Rachel's Dads Reveals and Last Night's Episode

Rachel's Two Dads

Ever since the first episode, when Rachel revealed she was adopted and raised by an interracial gay couple, Gleeks have wondered who would play her parents. Well, wonder no more. Rachel’s two dads will be played by Jeff Goldblum and Broadway vet Brian Stokes Mitchell. Just about everyone is familiar with Goldblum but Stokes should look familiar to TV watchers. He’s been a frequent guest star on TV shows ranging from The Fresh Prince to Frasier and if you want to go way back, Trapper John M.D. The pair will make their debut on the Glee Valentine’s Day episode!

Last Night's Episode



Emma wasn't the only one with the Wedding Bell
Blues last night!



Last night’s episode was like a cool glass of water after a long drought! Glee oh how I’ve missed thee! Lots of musical numbers and fun. Where to begin????

• Dame Helen Mirren as the voice of Becky’s inner thoughts! Perfect!
• Coaches Beiste and Sylvester backing up Emma as she sang The Wedding Bell Blues (loved the bridesmaid’s dresses!)
• Nene Leakes from The Real Housewives of Atlanta guest starring as synchronized swimming coach Roz Washington. Initially, I had some serious misgivings about Nene’s acting debut but she really did pull it off! Her over-the-top persona was perfect for over-the-top synchronized swimming coach.
• LOVED Schue’s synchronized swimming proposal. CONFUSED BY song choice: Rihanna’s We Found Love (in a hopeless place). Is it high school that’s a hopeless place or is the hopeless place Emma’s rampant OCD?
• Corey Monteith stepped up his acting game this week as he found out an ugly truth about the father he’d spent his life idolizing.

Of course it wasn’t all perfection. I loved Samcedes’s homage to Grease with Summer Night’s but it seems the love non-triangle is over as Mercedes realized she wanted Sam during the Rachel/Santana/Mercedes rendition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. At least her boyfriend got about three lines this episode. They will send him packing soon enough though.

Kurt and Rachel take Manhattan ... or NOT!

Kurt and Rach have breakfast
at Tiffany's. I mean, it's a jewlery store
not a Starbucks!

If you were looking forward to the rumored spin-off of Glee where Lea Michele’s Rachel Berry and Chris Colfer Kurt Hummel take on New York after graduating from McKinley … oh well. It ain’t gonna happen, says FOX president Kevin Reilly.

However he goes on to say that the principal characters will stay on the show. Exactly how that will happen, we don’t know and he isn’t saying. Hmmmm. He cryptically adds, “"No spin-off, characters graduating, cool season next year."

What Was the Big Deal?

I'd heard about The First Time, Tuesday's 'controversial' Glee episode for days. It was on the news; I heard it discussed on talk radio. OMG! Two high school couples were going to have sex for the first time. It was a ratings ploy, one station said. Another hypothesized that it was a gimmick to raise Glee's low ratings.

I don't think so.

First of all, I saw the episode. It was the chastest episode about sex I'd ever seen. In fact, all we ever saw was a little kissing. Yes, several of the kisses were exchanged between two boys but honestly, is that even that big of a deal anymore.

There were no scenes where soft music played while our two couples of soon-to-be-lovers gazed longingly into each others eyes as they slowly removed their clothes. There were no shots of partially nude kids holding each other in the soft dim light. There was none of that.

In fact, what you had were two committed couples who made the decision to have sex. They talked about it and decided to do it after being together and exclusive for a while. If I had a kid, I'd want my kid to show that level of maturity about sex.

The truth is that teenagers do it. Many do it without nearly as much thoughtfulness or concern. It amazes me that in the era of Teen Mom, they'd be concerned about Glee.

Monday, Monday

Ryan Murphy has an early Christmas present for us, Gleeks. How'd you like Chord Overstreet wrapped up and under your tree (maybe in his Rocky Horror costume!). Overstreet will return to Glee in a multi-episode arc starting in December. Murphy said, “So here’s an early Christmas present for all the Gleeks — Sam is coming back to McKinley, and just in time for sectionals!” The real question is what does this mean for our girl Mercedes. She was dating Sam at the end of last season but she's moved on. Will she move back?

