. She announces that she will be going back to her home country because of Vocal Adrenaline, but before Sunshine can leave, Rachel tells her that she was just jealous of her talent, and she encourages her to go back on stage. Vocal Adrenaline then performs “As Long As You’re There” led by Sunshine. It is a tough act to follow, but the New Directions take the stage. Backstage, Finn asks Rachel why she won’t take him back, and she says that her one true love is the stage. Jessie arrives just in time to see the Rachel and Finn perform an original song, “Pretending.” You can see that throughout the entire song, Finn is trying to impress Rachel, when nothing works, Finn and Rachel kiss to close off the number. Jessie and Will are shocked, as is most of the audience, but the show must go on. The entire club then performs another original song, “Light Up the World.” The club gets a standing ovation from the audience, and things seem promising for the group. Jessie breaks the group’s excitement when he calls the kiss unprofessional and that it might ruin their chances. The top ten teams are posted and Will goes up to see what they’ve placed. “Portland Scale Blazers, Vocal Adrenaline, The Waffletoots, Singaz Wit Attitude, Jefferson City Airplane, Twelve Steps, Vocal Chordz, Soundsplosion, Teenage Scream and Vocal Extreme”…no New Directions. The shocking blow forces some to tears, but most are just in a state of shock. While Kurt and Blaine discuss the trip at a coffee shop, Sam and Mercedes enter. It is revealed to us that they are dating, but they decide to keep it a secret (I knew it!). Back at McKinley High, Santana is still mad at their loss, but Brittany tries to explain to her that they lost together, as a family, and that everything they go through, they get through it together. Meanwhile, Rachel finds Finn hiding in the library. He feels terrible and he blames himself for their loss at Nationals. Rachel convinces him that they’ll always have another shot at Nationals, and that she loves him very much. The two kiss, and it looks like ‘Finnchel’ is back together. Then, the glee club all comes together for their final meeting of the year. Will announces “Do you want to see what twelfth place looks like?” And, with that, he holds up a miniscule trophy as the glee club cheers with pride.

It was definitely an awesome way to end the season. Seeing the glee club in New York was definitely an exciting sight to behold. It definitely shows that anything can happen if you try your best. It was definitely inspiring Well done, guys! GREAT SEASON!

RATING:****

WHERE TO WATCH:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/243572/glee-new-york#s-p1-so-i0

http://www.hulu.com/watch/243572/glee-new-york#s-p1-so-i0

Big Expectations in the Big Apple

Glee's big Entertainment Weekly article.

            The question in on everybody’s mind: Who will take home the gold? It is definitely up in the air about who will win at Nationals in “New York” (premiering May, 24 on FOX). There has been much speculation on the subject and has caught the attention of Entertainment Weekly, PopEater.com and fans and critics everywhere. Will New Directions win Nationals? 

                                                   

In a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, the popular TV musical-comedy got a two-page article just speculating about the upcoming episode. It is revealed that Rachel and Kurt will be performing “For Good” from the hit Broadway musical “Wicked,” in the Gershwin Theater where the classic is performed 8 times a week. Also, Matthew Morrison (Will) will perform “Still Got Tonight” from his own new album that was released 12 days ago on May 10, 2011. In the upcoming episode, there will be performances of “Bella Note” (from “The Lady and the Tramp”) and “Yeah!” (by Usher). There will be several original songs performed by the New Directions at the Nationals competition.

            And what is a season finale without GUEST STARS? A special cameo appearance by Patti LuPone while Finn and Rachel are out on the town on a romantic date will be featured in the episode. Returning to the series will be Jonathon Groth (as Jessie St. James), Charice (as Sunshine Corazon), Dustin Goolsby (as the Vocal Adrenaline coach Cheyenne Jackson) and Darren Chris (as Blaine Anderson).

            The episode was filmed on location in New York City. The upcoming finale includes popular sight-seeing areas such as Times Square, Central Park, Lincoln Center, the Gershwin Theatre and Sardi’s. Of course, filming one of the most popular shows on television in one of the most popular places on earth wasn’t easy, and the cast had to deal with paparazzi and adoring fans while trying to film the episode.

