Gleeview: The Spanish Teacher
Spoiler Alert!
Sue Sylvester made this episode. Ricky Martin's role was okay, better than I expected actually, but I didn't really care whether he got to be a "regular" Spanish teacher or not. Sam and Mercedes' story advanced but wasn't resolved. Will and Emma weathered another bump in their road to happily ever after. The second best part of the episode was the lingering doubts over Finn and Rachel's future, but Sue made the episode funny.
But, Glee, at least in my mind, has set a high standard for itself. So, a less-than-stellar episode isn't really surprising, and when they happen they're usually the themed ones like this one. Regardless, there were some storyline advancements, a couple of them very positive, that I'll lay out below.
Will/Emma
Mr. Schuester, Spanish teacher, is no more. Let's face it, there are high school teachers out there who don't really have a firm grasp on the subject they teach. So, the idea that Will didn't know much Spanish wasn't that far-fetched. He's a good enough teacher to have been able to get the information from a curriculum and pass it along. The irony in this episode, of course, was that he learned his flaws in the midst of berating his fiancée for hers. I also liked that Santana was the one to point them out...without unnecessarily insulting him.
I liked the pamphlets theme. Those pamphlet titles really are ridiculously over-the-top and funny, but obviously they do have ironically good advice. Not everyone appreciates irony. I do, so I liked that Emma got the tenured position. She obviously cares about her students, even if she isn't always able to get past her own issues to get to the heart of their issues.
Sam/Mercedes
Again, this wasn't resolved. There was more irony. The two of them experimented with not communicating for a week. The misconception, at least in my mind, is that the art of communication has been lost in the digital age. This storyline highlighted the opposing view. The problem is we still don't know the real results of the experiment. We know Sam and Mercedes missed each other, but we don't know what Mercedes wants out of their relationship. Oh, but I liked that the background music to their last scene was a slow, instrumental version (or at least an excerpt) of "Summer Lovin'"
Finn/Rachel
I was happy to see someone try to talk sense into Finn. He needs that. He definitely will not be happy carrying Rachel's purse while she walks the red carpet for the rest of his life. The only way they can possibly have a future together is if he finds one on his own that doesn't interfere with hers. But, the fact that everyone who hears about their engagement so far are pretty much horrified by the idea should be telling them both something. And, by the way, who hugs when they get engaged? Probably a couple who has the communication issues that Finn and Rachel have. They rarely speak to each other about important things, and they almost never listen to each other unless they're singing lyrics that don't precisely convey what they're trying to say.
So, anyway, the Valentine's episode airs next week, so we'll see what happens.
Favorite Sue Sylvester Lines:
I list these with no context. They're still funny.
(To Kurt) You too, porcelain. Let the strangeness end with you.
(To Will) And now, seeing as how I find bald infants terrifying, I'm going to need a few ounces of your baby gravy to ensure Sue Sylvester, Jr. is born with a full head of hair.
Cheerleading magazines are right here. Have fun.
(To Emma) Have a seat, Ladybird Hollow Pelvis.
I doubt your avian frame could withstand the rigors of childbirth.
(To Santana) Oh, stop with the lies, sweater meat, or you'll be hocking nude glosses of yourself behind the dumpster of Hooter's by the weekend.
(To Becky) When I saw one written in crayon, I knew it was either you or Brittany, and you're the better speller.
Musical Rundown
"La Cucaracha"--This was a joke number, and it was funny. It set the tone for Will's impending doom as a Spanish Teacher.
"Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO--This was Ricky Martin being performer Ricky Martin, playing up his sex appeal. As mentioned above, I expected his part to be eye-roll worthy, but it wasn't. This was fun at least.
"Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan--This was the best number, musically, of the episode, in my opinion. But, that was an easy contest to win amongst novelty numbers playing up stereotypes and Ricky Martin.
"Bamboleo"/"Hero" by Gipsy Kings/Enrique Iglesias--The guys did well with this. It was a suitable response from Sam to Mercedes' message to him.
"La Isla Bonita" by Madonna--Ricky Martin was okay here, but Naya Rivera (Santana) made this number something to watch. She always surprises me. I don't know why anymore.
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley--Would you believe this is the first Elvis song performed on Glee? I don't know if they've had a hard time securing rights or what, but I would have thought they would have done one sooner. Anyway, this was supposed to be Will's last desperate attempt at being a competent Spanish teacher, but it backfired for good reason. I actually kind of liked it musically, but obviously the costume and the actual content of the song was a disaster waiting to happen, which it did.
