Glee Recap "Makeover"

Glee Recap: Makeover

I am watching this is in open - mouthed shock. Folks.... I don't know quite how to say this, but.... I think they've actually been listening to us. They have actually heard the criticism that their continuity is poor and they are allowing huge plot holes, because so far... the writing this year has been TIGHT. And logical. At least by Glee standards. Something like an elementary level of craftsmanship has been added to the mix. Maybe the complete lack of Emmy nominations jolted somebody to their senses, I don't know. I've got a new drinking game. Every time a character makes mention of a past bit of illogical plotting, continuity failure, or some other such nonsense, DRINK!

We are going to be snookered pretty fast. You kids under 21, that's a diet Coke you've got there, right? Or at least, a Mountain Dew? OK then. Had to put on my mom hat for a second.

Glee Spoiler Roundup: The Breakup!

 If you followed a link to get here, go to The Biggest Spoiler for the latest Klaine scoop.

Glee's about to go on hiatus again, if you can believe it, but not before they leave us with a huge sucker punch.

Or two.

Maybe even four.

Somebody is going to break up.  Here's the spoiler roundup from different sources around the internet. And folks - this is a spoiler column. There's one spoiler about Finn that hasn't made all the rounds yet. Don't read on unless you want to know why he's not in the army.

Exclusive: Glee exec on Season 4's Big "Breakup" Episode: It's like Titanic: Not All Will Make It!"  
Brad Falchuk: I'm not going to say who breaks up and who doesn't, but they all - Santana/Brittany, Kurt/Blaine, Will/Emma, Rachel/Finn - get kicked in the nuts. And it's all about how do they recover - and can they recover? And some don't. Absolutely some don't. Of those couples, not all of them are going to make it. It's like the Titanic. 

A synopsis from the Futon Critic:
 

Rachel and Kurt are caught off-guard when they get unexpected visits in New York City. Meanwhile, Santana and Brittany deal with the long distance between them, and Will and Emma disagree on a new job offer in the all-new "The Break Up" episode of GLEE airing Thursday, Oct. 4 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (GLE-404) (TV-14 D, L) 

Here's another from Glee Zone on Tumblr:
 Finn feels like a fish out of water when he gets his first taste of the Big Apple. As he observes Rachel’s life at NYADA, he questions his place in it. With Kurt’s fashion career occupying all his time, Blaine grows increasingly frustrated and decides to take matters into his own hands. Santana worries that Brittany is falling in with the wrong crowd. Will gets some good news, but Emma’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction leaves him disheartened. One gleek risks humiliation and takes a stand to protect another. Several couples reunite and make decisions about their futures.

One breakup is absolutely certain.  Finchel is done - for now, at least. This is the report from TVLine:
"Rachel's not innocent anymore," previews executive producer Brad Falchuk of Lea Michele's college freshman. She's now not coming from a place where she met Finn, where she was like this totally insecure, annoying little girl" he says. "Now she's a woman and she's been through a lot and she's achieved a lot. So she approaches boys differently with a different kind of confidence and a different kind of maturity." 

And a different kind of guy, apparently.  Kurt and Blaine will also have a crisis moment. From Mjsbigblog:

I can’t [confirm that Klaine break up]. But I can confirm that they will hit a major rough patch in the Sept. 13 opener. “The real first obstacle for them is that Kurt is still in Lima and it’s kind of depressing,” explains Glee co-creator Brad Falchuk. “Kurt is a little bit stuck in his old life and Blaine really pushes him to go to New York.” Of course, Kurt’s move to the Big Apple paves the way for Speed Bump No. 2. “The distance [causes strain],” concedes the EP. “Kurt finds new things that excite him. The minutia of high school life is not quite as compelling to him, and that’s hard for Blaine. He can’t lean on Kurt the way he would have the year before. And I think it’s also strange for Blaine to be in this school that he came to really only for Kurt. He didn’t come because he wanted to go into public high school. So now he has to find his place [at McKinley] not as Kurt’s boyfriend.”

And this scrap of paper reveals some of the scenes coming up - including one absolutely shocking flashback.

Here are the songs for the episode:

Blaine reprises "Teenage Dream" for Kurt... one last time?

Rachel and Brody duet on "Don't Give Your Heart a Break" at a piano bar. Finn and Klaine are in attendance. 