Here's something to talk about. Aisha Tyler is no longer a guest host on The Talk. She's now a full-time host … joining Sharon Osbourne, Julie Chen, Sheryl Underwood and Sara Gilbert. Tyler is the voice of Lana on FX's Archer and has had recurring roles on Friends and The Ghost Whisperer.

Asian F Gets an A in My Book!

Yes, the episode is called Asian F, so
technically, I guess Mike Chang's pic
should be here but Mercedes has a
man and that's what I'm going with.
My blog, my rules, damnit!

So I get back from my vacay, and get hit with some weird bug that kept me completely fatigued for practically a week. I went days without even going upstairs and turning on the PC. I'm feeling better now but man was that weird! I did get to watch most of my shows though (thank goodness the TV is downstairs). You know, I wouldn't have missed Glee (even if I had to prop my eyes open a la Clockwork Orange).

A lot of Gleeks gave up on Season 2. They said the writing was uneven. They didn't like some of the song choices. Many felt it had become the Kurt (and sometimes Rachel) show. It seems as if Ryan Murphy was listening and the first few few episodes of this season have been great, with this past Tuesday's episode Asian F being the best of all.

The focus was on Mike Chang who's father came to McKinely out of concern when Mike received an A minus (an Asian F) in Chemistry. His father felt his focus on the Glee club and dance were at the crux of his problem. Plus, we finally got to hear him sing (and he's pretty good). Meanwhile Mercedes and Rachel continued to battle for the lead, Maria, in Westside Story. We got to see a little more of Mercedes boyfriend, who was actually encouraging and supportive (though his insistence that she couldn't be friends with Rachel was a bit much). Finally, Rachel considered throwing her hat into the presidential ring along with Kurt and Brittany.

In the adult Glee wold, Schue thought that Emma was too embarrassed of him to introduce him to her parents. When we met her parents, we found that nothing could have been further from the truth. We also got to see the origins of some of Emma's issues (and with parents like that, who could blame her). With songs from Westside Story, Dreamgirls, Coldplay and Beyonce, Glee is back!

Mercedes Gets a Man

OMG! Two black people together!
Everyone knows black men don't date
black women! How racist!

Amber Riley's Mercedes is the only original cast member of Glee who has never really been developed. They bring her out when they need the big black girl to belt out a song. She's Kurt's accessory. There hasn't been any thought of introducing us to her parents and newer cast members have had more plot development than she has (Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chan, Ashley Fink as Lauren and Darren Criss as Blaine immediately come to mind).

In the season finale, we thought Mercedes would finally get her man when she was seen slyly holding hands with Sam (Chord Overstreet). However, over the summer, Overstreet left the show, leaving our girl single again ... but apparently not for long.

Mercedes gets a guy in Season Three. Lamarcus Tinker (Friday Night Lights and Cougartown) will play the football player who wins her heart. Amber told TVLine that we'll see a softer side of Mercedes. She said, "She’s very lovey-dovey. It’s kind of like, ‘Oh my God? Is this Mercedes?!’ She dresses different. She’s girlier now."

Amazingly, many of the comments I've seen regarding Mercedes and her man are actually upset that, OMG, they actually paired her with a black man. How terribly 1980's! Everyone knows that all black people date non-blacks. I mean, really, two-black people together???? It's positively racist.

So since this is my blog, allow me to say, get over yourselves. Personally, I am tired of every black man on TV being paired with a white girl or some non-black girl. There are black men out here that date black women. The overwhelming number of blacks who are getting married are still intraracial couples. Believe it or not, some black men actually choose to date black women. It still happens ... even in 2011.

If you want to see interracial couples so much watch Parenthood, Private Practice, Happy Endings, 90210, ... and I could go on and on and on. So let Mercedes have her man and realize that black-on-black love is a common occurrence. Again, get over yourselves.

Glee Season 3: Chris Colfer Speaks

Chris Colfer sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss Glee's third season. Basically, he said this.

• Kurt and Blaine are still together; but Colfer was coy when it came to whether Blaine will transfer to McKinley and become a New Direction.
• Kurt is struggling with other's coming to terms with his sexuality.
• Kurt and Rachel who had been bonding over the second half of Season 2 (especially in the finale), are now BFFs.
• Sue is still running for office and he says " Wait til you see the posters!"

Wanna read the whole thing? Click here. 

