The New Directions are finally going to Sectionals! And everyone has gone completely off their rockers. The special education the Glee Clubbers are receiving in this episode is much less about education and much more about how we are each individually unique and special with our own gifts and talents and strengths and weaknesses, and when we use our gifts for the benefit of the group we become spectacular enough to...tie the competition.
Kurt has been a tremendous trooper this season and now he faces another challenge, possibly the biggest one a teenager can go through-- being the new kid and trying to fit in all over again. Dalton Academy is a big transition for him and sentiments such as "we wear uniforms for a reason" and "if you're only trying to stand out you'll never make it as a Warbler", it seems a little more like a prison stripping its inmates of their individuality. What Kurt has done best, so far, is to stand out and steal the show with his fashion, his performing, and just simply with his personality; he is starting to second-guess his decision to transfer. But this is new-kid jitters and, through the help of Pavarotti the Bird's molting, he sees that starting fresh is painful but in a good way, helping him to grow as a person and to achieve what he desires. Whether or not Dalton Academy was a good switch for Kurt in the long run is yet to be seen.
I like Quinn more and more every time I see her and am so glad she was given the solo for Sectionals. She has a girlish charm and innocence that is hard to beat and amazing talent to boot! I am also falling in love with Mike Chang and am so glad that we are learning more about him and seeing him featured more often, especially because he has mad dance moves that make him extremely hard to resist!
For most of this episode I was really proud of Emma. She has grown to be the most stable and balanced character on the show and has reached out of her comfort zones continually to overcome herself and become a better person and to have healthy relationships. Then she randomly just married Carl. I guess we'll see how that goes but it does not bode well for her and her marriage nor for Will. Oh Will...I wish he would just grow up and man up. He has lost his focus in teaching and his method and has used the Glee Club to fulfill his own adolescent aspirations (and his first song choice for Sectionals, while outstanding, still says he's doing so). Although, there is much to be proud of Will for in this episode as he continually stood up to the Clubbers and made them work through their issues to become a team, at least for a little while.
I'm getting especially tired of Rachel, as it seems the rest of the Club is. Will hit the nail on the head when he called her selfish and I'd like to add snooty, ungrateful, spoiled, and short-sighted. While she has an amazing voice and showmanship, she expects to be the spotlight of the Club and of everyone's lives while not realizing that others are just as talented and vulnerable as her. Perhaps Fin breaking up with her is the wake-up call she needs. I hope so, it would be a shame for her to self-destruct in this way. And on the opposite end of this spectrum is Brittany who is extremely talented and she knows it but never goes out of her way to show up anyone else, instead letting opportunity come to her.
So Sectionals itself...well I think it's apparent that the Hipsters were the foreshadowing of the future of the New Directions if they continued along their old path. You could see on Will's face the confirmation of his decision to switch things up. The Warblers were wonderful! Blaine's face is made for close ups and we should all be very grateful because he has some of the best facial expressions on the show. Quinn and Sam's performance of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" was exceptional but standard, however, Santana's vocals on "Valerie" were outstanding, definitely better than anything we've heard her sing thus far, and quite possibly the best on the show this season! I dislike Santana more and more with every passing episode but her talent cannot be denied nor ignored. And the decision...so anti-climactic and a bit of a cop-out. It's plain that the only reason the Warblers and the New Directions tied was because we cannot bare to see Kurt's musical journey at his new school come to a close for the year. What an awful reason! Things like this do not happen in real life and this takes all the value out of performing and doing your best. Somebody had better blow Regionals out of the water.
By far the best performance of the entire episode was the New Directions' version of "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine. It is unfortunate that they do not sing songs like this in the competitions, they would beat anyone else hands down, no competition, well, maybe some competition from Audio Adrenaline but that is still to come. What they did in this arrangement was to use their vocals in an unconventional, interesting way to give a fresh sound to the song and to their group. And the choreography for this song was fresh, unique, and gave new life to the song--instead of just being moves done on a stage it was movement to help tell the story of the song. This is what the Glee Club needs to start really winning!
Overall, this was a slightly disjointed episode in that it told many storylines but never brought them together in a satisfactory way to move the entire plot along. Also, the show has been preaching tolerance, acceptance, and individuality, but, according to this episode, that will not make you the best or outstanding, simply just as good, when in reality these things will make you a better person, an empowered person, and empowered people change the world. However, it was still just as catchy and addicting as all the previous episodes to date. Like M&Ms or Pringles or Pistachios, you cannot have just one, you crave more with each one you ingest.
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