Re: 4x18 "Shooting Star" Watch & Discussion thread

[Jellyrolls]

You know what I think my issue is with Glee covering this is that I do think Glee has a history of capitalizing on events, and that's what this looks like to me.

I don't like that other than a small warning as the show began that there was no clue of what was about to happen. Yes, there were a lot of articles about the episode online in advance of the episode, but those articles most likely were not seen by the GA. Just based on the people I know who are regular Glee watchers not involved in the fandom, 100% of them had no idea that the episode would involve a school shooting.

I do think it was wrong of RIB not to give Sandy Hook a heads up that this was going to be happening, since the community is still grieving very deeply just four months after the death of all of those innocent children. And I find the fact that Ryan, and especially Michael Hitchcock heavily touting the episode as Emmy worthy is disrespectful (following Michael Hitchcok on twitter the past few days was almost embarrassing with the way he was tweeting out all of the spoiler articles, and positive articles about the episode).

I never minded Glee being a platform for social issues, but I don't think that they should have touched this one. Glee has a history of tackling serious issues, but not following through on them (On My Way is a perfect example with the suicide and the texting and driving storyline that were forgotten by the next episode). Will this be forgotten by next week? Or just burshed off because Sue was cleaning a gun and accidentally shot it, and no one got hurt?

From the sounds of it, it was the adult actors and the student actors who most people think to be the best in the newbies (I'm talking about Becca and Blake) carrying the episode last night. Heather seems to get talk about the bathroom scene, but the rest of her stuff is typical Brittany stuff. I've seen mixed but mostly positive reviews on Chord (personally, until the stuck him with Blaine and Brit, I actually enjoyed Chord on the show--I think he is a solid supporting actor, but I think Darren and Heather and the writing bring him down). I've seen very little said about Melissa, Jacob, Alex, or even Darren.

[tanita_mors]

you know, we had a big tragedy the other day here is serbia. in a little town, a guy who was loved and had no problems that his neighbors or family knew about, took a shotgun at 5 am and killed his mother, his son, his wife, and 12 of his neighbors including a 2 year old child, after which police cornered him and he shot himself. he effectively killed several whole families in his home town and nobody know why. we had a country wide day of mourning on tuesday.

i get that it's a sensitive issue. but there will always be those affected by it. no time will be a good time. and honestly, i don't think this episode has anything directly to do with that particular tragedy. it has to do with all the tragedies of that type.

but either way, as i said, i'm personally not bothered by the subject matter because seeing it on tv doesn't in any way diminish the great injustice of life and tragedy for the people who lose their loved ones that way. i understand if others find it hard to swallow. we all have different thresholds.

i agree that it was tasteless to do it now, but on the other hand, this pandora's box needs to be opened now, because i think in the long ran people who have been personally impacted by theses tragedies would wish that no other parent or person experience what they had to.

but as i have said twice now, i still feel this particular subject just like the suicide attempt in season 3 should not have been covered on this particular show. glee just can't balance the serious from the ridiculous and you get a product like the one we got last night.

[brisallie]

I never minded Glee being a platfrom for social issues, but I don't think that they should have touched this one. Glee has a history of tackling serious issues, but not following through on them (On My Way is a perfect example with the suicide and the texting and driving storyline that were forgotten by the next episode).

Exactly.

Is that's the reason why is hard for me to take it so seriously,though I know is a tough and sensitive topic, and also I've read some people who liked this was treated in a series, but personally I still believe it was done on purpose to get the attention of the media. And after to get that, probably it won't be mentioned again. Pretty much as what happened with the suicide issue.

[ColferInspired]

you know, we had a big tragedy the other day here is serbia. in a little town, a guy who was loved and had no problems that his neighbors or family knew about, took a shotgun at 5 am and killed his mother, his son, his wife, and 12 of his neighbors including a 2 year old child, after which police cornered him and he shot himself. he effectively killed several whole families in his home town and nobody know why. we had a country wide day of mourning on tuesday.

i get that it's a sensitive issue. but there will always be those affected by it. no time will be a good time. and honestly, i don't think this episode has anything directly to do with that particular tragedy. it has to do with all the tragedies of that type.

but either way, as i said, i'm personally not bothered by the subject matter because seeing it on tv doesn't in any way diminish the great injustice of life and tragedy for the people who lose their loved ones that way. i understand if others find it hard to swallow. we all have different thresholds.

i agree that it was tasteless to do it now, but on the other hand, this pandora's box needs to be opened now, because i think in the long ran people who have been personally impacted by theses tragedies would wish that no other parent or person experience what they had to.

but as i have said twice now, i still feel this particular subject just like the suicide attempt in season 3 should not have been covered on this particular show. glee just can't balance the serious from the ridiculous and you get a product like the one we got last night.