 

 

 

He's Really Out

Chord Overstreet, who played Sam Evans, on Glee sat down with TV Line and explained his departure from the show. First off, he was a recurring character much like Darren Criss (Blaine) and Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang). Unlike those two, however, the decision was made not to make him a full-time cast member this season.

He was offered an opportunity to come back on a recurring basis with the possibility of becoming a series regular later in the season but he declined, deciding instead to focus on his music career.

He told TVLine, "I did a lot of thinking and I felt like it was a good time to work on my album and focus on that avenue of my career. They offered me the chance to come back for a few episodes, but there was nothing guaranteed so I decided to dive into the music thing. And that’s been my main priority the past two months."

He will be seen later this season on a few episodes of The Middle.

So as soon as Mercedes gets a man, he drops out of the show. What does a sista have to do to get some love????

The Glee Project: Vulnerability

After last night, I find it hard to believe that I actually liked Lindsay during week one. She’s a royal bitch. She’s joined Alex at the bottom of my list. Last night’s guest was Dot Marie Jones who joined the cast in Season 2 as the new football coach. The topic was vulnerability. Their homework assignment was Pink’s Please Don’t Leave Me. Afterwards, Dot Marie got to pick her favorite for some one-on-one coaching and a featured role in the video. For the second time, Matheus was the winner.

Lindsay showed her ass when Dot Marie tried to give her some constructive criticism and she got all defensive and talked back (not a good look but what I'm coming to expect from this girl).

As far as the video, the kids covered Tears for Fears’s Mad World and they had to wear a sign, in Los Angeles’s Universal City Walk that announced their vulnerabilities. Some were obvious: Matheus was ‘small’; Alex was ‘gay’; Hannah was ‘fat’. Some weren’t so obvious. Emily broke down in tears as she explained why she chose ‘used’. Apparently, they had been used sexually in the past by some ‘music producers’. Irish lad Damian chose ‘numb’ because he has trouble feeling anything deeply. Amazingly (or not so), Lindsay didn’t have a real flaw, or so she said, but she ended up going with ‘fake’ (very apropos).

Marissa started out using ‘flawed’ but after seeing Alex’s performance decided she needed to be honest … she changed her word to ‘anorexic.’

I really enjoyed the video and thought they all did a great job but they had to pick a bottom three and a song for each to sing: Damian (Are You Lonesome Tonight by Elvis), Emily (Grenade by Bruno Mars) and Cameron (Your Song by Elton John).

Damien had a major breakthrough when he was able to connect the lyrics to a lost love. Cameron came out in a suit and the producers didn’t think he was authentic. They asked him to come back dressed normally and do it again. Emily did a good job on Grenade but used humor a bit too much to deflect the emotion she felt (which is why she made the bottom three in the first place).

At the end of the day, it was Emily that didn’t get the call back.

Graduation on Glee

Will Glee still be gleeful after Rachel,
Finn and company graduate?

Plan on saying goodbye to Rachel, Finn, and Quinn at the end of next season. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Glee creator Ryan Murphy said, Season Three might feature a major gradution.
"I don’t think of it in terms of eliminating or replacing. Because I think the thing about this cast is people love them and they are incredibly talented. They’ve left sort of an indelible mark.” He continued, “The thing that I wanted to do and the cast wanted to do, we didn’t want to have a show where they were in high school for eight years. We really wanted it to be true to that experience. We thought it would be really cool if we were true to the timeline."

The good thing about high school is that while the student faces may change, the faculty in many cases remains the same. Murphy added, "We’ve got Matt Morrison and Jane Lynch who will stay and be the male and female lynchpins of the series, but I think the fun thing about the show is it’s a celebration of youth and talent and I think that just like with the original cast, I think finding those young unknown people and giving them an opportunity to break into the business and become stars is a really fun and exciting thing and is the spirit of the series."

He used the additions of Darren Criss and Chord Overstreet as proof the show could handle some casting changes. However adding a few is very different from removing half of your cast.

Glee: New York! New York!

It's taken me a while to write this recap because it's taken me a while to process it. I have to finally admit that as much as I wanted to love this episode, the last one of the season, I didn't. Despite some great character development, over all it left me a little let down.

