tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post2996705271923758529..comments2024-03-19T03:23:06.738-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Glee, "Wheels": Getting in tuneAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-28332597353686861122009-11-14T15:57:12.174-05:002009-11-14T15:57:12.174-05:00Benk,
I don't know or care about what Murphy h...Benk,<br />I don't know or care about what Murphy has in his own mind. I have never seen a second of any of his other shows. The only other TV comedies I currently watch are HIMYM, NBC Thursday 8-10, Arrested Dev (again) on IFC. I hate high-school based shows unless Connie Britton is in charge or Claire Danes is in love. So how did I get to to where I am with Glee?<br /><br />It began with passive enjoyment. Then I wondered why it works, especially since all sorts of different styles are banging up against each other. To give it purpose and legitimacy in my own mind, I created a rationale out of whole cloth (as Clement Greenberg did for Pollock). It is against my invented basis that I then critique the quality of succeeding episodes. It's an iterative process, and the analytic element can affect my enjoyment. Of course, when too many individual scenes, taken by themselves, don't work as well as they should (and they often don't in Glee), all bets are off.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836622772673505910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65936441032885033682009-11-14T11:53:43.817-05:002009-11-14T11:53:43.817-05:00juliusla,
I've always interpreted art with au...juliusla,<br /><br />I've always interpreted art with authorial intent being relatively unimportant. I'm not really interested in what the artist intends to achieve compared to what actually is produced.<br /><br />Regardless, I agree there's nothing inherently wrong with creating a work with multiple tones. I don't think one can compare Glee, or any dramatic work for that matter, with a collage or visual art, if only for the reason that a collage is not experienced in real-time the way a play or television program is. While Shakespeare and Chekov produce works that have moments of lightheartedness contrasted with darker moments, it's never schizophrenic the way Glee does.<br /><br />To compare Glee with something more on it's level, a show like Desperate Housewives, another hour-long dramady, has wacky moments while at the same time being extremely heartfelt. For comedies, Arrested Development had somewhat of a heart with George-Michael. 30 Rock has different layer of reality, with Tina Fey being much more grounded than Tracy Morgan. Dramas like Mad Men and Lost certainly have comedic moments that contrast with the shows more serious plots. The point I am making is that it is possible for tv shows to successfully navigate shifts of tone.<br /><br />In terms of intent, I doubt Ryan Murphy wanted to create a show that felt disorienting to watch to mimic the experience of being an adolescent. At the same time, there's no way of knowing, so there's little point in discussing Murphy's intentions. All I can say is that whatever he's doing is not working. I leave the show feeling like I'm watching scenes that belong in different shows.<br /><br />As a fan of musical theater, I want Glee to work. When it does, I really enjoy it, but I usually end up feeling frustrated with the show.benknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-87246404619370989542009-11-14T05:40:39.522-05:002009-11-14T05:40:39.522-05:00Jessalyn Gilsig's character is *written* to be...Jessalyn Gilsig's character is *written* to be hated, which is the major thing that bothers me about the show; she's 2D in a negative way. I like "Glee" a great deal--I end up grading shows on a curve if they're even halfway ambitious, and this one's hugely ambitious, original and, even though it's candy-colored, feels real about the emotional experience of being an outcast in high school.<br /><br />Glad Artie finally got a storyline.Greg Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12476688473774894464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1154691774728060742009-11-13T07:59:27.814-05:002009-11-13T07:59:27.814-05:00Another plot point that bugged me about this episo...Another plot point that bugged me about this episode - the handicapable van. We learn that the rest of the glee club has been carrying Artie into the auditorium all this time because there is no ramp. So... what's the problem with lifting him into the current bus/van/transportation option? His dad is going up anyway so can carry the wheelchair in the trunk (or wherever he normally stashes it when Artie is in the family car.) Or... why not have the other kids take turns riding with Artie and his dad? I get that the idea is for the entire glee club to bond as a group on the trips, but if it's not financially possible, then you work around it and look for creative ways to help your group bond. <br /><br />But of course, we're talking about the man who has never once seen his pregnant wife naked nor touched her growing belly nor rolled over in the night and put an arm around her midsection.Maggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2086265437265487372009-11-13T06:09:18.753-05:002009-11-13T06:09:18.753-05:00It has been said that there are 3 basic questions ...It has been said that there are 3 basic questions to be asked when critiquing a work of art: 1) what is the artist trying to do? 2) is it a legitimate thing to try? 3) how well did the artist succeed at it?