Liz's Instant Glee-Cap - 5x06 - Moving Out
NATURALLY my damn cable went on the fritz 10 minutes before the episode started, hence the relative lateness of this recap. I did half-watch on a shitty livestream while on the phone with the cable company, and suddenly I have ever so much sympathy for those of you outside of the U.S. who have to watch the show like this every week. That was awful. Thankfully, Hulu Plus to the rescue this morning and I could actually see what happened.
So! Moving Out! God, I wish these people would actually move out of Lima already.
Here’s what you missed on Glee: it’s springtime in the longest year ever at McKinley and it’s almost time for graduation. YOU HEARD IT HERE.
Sue has organized a career fair at McKinley, featuring all of the least appealing entry-level positions they can imagine. Will is pissed that there’s nothing talking about a career in the arts. Of course, I think the best you could hope to show up at a career fair like that is the part-time director of Lima Community Theater, but still, I suppose making a living as a performer is theoretically possible.
In that spirit, it’s Billy Joel week. (...eh? Flimsy connection at best, but it’s not like it’s the most nonsensical thing Glee has ever done.) Kitty was hoping for Marilyn Manson. Unique reminds us that the show is written by middle-aged white guys and not every high school student knows about the (white) musical greats of the 70s and 80s.
But yes, I’m a middle-aged white lady, and I do enjoy some Billy Joel. So I don’t think it’s the worst single-artist theme in the world. Especially if it’s going to involve a metric ton of Blaine at the piano.
Blaine has to leave for New York for his NYADA audition, and Sam is going with to talk to a school’s theater department because they liked his impressions. Again, flimsy at best, but I don’t really care. BLAM to New York! They take the magical Lima Express portal straight from the halls of McKinley to the subway in Brooklyn, while singing the episode’s title song and harassing people on the bus. They arrive at the loft and it’s all I’ve ever wanted. Please don’t ever make them go back to Lima.
Crap, we’re back in Lima.
Artie is perusing the career fair and wonders why Becky is in a beekeeper’s hat. He offers to help Becky do some research on appropriate colleges if she wants, but Sue stops him. Becky will stay at McKinley in the safe and stable position of Sue’s Beckretary until the end of time.
Marley’s locker opens to a whole bunch of roses that Jake snuck in there and she kicks them away on the floor. She’s pissed. I’m glad, she should be. Jake tries to apologize for making a stupid mistake, but she pretty much tells him to fuck off. She says he was a manwhore from the beginning, and that’s all there is to it. I tend to agree.
Blaine and Sam are visiting Kurt and crew at the Starlight. They’ve been off on college visits (I like that Blaine lists NYU and Columbia as his safety schools… um…), but Kurt doesn’t know why he’s looking at anything else but NYADA. Hey Kurt, I know you want Blaine to go to school with you and all, but remember what happened the first time YOU auditioned? Maybe that’s not the worst idea in the world.
In the name of extra rehearsal, Kurt drags Blaine up to the diner’s stage where a piano conveniently awaits. He’s so adorably proud as he introduces Blaine to the unsuspecting patrons, and Santana hilariously just says “seriously? You all need to be stopped.”
But Blaine Warbler was born to be a lounge act, so he goes straight into “Piano Man” and has the entire (enormous) wait staff singing dancing along with candleholders. Kurt is cheering louder than anyone from atop the counters (there have to be health regulations against that) and says there’s no way he isn’t getting to NYADA, “then all our dreams will come true!” Oh Kurt, don’t tempt the writers fate like that.
Artie’s back to talking with Becky about college, and her constant sexual innuendo is getting to be a bit much for me. He’s got a bunch of pamphlets, and though she acts intrigued for a moment when she hears she can cheer in college, she then tells him to shove off because she doesn’t WANT to go to college thankyouverymuch. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
Ryder confronts Jake in the locker room, wanting to know why he was such an idiot with Marley. Jake says he’s doing exactly what Marley says - being true to his dickish self. He defiantly sings “My Life” from the back of his throat and reminds us that, while he can move, he is no Mike Chang. Marley uses every ounce of self control not to kick him in the nads. I suppose I should care about the fact that Jake is clearly unhappy as he decides to buy into the worst version of himself, but I really really don’t.
Sam is in New York having the worst college interview on the planet. His grades have improved because he’s been doing an impression of a good student, but in talking to the admissions officer he manages to be unintentionally offensive on both feminist and racial grounds, mostly because he’s a well-meaning idiot. Oh, Sam.
