tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post861696021816895171..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: Last Week in TV #15Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-10187049355353058872013-01-11T17:56:08.335-06:002013-01-11T17:56:08.335-06:00@Blam: Also, I hope that I haven't oversold &q...@Blam: <i>Also, I hope that I haven't oversold "Britney 2.0"</i><br /><br />Nah, the completist in me will force me to watch it no matter what, I just can't decide the best time to watch it, now that I've moved so far beyond it. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-57478539351011592292013-01-07T23:00:31.628-06:002013-01-07T23:00:31.628-06:00@Teebore — Your last couple of paragraphs are spot...<br>@Teebore — Your last couple of paragraphs are spot-on. I'm glad that I didn't even try to articulate that,, because you summed it up perfectly. Also, I hope that I haven't oversold "Britney 2.0"; I recall enjoying it and, like I said, a few choice lines were hilarious, but all I really remember about it is what's in my notes.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-27389636615132832322013-01-07T11:04:13.743-06:002013-01-07T11:04:13.743-06:00@Michael: Despite the my griping about show struct...@Michael: <i>Despite the my griping about show structure and how the writers need to choose either NY or OH and stick with it, I want them to choose OH -- so this could be troublesome for me.</i><br /><br />@Blam: <i>You're absolutely right that the show needs to decide, retroactively, whether until graduation it had been about that particular glee club or the glee club at McKinley.</i><br /><br />Generally, I'm okay with the split focus, though I wish the show was more...regimented about it, I suppose. I don't mind the occasional "graduate-focused" episode, so long as that is the focus - 75% of the episode devoted to that (because I don't we should ever move away from the school entirely), with the 25% set at the school not focusing on something that deserves more time/space. <br /><br />The only time an entire episode should be spent in one locale is if that locale is the school. <br /><br />If they do want to touch base with the NY storyline or whatever, without devoting a full 75% of the episode to it, then use the same formula in reverse: give Kurt or Rachel a song in 25% of the episode, with the rest devoted to the cast at the school. <br /><br />I really do feel like the show should principally be about the students at the school, working in the occasional (believable) appearance by a graduate (Finn's presence has worked remarkably well). But at the same time, I'd hate to see a character like Kurt relegated to nothing more than one or two appearances a year when he comes home to visit Blaine. And if getting more Kurt (and Puck, and Santana) means we get more Rachel, eh, I guess that's a tradeoff I can live with, so long as the show never fully abandons the school. <br /><br />@Michael: <i>Kurt is arguably the most three-dimensional character in the entire series -- overcoming his shame of his sexuality, prejudice, his father's illness, unrequited love and rejection (from Finn and, originally, Blaine), and having grown from these experiences, all before Season 3.</i><br /><br />Far be it from me to get in the way of a good rant (lord knows I've ranted plenty about the show's characterization of Sue), and at the risk of sticking up for Rachel (who, while I don't dislike quite as strongly as you, does very little for me a character), I will say while we know all that stuff about Kurt, <i>Carmen</i> doesn't; he's just a kid auditioning for her. <i>We</i> know he deserves a spot at NYADA more than Rachel, but Carmen didn't. <br /><br />In fact, I think one could interpret Carmen's criticism as being that Kurt needed to project all the hardships and troubles he's overcome into his performances, rather than just presenting a dressed up and technically proficient song while keeping everything else locked up (which was echoed by Rachel's discussion of his "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" performance, the most raw and heartfelt performance we ever saw of his). <br /><br />Whereas Rachel, despite having an easier time of things than Kurt, was able to sing in such a way that Carmen believed she had incredible depth (she hoodwinked her, basically). I mean, that's kinda been Rachel's whole schtick, hasn't it? She's a pretty shallow and self-centered person, but when she sings, it's possible to forget all that because she's so good. <br /><br />Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-57510948202286827142013-01-07T10:46:14.965-06:002013-01-07T10:46:14.965-06:00@Blam: it's kind-of hilarious to see every las...@Blam: <i>it's kind-of hilarious to see every last one of the Old New Directions besides Agron show up in the long string of alphabetical "starring..." credits while the "guest-starring" roster includes the prominent Melissa Benoist and Jacob Artist.</i><br /><br />The vagaries of TV crediting continue to astound and amuse me. <br /><br /><i>Fun fact: He went to high school with Kurt Busiek and Scott McCloud.