News at 11: Glee annoyed the shit out of me tonight
I have lots of feelings about Glee. There were many things wrong with this episode. There were also a few right things. Since there are less of those, I'll start with the good:
Kurt and his dad's relationship has always been one of the few consistently great things about Glee. Mike O'Malley is incredible and even though he was only awake for 5 minutes in this episode, he did not disappoint. Chris Colfer also knocked it out of the park and while his version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was basically the Across the Universe arrangement, it was the one truly moving piece of the night and those flashbacks? Can't lie, I cried. A lot.
I also liked Kurt's emotions during this episode. They felt real, because they are real. As someone who actually saw her dad on the verge of death in a hospital bed when she was a teenager, I can tell you there is a lot of anger and crying and unwanted help. I didn't react in the exact way Kurt did (there was lots of avoidance on my part, but that's how I am) but the emotions felt real for him and it made me pretty emotional, thinking about my own past with that.
Now for everything I didn't like, which was pretty much everything else (besides Sue and Puck).
Since we're on the subject of Kurt's dad, let's talk about how fucked up it was of Quinn, Mercedes and FUCKING RACHEL to sing and pray for the man IN HIS GODDAMN HOSPITAL ROOM. I understand that their intentions were good but that is SO incredibly invasive, offensive and creepy. RACHEL TOUCHED HIS HEAD WHILE SHE SANG BARARA STREISAND. WHO DOES THAT???? I'm gonna tell you, if I walked into my dad's hospital room when I was 15 and some of my friends were standing around, praying and singing to him? I would have flipped my shit. That is not your place to do that. If you want to pray for him, even though Kurt didn't want it, that's one thing. DO NOT DO IT IN THE MAN'S HOSPITAL ROOM WHEN YOU ARE NOT INVITED, JESUS ACTUAL CHRIST.
And speaking of Jesus, the religious overtones of this episode were done so shitty. I knew they would be when I heard they were doing this episode, but god, Glee, no. I did appreciate Sue and Kurt's atheism as a valid viewpoint and that they didn't magically find God at the end of the episode (I was worried they were going there with Kurt although, it could be argued that they sort of did with Sue.) However, it was still not okay for the religious Glee kids to try and convert Kurt all damn episode, especially when he's going through such an intense time. First of all, that is INCREDIBLY annoying when you're going through such a wretched time in your life that has no way to be fixed. Secondly, Mercedes, you DON'T have to believe in something, you really don't. I don't identify as atheist but I respect anyone that does. You don't have to believe in shit if you don't want to, that's the beauty of being a human being.
I am willing to concede that it was incredibly realistic of religious people to swoop in and try and save someone who's hurting with religion. However, what bothers me (and what bothers me so much about Glee) is that it never makes it clear that this is not okay to do. Mercedes was not trying to hurt Kurt in anyway, but what she did was not okay. But because she sang "bridge over troubled water" to Kurt with her choir, it is, according to Glee. Kurt told everyone that he appreciated their thoughts and sentiments but not they're prayers. So after that, all anyone should have done is given him their thoughts and sentiments. When you are going through something so impossible and so fucked up, especially when you're in high school, you just want someone to hold your hand, listen to you cry and rant and then take you out for ice cream to help you think about something else, even just for a second. If you want someone to pray for you, that's great, that's your decision. But if you don't? You are allowed to get pissed off when people keep telling you that they're keeping you in their prayers. And Glee didn't make that clear, like how it never makes anything clear. Like it doesn't make it obvious that Will and Artie blaming Emma and Tina for dumping is fucked up and EXACTLY why they broke up with them in the first place.
Oh also? "LOSING MY RELIGION"? NOT ABOUT LOSING ONE'S RELIGION. I know you enjoy being heavy-handed, Glee, but for fuck's sake, DO SOME DAMN RESEARCH.
Kurt and his dad's relationship has always been one of the few consistently great things about Glee. Mike O'Malley is incredible and even though he was only awake for 5 minutes in this episode, he did not disappoint. Chris Colfer also knocked it out of the park and while his version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was basically the Across the Universe arrangement, it was the one truly moving piece of the night and those flashbacks? Can't lie, I cried. A lot.
I also liked Kurt's emotions during this episode. They felt real, because they are real. As someone who actually saw her dad on the verge of death in a hospital bed when she was a teenager, I can tell you there is a lot of anger and crying and unwanted help. I didn't react in the exact way Kurt did (there was lots of avoidance on my part, but that's how I am) but the emotions felt real for him and it made me pretty emotional, thinking about my own past with that.
Now for everything I didn't like, which was pretty much everything else (besides Sue and Puck).
Since we're on the subject of Kurt's dad, let's talk about how fucked up it was of Quinn, Mercedes and FUCKING RACHEL to sing and pray for the man IN HIS GODDAMN HOSPITAL ROOM. I understand that their intentions were good but that is SO incredibly invasive, offensive and creepy. RACHEL TOUCHED HIS HEAD WHILE SHE SANG BARARA STREISAND. WHO DOES THAT???? I'm gonna tell you, if I walked into my dad's hospital room when I was 15 and some of my friends were standing around, praying and singing to him? I would have flipped my shit. That is not your place to do that. If you want to pray for him, even though Kurt didn't want it, that's one thing. DO NOT DO IT IN THE MAN'S HOSPITAL ROOM WHEN YOU ARE NOT INVITED, JESUS ACTUAL CHRIST.
And speaking of Jesus, the religious overtones of this episode were done so shitty. I knew they would be when I heard they were doing this episode, but god, Glee, no. I did appreciate Sue and Kurt's atheism as a valid viewpoint and that they didn't magically find God at the end of the episode (I was worried they were going there with Kurt although, it could be argued that they sort of did with Sue.) However, it was still not okay for the religious Glee kids to try and convert Kurt all damn episode, especially when he's going through such an intense time. First of all, that is INCREDIBLY annoying when you're going through such a wretched time in your life that has no way to be fixed. Secondly, Mercedes, you DON'T have to believe in something, you really don't. I don't identify as atheist but I respect anyone that does. You don't have to believe in shit if you don't want to, that's the beauty of being a human being.
I am willing to concede that it was incredibly realistic of religious people to swoop in and try and save someone who's hurting with religion. However, what bothers me (and what bothers me so much about Glee) is that it never makes it clear that this is not okay to do. Mercedes was not trying to hurt Kurt in anyway, but what she did was not okay. But because she sang "bridge over troubled water" to Kurt with her choir, it is, according to Glee. Kurt told everyone that he appreciated their thoughts and sentiments but not they're prayers. So after that, all anyone should have done is given him their thoughts and sentiments. When you are going through something so impossible and so fucked up, especially when you're in high school, you just want someone to hold your hand, listen to you cry and rant and then take you out for ice cream to help you think about something else, even just for a second. If you want someone to pray for you, that's great, that's your decision. But if you don't? You are allowed to get pissed off when people keep telling you that they're keeping you in their prayers. And Glee didn't make that clear, like how it never makes anything clear. Like it doesn't make it obvious that Will and Artie blaming Emma and Tina for dumping is fucked up and EXACTLY why they broke up with them in the first place.
Oh also? "LOSING MY RELIGION"? NOT ABOUT LOSING ONE'S RELIGION. I know you enjoy being heavy-handed, Glee, but for fuck's sake, DO SOME DAMN RESEARCH.