Back at the loft, Rachel tries to feed Sam comfort food and says there are other colleges that might be a better fit, but Sam confesses he doesn’t actually want to go to college.
(Where are the rest of the loft residents? I’m voting for double date night, because putting Santana, Dani, Kurt, and Blaine together would be both adorable and hilarious. That’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it.)
No, Sam wants to be a male model, and has since he was a little kid preening in the mirror. His life’s ambition is to see himself on the side of a bus in an underwear ad, because his junk would be as big as a car. Perfection. Rachel is sweet and helpful and is happy to set up a photo shoot for him in the loft.
Artie summons Becky to the auditorium to sing “Honesty,” which is actually a song I don’t know. Becky mistakes it for a love song (I can hardly blame her), but Artie says it’s actually platonic and he just wants her to be honest (get it? get it?) about what she wants for her future. The song falls flat for me, but ultimately the interaction between the two of them is pretty sweet. He’s genuinely trying to help Becky reach for what she wants.
Marley is in the cafeteria, talking to her mom (hey! Marley’s mom!) about Jake being a dick. She still misses him, which is really unfortunate. Marley’s mom is glad that Marley and Jake never bumped uglies and wants Marley to really wait for the right guy, not a good-enough guy. And while I like her and think she’s being sweet, you can never top Burt Hummel’s sex talk, so why even bring up the comparison?
Photo shoot time in the loft, and we don’t waste much time before getting Sam down to his underwear. Rachel helpfully oils up his chest and gets a little fluttery when there are a few sparks between them. Well really, if you were up close and personal with Chord Overstreet’s pecs and abs, could YOU stop yourself from blushing? Not me, man.
Sue summons Artie to her office to remind us of the time he almost tortured him in “Prom Queen.” She’s pissed that he went directly against her orders and continued to talk to Becky about college. Turns out Sue has done all the research into schools, too, but doesn’t think that Becky is ready. Artie says Sue is the one who isn’t ready to let Becky go, and he’s pretty much right. He’s going to take her on a college tour, and the trend of utterly ignoring the adults at this school continues.
Ryder wastes no time in asking Marley out. He’s a little sweet but mostly desperate-sounding. She says no thanks, she’s really not ready and still rebounding from Jake, but Ryder will not be swayed because no one can ever believe Marley when she says no. Grr.
He sings “Innocent Man” to the incredibly sparse choir room (Blaine and Sam’s absence is really noticeable), which isn’t awkward at all while Jake sits there glaring. Thankfully, Artie and Schue and Kitty and Tina seem to be appalled, but I want to know where the hell Unique is and how she’s reacting to all of this. But no, we have well and truly dropped that story. Anyways, Marley agrees to go out with Ryder. Meh.
Klaine in the loft! Klaine in the loft! Huzzah!
(And holy hell, Kurt should wear that purple sweater for all of the days. Talk about the reducing of layers with Kurt’s New York wardrobe - have we EVER seen him in a deep v-neck sweater without so much as an undershirt and totally un-accessorized? But hey, who needs layers-as-armor when you have the love of your life in your bedroom.)
Kurt is talking clothes for Blaine’s NYADA audition and calls out both the ridiculous lobster cardigan and Blaine’s obsession with red polo shirts (teehee - I really love wardrobe meta). Blaine stops him and says “I need to tell you something,” which is a line you need to be a lot more careful with, Mr. Anderson. Anyways, Blaine says he doesn’t want to audition for NYADA, because maybe he wants to be able to explore other careers in college. He says his dark secret is that he’s always wanted to be a doctor because he loved playing (but sucked at) Operation when he was a kid. (And wee baby Blaine is the most adorable thing on earth, along with wee baby Kurt from last season. So cute.)
Kurt is listening to Blaine ramble about career options, but can barely suppress a laugh. He knows you, Blaine Warbler, and knows that you are just plain scared as hell that you’re going to bomb your audition. It’s not an unreasonable fear. Not only did Blaine see Kurt perform the hell out of a pair of gold pants and not get in, but he watched Rachel Berry choke on a Streisand tune she had been belting since she was in diapers. Shit can happen, Blaine knows it. Kurt understands being intimidated, but reminds Blaine that he is incredibly talented and a born performer. Not only does he have the utmost confidence in Blaine, but Kurt will be there to keep him safe, no matter what happens. They’re in it together.
