Re: 4x07 "Dynamic Duets" Watch & Discussion thread

[Jellyrolls]

I've always liked Chord. He has a decent voice, and he is a decent actor (he doesn't make me cringe anyways). He's definitely the strongest actor in the high school group.

[valkeakuulas]

I succumbed and quicky scanned through the episode. Few half hearted laughs: check. Serious annoyance: check. I'm still crazy enough to continue watching this: check. Allthough this episode was a confirmation, I didn't and haven't watched 405, that if Chris or Lea weren't in Glee I would not like/watch this show. I get why people can like it but it's not for me.

I just have lost all interest and crudely didn't even bother to watch this Jake/Marley/Ryder? thingy. I feel like I should not really bother to even write here since I do not have much to say. And I seem to share your frustration of seeing all this angst from Blaine, several minutes of it, and basically zilch from Kurt. When they had that flashback of Blaine's one off bonking with his Eli all I could think of was, please do not make Kurt imagine or think about this because it will cause him nothing but pain.

And why is Marley friends with Kitty? And why is Jake suddenly seeing Puck as his confidant? Why destroy the Warblers? And howcome Finn is at the school constantly if Glee isn't even an class but an after hour club? Are these questions that could have been answered if I'd watch each and every second of this show? I highly doubt it.

I'm just angry that a show that I loved is slowly draining itself from excistance.

[indiaskye]

And those viewers who switched channel during the episode didn't see the promo of next week either. So they won't know that Rachel and Kurt will be in that episode. They are losing viewers who will not go back again, as they might assume that Kurt and Rachel are practically done and gone from the show.

And can you blame them? Kurt and Rachel were missing from 4x05 and 4x07. They got only a few scenes in 4x06 which ended with both of them proclaiming that Lima wasn't home anymore - if you weren't spoiled at all then that might have sounded like their final goodbye, hmm?

I really don't think the writers know what they are doing right now ... they are actively chasing off viewers right now.

[ColferInspired]

OMG! The ratings are in and they are terrible. We are talking sub 5 million (4 million at the end of the ep). I know it was Thanksgiving, but it finished behind repeats of other shows. And that is after Fox hyped it like crazy all week. The second half was worse than the first, and all I can think is that fans who remain for Kurt and Rachel or the old cast in general, leave when they realize they won't see them.

9:00 p.m.
Fox – The X Factor/Glee
Viewers: 6.89 million (#3), A18-49: 2.3/ 7 (#2)

9:30 p.m.
Fox – Glee
Viewers: 4.45 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#3)--

10:00 p.m.

Fox – Glee
Viewers: 3.80 million (#4), A18-49: 1.1/ 4 (#4)

http://www.tvmediainsights.com/forum/?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=2688

From this thread: http://ontd-glee.livejournal.com/2420514.html#comments

This actually makes me happy, because maybe it will shut these stupid reviewers up that the show doesn't need Kurt or Rachel or any of the old cast.

Hope this wakes them up to realise that not even the Warblers could cause the ratings to increase.

I want the New York stories to take over and be better than the McKinley ones now. It already sounds interesting by what we know of the upcoming three, and having the rest of the old ND back will definitely draw focus away from the newbies.

I can't download this episode, so I am unable to watch it.

[tanita_mors]

I can't download this episode, so I am unable to watch it.

Why ??? Can't find links, don't have traffic or is there a piracy law problem ??? If it's links, I can provide you with plenty. Just PM me.

[Divalicious]

While I am glad the people who say that Kurt and Rachel don't help with ratings will be silenced a little, they still have the holiday excuse, which is justifiable. I am just hoping the GA, who does love and want to see the journey of these two will continue to check in and keep the show alive so we can all have our Kurt fix for as long as possible.

[Glorfindel]

^Ha, they are not silenced. On both the Glee Forum (general ratings discussion thread) and TWoP (episode thread-page 6-7) there are heated debates about this.

It's hard to get people out of denial: just look at the Klainers on tumblr who still think that Blaine didn't really do the lighthouse.