             The episode will be directed by Brad Falchuk and will conclude the season. There is so much to expect, and so many speculations. Will the glee club win big? In the words of Frank Sinatra, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere!”

WATCH “New York” premiering May 24, 2011 on FOX

"FUNERAL"

       Death. Not the expected topic for a get-happy-musical-comedy television show. But, the can does get kicked in the latest installment into the “Glee” television series. “Funeral,” which premiered May 17 on FOX, is the first real dramatic episode the series has ever produced, which would’ve been hard to tell, if I had never seen the show before yesterday. The writing was good enough to bring a small tear to my eye. Of course, I would never admit it to anyone (wait a second….oops). Although the writing was very impressive, it can’t hold a candle to last week’s episode, “Prom Queen.” I personally have been lucky enough to have never experienced a death in my family. My grandmother died when I was less than a year old, so that doesn’t really effect me. I have two grandparents who are married and are 88 years old, and my ‘Pop Rocky’ who is 96 years old (nope, not kidding…96!!), so seeing this episode really made me think about how terrible a death can have on your life.  It was definitely a very unique episode.

            So, what’s going on with the glee club? The New Directions has a new show choir consultant, you guessed it: the greasy-haired, annoyingly sarcastic Jessie St. Douche Bag. In “Prom Queen,” he did mention that he wanted to create a program to help suffering glee clubs (wait…he was serious about that?). But, I guess Will figured, “What the hell? He’s just a college flunk-out, and just happened to destroy their chances at Nationals last year. LET’S GIVE HIM OUR MONEY!”. But he turns out to be a show choir bossy paints/jerk instead of a consultant. Of course, the glee club protests (with the exception of Rachel), but Will convinces them that Jessie can help them win at Nationals. Finn wants to sing with Rachel at Nationals, and he claims they ‘killed it,’ CUE QUINN’S B**** RESPONSE: “Yeah, killed us. We lost.” (haha) Jessie disagrees, and thinks they should have one star to perform at Nationals, and they will have auditions to decide who the lucky show choir member will be. It just so happens Jessie isn’t the only problem the glee club Has on its hands. Sue has recently hired Will’s insane ex-spouse Terry, who hired her assistant manager at ‘Sheets and Things,’ Howard (a.k.a. Panda Express) rerouted the glee club’s plane tickets from New York to Libya by hacking into the email account of Principal Figgins. The glee club isn’t the only one with Sue problems. Becky Jackson, a Cheerio with special needs, has just been kicked off the award-winning cheer squad by Sue for reasons unknown. Becky wishes to join the club, but Will says it is too late to join, but he welcomes her to try next year. Will approaches Sue, infuriated at her recent elimination to the Cheerios. She reveals that the reason Becky is off the team is that she reminds Sue of her sister, who has special needs. Sue reveals that her sister had past away the other day. Will is apologetic, but Sue bares a straight face. She delivers such depressing lines, but she seems to be holding in her sadness and depression. Meanwhile, the competition for the big spot at Nationals is surprisingly small. It’s down to Rachel, Kurt, Santana and Mercedes. Rachelo questions why Finn hasn’t signed up. He admits that he has really been effected by Jessie’s sudden appearance, and he is convinced that he isn’t good enough to take on something as big as New York City. Meanwhile, Emma is helping Will prepare to head to The Big Apple. As they clean out his closet (filled with sweater vests…haha) he finds the sweater he wore when he and Emma had first met. Emma is very supportive, and tells him that he needs to let go of the old memories, because he is going on to the big time. Sue is hiding herself in the privacy of her office when Kurt and Finn enter, bearing gifts for the mourning woman. When she questions why they bother, they explain how they both have been through deaths (Finn lost his dad and Kurt lost his mom). Sue reveals to them how it is too painful for her to go back to the nursing home, and that she doesn’t even think she will have the strength to plan her sister’s funeral. She questions why her sister had to die instead of her, and we feel the pain, even if she has not shown any tears. Seeing the pain, Finn and Kurt decide to get the glee club to plan the funeral. The glee club agrees, but Jessie protests saying that they should be focused on Nationals. Annoyed and pissed off at the comment, Finn takes matters into his own hands and, as a new-born leader, decides for the club. They are helping with the funeral. Will tries to approach Sue about the matter, and tells her how honored the club is, but Sue finds a way to sneak in her usual hair joke…like nothing has changed. The time has come to find The New Direction’s big solo. First up is Santana performing the episodes first musical number, “Back to Black.” In my opinion, this was Santana’s break out performance. This was the first time I’ve ever seen her really break out of her shell. Very nice performance, well at least, not in Jessie’s eyes. With an insulting analogy, Jessie-the-Smart-Ass was threatened by Santana who claimed “I’m about to go ALL Lima Heights.” (haha). Next up is Kurt Hummel performing another number from the Broadway classic “Gypsy,” “Some People” (he previously performed “Rose’s Turn” in the Season One episode “Laryngitis”). While watching this at my friend’s house, I found myself singing along, which my friend found annoying. Sorry! It’s a very catchy tune, and was performed very well by Cris. Jessie responds to the flashy performance by questioning Kurt’s ability to rise up to the expectations of someone to sing that song (famously performed by Bette Midler, Patti LuPone and Ethel Merman, among many other lucky actors to be given the chance to play the part of Rose). And with that stinger, Kurt leaves. Jessie has pretty much taken over the auditions at this point. “Jessie St. James definitely Jessie. St. Sucks!” says Kurt as he enters the classroom (You tell ‘em). The cockey Santana agrees, saying that she “kicked that song square in the balls”. Mercedes, confident, enters the stage, and blows the roof off the auditorium with “Try a Little Tenderness.” Will expresses his admiration for Mercedes’s star performance, and says that she reminded him of why he started the club: to turn an ordinary high school student into a star. CUR JESSIE’S A-HOLE RESPONSE: “You’re not a star, you’re just a girl who can really sing.” He expresses his concern for her lack of rehearsal, and questions her capability to rehearse it day and night. Will believes in her, but Jessie doesn’t. Mercedes grabs the microphone and storms off.  And, finally, it’s down to one. Rachel takes the stage and belts out a magnificent performance of “My Man” from “Funny Girl,” famously performed by Barbara Streisand. This performance even brings Kurt to tears as he admits, “She may be difficult, but boy, can she sing.” Of course, to only this performance does Jessie respond positively. The others claim that the competition is rigged, but Will assures the others that he makes the final decision by the end of the week. Back at the nursing home, Kurt and Finn have cleaned out Sue’s sister’s room. It’s filled with newspapers, magazines, photo books, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (her sister’s favorite movie) and some old home movies. Sue tells them to throw all of it out, and she takes one stuffed animal which her sister received when she was six years old. Kurt and Finn try to get her to keep some more things, but she asks why they aren’t rehearsing whatever stupid song that they’re planning to sing at the funeral. In annoyance, Kurt asks her why she even bothered to allow them to plan the service, and she says that she just thought her sister deserved a full house at the funeral. Well, the day of the service has come, and Sue enters the funeral home. Will tells her how people from the home and their families have all come for her. When she enters the room, it is like a scene from “Willy Wonka.” It is absolutely beautiful. When Kurt and Finn approach Sue, they tell her how they wanted her funeral to be as special as her sister. Sue is baffled, but still doesn’t shed a tear. When it is Sue’s turn to speak, she calmly steps up to the front of the room and begins her eulogy. “I miss my sister. Every night, at 10:00 or so, she would call and when I asked her why, she told me that her body told her that she needed to hear my voice.” With that treasured memory, Sue breaks down in tears, the ones that she has been holding inside for all of this time. Will steps up to the microphone and finishes for her. (I found this moment especially touching, so I thought I should include the entire eulogy):