Look, when I first watched this scene on a grainy livestream while on hold with the cable company, I was a little annoyed. OH LOOK, ANOTHER HUG. Like, a smooch would have killed you? But dammit, I’m sort of tired of being angry about stuff like that. So I’m going to focus on the fact that the whole conversation was incredibly sweet and supportive and I love the way they know each other. And you know what? They have great hugs. And people who are settled and happy in love don’t have to make out every hour of every day. I don’t want Glee to fall into the trap of de-sexualizing their one power couple just because they’re gay, but for today, it’s all good in the ‘hood.
Artie and Becky go on a college visit, and yay, she finds a place where she might be able to fit in. She’s sassy and bitchy because that’s her thing, but you can see she’s genuinely nervous about the transition and yet excited to find a new place.
Sam visits Tyra Banks Bichette Modeling Agency and sticks his foot in his mouth a bit more, but she’s used to boys both prettier and stupider than him. And she’s into his vacant Midwestern cow-eyes and trouty mouth. She tells him he’s not likely to make much of a living as a model, but he wants to work hard for it, anyways. Good thing, because the camera likes starvation. She’s going to need you to drop a few pounds, there, Sam. (From where? No idea.)
Blaine somehow got a piano into the loft as a thank you gift for letting him stay there, and Santana is deliciously skeptical. She’s not sure she can survive the constant tickling of ivories in the loft. While Sam claims to be on a Mentos-based diet, the rest of the group tells him he absolutely does not need to lose weight and should find someone else to model for. Blaine, brilliantly, says that this is an argument best made in song, and it’s like all of my Bushwick dreams are coming true.
Rachel is thrilled, because it’s just like being at home with her dads, and Santana is livid that every meal in the loft will now end in song. Blaine just coyly looks up at her from the piano and says that she doesn’t have to sing along, while Kurt stands next to him and says “but I dare you not to!” She storms off in horror while Kurt kicks off “Just the Way You Are” in his gorgeous lower register, and it’s a full sing-along around Blaine at the piano and I am freaking thrilled. God damn they’re all cute together.
Santana only makes it to the bridge before saying “fuck it” and comes back out of her room singing into the hairbrush. YOU ARE POWERLESS TO RESIST, SANTANA.
Speaking of powerless to resist, there’s some draw happening between Rachel and Sam, and everyone else in the loft can see it. Nothing comes of it, yet, but I’m intrigued and willing to see what they do with it. For one thing, the two of them are the token heteros in that apartment, so it’s not like there are a lot of other options already in the cast. For another, if Rachel is going to cautiously approach the idea of guys-after-Finn, she could do a lot worse than Sam. And not (just) because Sam is mighty attractive, but because he has ALWAYS been a genuinely nice guy. Not the brightest bulb, sure, but I trust that he would be kind to her. Do I think Samchel is going to be a huge, forever thing? No, not really. But if giving that a try is part of how Rachel figures out her life after loss, then I’m in favor of it.
(And I don’t believe for a second that they would write this without Lea’s approval, and that’s fine by me.)
Becky and Sue talk about Becky’s college visit, and the mix of sweetness and snark between the two of them will always be a delight. Sue is nothing if not protective of and loyal to Becky - that has always been Sue’s heart. But Becky has outgrown these high school bitches. It’s time to go.
Ryder is a little over-enthusiastic with Marley, and she tells him to put the brakes on. Jake is a douche about it, but then Ryder is a little bit too. I’m just glad Marley stands up for herself.
Sue adds a table to her career fair for the arts, despite the fact that she knows in 10 years they’ll all be unemployed. Tina, in her one line of the episode, says “that’s not true, one day we’re going to be big, big stars!” Yeah, okay. Happily for McKinley but very sadly for me, BLAM returns from New York. Sam mentions that Blaine crushed his NYADA audition, but why would we ever want to SEE that?
The intro to “You May Be Right,” complete with fourth-wall Sue rant makes me laugh my ass off. Go for it, Glee. I do love it when you call out your own insanity. And I will always enjoy it when they get the entire school dancing in the hallways and trashing Sue’s college fair. The song is a little heavy on the Schuester for my taste, but it’s still fun.
