Re: 3x18 "Choke" Watch & Discussion thread

[fantastica]

[tanita_mors]

[arina]

Everyone who knows how to buy songs on iTunes, please buy it, it's sad that his songs are so badly placed most of the time.

I know that his songs usually are not so universal and for general audience, but it's still...

[Heyerchick]

My thoughts, subject to change after re-watch

I'm going to focus on what I enjoyed in this episode. Namely Kurt, Rachel and HummelBerry. I wish we'd had more of Kurt and Rachel and none of Bieste's message of the week melodrama, but it's Glee. It's the narrative equivalent of an enema.

Kurt's Phantom routine was fun. I really loved his Phantom vocals and I wish they had released that track along with Not The Boy Next Door. I loved his adorkable Phantom dancing; it was failtastic not fantastic. Kurt's crazy can be remarkably like Rachel's crazy and I infinitely prefer him crazy to martyred by a sadistic writers' room. The meta shout-outs were funny - Kurt performing nude, the hating on poor old Candles. I give them credit for using the meta about Tina having nothing to do in a funny way, with her leg going to sleep and having to walk it off. It wasn't irritating only because she did actually get something to do.

The conflict between playing it safe versus taking a risk was telegraphed very clearly between Rachel and Kurt. The audition story of I Am Unicorn angered and upset me so much that I'm rolling with the notion Kurt has, once again, learned from his mistakes. He wanted to do the best audition he could and had already made some pragmatic choices, like gender-appropriate number. But his gut told him to switch things up, do something to make him stand out from the crowd. That was a good instinct, given how Glee went out of its way to establish both Kurt and Rachel as part of a herd at the start of the season. For Kurt, the risk of going with a number he had rehearsed less than Music of the Night was balanced by the potential payoff of being more memorable than the Gavroches of this world. But I also thought Rachel's advice to Kurt to play it safe and stick with what he had rehearsed rehearsed rehearsed was sincere and honestly meant. Rachel was genuinely looking out for his interests. At the same time, she was ignoring Shelby's voice of experience: that taking risks could payoff where playing safe didn't. Rachel pegged 'Boy' as risky-controversial, but Kurt countered that it hadn't been risky since 1962.

Glee did as well as it could [these days] to set up a breadcrumb trail for Rachel choking, Her 'safety' stance, all that intense psyching up, the whimpering in her voice when she told a petrified Kurt that La Tibideaux would audition them for her inaugural class as Dean. Then we had Kurt on stage, shaking with nerves, realising that playing it safe for so harsh a critic wouldn't work. Whoopi played the part with sufficient heft and gravitas that his fright seemed genuine, as was his recognition that he really had no choice but to take the risk and the road less travelled. He was either going to kill it, or blow it spectacularly in front of this formidable presence. Either way, Kurt was being true to himself. And that's a risk he takes all the time, and which usually bites him in the ass. It's character building or something. Again, rolling with the conceits of having the Peter Allen costume on under the Phantom one and Tina, Britt and Mercedes waiting in the wings to back him up. It was a terrific audition. Kurt had chutzpah: he played his hail Mary pass and killed it. Loved the joyous vocals, loved the way the choreography picked up on all of Kurt's signature moves: we got the shimmy, the sassy finger, the sashay, the hip sway, the high kicks, the skipping high kick, the impossibly bendy 'my body is ready!' move from Some People. It was fun, upbeat, dancey, with oodles of oomph and personality. It was a performance. One helluva performance. Carmen isn't looking for perfect polished professionals, but for potential. Kurt can improve, he proved he can think on his feet and he showed her singing, acting and dancing as well as good stagecraft and stage presence. For once, Kurt pulled off a perfect audition number. I loved that for once he had a level playing field and that being true to himself paid off.

In the background, Rachel is visibly shaken when La Tibideaux compliments Kurt for taking the risk, and for impressing her. So I can see all the breadcrumbs leading to that choke, and I think Lea acts her socks off in the scene, but the contrivance to spin out the NYADA [melo]drama just that much longer means I'm not in the 'devastated' camp. No fault of Lea's: this is as well written as anything on Glee is and she does her considerable best with the material. I hope I'll warm to it after re-watch. I just feel distanced from it because I *know* she's going to get into NYADA anyway, somehow, somewhen.

