Glee – Recap & Review – Theatricality

photo: fox

Glee
Theatricality

Original Air Date: May 25, 2010

Farrah Kaye – Sr. Editor
farrah@thetwocentscorp.com

Last week, Glee got pretty intense. It was revealed to us that Shelby was Rachel’s mother and she wanted to know her daughter and Jesse was helping Shelby get to her (through a tape with an amazing rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”). I sighed a sigh of relief knowing Jesse had good intentions instead of bad (and hoping it stays that way). Elsewhere, Artie was sad over realizing he’d never dance, Neil Patrick Harris was an amazing guest star and everyone else was kind of in the background.

But this week, Glee would go to a whole new level of drama with Finn and his mom moving in with Burt and Kurt and Puck realizing what he really wants out of his relationship with Quinn and the baby. The Shelby/Rachel drama intensifies and there’s a Lady Gaga assignment to help the Gleeks find their identity.

It’s epic.

Tina is called to Figgins’ office and thinks she’s in trouble. And she is – for dressing “goth.” Figgins talks about “Twilight Fever” and how it’s taking over the world … and McKinley High. Team Edward attacked one of the nerds! AH! Figgins believes in vampires and tells Tina she has to change her style of dress. Finn is with his mom and she walks him into Kurt’s room and sees a “Welcome Home” sign. Burt asked them to move in and Carole said yes! Finn is not happy and Kurt tries to play it off about him being unhappy about the décor and offers to redecorate. Burt offers to add on an addition but until then, it’s Kurt and Finn as roomies. At school, Tina is dressed down with no identity because of Figgins (“I know who I am and I’m not allowed to show it. It’s like Communism.”) when Rachel comes in to tell them she’s found out Vocal Adrenaline is doing Gaga! Mr. Shue decides the weekly assignment is to do a Gaga song for two reasons: 1) help Tina find a new identity and 2) find something for regionals. Mercedes, Rachel and Quinn sneak into Vocal Adrenaline practice to see what they’re working on. To demonstrate “theatricality,” Shelby sings “Funny Girl” on stage and as she sings, Rachel realizes that it’s the same voice from the tape. It’s her mother! Rachel leaves the other girls and heads down to the stage and tells Shelby she’s her daughter.

They sit in the theatre and talk about Shelby’s regrets and how she watched Rachel sing at sectionals. Rachel feels like they are so similar (they kind of are). Shelby has second thoughts about revealing herself and Rachel asks her to go to dinner to get over the initial shock but Shelby can’t do it. Oh man … poor Rachel! Finn goes to Mr. Shue, who is decked out in old man glasses doing Gaga research, to tell him that the guys don’t want to do Gaga (besides Kurt). He has an idea. Wonder what it will be? Puck is talking to Quinn about the baby. He wants to name her Jack Daniels. Wait, it’s a girl … so, Jackie Daniels. Quinn reminds him she’s giving up the baby and won’t be naming her so he can go off and live his life like he usually does. Puck, for once, seems upset. It’s Gaga day and Kurt and Tina arrive in school in full Gaga gear. Tina is wearing bubbles and Kurt is dressed in a silver costume and 10 inch heels. The jocks don’t like this and slam them into lockers. They tell Kurt and Tina the next time they see them, they will do more than that. The club meets and they notice Rachel is missing. Mercedes tells everyone about Shelby when she comes in and promises she’s not going anywhere (i.e. switching to Vocal Adrenaline). Then we get a great version of “Bad Romance.” The costumes are awesome and they rock it out. Rachel is in her own version of Lady Gaga’s “Kermit the Frog” frock only hers is stapled and her animals fall off (her dads can’t sew). And Santana gets to sing! Quinn is in an all pink get up with super long finger nails and eye lashes.

Finn is in the bathroom putting on “make up” when his fellow jocks come in. They tell him he’s got “a bad case of the gays” since moving in with the glee club kid and joining the glee club. Not very nice! Rachel goes to see Shelby, whom she is quickly calling “mom” and shows her her Gaga outfit and says she needs a mom. She shows up at practice in an all new Gaga outfit just in time for the boys’ routine. Who’d they choose? KISS. What’s even better is one of our “background boys” FINALLY speaks! I about fainted. Kurt and Tina are walking the hallway when the jocks corner them. At home, Kurt is fixing his ruined outfit after his run in with the jocks and asks Finn to talk to them about leaving him alone. Finn says he can’t and asks Kurt why he can’t just blend in. It’s Ohio for goodness sakes, not New York (“We live in Ohio, not New York… or some other city where people eat vegetables that aren’t fried.”). When Kurt tries to help him take off his KISS makeup, Finn freaks out and leaves the room and Kurt tells him to grow up.