Overall impression of “Moving Out?” It was… pretty good. Like last week, I didn’t actively want to throw anything at the TV, and there were some good moments. Obviously, my favorite is anything to do with New York. I love the dynamic in the loft, especially with the addition of a piano. I love Santana railing against her roommates’ shenanigans, but always joining in at the end. I love seeing my boys talk and know each other and love each other. If anything, this just confirms that New York is the show I actually want to watch. And I like that they have made their set-up for how/why Sam is coming, too.
And in Lima, I generally liked the Artie/Becky story. I like that, as they (theoretically) approach graduation, they are legitimately talking about ways for these characters to move on after high school. Artie has looked out for Becky for a while now, even as she hurls insults in his direction. And while Sue has been protective of her since the beginning, I like it when they show us that she isn’t the only one who cares, and that Sue needs to let her go, too.
Marley/Jake/Ryder OH FUCK ME I do not care. This love triangle has been sucking my will to live for over a year now. I have grown to like Marley as she has found her backbone, but watching those two boys try to piss on each other as they compete for who gets to claim her? NO THANK YOU. I well and truly cannot stand Jake in anything other than the background, and while I do have some affection for Ryder, he bugged me in this episode, too.
And then there’s Glee and the concept of time and the school year that would never die. It bugs me more and more with each passing week. For instance, two weeks ago, the episode ended with Will saying that Nationals was four weeks away. Doing some highly advanced math, that means that we are now theoretically two weeks away from Nationals and this club is still three members short of being allowed to compete and I have next-to-zero confidence that the show will actually remember they ever said anything of the sort.
Look, I don’t need the calendar to line up perfectly with every single episode. But I maintain that Glee’s biggest mistake was somewhere in the last third of Season 4 when they decided to tear up the calendar, shit on it, and then set it on fire. Because now it’s going to take us a year and a half to get from March to June and by the end of this season I may want to rip my hair out because they will never let these seniors graduate. (And yes, I’m spoiler-free and don’t actually know where this season is headed, but as I say, I lack confidence.)
Liz’s Instant Glee-Cap Rating: 3 of 5 stars. Solid enough, but if they had nixed the Lima Love Triangle and spent more time with the New York crew, or even with the other graduating seniors, it would have been significantly better. Alas, Marley, Jake and Ryder are all series regulars. Dammit. And I can’t seem to let go of my annoyance about this ridiculous time warp.
Liz’s Instant Song Downloads:
Moving Out
Piano Man
Just The Way You Are
(shocking, isn’t it?)
What did you think, friends?
So! Moving Out! God, I wish these people would actually move out of Lima already.
Here’s what you missed on Glee: it’s springtime in the longest year ever at McKinley and it’s almost time for graduation. YOU HEARD IT HERE.
Sue has organized a career fair at McKinley, featuring all of the least appealing entry-level positions they can imagine. Will is pissed that there’s nothing talking about a career in the arts. Of course, I think the best you could hope to show up at a career fair like that is the part-time director of Lima Community Theater, but still, I suppose making a living as a performer is theoretically possible.
In that spirit, it’s Billy Joel week. (...eh? Flimsy connection at best, but it’s not like it’s the most nonsensical thing Glee has ever done.) Kitty was hoping for Marilyn Manson. Unique reminds us that the show is written by middle-aged white guys and not every high school student knows about the (white) musical greats of the 70s and 80s.
But yes, I’m a middle-aged white lady, and I do enjoy some Billy Joel. So I don’t think it’s the worst single-artist theme in the world. Especially if it’s going to involve a metric ton of Blaine at the piano.
Blaine has to leave for New York for his NYADA audition, and Sam is going with to talk to a school’s theater department because they liked his impressions. Again, flimsy at best, but I don’t really care. BLAM to New York! They take the magical Lima Express portal straight from the halls of McKinley to the subway in Brooklyn, while singing the episode’s title song and harassing people on the bus. They arrive at the loft and it’s all I’ve ever wanted. Please don’t ever make them go back to Lima.
Crap, we’re back in Lima.
Artie is perusing the career fair and wonders why Becky is in a beekeeper’s hat. He offers to help Becky do some research on appropriate colleges if she wants, but Sue stops him. Becky will stay at McKinley in the safe and stable position of Sue’s Beckretary until the end of time.
Marley’s locker opens to a whole bunch of roses that Jake snuck in there and she kicks them away on the floor. She’s pissed. I’m glad, she should be. Jake tries to apologize for making a stupid mistake, but she pretty much tells him to fuck off. She says he was a manwhore from the beginning, and that’s all there is to it. I tend to agree.
