by Chris Saccaro
To the common viewer, “Glee” is continuously touted as a “musical on tv.” And in many ways, that’s what it is. That’s why it’s always odd when “Glee” spends a series of episodes following the characters as they put on a musical. Originally started as a poorly thought out “Rocky Horror Picture Show” tribute, the annual musical episode has transcended its Rocky Horror roots into a multi-episode storyline that consumes the show and characters.
Every year, it’s as if the writers are still not entirely sure what they are going to do with the musical. And this week’s episode, “Glease” is no exception. “Glease” struggles to find a balance between the actual musical and the regular narrative. This struggle is highlighted by awkward musical numbers that still feel like a stretch, even if they are well-intentioned. Finn bringing the “greasers” to the auto-shop to rehearse is a good way to get around Sue’s roadblocks. But it’s just too conveniently situated. Similarly, Kitty’s sleepover feels unbelievably forced. It’s great that “Glee” can reference the actual musical in such a way, but it’s the most obvious way to include the song.
Even worse, it forces the narrative to fit into this scene. Kitty introducing Marley to bulimia is a really dark place for “Glee” to go, but its potential poignancy is undermined by the fact that it is only used to give Marley an internal conflict for her reprise of “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee.” Only on “Glee” can a character both discover an eating disorder, and be cured of that eating disorder (with a song and a kiss no less) in the span of a single episode.
After a noticeable absence last week, Rachel and Kurt are just as infected with “Glease Fever” as the rest of the cast. You can’t even get away from “Glee’s” musical episode if you’re across the country. This is also true for Santana, who is brought back to play the role of Rizzo (after Unique was banned by her parents). It’s great to see some of the returning seniors, but once again, their reunion with each other (while surprisingly accurate) is made less impactful by the fact that they’ve spent more time this season together than apart.
As the episode goes on, the “Grease” music finds its place on the stage within the context of the actual musical, which feels a lot more natural. Santana’s rendition of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” is mixed beautifully with scenes of Cassandra July flirting with Brody, and Unique watching forlornly as a graduated senior takes her role.
Taking this idea a step further, “You’re The One That I Want” finds the perfect way to combine all of the characters’ wants into one song. As Rachel watches Marley and Ryder, she imagines herself in the role with Finn. This lends itself to a nostalgic flashback to season one (remember, this was the first song Rachel and Finn sang together) and an overall crazy musical number involving nearly the entire original cast in some way or another. Amongst the chaos, “Glee” manages to return to its roots, if only for a moment.
Chris Saccaro is a staff writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.