“I miss my sister. The smell of her shampoo. The way she could always convince me to read her another book. When you love someone, like I loved her, they’re apart of you. It’s like you’re attached by this invisible tether, and no matter how far away you are, you can always feel them. And now, every time I reach for that tether, I know there’s no one on the other end, and I feel like I’m falling into nothingness. Then I remember Jean. I remember a life led with no enemies, no resentments, no regrets—and I’m inspired to get up out of bed and go on. I miss my sister so much. It feels like a piece of me has been ripped off. Just one more time, I want to hold her. Ten more seconds—is that too much to ask? For ten more seconds to hold her? But I can’t and I won’t, and they only thing keeping me from being swallowed whole by sadness is that Jean would kill me if I did. So, for now I’m just going to miss her. I love you Jeanie. Rest in peace.”

How can you follow something as emotional as that? By performing a beautiful rendition of “Pure Imagination.” As the classic tune continues, Sue turns her attention to the television, where home movies are being played. Her whole life flashes before her eyes in a mear 2 minutes and 24 seconds. The service ends, and Finn is in his car, crying, waiting for Quinn. When she comes, she says that she is so proud of what he did for Sue. When she asks why he’s crying he says, CUE FINN’S SHOCKING RESPONSE: “Because I’m breaking up with you.” (dun, dun, duuuuuun!!!) He says that he really tried to make things work and to move on from what happened last year, but he just can’t fix it. Quinn tries to help him, and says she will have to deal with his confusion with Rachel. He denies and she starts to cry. You can see that Finn is still in love with her, but she’s too emotional to go on, and she leaves Finn alone in his car (what a scene!). Back at McKinley, Jessie and Will are deciding who will be the star at the upcoming tournament. Will is unsure about the whole idea of picking one person, but Jessie assures him that if he picks Rachel, they will win at Nationals hands down. Meanwhile, Becky hands in her pom-poms and her megaphone to Sue, but Sue stops her, and apologizes. She then tells Becky that next year, she will be captain of the Cheerios. Becky is so thankful, but before she leaves, Sue asks for a hug. As they embrace, you can see that Sue has truly changed, and is looking forward to her new life. Sue then goes to Will, and wishes him luck at Nationals. She says that she sees a lot of Jean in Will, because they both have pure hearts. She also announces that she will no longer be attacking the glee club, due to her new campaign for the United States House of Representatives. She also announces that in a fit of rage, she rerouted the glee club’s trip from New York to Libya, but, out of the blue, Terry enters with first class tickets for the glee club to go to NYC. She says that after she told their sob story to the head of American Airlines (who happens to be a supporter of the arts) he gave them the tickets for free. Terry also announces how she will be moving to Miami and will manage a new branch of ‘Sheets and Things’. With the tickets set, and the bags packed, Will is all set, except with Emma, who appears in one of Will’s vests. He assures her that he won’t be in New York forever, but she encourages him to follow the right path, and do something for himself. She kisses him on the cheek and walks away (like she always does; crying; awwwww). In the auditorium, Jessie approaches Rachel and declares his love for her (but not before spilling the beans about the solo—Rachel has won). In a touching moment, they kiss, and Finn is there to witness it. As the two go off, Finn reveals a flower which was meant for Rachel (awwwwww). Instead of posting the winner, Will posts a call for an urgent meeting in the choir room. There, he reveals that no one will be getting a solo. They will be singing together as a group. Jessie tries to change Will’s mind, but Will is confident, and the group gets a head start at writing their original songs. Finn goes up to Quinn, and tells her that he’s happy that she didn’t quit glee club. She says that she wouldn’t dream of it, because her big New York plans would be ruined. When Finn asks what they are, she just says, “You’ll see.” (hot).

