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Glee – New Directions versus Trouble Tones

'Glee' continues to roll right along (sorry for the pun, Artie) with another episode that reminds me of the first season. And by that, I mean the writers are definitely back on track, baby!

- Season 3, Episode 8 - "Hold On To Sixteen"

I have to state right off the bat, that with all the hoopla and smack talk between the McKinley High choirs about who would kick whose butt in Sectionals on this week’s episode of Glee? I was expecting a much closer race. I mean, c’mon! Trouble Tones were fine, and everything. Mercedes (Amber Riley) and current break out awesome girl Santana (Naya Rivera) rocked it as usual. But from the awful Trouble Tone dresses (yikes) to the fact that they only relied on their two best singers to carry them, I knew they were doomed. New Directions was an extravaganza in comparison. And! Did anyone notice that New Directions performed two more songs than Trouble Tones or the third place group The Unitards? Wassup with that? Huh?

There’s a lot in this episode to cover, and I’m kind of all ova da place about it. So, I’ve decided to bust it into categories. Do you mind? Thanks …

  • Sam’s (Chord Overstreet) back! I thought I heard the thuds of a million teens hitting the floor in dead faints when he appeared. I’m glad he’s returned; I always liked him. But! His parents were rather pushovers in letting him go off and move away from them, didn’t ya think? A couple tears from Mom and zappo!
  • As we all suspected, Mike’s Dad came around to supporting his dream with Tina’s encouragement. Way to go the extra mile Tina! I know I never would have had the guts at her age to have a sit down with a father as scary as that.
  • Though Rachel was “devastated” to be banned from performing in sectionals for stuffing the ballot box for Kurt last week, don’t cha think it was rather refreshing to see how good New Directions can be without her? I myself barely missed her! In fact, it was impressive to see Mr. Shue (also known as the producers) literally showcase each member. By the way? Finn is so right to be worried about Blaine overshadowing him. (How good is Darren Criss, I ask you?)
  • Quinn seems to be back to reality. It’s taken a lot of lectures from her buddies to get whatever bad juju out of her, but it appears she’s back on the right track. Like Mike’s Dad? Another person with an epiphany this episode.
  • And what about Shelby? When she admits to Principal Figgins that she and Puck have been doing the horizontal mambo, you know she’s going to be toast. Maybe Idina Menzel is headed back to Broadway in what we call Real Life. So, what does this mean for the entire “Beth” storyline? I’m not sure.
  • No Coach Beiste or Sue this time around. I missed them both.
  • You teared up at the end, when the girls came back to New Directions, didn’t you? Yeah. I plead the fifth.

Overall, the writing on Glee has improved so much over the past few weeks. The plot is moving along, the characters are a lot less obnoxious, the “everything” that’s happening is much more believable. I think it’s why us “original Gleeks” loved the show in the first place.

I’m holding my breath that it continues.

The songs were fabulous this week, and if you’d like to check them out and support CliqueClack at the same time? Thanks in advance and click those links below pardner! (And no, I didn’t overlook the New Directions / Michael and Janet Jackson selections. Those tracks are available on the Vol. 7 CD below. Click the link for iTunes or the image for Amazon.com and you can buy the full album or just the individual tracks.).

      

Photo Credit: Fox

Categories: | Episode Reviews | Features | General | Glee | News | TV Shows |

8 Responses to “Glee – New Directions versus Trouble Tones”

December 7, 2011 at 11:56 AM

How much closer could it have gotten than first and second? I actually thought the Trouble Tones would win to add some drama to the second half of the season, but we knew Idina Menzel wouldn’t stay forever so the Trouble Tones wouldn’t either (unless, shudder, Holly comes back). I didn’t even notice the dresses. I was too distracted by the choreography which consisted of the girls flailing their arms about for the majority of the number. Great mashup though! And they all probably would have done more numbers in a real life competition, but since this was about New Directions, we only get to see all of their performances (it’s happened before). I thought we’d at least get a second Trouble Tones number to ratchet up the drama before the winner was announced (or at the end when they were still standing on stage as the lights went out).