</i><br /><br />That's pretty cool (and I did love that scene as well). <br /><br /><i>I hope we see more of Aisha Tyler as Jr. Puck's mom, 'cause otherwise that was a real waste.</i><br /><br />Agreed. <br /><br /><i>Then again, I kind-of enjoyed how ludicrous the fake Sam / Brittany wedding was too, so we actually part ways for once there.</i><br /><br />Eh, I didn't HATE that plotline. It was just the one I enjoyed the least (though I did like the way Bieste handled the situation). <br /><br /><i>I'm hoping that you're wrong about Burt's fate. </i><br /><br />Oh, I TOTALLY hope I'm wrong. In addition to agreeing with everything you said, I worry about what it would do to Kurt's character, as he is currently (as Michel points) one of the more fully realized characters on the show, yet there's only so much believeably DRAMATIC things that can happen to a character before it becomes cliche/unbelievable/just straight up piling on. <br /><br />Or, to put it another way: having his dad survive a battle with cancer adds an additional layer to his character. Having his dad die from cancer, after everything else, would start to feel like the writers are just shitting on poor Kurt. <br /><br /><i>I don't recall you doing "Only in the World of Glee..." before but it's a keeper.</i><br /><br />I hadn't; I decided to use it instead of the longer "Things I Shouldn't Worry About on <i>Glee</i>. Glad you like it; it'll be sticking around.<br /><br />Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-5515484671217418962013-01-07T10:45:51.690-06:002013-01-07T10:45:51.690-06:00@Michael: It was like they had four minutes left t...@Michael: <i>It was like they had four minutes left to go in the episode, so they shoe-horned a Kidz Bop version of the original song into the show</i><br /><br />It did feel very "Kidz Bop"-y, even though I wasn't familiar with the original. I'm glad I wasn't the only one turned off by it. <br /><br /><i>I had expected the writers to use SJP as the NY Sue, so I've been pleasantly surprised that she's become Kurt's surrogate mother.</i><br /><br />It's a testament to how inconsistently this show portrays most adult role models (like Sue) that I keep waiting for the shoe to drop with SJP and her to turn into a raving super-villain, even though that's clearly not going to happen at this point. <br /><br /><i>Why else would they demote an already-established and popular villain like Sebastian and give New Guy a solo?</i><br /><br />I was honestly shocked when Sebastian showed up again A. because I figured the show would just forget he ever existed and B. because they even made a point of recalling his past actions and confirming he's moved past them. A rare bit of intentional continuity for the show. <br /><br /><i>Artie slid down the ramp? Isn't this why he got an exoskeleton for Christmas back in Season 2?</i><br /><br />Ha! Were Artie's robot legs the most ridiculous thing in the history of this show's ridiculous things? Discuss. :)<br /><br />@Hannah: <i>The Family Guy episode did have its moments.</i><br /><br />It did indeed. <br /><br />@Blam: <i>Did you (Teebore) ever watch "Britney 2.0"?</i><br /><br />No, though it's still sitting on my DVR. I reached a point where I'd moved so far past it it seemed silly to go back and watch it, yet the complestist in me, coupled with your comments on it, have kept me from deleting it in the hopes that I find an appropriate time to watch it. <br /><br /><i>Apparently it was a big hit, but I'm, uh, hit-and-miss with hit songs.</i><br /><br />Yeah, if it wasn't for my wife, I'd be completely ignorant of any current hit songs (not that I'm terribly savvy on the subject as is). She at least keeps me abreast of the bigger hits by having contemporary radio on when we're in the car together (otherwise, when I'm alone, it's all podcasts/soundtracks/oldies). <br /><br /><i>Also it's totally sad that all the second-stringers who were lectured that it was the seniors' turn to shine last year — Tina especially — are now being overshadowed by the new kids.</i><br /><br />Agreed. I understand the need to inject new characters into the show and set them up for future seasons, but it'd be nice if at least one of the seniors (especially Tina) was being included in some of the storylines that didn't connect back to the graduates in some way. <br /><br /><i>Uh... "Show circle" is not something that Mr. Schue made up. </i><br /><br />I meant to comment on that as well. <br /><br />Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-77716480746268571962013-01-06T23:03:35.387-06:002013-01-06T23:03:35.387-06:00@Michael: Rachel's dads did appear at ONE perf...<br>@Michael: <i>Rachel's dads did appear at ONE performance last year, right?</i><br /><br />Yes. And they even said (I paraphrase), "Oh... This is wonderful. How come we've never done this before?" So it confirmed the fact that they actually hadn't shown up for previous concerts vs. — like I think many viewers assumed because they're <i>Rachel's dads</i> — were there in the crowd but just hadn't been singled out and given a scene because the show wanted to wait on casting them. Rachel not having her dads sit down and talk to Kurt early on, when he was going through all that he was going through, is a serious sin of omission in my mind.