Blaine and Sam are visiting Kurt and crew at the Starlight. They’ve been off on college visits (I like that Blaine lists NYU and Columbia as his safety schools… um…), but Kurt doesn’t know why he’s looking at anything else but NYADA. Hey Kurt, I know you want Blaine to go to school with you and all, but remember what happened the first time YOU auditioned? Maybe that’s not the worst idea in the world.
In the name of extra rehearsal, Kurt drags Blaine up to the diner’s stage where a piano conveniently awaits. He’s so adorably proud as he introduces Blaine to the unsuspecting patrons, and Santana hilariously just says “seriously? You all need to be stopped.”
But Blaine Warbler was born to be a lounge act, so he goes straight into “Piano Man” and has the entire (enormous) wait staff singing dancing along with candleholders. Kurt is cheering louder than anyone from atop the counters (there have to be health regulations against that) and says there’s no way he isn’t getting to NYADA, “then all our dreams will come true!” Oh Kurt, don’t tempt the writers fate like that.
Artie’s back to talking with Becky about college, and her constant sexual innuendo is getting to be a bit much for me. He’s got a bunch of pamphlets, and though she acts intrigued for a moment when she hears she can cheer in college, she then tells him to shove off because she doesn’t WANT to go to college thankyouverymuch. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
Ryder confronts Jake in the locker room, wanting to know why he was such an idiot with Marley. Jake says he’s doing exactly what Marley says - being true to his dickish self. He defiantly sings “My Life” from the back of his throat and reminds us that, while he can move, he is no Mike Chang. Marley uses every ounce of self control not to kick him in the nads. I suppose I should care about the fact that Jake is clearly unhappy as he decides to buy into the worst version of himself, but I really really don’t.
Sam is in New York having the worst college interview on the planet. His grades have improved because he’s been doing an impression of a good student, but in talking to the admissions officer he manages to be unintentionally offensive on both feminist and racial grounds, mostly because he’s a well-meaning idiot. Oh, Sam.
Back at the loft, Rachel tries to feed Sam comfort food and says there are other colleges that might be a better fit, but Sam confesses he doesn’t actually want to go to college.
(Where are the rest of the loft residents? I’m voting for double date night, because putting Santana, Dani, Kurt, and Blaine together would be both adorable and hilarious. That’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it.)
No, Sam wants to be a male model, and has since he was a little kid preening in the mirror. His life’s ambition is to see himself on the side of a bus in an underwear ad, because his junk would be as big as a car. Perfection. Rachel is sweet and helpful and is happy to set up a photo shoot for him in the loft.
Artie summons Becky to the auditorium to sing “Honesty,” which is actually a song I don’t know. Becky mistakes it for a love song (I can hardly blame her), but Artie says it’s actually platonic and he just wants her to be honest (get it? get it?) about what she wants for her future. The song falls flat for me, but ultimately the interaction between the two of them is pretty sweet. He’s genuinely trying to help Becky reach for what she wants.
Marley is in the cafeteria, talking to her mom (hey! Marley’s mom!) about Jake being a dick. She still misses him, which is really unfortunate. Marley’s mom is glad that Marley and Jake never bumped uglies and wants Marley to really wait for the right guy, not a good-enough guy. And while I like her and think she’s being sweet, you can never top Burt Hummel’s sex talk, so why even bring up the comparison?
Photo shoot time in the loft, and we don’t waste much time before getting Sam down to his underwear. Rachel helpfully oils up his chest and gets a little fluttery when there are a few sparks between them. Well really, if you were up close and personal with Chord Overstreet’s pecs and abs, could YOU stop yourself from blushing? Not me, man.
Sue summons Artie to her office to remind us of the time he almost tortured him in “Prom Queen.” She’s pissed that he went directly against her orders and continued to talk to Becky about college. Turns out Sue has done all the research into schools, too, but doesn’t think that Becky is ready. Artie says Sue is the one who isn’t ready to let Becky go, and he’s pretty much right. He’s going to take her on a college tour, and the trend of utterly ignoring the adults at this school continues.
Ryder wastes no time in asking Marley out. He’s a little sweet but mostly desperate-sounding. She says no thanks, she’s really not ready and still rebounding from Jake, but Ryder will not be swayed because no one can ever believe Marley when she says no. Grr.
