Review: Glee 0201 'Audition'
Rating: 8 out of 10
Six-Word-Summery: Time to fuck with character dynamics
So. New season. Kinda nervous to see this one 'cos seven months of fandom has cemented all my essential headcanon for season 2 and it physically aches me to watch Ryan Murphy systematically tear it all down but, y'know, it's his show I guess...
I'd heard lots of unlovely things about 'Audition', so maybe I wasn't expecting much-- but I was pleasantly surprised at the end of fifteen minutes when the break came and I was literally BEAMING WITH JOY. Actual joy. Or glee maybe is more appropriate-- BEAMING WITH GLEE. I actually went downstairs and hugged my mother, I was so pathetic.
'Cos the first fifteen minutes were really good. 'Glee's big GAY summer'? EPIC. Jacob's blog needs to exist somewhere on the internet, this is a merchandising trick the producers (bizarrely) have totally overlooked. Have some of these, just for the lols:
Quinn might be my favourite character of this ep. I like how to the birth of Beth and it's effects on her haven't been totally forgotten and come out in different ways, like her explaining to Jacob at the beginning that she's a lot less hormonal now, then later on when she freakin' almost breaks Santana's face during their head-Cheerio bitch-fight. I believe that. And I love that she's head Cheerio again. I know, Cheerios are evil, and I really wanted Quinn not to need the affirmation of being 'popular' again, but I understand her reasons for doing it; I love that she gets back in on her own terms, and that little reappearance of manipulative-bitch-Quinn when she cites her logic to Sue during tryouts made me have a happy squee moment :).
Related, I also really like Santana in this. I mean, Santana ROCKS anyway, but that wee explanation she gives Sue about her boob-job ('I just wanted people to notice me more') and how she says it in such a matter-of-fact way hints at alot more character development to come, and I hope we actually get to see some of that.
One person who's bitchiness I don't appreciate is a certain Miss Tina Cohen-Chang's. I mean, when did she become evil? Fair enough, pulling Rachel up for putting Sunshine in near-mortal danger, but call her a 'crazy little freak' to her face?? What happened to Tina being the shy one? Ok, she might have a hot jock boyfriend now, but surely that doesn't require a total personality transplant? Maybe Mike Chang's abs have magical powers?... (to be honest, it wouldn't surprise me. They are pretty awe-inspiring).
And yay for Artie almost getting a storyline!! I love Artie immensely, and he was totally underused last season-- again, I hope that's something the writers are going to change. I hope he does get to tryout for the football team but, more than that, I hope he figures out why Tina broke up with him in the first place. Boy needs to seriously sort himself out if he wants that girl back. It freaked me out actually, that whole 'I was playin' a monster round of Halo woman!' explanation? I know so many guys who think that's actually legitimate :(.
Which brings us on to Finn. He has the sulky face back on, which is dull, but I'm so glad he and Rachel's relationship isn't being painted all shiny happy rainbows. I was kind of impressed with his maturity, when he's talking straight to Rachel about her selfishness, and how that was juxtaposed against his total dismay at being kicked off the football team and his admittance that he still really wanted to be popular. And OMG THAT CHEERIO TRYOUT was kind of heartbreaking. I welcome complex, slightly-more-mature Finn. Although I really hope he puts the sulky face away after a while, 'cos there's only so much feet-stomping behaviour I can stand.
Ok, I realise I'm going on and on, but characterisation is like my whole deal and inconsistant characterisation (which Glee specialises in) pisses the hell out of me. So sue me for caring.
Plot-wise I have to kind of say: 'What plot'? Not that there wasn't one. In fact, it was really that there was too much plot for one episode, never mind a season opener. The happenings of 'Audition' could easily have been split into two far more coherant episodes, which would have probably spared me that 'woah wtf was that all about?' feeling I had at the end of this one. I mean, Quinn's issues, Santana's issues, Finn, Rachel, Tina, Artie, Beiste, Sam and Sunshine's issues? TOO MUCH guys, and it made alot of the glee club's interactions feel more like exposition than character development. Like Rachel trying to convince Kurt and Mercedes to back her in her plan for foiling Sunshine-- that's pretty much all exposition, explaining to the audience what Rachel's doing, rather than actual character interaction. Same with Tina and Mike uncovering Rachel's plot. It's a lazy way of doing television, and although I liked the individual storylines, I feel that if they'd been given more room to breathe, they could have been alot more like genuine storytelling than just scene-setting. 'Cos really, that's what they were: setting up Sunshine in Vocal Adrenaline, setting up Sam as Finn's rival, setting up the Schue/Bieste/Sue triangle.
