Glee Episode 19 - "Dream On"

SPOILERS: Tonight's episode, Power of Madonna and Home episodes, references to Broadway actresses you may have never heard about

This is episode was EXCELLENT. Really, one of the best Glee episodes in a while. Yes, that includes the Power of Madonna episode, and yes, I'll explain why in a bit, please don't get too angry right away. The director, Joss Whedon, who I am a huge fan of, did a wonderful job. Neil Patrick Harris, Johnathan Groff, and Idina Menzel were wonderful guest stars that really made this episode fantastic. And, damn, Kevin McHale (Artie) is far too brilliant to be stuck in a wheelchair, but he makes it work.

Okay, first to address why this episode, in general, was so good. I am getting sick of episodes packed full of songs - I really feel it's started to affect the validity of the plot. It forces the writers to come up with vague musical themes so they can pack lots of story around one of Schuster's "assignments." For this reason, "Home" drove me insane because as great as Kurt and Mercedes were in their stories, the song placements was just frustrating. I realize the Madonna episode had to be packed with, of course, Madonna songs, but only "Like a Virgin" really meshed with the plot to the point that it was really beautiful and enjoyable.

But THIS episode was great. I actually had to sit back halfway through and go "huh, there's only been two songs." And I liked it! They meant so much more.

The plot for this episode was wonderful. NPH (Neil Patrick Harris for those of you unaware of this handy little acronym for such a mouthful of a name) was a wonderful villain, there was definitely some Dr. Horrible in there [Image]. His voice is wonderful - and so very very high! I think he would've made a much better Javert than Val Jean anyways in Les Miserables. He's even got musical credentials, which you may not know - he played Lee Harvey Oswald in the Broadway revival of Assassins (2004) and has played Mark Cohen in RENT and Tobias in Sweeney Todd.

Artie's story was great, it was nice to see him get some screen time (as well as Tina). It was sad, beautiful, reminded us what he has to go through each day - plus, it gave us a chance to finally learn the Asian guy's name! Plus, Kevin McHale can really dance; we'll be seeing more dream sequences in the future, I'm sure.

Finally, boy did the Glee producers get lucky with Idina Menzel (Vocal Adrenaline coach) and Lea Michelle (Rachel). They look so similar, especially in profile, that it's very easy to believe she's Rachel's lost mother. Plus I absolutely loved the jokes about Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, and Bernadette Peters - though to be honest, who could believe they're related to Bernadette Peters without that insane curly hair?! That's got to be a dominant gene. For those of you who didn't laugh at that....it was funny, promise. And as a girl who grew up listening to her, I would love to see her appear on Glee at some point.

By the way, if you think Idina Menzel looks familiar, its because she was the original Elphaba in Wicked (starring with Kristen Chenoweth, or April Rhodes, as you know her), Patrick Dempsey's girlfriend in Enchanted, and she played Maureen in the Broadway production and movie of RENT. Plus, she's married to Taye Diggs. Her voice is amazing, and I'm so glad to know she'll be a presence in Glee for many episodes to come. [Image]

Finally, the song "I Dreamed a Dream" was a perfect choice. It's nice to see that they haven't forgotten classic Broadway (Les Mis, a nice tie in with the Schuster/NPH plot) in the wake of all the popular pop and rock requests from the fans. It was pure beauty, wonderfully shot, and gorgeously sung.

Five stars, home run, no question. It made my Castle review that much harder to write.

~ Sarah