Glee - Sectionals (Fall Finale)

[ParticleMan]

I'm not worried. We know nothing about these characters besides the stereotypes, we don't even know what grades they are in, so frankly they can do whatever they want. I just find it strange that such a fun show has no clue what they are doing. How many times did they change the sectionals songs?

I don't get why we have to wait until April for the show to return, it should return in March after American Idol stops completely screwing the network up.

I think they are mostly sophomores...15-16 years old. I know that it is mentioned in passing somewhere in one of the last couple of episodes...

I kind of hope that the extra time gives them a chance to set some plans in place for the plot and characters...I sort of wonder if there wasn't a feeling that the show wouldn't make it on Fox, so there wasn't a strong framework created for the universe prior to the creation of the first 13 episodes.

Now that it seems to be a bonafide hit (so far at least), maybe they'll start thinking further ahead...

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Mark's top five favorite Glee musical moments:

1. Don't Stop Believin' - I don't think the universe allows that song to be poorly used.

2. Bust a Move - Schue is just a few years older than me at this point, and it makes me smile to think he can get away with boy banding it out.

3. Single Ladies - Technically not sung by the cast, but I was on the floor with the footballers dancing to Beyonce.

4. It's My Life / Confessions Pt. II - This mashup rocks out on too many levels to to tap your toes and then cheer.

5. Keep Holding On - Everyone likes the Stones song, but personally I wish they'd used this one.

What's your top five?

Mark

 

[Campe]

My top 5:

5. Imagine - I love Lennon and when they first started this number, I wasn't sure what they were doing, but once Mercedes got up there and started singing, I loved it.

4. Halo/Walking on Sunshine and It's My Life/Confessions, Part II (tie) - The mashups were great, period. It showed that the program had some real creativity, especially in the guys' number. Who'd've thunk those two songs would go together?

3. Alone - I like the album version better than the one that aired, but if I had to pick one from the Chenowith episode, it was this one. She and Morrison have great chemistry and it shone on this song.

2. Don't Stop Believin' - It was the first and its still pretty damned good. It did exactly what it was supposed to do: make you want to come back for more.

1. Someboy to Love - This is the moment where I fell in love with the show. It was the moment where all of the kids really came together for the first time. Rachel appearing and starting to sing was a great moment.

Honorable Mentions: "Dancing With Myself", "Gold Digger", "Lean on Me", "My Life Would Suck Without You", "Proud Mary" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

 

[Greg Cox]

I'm surprised we didn't get a Christmas/Hanukkah episode. How could they pass up the chance to have the gang sing plenty of catchy holiday tunes?

Maybe next year: "A Very GLEE Christmas."

 

[bigdaddy]

If they did an Christmas episode then we would know what time of year it is, right now it's just very vague.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Christmas episode next year just so they can release a Christmas CD.

The show is guaranteed a second season because they get money off DVDs, and then the CDs. That's 1-2 DVDs a year and 3-4 CDs.

 

[Sakrysta]

I got really emotional during sectionals with Will overhearing the performences. Yeah this show can be predictable, but what it loses in predictability, it gains in heart, and I think that is much more important.

It's a real testament to the actor's abilities how poignant those little clips of him with a phone to his ear really are.

I only worry for the kids who'll flock to their real life choirs at high schools, only to be turned off when they discover just how tough it really is.

Yeah, that's one of my struggles with suspension of disbelief. They pull those routines and vocals together awfully fast. I've been involved in enough performances to know that even the best need more practice than these guys get. And DON'T even get me started on the spontaneous numbers. Most of them are just impossible, especially since the majority of these kids have no vocal training beyond being practically forced into Glee this year. No one creates complicated harmonies & background vocals on the fly who hasn't had any training. If this actually were a musical, then that would be fine - that's one of the conceits you accept for a musical. But this is supposed to be a show about kids in glee club, and in that framework, most of the musical numbers are pretty unrealistic.