“Rachel’s not innocent anymore,” previews executive producer Brad Falchuk of Lea Michele’s college freshman. “It’s nice to write her a little stronger.” Helping to bring Rachel out of her shell will be her determined new suitor Brody (played by Dean Geyer). “She’s now not coming from a place when she met Finn, where she was like this totally insecure, annoying little girl,” he says. “Now she’s a woman and she’s been through a lot and she’s achieved a lot. So she approaches boys differently, with a different kind of confidence and a different kind of maturity. There’s not as much, ‘Don’t mention sex.’” RELATED | Kurt and Blaine’s First (and Second) Obstacle Revealed Regarding the new guy her in life, Falchuk notes that he’s “so different” from Finn. “He has the same kind of kindness and sweetness, but he’s a very different kind of person,” he says. “It’s great to write Rachel with somebody different.” Where does all this leave ‘Finchel,’ who ended the season essentially broken up? The EP says the split “will stick” — for now at least. “I want Rachel and Finn to have a happy ending,” he insists. “I think the idea is that maybe they end up together, but a lot can change. As we write we might discover something interesting. It’s definitely not going to get better anytime soon for those two.”

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/08/23/glee-season-4-spoilers-rachel-finn/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=refer

Twitter is already buzzing with feedback from people who have seen the episode.

	KalanaFalana Just watched #glee "The Break Up" episode and it's so good and SO emotional. Lots of twists. Have tissues ready. 8 hours ago from web

	maskedscheduler Wow #GLEE has really grown up this year. Next week's episode "The Break Up" is excellent. Tonight's episode is not too shabby either. 12 hours ago from web
William Keck ‏@KecksExclusives @Brookeroxsox1 #glee is casting a Drill Sergeant for Finn in episode four so we'll be seeing his life in boot camp @CoryMonteith  William Keck ‏@KecksExclusives @Brookeroxsox1 @msleamichele told me something happens later on that will shock. Maybe he loses a leg in combat. #glee meets #GreysAnatomy And then things get even worse! Brad says that relationships will be less of a focus in the upcoming season. He says, “I personally think a lot of these characters are more interesting not in relationships. And I think with a lot of them, we will be exploring that.”  Call me crazy, but I agree with Brad. I think all of these characters are beginning to stagnate with their current pairings. I think Rachel has always been too big for Finn, and  she needs to be able to grow now. Finn needs to figure out what he wants for himself. Santana needs to find a partner that is smarter than a toddler and able to act her way out of a wet paper bag.  And Klaine? Blaine's been written as both bland and perfect. He both overshadows Kurt by being the "perfect" gay guy, while also being defined solely and only as Kurt's boyfriend. Kurt needs to prove his worth as something other than Blaine's boyfriend, and Blaine needs to develop a storyline and personality that is not solely tied to being Kurt's boyfriend.  A lot of people are dreading next week.  Me?  I can't wait. I've been waiting for this to happen for months.  If they break the chains that bind ALL these characters, they will have a much bigger host of stories that become possible to tell, in both New York and in Lima.

. “I’m not going to say who breaks up and who doesn’t, but they all — Santana/Brittany, Kurt/Blaine, Will/Emma, Rachel/Finn — get kicked in the nuts. And it’s all about how do they recover — and can they recover? And some don’t. Absolutely some don’t. Of those couples, not all of them are going to make it. It’s like Titanic.”

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/08/16/glee-season-4-episode-4-the-breakup-spoilers/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

Exclusive: Glee Exec on Season 4′s Big 'Breakup' Episode: 'It's Like Titanic – Not All Will Make It' Get More: Exclusive, Fall TV Preview, Spoilers

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/08/16/glee-season-4-episode-4-the-breakup-spoilers/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

Exclusive: Glee Exec on Season 4′s Big 'Breakup' Episode: 'It's Like Titanic – Not All Will Make It'

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/08/16/glee-season-4-episode-4-the-breakup-spoilers/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

Exclusive: Glee Exec on Season 4′s Big 'Breakup' Episode: 'It's Like Titanic – Not All Will Make It'

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/08/16/glee-season-4-episode-4-the-breakup-spoilers/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

Exclusive: Glee Exec on Season 4′s Big 'Breakup' Episode: 'It's Like Titanic – Not All Will Make It'

Read More at: http://tvline.com/2012/08/16/glee-season-4-episode-4-the-breakup-spoilers/#utm_source=copypaste&utm_campaign=referral

Britney 2.0 Glee Episode Recap

 Britney 2.0 Glee Episode Recap

Ah, I knew it was the year of the 2.0s! Last week we met Rachel 2.0 and Puck 2.0 and Quinn 2.0 and now the 2.0ism is so pronounced they are putting it in the titles of stuff! It's Britney 2.0 (bitch, also 2.0) and I think I am officially on Britney overload.