            Even though this episode lacked the excitement of “Prom Queen,” it was definitely a good episode. It truly locked into your softer side, and it was very entertaining. I’m very glad that we got to see a brand new side of Sue that was emotionally impacting (and possibly an Emmy-worthy performance). As for the writing, well, I’m sure whoever the brave soul was had a very tough time writing that eulogy, because to write something that personal, you need to really touch base with the character, so great job, Mr. Murphy. Well, next week’s episode is certainly one to look forward to. The Big Apple, baby! “Start spreading the news…”

RATING: ***

WHERE TO WATCH:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/239940/glee-funeral

http://www.fox.com/glee/full-episodes/

NEXT EPISODE: “New York” airing May 24, 2011 on FOX 

"PROM QUEEN"

Wow. What a comeback! I have to say that “Prom Queen,” which aired on Tuesday, March 10 was hands down my favorite episode…of the season (sorry, Season 1 was incredible). It was a perfect bled of humor, heart and some of the greatest musical performances ever to grace the series, which I feared was going down hill. I only wish that this episode got a more deserving spot, such as the season finale (which is airing May 24). This work of genius also put my concern about bad use of guest stars to rest (thank you Jonathan Groff). But I must give props to Ian Brennan for writing this unexpected masterpiece, for it contained all the elements of a good piece of writing: a good plot, creative conflict, and SHOCKERS!