<br /><br />I want to address Benk on this basis, as I believe that while he correctly perceives what is happening on Glee, he enjoys it far less than he might if he deemed its inconsistent tone legitimate, as I do. The visual arts has its collages, assemblages, Rauschenberg combines. Drama has Shakespearean comedies that mix the sublime and ridiculous ("Much Ado," say) and Chekhov, who considered all his plays to be comedies ("The Seagull," with its suicide, anyone?). Film has its Bunuel, Godard, Lynch. There are an untold number of other examples one could cite. If life in general, and adolescence in particular, can often abruptly veer from one tone to another, why shouldn't a TV series go a little crazy in juxtaposing (mashup, if you will) all the weirdness and inconsistencies inherent in everyday events and thoughts. The craziness of the presentation is an artistic expression of the high school experience, just as high notes in a song express an emotion beyond the capability of the lyrics. <br /><br />How well does Glee succeed in doing what I think it's attempting? Well enough to entertain me thoroughly, and I'm an older man whose vocal music intake is mostly opera and some folk. (I've never seen "Wicked" and never would.)<br /><br />What we are seeing is not glee club but "show choir," some national championship performances of which can be seen on YouTube. In the real world, a school would prepare and exhaustively rehearse only a handful of numbers, so even that element of Glee that treats us to several new songs an episode is utterly false but utterly necessary for a TV series.<br /><br />Finally, Rachel. Murphy had met Lea Michele and developed Glee with her in mind for the central student role. She is presented as something of a force of nature, a 16-year old with the voice of a B'way musical star (which Lea had been in "Spring Awakening"), the brains and vocabulary of a Harvard undergraduate, the sexuality of a (still virgin) senior cheerleader (check out the Celibacy Club and auditorium seduction scenes in Ep. 2), the ambition and ego of a Streisand, and the social skills of a middle-schooler. While her diva side has been on frequent display, she has also been given several key scenes where she has been self-aware, insightful, supportive, and selfless. In "Wheels," for example, she devises a clever, slightly unethical plan to help Finn (on whom she has such a huge crush that she dumped Puck!) get a job to support Quinn so that the mommy-to-be and the (supposed) babydaddy can stay together. At this point, Rachel is the most developed and complex character in the show, along perhaps with Will. For me, the single, huge missing element is the presence of her "2 gay dads." The short, four-eyed Jew and the tall African-American might give "Modern Family" a run for its money, especially when these "Friends of Judy" stage-father Rachel.<br /><br />PS Why automatically give Rachel the "Defying Gravity" solo? Does Will not know his talent? Have you heard Idina Menzel's original rendition? (It would surprise no one if she turned up as Rachel's surrogate mother.) Have you heard the other girls sing? (Amber Riley has the power and beauty, but not the top.)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836622772673505910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51060841222138443942009-11-13T06:02:19.523-05:002009-11-13T06:02:19.523-05:00It has been said that there are 3 basic questions ...It has been said that there are 3 basic questions to be asked when critiquing a work of art: 1) what is the artist trying to do? 2) is it a legitimate thing to try? 3) how well did the artist succeed at it?<br />I want to address Benk on this basis, as I believe that while he correctly perceives what is happening on Glee, he enjoys it far less than he might if he deemed its inconsistent tone legitimate, as I do. The visual arts has its collages, assemblages, Rauschenberg combines. Drama has Shakespearean comedies that mix the sublime and ridiculous ("Much Ado," say) and Chekhov, who considered all his plays to be comedies ("The Seagull," with its suicide, anyone?). Film has its Bunuel, Godard, Lynch. There are an untold number of other examples one could cite. If life in general, and adolescence in particular, can often abruptly veer from one tone to another, why shouldn't a TV series go a little crazy in juxtaposing (mashup, if you will) all the weirdness and inconsistencies inherent in everyday events and thoughts. The craziness of the presentation is an artistic expression of the high school experience, just as high notes in a song express an emotion beyond the capability of the lyrics. How well does Glee succeed in doing what I think it's attempting? Well enough to entertain me thoroughly, and I'm an older man whose vocal music intake is mostly opera and some folk. (I've never seen "Wicked" and never would.)<br />What we are seeing is not glee club but "show choir," some national championship performances of which can be seen on YouTube. In the real world, a school would prepare and exhaustively rehearse only a handful of numbers, so even that element of Glee that treats us to several new songs an episode is utterly false but utterly necessary for a TV series.