Unfortunately for New Directions and Chord Overstreet fans, he’s not going to be around forever either. He’ll be on at least two more episodes, but he only signed on for a handful.

I’m curious to see what this win will do to Rachel. She’s been so tolerable and a real team player all season — and the voice of reason with Quinn! — that the win without her contribution is going to be shattering to her ego. I just hope they don’t turn her into a monster for the rest of the year.

I didn’t miss Beiste or Sue this week. They are characters that are best used sparingly, and shoe-horning them into the plot would not have been a good thing.

And, yes, I was bawling like a baby by the end as the whole New Directions crew came back together, especially when Rachel escorted Santana back into the fold. It told us that all was right with the Glee universe, and I just hope they don’t muck it all up for the rest of the season. Unlike last year, I really have nothing but good things to say about this season so far (I’m actually watching the show now because I want to, not because I have to!).

December 7, 2011 at 12:44 PM

Chuck, by “closer” I meant that the performances weren’t even of the same caliber. ND was just sooo much better, it was ridiculous.

And! I never get sick of Coach Beiste. Sue? Maybe. But I dig the Coach, even if she just peeks her head into the episode for a moment.

Chord Overstreet says he’s “here and there” on Glee because he’s focusing on his music career. If I were advising him, I’d tell him to be a regular on the show for as long as they’ll have him. It’s fantastic exposure to build up a huge fan base. What’s he thinking?

Unless it’s all about contractual disputes, and that’s just a good excuse.

December 7, 2011 at 1:07 PM

In between calls and texts from work yesterday, I spent it parked in front of the tv catching up on the last 3 episodes that I missed due to (wait for it) working.
Anyway, I was more touched by Mike’s father embracing him than the girls rejoining New Directions at the end. That, to me, was inevitable.
I can’t remember if it was the new episode or one of the previous ones where Santana goes to her grandmother and she’s thrown out of her home … that pissed me off and made me cry. It infuriated my son so much that he was yelling at the television.
They are dealing with topical situations. Maybe that is one of the things I love about this show. Sure, some of those crisis may be resolved in an hour, but at least they are giving attention to real issues.

December 7, 2011 at 1:29 PM

I so love this show! I only starting watching on Netflix right before the 3rd season premiered. I was hooked and wondered what in the world I was missing out on. I have about 100-something Glee songs now…and growing. Last night’s show was awesome. The gal who plays Santana has a killer voice–LOVE Sam and Red Solo Cup!

Yes, this show makes me cry every week…I bawled last week when Santana’s Grandma rejected her…LOVE Darren Criss–they guy is amazing!

My 5 year old loves this show also–a few episodes she cannot watch, but if you could only hear her sing–she adores Sue and Kurt–LOL, she asked me the other day who Kurt loves, and I was honest–I told her Blaine, and she thought that was pretty cool! LOL! I will try to record her singing “Hit me with your best shot” or “Physical” sometime!

Missed the Beiste and Sue also!

December 7, 2011 at 2:01 PM

LOVED IT! Want to wrap it up, unwrap it, watch it and repeat! Yes, the writers are back from their twilight zone like hiatus…All the songs last night had my feet a tappin and my lips a lip syncin…I can’t wait to see how all the story lines will continue to unfold and how they’re going to start transitioning into the pending departure of thier main characters.:( No likey…Sometimes I daydream that they’ll take a que from “twilight” and become wildlife fed vampires so they could stay young, remain in H.S. forever and just keep singing! Saylavee…

December 7, 2011 at 2:11 PM

What, no Sue my world is crushed!

December 7, 2011 at 7:39 PM

Good review, Tara. Glee is not on my regular schedule, but who can miss knowing what is going one when the rest of the world is talking about it?

December 7, 2011 at 7:56 PM

. . . . .

Answer Nyela: Me.

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