We open on the nerdy, jew-frowed Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman; another great guest star) reporting on the hottest topic the school is talking about: Who will win the race for prom royalty at this year’s Junior Prom? He interviews Puck, and asks him a question that puts him off-guard: “Where does Lauren keep your balls?” Jacob reminds him off how his bad-ass status has been on the down low for quite a while, which inspires Puck to kick it up a notch (this was a little bit of a let-down compared to last week’s opener, “Fondue For Two”). Then, it is announced that The New Directions get the chance to perform at prom for money (wait…doesn’t that revoke their amateur status and therefore disqualify them from competing in Nationals??? Am I the only one who thought that when this was on???). Also revealed, the story of Sue’s antique punch bowl. Besides the fact that her mother drowned in it, she also shares her fear of it being doused with alchohol by the glee club. To Sue’s dismay, Will gets his way. When the exciting announcement (about the prom, not the punch bowl) to the glee club, everybody seems enthusiastic, except for Mercedes who storms out. Rachel goes to comfort her, and we truly feel her pain of wanting to be Cinderella for just one night of her life. Rachel is determined to get Mercedes to that prom with a date. Meanwhile, Kurt also seeks out a date for prom in Blaine. Blaine has had a bead experience with proms, when he got beat up after he took a male date to his prom, but Blaine can see how much Kurt wants to go, and he gives in (usually I’m a little uncomfortable watching these scenes between Kurt and Blaine because they are usually written poorly, but this one I have to say had a lot of heart, and was portrayed wonderfully by Cris and Darren). Then, Rachel gets the million dollar idea on what to do about Mercedes. She asks Sam to go with her and Mercedes in a group, and they will all pitch in to make it affordable for Sam. Then, it’s time for the girls’ (and Kurt’s) favorite part of prom…dress shopping! While at the dress shop, Kurt reveals that he will be going with Blaine. While everyone is celebrating, Santana pulls him aside and assures him that she and Karofsky (the ‘Bully Whips’) will be patrolling him through school so that he is not bullied (really so that she’ll get sympathy for the upcoming election). Then, Puck approaches Artie with the idea that will bring his bad-ass status to an all time high. He asks Artie to help him spike the punch bowl at prom, and he also stresses how this could also help him out with his Brittany problems. Artie denies, hoping that he can win Brittany over without alchoholic punch. Then, up next is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen on this show: an a capella performance of “Rolling in the Deep” performed by Rachel and…JESSIE ST. JAMES???? (dun dun duuuuun!!), as well as some busy, and surprisingly harmonic prom committee decorators (THANK YOU LORD FOR PUTTING IN THAT PERFORMANCE!!). Jessie has recently flunked out of college due to not attending a single class (a-hole). You can see that Rachel wants to stay strong, but as soon as  he apologizes for flinging eggs at her face, and asks her to prom, she melts (ugh…will she ever learn?). Then, Finn approaches Rachel about the subject and she claims that he is just joining the prom-on-a-budget group. Finn tries to talk her out of it, but she makes a very clear point: she’s been supportive of him and Quinn, even though she still has deep feelings for Finn, and that he just be just as respective (Although, I am very happy that Finn still cares for Rachel as a friend even after what they’ve been through). Meanwhile, Santana has kept her word and with Karofsky, are patrolling Kurt to an annoying level. Then, during Brittany’s concern about breaking an egg with a dead chicken inside of it in cooking class, Artie enters the classroom, and asks Brittany to prom in front of class with Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” with a little help from Puck and Sam on guitar, and Finn and Mike tapping on various kitchen utensils (making my second favorite performance of the night). Even after a heart felt performance like that, Brittany denies, though she does see how sorry Artie is and how bad he feels (good for you Brittany! Don’t be a Rachel Berry!). This rejection leads Artie to agree to help Puck spike the punch at prom, because he feels that he has lost the only girl that will ever like him again, and is desperate to impress her (poor Artie). Back at the Hummel