Glee 2×11 – “The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle”

On the very special Superbowl episode of Glee, Will and Coach Bieste force the Glee club and football team to join forces and get along so they can get rid of the enmity between the group, Sue Sylvester gets angry and throws a lot of things, the girls step up their game, a bully almost gets redeemed through song and dance, and Kurt and Blaine get precious little (but still precious) screen time.

The Musical Numbers: “Need You Now” sounded almost exactly like the original, but it’s about time that Puck and Rachel had a duet (and, of course, the show is quick to assure me that it will never happen again).  “She’s Not There” – somewhat fun, but forgettable.  “Thriller/Heads Will Roll” was great as a performance and the dance was a delight, yet I find myself less invested in New Directions numbers now that Kurt’s no longer with them.  I also listened to the recording, and Naya Rivera sounds way too Chimpunky on her verses.  I wouldn’t mind hearing a mash-up of the original songs and listening to Michael Jackson and Karen O’s voices together.  “Bills Bills Bills,” I’ve already watched seven times and will make its way to the Top 25 Most Played list on my iPod…now.

The Characters and Their Relationships: I loved the episode in general.  It was pure fun.  But I’m uncomfortable with a few things.

First, Finn and the club in general were much more welcoming and solicitous of Dave Karofsky than I expected them to be.  They were appropriately angry with him in the beginning, but then seemed to forget that he threatened to KILL Kurt and acted as though his biggest problem was his not wanting to be in glee club.  I’m relieved that Karofsky went back to his aggressive self right when the game was over, and I especially liked the way his face immediately darkened as soon as Finn brought up Kurt – seriously, kudos to Max Adler for delivering another nuanced performance for what could be just a stock “bully” character – but again, it was all about how he was too insecure to join glee club.  Finn!  *snaps fingers*  Focus. He. Threatened. To. Kill. Your. Step-brother.  I won’t comment on the sexual harassment part of the equation, because of course the other characters don’t know about that, but still.  DEATH THREAT.  I did not enjoy watching Karofsky leap into the fray and get to enjoy the spot in the Thriller dance that should have been Kurt’s, and would have been Kurt’s if Karofsky hadn’t scared him so bad that Kurt had to leave school.  Grr.

Second, it now appears that we have a resurgence of Finn/Quinn.  If Finn can’t forgive Rachel for kissing Puck, but he can forgive Quinn for sleeping with Puck, getting pregnant with his child, and trying to pass off the baby as Finn’s, then Finn is officially the biggest hypocrite on the show, and he sucks.  He was much quicker to defend Quinn from Rachel this episode than he was to defend Rachel from Santana two episodes ago, when Santana was being much crueler.

I like the idea of Sue Sylvester/Cheerios’ fall from grace, and the glee club getting their funding.  Now I’d really like to see the glee club get some respect in the school.  The original conceit of the show – that the glee club is made of the losers and dregs of society – really doesn’t work anymore when producers are creating reality shows where people can compete to win a role on Glee. I just don’t buy it anymore.  Enough with the slushies.  Let’s take the glee club’s storyline in a new direction (pun intended).  Maybe they can suddenly become really popular, get too big for their britches, Will can become the new Sue and the club, the new Vocal Adrenaline.  Wouldn’t that be a refreshing storyline?

On another note, the girls joining the football team was great, and I loved Tina attempting to make a play even though it didn’t work out in the end – and I don’t mind that she didn’t make it, because she did just join the team, and it led to a very cute Mike/Tina moment.  I would’ve liked to see more of Lauren Zizes kicking ass on the field, though.  I also like that Mercedes and Rachel now regularly hang out with Kurt and Blaine.

The Humor: I was getting bored with Sue’s angry rampage through the school, until we thought it was over and she suddenly burst into the locker room and “O Fortuna” started up again.  Then I giggled.  Well done.  I also enjoyed Sue’s continued manipulations of poor, dumb Brittany.  We had a special guest star that was actually utilized well – good for bringing in Katie Couric for a brief cameo at the end, and for Sue confusing her with Diane Sawyer.  There was also a moment of unintentional hilarity when Will and Coach Bieste rallied the glee club and football team together, leading to Puck and Rachel’s duet, while poor Artie is still sitting in the corner dripping wet from a slushie attack.  They couldn’t let him clean himself up before the rallying the troops speech?

Kurt and Blaine: Blaine was so flirting with Kurt during the “find another” part of the song, and Kurt was adorable in response (of course).  But WHY did they show the two of them sitting in the stadiums, along with Kurt’s parents, without showing a scene where Kurt Introduced Blaine?  That is a Significant Moment!  Don’t tell me we missed out on it!  Anyway, I’m torn between loving the two of them together and watching their friendship/flirtation grow, and wanting Kurt back at McKinley High now because he should’ve been in that Thriller number.