…and once again Glee surprised me by making me like what I thought I wouldn’t like:
I watched the original Rocky Horror Picture Show before this episode so I would be able to tell the differences and similarities and I must say, I didn’t like it very much. It was too crazy, kind of overacted and strange and this didn’t make the songs better for me, either. So I hoped the Glee version would be better as they’ve never let me down so far...
The episode started, just like in the original, with only (Santana’s) red lips to be seen on a black background, singing Science Fiction/Double Feature, followed by the credits in a Halloweeny blood font and the beginning of a rehearsal scene interrupted by Carl. They rewind to tell us how it all started, with Will wanting to win Emma’s heart back from Carl:
This time, Will has the (very bad) idea of making the Glee Club perform the Rocky Horror Picture Show because Emma loves it and, thus, he pretends to love it, too. And that’s where the problems start: As some kids don’t even know Rocky Horror, they agree to perform it without knowledge of its plot and message to the viewers. The others need to be convinced by Will, as they initially find it too controversial to be performed in front of the whole school. Once Sue hears of the plan, she concludes a contract with two local TV managers, giving her good prospects for a local Emmy and the right to rewrite the script in order to make this musical project a scandal.
Further problems concern the characters and the (lack of) costumes: Finn and Sam are uncomfortable with only wearing (golden) underpants on stage as Brad and Rocky, Finn because of his under-the-belt “business” and Sam because of his fat Cool Ranch Dorito belly rolls. The role of Frank N. Furter poses another of those problems: Kurt refuses with thanks to play him and tells Will he can’t expect him to play a high-heeled transvestite, wearing basically nothing more than fish nets and lipstick. Fortunately, Mike is keen to play Frank N. Furter, but unfortunately his parents don’t allow him to play a transvestite. This (and the suspicious chemistry between Emma and Will) makes Carl audition for the role. After his audition song Whatever happened to Saturday Night?, it becomes clear that he rather is the perfect Eddie, so the Furter problem isn’t solved. That’s probably why nobody objects to Mercedes reinterpreting the role of Frank N. Furter in a sexy outfit.
Slowly but inevitably the show turns into the horror it’s supposed to be: Beside the lack of actors for the different roles and Carl’s over-punctual motorcycle entry, Finn does his confident walk around school, dressed only in his “costume”, which almost results in his suspension, and Emma, originally just the appointed costume designer, suddenly has orientation problems. Her revealing rehearsal with Will of Touch A, Touch A, Touch A, Touch Me makes Carl rage even more and… we’re back at the beginning. After a private conversation with Emma about his feelings, Will eventually decides - for the sake of Emma’s new boyfriend and defeating Sue - to perform the show only for themselves.
The fact that their final opinion of Rocky Horror pretty much corresponded to mine, that they gave variety to the musical by leaving several songs out and that they concentrated on developing the storyline, helped a lot to make me love this episode. Although it draws a line under the possible and much anticipated Wemma relationship for now, it at least ended with a crazy good version of the Time Warp!
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