Re: 5x13 "New Directions" Watch & Discussion thread

[Buenos]

1500 itunes

117. Be Okay
134. Loser like me.
174. Don't stop believing.
208. Just give me a reason.
449. Party all the time.
501. I am changing.
835. Total eclipse of the heart.

Albums

8. "100"
(Earlier peaked at #4.)

[Porcelain]

The Adam's Apples poster is still on the fridge in the loft:



LOL   

Kurt has been having a secret affair with Adam for months.   

[Jellyrolls]

The Adam's Apples poster is still on the fridge in the loft:



LOL   

Kurt has been having a secret affair with Adam for months.   

New head cannon! You go get some of that British ass, Kurt!

[bayth]

Ratings are in - no loss or gain:

FOX | Glee (2.7 mil/1.1) was flat

[Buenos]

Ratings are in - no loss or gain:

FOX | Glee (2.7 mil/1.1) was flat

It just goes to show that the competition is irrelevant per Glee's ratings at this point. PPL is over and ABC ran a rerun. Did not help Glee at all. I suspect "The Quarterback" was alot of the GA's goodbye to Glee.

If these numbers hold, once gain Glee is the lowest rated FOX show of the evening. ("New Girl" 1.2, "Brooklyn 99" 1.3)

[YaoiChick]

The Adam's Apples poster is still on the fridge in the loft:



LOL   

Surprised Blaine hasn't said anything about it even though he's trying to get in the way of Kurt and Elliott's friendship.

But just one thing: when have Kurt and Mercedes ever "been in each others throats" since that first rift of her breaking his car windows and her quitting Cheerios? Have I missed so other fights?

They've had disagreements and moments where they didn't see eye to eye on things, but they didn't have any huge drag down fights. Like when Mercedes couldn't grasp why Kurt didn't find comfort in religion during Grilled Cheezus. But one thing that I always liked about their friendship was that they really tried to understand one another and there was a lot of compromise in both their parts in order to resolve their differences. And they never held onto grudges.

I'm really hoping that Mercedes comes to NY for more than just renewing things with Sam because while I like Hummelberry, this whole Funny Girl mess really shows that Rachel will never be able to completely remove seeing any of her friends as potential competition and I'm frankly tired of seeing Kurt as little more than her cheerleader and "best gay". The Kurtcedes relationship is a lot more balanced and mutually supportive and it will be nice to see Kurt interacting with more people.

  agreed. While I enjoy Hummelberry, I've always liked Kurtcedes more because thier more balanced and it doesn't seem like anyone is using anyone (looking at you Rachel).

[Buenos]

My one big hope is that they don't tether Mercedes to Sam completely in Samcedes, but let her renew her awesome friendship with Kurt. Let Blaine and Rachel bond, let Blam continue, and I would put up with that as long as we get Kurtcedes again with some great duets. Throw in Artie in the mix for good measure.

While she will never win an Emmy for dramatic acting, it's obvious Amber is way more confident and comfortable in her acting scenes so she and Chris might mesh very nicely in comedy together.

[Buenos]

Top 1500

106. Be Okay
121. Loser Like Me
161. Don't Stop Believin'
205. Just Give Me A Reason
388. Party All The Time
499. I Am Changing
834. Total Eclipse Of The Heart
1291. Loser Like Me (old version)


Top 1500 Albums

9. Celebrating 100 Episodes

[Glorfindel]

Blaine got into NYADA. Whoodie fucking do... Like no one wasn't expecting that.

What amuses me a lot is that nobody is even talking about this after the episode, besides the Blainers themselves of course and a few lol Blaine posts.
But e.g. on TWoP I believe of 5 pages worth of comments only 1-2 mention Blaine and NYADA, and not even in a positive way.  Noone really cares because it was never a focus on the show to begin with.
So much for a lead character's storyline.

And like magic, Pezberry is fixed. Hell, I've held grudges a lot longer over a someone breaking the spine of a loaned book.

I wonder if this will work next time my inlaws have another fight over years old grudges. "Hey, let's sing together!"
Somehow I don't think that will go over very well.    

Kurtcedes was glorious...  

One of the best duets ever on Glee. 

And they are getting a lot of praise for it from not just the Kurtsies.   

Chris makes Kurt do the best reaction faces ever, whether that is because he has nothing else to do or they tell him to do those? I don't care, we got Kurtcedes duet and those painted red jeans. But just one thing: when have Kurt and Mercedes ever "been in each others throats" since that first rift of her breaking his car windows and her quitting Cheerios? Have I missed so other fights?

Well, there was the famous tater tots incident, but it wasn't really a fullblown fight, more like Kurt (wrongly imo) telling Mercedes that she substituted a boyfriend with tater tots.  I think the fandom fought over that one a lot longer and harder than Kurt and Mercedes ever did (but doesn't the fandom do that all the time, lol?).