I agree with others that Rachel's audition was reliant on her vocals. I can't argue that she was going to bust out the dance moves and the stagecraft and whatnot because her style is park and bark. Never moreso than when she's doing Barbra. She does have that little skipping back and forth thing she does on stage and the arms would have gone up for the belting, but...reliant on her vocals. Carmen was generous to let her start over. That comment about 8 bars read to me as: you get 8 bars and then you're out. She's either going to listen to it all, or stop you cold. She gave Rachel 16 bars because - Rachel. She does have the pipes.

Props to Lea and Chris for terrific performances. Chris got the rare comedy episode and it was so much fun to watch. There's always so much going on below Kurt's surface, even when he's in full-on Broadway crazy mode. Lots of beautiful reaction moments, like the full-on petrification when he hears Carmen is out there waiting. Lea was funny and pathetic in turns in the true sense of the word; there was a real poignance to the aftermath of Rachel's choking. I particularly liked the montage moment where Finn is cradling a weeping Rachel. I think this episode could be on Lea's Emmy reel. If Chris had had a little more to do, it could have been on his too.

The HummelBerry scenes were buttah. I loved that Kurt told Rachel Berry he loved her, and she loved him too. Rachel does show a lot of growth in how she reacted to Kurt nailing his audition versus her failure. She showed a very generous heart amid her personal defeat. The fact she was wishing Kurt and Finn well in NYC - never mind her previous resolution to go to NYC no matter what - showed how hard she was hitting bottom and that it was going to take more than another overwrought ballad to pick herself back up.

If I thought there was any jeopardy in this NYADA storyline for Rachel at all, I would feel it so much more than I can at present. It's not over. Not after 18 episodes of fuss and bother, alarums and excursions. If I thought for one second Rachel would have to go to NYC without the safety net of NYADA, if there was a chance she might be, say, waitlisted and obsessed with the health, wellbeing and academic scores of every female NYADA freshman...but it's Rachel Berry. And it's Glee. This wasn't the end; there's four more episodes to milk this.

[valkeakuulas]

I seem to zone out everything else except Kurt and Rachel, but Pucks storyline did make me go awww...but those boys in general are quite stupid when put together so no way Puck was getting any help from them. Still do not like Rain in Spain. The domestic violence storyline was really weirdly presented did not like that at all. And Still do not like Shake It Out.

Rachel being supportive of Kurt and giving her, very sound, advise was sweet and well acted. I was quite taken back that the song choices were actually discussed and analysed, I don't think Glee has ever had this kinds song selection dialogue. NTBND was funny, uplifting and pure Glee, I did have inappropriate thoughts as I'm sure everyone else did. (Kurt on the piano... ) But why have that cluncky cut in the middle, why, why?!

I did cry after Rachel choked, and I've never cried because of Rachel drama but this was different. And the stage going dark...Lea and Chris in this show... I can see Rachel choking not because she isn't a great singer but because she gets herself worked up which was quite obvious already at the scene before Kurts audition and starting from the first voice over minutes. I don't think this is making her hysterical and feeble woman.

And I don't think Kurt was given a YES to getting in and my mind went to horrible places because we could still get NO. I know that that despair would be acted out so, so well by Chris but can I/WE handle that: NO.

And we were yet again deprived the happy, winning Kurt, why can't we never see happy Kurt for more than five seconds. I guess I'm asking too much if I want more Hummelberry and one of them is unhappy the other can't be happy neither.

I have so much emotions that are different from last weeks anger. I may have to take a minute or two.

[Heyerchick]

I've bought every one of Chris's tracks [with the sole exception of It's All Over]. Unfortunately, I got 90% of them from UK iTunes or amazonuk, so they don't help in the US. I also make a point of tweeting positives every time Chris sings to Falchuk and the Anders bros & mention that I've bought the tracks.