I guess the biggest letdown was the music. I wasn't familiar with the Madonna New York song or the other song featured in the mash-up. I did like the energy of it though. The only song I thoroughly enjoyed was Rachel and Kurt's duet of For Good from Wicked. It was even better because they did it on the Wicked stage (and I saw Wicked performed there!). However, the rest of the songs were just okay.

During the competition, both New Directions original numbers were good but not great. And Vocal Adrenaline was a huge disappointment. Every other time we've been treated to a VA performance, it's been filled with choreography and showmanship. You can immediately see why they are the ones to beat. But a solo by Charice and that's it? Let down!

But let's move on to the plot. Hated how Shue gave up on his dream so quickly (his song was forgettable too). Why not just stay in NYC over the summer and then go back to Lima?

I did love Finn chasing after Rachel. I do think that she caved a little too quickly though. The kiss during their performance was great but again, ... too soon. I kept wating for Rachel to get mad. I mean this guy has been stringing her along almost all season. He couldn't forgive her for making out with Puck, which she admitted to him in an attempt to be completely honest. Yet, he could forgive Quinn for sleeping with Puck (not to mention losing her virginity to him), and then trying to pin a pregnancy on him. Not to mention, he lost his virginity to Santana of all people. Rachel has so much passion about her career but acts like a complete doormat when it comes to Finn.

Anyway, as much as I hated the Vocal Adrenaline performance, I loved their coach Dustin Goolsby who actually (unlike Sue) still has a reason to hate New Directions. They're the competition! He did his best to play a mind game on the kids by telling them of Shue's Broadway adventure. However, he had the best lines of the night at the bar with Shue! I absolutely want to see more of him next season. Hopefully, we'll see more of VA and the Warblers too.

Blaine telling Kurt that he loved him was perfect as was Kurt's shocked expression. I mean, it came out of nowhere but I'm sure he was thrilled to hear it (because he obviously loves Blaine too).

And finally, maybe Ryan Murphy has been reading my blog, some love for Mercedes! And with Sam no less! As soon as they walked into the coffee shop, I knew they were together! And I've read since the finale that they will be a couple at the beginning of next season as well. Hopefully, maybe we'll get to see more of Mercedes back story ... maybe even meeting her parents, which I would love.

So we're off for the summer. I'll be combing the web for Glee news over the summer, so when I find it, I'll post it here!

If The Show is Called Glee Then Why Am I Crying?

By this point, I'd broken down in tears
at least three ... maybe four times!

Wow. I have to say I’ve stopped reading a lot of the spoilers regarding Glee. I kind of prefer watching the episode and watching the action unfold in the actual episode. So, I knew there was going to be a death but I didn’t know who.

Well, the show unfolded along two tracks and the musical track wasn’t as nearly as powerful. Jesse St. James came on board to help coach New Directions. He wanted the ‘stars’ to compete for the ‘starring’ role in their National debut. So Santana, Kurt, Mercedes and Rachel auditions. Santana sang Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black for her audition. Jesse wasn’t impressed. He also didn’t get Kurt singing Some People from the musical Gypsy. It was, after all, written for and sung by a woman. Mercedes killed on Try a Little Tenderness but Jesse didn’t think she was winning to put in the work. Of course, Rachel brought down the house on My Guy. Jesse had hoped she was singing to him and even though she said she wasn’t thinking about anyone (her thoughts turned to Finn). Jesse felt Rachel was a shoo-in but Shue overrode him and decided that they’d perform original songs as a group.

However, Becky and her mom approached Shue about letting Becky in the glee club. Sue let her go from her position as personal assistant for the Cheerios. Shue couldn’t believe it and immediately went to confront her. If Becky reminded her of her sister why would she fire her? Expecting a fight, he was shocked when Sue revealed that her sister Jean had died of pneumonia. Of course, when he tried to reach out to her, she rebuffed him.

The two New Directions members most familiar with death, Kurt and Finn, also reached out. Sue said if they wanted to help, they could help her clean out Jean’s room and plan the funeral (she wanted the Glee club there to make sure that there would be a few people at the service). While cleaning up, they did, they found out that Jean’s favorite movie was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and they used that theme for the service.

As she entered the service, Sue was touched to see a packed house. Other patients, staff from the facility, all of the people Jean touched were there. When she stepped up to deliver her comments, she couldn’t do it, so Shue stepped in and finished reading them for her. I was sobbing at this point. New Directions ended the service with Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I was still sobbing.