He sings “Innocent Man” to the incredibly sparse choir room (Blaine and Sam’s absence is really noticeable), which isn’t awkward at all while Jake sits there glaring. Thankfully, Artie and Schue and Kitty and Tina seem to be appalled, but I want to know where the hell Unique is and how she’s reacting to all of this. But no, we have well and truly dropped that story. Anyways, Marley agrees to go out with Ryder. Meh.
Klaine in the loft! Klaine in the loft! Huzzah!
(And holy hell, Kurt should wear that purple sweater for all of the days. Talk about the reducing of layers with Kurt’s New York wardrobe - have we EVER seen him in a deep v-neck sweater without so much as an undershirt and totally un-accessorized? But hey, who needs layers-as-armor when you have the love of your life in your bedroom.)
Kurt is talking clothes for Blaine’s NYADA audition and calls out both the ridiculous lobster cardigan and Blaine’s obsession with red polo shirts (teehee - I really love wardrobe meta). Blaine stops him and says “I need to tell you something,” which is a line you need to be a lot more careful with, Mr. Anderson. Anyways, Blaine says he doesn’t want to audition for NYADA, because maybe he wants to be able to explore other careers in college. He says his dark secret is that he’s always wanted to be a doctor because he loved playing (but sucked at) Operation when he was a kid. (And wee baby Blaine is the most adorable thing on earth, along with wee baby Kurt from last season. So cute.)
Kurt is listening to Blaine ramble about career options, but can barely suppress a laugh. He knows you, Blaine Warbler, and knows that you are just plain scared as hell that you’re going to bomb your audition. It’s not an unreasonable fear. Not only did Blaine see Kurt perform the hell out of a pair of gold pants and not get in, but he watched Rachel Berry choke on a Streisand tune she had been belting since she was in diapers. Shit can happen, Blaine knows it. Kurt understands being intimidated, but reminds Blaine that he is incredibly talented and a born performer. Not only does he have the utmost confidence in Blaine, but Kurt will be there to keep him safe, no matter what happens. They’re in it together.
Look, when I first watched this scene on a grainy livestream while on hold with the cable company, I was a little annoyed. OH LOOK, ANOTHER HUG. Like, a smooch would have killed you? But dammit, I’m sort of tired of being angry about stuff like that. So I’m going to focus on the fact that the whole conversation was incredibly sweet and supportive and I love the way they know each other. And you know what? They have great hugs. And people who are settled and happy in love don’t have to make out every hour of every day. I don’t want Glee to fall into the trap of de-sexualizing their one power couple just because they’re gay, but for today, it’s all good in the ‘hood.
Artie and Becky go on a college visit, and yay, she finds a place where she might be able to fit in. She’s sassy and bitchy because that’s her thing, but you can see she’s genuinely nervous about the transition and yet excited to find a new place.
Sam visits Tyra Banks Bichette Modeling Agency and sticks his foot in his mouth a bit more, but she’s used to boys both prettier and stupider than him. And she’s into his vacant Midwestern cow-eyes and trouty mouth. She tells him he’s not likely to make much of a living as a model, but he wants to work hard for it, anyways. Good thing, because the camera likes starvation. She’s going to need you to drop a few pounds, there, Sam. (From where? No idea.)
Blaine somehow got a piano into the loft as a thank you gift for letting him stay there, and Santana is deliciously skeptical. She’s not sure she can survive the constant tickling of ivories in the loft. While Sam claims to be on a Mentos-based diet, the rest of the group tells him he absolutely does not need to lose weight and should find someone else to model for. Blaine, brilliantly, says that this is an argument best made in song, and it’s like all of my Bushwick dreams are coming true.
Rachel is thrilled, because it’s just like being at home with her dads, and Santana is livid that every meal in the loft will now end in song. Blaine just coyly looks up at her from the piano and says that she doesn’t have to sing along, while Kurt stands next to him and says “but I dare you not to!” She storms off in horror while Kurt kicks off “Just the Way You Are” in his gorgeous lower register, and it’s a full sing-along around Blaine at the piano and I am freaking thrilled. God damn they’re all cute together.
Santana only makes it to the bridge before saying “fuck it” and comes back out of her room singing into the hairbrush. YOU ARE POWERLESS TO RESIST, SANTANA.