Sue Sylvester made this episode. Ricky Martin's role was okay, better than I expected actually, but I didn't really care whether he got to be a "regular" Spanish teacher or not. Sam and Mercedes' story advanced but wasn't resolved. Will and Emma weathered another bump in their road to happily ever after. The second best part of the episode was the lingering doubts over Finn and Rachel's future, but Sue made the episode funny.
But, Glee, at least in my mind, has set a high standard for itself. So, a less-than-stellar episode isn't really surprising, and when they happen they're usually the themed ones like this one. Regardless, there were some storyline advancements, a couple of them very positive, that I'll lay out below.
Will/Emma
Mr. Schuester, Spanish teacher, is no more. Let's face it, there are high school teachers out there who don't really have a firm grasp on the subject they teach. So, the idea that Will didn't know much Spanish wasn't that far-fetched. He's a good enough teacher to have been able to get the information from a curriculum and pass it along. The irony in this episode, of course, was that he learned his flaws in the midst of berating his fiancée for hers. I also liked that Santana was the one to point them out...without unnecessarily insulting him.
I liked the pamphlets theme. Those pamphlet titles really are ridiculously over-the-top and funny, but obviously they do have ironically good advice. Not everyone appreciates irony. I do, so I liked that Emma got the tenured position. She obviously cares about her students, even if she isn't always able to get past her own issues to get to the heart of their issues.
Sam/Mercedes
Again, this wasn't resolved. There was more irony. The two of them experimented with not communicating for a week. The misconception, at least in my mind, is that the art of communication has been lost in the digital age. This storyline highlighted the opposing view. The problem is we still don't know the real results of the experiment. We know Sam and Mercedes missed each other, but we don't know what Mercedes wants out of their relationship. Oh, but I liked that the background music to their last scene was a slow, instrumental version (or at least an excerpt) of "Summer Lovin'"
Finn/Rachel
I was happy to see someone try to talk sense into Finn. He needs that. He definitely will not be happy carrying Rachel's purse while she walks the red carpet for the rest of his life. The only way they can possibly have a future together is if he finds one on his own that doesn't interfere with hers. But, the fact that everyone who hears about their engagement so far are pretty much horrified by the idea should be telling them both something. And, by the way, who hugs when they get engaged? Probably a couple who has the communication issues that Finn and Rachel have. They rarely speak to each other about important things, and they almost never listen to each other unless they're singing lyrics that don't precisely convey what they're trying to say.
So, anyway, the Valentine's episode airs next week, so we'll see what happens.
Favorite Sue Sylvester Lines:
I list these with no context. They're still funny.
(To Kurt) You too, porcelain. Let the strangeness end with you.
(To Will) And now, seeing as how I find bald infants terrifying, I'm going to need a few ounces of your baby gravy to ensure Sue Sylvester, Jr. is born with a full head of hair.
Cheerleading magazines are right here. Have fun.
(To Emma) Have a seat, Ladybird Hollow Pelvis.
I doubt your avian frame could withstand the rigors of childbirth.
(To Santana) Oh, stop with the lies, sweater meat, or you'll be hocking nude glosses of yourself behind the dumpster of Hooter's by the weekend.
(To Becky) When I saw one written in crayon, I knew it was either you or Brittany, and you're the better speller.
Musical Rundown
"La Cucaracha"--This was a joke number, and it was funny. It set the tone for Will's impending doom as a Spanish Teacher.
"Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO--This was Ricky Martin being performer Ricky Martin, playing up his sex appeal. As mentioned above, I expected his part to be eye-roll worthy, but it wasn't. This was fun at least.
"Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan--This was the best number, musically, of the episode, in my opinion. But, that was an easy contest to win amongst novelty numbers playing up stereotypes and Ricky Martin.
"Bamboleo"/"Hero" by Gipsy Kings/Enrique Iglesias--The guys did well with this. It was a suitable response from Sam to Mercedes' message to him.
"La Isla Bonita" by Madonna--Ricky Martin was okay here, but Naya Rivera (Santana) made this number something to watch. She always surprises me. I don't know why anymore.
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley--Would you believe this is the first Elvis song performed on Glee? I don't know if they've had a hard time securing rights or what, but I would have thought they would have done one sooner. Anyway, this was supposed to be Will's last desperate attempt at being a competent Spanish teacher, but it backfired for good reason. I actually kind of liked it musically, but obviously the costume and the actual content of the song was a disaster waiting to happen, which it did.