After it was all over, Sue apologized to Shue for being so anti-New Directions. She told him that he and her sister shared a sense of goodness and that she was going to turn a new leaf. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds next season.

Finally, we got some serious character development from Sue. She was becoming a one-note character. Jane Lynch is a great actress and finally got to stretch and show some range. It was great to watch.

We also had some development from Finn (who I am completely over). In the truck after the service, Finn broke up with Quinn. Something in the service resonated with Finn and he left Quinn to go after Rachel. However, when he was finally ready to make his move, flower in hand, he walked into the auditorium to find Rachel kissing Jesse.

Cannot wait for next week? What will I do afterwards???

Glee: Jr. Prom Isn't that Serious!

Yeah, it was "Prom" but it was Junior prom. Who gets excited
about Junior Prom? It's like getting excited about the rehearsal
dinner before the wedding!

Glee went to prom tonight … well, not exactly. Glee went to junior prom tonight, which isn’t quite the same. Junior prom is just a dry run for the real deal. In fact, technically, I don’t know if it really even counts (I don’t even think we had a junior prom at my school). Anyway, Glee brought the drama and that’s always a good time.

After Figgins’s first choice, Air Supply, canceled, New Directions got stuck with prom band duties. Mercedes and Rachel were dateless until Rachel had the great idea to make it a three-way date, and they asked Sam to accompany them both.

However, that threesome became a foursome when Jesse St. James reappeared (after flunking out of college). He definitely made an entrance singing Adele’s Rolling in the Deep (I loved how the AV club backed he and Rachel up). He apologized for his bad behavior at the end of last season saying that he sacrificed love for a fourth national championship.

Finn continued to want to have his cake and eat it too, telling Rachel she shouldn’t be with Jesse and in the next breath agonizing over what corsage to get Quinn … and asking Rachel for advice! I was a huge Finchel fan but now I really don’t know if I want Rachel and Finn back together at all. He’s such an obtuse asshole and I’m tired of her pining away over him. Next!

Artie tried to win Brittany back by serenading her with Isn’t She Lovely during Home Ec class. As Mercedes correctly assessed, Stevie Wonder wrote that song about the birth of his baby daughter ... not exactly a romantic love song. Anyway, Brit enjoyed the song but still blew him off. It broke my heart to see a teary-eyed Artie roll away!

Devastated, Artie agreed to help Puck spike Sue’s punch at the prom. As much as I enjoy Sue, I could have done without her tonight. The whole spiked punch storyline fell flat for me. I am beginning to think they don't know what to do with Sue, she needs something to live for other than destroying the glee club.

Kurt asked Blaine to accompany him to the prom and he hesitantly agreed. It turns out that he got beat up when he tried to attend a dance at his old school. Kurt and Karofsky has a moment and Karofsky actually teared up and gave a genuine apologized to Kurt!

So onto the prom … New Directions members took turns singing so they’d all have a chance to enjoy the prom. Puck and Sam kicked things off with Rebecca Black’s Friday, the song has never sounded better (not like that was difficult). Rachel slowed things down with Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. Finn couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

While Blaine sang, I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You, by Black Kids (yes, that's the name of the group and no there are no black kids in it), Finn couldn’t take watching Jesse and Rachel have a good time. He picked a fight with Jesse and got them both kicked out.

Then the drama got ratcheted up even more when the king and queen were announced. The king was Karofsky (don't really see how that happened) and the queen ... by a massive write-in campaign ... Kurt. He was mortified and ran out of the prom in tears! Quinn was mortified to ... like how could she not win? And lose to Kurt? And, her boyfriend wasn't even there because he got kicked out of the prom while fighting over another girl?

It was all too much for Quinn who ran into the bathroom followed by Rachel. Overcome with emotion (rage, humiliation, jealousy), she reached back into the 80's and gave Rachel a Dynasty-esque slap that would make Alexis Carrington proud (don't know what I'm talking about? Check this out, right at 46 seconds). Quinn immediately apologized for the slap but Rachel took it in stride saying she appreciated the 'drama of it.'