[Divalicious]

That is why I said silenced a little. There are far too many people in this fandom who "decide" what is acceptable canon, and what is unlikely behavior of a character. I actually found cheating to a certain extent within Blaine's character, because they spent the previous season showing exactly how insecure Blaine is. As he stated, Kurt is his anchor, and probably the first one he has ever had, since his family seems out of the picture. I had always felt Blaine feels that something so good and solid in his life can't last, and he is subconsciously creating problems to fulfill this belief. Again, I am also reading into his character on the last part, but the insecurity is canon. Insecure people do stupid things, well, at least more than secure people.

To me, until I see the end of this arc, the cheating was simply to not only break them apart, but explore why Blaine behaved in this manner. Of course, they will likely leave it with 4 episodes of manpain and then have him sing a bunch of songs, eventually Kurt will cave to his wonderfulness, and we will go back to not quite believing Blaine is good enough for Kurt. Not good enough because he remains plastic and perfect while Kurt is human and flawed.

[Ranwing]

Was thinking about the role of the superhero play and what it revealed about the mental space of all the characters. For most of the players, their superhero identities were revelations of who they really are inside without a mask. Sam could revel in his ability to mimic and play with other identities. Sugar could play up the fact that she’s a spoiled brat who really has a good heart. You also have the players for whom their superhero identities reveal who they want to be seen as. Artie picked the identity of a man who had the same physical limitations he has but who was the most powerful man in the room. Brittany picked one who’s unique mind was a strength and not a weakness. Becky picked one where her particular talents were genuinely appreciated rather than just being tolerated. For Tina, it using the qualities that often left her shoved into the background to manipulate things to her advantage.

Blaine’s choice, though, was interesting in that his identity had little to do with him as a person except to provide Blaine with a mask. His superhero personal allowed Blaine to avoid dealing with the thing that he needed to focus on. Nightbird allowed Blaine to hide from what was really driving him – his break up with Kurt, his guilt over his behavior and his anger at himself. When he was Nightbird, he wasn’t the asshole who cheated on the love of his life. He could pretend that everything was all right in his world and that his heart wasn’t broken. He could play the “good guy” even if he didn’t feel very much like a good guy (and rightfully so).

Watching Sam's conversation with Blaine at his locker, I was struck by several things. Sam wasn't overlooking what Blaine did, nor was he excusing it. He made it clear that what Blaine did "wasn't cool" but he also pointed out, very astutely, I thought, that how Blaine was handling it was pointless. That if Kurt wasn't at this moment willing to listen to the whole of Blaine's story, including the conclusion that Blaine knew immediately what a horrible mistake he had made, then there was nothing that Blaine could do on that end for the time being. But this self-flagellation that Blaine was engaging in - the "woe is me I don't deserve to be around good people" - was pointless. And that Blaine wasn't only punishing himself. He was also punishing his friends at McKinley, who would be left without the numbers to qualify for compeition one week before sectionals.

And in the end, what would returning to Dalton do? It wouldn't help smooth the path to Kurt eventually forgiving him and maybe even reconciling. The thing that Blaine wanted most would be even further out of his reach because I cannot imagine that Kurt would be at all happy to find out that ND lost their competition eligability over this. Sam helped clear the air a bit for Blaine, to recognize that he is a flawed but basically decent person who did something horribly thoughtless, selfish and hurtful to Kurt and that he wasn't necessarily a bad guy. He did a bad thing and he had the choice to decide if he was going to let that one act define him. Now we can disagree on Blaine's intentions or rational and if Blaine consciously or unconciously wanting to punish Kurt for "leaving him" and I would certainly agree that Blaine's handling of the whole aftermath was very lacking. But in the end, beating himself up over and over again for that lapse will serve no one. It doesn't help Blaine and it certainly doesn't help Kurt.

[Glorfindel]

Quality over quantity, imo.

[M&M]

Quality over quantity, imo.

I am so glad I didn't watch this. Some Nights certainly isn't tearing up the charts like DSB did. Just sayin'. I really hope HB/H and Kiki chart well so they can see what people are actually interested in. Instead it will probably be GS.

