"I've Got Something to Say . . ."
It will probably surprise no one that I have thoughts about the Rocky Horror Glee show.
First, in the realm of the silly, I'd like to note that it's very strange trying to do callback lines for something that sometimes, but not always, directly follows Rocky Horror. Basically all non-singing scenes were cut, and some lines from the songs were edited ("a sweet transvestite from sensational Transylvania"?) or cut. Certainly the shots weren't always the same. (Apparently those lips did NOT die for your sins.)
As for the episode, I have to give them props for the idea. Combining Rocky Horror and Glee - that's brilliance. The singing and dancing were, true to form, awesome. The plotline of the episode, though, leaves me disappointed. This seems to be a theme of Season Three so far.
I don't know whether the show got new writers or anything, but it seems like most of the recent episodes follow Will Schuster as he becomes increasingly self-centered, creepy, and pathetic. I'm not even sure whether he's supposed to be likable anymore. I actually sort of worry that he is, because each episode seems to end with him learning his lesson (however temporarily) and the kids and Emma, among others, seem to believe that he's a wonderful, devoted teacher/glee coach. Meanwhile, all he's doing is making desperate, dishonest, and totally inappropriate attempts to get Emma to break up with her seemingly-a-good-guy boyfriend for him. And the biggest problem: episodes keep focusing on that. Most of the glee kids are great characters with their own plotlines that are WAY MORE INTERESTING than Schuster's (and often more sympathetic, though many characters seem a bit jerkier this season than before).
Part of the issue is that most of Schuster's schemes to win Emma's affection are clearly bad ideas from the get-go, making him look like a total idiot. (Seriously, Schu? You think she'll want you if you have a fancy car? That belief was kind of a stretch for the teenaged Peter Parker in the first Spider-Man movie.) Plus, he keeps using the glee club as a tool in his plans. Emma thinks he needs to loosen up? All right, he'll get the glee kids to put on a highly sexual performance of "Toxic," with him at center stage. Emma likes The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Great, he'll have the glee kids put it on as the school musical, never mind that it makes lots of them (and their parents) uncomfortable, and use it to get Emma to rehearse sexy scenes with him. (Also, does it occur to anyone else that, after the glee kids worked hard and, theoretically, rehearsed for a long time, he cancels the show, leaving them with no musical to put on at all?)
It just makes things worse that we get hints of the interesting goings-on with the ACTUALLY LIKABLE characters, like Finn and Sam's insecurities and Mercedes being happy to finally get a lead role. Who in the world decided to focus the episode on Mr. Schuster?
. . . Anyway, I do have to give credit to whoever it was (Erika, I think) who told me that audiences will forgive most anything in a Rocky Horror show if you have a good Time Warp. The episode has a great Time Warp at the end, and I was mollified somewhat.
Was also vastly entertained when a housemate informed me that Emma's new boyfriend is played by the same actor as Uncle Jesse of Full House. Haha!
First, in the realm of the silly, I'd like to note that it's very strange trying to do callback lines for something that sometimes, but not always, directly follows Rocky Horror. Basically all non-singing scenes were cut, and some lines from the songs were edited ("a sweet transvestite from sensational Transylvania"?) or cut. Certainly the shots weren't always the same. (Apparently those lips did NOT die for your sins.)
As for the episode, I have to give them props for the idea. Combining Rocky Horror and Glee - that's brilliance. The singing and dancing were, true to form, awesome. The plotline of the episode, though, leaves me disappointed. This seems to be a theme of Season Three so far.
I don't know whether the show got new writers or anything, but it seems like most of the recent episodes follow Will Schuster as he becomes increasingly self-centered, creepy, and pathetic. I'm not even sure whether he's supposed to be likable anymore. I actually sort of worry that he is, because each episode seems to end with him learning his lesson (however temporarily) and the kids and Emma, among others, seem to believe that he's a wonderful, devoted teacher/glee coach. Meanwhile, all he's doing is making desperate, dishonest, and totally inappropriate attempts to get Emma to break up with her seemingly-a-good-guy boyfriend for him. And the biggest problem: episodes keep focusing on that. Most of the glee kids are great characters with their own plotlines that are WAY MORE INTERESTING than Schuster's (and often more sympathetic, though many characters seem a bit jerkier this season than before).
Part of the issue is that most of Schuster's schemes to win Emma's affection are clearly bad ideas from the get-go, making him look like a total idiot. (Seriously, Schu? You think she'll want you if you have a fancy car? That belief was kind of a stretch for the teenaged Peter Parker in the first Spider-Man movie.) Plus, he keeps using the glee club as a tool in his plans. Emma thinks he needs to loosen up? All right, he'll get the glee kids to put on a highly sexual performance of "Toxic," with him at center stage. Emma likes The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Great, he'll have the glee kids put it on as the school musical, never mind that it makes lots of them (and their parents) uncomfortable, and use it to get Emma to rehearse sexy scenes with him. (Also, does it occur to anyone else that, after the glee kids worked hard and, theoretically, rehearsed for a long time, he cancels the show, leaving them with no musical to put on at all?)
It just makes things worse that we get hints of the interesting goings-on with the ACTUALLY LIKABLE characters, like Finn and Sam's insecurities and Mercedes being happy to finally get a lead role. Who in the world decided to focus the episode on Mr. Schuster?
. . . Anyway, I do have to give credit to whoever it was (Erika, I think) who told me that audiences will forgive most anything in a Rocky Horror show if you have a good Time Warp. The episode has a great Time Warp at the end, and I was mollified somewhat.
Was also vastly entertained when a housemate informed me that Emma's new boyfriend is played by the same actor as Uncle Jesse of Full House. Haha!