I agree. This show should not have tackled it.

I'm sure there are better shows that could have tackled this topic a lot better and not sensationlised it.

[MoviesAreLife]

Okay, guys....don't kill me. I thought the episode was great. Really well done. Well shot (the camera work really stood out to me in this episode), well directed, well acted...not to mention the score (this doesn't include the musical numbers). I have almost nothing bad to say about it, except that Tina's over the top "hysterical crying" outside of the school felt...a little forced and false to me. I think Jenna does better with the low key, "softer" crying (like in the vapor-rape) scene, rather than "ugly crying". It was truly touching. It's the kind of production that makes you think of your loved ones and wonders how you would react if you were in that place.

Yes, I missed Kurt and NYC and I'm so happy to have him back in this next episode. But I enjoyed this one very much, and almost everyone, McKinley originals and newbies, shined here and carried the episode without the help of the NYC cast. I'm proud of them and impressed. I've always loved it when sitcoms that I've watched growing up would do "ripped from the headlines" storylines and "very special episodes". I am a "very special episode" whore, and I do not like straight comedy, but comedy-drama is one of my favorite genres. I love to see silly shows get serious and mirror real life issues, and I love to connect to characters who survive something awful, rather than laugh at brainless characters in a fluffy comedy. No doubt about it, Glee has gone from a satire to a comedy-drama-musical now, and I'm okay with that.

And it's true that it will always be "too soon" after a shooting. Look, I live in a very fucked up, violent state. I think there is something wrong with my state and I've disgustingly thought about moving back to Canada because of it. There is always something. I moved to Colorado two years after Columbine, and I heard nonstop about it. The movie theater massacare happened here shortly before my birthday last year, and I remember my dad calling my sister as soon as he heard it on the news to make sure she was okay because she lives in the area with her boyfriend. When I was in high school, a Wells Fargo bank next to my high school went on lockdown because of a threat, and so did our school. And just this past year in the fall, a local man abucted and beheaded a 10 year old girl named Jessice Ridgeway, and he went to my college (no, I did not know him). I personally appreciate very serious, hard hitting episodes like this past one that they did, because it shows that, for all the ugliness in the world, there is a possible small chance at overcoming it and triumphing over it. Even if it is a fictionalized version of hope, that is still hope to me...and it's beautiful.

[Ranwing]

I never minded Glee being a platform for social issues, but I don't think that they should have touched this one. Glee has a history of tackling serious issues, but not following through on them (On My Way is a perfect example with the suicide and the texting and driving storyline that were forgotten by the next episode). Will this be forgotten by next week? Or just burshed off because Sue was cleaning a gun and accidentally shot it, and no one got hurt?

There is a huge difference between using a recent event to make a strong statement. As badly handled as Kurofsky's suicide attempt was, there was a valid point to it being done and made a poorly worded statement about the high rate of suicides (both attempted and completed) by gay youth. This was simply exploiting something that was in the news to get attention. They didn't "tackle" a big and complex issue. They just drapped it over themselves, jumping up and down to go "LOOK AT ME!!!!"

Plenty of legidimate media critics (the kind who actually critique for a living) are calling the show out for being opportunitist and manpulative, as well as showing horrible insensativity towards the very real and raw feelings still there from some of the more recent shootings. This might be one place where the idea of any publicity is good publicity might not carry through.

[MoviesAreLife]

I disagree about Glee not making a strong statement with their episode. I wholeheartedly agreed with the political statement that Sue made toward the end about gun violence and gun control. Even if Glee will get SO much hate for "picking a side" in this debate going on right now in this country.

[Jellyrolls]

Broadwayworld.com also picked up the twitter campaign:

With only four episodes left of the fourth season of the FOX musical dramedy GLEE, it appears that 'Gleeks' are starting to lose their patience with the direction the show has taken. Their biggest beef? The lack of air time given to series favorites Rachel (Lea Michele) Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Santana (Naya Rivera) who recently flew the coop from William McKinley High School to make it big in New York City.