I even was afraid that old fight would be rekindled in the fandom again after this episode, but so far I haven't seen in, thank God.  

This last performance just enhanced to me how the Original cast clicked together. They built this show, they sweat bullets making it successful, hell, they practically grew together through this. The Noobs could never, never have achieved that. Oh, how I wish the extended school year had been S4, without them and with the Originals...

Don't we all.   
I think at this point even RIB wish that.   

[Glorfindel]

Liked the episode, hated most of the writing, but loved seeing the old cast together again.
As I don't have much time today, I'll leave it at that for now, plus my TWoP post:




If anything this episode, and last week’s episode too, convinced me that Glee should have never broken up the original ND. The writing may have been just as problematic, the dialogue just as clunky, the songs just as ill-fitting and shoe-horned in, and the jokes just as lame and inappropiate as in the last 2 seasons, but at least the old cast makes it work.
It’s their acting, them knowing their characters and holding on to them even when the writers change them over and over again, their beautiful singing voices and their reaction shot faces that were the strongest components of the old magic of Glee imo. And when the writers care enough to put their best foot forward for an episode like this it all comes together.
Oh Glee, I mourn for what you could have continued to do in your later seasons, but you dropped the ball on so many things and I’m afraid it’s too late to pick it up again.   

 
I liked how this episode was a true ensemble show again (even the newbies got a scene, and I feel they should have had their own swan song too), and the choir room felt full and alive again.
Loved the Kurtcedes duet, their voices and harmonizing gave me goosebumps, and surprisingly I also liked how ‘Loser Like Me’ was used in the show. I appreciated how Brittany had her rare insights in the human mind again (which I think is truly her biggest talent, not mathematics), and how Santana mellowed because of it.
By the time we got to ‘Just Give Me A Reason’ I was so dwelling in the sentiments of the first seasons (just notice how often I’ve written “again” in this post already)  that I didn’t even mind the ridiculousness of 2 legally adults gleefully stating in front of high school kids that they were……dating again. Really, how old are you, Quinn and Puck, 14?    

 
The video for Mr. Shue was fun, serious and a bit sad at the same time. It struck the right balance of comedy and dramady mixed with some irony and sarcasm, that Glee used to do so well.
‘Don’t Stop Believing’ felt fitting for the last glee club episode, and it made me wish that they hadn’t hauled that song out for Rachel’s audition as well, as this time around it felt a lot more rewarding and appropiate despite the show already having stretched that song to its limit. I love how DSB started with Rachel and Kurt with the memory of Finn between them, how it became the original 5, and how they kept adding people to it as a chronological development of glee club over the years. I had to laugh (through my tears) when Mr. Shue joined them, as it is so very typical of him, as is, alas, Blaine butting in and singing too much in comparison to the others.    

 
The discords for me (yes, despite the sentiment of the old cast there are still writing issues) were:
1) too much Holly Holiday. Although the disco field trip was fun, I just can’t stand her character.
2) It felt like Tina/Jenna was being mocked for being the only graduate not to go to New York with that not-funny ‘Chums’ dream and last minute Brown admission.   

3) Santana giving up a job that could launch her to get better things for a relationship (and had this been Rachel or Mercedes hurting her career for a boy all hell would break loose), and the lazy comment was just unnecessary. This also had the convenient consequence that once again Rachel gives something up after being taught the same lesson of friends-before-ambition but then gets it all in the end anyway.   

4) But really? The ending of so many episodes of drama is “let’s sing a song in the choir room together”? Somehow that never works when I try to stop my children from fighting.

5) I don’t like the idea of glee club ending just because the show focuses on New York now. They just as easily could have let Mr. Shue keep his choir room offscreen.  

5) And I still don’t know why Sue on the one hand ends glee club without a really good reason (as they came in 2nd at Nationals and won the year before), while on the other hand she feels regretful and slightly guilty about it. Which ironically also fits the old modus operandi of Glee.
 
The last scene in the choir room was sentimental, but not too schmaltzy. Hearing the kids’ voices was a nice touch, especially with Finn as the last one before Will turned off the lights.   

I’m not sad the show will finally focus on New York, because that’s where my favorites have been since the beginning of season 4 and they’ve been woefully neglected, but I am sad that Glee is now leaving Lima and the choir room behind when we’ve just seen a glimpse again of what this show once had and could have had longer if they had wanted to.
For me glee club didn’t end in episode 5x13, but in 3x22, although this felt more like a true finale.

[Buenos]

Top 1500

97. Be Okay
119. Loser Like Me
177.Don't Stop Believin'
225. Just Give Me A Reason
361. Party All The Time.
533. I Am Changing.
1031. Total Eclipse Of


Top 1500 Albums

11. Celebrating 100 Episodes

[ColferInspired]

[Kurt addict]

Yes please

[ColferInspired]

Same.    