Speaking of powerless to resist, there’s some draw happening between Rachel and Sam, and everyone else in the loft can see it. Nothing comes of it, yet, but I’m intrigued and willing to see what they do with it. For one thing, the two of them are the token heteros in that apartment, so it’s not like there are a lot of other options already in the cast. For another, if Rachel is going to cautiously approach the idea of guys-after-Finn, she could do a lot worse than Sam. And not (just) because Sam is mighty attractive, but because he has ALWAYS been a genuinely nice guy. Not the brightest bulb, sure, but I trust that he would be kind to her. Do I think Samchel is going to be a huge, forever thing? No, not really. But if giving that a try is part of how Rachel figures out her life after loss, then I’m in favor of it.
(And I don’t believe for a second that they would write this without Lea’s approval, and that’s fine by me.)
Becky and Sue talk about Becky’s college visit, and the mix of sweetness and snark between the two of them will always be a delight. Sue is nothing if not protective of and loyal to Becky - that has always been Sue’s heart. But Becky has outgrown these high school bitches. It’s time to go.
Ryder is a little over-enthusiastic with Marley, and she tells him to put the brakes on. Jake is a douche about it, but then Ryder is a little bit too. I’m just glad Marley stands up for herself.
Sue adds a table to her career fair for the arts, despite the fact that she knows in 10 years they’ll all be unemployed. Tina, in her one line of the episode, says “that’s not true, one day we’re going to be big, big stars!” Yeah, okay. Happily for McKinley but very sadly for me, BLAM returns from New York. Sam mentions that Blaine crushed his NYADA audition, but why would we ever want to SEE that?
The intro to “You May Be Right,” complete with fourth-wall Sue rant makes me laugh my ass off. Go for it, Glee. I do love it when you call out your own insanity. And I will always enjoy it when they get the entire school dancing in the hallways and trashing Sue’s college fair. The song is a little heavy on the Schuester for my taste, but it’s still fun.
Overall impression of “Moving Out?” It was… pretty good. Like last week, I didn’t actively want to throw anything at the TV, and there were some good moments. Obviously, my favorite is anything to do with New York. I love the dynamic in the loft, especially with the addition of a piano. I love Santana railing against her roommates’ shenanigans, but always joining in at the end. I love seeing my boys talk and know each other and love each other. If anything, this just confirms that New York is the show I actually want to watch. And I like that they have made their set-up for how/why Sam is coming, too.
And in Lima, I generally liked the Artie/Becky story. I like that, as they (theoretically) approach graduation, they are legitimately talking about ways for these characters to move on after high school. Artie has looked out for Becky for a while now, even as she hurls insults in his direction. And while Sue has been protective of her since the beginning, I like it when they show us that she isn’t the only one who cares, and that Sue needs to let her go, too.
Marley/Jake/Ryder OH FUCK ME I do not care. This love triangle has been sucking my will to live for over a year now. I have grown to like Marley as she has found her backbone, but watching those two boys try to piss on each other as they compete for who gets to claim her? NO THANK YOU. I well and truly cannot stand Jake in anything other than the background, and while I do have some affection for Ryder, he bugged me in this episode, too.
And then there’s Glee and the concept of time and the school year that would never die. It bugs me more and more with each passing week. For instance, two weeks ago, the episode ended with Will saying that Nationals was four weeks away. Doing some highly advanced math, that means that we are now theoretically two weeks away from Nationals and this club is still three members short of being allowed to compete and I have next-to-zero confidence that the show will actually remember they ever said anything of the sort.
Look, I don’t need the calendar to line up perfectly with every single episode. But I maintain that Glee’s biggest mistake was somewhere in the last third of Season 4 when they decided to tear up the calendar, shit on it, and then set it on fire. Because now it’s going to take us a year and a half to get from March to June and by the end of this season I may want to rip my hair out because they will never let these seniors graduate. (And yes, I’m spoiler-free and don’t actually know where this season is headed, but as I say, I lack confidence.)
Liz’s Instant Glee-Cap Rating: 3 of 5 stars. Solid enough, but if they had nixed the Lima Love Triangle and spent more time with the New York crew, or even with the other graduating seniors, it would have been significantly better. Alas, Marley, Jake and Ryder are all series regulars. Dammit. And I can’t seem to let go of my annoyance about this ridiculous time warp.
Liz’s Instant Song Downloads:
Moving Out
Piano Man
Just The Way You Are
(shocking, isn’t it?)
What did you think, friends?