In fact the complete absence of the trio in last night's episode has prompted some fans to start up a Twitter account with the hashtag '#NoNYCNoGleeForMe'. Among the postings from angry fans:

@BETHOFLORES: "when will they understand I DON'T give a damn about Marley, Jake or Kitty"

@suebrody1: "People are noticing and want Kurt, Rachel, and Santana."

@onthaedge487: "You want award noms? Less Lima, more NYC!"

The show is in for an even bigger challenge if it should continue on to a fifth season when New Direction Seniors Artie (Kevin McHale) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) graduate and move on to parts unknown.

Is it time for FOX to bring the curtain down on the fictional high school Glee club? Or perhaps, develop an all-new spin-off series featuring the New York City residents as they face the trials and tribulations of trying to make it to the Great White Way? Tell us what you think!


Read more about BWW Asks: Does GLEE Deserve a Fifth Season? - BWWTVWorld by tv.broadwayworld.com

source

[MoviesAreLife]

Maybe now RIB or FOX will go with the spin-off idea?

[MoviesAreLife]

I haven't watched the episode yet but from what I saw on Tumblr Blaine has only one scene with Tina in the episode. He doesn't talk much. Even the spoiler about Blaine leaving a message to his parents was fake. He only mentions his parent during the Blina scene. Now I feel angry at myself for getting so frustrated about the lack of message for Kurt.
I don't understand why that woman gives false spoilers. From what I've read she has done it before too. I won't believe anything that comes from her from now on.

Since the person doing the spoiling saw the episode a bit early, it is possible that a phone call was edited out before the show aired, I suppose. It was remarkable how little Blaine had to do. Reminded me of one of the other spoilers--about some of the actors, and one in particular, being shockingly awful. There might have been some editing jujitsu to cover that up.

Hi, Anne! We are getting so many new people here in recent times! I love it! :D

I just remembered something. Does anyone remember when the shots first went off and when the choir room was locked and the lights were turned off? Remember when someone tried to open both choir room doors, then took off running then there was the sound of a door slamming that made everyone jump? (It sounded like a gunshot). Well, I'm now thinking that was Brittany. And when she realized she was locked out, she took off to the bathroom to seek shelter in a panic. How sad for her, being separated from everyone else during this crisis. It must've been very scary. I LOVED Heather's bathroom scenes!

Oh, and I thought the one sided romance of Shannon and Will was just so awkward. I wish it wasn't in the episode.

[tanita_mors]

the person in the hallway was most likely sue. she besides becky was the only person who knew that there was no actual threat. so she would be the only one walking about the school without the fear of being killed. she probably went to look for will but when she saw that every classroom was closed decided to wait it out because she didn't want becky to be blamed.

as for the message, i think it was clear. gun control must be regulated. in every single state. it's true that people kill people, not guns, but when you have susceptible and vulnerable or damaged individuals who have an easy access to weapons, you are asking for it. i mean, when you have households that have multiple rifles or automating guns or all you need to get a gun is an id and a local address, "the devil has taken the joke" to paraphrase a serbian saying.

as for the episode, from a purely cinematic point of view, parts of it were brilliant, but others left a lot to be desired. what held this episode was all around solid acting. without it, i don't even want to think.

[Jellyrolls]

I never minded Glee being a platform for social issues, but I don't think that they should have touched this one. Glee has a history of tackling serious issues, but not following through on them (On My Way is a perfect example with the suicide and the texting and driving storyline that were forgotten by the next episode). Will this be forgotten by next week? Or just burshed off because Sue was cleaning a gun and accidentally shot it, and no one got hurt?

There is a huge difference between using a recent event to make a strong statement. As badly handled as Kurofsky's suicide attempt was, there was a valid point to it being done and made a poorly worded statement about the high rate of suicides (both attempted and completed) by gay youth. This was simply exploiting something that was in the news to get attention. They didn't "tackle" a big and complex issue. They just drapped it over themselves, jumping up and down to go "LOOK AT ME!!!!"

Plenty of legidimate media critics (the kind who actually critique for a living) are calling the show out for being opportunitist and manpulative, as well as showing horrible insensativity towards the very real and raw feelings still there from some of the more recent shootings. This might be one place where the idea of any publicity is good publicity might not carry through.

