more on Glee

from last week's episode:
Mercedes to Kurt (in the church): "I know you don't believe in G-d. You don't believe in the power of prayer, and that's okay. To each his own. But you've gotta believe in something. Something more than you can touch, taste, or see. Cause life is too hard to go through it alone. Without something to hold on to. And without something that's sacred. Anyway, Kurt, this song is for you."

From this week's episode:
Kurt to his father: "I'm the only openly gay kid in my high school. In this town. I mean, why can't I walk hand-in-hand down the hall with the person that I like? Why can't I slow dance at my prom?"
Burt: "You think I don't want those things for you? I do. You know, until you find somebody as open, and as brave, as you are, you're just gonna have to get used to goin' it alone."

Also from this week's episode:
Rachel to Kurt: "I know you're lonely. I cant' even imagine how hard it must be to have feelings in high school you can't act on for fear of being humiliated, ridiculed, or worse...That's 12 people who love you, Kurt, for being exactly who you are. I know you're lonely, but you're not alone."

After last week's spectacular episode, I was a little nervous that this week would be a let down. Luckily, I was wrong. "Duets" gave the audience a little bit of everything we expect from Glee - laughter, heartbreak, surprises, conflict, and show-stopping performances.

Since last week was basically a total Kurt episode, I expected him to be relegated to the background this week. I am so glad I was wrong. Building on the feelings of isolation from last week, one of the major themes from this week's episode was Kurt wanting to sing a duet with the new boy in the club, Sam, as well as Kurt's belief that Sam "bats for his team." With the topics of gay teen suicide and bullying so much in the news these days, as well as the ongoing debate about gay marriage and "Don't Ask Don't Tell," Kurt's loneliness and frustration, communicated so brilliantly by Chris Colfer, were so vital for the viewing audience to witness. Add to this another poignant scene between Kurt and his dad, and a verbal argument between Finn and Kurt, with Finn asking Kurt to back off of Sam for the good of the glee club, and you've got a wonderfully complex mix of emotion and hot button issues for family discussion.

And while I'm on the subject of Chris Colfer (when am I not these days?) :-) let's talk about his two numbers in the show. "Le Jazz Hot" from Victor/Victoria...are you serious? No professional experience before Glee? So hard to believe. That was one of the biggest production numbers on the show to date, and he NAILED it! Wow!

And then at the end of the show, we are treated to a performance by two of the biggest divas on the show, singing together simply for the love of performing, not because they were trying to win the duets competition. Rachel's supportive comments and finally a smile from Kurt after so much pain made the Streisand/Garland homage of "Happy Days/Get Happy" an absolute joy to experience. Rachel beamed, Kurt exuded confidence, and their voices blended gloriously. It was the kind of performance that you witness with a smile on your face and tears in your eyes. This is what Glee is all about.

There was so much emotional depth to this episode. Kurt's plea for understanding. Rachel's altruism. Quinn's hesistant steps toward a new relationship. Sam's maturity for not breaking his promise to sing with Kurt. And in the surprise of the night, Brittany feeling guilty for taking advantage of Artie in hopes of winning the contest. I did not see that one coming. For Artie, sex is a more complicated issue. Here, the tables were turned, and the man was the vulnerable one who got played. For the first time we get to see Brittany as a person with real feelings, not the dumb blonde cheerleader. Oh, the tangled webs these kids weave. And the next few weeks will only yield further complications.

My main concern at this point is Kurt fatigue. Chris Colfer is so adept at communicating pain, and the writers are giving him numerous opportunities to showcase that talent. The character of Kurt is receiving quite a bit of sympathy and support, and the young man who portrays him is enjoying well-deserved praise and very early Emmy buzz. But there are already rumblings of discontent. "I'm tired of every episode being about Kurt." "I want to be entertained when I watch Glee, not look at Kurt's sour expression every two minutes." "Enough with the gay storyline, I'm sick of it." I'm not too worried yet, though. There have been Kurt-haters from the beginning, as well as Rachel and Quinn-haters as well. The haters are a small and not very vocal subset of the Gleek population.

Another surprise in the episode: Brittany and Santana's little makeout scene. Tame though it was, this is a prime time television show on a major network that families often watch together. While I'm happy to note that I haven't heard much criticism of the scene, I know how our country operates, and it saddens me to firmly believe that Kurt and his boyfriend of the future will not have an opportunity to display such affection for each other. I would be thrilled to be proven wrong on this point.

librarianintx