<br />Finally, Rachel. Murphy had met Lea Michele and developed Glee with her in mind for the central student role. She is presented as something of a force of nature, a 16-year old with the voice of a B'way musical star (which Lea had been in "Spring Awakening"), the brains and vocabulary of a Harvard undergraduate, the sexuality of a (still virgin) senior cheerleader (check out the Celibacy Club and auditorium seduction scenes in Ep. 2), the ambition and ego of a Streisand, and the social skills of a middle-schooler. While her diva side has been on frequent display, she has also been given several key scenes where she has been self-aware, insightful, supportive, and selfless. In "Wheels," for example, she devises a clever, slightly unethical plan to help Finn (on whom she has such a huge crush that she dumped Puck!) get a job to support Quinn so that the mommy-to-be and the (supposed) babydaddy can stay together. At this point, Rachel is the most developed and complex character in the show, along perhaps with Will. For me, the single, huge missing element is the presence of her "2 gay dads." The short, four-eyed Jew and the tall African-American might give Modern Family a run for its money, especially when these "Friends of Judy" stage-father Rachel.<br />Oh, and why automatically give Rachel the "Defying Gravity" solo? Does Will not know his talent? Have you heard Idina Menzel's original rendition? (It would surprise no one if she turned up as Rachel's surrogate mother.) Have you heard the other girls sing? (Amber Riley has the power and beauty, but not the top.)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03836622772673505910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-61151638218340220062009-11-12T22:14:39.679-05:002009-11-12T22:14:39.679-05:00If the tone they've decided to shoot for going...If the tone they've decided to shoot for going forward is "unbearably maudlin," count me out. The comedy to cringe-inducing musical number ratio was already near critical mass.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-28389200815454276252009-11-12T21:56:18.596-05:002009-11-12T21:56:18.596-05:00I agree with Benk, and in fact, had the very conve...I agree with Benk, and in fact, had the very conversation at lunch today discussing why Arrested Development works and Glee does not. Glee doesn't know if it wants to be absurdist, intellect driven comedy like AD (where none of the characters are relatable or sympathetic which is why we love them a la Sue Sylvester) or sentimental comedy that manipulates the audience's emotions. At present its succeeding at neither -- but my thirteen year old daughter loves it.Bethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-69651820486763091782009-11-12T19:46:14.631-05:002009-11-12T19:46:14.631-05:00Something I neglected to mention last night: this ...<i>Something I neglected to mention last night: this episode was directed by Paris Barclay, who also directed this week's "Sons of Anarchy," making for one of the more schizo - but effective - back-to-back TV directing gigs I can remember.</i><br /><br />Since Paris' roots--I'm talking way back, even before music videos--are in musical theater, this is pretty amazing.Paul Outlawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14223551781533342142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12202342752623740452009-11-12T16:15:14.145-05:002009-11-12T16:15:14.145-05:00Thanks Rinaldo.
Alan, in terms of finding a tone ...Thanks Rinaldo.<br /><br />Alan, in terms of finding a tone that works, I think it's important to note that Glee is more limited in terms what it can be than most other teen shows because of it's most notable and discussed element: the songs. <br /><br />Having musical numbers, whether it's the whole gang performing on stage, or Artie singing alone, plays a big role in terms of the world of the show. The reality of Glee has to be heightened in order for the musical numbers to not feel out of place. That's why the heartfelt stories don't really belong.<br /><br />In my opinion, the episode in which Kristen Chenowith guest-starred was the best in terms of having a real plot, that had a "moral," but wasn't at all sappy. Sue's sister does not feel in the same world as the performance of Proud Mary. For me, that's why the show feels so schizophrenic.benknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-61505136396323613982009-11-12T15:26:45.415-05:002009-11-12T15:26:45.415-05:00You're kidding! I can see how Proud Mary didn&...You're kidding! I can see how Proud Mary didn't work for you (I thought it was just ok) but Dancing with Myself was great! The guy who plays Artie is by far the best male singer on the show, and did a great job with that song (which was a very fun version in and of itself).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86633486804438525762009-11-12T15:07:51.513-05:002009-11-12T15:07:51.513-05:00They should just give Jessalyn Gilsig the Chuck Cu...They should just give Jessalyn Gilsig the Chuck Cunningham treatment and be done with her. No one likes the character; no one cares about Will's home life. What's to stop them?Hydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03984348525069741897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9184115904267488222009-11-12T15:01:15.656-05:002009-11-12T15:01:15.656-05:00Question. We're all supposed to hate Rachel, r...Question. We're all supposed to hate Rachel, right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39508798876529220452009-11-12T14:55:16.987-05:002009-11-12T14:55:16.987-05:00I loved it. Favorite episode and I'm glad Alan...I loved it. Favorite episode and I'm glad Alan noticed it. Way to go for Glee for taking the Very Special Episode and managing to keep it pretty cool and not terribly preachy. Though I am still undecided on how I feel about Sue's sweet spot being put in there. On the other hand, upon rewatching I realized that Becky was GIGGLING a bit after Sue's chew-out-- she didn't mind it. That was a hint I hadn't noticed the first time. <br /><br />I was also happy to see Artie finally get a storyline, though I wish the episode had had a bit less "Quinn yells at Finn" in it and more Artie. That said, Puck about made that plot work. You root for him and Quinn, even if she's awful. Go figure.