3. Single Ladies - Technically not sung by the cast, but I was on the floor with the footballers dancing to Beyonce.

I had a hard time with this one. It just lasted too long on the field. I can't imagine any high school football game where the officials wouldn't be putting a stop to that nonsense pretty quickly. The fact that the crowd jumped on board too just made me scratch my head.

It's My Life / Confessions Pt. II - This mashup rocks out on too many levels to to tap your toes and then cheer.

Halo/Walking on Sunshine and It's My Life/Confessions, Part II (tie) - The mashups were great, period. It showed that the program had some real creativity, especially in the guys' number. Who'd've thunk those two songs would go together?

I think "It's My Life / Confessions, Pt. II" is my favorite musical production from the show. I am just amazed at how the two songs work together - not just musically, but thematically as they relate to the show. It just screams to be the Finn/Quinn/Puck theme song. I didn't like the girls' mashup nearly as much. Aside from being a mashup, it didn't have any story relevance like the guys' number did.

 

[Snaploud]

I only worry for the kids who'll flock to their real life choirs at high schools, only to be turned off when they discover just how tough it really is.

Yeah, that's one of my struggles with suspension of disbelief. They pull those routines and vocals together awfully fast. I've been involved in enough performances to know that even the best need more practice than these guys get. And DON'T even get me started on the spontaneous numbers. Most of them are just impossible, especially since the majority of these kids have no vocal training beyond being practically forced into Glee this year. No one creates complicated harmonies & background vocals on the fly who hasn't had any training. If this actually were a musical, then that would be fine - that's one of the conceits you accept for a musical. But this is supposed to be a show about kids in glee club, and in that framework, most of the musical numbers are pretty unrealistic.

True. Though, some of the songs gets a pass. For instance, Rachel commented in this episode about how she had been practicing that one solo since age four (which is completely in character for her).

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

And this segues into one of my own pet peeves for the show, and that's the moments when the step out of the episode for a musical number. I think it's part of the show's charm that the songs they sing are by and large happening within the context of the story, instead of having characters spontaneously break out into song and dance.

However, they cheat on several occasions when a character will go from dialogue to a musical number complete with fancy video effects and staging, THEN go back into the story, ignoring it. The "Bust Your Windows" and "Dancing With Myself" songs are examples of this - they are great musical covers, but IMO it's jarring that they basically stop the episode to put them in.

I think the show is best when the songs are sung in context, and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief to see a nicely sung and choreographed number as a result of a story leading to it. The guys' mashup, the sectionals songs they did, and "My Life Would Suck Without You" are great examples of this.

Mark

 

[Sakrysta]

True. Though, some of the songs gets a pass. For instance, Rachel commented in this episode about how she had been practicing that one solo since age four (which is completely in character for her).

Oh yeah, that one was one of the most realistic of the "instant showstoppers" we've seen. And talk about the perfect song for the occasion! In fact, I had far less problem with them pulling together numbers for sectionals because of all the practice they've been getting with more than just their planned performances up to now. The staging seemed to make it clear that there were rough edges in the choreography, but that their enthusiasm and vocals were winning the audience over.

I think the show is best when the songs are sung in context, and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief to see a nicely sung and choreographed number as a result of a story leading to it. The guys' mashup, the sectionals songs they did, and "My Life Would Suck Without You" are great examples of this.

I completely agree. That didn't stop me from griping about how many more voices were singing background in the guys' mashup than were lip-synching in the scene.

If they make it worth it, I can handle the occasional parenthetical number. Artie's solo works because it reads as though he's kind of performing it in his head, as though he goes through his day imagining singing the song. But I hated "Bust Your Windows" for the very reason you mentioned.

 

[bigdaddy]

I agree my main problem with musicials is when they just break out in song. Liek in The Sound of Music... "hey look the Nazis will come and kill us! let's sing! and West Side Story is the same way, I hate that. In Chicago they sign in their heads and that fits much better and makes for a better movie.