residence, Blaine decides that he will help out the glee club perform at prom. Kurt emerges in a half tux/half dress outfit that he is planning to wear to prom. Finn likes it, and describes it as ‘gay Braveheart, but Kurt’s dad and Blaine disagree, and think it is a little too much (I’m glad Finn is not painfully honest with Kurt, and that he is now fully supportive of him, like a true brother). Kurt states that he is wearing the suit no matter what, with or without Blaine. The next day, as Karofsky is walking Kurt to class, Kurt expresses to him how he notices how miserable Karofsky has become, and advises him that he should ‘come out’ when the right time comes. Seeing how supportive Kurt is even after the way he treated him, Karofsky breaks into tears. He sees what horrible things he has done to this innocent kid, and apologizes again, this time meaningfully. Before prom begins, the whole crew goes out to Breadsticks with their dates. After criticizing Sam’s bolo-tie, Jessee proposes the idea to open a dance school specifically for glee clubs. The idea is tuned down by Mercedes and Sam, but Rachel supports it, claiming ‘He’s so smart. I can’t believe he flunked out of college (best line of the night!). Finn and Quinn go up to them, and a little argument between Finn and Jessee occurs (don’t worry, I wouldn’t think much of it. I mean, it’s not like Finn is going to, I don’t know, punch Jessee in the face and have them both kicked out of prom). Then, the moment has arrived: PROM IS FINALLY HERE! Unfortunately it had to open with one of the worst songs ever written, “Friday” by Rebecca Black. Although on countless occasions I have expressed my hatred to the top-selling tune, this version (that included Puck, Sam and Artie) was surprisingly my third favorite song of the episode. We go to commercial break with Brittany screaming “Best prom ever!” and so it seems, for now! We come back to Rachel’s fantastic solo performance of “Jar of Hearts,” by Christina Perri. The song was written about a girl denying a reconnect with her ex-boyfriend after a tough breakup (maybe Rachel should be listening more to the lyrics rather than the sound of her own voice). During which, Mercedes gets her wish. Sam tells her how beautiful she looks, and the two join together for a dance. Alright, it’s time to stop being serious and loving, and get to one of the top perks of watching Glee: SUE! When Artie is pouring something into the punch, Sue catches him and takes him to her office where she threatens him with dental equipment. She claims he is the worst P.O.W. and that John McCain is rolling over in his grave (haha). During a less enthusiastic performance of “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend to Dance With You,” Jesse gets a little too close to Rachel for Finn to bare. He goes up to Jesse and they start fighting. Finn punches Jesse right in the kisser, and Sue is there to witness it. The two are removed from the prom (who could’ve predicted that?). But, the winner will have to be announced without Finn there to accept the award. Whoops! He wound up losing! In a suprising twist, Karofsky won prom king. And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for! The 2011 Junior Prom Queen is…Kurt Hummel??? SHOCKER!!! In an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment, Kurt storms out, as does Quinn and Santana. Blaine goes to Kurt, Rachel goes to Quinn, and Brittany goes to Santana. Kurt thinks he is a big joke, and that he was stupid to believe that people had changed. Quinn is hysterical, knowing well that people didn’t vote for her because Finn truly loves Rachel. She slaps Rachel in anger, and realizing what she has done, apologizes, shocked at herself. Santana is upset that her beard won and she didn’t, and thinks she will always be an outcast. Meanwhile, Artie reveals that he was too afraid to spike the punch with gin, so he used lemonade instead. Sue kicks him out of her office saying he should be ashamed of himself for being such a terrible prisoner. In the end, Rachel reassures Quinn about her fear of losing Finn, Brittany encourages Santana to be herself, and Kurt returns to the prom, accepts his crown and septor and responds to this embarrassing prank by simply uttering into the microphone “Eat you heart out, Kate Middleton.” He is greeted with a roar of applause. When the king and queen are ready to take their traditional dance, Karofsky bails. Oh well, who needs him? The show closed with an uplifting performance of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” What a night!

