Glee: Super-size Me!

Kurt and Karofsky bury the hatchett.
I didn't mean that the nasty way.

After last week’s 60 minutes of suck, I approached this week’s 90 minute super-sized episode of Glee with some trepidation. I tuned in with crossed fingers but I really enjoyed this episode (except for the dreadful Barbra Streisand number!).

For months now, we’ve known that Lady Gaga’s Born This Way would feature prominently in an episode. It was fitting since the topic was self-acceptance. After getting nailed in the nose by Finn, Rachel had the opportunity to get a nose job. It was tempting. While the club members objected, Rachel seriously considered getting her nose done. But she didn’t want just any nose, she wanted Quinn’s nose.

The two of them together at the plastic surgeon’s led to a nice mash-up of West Side Story’s I Feel Pretty and TLC’s Unpretty. Speaking of unpretty, Lauren decided to run for prom queen and decided to dig up some dirt on Quinn. It turns out that our resident pretty girl wasn’t always pretty. In junior high, she was a fat, frumpy brace face with bad acne! In a move that was completely mean-spirited, Lauren plastered the school with Quinn’s old junior high school photo. However, the humiliated Quinn had the last laugh when Lauren’s trick backfired. Quinn ended up getting the respect of her high school classmates for being able to change her image. At least Lauren did apologize.

Meanwhile, Santana decided if the team wanted a shot a nationals they needed Kurt back. Of course, before he’d come back, they’d have to deal with the Karofsky issue. After what she’d overheard last week and then catching Karofsky checking out another guy’s backside, Santana put her plan in motion.

She had a come to Jesus with him where she revealed to him that she was gay too. She offered to be his beard and not to out him, if he convinced Kurt to come back. First Karofsky apologized to the glee club and then to Kurt and his dad directly. Eventually, (after Kurt told him he’d have to help him start a gay support group) Kurt agreed to come back.

We had one more song from The Warblers as they came to say goodbye to Kurt. Blaine got a little choked up singing Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know. I hope Kurt’s return doesn’t mean we’ve heard the last of The Warblers.

Meanwhile everyone tried to convince Rachel to keep her nose. Finn told her she was beautiful. Kurt and Puck orchestrated a flash mob at the mall around Duck Sauce’s Barbra Streisand (worst song of the evening, the season and just about the whole damn series).

Back in adult world, we didn’t even have as much as an appearance from Sue, but we did get the whole Will and Emma (Wilma? EmIl?) relationship back on track. To teach the self-acceptance Will wanted all the kids to wear t-shirts that featured what they needed to accept about themselves. Finn’s said Can’t Dance. Rachel’s said Nose. Mercedes’s said No Weave (yeah, I didn’t get that one either). Will wanted Emma to wear one that said OCD and set an example for the kids. She backed out and went with Ginger because she’s a red head. Emma ended up talking to a therapist and actually taking the first step to deal with her OCD.

Overall I really enjoyed the super-sized episode. I have to go on record being frustrated with Finn. On the one hand, he’s telling Rachel she’s beautiful and looking at her with longing. On the other hand, he carries a wallet-sized photo of the Junior High version of Quinn and talks about how much he loves her regardless of her appearance. The writers need to give this boy some clear direction.