The two of them headed back into the prom along with Kurt and Blaine. Kurt, determined not to let these homophobic high schoolers get the best of him, accepted his prom queen crown ("Kate Middleton, eat your heart out"). As he and Karofsky descended the stairs for their 'dance' Kurt urged Karofsky to come out of the closet but he just wasn't ready to do it, leaving Kurt on the dance floor alone. Of course, Blaine wasn't having that and the two of them danced together to Abba's Dancing Queen.

Just two episodes left!

Glee: Rumors Run Amok

Brittany could be the next Oprah!

Hopefully with last week’s episode and last night, Glee is hitting its stride and it will continue through the conclusion of the season.

Having an episode devoted to a single album (am I dating myself by saying album, should I say CD, what do you call them when they’re downloadable???). Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors is a legendary collection (I’ll use that word) but I wonder how many kids born in the 90’s would be familiar with it.

Anyway, last night showed the return of April Rhodes. Apparently her all white version of The Wiz failed miserably and she returned to Lima to work on her one woman show and help Shue with the Fleetwood Mac concept. She did a great version of Dreams to kick things off. Shue challenged her to dig deeper and have the show chronicle her emotional journey. Surprisingly, the show came together well and Shue got a bit of an itch to return with April to the Big Apple to give the play a try.

That was one of the rumors flying around McKinely and Sue was there to fan the flames. As the editor of the school newspaper, she encouraged a young band of potential journalists to ditch the little things like facts, accuracy and truth and focus more on the sexy and the salacious.

Speaking of salacious, Rachel and Finn thought something was up when they got suspicious about Sam. By the looks of things (things gleaned while staking out a motel) Sam was involved with both Kurt and Quinn! However, the truth was more mundane. Sam and his family (including his adorable and equally blond little brother and sister) were living in the motel after Sam’s dad had lost his job and then their home. Both managed to find out Sam’s secret and were coming around to help out.

Feeling bad, Finn and Rachel vowed to help. They brought back the guitar he’d had to sell. He cried. They cried. I cried … don’t laugh. I did. It was touching.

The Brittany/Santana/Artie triangle is no more. Artie is out of the picture. He was nervous about Brittany’s relationship with Santana and slipped and called Brittany the ‘S’ word … stupid. Personally, I can’t see Artie saying that, which is why it seemed weird to me for him to say it. Of course, it drove her back in the arms of Santana, who sang a her a heart-felt version of Songbird. Both girls got misty and it was nice but to be honest I want Brittany and Artie back. I want him to fight for her damn it!

We also learned that Brit-Brit has her own talk show, Fondue for Two. After Santana backed out of her interview on the show, Brittany interviewed her cat, the regal (and very fat) Lord Tubbington. It appears that the two of them are now together (not Brit and Lord Tubbington but Brit and Santana). Brittany wanted to go to prom with Santana who isn’t ready to come out yet. In fact, one of the blind item rumors swirled around her Sapphic tendencies.

It looks as if Finn and Quinn are really, emotionally, back together. Rachel continues to try to get back in Finn’s good graces but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work. She even sang Go Your Own Way to him. I think she needs to go her own way … in a direction that is opposite from Finn!

It looks like the prom is next week. Kurt and Blaine will go together but will Santana and Brittany? Is Artie completely out of the picture? What’s going to happen next year if all these kids are graduating what will happen next year? What was that I saw in the preview for next week? Was it Jesse St. James? Will he take Rach to the prom? Questions. Questions. Questions!

Glee .. Enough Scoop to Hold You Until April

Now that Kurt and Blaine are officially Klaine, what’s next for the couple? Prom. Yes, Kurt and Blaine are going to have what show creator Ryan Murphy calls a ‘ripped from the headlines’ story about opposition to the boys attending the big dance together.

Murphy rhetorically asked TVLine, “Can you imagine two boys wanting to go to the prom in Ohio?” Well, seeing as I was born and raised in Ohio, I can say, “Yes, I can imagine it. In fact, it can and does happen with stunning regularity. When have you heard about opposition to gays attending a prom in Ohio? Umm, never.” Okay, I’m getting off of my Ohio soapbox now, but before I do, let me just add “Go Browns and LeBron, go to hell.” Okay, now I’m done.

Also, Kurt’s days at Dalton Academy seem to be numbered as he will return to McKinley High and there is a good chance that Blaine will be coming with him.