 

[propita]

I love the show. Looking over at tvtropes.org, I literally bust out laughing at their "Getting it past the censors" section:

The name of the group is "New Directions," right? Say the words slurred together....


(sound it out...)

 

[gblews]

And this segues into one of my own pet peeves for the show, and that's the moments when the step out of the episode for a musical number. I think it's part of the show's charm that the songs they sing are by and large happening within the context of the story, instead of having characters spontaneously break out into song and dance.

However, they cheat on several occasions when a character will go from dialogue to a musical number complete with fancy video effects and staging, THEN go back into the story, ignoring it.

You must not have seen very many musicals. What you describe above is a staple of musicals and certainly is to be expected in Glee.

Anyway, the mid season finale; liked it, didn't love it. The highlights for me were Mercedes' performance of a "black" show stopper and Rachel's performance of a "white" showstopper. Don't know who had the harder job following which great Diva (Jennifer Holliday or Barbara Striesand), but both did terrific jobs.

"You Can't Always Get" was a mild disappointment because of the choice and the performance. What has really drawn me into this show has been performance and song choice, many of which have been really unusual. "You Cant Always" seemed a bit obvious to me and therefore not as pleasing.

Looking forward to April.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

I quite enjoy musicals. My point however is that "Glee", while clearly classified AS a musical comedy/drama, works best when it doesn't stick to typical conventions of the genre - which includes spontaneous singing. To me, it grounds the show in a somewhat less phantasmical reality, which in turn makes it a more relatable show (despite perfectly "improvised" choreography and harmonies).

I understand that a future episode will actually feature original music, a consequence of the show's success getting the producers bombarded with offers from accomplished songwriters. I look forward to that, but hope that the music will remain mostly covers of good songs, which is one of the best selling points of the show for me. That, and I hope they will spend some more time on the ensemble cast now that the whole pregnancy thing is out. Artie, Kurt and Mercedes got a subplot episode each, but if you blinked you'd miss Tina's lines or even presence in most episodes. In turn, the four "backup" characters who rarely speak or do anything besides sing and dance should be given more to do. I hear only Santana is being expanded upon so far, with Brittany as an hilarious sidekick. :P

Mark

 

[Sakrysta]

Brittany gets better and better lines every episode. I'm really starting to love her character, and the actress' line delivery is just perfect.

"He barks at my mom."
"Coach Sylvester didn't tell me to do this."
"It's like cool epilepsy."
"I for one find recipes confusing."
"If it were, Santana and I would be dating."
"She's the one they made me talk to when they found out I was keeping that bird in my locker."

I would love to see more of Tina and Arty's relationship. I know there's a lot going on in this show, but I feel like they dropped the ball not expounding on Tina's disability fakery and how it would make someone like Arty who is truly disabled feel.

Oh, and I just have to say, Amber Riley's rendition of "And I Am Telling You" was better than any I've heard, EVER. There's a reason she could turn to the band and ask, "Do I even need to tell you what song?" because it is just DONE. To death. By every ambitious theatrical black woman. It is THE anthem, for good reason. Amber made me like the song again. She was fabulous. Add to that the enthusiastic responses from the rest of the cast, that were just perfectly performed and edited into the song, and I was just over the moon for her.

Now I want to go watch it again.

And I agree with you, Mark, that I hope they'll stick to covers the majority of the time. HOWEVER, I hope they use more classics and less "My Life Would Suck without You" fare. I was disappointed that "True Colors" didn't show up at Sectionals. I thought that was such a great performance, and I really enjoyed seeing Tina get a chance to shine. You don't have to be mini-Barbra or mini-Jennifer Hudson to have an engaging, effective singing voice.

One more random comment. I just rewatched all the episodes currently up on Hulu, and I just have to say how much I loved the "Jump" sequence in "Matress." Particularly, I got the biggest joy out of how they incorporated Arty into the action. He had a couple cute bits with a sign in the background, and then putting him on one of the mattresses and bouncing him in the air was just joyful to watch.