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Glee 3.03, Asian F
Adding my review for Glee 3.03.
The ep left me mostly cold. I never liked Mercedes much and this didn’t do her any favors (nor her boyfriend). To me Rachel was better: although I think Mercedes could have played Maria so they could have shared (2 different productions, but not necessarily bad). It seems that every kid who auditioned with WSS material seemed very well suited, and it makes me resent that the two who in the end didn’t win were not given the opportunity to audition properly. I think both Kurt and Mercedes could have killed their auditions if they’d been allowed by the writers, which makes their storylines feel not genuine to me. Or if they had used WSS and were clearly worse (in acting too), then I could accept it better.
The arguments I see here that some of the kids “don’t look the part” or their voices aren’t suited to the song are irrelevant to me: this is a high school production: you work with the talent that you have, and most of these kids are extremely talented (and more talented and suited than most any high school students would ever be). Surely Maria’s songs can be sung in a key that works for these girls, I doubt the audience will include the Tony Award committee. What high school musical director wouldn’t clap their hands when they got Rachel Berry (aka Broadway ingénue Lea Michele) audition for WSS?
After every time she gets a little story, I don’t get why people ask for more Tina: whatever I see her say is very rehearsed and I’m quite happy to have her stay in the background. Same for Mike Chang, who I can’t get excited about at this stage and who’s acting also didn’t impress me much (granted, his whole great conflicted storyline lasted 10 mins so it’s hard to invest), though his dancing with his mom was very sweet and he killed his audition. He deserves to be in this play. Even so, I couldn’t help thinking that while obviously Mike is an amazing dancer and very passable singer, Kurt could have sung that song much better…
My Kurt-bias is shining through, but I’m not enjoying the direction his story is taking so far (though I have no complaints about his screentime). He just can’t win: he’s too much of a lady to get a (relevant) part in the play and he’s apparently too much of man to be able to represent the girls at McKinley High. So what credentials does he have or can he win? The believability of Kurt getting into a school of performing arts seems so very unlikely at this point, though I guess the story is to be continued.
Brittany saying that man’s politics have brought the school (and world) down and that girl power is needed is a good strategy, but she immediately defines it by objectifying herself and winning votes by portraying girls as nothing more than dancing boobs in leather skirts. It’s smart in that it is exactly the reason for her popularity and probably will win her the presidency, but cripes that message sucks. I guess maybe she could manipulate a win that way and then actually have constructive changes to make afterwards, but I really hope she won’t win that way, even though I know in a High School culture like McKinley’s it’s maybe likelier. Let the underdogs revolt.
I feel for Emma but that praying scene was ridiculous to me. And Matt totally butchered one of my favourite songs ever. I wish they’d saved “Fix You” for one of the girls (reinterpreting Coldplay by female voice seems much more interesting to me anyway) and gave him something else here.
The ep left me mostly cold. I never liked Mercedes much and this didn’t do her any favors (nor her boyfriend). To me Rachel was better: although I think Mercedes could have played Maria so they could have shared (2 different productions, but not necessarily bad). It seems that every kid who auditioned with WSS material seemed very well suited, and it makes me resent that the two who in the end didn’t win were not given the opportunity to audition properly. I think both Kurt and Mercedes could have killed their auditions if they’d been allowed by the writers, which makes their storylines feel not genuine to me. Or if they had used WSS and were clearly worse (in acting too), then I could accept it better.
The arguments I see here that some of the kids “don’t look the part” or their voices aren’t suited to the song are irrelevant to me: this is a high school production: you work with the talent that you have, and most of these kids are extremely talented (and more talented and suited than most any high school students would ever be). Surely Maria’s songs can be sung in a key that works for these girls, I doubt the audience will include the Tony Award committee. What high school musical director wouldn’t clap their hands when they got Rachel Berry (aka Broadway ingénue Lea Michele) audition for WSS?
After every time she gets a little story, I don’t get why people ask for more Tina: whatever I see her say is very rehearsed and I’m quite happy to have her stay in the background. Same for Mike Chang, who I can’t get excited about at this stage and who’s acting also didn’t impress me much (granted, his whole great conflicted storyline lasted 10 mins so it’s hard to invest), though his dancing with his mom was very sweet and he killed his audition. He deserves to be in this play. Even so, I couldn’t help thinking that while obviously Mike is an amazing dancer and very passable singer, Kurt could have sung that song much better…
My Kurt-bias is shining through, but I’m not enjoying the direction his story is taking so far (though I have no complaints about his screentime). He just can’t win: he’s too much of a lady to get a (relevant) part in the play and he’s apparently too much of man to be able to represent the girls at McKinley High. So what credentials does he have or can he win? The believability of Kurt getting into a school of performing arts seems so very unlikely at this point, though I guess the story is to be continued.
Brittany saying that man’s politics have brought the school (and world) down and that girl power is needed is a good strategy, but she immediately defines it by objectifying herself and winning votes by portraying girls as nothing more than dancing boobs in leather skirts. It’s smart in that it is exactly the reason for her popularity and probably will win her the presidency, but cripes that message sucks. I guess maybe she could manipulate a win that way and then actually have constructive changes to make afterwards, but I really hope she won’t win that way, even though I know in a High School culture like McKinley’s it’s maybe likelier. Let the underdogs revolt.
I feel for Emma but that praying scene was ridiculous to me. And Matt totally butchered one of my favourite songs ever. I wish they’d saved “Fix You” for one of the girls (reinterpreting Coldplay by female voice seems much more interesting to me anyway) and gave him something else here.