I was never that big a fan. At the height of her fame, I wrote these lyrics for one of the songs we'll be listening to later:

Oops, I did it again
I sang the same song
With different words.
Oooh baby baby
Oops, how long can I go
Before they know
I'm not that talented

Britney is not, and Brittany's actress isn't, either. One of the great ironic twists of this episode is that in order for the story to work, they had to shut down the opportunity for Heather to do the one thing at which she is genuinely extraordinarily gifted.

The New Rachel - Season Four Episode Recap

"The New Rachel" - Season Four Episode Recap

Here's what you missed on Glee. Last summer Ryan Murphy got diarrhea of the mouth and a sudden need for inappropriate amounts of attention, so he announced that he would be forcing all of his most effective and popular characters to graduate from McKinley. What he really wanted to do was give the Big Three a spinoff, but FOX wouldn't let him do it, maybe because it might just kill the franchise, so instead he is having to cobble together this weird hybrid thing where we watch the people we've actually cared about for three years - or at least, those who have not been written off the show - in one segment and all the brand new kids at McKinley in another. And by "brand new kids" at McKinley, I mean characters with new names and new actors who are otherwise exactly like the old characters in every way.

So Rachel got into NYADA even though she botched her audition and Kurt is now an official Lima Loser even though he aced his. Finn is now a picture on Rachel's wall, Santana is something Brittney can't make out with over Skype, and all the other seniors are AWOL. The Glee Club kids are really cool and popular, but Ryan's about to fix that because he doesn't want to have to write a new story with new characters, and Will is as ineffectual as ever. And that's what you missed on Glee!

That will take you up to the present day. If you want to move forward, follow after the jump.

The New Normal - Pilot

With a brand new work schedule and a yen to try something new, I noticed that Glee creator Ryan Murphy has a new show out  - The New Normal.  Well, I love Ryan Murphy,  at least when I am not hating Ryan Murphy, so I thought I would try this out.

I figured this might go the way Glee did; brilliant writer/producer comes up with fresh new concept that sparkles with humor and a new way of looking at things for at least 13 glorious episodes before becoming overburdened with its own runaway success, causing a rapid and frustrating descent into a quagmire of painful stereotypes and Murphy's own special kind of self-righteous sermonizing, as insistent and one-dimensional as anything ever to be spewed from a right-wing pulpit. .

Glee's descent into preachy purgatory took an entire season.  For The New Normal, Ryan has dispensed with the stage of the show where it's fresh and funny altogether, and has gone straight for the sermons shoved down our throats.  I am 100%, entirely, completely in favor of everything he is preaching to us, and he's doing it so badly this is almost unwatchable.

The full recap of this pilot episode is after the break.

America's Got Talent SemiFinal #2

There's one week left, America!  We've still got twelve acts to go, and once again, only three can move on to next week's final on America's Got Talent! This is very, very important, America, and we must not forget, so they will remind us several times over the course of the show.  Of course, just like last week, the judges keep forgetting this and they will be urging us to vote for more acts than can possibly go through.  The judges told us tonight that this was the best semifinal ever in the history of entertainment.  That's high praise for a lineup that didn't include an Earth Harp, and I think there were too many wobbly acts to deserve that accolade, but some of the acts were pretty sensational. 

The Judge's panel continues its war of cheesy hand gestures, as Howey does a ridiculous point, and Sharon pulls out her little heart standby, and Howard flaps and sweeps in his attempts to make fun of the other two.

All That is the first group up.  This clogging group is only here because Sharon has a fetish for them, and they've advanced at the expense of better acts.  However, to their credit, they realized that they've got to do something remarkable to stay alive in the competition, so they've pulled out a new trick; tonight they perform half their dance routine with their shoes on fire.  OK, that's new.  Then they dance in water, presumably to put out the fire.  Well, that's new, too.  They've even thrown in a soloist. They've got the audience on their feet, and Sharon is very appreciative of their leather pants. I am slightly appreciative that they tried to do something different, and I think they definitely did the very best they could possibly have done - but they are... a clogging act, and they are buried in the First Slot of Death.  Bye, guys.  Thanks for all eye candy.  I guess.