I cannot get over how excited I was when I saw this episode. It was an ideal mixture of all the things I wanted to see all season, but unfortunately I only saw in this one. The glee club has always been talking about acceptance, and standing up for what they believe in, and not letting words defeat them. Kurt Hummel accomplished that. Unfortunately, Karofsky, one of the toughest guys in school, couldn’t do what this kid could. That truly shows why Will revived the club almost two years ago when the show premiered. It might not have been the prom that was expected, but boy was it incredible! Thank you Ian Brennan and Eric Stoltz for creating the best episode of Glee yet! I really hope there is even more greatness to come.                         

  

RATING: *****

WHERE TO WATCH:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/237560/glee-prom-queen

http://www.fox.com/glee/full-episodes

NEXT EPISODE: "Funeral" premiering May 17 on FOX

"RUMOURS"

This season of "Glee" I have noticed a sudden increase in guest stars (Gwenyth Paltrow, Carol Burnett, John Stamos, etc.), and I must say that I am somewhat disappointed. Don't get me wrong, "Glee" is my favorite show of all time and always will be, but it seems that the show is relying on guests to get a good audience, and it seems almost every episode has a new guest star. Personally, I enjoy just the main cast in an episode rather than an episode mixed with a bunch of pointless subplots including various Hollywood stars. But I must say, this past episode, "Rumours" that premeired on May 3rd, was hands down the episode with the worst use of a guest star, and I'm sorry to say that guest star is one of my favorite actresses: Kristen Chenowith.