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-14678634379670971442013-01-06T22:08:38.120-06:002013-01-06T22:08:38.120-06:00@Blam: Also it's totally sad that all the seco...@Blam: <i>Also it's totally sad that all the second-stringers who were lectured that it was the seniors' turn to shine last year — Tina especially — are now being overshadowed by the new kids.</i><br /><br />Even worse is the New New Directions getting bumped for an Old New Directions fantasy reunion during "You're the One That I Want." This musical was like a coming out party for the New New Directions and they got bumped from the climax for another Finn / Rachel duet.<br /><br />@Blam <i>I'm still not the biggest fan of the New York plotlines, both in concept and execution, but you're right that the Winter Showcase performances were lovely.</i><br /><br />I will admit that performances were lovely -- especially "O Holy Night." That said...<br /><br />I am so f-ing tired of poor Mary Sue Rachel. I simply don't understand the writers' fascination with her or her continued idolization -- and it's only getting worse this season.<br /><br />It's revealed that Carmen selected Rachel for NYADA (despite two botched auditions) but rejected Kurt because he lacked depth. It boggles the mind. Kurt is arguably the most three-dimensional character in the entire series -- overcoming his shame of his sexuality, prejudice, his father's illness, unrequited love and rejection (from Finn and, originally, Blaine), and having grown from these experiences, all before Season 3.<br /><br />Rachel's drive is a choice. She has chosen to pursue fame, and hasn't let anything stop her. That's commendable, but shallow. Kurt's drive is a necessity. He's never let anything stop him because he knows that if doesn't move forward (come out, overcome bullying, connect with his father, follow his heart), his life will be worse for it. That's powerful -- and if I was still an insecure, closeted gay kid in middle or high school who only knew gay people through the media, I'd probably be inspired by this character.<br /><br />But, somehow, he lacks depth. For as much as I hate Cassandra, I honestly think she's the only character on the show who actually sees Rachel for what she is -- a spoiled rich girl with dreams of bright lights.<br /><br />< /rant ><br /><br />@Blam <i>I still don't buy that they'd never seen Rachel's performances or that they hadn't stepped in to talk to Kurt at some point.</i><br /><br />Rachel's dads did appear at ONE performance last year, right? But I never even thought of a Rachel's Dads-Kurt talk. That would make for a great moment, and makes perfect sense since Kurt and Rachel become close friends.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665503542091489778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-66916035053333455292013-01-05T23:12:25.466-06:002013-01-05T23:12:25.466-06:00@Michael: Now, the writers need to figure out whet...<br>@Michael: <i>Now, the writers need to figure out whether the show is supposed to be about the McKinley High School glee club or about the kids we met in Season 1, all of whom just happened to be in the McKinley High School glee club.</i><br /><br />Amen.<br /><br />@Michael: <i>It's like a perfect storm of gay.</i><br /><br />Indeed. I can hear Kurt saying that, by the way, and it being the line that everyone quotes the next day.<br /><br />@Michael: <i>Despite the my griping about show structure and how the writers need to choose either NY or OH and stick with it, I want them to choose OH -- so this could be troublesome for me.</i><br /><br />Amen again. <br /><br />The split focus has been getting praise but it just hasn't worked for me. Like you my preference is for the story to be about the glee club, rather than the graduated characters, a preference that surprises me (even though it's true that there's been more than a little repetition in the New New Directions' storylines). You're absolutely right that the show needs to decide, retroactively, whether until graduation it had been about that particular glee club or the glee club at McKinley.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-24424748630923459222013-01-05T23:11:12.430-06:002013-01-05T23:11:12.430-06:00Glee: Swan Song
I almost fell out of my chair at ...<br><b><i>Glee</i>: Swan Song</b><br /><br />I almost fell out of my chair at Brad the piano player's hilarious spoken(!) cameo when he dropped by Sue's office to thank her. (Fun fact: He went to high school with Kurt Busiek and Scott McCloud.)<br /><br /><i>Seriously, if I was in that class, I'd want my tuition refunded because my teacher was wasting my time carrying out a vendetta against another classmate.</i><br /><br />No surprise, I wrote down something very similar. <br /><br />I'm still not the biggest fan of the New York plotlines, both in concept and execution, but you're right that the Winter Showcase performances were lovely. Even so, I'm a sucker for Crowded House and chose that as my favorite number as well. I also agree on how satisfying it was both for Kurt to get into NYADA and <i>how</i> he got in.