And why, why did there need to be a Rachel Berry solo at the end? Especially one that was entirely thematically inconsistant. Rachel didn't do any of it for love, she did it out of selfishness. Really, I just kind of laughed over the whole number, 'cos Rachel's angst came out of nowhere and really doesn't suit her, and it's like the producers have just forgotten how to end a story if there isn't a song there. *Sigh*.
Ok. Long ramble was long and rambly. I'll try and come back and edit later. I did enjoy 'Audition'-- and I enjoy it more on the rewatch-- as happens with most of Glee; but I think that might be more to do with the 'ooh, new Glee!!!' thing than the actual quality of the episode.
Summary of my feelings? I like most of what they're doing with the characters, but for an opening episode it kind of drowned in it's own exposition. On the plus side, Jacob and Sue still on top form, but really, there is NO NEED for Rachel Berry to always have a solo.
I probably won't get to see Brittany/Britney tomorrow 'cos delinquent sis is home and has booked up all of my time, but hopefully I'll catch it on 4OD before the Saturday repeat (seriously? Saturday repeat? Who does that?)
In other, duller, news: I have to go to the opticians tomorrow so they can inform me that yes, once again, my eyesight has deteriorated more than expected and would now be a good time for a guide dog? It's dispiriting :(. I also have a bunch of Eastwood Park Theatre blog entries to write, not to mention the three or four fluff_meme stories I've been working on that have eaten my brain yet refuse to actually work on paper :(. Mondays suck.
BUT: do you see how adorable my icon is? It's freakin' adorable. Little twirly Rachel and pissed off Kurt? <3
xxx
Six-Word-Summery: Time to fuck with character dynamics
So. New season. Kinda nervous to see this one 'cos seven months of fandom has cemented all my essential headcanon for season 2 and it physically aches me to watch Ryan Murphy systematically tear it all down but, y'know, it's his show I guess...
I'd heard lots of unlovely things about 'Audition', so maybe I wasn't expecting much-- but I was pleasantly surprised at the end of fifteen minutes when the break came and I was literally BEAMING WITH JOY. Actual joy. Or glee maybe is more appropriate-- BEAMING WITH GLEE. I actually went downstairs and hugged my mother, I was so pathetic.
'Cos the first fifteen minutes were really good. 'Glee's big GAY summer'? EPIC. Jacob's blog needs to exist somewhere on the internet, this is a merchandising trick the producers (bizarrely) have totally overlooked. Have some of these, just for the lols:
- "Rachel's what's called a controllist..."
- "...The kids don't like it when I rap?"
- "When are you slated to make your triumphant return to the Shire?"
- "When are you glee kids going to realise everybody hates you? That you're nothing but a glorified karaoke club designed to make the inventors of auto-tune millions of dollars???!"
Quinn might be my favourite character of this ep. I like how to the birth of Beth and it's effects on her haven't been totally forgotten and come out in different ways, like her explaining to Jacob at the beginning that she's a lot less hormonal now, then later on when she freakin' almost breaks Santana's face during their head-Cheerio bitch-fight. I believe that. And I love that she's head Cheerio again. I know, Cheerios are evil, and I really wanted Quinn not to need the affirmation of being 'popular' again, but I understand her reasons for doing it; I love that she gets back in on her own terms, and that little reappearance of manipulative-bitch-Quinn when she cites her logic to Sue during tryouts made me have a happy squee moment :).
Related, I also really like Santana in this. I mean, Santana ROCKS anyway, but that wee explanation she gives Sue about her boob-job ('I just wanted people to notice me more') and how she says it in such a matter-of-fact way hints at alot more character development to come, and I hope we actually get to see some of that.