Honestly, though I didn't see the episode, having read people's comments and recaps, I think that the way they handled it was in itself inappropriate. Having a handicapable be the one to bring a gun to school and accidentally shoot it? (what were Becky's parents thinking leaving the gun off scott free). And having Sue get the fall for it? Did she even talk to Becky about it? I think it takes away from the seriousness of Becky's actions that she got away with it (even if she may not have understood them). And will Glee be showing the impact her actions had on her? Will they show if Becky understands the seriousness of her actions, or if she understands that her actions were wrong? How does she learn from her mistake if she faces no consequences from it? It just seems to send the wrong message to me (and again, this is my thoughts having not seen the episode, and only going by what I've read here and elsewhere).

This probably won't be a popular opinion, but I also think that the story loses a lot of it's impact by the fact that no one was injured. Though I'm sure just the shots themselves are enough to scare people in the school, the impact of the storyline is greatly diminished by the fact that no one got hurt, the person who accidentally shot the gun faced no consequences, and the only consequence was that the teacher who took the fall got fired. If this had been real life, Sue would have been arrested for endangering the lives of the students by having a gun in her office.

I guess we'll see next week if this if there is any lasting impact, or if it is just forgotten about because it was just an accidentally shooting while Sue was "cleaning" her gun.

[ChrisColferFan1]

I have not watch yet,but will eventually,but will wait for a few weeks. Darren/Blaine was only in one scene?

[tanita_mors]

This probably won't be a popular opinion, but I also think that the story loses a lot of it's impact by the fact that no one was injured. Though I'm sure just the shots themselves are enough to scare people in the school, the impact of the storyline is greatly diminished by the fact that no one got hurt, the person who accidentally shot the gun faced no consequences, and the only consequence was that the teacher who took the fall got fired. If this had been real life, Sue would have been arrested for endangering the lives of the students by having a gun in her office.

I guess we'll see next week if this if there is any lasting impact, or if it is just forgotten about because it was just an accidentally shooting while Sue was "cleaning" her gun.

i agree with you karen. the drawback of this episode and where it failed is that ultimately all of this will mean nothing. this will never be mentioned again, or maybe once or twice in regards to sue, but i seriously doubt there will be a fallow up on then fact that sue lied and that becky faced no consequences. not to mention that they have put another stigma on people with down syndrome. sloppy, sloppy and ultimately only done for it's shock value.

[sheny]

I have not watch yet,but will eventually,but will wait for a few weeks. Darren/Blaine was only in one scene?

Blaine was the group scenes with the other ND kids but he stayed in the background most of the time. He had one line in the beginning of the episode when Brittany started talking about the end of the world and one line during the shooting. You can easily miss them if you get distracted for a second. He has a short scene with Tina at the end talking about his parent and how they spend the night hugging and crying. I think he sings lead in the last group number, but I'm not sure i skipped the songs.
He definitely had less screen time compared to the previous episodes.

BTW what was the point of showing Blaine and Tina holding hands? Is this their way to redeem Tina for vapo-raping Blaine? Someone who watches the show for the first time and doesn't know Blaine is gay will probably think they are dating and just confessed their love for each other. Kurt and Rachel are very close friends too but never hold hands like that.

[ChrisColferFan1]

I have not watch yet,but will eventually,but will wait for a few weeks. Darren/Blaine was only in one scene?

Blaine was the group scenes with the other ND kids but he stayed in the background most of the time. He had one line in the beginning of the episode when Brittany started talking about the end of the world and one line during the shooting. You can easily miss them if you get distracted for a second. He has a short scene with Tina at the end talking about his parent and how they spend the night hugging and crying. I think he sings lead in the last group number, but I'm not sure i skipped the songs.
He definitely had less screen time compared to the previous episodes.

BTW what was the point of showing Blaine and Tina holding hands? Is this their way to redeem Tina for vapo-raping Blaine? Someone who wathes the show for the first time and doesn't know Blaine is gay will probably think they are dating and just confessed their love for each other. Kurt and Rachel are very close friends too but never hold hands like that.

Okay thank you I will skip the songs when I do watch, I am pleasantly surprise of the lack of Darren's/Blaine's scene time. Blaine and Tina were holding hands?