[ColferInspired]

This episode got the attention of gay men on twitter, they have been tweeting such things how did @chriscolfer get so hot. I wonder if Chris has seen this?

I haven't seen this episode yet as I am still downloading it.

It must be pretty hot if Chris is having this reaction.

[Emile]

My thoughts, because I didn't see the episode with subtitles:

I have mixed feeling about this episode. For the most part I liked it, it was funny and sad, and there was a balance between the two.
I liked that they decided to not solve all the problems addressed (Beiste, Puck, Rachel) and give them all the happy ending in the time of an episode like Glee usually does, because this is not what happens in real life, things can go wrong; but on the other hand I don't like that they continue to deal with those important problems, since this is only show.

So, I have to say they didn't handle Beiste SL so bad (and Dot acting was very good), but if it feels out of place (Glee, you can't forge about a character for episodes an then brought he back again for dealing serious social problems).
Anyway, I would have preferred for the domestinc violence to be something addressed among teachers, without any kind of students involvement, but I felt the story believable anyway. I find her choice to go back to Cooter absolutely wrong, it makes me absolutely rage because this is what happens too much often, but I could feel her fear when she said she was afraid no one else would ever love her again if she left him and, even i I didn't like it at all, I was not surprised when she lied about her sister and went back to Cooter.
Btw, I loved Shake It Out!

The same with Puck, I feel sad for him, but I liked and it was totally plausible that he didn't pass the exam. It would be absurd if, only after a single night of studying he passed it.
He trying to seduce his geography teacher was fun.
And I liked Rain in Spain, much more than when I listened to it on the FLF.

I loved Kurt (...how I'm biased) and Rachel, and I liked their SL: the conflict between the two of them about playing safe or taking the risk. I appreciated their dialogues, the funny ("...Liza passed or one of us was in great danger" "Tell me that Liza is okay", haha) and the more serious.
Kurt's audition was amazing yeah, those pants were amazing, the places my mind went..., he used the stage for an energic performance and he showed a big part of his vocal range by not playing safe, so he totally deserved to get in. I loved him as the Phantom, his bored faces and his crazy ideas, and I want the whole audio of Music of the Night because he sounded so good! (I even appreciated Blaine during the episode, his "No god no, no more candles", haha)
I feel bad for Rachel (Lea was amazing), I pratically had spoilered me everything, still I wasn't ready when she choked at her audition. But even this is something that happens, you can even be the most prepared person in the world, hanxiety is natural and it can blocks you, so I wanna see the continue of this SL.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This episode got the attention of gay men on twitter, they have been tweeting such things how did @chriscolfer get so hot. I wonder if Chris has seen this?

What?! Oh gosh, haha!

[fantastica]

^ haha, i didn't realize the candle meta until Hayerchick and Emile pointed out.

[Heyerchick]

Poor old much-maligned Candles. Haters gon' hate!

[tanita_mors]

I like the fact that Puck flunked and Beiste went back to her hubby. If there ever was something logical, that happens every day it's those two storyline. Puck is lazy and 2 questions in a sea of them won't bring you a passing grade. And European geography isn't hard (I had no idea it's thought as a separate class in the US - I live on the Danube ). As for Beiste, she and I are no longer friends after IAU, and I hate the way she growls about her unattractiveness and the fact that no man wants her - grow a spine woman. I loved Sue and Black Sue - although the show is really pushing it on after-school special territory.

All the Rachel and Kurt scenes were just PERFECTION. The one thing I think Lea overdid a bit was the cry-singing in the auditorium in Cry. Bit of an overkill for my tastes, but otherwise perfection.

[tanita_mors]

Also, that sustained note at the end of Music Of The Night - >

[fantastica]

^ that lea cry singing is her signature cry-sing look. I can't remember any specific songs but I have definitely seen her doing that before, although the bending forward is probably a slight bit over done.

[Heyerchick]

If we go by singer actions, Rachel wasn't nearly so devastated about losing out on her NYADA dream as Blaine was over his brother being a bit of a self-obsessed douche who took his toys away. Cry was pretty restrained versus Fighter.