Sebastien el Charro del Orro and his mariachi band are next.   The preview shows him being a really adorable kid, and his mama is rightfully very proud of him.  I have an unreasonable amount of affection for this kid, and I literally screamed when he got through to the semis, but Sebastien was a wild card, and he's singing on borrowed time.  His glory notes are still enough to send shivers down my spine, but he's a little wobbly on some of the middle notes, and about halfway through I realize that he's just a little too young and not quite a remarkable enough prodigy to get through this tough competition.  Although I do think he's better than All That, and several other acts tonight. Howard blasts his sour notes and praises his showmanship as a ten year old.  Sharon hopes that America will vote for him.  She's now asked us to vote for the first two acts in a group of twelves.  Sharon is either not very good at math, or she has no faith in the next ten acts still to come.

The Magic of Puck advanced by not being an abysmal mess during the horrific Youtube show, but the judges question whether he can do a bigger and more impressive act. I'm going to give the guy his due.  He tries.  Last time, he made a handkerchief dance for us, and it was kind of cute.  This time, he levitates a lady in the air.  That's... only the second or third time we've seen that trick this season.  The trick is clean, well-done, and quite seamless.  He stepped it up and showed that he can do a very conventional magic trick every bit as well as anybody else can.  He's workmanlike and not particularly original, but he'll get more work.  He's not moving on, and the judges don't even try to convince us that he should, although Howie weakly suggests that if we really, really want to send a magic act to the finale, it might as well be Puck.

Clint Carvalho and His Extreme Parrots is another one of those acts that managed to survive the bloodbath that was the horrible Youtube show. Today, Clint has very good control over his parrot.  Kitty dances for us, mails a letter, flies through some hoops, and steals a 7 Up from Sharon Osbourne.  He's a great circus act.  He's going to make a fine living at Renaissance fairs and the like; this is a very good version of something I've not only seen before, but seen often.  He's not moving on.

Jacob Williams is next.  He's made a name for himself by being geeky and awkward and hysterically funny, but tonight.... he's geeky and awkward and completely out of funny material.  It's very, very painful to watch.   All of a sudden, we realize the difference between a talented beginner like Jacob and a polished, capable pro like Tom Cotter.  I just hope he hasn't just lived his worst nightmare, because he's the weakest act of the night. Howard nailed it - Jacob was nervous and genuinely not very confident.  It's all really... awkward.

Shanice and Maurice Hayes are back for another round of father/daughter bonding, and Shanice lets us know that they've been getting better gigs since they appeared on America's Got Talent.  Well, I am glad to see that they have gotten something tangible out of this. Maurice comes out, beginning the song from one side of the stage, and then Shanice joins him from the other side.  They have a gospel choir backing them and they sound great as they take us to church.  The judges think Maurice is hogging too much spotlight from his charismatic daughter;  Howie wants to kick dad off the stage altogether. So far, it's easily the best act of the evening, but that's not saying much.

All Wheel Sports promises that they are going to be terribly dangerous and exciting as they cycle in the dark.  They jump on trampolines and somersault on bicycles and one guy falls - and that's it.  They are done.  They've made at least one really bad mistake in a big, frenetic, messy performance that is too disorganized to focus on properly, and they've got to be done now.  As Howard points out, there is no one great, interesting moment.  Howie asks us to vote for them. 

The judges said this was the best semifinal in the history of entertainment.  So far, I am not feeling it, and we are over halfway through. Nobody is wowing me yet.I think last week was better.

Tim Hockenberry got to the semifinals by channeling Joe Cocker.  Howard tells us that singers are going to have a hard time tonight, and I hope he's right.  Tim's trying to channel John Lennon;  he's singing "Imagine." He's emoting in all the right places and if I saw him in a bar I'd be eagerly throwing money in his cup, but I am not jumping up to vote for this;  as Howie points out, he's not very original, and I think I've had just about enough of the parade of mediocre male white singers winning this competition over better acts year after year.  I bet money he sails through, and I hope I am wrong.