<br /><br />Kurt and his dad were the best plot of the night. Awwwww.<br /><br />I liked "Proud Mary." Awesome choreography to it too. I really do like the wheelchair dancing on this show. <br /><br />As for Artie and Tina, I think Artie went for Tina in some part because he also considered her "disabled" and was hurt that they didn't have that in common really. On the other hand, Tina telling him the truth about it was pretty big on her part. I hope they work this out soon. <br /><br />Did not miss the Shue love quadrangle in this episode at all.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16906089927390662087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29183052788452664512009-11-12T14:06:23.931-05:002009-11-12T14:06:23.931-05:00Odd, I thought this was easily the weakest episode...Odd, I thought this was easily the weakest episode to date. A couple of poignant moments (Sue and her sister especially), but the pace was slow and there wasn't much humor or weirdness or singing for that matter. <br /><br />On top of that, Artie's solo and "Proud Mary" were probably the two worst performances of the series.Colin Fasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02630707728041232328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-24311417124534625952009-11-12T13:18:16.204-05:002009-11-12T13:18:16.204-05:00I couldn't help but wonder if Lea Michele was ...I couldn't help but wonder if Lea Michele was half-auditioning for Elphaba if there's a movie version of "Wicked."Chalmersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47003299739807750802009-11-12T11:09:20.149-05:002009-11-12T11:09:20.149-05:00Jen said...
I'm with Maura, I do not unde...Jen said...<br /><br /> <i>I'm with Maura, I do not understand why Mr. Schuester insists on feeding Rachel's diva tendencies. It is rapidly putting her in competition with Mrs. Schue for the least appealing character on the show. With a group of kids who clearly have chops, why make her the go-to person for every solo? It also only serves to undo any of the character advancement she gained in the Kristin Chenoweth episode.</i> <br /><br />Exactly, Jen. I'm not even sure why, but something about it really bothered me. Handing Rachel the solo felt like a step too far. Why not hold auditions as a matter of course?<br /><br />The episode was so good that I actually forgot about the fake pregnancy storyline. I know they have to resolve it eventually. I hope it happens soon.Maurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17301288188119355801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45245503078114207972009-11-12T10:10:38.960-05:002009-11-12T10:10:38.960-05:00I'm with Maura, I do not understand why Mr. Sc...I'm with Maura, I do not understand why Mr. Schuester insists on feeding Rachel's diva tendencies. It is rapidly putting her in competition with Mrs. Schue for the least appealing character on the show. With a group of kids who clearly have chops, why make her the go-to person for every solo? It also only serves to undo any of the character advancement she gained in the Kristin Chenoweth episode. And I'm really disappointed that they wussed out with Kurt on that song, especially given how great Chris Colfer sounds on the studio version. <br /><br />And I love the depth they're giving Sue, because she's so right in her final confrontation with Mr. Schue and I can't believe I was actually rooting for her as she took him down a peg. It just shows what a great presence Jane Lynch has. She totally owns this character (and the show).Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10432007267363208929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77715866190843536292009-11-12T10:02:40.308-05:002009-11-12T10:02:40.308-05:00Something I neglected to mention last night: this ...Something I neglected to mention last night: this episode was directed by Paris Barclay, who also directed this week's "Sons of Anarchy," making for one of the more schizo - but effective - back-to-back TV directing gigs I can remember.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11575930646092309642009-11-12T09:57:08.162-05:002009-11-12T09:57:08.162-05:00"No stupid fake pregnancy subplot (though it ..."No stupid fake pregnancy subplot (though it did have the slightly less stupid fake baby daddy subplot), nor any of Jessalyn Gilsig, period." <br /><br /> U have it all right!!! Like if U read my mind I hate all those baby subplots so much. <br /> Love Leah Michelle her smile atone for all the baby bull.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80834122139359073352009-11-12T07:57:38.194-05:002009-11-12T07:57:38.194-05:00This episode proved beyond a doubt that Puck has b...This episode proved beyond a doubt that Puck has better chemistry with both Quinn and Rachel than Finn does. The home ec/baking scene was probably the most romantic scene yet on the show. Who isn't rooting for Puck?