Blaine It on the Alcohol
Tonight's "Glee" left me feeling conflicted. I think it was the funniest episode of the show possibly since the first season, with Lea Michele turning in her best comedic work yet (give her an Emmy; she only has four years to beat Barbra Streisand as the youngest EGOT winner ever).
But it also had the dreaded Blaine-questions-his-sexuality plot line. The more I think about it, the more I actually like this storyline. Not because of some bullshit Mary Sue wish fulfillment pandering, but because it's just plain new. "Glee" is not exactly praised for its plot and character development. This episode had characters behaving in ways we haven't seen them before (from Rachel's drinking to Blaine's confusion to Santana's crying). I was happy to finally learn more about Blaine. Last week we learned that he is overly theatrical and surprisingly insecure. He also seems to be kind of...what's the word? Flaky? Easily distracted? Fickle? He seems like the kind of person who falls madly, passionately in love with a different person every day. He seems like the kind of person who likes shiny objects. He also seems like he's never met a grand gesture he didn't like or a fight he wouldn't pick. In these ways he is actually kind of perfect for Rachel Berry. (They really HAD to make her fall for a gay guy at some point.)
I believe in the Kinsey scale and the fluidity of sexuality. I think most everyone has been attracted to both sexes in some way. Sometimes those feelings are really buried and sometimes we act on them. It seems perfectly believable to me that a high school boy would experiment. I haven't done the statistical research here, but I am willing to bet that most people who identify as homosexual have kissed members of the opposite sex before, most likely when they were young (and drunk). Why wouldn't Blaine be curious? He goes to an all-boys school so we can assume that he's had limited contact with girls his age.
Kurt's angry protestations also have merit and I don't think they were just Ryan Murphy & Co. covering their asses. Why do people stay in the closet? Why do gay guys get fake girlfriends? If you could choose between being gay or straight, would you choose the tougher path, the one paved with bullying and fights for your rights? Again, why wouldn't Blaine want to at least explore the other path? It's human nature to want your life to be easier.
The other thing is the Darren Criss factor. With the exception of the fight with Kurt (which was wildly overplayed on Criss' side), Criss nailed this story line. He was nearly as hilarious as Michele in the drunk scene and seeing Blaine let loose was a welcome change and really sexy to boot. He also had such believable chemistry with Rachel that it actually made me nervous. I think that is how a normal girl would respond to that spark. Seeing someone she previously thought of as a nonthreatening friend in a romantic light should have freaked her out a least a little bit, especially since he is Kurt's de facto boyfriend. But Rachel is insane, so I forgive.
It also occurred to me that I was possibly picking up on Darren Criss' alleged heterosexuality. And if that is the case, I have to strongly recommend to Lea Michele that she kick Theo Stockman to the curb and GET ON THAT before he realizes he's gay. They would makes SUCH a cute couple with their matching coloring. It would be DELICIOUS. I ship it so hard.
Sometimes it's the unlikeliest couples that you end up rooting for the most. Ryan Atwood and Taylor Townsend. Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey. BLACHEL.
But it also had the dreaded Blaine-questions-his-sexuality plot line. The more I think about it, the more I actually like this storyline. Not because of some bullshit Mary Sue wish fulfillment pandering, but because it's just plain new. "Glee" is not exactly praised for its plot and character development. This episode had characters behaving in ways we haven't seen them before (from Rachel's drinking to Blaine's confusion to Santana's crying). I was happy to finally learn more about Blaine. Last week we learned that he is overly theatrical and surprisingly insecure. He also seems to be kind of...what's the word? Flaky? Easily distracted? Fickle? He seems like the kind of person who falls madly, passionately in love with a different person every day. He seems like the kind of person who likes shiny objects. He also seems like he's never met a grand gesture he didn't like or a fight he wouldn't pick. In these ways he is actually kind of perfect for Rachel Berry. (They really HAD to make her fall for a gay guy at some point.)
I believe in the Kinsey scale and the fluidity of sexuality. I think most everyone has been attracted to both sexes in some way. Sometimes those feelings are really buried and sometimes we act on them. It seems perfectly believable to me that a high school boy would experiment. I haven't done the statistical research here, but I am willing to bet that most people who identify as homosexual have kissed members of the opposite sex before, most likely when they were young (and drunk). Why wouldn't Blaine be curious? He goes to an all-boys school so we can assume that he's had limited contact with girls his age.
Kurt's angry protestations also have merit and I don't think they were just Ryan Murphy & Co. covering their asses. Why do people stay in the closet? Why do gay guys get fake girlfriends? If you could choose between being gay or straight, would you choose the tougher path, the one paved with bullying and fights for your rights? Again, why wouldn't Blaine want to at least explore the other path? It's human nature to want your life to be easier.
The other thing is the Darren Criss factor. With the exception of the fight with Kurt (which was wildly overplayed on Criss' side), Criss nailed this story line. He was nearly as hilarious as Michele in the drunk scene and seeing Blaine let loose was a welcome change and really sexy to boot. He also had such believable chemistry with Rachel that it actually made me nervous. I think that is how a normal girl would respond to that spark. Seeing someone she previously thought of as a nonthreatening friend in a romantic light should have freaked her out a least a little bit, especially since he is Kurt's de facto boyfriend. But Rachel is insane, so I forgive.
It also occurred to me that I was possibly picking up on Darren Criss' alleged heterosexuality. And if that is the case, I have to strongly recommend to Lea Michele that she kick Theo Stockman to the curb and GET ON THAT before he realizes he's gay. They would makes SUCH a cute couple with their matching coloring. It would be DELICIOUS. I ship it so hard.
Sometimes it's the unlikeliest couples that you end up rooting for the most. Ryan Atwood and Taylor Townsend. Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey. BLACHEL.