<br /><br />The whole thing with Marley's eating disorder and how it was triggered by Kitty is likewise annoying to me in several regards.<br /><br />We both had the <i>Prometheus</i> quote as a favorite, too. Shocking!<br /><br /><b><i>Glee</i>: Glee, Actually</b><br /><br />Every time I see Kurt and Rachel's cavernous warehouse loft I'm totally distracted by how much it much cost to heat that thing.<br /><br />The Puckerman Bros.' rendition of "O Chanukah" was just stupid, frankly, although it does get points for them singing to nuns. I know that there aren't many well-known Chanukah songs, even if you grade on a curve, but, heck, frickin' "I Have a Little Dreydel" would've been less dippy — and the show would've earned serious points by jazzing up a traditional Hebrew tune like "Maoz Tzur" or "Sevivon Sov Sov Sov".<br /><br />I hope we see more of Aisha Tyler as Jr. Puck's mom, 'cause otherwise that was a real waste.<br /><br /><i>It was fun to see some of the old faces in Artie's segment, especially the return of Terri and the show's acknowledgement of that awful "fake pregnancy" storyline</i><br /><br />Ditto to that. I might've liked that storyline the best just for its style, including how some things followed logically and some were absurdly different just for the sake of being different. Then again, I kind-of enjoyed how ludicrous the fake Sam / Brittany wedding was too, so we actually part ways for once there.<br /><br />I'm hoping that you're wrong about Burt's fate. The show didn't need that as an excuse to have Burt (and Blaine) visit, nor does it need to stir up drama like that for the sake of Something Important always happening to the characters.<br /><br />You'd think that Rachel's dads would love having their daughter at NYADA as an excuse to fly out for a Broadway show, but then again they're probably the least believable characters <i>Glee</i> has ever conceived — which, oh yes, I realize is saying something — in their very absence from so many plots where their presence would be natural. I still don't buy that they'd never seen Rachel's performances or that they hadn't stepped in to talk to Kurt at some point.<br /><br />I don't recall you doing "Only in the World of <i>Glee</i>..." before but it's a keeper.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-8630008984180648702013-01-05T23:07:02.710-06:002013-01-05T23:07:02.710-06:00Did you (Teebore) ever watch "Britney 2.0&quo...<br>Did you (Teebore) ever watch "Britney 2.0"? As I think I've said already it had a couple of <i>Glee</i>'s funniest lines ever <i>plus</i> the Cheerios dancing with <i>bat'leth</i>s.<br /><br /><b><i>Glee</i>: Thanksgiving</b><br /><br />I didn't know that song they mashed up with "Homeward Bound" — "Home". Apparently it was a big hit, but I'm, uh, hit-and-miss with hit songs. Even more than being unfamiliar with it my complaint was that it was thematically apt but tonally dissonant; you just don't mash up a tune with "Homeward Bound" unless it's another vintage classic (which I mean not only in terms of reverence but in terms of style).<br /><br />For some reason it was particularly, painfully obvious that these poor folks were standing on a stage awkwardly with nothing to do but smile and mouth the words to a prerecorded track.<br /><br />Also it's totally sad that all the second-stringers who were lectured that it was the seniors' turn to shine last year — Tina especially — are now being overshadowed by the new kids.<br /><br />Uh... "Show circle" is <i>not</i> something that Mr. Schue made up. Or are we supposed to think that Finn's just being dense?<br /><br />I hope that Marley's okay, but it <i>would</i> be awesome to do an episode based on <i>A Christmas Carol</i> with an actual Ghost of Marley. <i>[written before the next episode aired, obviously, and also obviously jestingly macabre]</i><br /><br /><i>Quinn is dating a married older professor? Good to know she hasn't entirely grown up...</i><br /><br />Yeah. I wouldn't hold out hope that we really get the story there, though. I'm an inveterate credits-watcher, and I noticed with puzzlement that Dianna Agron was billed as a special guest star while the other returning grads are at least nominally regulars when they appear. On the other hand, in a sort of ass-backwards corollary to my statement above of the New New Directions getting in the way of the Leftover New Directions' spotlight, it's kind-of hilarious to see every last one of the Old New Directions besides Agron show up in the long string of alphabetical "starring..." credits while the "guest-starring" roster includes the prominent Melissa Benoist and Jacob Artist.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-51230148626006046832013-01-05T14:12:27.316-06:002013-01-05T14:12:27.316-06:00"I just thought I'd take a break from poo..."I just thought I'd take a break from pooping in the open street." LOL. The Family Guy episode did have its moments.Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16915603693944523761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-30977453004084044432013-01-05T11:27:11.835-06:002013-01-05T11:27:11.835-06:00PART 2 IN A 2-PART COMMENT
