Glee Episode 20 - "Theatricality"

SPOILERS: Tuesday's Episode

Sorry for the delay!!! I really really liked this episode, and not just because there was Gaga. I mean, there was a lot of Gaga, it was great, but the whole episode was absolutely fantastic. This episode showed just how powerful Glee is, and it made me think a lot about the influence that Glee has on its viewers.

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First off, the Lady Gaga music was excellent. Bad Romance + seeing all the costumes was absolutely hilarious, and it provided a excellent way to inject both comedy and serious issues into this episode without being at all forced. I never thought I would ever see Idina Menzel sing Poker Face, but, wow, am I so happy I did. I just started laughing when I recognized the lyrics to the first verse, while my mom was just going "What are they singing? Who is this?" At the same time, Gaga is controversial, and this episode seized on that in an excellent way.

I LOVE that Glee is not afraid to tackle tough issues - and using Kurt, Finn, and Kurt's dad to address the use of "fag" and "gay" as insults was a brilliant move. It bothers me to no end that I hear people use "gay" or "lesbian" as an insult, even in jest, and the speech by Kurt's father (played by Mike O'Malley) was an unexpected explosion that was in desperate need. I think he is a brilliant actor, and a perfect casting choice - every scene he's in makes it onto my list of most memorable Glee moments [Image]. His speech was equivalent to the scene where Schu finds out about Terri's fake pregnancy - unexpected, unpredictable, dramatic, almost violent, and absolutely perfect. Glee has learned to give us absurd teen drama each day, so the bites of real adult drama hit us hard out of left field.


This show has really come to represent the issues facing teenagers today - and I don't mean the week by week topics. Placing extra emphasis on Kurt, his struggles, beyond the simple issue of clothing regulations showed how much of a responsibility the show feels to educating their viewers. They not only addressed the use of "fag", but also "retard." I just hope someone out there got the wake up call they were in desperate need of.


Additionally, did anyone else notice the censoring that did or did not happen? Tina called Kristen Stewart a bitch, but the same word was replaced during their rendition of Bad Romance. Additionally, Poker Face was not censored, even though "muffin" is cut out of the music video, at least when it's aired on TV? Check the official video; I highly suspect they cut it out because of where she's pointing. I still can't quite get other the almost sweet way Lea and Idina sing that song together - I mean, the song is about Gaga wishing she was in bed with a woman instead of a man.

Which brings me to the Idina Menzel/Rachel's mom plot. I'm so so so happy this wasn't an evil destroy-Glee-club-so-Vocal-Adrenaline-wins plot. She really, believably, played a woman hoping to connect with someone who just happens to be her choir's competition. I'm very happy that I don't have to hate her!


Finally, Tina pretending to be a vampire? Excellent.


~ Sarah