Nearly a month without Glee can leave a fan pining for some melodramatic, showtune-filled entertainment. But when the show returns and proves itself wholly uninteresting and implausible, that same fan may begin to wonder: why was I waiting at all?
“Asian F” left us with many questions. How will the New Directions cope with the loss of Mercedes? Who will win the McKinley High presidential elections? Will Sue’s campaign for Congress prove successful? Many questions indeed, but the real question is: do we really care?
None of the plot lines of this season have been particularly fascinating. The excessive love triangle-flipping and broken friendships have turned into problems that really have no basis in a high school show. And aside from complete infeasibility in the realm of high school histrionics, there’s the issue of sheer lack of realism.
As we returned to these questions at the start of “Pot O’ Gold,” the incongruities began to set in. Why would a high school have two competing choirs? And how could these choirs both exist when another faculty member at that high school is spearheading a campaign against all funding of the arts? Which brings up an even more pressing question: how could anyone back a program like that in the first place? Glee treats Sue as if her antics are not so out-of-left-field, giving her the benefit of the doubt of the entire Lima community. But in reality, who would back a woman saying one of the poorest-funded initiatives on school campuses is overfunded? Perhaps least realistically of all – how could a high school cheerleading coach manage the workload of running an electoral campaign and also keep her Cheerios in finely pressed uniforms?
Usually the question of reality in shows such as Glee is an issue better left un-tackled. But when a storyline takes a nosedive from the ridiculous to the impossible, it can become a constant source of cockeyed glances and raised eyebrows.
Gone are the days of teenage pregnancy and boyfriend stealing, and somehow the New Directions have lost the foreground on their show. Conspiracies run rampant, and “high school dramedy” no longer suffices as a description of this show.
Even though this show never claimed to be a reflection on real high schools and teenage society, at least there was an element of that which kept it making sense. But as lead characters’ stories fall by the wayside making room for idiotic debacles, the original half-intent of watching Glee solely for the music has become the only intent.
What Glee needs is to stop looking forward and to start reviewing its own outrageously overpriced DVD box sets, because the old Glee, no matter how over-the-top, was the superior version.
The Songs of “Pot O’ Gold”:
“Bein’ Green” – It is hard to believe that an exchange student from Ireland would ever meet anything in America other than complete adoration. But somehow, new character Rory Flanagan is the odd man out. His rendition of the song worked, but the performance was awfully short and definitely did not show off the strong vocals that fans of the Glee Project know he’s capable of.
“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” – The lead-up to this performance had absolutely nothing to do with the story, but as far as in-classroom Glee performances go, it was satisfactory. Since several Glee cast members, including Darren Criss who fronted this performance, appeared in Katy Perry’s music video for the song; it was only natural that it would eventually make an appearance, no matter how random.
“Waiting For A Girl Like You” – If this song had been done on any other night, I would not have been impressed. But “Pot O’ Gold,” so weak in story-song connectedness, made amends with this one, having Puck sing the song to both Shelby (with whom he might be getting into a confusing relationship with) and his daughter, Beth.
“Candyman” – Having already made my point about inconsistencies in Glee, I risk being redundant in asking how Shelby’s new all-girl choir could even consider putting together competition-worthy material when their only real members are Sugar Motta, Mercedes, Santana and Brittany. The song was one of the better performances of the night, but the sheer absurdity of the situation was a distraction.
“Take Care of Yourself” – A better attempt at giving Damian McGinty a good song in his first appearance as Rory, but still not quite right. His transition into falsetto was beautiful, but the song lacked the luster of a fantastic Glee piece.