One person who's bitchiness I don't appreciate is a certain Miss Tina Cohen-Chang's. I mean, when did she become evil? Fair enough, pulling Rachel up for putting Sunshine in near-mortal danger, but call her a 'crazy little freak' to her face?? What happened to Tina being the shy one? Ok, she might have a hot jock boyfriend now, but surely that doesn't require a total personality transplant? Maybe Mike Chang's abs have magical powers?... (to be honest, it wouldn't surprise me. They are pretty awe-inspiring).
And yay for Artie almost getting a storyline!! I love Artie immensely, and he was totally underused last season-- again, I hope that's something the writers are going to change. I hope he does get to tryout for the football team but, more than that, I hope he figures out why Tina broke up with him in the first place. Boy needs to seriously sort himself out if he wants that girl back. It freaked me out actually, that whole 'I was playin' a monster round of Halo woman!' explanation? I know so many guys who think that's actually legitimate :(.
Which brings us on to Finn. He has the sulky face back on, which is dull, but I'm so glad he and Rachel's relationship isn't being painted all shiny happy rainbows. I was kind of impressed with his maturity, when he's talking straight to Rachel about her selfishness, and how that was juxtaposed against his total dismay at being kicked off the football team and his admittance that he still really wanted to be popular. And OMG THAT CHEERIO TRYOUT was kind of heartbreaking. I welcome complex, slightly-more-mature Finn. Although I really hope he puts the sulky face away after a while, 'cos there's only so much feet-stomping behaviour I can stand.
Ok, I realise I'm going on and on, but characterisation is like my whole deal and inconsistant characterisation (which Glee specialises in) pisses the hell out of me. So sue me for caring.
Plot-wise I have to kind of say: 'What plot'? Not that there wasn't one. In fact, it was really that there was too much plot for one episode, never mind a season opener. The happenings of 'Audition' could easily have been split into two far more coherant episodes, which would have probably spared me that 'woah wtf was that all about?' feeling I had at the end of this one. I mean, Quinn's issues, Santana's issues, Finn, Rachel, Tina, Artie, Beiste, Sam and Sunshine's issues? TOO MUCH guys, and it made alot of the glee club's interactions feel more like exposition than character development. Like Rachel trying to convince Kurt and Mercedes to back her in her plan for foiling Sunshine-- that's pretty much all exposition, explaining to the audience what Rachel's doing, rather than actual character interaction. Same with Tina and Mike uncovering Rachel's plot. It's a lazy way of doing television, and although I liked the individual storylines, I feel that if they'd been given more room to breathe, they could have been alot more like genuine storytelling than just scene-setting. 'Cos really, that's what they were: setting up Sunshine in Vocal Adrenaline, setting up Sam as Finn's rival, setting up the Schue/Bieste/Sue triangle.
And why, why did there need to be a Rachel Berry solo at the end? Especially one that was entirely thematically inconsistant. Rachel didn't do any of it for love, she did it out of selfishness. Really, I just kind of laughed over the whole number, 'cos Rachel's angst came out of nowhere and really doesn't suit her, and it's like the producers have just forgotten how to end a story if there isn't a song there. *Sigh*.
Ok. Long ramble was long and rambly. I'll try and come back and edit later. I did enjoy 'Audition'-- and I enjoy it more on the rewatch-- as happens with most of Glee; but I think that might be more to do with the 'ooh, new Glee!!!' thing than the actual quality of the episode.
Summary of my feelings? I like most of what they're doing with the characters, but for an opening episode it kind of drowned in it's own exposition. On the plus side, Jacob and Sue still on top form, but really, there is NO NEED for Rachel Berry to always have a solo.
I probably won't get to see Brittany/Britney tomorrow 'cos delinquent sis is home and has booked up all of my time, but hopefully I'll catch it on 4OD before the Saturday repeat (seriously? Saturday repeat? Who does that?)
In other, duller, news: I have to go to the opticians tomorrow so they can inform me that yes, once again, my eyesight has deteriorated more than expected and would now be a good time for a guide dog? It's dispiriting :(. I also have a bunch of Eastwood Park Theatre blog entries to write, not to mention the three or four fluff_meme stories I've been working on that have eaten my brain yet refuse to actually work on paper :(. Mondays suck.
BUT: do you see how adorable my icon is? It's freakin' adorable. Little twirly Rachel and pissed off Kurt? <3
xxx