Mr. Shue calls Shelby into his office to talk about Rachel. He tells her she has Shelby’s talent but not the hard emotional shell like she does. Shelby tells him that she can’t have any more kids but he is right in that she wanted her baby back, not a teenager. Will tells her to tell Rachel everything. Kurt shows Finn the redecorated room and Finn doesn’t look happy. In fact he’s 100% the opposite. He’s a DUDE…he can’t live there. He goes on a rant about not wanting to share a room with Kurt … about worrying about things around Kurt, how he puts on his underwear in the shower and says he notices Kurt flirting with him and how excited he was when they moved in. But he really crossed the line when he called a few of the items “faggy” and Burt hears. Burt comes to the defense of Kurt, in a way I’ve never seen Burt defend his son before. He thought Finn was different, but he’s not. He tells Finn he can’t stay in their house any more, even if it costs him Carole, because Kurt comes first. GO BURT!!!! Finn walks out, without even a word. Burt and Kurt have a moment. And for your reading pleasure, Burt’s speech: “Hey! What did you just call him? You used that word, you’re talking about him. You live a few years, you start seeing in people’s hearts. Even the best people. You use the “N” word? Yeah, how about retard? You call that nice girl in Cheerios retard? But you think it’s okay to come into my house and say faggy? I know what you meant! What? You didn’t think I used that word when I was your age? You know, some kid gets clocked in practice and we tell him to stop being such a fag, shake it off. We meant it exactly the way you meant it. That being gay is wrong. That it’s some kind of punishable offense. I really thought you were different, Finn. You know, I thought that being in Glee club, and being raised by your mom, that you were some new generation who saw things differently, who just came into the world knowing what it’s taken me years of struggling to figure out. I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry Finn, but you can’t stay here. I love your mom and maybe this is going to cost me her, but my family comes first. I can’t have that kind of poison around here. This is our home. He is my son. Out in the world, you do what you want. Not under my roof.”

At practice, Finn wants to talk to Kurt and he has nothing to say to him. Puck comes in and wants to talk to Quinn…in front of everyone. We finally get some history on Puck, that his dad was never there for him, and that he realizes Jackie Daniels is a name better suited for a power boat than a baby girl. He has the guys (minus Kurt of course…) join him to sing “Beth” to Quinn. That’s what he wants to name the baby and he wants to be there when she’s born. Quinn says (well she nods since she’s crying and speechless…) yes.

Rachel is at school when Shelby comes by to tell her it can’t work out (we also find out Rachel is named after Rachel from Friends. I can’t believe that show is old enough for that to happen!). Rachel doesn’t understand how she can feel so horrible and want to run into her mom’s arms but doesn’t feel the pull towards her. Shelby tells Rachel it’s because she’ her mother, not her mom (I love that…and I SO get it!). They decide to be grateful for one another and not go soft on each other at regionals. Shelby asks for a hug goodbye and gives her a glass to drink out of when she’s thirsty (Earlier, Rachel had told Shelby: “When I was little and I was sad, my dads would bring me a glass of water. It got to a point where I didn’t know if I was sad or thirsty.”). It has a gold star on it, just like Rachel always needs. And one last thing to do before they say their official goodbyes … Rachel wants to sing with Shelby. They do a stripped-down version of “Poker Face.” Seems odd, but it kind of makes sense in their situation. Love, lying, hard times … plus, anything these two sing together is just great. At school, it’s the end of the week and no one has figured out the lesson of Gaga. Except for Tina! She’s back at school and in her normal goth gear. She tells them how she scared Figgins. “So here’s what’s gonna happen… my dad, he’s the king of the vampires, and Asian vampires are the most vicious of all the vampires. You’re going to let me wear my lady demon clothes or my dad will fly into your bedroom, and bite your face off. He’s really pissed. Is that what you want?” Kurt, meanwhile, is being bullied by the jocks when Finn comes to defend him – dressed in a red rubber Gaga dress – and gets backed by the entire club. They might be freaks, but they’re freaks together. And there is the lesson.

Next week, all I am gonna say is this: WILL GIVES SUE A LAP DANCE.

I loved this episode. I can’t believe we only have a couple of episodes left. Soon Quinn will have her baby, the Gleeks will be done with regionals, and before we know it, they’ll be a year older and we’ll have new kids in the club. I love how every episode has a theme (the “assignment”). Whether it’s dreams, reputations, friendships or figuring out who you are, the message comes across so subtle and just right. I’m sad, but not surprised, Shelby won’t be having a relationship with Rachel but I’m glad Rachel knows the truth. I’m NOT happy the previews show Jesse back with VA. Was he only with Rachel and the Gleeks because of Shelby? Ugh. Rachel doesn’t need that double-whammy.

More than anything about this episode, I LOVED Burt defending his son against Finn. I also liked watching Kurt realize little by little that not only would Finn not ever switch teams, but that Finn was almost ashamed to know him. All three actors get major kudos for the intense drama of their scenes.

What did you think about the episode? Did you totally love the costumes? Will Puck stay the new softie he is? Leave your two cents below!

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