In other Glee news, Mercedes will be getting a love interest (so I guess my mission is accomplished). In case you didn’t know, Oxygen will be airing The Glee Project, a reality show in which the winner will win a role on the show. Murphy says Mercedes love interest might come from that show (I am still rooting for some love from a Dalton Academy Warbler).

As for the rest of Season 2, expect to see ….

• Santana coming to terms with her sexuality.
• Kristin Chenowith as April Rhodes will return to McKinley after her all-white version of The Wiz fizzles. She’ll sing an original song called “It’s 10 AM and I’m Drunk.”
• Murphy is apparently besties with Gwyneth Paltrow, so not only is she due back for another episode this season, but expect her back in Season 3 as well.
• The triangle between Rachel, Finn and Quinn will intensify.

In the April 12 episode, Sue compiles her personal Axis of Evil with Will’s ex Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), former glee club advisor Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) and Vocal Adrenaline coach Dustin Goolsby (Cheyenne Jackson). Per the rest of the season, expect the return of singing phenom Charice and the reemergence of New Direction’s original nemesis, Vocal Adrenaline.

Glee: Regionals!

Klaine gets kissy!

Now this is what I’m talking about! This was the Glee I’ve come to know and love. Lots of music. Loads of fun!

I’m a huge fan of The Warblers and Maroon 5, so opening the show with the Warblers singing Misery was perfect.

Klaine … or is it Blurt???
Now, I had heard rumors that The Grim Reaper would be visiting Glee in this episode, but I never expected that he’d come for Pavarotti the canary, the Warblers mascot and Kurt’s constant companion. Poor Kurt was heartbroken but it lead to a very respectful cover of The Beatles "Blackbird". What made the song even better was Blaine’s (Darrin Criss) expressions during the song. Midway through, it seemed as if he was seeing Kurt for the first time, as if the blinders had been removed and he was finally seeing what had been there in front of him the whole time.

He ended up asking to perform a duet at Regionals … with Kurt. And since those Warbler boys are just a bunch of softies, they handed the duet to Kurt without a pesky ole audition. At their first rehearsal, Blaine fessed up, telling Kurt he was using the duet as “an excuse to get to spend more time with you.” And before you know it, they kissed … and kissed again! Woo-Hoo! I think I’m going to go with Klaine, sounds classier than Blurt.

Original Songs
Meanwhile over at New Directions, Rachel was still struggling with her songwriting task. Her first endeavor was the horrific, “Only Child.” Finn wisely suggested that she dig deeper and try again. The entire group got into the act however after they received a cease and desist letter from My Chemical Romance, telling them they couldn’t use “Sing” (and you just knew Sue was behind it, which she was). Mr Shue encouraged the group to try their hands at writing an original song. The results were a very mixed bag.

“Trouty Mouth” was Santana’s ode to her boyfriend Sam’s fish-like lips. He was NOT impressed. Next up, Puck performed his homage to girlfriend Lauren, “Big Ass … Heart.” She was impressed but I don’t know why, the lyrics were more offensive than Puck’s cover of Queen’s “Fat Bottom Girls.” Next up was Mercedes with a sassy “Hell to the No,” the only song, of the three, I could hear myself listening to. Yet, it still wasn’t a good fit for Regionals.

So, Shue led them through a brainstorming session that helped them pen their second song for Regionals. The first was penned by Rachel after Quinn indelicately explained to her why she was back with Finn and planned to stay with him. Quinn gave a sobering view of their future – Finn would take over Burt’s car repair shop, she’d go into real estate. Rachel? She'd be too big for Lima. She’d move on and they’d stay put ... together. Reality bites.

Regionals
Let’s start with the judges. Back for another round of choral competition was local anchor and man-about-town Rod Remington. This time he was joined by “former Tea Party candidate and home schooler” Tami Jean Albertson (Kathy Griffin) and former stripper-turned-Carmelite nun Sister Mary Constance (the divine Loretta Devine). Griffin’s character, a clear Sarah Palin knock-off seemed a little dated, but Remington and Sister Mary Constance had a few good lines. Last year's Regional judges were funnier.

Aural Intensity kicked off the festivities with a very energetic “Jesus is My Friend” – Sue’s attempt at pandering to the judges (which Mary Constance saw right through). Thankfully, that was the only Aural Intensity number we had to endure.

