In the event that you choose to watch Glee this week, prepare to close your eyes and hold your breath because you won’t want to be conscious for most of the episode. Okay, so that might be a dramatization. In fact, it’s a terrible dramatization. But after taking a look around Facebook for a bit after watching “Big Brother,” I was amazed by how many people were claiming this was the episode that sent them off the edge. They no longer had faith in the show.
For the most part, they were right. Glee this week was kind of a bummer. After a long hiatus, we were met with the histrionics following Quinn’s car accident. She is now confined to a wheelchair and completely convinced that by the time the school year is over she will be walking (and dancing her way to nationals) again. Meanwhile, Sue is dealing with news that the baby she is pregnant with has a birth defect – it is implied that the developing baby girl has Down syndrome.
It has been a longer break between Glee and me than it has been for most other fans of the show. After a whole quarter of not writing on the show, I have grown to be a loose spectator. Instead of following each moment of the show word-for-word and note-for-note, I’ve become a more mindless viewer.
But putting back on my reviewer hat, it became utterly impossible to ignore the fact that something weird has been going on in Lima. In the space of a few episodes we saw Finn and Rachel get engaged, Sue get pregnant, Dave Karofsky attempt suicide and Quinn get into a car accident. Call my own interpretation over-the-top, but this seems like the most ridiculous set of circumstances I’ve ever seen.
It’s sad to see Glee degenerate from a show with some resemblance to the average American high school (I emphasize “some”) to a show that plays out more like an episode of Saved by the Bell without the comedy or Degrassi without the intentional morality lessons.
Now it is safe to say that the only thing holding the show up is the great covers and hummable tunes. But even today that seemed like an afterthought. While Blaine and his newly surfaced brother Cooper’s version of “Somebody that I Used to Know” was something to be marveled at, other duets were less than stellar. And it was even more odd that all of the songs in the episode seemed to be sung by the same group of four people.
As this show goes on, it gets harder and harder to ignore the fact that the story seems like it was put together in five minutes. I’ve often found myself defending my willingness to watch Glee by proclaiming that, “if it didn’t have good music, I would’ve stopped long ago.” Usually I’m met with a similar response from whomever I talk to. It’s no surprise to anyone that this show hasn’t tanked yet – simply because it survives on a great musical repertoire and some of Broadway’s best stolen talents. But you’d think with such potential for greatness, a show like Glee wouldn’t be wasted with odious story development.
With any luck the rest of the season will prove this entire argument nugatory, but it seems unlikely.
The Songs of “Big Brother”:
“I’m Still Standing” – In my opinion you can’t go wrong with an Elton John song. There’s enough pop to keep the song fun and uplifting, enough musical quality to keep it interesting. And Glee always does a wonderful job of adapting this music – especially with the new pairing of Quinn and her wheelchair mentor, Artie.
“Hungry Like the Wolf / Burning the Ground” – When I looked up this song, it wasn’t listed as a mash-up, so gearing up for a “Hungry Like the Wolf” cover was met with something more interesting and slightly strange. Regardless of the computerization, a fair performance by Blaine and his brother, Cooper.
“Fighter” – It was clear that this performance was milked in every possible way, and not for the vocals. Fangirls everywhere were squealing as Blaine removed his shirt to reveal a wife beater and began kickboxing and showering in the dark. Good job, FOX. You know what the kids want.
“Up Up Up” – This was an interesting montage sequence, but not a particularly memorable song to accompany it. At this point it became evident that the show was going to be Artie-Quinn-Blaine-Cooper hour and no one else would get the slightest turn at singing. That was a disappointment after a long break from Glee.
“Somebody That I Used to Know” – Clearly the highlight of the show, this duet between Blaine and Cooper was one of the best performances I’ve seen on Glee. With the simplistic lighting scheme and unassuming choreography, it focused on the wonderful song from Gotye. I am so glad this cover exists, even if the original is amazing.