by Chris Saccaro
Sometimes the quality of one television episode can retroactively make previous episodes much stronger. With “Glee,” it takes three mediocre episodes to set the stakes for the climax of “The Break-up.” One has to wonder if it’s worth it spending so much time sacrificing crucial early episodes to make one single episode more poignant.
“The Breakup,” as would be expected, deals with each of the “Glee” couples breaking up. It’s surprising that the writers would choose to disband all of the couples, as their storylines are some of the only things that old fans still hold onto. But it’s a brave choice that stands out among some of the safer decisions made this season. Regardless of how it turns out, it’s commendable for the writers to have made a risky choice rather than complacently sit in a storyline that was growing stale.
Though admittedly, some of the breakups were much more tactfully done than others. Kurt and Blaine’s pseudo-breakup had much more time to develop than Santana and Brittany’s. It’s still uncertain if Kurt and Blaine are actually broken up, but Kurt’s discussion with his coworker hints at a possible distraction for him.
Many would argue that the show’s reason for existing is to facilitate Rachel and Finn’s budding romance, and there are countless story-arcs to support this theory. This makes it that much more powerful for them to break up. Even greater was Lea Michelle’s performance during this breakup scene. Where Santana and Brittany separated on mutually agreeable terms with a tinge of nostalgia, Rachel and Finn ended their relationship with raw emotions.
It was great to see Rachel finally speak up about Finn’s farewell last season, referencing how completely messed up it was for him to just take her to the train station and force her to leave for New York. And after spending four months “finding himself” and being “semi-honorably discharged” from the army, Rachel has had enough. And frankly, I think the writers have been priming the audience to support Rachel’s decision by dangling Brody in front of us (and Rachel). Keeping Finn at a distance for the beginning of this season allows the breakup to be a lot more manageable, having Rachel come out victorious (despite being the one who “cheated”).
The songs this week were all well done and fitting. Darren Criss’ performance during “Teenage Dream” was a bit melodramatic, but it still got the point across: something was amiss in their relationship. Chris Colfer’s reaction to this performance is what truly stands out. The final performance of “The Scientist” was also a poignant way to end the episode, although it was painfully obvious that while the straight couples get flashbacks to their first kisses, the same-sex couples just get “filler” scenes of them having fun together. This was made more obvious with the inclusion of Will and Emma during the song.
“The Breakup” marks a dramatic uptick in the show’s quality this season. But after three mediocre episodes, and a month to wait before new episodes air, it may be tough for the audience to stick with “Glee.”
Chris Saccaro is a staff writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.