[Heyerchick]

BTW, did you guys notice this?

Twitter at 8:37 pm
Worldwide trends
* #CorporateGreed Promoted
* Am I A Psycho
* I Don't Like Remix
* #kurtsaudition
* #IWishYouKnew
* When Ricky
* #thingsithinkaboutwhiletextingyou
* Kurt Hummel
* NYADA
* Whoopi Goldberg

That's pretty awesome! The official Glee on Fox twitter account picked up on #kurtsaudition

[fantastica]

that's wonderful. I heard the tag was displayed on the tv screen but honestly I didn't see any. Maybe I just didn't pay attention to it. glad the tag trended. very proud of my bb.

[ColferInspired]

BTW, did you guys notice this?

Twitter at 8:37 pm
Worldwide trends
* #CorporateGreed Promoted
* Am I A Psycho
* I Don't Like Remix
* #kurtsaudition
* #IWishYouKnew
* When Ricky
* #thingsithinkaboutwhiletextingyou
* Kurt Hummel
* NYADA
* Whoopi Goldberg

That's pretty awesome! The official Glee on Fox twitter account picked up on #kurtsaudition

This should tell Fox and RIB who is loved on the show.

[brisallie]

If we go by singer actions, Rachel wasn't nearly so devastated about losing out on her NYADA dream as Blaine was over his brother being a bit of a self-obsessed douche who took his toys away. Cry was pretty restrained versus Fighter.

But those cries were very different. One is more logical than the another one.

I haven't seen the episode with subs yet so quick thoughts

KURT WAS AMAZING in his performance, It was totally him!!! I couldn't avoid to smile to the screen because I was so proud of him at that moment and you know what, Chris has to be in Broadway soon or later and finally I join to the club of those people who has improper thoughts during the NTBND

Rachel, I read this episode is Lea's nominee for Emmys but does she need all of this drama? I feel so bad for her because since the beginning she was aiming and obssesing for get into NYADA - just like Kurt but he seems to be a little bit more calm- and suddenly she chokes. Well a good explanation could be despite she rehearses everyday at the end she was too nervous that the aftermath weren't the best. Still hoping Glee do anything for Rachel to get into NYADA... with Kurt.

Puck and Beiste SL were realistic because he always been lazy when's about studies, so not passing the test though he studied all night with the boys is the consequence for not be worried about your grades for a long time, if he want to succeed he has to study everyday, that's perseverance. By other side I like the storyline with his dad and that how guest actors should have be used : being part of the storyline of others characters , not being the main ones taking off glee characters screen time.
As someone else said, domestic violence is something that I can't bear at all and I feel bad for Beiste because she thought she finally found a man who loves her how she's but then he's violent toward her, I like how Roz and Sue were supportive with her, also the girls but I'm agree that's not good to share the personal problems of teacher with students ,at least not that close but ITS GLEE. However, I didn't feel really connected with her SL because we haven't seen Beiste for about 4 or 3 episodes and suddenly she appears again with this story behind, it was really unexpected for me.

To sum up, I love my Hummelberry scenes

[Delight]

Thoughts on the episode (or parts of the episode that mattered to me ):

Kurt singing MOTN - . That was the most pleasant surprise I've ever gotten watching Glee for a very long time. Even with the spoilers I hadn't dared to hope. But yes, they've actually given us Kurt singing a POTO song!

I actually watched that rehearsal scene 3 times before I proceeded to watch the rest of the episode; only to repeat the same action when I got to Kurt's audition performance.

Tina was actually funny in her scene as Christine-- with her hair-scratching and her 'foot fell asleep line.' I like that Kurt was so self-absorbed that he casually dismissed her and gave her permission to walk off her numb legs ("Just don't go too far" ). In some aspects, he's scarily similar to Rachel Berry.

Kurt: "What if I sequin my cape, or if I sing it in German, or if I did it in the nude?" Troll! Huge tease! And yes, that last one was definitely a meta. (I vote for option 3 btw, unfortunately Chris is too good an actor to have to rely on baring flesh to get people to watch him).