The Warblers were next and started with the charming and simple duet of Hey Monday's song "Candles". It was nice. It was good, but it wasn’t a favorite. I am not a fan of Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” but I did really enjoy the Warblers version.

Of course, the best were last. Before hitting the stage for her solo, Rachel reminded Finn that it was last year at Regionals that he told her he loved her. She also told him to listen closely to the words because she meant all of them. With that, she hit the stage and performed “Get It Right” where she tapped into the pain of having her best not be good enough. Finn did listen intently … maybe a bit too intently by the look on Quinn’s face.

The rest of the gang joined her for “Loser Like Me,” a catchy and infectious tune, inspired, in part, by Sue and her incessant bullying. The audience filled with foam fingers in the shape of an L were a nice touch.

Picking a winner wasn’t hard … so New Directions is headed to Nationals in New York City.

While Kurt was bummed to have lost, finally getting his man seemed like a damn good consolation prize. And speaking of prizes, the club gave Rachel the MVP award for the work she did on Regionals and her original song. She was truly touched (and I got a little misty).

All in all, I really enjoyed this episode… I will definitely be playing it a few more times … especially since we aren’t getting any new episodes until April 12!

My Mission
As Season 2 comes to a close, Mercedes is the only major character who has not had a love interest. It can’t be a weight issue because they hooked up Lauren and Puck. Besides, in real life, big girls have boyfriends. She’s pretty. She’s talented. She’s got personality. Why wouldn’t she have a guy? I think they should hook her up with one of the Warblers.

Glee: Sex Education

It's okay, Emma. I thought an Afternoon
Delight was a picnic!

I am a huge Glee fan, and it pains me to say, I haven’t loved the past two episodes, especially last night’s. Like a teen with raging hormones, last night (and last week’s) show was just all over the place. A lot of people hate the tribute episodes (Madonna, Britney and Gaga); but for me the past two overarching theme episodes (alcohol and sex) have been a little too scattered.

I had high hopes for Gwyneth Paltrow’s return and initially when she covered Joan Jett’s Do You Wanna Touch (the best Joan Jett song ever!), I was enthused. I think her Holly Holiday and Matthew Morrison’s Will Scheuster have great chemistry. However, they almost killed it with Kiss. Morrison should have never ever been allowed to attempt a Prince-esque falsetto. And what was the purpose of that tango again?

I also didn’t understand the renewed interested in the abstinence club, or the whole Puck and Lauren sex tape escapade, or, for that matter Finn’s renewed interest in Quinn. He dumps Rachel for making out with Puck (after Finn admitted he'd lost his virginity to Santana); but, he takes Quinn back … the one who lost her virginity to Puck, got pregnant and initially tried to pin the baby on him. Huh?

I did like Afternoon Delight. In fact, I woke up humming it this morning (which I did not like). I have to admit though, like Emma, I didn’t ‘get’ exactly what an afternoon delight was. For most of my adult life, I thought it was a picnic (I also thought Grace Jones's Pull Up to the Bumper was about parallel parking). I was also confused as to why Carl and Emma would go to Holly (a substitute sex ed teacher) for marital counseling, especially when Emma knew that Will was crushing hard on Holly (I think there was a pun there but no pun was intended).

Then there was the conundrum that is Santana. I’m glad that Naya Rivera got to show some acting range but it came out of left field. I liked it better when Santana was a bitch just to be a bitch. Now, I’m supposed to believe she is a bitch because of her love for Brittany? And Landslide? I didn’t get it. What did that song have to do with anything? Was she declaring her love for Brit or breaking up with her? If I didn’t get it, Brit didn’t get it either. I mean, earlier in the episode she admitted to thinking babies were delivered by storks.

On the other side of the gay coin, there was Kurt. I love the Warblers, I do; but they ain’t sexy — cute as little prep school buttons — but not sexy. I thoroughly enjoyed Kurt’s sexy faces and was horrified by Blaine’s request that Burt give Kurt the sex talk. How does a straight dad have ‘the talk’ with a gay son? Exactly what was in those pamphlets?? LOL! The actual discussion went well though. Burt and Kurt have some of the best chemistry on the show (and the best father-son relationship on TV).

Overall, the episode left me feeling kind of ‘meh’. I can’t wait til Regionals next week with two original songs!