<br /><br />I did wonder what these kids learn in school if Quinn can get away with saying she will keep pretending Finn is the baby daddy forever, despite the joke about it having a baby mohawk. Hasn't anyone heard of DNA testing? <br /><br />I also agree that it would have been easy to have Kurt and Rachel split the solos on "Defying Gravity." Maybe I don't understand the whole Glee Club system, but it does seem that incorporating more strong singers into your routine would be better than making it appear as if you have a great singer with a lot of back-ups. It's not the American Idol sectionals for solo performers, right?Maggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-69091397898200043792009-11-12T07:47:30.548-05:002009-11-12T07:47:30.548-05:00Having set up its own cartoony, deliberately prepo...<i>Having set up its own cartoony, deliberately preposterous level of reality, the show can't just turn on a dime and say "but see, everybody has real feelings and Sue is human." That's doesn't add "depth"; it's just cheap playing to the gallery that undermines what they've already established (even though I wasn't thrilled with what they'd already established).</i><br /><br />But this was only the 9th episode of the show (it feels like it's been on longer because of the episode last spring), and the show's been fairly schizoid to date. Sometimes, it can take a new show this long - or even longer - to settle on an identity. And given that you and others admit to not being all that happy with some of the previous identities, wouldn't you rather the show try on one that actually works, even if it's a bit jarring compared to some of what we've already seen? If the show lasts for several years, and "Wheels" winds up being the template for what they do, then it's not going to feel as weird a shift in retrospect. <br /><br />As for Sue, I don't think this negates or undermines her previous behavior. Sue can still be an absolute monster with one sweet spot. In general, I prefer my comic antagonists to be recognizably human in some way; it's why (to reach back a few decades) I always preferred Charles Emerson Winchester III (who was a jerk, but an understandable one) on "MASH" to Frank Burns (who was just a punching bag).Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-46744480469888545962009-11-12T07:46:27.909-05:002009-11-12T07:46:27.909-05:00I felt completely vindicated last night, as I'...I felt completely vindicated last night, as I've been saying for weeks that the only "original" Glee Club member who hadn't had any real plot devoted to him was Artie. In fact, I didn't even know his name before last night. I just kept saying to my friends, "They've got to give a storyline to the guy in the wheelchair, stat." <br /><br />I've also been saying, "They have GOT to get rid of this fake pregnancy plotline--it is RIDICULOUS." I mean, seriously: how is she planning on handling the delivery? So it was a huge relief to have no Terry last night.<br /><br />The Sue Sylvester storyline--I'm a little unsure of. She's absolutely been a cartoon--albeit one that Jane Lynch has worn like a glove--and while it was lovely to see her with her sister (I completely teared up, I confess it), and it explained why she had taken the new Cheerio and installed the ramps on her own dime, it's still a little bit of a stretch to decipher how someone who can be so tender with her institutionalized big sister is so vicious to everyone else.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288100796201737845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25057522384547555392009-11-12T06:57:58.691-05:002009-11-12T06:57:58.691-05:00I kind of feel like benk: Having set up its own ca...I kind of feel like <b>benk</b>: Having set up its own cartoony, deliberately preposterous level of reality, the show can't just turn on a dime and say "but see, everybody has real feelings and Sue is human." That's doesn't add "depth"; it's just cheap playing to the gallery that undermines what they've already established (even though I wasn't thrilled with what they'd already established). If Sue were human, she couldn't have said everything she's been given to say in all the previous episodes. You can't have it both ways at the same time.<br /><br />As far as I can recall, Tina was definite that the stutter was something she deliberately faked.Rinaldonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88438363550560665282009-11-12T06:36:04.566-05:002009-11-12T06:36:04.566-05:00At times it's as broad and in-your-face and se...<i> At times it's as broad and in-your-face and self-congratulatory as every other Ryan Murphy show that I eventually stop watching out of frustration, and at other times it can be relatively human-scale - and, to my mind, much more interesting. </i><br /><br />Indeed -- and I think another irritating thing about Ryan Murphy is that it often feels like the writers and producers are just randomly throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. If you're going for ultra high camp on steroids, it's essential to have a really solid foundation to work off, and like the hot mess that was Popular's last season, Glee too often feels like bad improv.Craig Ranapiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923246310584658857noreply@blogger.com