The Untouchables, that adorable dance troupe of eight year olds going on twenty, are at it again.  This week, the kids are doing the tango, punctuated with sharp, precise movements and breathtaking technical excellence that is impressive enough... until they pull off a magic trick of their own.  The boys lower a a red tarp to cover the girls for literally only about five seconds, and in that time, the girls have replaced their short silver skirts with red and yellow flowing gowns.  It's a spectacular moment, the first AHA! moment of the night. The crowd reaction is phenomenal.  The ovation goes on and on, and I know we've finally seen something genuinely impressive this evening.  Then one little girl begins weeping with joy and babbling about how happy she is that they danced well, and her little tears are going to get them several hundred thousand more votes.  I would not be at all surprised if they made the finals.

The Olate Dogs have to follow that.   Sharon informs us that she thinks they've got to get through to the final.... they've been saying that too often tonight.  One dog jumps a rope, another jumps a flag, and then three start a conga line. One dog rides a scooter, another does backflips.  And then, in the best trick of the evening, two dogs jump over their somersaulting masters.  That's... pretty cool.  That's a trick I've never seen before.  Sharon begs us to vote for them desperately.  Howard says that we  have to vote them through.  Howie agrees - and calls it the best semifinals ever.  Gee, so far I've seen two sensational acts.  Have they forgotten about last week already?

Lightwire Theater offers us an epic battle between a mountain lion of light and two strange, dinosaur like creatures who, for reasons not entirely clear to me, are fighting each other with light sabers. May the force be with you, kitty.  One effect, in which they created a giant egg that exploded and then hung in the air, was particularly impressive.  As the mountain lion warrior runs his enemies through with his light saber, the dinosaurs turn red and fall.  It looks more impressive than it sounds, and I suspect it looks more impressive in person than it does on TV.  Howie declares that they deserve to be in the final.  Oh, look, another one. The judges declare it a 3 D experience.

David Garibaldi and his CMYK's. close the show. Once again, they are dancing to music as they smear what appears to be random paint on four canvases in the middle of the stage. Usually David's gig is easy to figure out; he tends to paint a picture of the musician he's dancing to, but tonight it's clear they are doing something else.  There's a face emerging on those panels, but whose is it? They turn the panels upside down and reconstruct them on a huge scaffolding; shown finally in the proper order, the random splotches of paint have become the Statue of Liberty. Howard thinks that this group will get through to the final, but he's got a warning for Garibaldi.   He's keeping us waiting too long to see what he's painting.  Howard thinks that could be a problem.  Sharon and Howie want Garibaldi to move forward as well.

So total this up:  the judges have asked us to vote for All That, Sebastien, All Wheel Sports, Tim Hockenberry, the Olate Dogs, Lightwire Theater, and David Garibaldi.  That's seven acts, and there are three slots.  I wonder how that's going to work out.

My rankings:

1. The Untouchables - add a little magic and tears to youth and excellence, and I think you have an unbeatable combination.

2. Lightwire Theater - Giant dinosaurs of light fighting a bobcat with lightsabers!  It's so much better than it sounds!

3. The Olate Dogs - Look, the dogs made a congo line and then jumped as their masters did somersaults.  You just don't see that every day.

4. David Garibaldi and his CMYK's - they are still wonderfully energetic and it's still exciting to see what they are painting, but I think I like Joe Castillo better.  He tells a story all the way through.

After that... the quality drops off dramatically.  It will be slightly criminal if anybody ranked lower than David makes these finals, but one guy might.

5. Tim Hockenberry - He will channel the original singes all night with such passion you forget he's just a cover artist. Saints preserve us from yet another white male singing winner.

The rest of the acts have no chance at all.

6. Shanice and Maurice Hayes - Give your daughter wings, old fella.  She's the star of the show now.

7. Sebastien el Charro del Orro - when the acts start getting ordinary and weak, I get to give higher ranks to my sentimental favorite.

8. All That - OK, it was kind of cool seeing their feet on fire.

9. Magic of Puck - Coming soon to a birthday party near you.  Hey, I will hire him for my kids.  It would be great.

10. Clint Carvalho and His Extreme Parrots - because the Renaissance Festival is the only other place to see an act like this.

11. All Wheel Sports - The most interesting thing was the splat.

12. Jacob Williams - Sweetie, when the jokes don't work, you are heartbreaking.