[AnneNeville]

Okay thank you I will skip the songs when I do watch, I am pleasantly surprise of the lack of Darren's/Blaine's scene time. Blaine and Tina were holding hands?

Yes. That boy sure knows how to mess with people's heads . . .

[ChrisColferFan1]

Okay thank you I will skip the songs when I do watch, I am pleasantly surprise of the lack of Darren's/Blaine's scene time. Blaine and Tina were holding hands?

Yes. That boy sure knows how to mess with people's heads . . .

Good point.

[MoviesAreLife]

I don't know, I still think it was Brittany. It would make sense that she would hear the shots, panic, and try to get to Sam and her "family" from where she was on the school grounds. But when she discovered she was locked out, she ran for the bathroom (why do people always hide in bathrooms?) I don't understand why Sue would go for Will straight after this mistake Becky pulled. As for Becky being the "shooter"...it was unexpected, but Lauren's mom made a comment about how handicapable kids are not above making huge blunders like this one. Except, it was not done out of a wish to harm/kill anyone...it was a poor choice and a very confused one made by someone with a limited capability of understanding a concept like this.

Having someone killed and/or hurt would be too over the top, imo. The terror that the kids felt was very real in this episode, because they don't "know" they are not going to be harmed or killed. They don't know that they are fictional creations on a TV show and that they will, most likely, get a happy ending. It really got to me. The emotional terror was enough for me without bodily harm being added to the mix.

The only drawback is that, yes, I am sure that this episode will disappear within the Glee canon, never to be mentioned again.

Forgot to mention that I loved that they cut back on the musical numbers. This episode focused on acting and storytelling rather than over the top songs. LOVED IT!

[arina]

I don't know If I am weird, totally insensitive (which is interesting because I usually am rather oversensitive) but I did not feel anything watching the episode, it just couldn't get into it, it seemed so forced to me or what I cannot explain. I expected a lot of more from the episode and probably didn't get what I expected. And the comedy parts and the drama parts just did not go well together imo.

I was bored couple of times during the episode, maybe when I watch it with subtitles again, I'll change my opinion. And maybe I wasn't in mood for it or something, I usually really am big crier and this did nothing to me.

[brisallie]

I disagree about Glee not making a strong statement with their episode. I wholeheartedly agreed with the political statement that Sue made toward the end about gun violence and gun control. Even if Glee will get SO much hate for "picking a side" in this debate going on right now in this country.

You know,some people have disliked that Glee made a political statement at saying there's must be a gun control, so I'm not sure is because they think TV shows shouldn't express their political opinions or is there another reason behind? Personally I I believe that if you live in democracy, you're free to express your opinion, always in respectful terms of course. However, I'm a foreigner, and probably I dont understad how hard is to talk about this.

[CloveGlee]

Offensive beyond offensive.

You do NOT do a big drama about a school shooting and have it all be a big oopsie because a mentally challenged girl brought a gun to school at shot it at nothing in particular by mistake. You do NOT DO THAT. There are so many reasons why this is wrong I just don't know where to start.

[Glorfindel]

^I agree (Hi Claire, missed ya), they wanted a school shooting but didn't have the balls to follow it through properly.
Not that I wanted dead bodies in the hallways, but letting a Down's girl be the one bringing a gun to school and accidentally firing it (which isn't even possible, let alone twice).....

Also: Sue covering up for Becky is so irresponsible. Becky needed help with her issues, not getting away scot free. What if she is confused again next week and does something else that might endanger the lives of others (or herself)?


I have many feelings about this episode, but I've read so many comments it is all starting to swim in my head now.
Earlier tonight I read the Vulture recap and I think it sums up pretty well how I feel about 'Shooting Star':

Back in 2008, just after Fox green-lit the Glee pilot, Ryan Murphy gave an interview describing the purpose of the show. “There's so much on the air right now about people with guns, or sci-fi, or lawyers running around. This is a different genre, there's nothing like it on the air at the networks and cable. Everything's so dark in the world right now … [Glee is] pure escapism.”

Things have changed, I guess.

The episode is already being talked about as Glee’s “school shooting” episode, which is a tiny overstatement. In a fit of panic about whether she’ll be prepared for real life after graduation, Becky brings a gun to school with her, and it goes off in Sue’s office. No one’s hurt, but there’s a lockdown during which the New Directions kids are cloistered in the choir room with no idea what’s happened. (Also, there are two feline guest stars!)

