Glee Episode 3

For some reason I just watched Glee.  I kinda watched my other TV shows from this week first.  (Lie to Me and Bones.  I seriously pray that other people see how totally awesome Lie to Me is and it doesn't get booted after this move to a higher profile spot. Meanwhile Bones doing Jersey Shore was totally hilarious.  But onwards to Glee)

I think probably the reason I hesitated was that I wasn't too keen on the first 2 episodes and feared my favorite tv show would disappoint me again.

But no.

I cried.  I actually cried.  I can't remember when, if ever, I cried during a tv show, and its probably obvious when.
But this episode was also complicated.  There was a lot going on with sometimes very short bits of dialogue explaining characters belief systems, so, I actually had to watch things again, and when I couldn't find the bits I wanted, look them up on the internet.  Fun part of liking a show that's so popular, you can find out anything about it with google.

This is going to be a long one, so I'm just going to put the break here.

First up, I'm betting everyone's perception of this episode is somewhat influenced by their own beliefs.  Not to get too serious about it, but this was a heavy episode.

Key starting points being the serious: Kurt refuses the sacred Friday dinner with his dad (and Finn and Finn's mom) in favor of sing along Sound of Music.  Soon thereafter Burt has a heart attack (actually brought on by an arrhythmia, not his less than healthy lifestyle).

And the silly: Finn makes a grilled cheese sandwich, sees Jesus, and finds religion, bringing it into the glee room.

So, what's my perspective.  I'm mostly with Kurt.  Although I think the magic teapot is a little extreme.  But to each his own, but I'm totally with Puck on people using Jesus to mess with other people's lives.  Not cool.

Very cool? How Puck gets to speak honest truth in the most ridiculous way possible.
Also? Kurt talking about the Flying Spaghetti Monster
And - 'You had me at fabulous hat.'

Finn is kind of his typical peabrained self in this episode, but for some reason it bothered me instead of making me laugh.  Perhaps because he got upset about Kurt's dad, said he was the closest thing to a dad he was going to have and that he thought they were a family, and proceeded to be oblivious to Kurt and his dad for the rest of the episode.  Of course, it also might be that whole perspective thing and well, its not a subject I'm too willing to laugh at idiocy over.  There's too much idiocy over it doing serious damage in our country. (See evolution and intelligent design being put next to each other in schools as if they are equivalent explanations for our world, pretty much taking science out as a career option for children who don't have any one else strongly telling them that that is bs.)

Now that I've got that out of my system, I realize there needed to be some comedic relief.  His prayers were awesomely high school and the disillusionment when he realized it had nothing to do with the freakin sandwich awesome.  I was totally grossed out that he ate a sandwich that must have been a week old out that point.

Obviously having repeatedly stated my love for Chris Colfer/Kurt Hummel, I'm going to love an episode that is pretty much focused on Kurt.  But I think its more than that.  I think Ryan Murphy loves the character he created in Kurt and just has a lot of story for that character and has developed the character more than most and almost all others.  Hence, we love him.  And Chris delivers.  Which probably feeds Murphy's interest in the character.  He was pretty much all serious here.  Obviously you're dad is in critical condition you're not going to be laying out the one-liners, but he did fit in a few, the magical teapot went on a little long.  As above, fabulous hat and flying spaghetti monster were awesome.  The French class was great when they came in to tell him.

Kurt being stoic and trying not to cry but tearing up anyway is always heartwrenching.  The hand holding story made it clear why he asked his dad to squeeze his hand in the beginning, and brought back at the end it was beautiful.

Now here's the problem that I had.  All these kids were trying to shove their beliefs on Kurt after he made it perfectly clear that he didn't share them and wasn't interested.  And his reasons are damn good ones.

If someone said 'I'll pray for you.' after something bad happened to me, ok, no skin off my back.  But you're doing it for yourself, not for me.  And that's fine.  However, if one of your best friends, knowing you don't believe in God, says that she's struggled with what to say to you, and then sings a song about turning to God as what she came up with, ummmmm, I'm sorry, but that's pretty poor on the friendship side.

I mean, different, but kind of like if someone said they really, really didn't want to do anything for their birthday, and then their best friend threw a giant surprise party for them, because that's what she wants for her birthday.  Not cool.

And then she dragged his ass to church.  what the hell? Was that just an excuse to have Mercedes sing with a gospel choir? Cause I think they could have worked that in some other way.  And by the way, I've heard that song done R&B.  Hell, I've sung it R&B, with a much better arrangement than that one.  It is a freakin amazing song.  Like, it should be up there as one of the best ever, in part because it is awesome in so many different arrangements, but that was not a good one.  (Also Mercedes needs a personality other than, I'm a black girl and I'm gonna show you every stereotype that goes with that.)
Edit: I was talking about Bridge over Troubled Water there in case anyone didn't know

Actually, I'm finally going to go to the songs, cause otherwise this will be a treatise instead of a blog post.

Only the Good Die Young - Love when Puck gets to sing.  Great song for this episode, putting religion in but in a song that doesn't take it seriously.

I Turn to You - So misplaced as mentioned above that I don't really know.  It was probably well sung.

I Want to Hold Your Hand - Did anyone else cry? Because I cried.  Absolutely beautiful. Great example of how glee rearranges songs we know and love in a beautiful new way.  Chris delivered.  The flashbacks were heartbreaking, especially the little Kurt (oh my god how did they find someone who looks just like him, are they related?) doing the tea party with his poor confused dad, and doing Kurt's signature hair move from Mr. Cellophane.

Losing My Religion - This should have been good.  It was the perfect song.  It is an amazing song.  It kinda misfired though.  I do want to hear the whole version before total judgement.  However, I have a sneaking suspicion that failure is do to the fact that Corey just doesn't do very well with full solos.  But I'll Stand By You last year was good.

That Papa song by Rachel - meh, bored

If God Was One of Us - what the hell was that? Again it was short though, so maybe its better full-length.
Partly annoyed that Kurt was up there singing it.  He apologized for pushing his friends away, but I didn't see anyone apologize to him for the cramming of God.  At least, thankfully, they didn't make Kurt change his views.  He hung on to his own beliefs and his dad started to come around without all the trappings of religion.  Just with his son squeezing his hand this time.

Hmm, despite the ranting about religion I actually really loved this episode.  A few things that bugged me, but I'm sure there are a few opposite things that bothered other people.  This was a fine line to walk and I think it was walked brilliantly.