With a side of Elliott and Adam to go.

[Ireth]

  I want to pick one up!   

I liked this episode more than the last one, I actually got sentimental seeing the originals performing DSB and the scene where Mr Schue heard the original kids' voices. And Finn's voice being the last one...   

[Glorfindel]

I'll have one extra large, please.   


They didn't even mention Dani in this episode, even though the last we know is that Santana and she were still together. Yet Santana is with Brittany again now, but no word about Dani. Did they break up over Santana being kicked out of the band?

Dani is getting an even worse treatment than Adam (although I could have done without Kurt saying that Adam kicked him out of the Apples).
And when you consider that Dani was played by popstar Demi Lovato, with billboards announcing the epic Dantana romance..... baffling.  

Also: what happened to Ryan berating Brittana/Santana fans on twitter that they should want a more 'real', mature gf for Santana, instead of toddler Brittany?  

[brisallie]

Having seen the episode, and all what I can say is I felt nostalgic :(mainly when DBS was performed. But overall, some storylines seemed forced to me, and as I said last episode about Quick, as a way to wrapped up their storyline and maybe give those/that character a farewell. That happened with Brittana, after being months split they seems to be in good terms again, there's a possible rekindled, but as has been mentioned before...what about Dani? She simply dissapeared? Or as happened with Adam, Santana will mention  she had to leave for whatever reason she had and now Brittany is her girlfriend. To me is like when people say that for RIB is easier to put Santana with Brittany as long they don't have to bring a new girl for her, as apparently they would have no idea how to write that storyline.

Rachel/Santana feud...uff In another thread I said that is unfair and upsetting how other people have to quit their dreams or job in order to favor Rachel and her well-being. Still I liked though that it was Rachel who decided they have to solve their problems, but then writers ruined that at turning Santana into a lazy girl... they couldn't came up with a better excuse for her quitting Fanny Girl?   

Blaine got into nyada...what a surprise.

lol speaking about klaine, when Kurt mentioned the kids, and then blaine said they used a surrogate mother and suddenly Quinn showed up saying she donated the egg...I was like Why Quinn? Personally I always thought Kurt and Quinn could be distant relatives as I see some similar traits, but still Why she? And was that a reference to New Normal?

Will, I've mixing feeling as regards his video, yeah he can be a good teacher when he wants to be a good one. But he also made some mistakes, and one of the things I didn't like is he had preference for some students over the other ones; so is nice they say good things about him, but he was treated as a sort of hero in the video and I'm not sure if I like that idealization. For me Will is the one who decided to create ND, and as so this group of outcast got together, but what happen after, it was because of their own choices or because of a external factor. For instance, how did Tina got to be prom queen? Did Will asked people to vote for her, or talked to Sue?. And though I think this, I confess it saddened me that last scene with Will alone in the empty choir room, and those voices in the background...so many memories , was like a series finale.

I felt bad for the newbies, the last few weeks they were really put aside, and they only had a one prominently scene. Still not a fan of them, probably I'll miss Kitty and she's someone I want to see in NY, but still I wish the best to the actors.

P.S I wanted more of Chums. The same feelings I had with props, when everybody were someone else.

[brisallie]

Just found this, I LIKE IT

[ColferInspired]

I love that some of these reviewers have different priorities.   

“The only really notable part of this performance, other than that they seem to have borrowed the Warblers’ abandoned-warehouse foam machines, is that Kurt has found the gold lamé shirt that matches his pants and I won’t rest until he wears both at once.”

—	LeakyNews “Glee Recap 5.13” (X)

[ColferInspired]

Kurt slapped Mercedes ass.  

[kac]

I haven't watched this episode yet, or the competition one. The last few I have watched have been disappointing, and I am getting to the point where I feel like giving up. I mean, Santana getting back with Brittany? I hate that couple, I do not ever need to see Brit again. Blaine in NYADA? Just like that, no real troubles or conflict, just so easy for him. I guess I should be happy about the fact we didn't see his audition.

And the whole Santana Rachel situation just bugs me. Santana just gave up? Rachel gets her way.

Maybe I'm grumpy because I woke up this morning and it's f***ing snowing. Where is spring this year? It's almost April for crying out loud.

Maybe I should watch the episode before passing judgement. Maybe it will be so stellar I will say, aha! What amzing writing, it all makes perfect sense. Then I'll go build a snowman.

[Glorfindel]

x
Now this is love: Chris and Amber looking at each other, and Jenna probably looking at 'Mr. Shue' (Jenna is such a trooper).

Jenna looks very pretty in these pics.

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