Well, I didn't hate the fall finale of Glee, but I sure as hell didn't love it. With four months to go before we see another episode, I guess I was just expecting a little bit more. Sure, a few major plotlines were finally resolved, but the question remains–were their conclusions particularly satisfying? Meh, they could have been better. At least they finally let "other Asian" speak…
As usual, I've provided a few of my reflections on the episode's musical numbers, and they're obviously packed with spoilers. So who's getting excited for regionals? I'm trying my best to get pumped, but it's becoming difficult to "keep it up" for a show that's so overhyped yet so often mediocre. They better bring it hard for the second half of this season!
– Dewitt
To watch or read more about this episode, follow the JUMP:
- "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (Amber Riley): Oh, I get it. She's a large black girl! How could she not sing this song? And it's so obvious that she's going to sing it that the band doesn't even need to ask her what she's singing. ::sigh:: It's great that Mercedes is getting all these solos, but how about giving her a solid plotline or two? She's one of the more overexposed vocalists within the group, and yet we know very little about her. Meanwhile, the white kids frolicking about stabbing one another in the back and getting pregnant. Ugh! Now, I think Amber Riley did a decent job with this song, but can we please stop acting like she's ever done anything that's better than the original song. "Bust Your Windows" came close, but this was nothing compared to Jennifer Holliday's original version. Hell, it didn't even measure up to Jennifer Hudson's! It was what it was–a decent cover with zany camera angles that could easily induce a headache. I actually thought the small snippet of Jane Addams Academy's soloist sounded much better. Just sayin'.
- "Don't Rain On My Parade" (Lea Michele): To be quite frank, I don't know shit about Funny Girl or Barbra Streisand. Given Rachel's diva demeanor and the setback the glee club faced when they discovered that their set-list was leaked by Sue Sylvester, this song seemed appropriate on a contextual level. I'm sure this didn't measure up with Streisand, but let's be real–the majority of Glee's audience probably have never heard this song before. If they're going to continue to dip in the musical theater nerd pool, I really hope they find an excuse for Rachel to sing "Rose's Turn" from Gypsy. It'd be interesting to see Lea Michele trying to pretend she's Ethel Merman. The only thing better would be a guest spot from Patti LuPone. Don't act like it could never happen! They've already had Kristin Chenoweth, and rumor has it that Idina Menzel will be appearing in several upcoming episodes…
- "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (Cory Monteith & Full Cast): This was another one of those numbers that I think I was supposed to love, but I honestly didn't get into it very much. With no disrespect to Mick Jagger, this song itself has lost a bit of magic from becoming overly commercialized. On the positive side, Cory Monteith once again reminded me why he's on this show. His voice just works for the classic rock numbers. As for the whole Puck/Finn/Quinn baby-daddy love triangle, it was extremely relieving to see that plotline put to rest. But would Puck really have had the audacity to ask if they were "cool" after getting his girlfriend pregnant and lying about it for months? I'm going to let that one slide. The writers clearly anticipated that we'd be skeptical of Finn's sudden turnaround and tried their best to keep the drama alive.
- "My Life Would Suck Without You" (Full Cast): Well, that was a pretty cheesy way to conclude the fall finale. I was willing to forgive it, but then they threw in that heinous male-female harmony. Can they please stop making Cory Monteith and Lea Michele sing together? Their voices don't blend well together. On an entirely unrelated note, it's nice to see that Santana is developing into her own character, even if she's just the slutty bisexual cheerleader. Some of the dance moves in this number made me legitimately uncomfortable. Were they seriously patting their vaginas at some point? They might as well have just given Mr. Schuester a lapdance. And while we're talking about him, let's address his romance with Emma. The moment they locked lips, it just felt kind of one-sided. I can believe that Emma's into Will, but I don't see any chemistry on his part. I was expecting some magical and tear-jerking moment–a la Rachel and Ross from Friends–but it wound up falling flat. I guess you can't always get what you want?
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