I’m not saying Glee isn’t allowed to try to tackle Big Issues, but real talk? It's not very good at it, in the same way that, say, the cast of Breaking Bad probably wouldn’t be very good at performing Ke$ha covers. There are certainly ways for teen-centric shows to address violence in schools in a way that furthers the discussion. My So-Called Life introduced the idea that guns could turn up even at schools nice, middle-class families sent their children to. Degrassi: The Next Generation did a school shooting arc that went on for years, devoting time and consideration to the causes, the event itself, and the aftermath. But all this episode of Glee did was attempt to re-create the deeply horrifying experience of hiding from a gunman in a building where you’re supposed to feel safe.

Some might chalk that up to “raising awareness,” but where I’m standing, it seems almost impossible to be unaware of gun violence in schools by now. What’s more, it seems far more respectful to point to real stories with real consequences as a means of generating awareness, rather than making up a story where everything turns out just fine in the end.

All of that said, the ten minutes between the shots being fired and the all-clear signal were pretty damn compelling. There are some bigger moments — primarily a physical struggle between Sam, Schue, and Coach Beiste when Sam tries to go to look for Brittany — but the smaller touches build the tension. A pot boils over in the cafeteria as Marley’s mom cries in the corner. A shower continues to run in the abandoned locker room. A metronome ticks in the center of the choir room floor. Brittany crouches on top of a toilet to hide her feet and sobs. Artie somberly films the kids’ good-bye messages. Tina loses it outside of the school because she’s not trapped in the choir room with everyone else.

It’s visceral and immediate and completely unscored but also, THIS SHOW IS CALLED GLEE, SO IT’S MAYBE ALL A BIT MUCH. I don’t want my caps lock rage to belie how strong some of the performances are here, especially from some of the newer kids — it’s the acting and not the writing that keeps the episode away from complete melodrama. And there’s no departure (not even a commercial break) from the gravity and terror of the situation. No one cracks a joke or bursts into song, which is impressive given Glee’s track record.

But the depths of the emotional manipulation are unforgivable, even putting aside the fact that the ten gut-wrenching minutes are followed by literally everything being fine/never mind, guys. Sam gets wrestled to the ground for trying to leave to save Brittany, but then Mr. Schue (for unknown reasons) goes to save her later anyway! Confrontation and rescue! The manipulation is so ingrained in the episode that the cynical part of me wants to believe that the preshow disclaimer about violent content was less a genuine warning and more a way of building suspense at the outset — after all, there wasn’t a similar warning before Karofsky’s equally graphic suicide attempt last season. (Also, not for nothing, but if you’re really trying to be realistic, don’t have everyone decide that the threat has passed and burst into group hugging as soon as some random, disembodied voice yells “All clear!”)

Sue takes the fall for Becky, claiming in an impassioned speech to Figgins that the gun was hers and she’d been keeping it in her desk for years. It’s a great scene between the two, both of whom have to spend a lot of time regulated to punch line status, but while it’s really trying to be some sort of higher examination of guns and culture today (I legitimately would not have been surprised by a “guns — can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em” joke here), it’s exhaustingly heavy-handed. It’s also really not okay that Glee chose to make the sole character with Down syndrome the shooter (even if she didn’t have nefarious intentions), but it doesn’t come as any sort of shock, either. I’m not sure whether this whole debacle means Jane Lynch is out (or on her way out) for good, but honestly, I hope she is. She’s so much better than what Glee has given her in the past couple of seasons.

The other issue is that the shooting and its aftermath comprise less than twenty minutes of the episode, and the rest is basically nonsense. Much of it is devoted to Ryder’s catfishing; depressingly, the show is actually calling it that now. When a girl identical to his “Katie” turns up at McKinley and realizes she’s not who he thinks she is, she excitedly says, “You’re being catfished! It happened to Mani Te’o!” It’s almost appallingly lazy, and it’s really bizarre that this plotline has been dragged out for as long as it has. Ryder tried to call “Katie” during the lockdown and a phone rang in the choir room; I’m pretty sure that means she’s either Tina or Unique.

Meanwhile, Coach Beiste asks Will on a date after professing her love. I don’t know why, either.