In the past episode (that paid tribute to the '70s studio album 'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac) some juicy rumors are popping up all over McKinley High. The show opens on Brittany's internet talk show "Fondue For Two" (my personal favorite part of the show), where Brittany exposes to Mercedes and Tina that Santana plays for "another team" (meaning that she once was on the Cheerios, and now on the New Directions). Of course, the news was misinterpreted as Santana is a closeted lesbian (which she is), which caused a flair between the two BFFs. In the midst of all this gossip, and with prom on the way, Rachel asks Sam to prom, and he responds with a no, and claims that he will not be attending the prom. Another hot rumor that is spreading amongst the McKinley's school newspaper 'The Muckraker,' (now leaded by Sue in another pointless effort to destroy the show choir; to no avail) is that Quinn and Sam are having a late night get together at a cheap motel (Really?), to which Finn storms out of glee rehearsal (Dun, dun, duuuun). Then, out of the blue, April Rhodes (Kristen Chenowith) just happens to appear outside Will's office. She has announced that she is writing a stage musical, based on her life's work (Spoiler Alert: it won't be successful), and she flirtatiously asks Will to help her take this show to Broadway (uh, does she really think people will produce that show? I know, it's TV, I get it!). In light of all of the gossip spreading through WMHS, Will sparks the idea to assign his students to choose a number from Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album, which of course leads to a pointless duet between April and Will of the song "Dreams." Meanwhile, Artie approaches Brittany concerned about her questionable relationship with Santana. Aggravated with Brittany's idiocy, Artie calls Brittany stupid, leaving her in tears, and all of a sudden Puck shows out of nowhere with his guitar, along with a whole crowd of guitarists and back up Arite on the song “Never Going Back Again.” Still bothered by the Sam/Quinn rumor, Finn decides to stakeout the motel to catch Quinn red-handed. Of course, Rachel tags along, in an ongoing effort to reel him back into her arms. But, instead of Quinn, Kurt emerges with Sam from the motel room, leaving Finn and Rachel speechless. Unknowingly, Finn and Rachel are too caught on camera together, which is, of course, another rumor that sparks the gossip column of 'The Muckraker.' Then, Santana decides to face her fear (sort of) by confessing her love to Brittany by serenading her with “Songbird.” Brittany tries to get Santana to open up to the school, and convinces her to appear on “Fondue For Two,” where they will reveal that they will be attending prom together. Santana bails on Brittany right before the web show airs.  Finn, determined to find out the truth, goes on another stakeout with Rachel, and catches Quinn at the motel with Sam. When the Rachel/Finn story reaches Quinn, she approaches her boy friend, who is already prepared to yell at her for her appearance at the motel. Somehow, after a confusing conversation, they end up singing a duet together of “I Don’t Want to Know,” which upsets Rachel, who was hoping to do a duet with Finn. After another confusing argument, Quinn stands her ground and states that Finn won’t be her girlfriend if he sings any duets with Rachel. Of course, Rachel finds a loop-hole by singing “Go Your Own Way” to Finn, who plays the drums behind her (in my opinion, that was the only enjoyable performance of the episode). Once again, Quinn protests, and somehow the conversation switches to Sam, who reveals the truth: his dad lost his job and he is living in the motel, and that Kurt was supplying him with clothes, and Quinn was helping baby-sit his two younger siblings. Ooops! I almost forgot about April and Will! When Emma sees Will and April performing a musical number from her new musical, she tries to convince him to go to Broadway with April. Will is brought to tears because he doesn’t want to leave his students, but he wants to be on Broadway also (was I supposed to feel bad for him just because he cried?). Brittany over hears Santana being interviewed by a ‘Muckraker’ journalist where she claims that she is in love with Dave Karofsky, who she will be attending prom with, leaving Brittany broken hearted twice in one episode (now her, I felt bad for). Feeling guilty about all that had occurred, Finn and Rachel decide to visit Sam. Finn gives Sam some clothes, and reveals that the entire glee club all pitched in to buy back his guitar which his family had sold for money. Sam is moved to tears (Again, was I supposed to feel bad for him?). Then, Sue decides to use April to get Will out of the school and off to Broadway (Can we just stop? We all know he isn’t leaving anyway). Then, to close the show, the glee club sings “Don’t Stop” along with Sam’s little brother and sister (who apparently don’t go to school, considering their presence at the high school).

            All in all, the show was monumentally confusing. Just from listening to the opening narration, you knew that the episode was going to have a lot of different story lines. There were about 9 subplots, and when they were all brought together, it just created one big mess. The basic idea of the episode was creative, how they incorporated in “Rumours,” but I blame the writer. There was too much going on, resulting in one of my least favorite episodes, which is very rare indeed.

RATING: **

WHERE TO WATCH:

           

             http://www.hulu.com/watch/235807/glee-rumours#s-p1-so-i0

            http://www.fox.com/glee/full-episodes/

'GLEE-WIND': http://www.hulu.com/watch/238647/glee-gleewind-rumours#s-p1-sr-i1

NEXT EPISODE: "Prom Queen" airing May 10, 2011 on FOX; 

                              Sneak Peek:http://www.hulu.com/watch/239532/glee-prom-queen#s-p1-sr-i1