Swan Song
I'll gi...PART 2 IN A 2-PART COMMENT<br /><br /><i>Swan Song</i><br /><br /><b>I'll give them this: disqualifying New New Directions from Sectionals, thus ending their competitive season, is a pretty ballsy move. It runs the risk of obliterating the tentative foothold they've established by allowing the more impactful events in the lives of the graduates to overwhelm the goings-on in Ohio ...</b><br /><br />This is a great move -- for the unpredictability of it, if nothing else. I also liked the fall-out from it, with Blaine and Tina joining the Cheerios. That was a nice little throw back to Kurt and Mercedes joining the Cheerios back when they felt they weren't getting the attention they deserved in the glee club. (I seem to recall Artie having the same reaction last time, too, but I could be wrong there.)<br /><br />I also worry that this will allow the NY storyline to dominate the show. Despite the my griping about show structure and how the writers need to choose either NY or OH and stick with it, I want them to choose OH -- so this could be troublesome for me.<br /><br />That said, I fully expect this to be undone somehow. Seems to me like they're setting up the new Warbler captain as Season 4's Big Bad. (Why else would they demote an already-established and popular villain like Sebastian and give New Guy a solo?) So, my guess is that he somehow screws up and they get to re-compete in some sort of redemption episode where everyone forgives Finn for not being Mr. Schue and Marley for passing out.<br /><br /><i>Glee, Actually</i><br /><br />Artie slid down the ramp? Isn't this why he got an exoskeleton for Christmas back in Season 2?Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665503542091489778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-8859956197294076682013-01-05T11:25:39.422-06:002013-01-05T11:25:39.422-06:00Not to steal Matt's thunder, but: PART 1 IN A ...Not to steal Matt's thunder, but: PART 1 IN A 2-PART COMMENT<br /><br />I just finished a mini-Glee marathon myself, recently catching up on all six episodes following their mid-mid-season break.<br /><br /><i>Thanksgiving</i><br /><br /><b>So this episode was mainly an excuse to bring back any returning alumni we hadn't seen yet this season (which is pretty much just Quinn), but, call me a sucker if you will, it worked for me.</b><br /><br />It worked for me, too. Mostly.<br /><br />The opening number suddenly made me realize that Quinn was the only graduate we hadn't seen yet in Season 4. That suddenly reminded me (and reinforced) the absurdity of including all the other graduates up to this point. I spent much of the opening number thinking about how I'd much rather have spent the first seven episodes of the season exclusively with the New New Directions (and potentially Finn, as the Lima Loser) and then brought the graduates home for Thanksgiving like this. It would have made for a much bigger emotional payoff and much more cohesive season.<br /><br />This isn't really a condemnation of the episode, but a gripe about the show structure this season. The writers' ping-ponging between New York and Ohio keeps leaving me unsatisfied, not spending enough time with any characters to really care all that much.<br /><br />Simply put, Ryan Murphy pitched a Kurt-and-Rachel-do-NY style spin-off last year and Fox took a pass -- Now, the writers need to figure out whether the show is supposed to be about the McKinley High School glee club or about the kids we met in Season 1, all of whom just happened to be in the McKinley High School glee club.<br /><br /><b>So WTF was up with that Kiki song Sarah Jessica Parker sung? Has anyone heard of it before? Is it, like, a thing? </b><br /><br />It's by the Scissor Sisters, a glam rock band. I am a huge fan of the band and song, but this was just horrible. They were clearly just pandering to their gay fan base. (Sarah Jessica Parker singing Scissor Sisters on Glee? It's like a perfect storm of gay.)<br /><br />As a member of the gay fan base, I also saw this performance and asked "WTF was that?" It was like they had four minutes left to go in the episode, so they shoe-horned a Kidz Bop version of the original song into the show -- and then decided to mash it up with "Turkey Lurkey Time" just for the hell of it.<br /><br />You can check out the original music video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCD4xb-Tr8<br /><br /><b>I appreciated both Kurt calling Rachel and Brody on their not-so-subtle flirting whilst cooking and his finally making peace with Blaine.</b><br /><br />I can't stand Brody. In fact, I really just can't bear much of Rachel's NY storyline.<br /><br />Kurt's call was sweet. In contrast to Rachel, I've actually greatly enjoyed Kurt's NY storyline -- especially his totally unrealistic relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker's character. I had expected the writers to use SJP as the NY Sue, so I've been pleasantly surprised that she's become Kurt's surrogate mother.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665503542091489778noreply@blogger.com