For the second time in seven episodes, Brittany is convinced the world is about to come to an end, and she’s desperate to make amends with Lord Tubbington before it does. They’ve been fighting because Lord Tubbington is in the KKKK (which is the KKK, but for cats) and not even a candlelit rendition of “More Than Words” can bring them back together. The entire thing somehow gets resolved when Sam gives Brittany a new cat, Lady Tubbington, who’s on the fatter side so that she won’t have a negative impact on Lord Tubbington’s self-esteem. His mention of the cat in his “if I don’t make it out of the choir room” iPhone video isn’t enough to save the episode or anything, but it did make me laugh. “Mom. Dad. I love you guys. And there’s a cat in my backpack in my locker. Please feed her for me.”

The episode ends exactly how you’d think — with everyone singing John Mayer songs and talking about their feelings. (Truth be told, that’s what I did in high school without any shootings.) But, God, Glee, if you wanted a story line that ultimately boils down to kids crying to each other about love, regrets, and living for today, there are far slicker plot devices than a school shooting. Hint: wine coolers! It seems at least a few minutes of what’s left of this season will have to address the fact that the shooting actually occurred, especially if there’s some exoneration for Sue in the works, so Glee can’t totally ignore that this happened going forward, as it usually does with its Very Special Story Lines. That said, if anyone invokes this whole mess as the reason why the New Directions have to give it their all at Regionals, I will lose it.

[ColferInspired]

^I agree (Hi Claire, missed ya), they wanted a school shooting but didn't have the balls to follow it through properly.
Not that I wanted dead bodies in the hallways, but letting a Down's girl be the one bringing a gun to school and accidentally firing it (which isn't even possible, let alone twice).....

Also: Sue covering up for Becky is so irresponsible. Becky needed help with her issues, not getting away scot free. What if she is confused again next week and does something else that might endanger the lives of others (or herself)?


I have many feelings about this episode, but I've read so many comments it is all starting to swim in my head now.
Earlier tonight I read the Vulture recap and I think it sums up pretty well how I feel about 'Shooting Star':

Back in 2008, just after Fox green-lit the Glee pilot, Ryan Murphy gave an interview describing the purpose of the show. “There's so much on the air right now about people with guns, or sci-fi, or lawyers running around. This is a different genre, there's nothing like it on the air at the networks and cable. Everything's so dark in the world right now … [Glee is] pure escapism.”

Things have changed, I guess.

The episode is already being talked about as Glee’s “school shooting” episode, which is a tiny overstatement. In a fit of panic about whether she’ll be prepared for real life after graduation, Becky brings a gun to school with her, and it goes off in Sue’s office. No one’s hurt, but there’s a lockdown during which the New Directions kids are cloistered in the choir room with no idea what’s happened. (Also, there are two feline guest stars!)

I’m not saying Glee isn’t allowed to try to tackle Big Issues, but real talk? It's not very good at it, in the same way that, say, the cast of Breaking Bad probably wouldn’t be very good at performing Ke$ha covers. There are certainly ways for teen-centric shows to address violence in schools in a way that furthers the discussion. My So-Called Life introduced the idea that guns could turn up even at schools nice, middle-class families sent their children to. Degrassi: The Next Generation did a school shooting arc that went on for years, devoting time and consideration to the causes, the event itself, and the aftermath. But all this episode of Glee did was attempt to re-create the deeply horrifying experience of hiding from a gunman in a building where you’re supposed to feel safe.

Some might chalk that up to “raising awareness,” but where I’m standing, it seems almost impossible to be unaware of gun violence in schools by now. What’s more, it seems far more respectful to point to real stories with real consequences as a means of generating awareness, rather than making up a story where everything turns out just fine in the end.

All of that said, the ten minutes between the shots being fired and the all-clear signal were pretty damn compelling. There are some bigger moments — primarily a physical struggle between Sam, Schue, and Coach Beiste when Sam tries to go to look for Brittany — but the smaller touches build the tension. A pot boils over in the cafeteria as Marley’s mom cries in the corner. A shower continues to run in the abandoned locker room. A metronome ticks in the center of the choir room floor. Brittany crouches on top of a toilet to hide her feet and sobs. Artie somberly films the kids’ good-bye messages. Tina loses it outside of the school because she’s not trapped in the choir room with everyone else.

