Glee Rewatch 2014: The Quarterback
Things that happened:
- Three weeks ago, Finn died. They don't specify how it happened, but now the whole gang is going back to Lima for a week of songs honouring him.
- The episode is an exploration of grief; Puck and Santana are angry, Will is in denial, and those closest to Finn are grieving very honestly.
- The strongest plot to the episode is the thread of the jacket, which Kurt gets when cleaning out Finn's room, before passing it on to Santana. It then goes missing, which everyone blames on Puck, but in the end it turns out that it was Will.
- Rachel shows up at the end. Puck joins the airforce.
Sporadic thoughts while watching:
1. So this one is going to be hard.
2. I've wanted them to do this song for a very, very long time, maybe even more than I wanted them to do Come What May. I'm so glad they saved it for something important.
3. Let's see how long it takes for me to start crying...
4. So beautiful.
5. Using a fan's design for the title card is a really sweet, subtle way to acknowledge the fans in this episode.
6. Refusing to specify the cause of Finn's death is a very pointed way to make a message about Cory. It's not about how he died; it's about how he lived.
7. "I'm going to spend my entire life missing him."
8. Stand By You was Finn's very first solo. It was a very sweet moment in the show, and I'm so glad they chose to brought it back.
9. (Even if it does strike me as a little strange that Mercedes would be singing, since she was hardly closest to Finn. But then, this is as much about Amber as it is about Mercedes.)
10. When the rest of the chorus joins in singing, Kurt does not. In fact, despite being Finn's brother (arguably closest to Finn besides Rachel, and maybe Schue), Kurt doesn't sing at all in this episode. I'm not quite sure what to say about that, what it's significance is. But in this episode, Kurt takes less of an active part in the grieving. He's hurting, of course he is, but he isn't stagnant. And we do have to remember that this boy has a closer relationship to death than just about any other character on the show; this is another notch on that bedpost.
11. This episode is a discussion of the different types of grief - we have Kurt, who spends the entire episode taking care of other people instead of himself; Santana and Puck, who are angry; Will, who is in denial; Sue, who tries to push it all away; and Rachel, Carole and Burt, who are grieving very honestly and truly.
12. "You have to keep on being a parent even though you don't get to have a child anymore."
13. God. Just... that scene wrecks me.
14. Kurt certainly isn't scared of Puck anymore.
15. Santana is so, so angry. She's angry at everyone really, but I think more than anything she's angry at herself.
16. "If I start crying, I don't think I'll ever stop!"
17. So, about Santana insulting Finn before her song - denial and viciousness are Santana's greatest defences when she's under stress like that. Nobody really recognises that except Brittany and, in this case, Kurt. By the way, her dress reminds of a poisonous frog. Black and brightly coloured markings to signal danger, so stay away.
18. Kurt continues to play the role of the guide. He understands death and grief, has done ever since he was eight years old. In contrast, most of these people are experiencing their first big loss right now.
19. "Shame is a wasted emotion."
20. The letterman jacket is a symbol of holding onto the grief, or maybe the process of working through it.
21. I can understand stealing the jacket, but when Will actually privately blames Puck for it? I mean, he didn't even have an audience to keep face in front of.
22. That memorial has notes from the crew, right?
23. The way Rachel clings to Kurt, and he supports her. He looks like he would attack someone if they even looked at her wrong.
24. "Before Finn, I used to sing alone."
25. The recording is so incredibly raw. You can literally hear the moments in which Lea sniffs back her tears. Wonderful.
26. "This line between the two years - it's his whole life. Everything in that line."
27. I think that this scene would have been a good final send off for Puck. They really didn't need to bring him back after this.
28. "He was my person." :(
29. The show must... go all over the place... or something.
Songs
Seasons of Love
Grade: A+
Download: Yes
I'll Stand By You
Grade: A
Download: Yes
Fire and Rain
Grade: B+
Download: Yes
If I Die Young
Grade: A
Download: Yes
No Surrender
Grade: B
Download: No
Make You Feel My Love
Grade: A+
Download: Yes