[indiaskye]

Taken from the GEP's Equality Report for Dynamic Duets:

Kurt’s continued absence from the story of his break-up with Blaine is disheartening when compared to other current and past break-ups on the show where the audience has been allowed to see events from both characters’ sides of the relationship.

We will be watching to see if Kurt will get to say more about how he is feeling about Blaine and his relationship with him. We want him to have a voice in a story that is half his. It’s also a surprise that none of the characters at McKinley or who have returned to McKinley who were previously close to Kurt have voiced support for Kurt and how he might feel.

Totally agree with all of this!

P.S.: You can read the full report here!

[Divalicious]

Well, these are the same "friends" who joined en masse to sing against Kurt when Blaine found out about the texting. He was willing to air the dirty laundry when he felt the injured party, but seems to be keeping things quiet when he is the pain-giver. Sam isn't a gossip, so it is unlikely to go anywhere, and for whatever reason, they are having Finn take the high road. Singing with the warblers got more reaction from Finn.

I just wish Rachel would let it spill to Tina, in her current sort-of-bitchy status, and she brings it to the attention of the others. Unfortunately, only Tina and perhaps Unique would really care. The rest don't really know Kurt, or are guys and avoid emotional drama. The writers decided that having acres of manpain made it unnecessary for Blaine to have his own slut shaming in front of all their friends. Anything more would be just cruel. Yes, that was sarcasm.

Spoiler:

[CloveGlee]

My recap for Dynamic Duets is up at http://recappersdelight.blogspot.com/2012/11/glee-episode-recap-dynamic-duets.html

I tried really hard to put my biases aside when recapping this one. It's as Blaine-friendly as I am able to manage. Funny, I think I am actually much angrier at the show writers for ignoring Kurt in this story line than I am at Blaine for being kind of a moron.

[Ireth]

My recap for Dynamic Duets is up at http://recappersdelight.blogspot.com/2012/11/glee-episode-recap-dynamic-duets.html

I tried really hard to put my biases aside when recapping this one. It's as Blaine-friendly as I am able to manage. Funny, I think I am actually much angrier at the show writers for ignoring Kurt in this story line than I am at Blaine for being kind of a moron.

I love your recaps, they make the watching experience more enjoyable despite all the stuff we have to put up with.

[ChrisColferFan1]

My recap for Dynamic Duets is up at http://recappersdelight.blogspot.com/2012/11/glee-episode-recap-dynamic-duets.html

I tried really hard to put my biases aside when recapping this one. It's as Blaine-friendly as I am able to manage. Funny, I think I am actually much angrier at the show writers for ignoring Kurt in this story line than I am at Blaine for being kind of a moron.

I love your recaps, they make the watching experience more enjoyable despite all the stuff we have to put up with.

I agree.

[indiaskye]

Funny, I think I am actually much angrier at the show writers for ignoring Kurt in this story line than I am at Blaine for being kind of a moron.

Yeah - the cheating was bad enough, but almost completely taking away Kurt's voice and agenda in this storyline? That's even worse.

Of course, they probably only did it to better their chances of making viewers feel sympathetic towards Blaine, but it's actually having the opposite effect on me. The less we see of Kurt in this, the less inclined I am to feel even the tiniest bit of sympathy for Blaine ...

If they had given us Kurt's POV along with Blaine's from the start then I'd be less angry now - and more willing to try and sympathize with Blaine.

[ChrisColferFan1]

Funny, I think I am actually much angrier at the show writers for ignoring Kurt in this story line than I am at Blaine for being kind of a moron.

Yeah - the cheating was bad enough, but almost completely taking away Kurt's voice and agenda in this storyline? That's even worse.

Of course, they probably only did it to better their chances of making viewers feel sympathetic towards Blaine, but it's actually having the opposite effect on me. The less we see of Kurt in this, the less inclined I am to feel even the tiniest bit of sympathy for Blaine ...

If they had given us Kurt's POV along with Blaine's from the start then I'd be less angry now - and more willing to try and sympathize with Blaine.

I agree 100% with above post.

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