It’s visceral and immediate and completely unscored but also, THIS SHOW IS CALLED GLEE, SO IT’S MAYBE ALL A BIT MUCH. I don’t want my caps lock rage to belie how strong some of the performances are here, especially from some of the newer kids — it’s the acting and not the writing that keeps the episode away from complete melodrama. And there’s no departure (not even a commercial break) from the gravity and terror of the situation. No one cracks a joke or bursts into song, which is impressive given Glee’s track record.

But the depths of the emotional manipulation are unforgivable, even putting aside the fact that the ten gut-wrenching minutes are followed by literally everything being fine/never mind, guys. Sam gets wrestled to the ground for trying to leave to save Brittany, but then Mr. Schue (for unknown reasons) goes to save her later anyway! Confrontation and rescue! The manipulation is so ingrained in the episode that the cynical part of me wants to believe that the preshow disclaimer about violent content was less a genuine warning and more a way of building suspense at the outset — after all, there wasn’t a similar warning before Karofsky’s equally graphic suicide attempt last season. (Also, not for nothing, but if you’re really trying to be realistic, don’t have everyone decide that the threat has passed and burst into group hugging as soon as some random, disembodied voice yells “All clear!”)

Sue takes the fall for Becky, claiming in an impassioned speech to Figgins that the gun was hers and she’d been keeping it in her desk for years. It’s a great scene between the two, both of whom have to spend a lot of time regulated to punch line status, but while it’s really trying to be some sort of higher examination of guns and culture today (I legitimately would not have been surprised by a “guns — can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em” joke here), it’s exhaustingly heavy-handed. It’s also really not okay that Glee chose to make the sole character with Down syndrome the shooter (even if she didn’t have nefarious intentions), but it doesn’t come as any sort of shock, either. I’m not sure whether this whole debacle means Jane Lynch is out (or on her way out) for good, but honestly, I hope she is. She’s so much better than what Glee has given her in the past couple of seasons.

The other issue is that the shooting and its aftermath comprise less than twenty minutes of the episode, and the rest is basically nonsense. Much of it is devoted to Ryder’s catfishing; depressingly, the show is actually calling it that now. When a girl identical to his “Katie” turns up at McKinley and realizes she’s not who he thinks she is, she excitedly says, “You’re being catfished! It happened to Mani Te’o!” It’s almost appallingly lazy, and it’s really bizarre that this plotline has been dragged out for as long as it has. Ryder tried to call “Katie” during the lockdown and a phone rang in the choir room; I’m pretty sure that means she’s either Tina or Unique.

Meanwhile, Coach Beiste asks Will on a date after professing her love. I don’t know why, either.

For the second time in seven episodes, Brittany is convinced the world is about to come to an end, and she’s desperate to make amends with Lord Tubbington before it does. They’ve been fighting because Lord Tubbington is in the KKKK (which is the KKK, but for cats) and not even a candlelit rendition of “More Than Words” can bring them back together. The entire thing somehow gets resolved when Sam gives Brittany a new cat, Lady Tubbington, who’s on the fatter side so that she won’t have a negative impact on Lord Tubbington’s self-esteem. His mention of the cat in his “if I don’t make it out of the choir room” iPhone video isn’t enough to save the episode or anything, but it did make me laugh. “Mom. Dad. I love you guys. And there’s a cat in my backpack in my locker. Please feed her for me.”

The episode ends exactly how you’d think — with everyone singing John Mayer songs and talking about their feelings. (Truth be told, that’s what I did in high school without any shootings.) But, God, Glee, if you wanted a story line that ultimately boils down to kids crying to each other about love, regrets, and living for today, there are far slicker plot devices than a school shooting. Hint: wine coolers! It seems at least a few minutes of what’s left of this season will have to address the fact that the shooting actually occurred, especially if there’s some exoneration for Sue in the works, so Glee can’t totally ignore that this happened going forward, as it usually does with its Very Special Story Lines. That said, if anyone invokes this whole mess as the reason why the New Directions have to give it their all at Regionals, I will lose it.

Wow, another honest review.

I love it.

[Glorfindel]

Okay thank you I will skip the songs when I do watch, I am pleasantly surprise of the lack of Darren's/Blaine's scene time. Blaine and Tina were holding hands?

Yes. That boy sure knows how to mess with people's heads . . .

And there also was this:



Oh, how I wish they would make Blina a real couple..... Kurt would be free.

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