Blaine actually nailed a comedic moment- "Oh God, no. No more candles" @Heyerchick-- I didn't even detect that meta shout out to the 'Candles' song. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I agree with fantastica in that I actually like Blaine in this episode (Sorry, Jellyrolls. The Kool aid was too good to resist!)

When Rachel Berry gave Kurt advice about sticking to a song he's been honing to perfection for three months instead of doing a switch at the very last minute, I kept thinking about Glorfindel's advice about preparations for auditions as a vocal coach. Rachel's advice is actually sound and good if you apply it to real life. Because I don't think anyone can pull off a flawless performance like Kurt's NTBNB if it had just been a discarded back-up, minimally rehearsed audition piece. But hey, this is Glee. I think the show believed that just because they could get their talented cast to pull off fantastic performances within a very short time means that it's realistic to expect high school glee club students to achieve the same thing. I bet the writers were probably genuinely puzzled about the outcry regarding how silly it was for ND have their songs and performances prepared only days before their Nationals competition in NYC. They must think 'Hey, we really did whip up that performance in a few days, so there's no reason why we can't expect people to believe that it's actually something possible in real life.'

I actually like Rachel Berry a lot in this episode. Her frozen look and shifty eyes when Kurt said 'Even Michael Crawford?' was well-acted by Lea. You can easily tell what Rachel is thinking ('NO ONE can possibly be better than Michael Crawford! Keep your head out of the clouds and go out there and nail your audition!') by how she studiously avoided answering the question.

Kurt had chutzpah: he played his hail Mary pass and killed it. Loved the joyous vocals, loved the way the choreography picked up on all of Kurt's signature moves: we got the shimmy, the sassy finger, the sashay, the hip sway, the high kicks, the skipping high kick, the impossibly bendy 'my body is ready!' move from Some People.

I can't stop ogling at admiring Kurt in his NTBND performance. All I could think of while watching that performance was -- Ah! There's Kurt signature dance move #1, oh, there's #2 and oooh, #3 I've missed you (those Single Ladies dances have definitely paid off), and oh yes I recognize you from 'Some People', #4! You actually manage to name them, so thank you very much.

Only gripe about the performance-- How DARE they edit out that glorious first high note and cut short the NTBND performance?! What? They couldn't spare another 15 seconds from somewhere else in the episode? I vote for less 'Rain in Spain'; that's actually something I wouldn't mind seeing a lot less of, or none of, really *grumble of an insatiable Kurtsie*

Locker scene-- Kurt to Rachel:"I love you, Rachel Berry." Awww.... I bet the Hummelberry shippers are going wild. Their love is canon!

Yes I agree with some of the expressed sentiments that it'd be good to see Kurt being happy over his successful audition for more than those few seconds when he walked off the stage. We had expected that Rachel's choking at her audition (another very well-acted scene by Lea btw) would put a damper on Kurt's happiness, so should I say that it came as no surprise the episode turned out the way it did?

Verdict: Love the episode. It's a good episode for the Kurt parts alone (which I'm going to re-watch another 5 times at least).

[ColferInspired]

I love it that people on tumblr are saying Chris caused tumblr to crash.

I can't wait to see this episode now.

And is not because of the gold pants either.

[Delight]

This episode got the attention of gay men on twitter, they have been tweeting such things how did @chriscolfer get so hot. I wonder if Chris has seen this?

I haven't seen this episode yet as I am still downloading it.

It must be pretty hot if Chris is having this reaction.

I would say that NTBND ranks right up there together with '4 Minutes' in terms of performances that made the world sit up and pay attention to the undeniable sex appeal of Kurt Hummel/Chris Colfer

Too bad they didn't do close ups of Kurt's high kicks.

And just because...

[ColferInspired]

I love this.

I think it was longer. After coming on here, I went to go on tumblr to get a download for this episode and couldn't get on. This was two hours after the episode would have aired.

[Emile]

You all need to stop this.

[brisallie]

No way!!! I read something that tumblr died last night but I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED Though he usually provokes riots in tumblr but never crash tumblr!!!

[ColferInspired]

You all need to stop this.

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