"I don't care / I love it!" And so goes the chorus of Icona Pop's current chart-climbing hit covered on last night's GLEE. And, so, too, goes Glee 4.0 as it is - or, now, as it was. Indeed, this was a game-changing year for the pop culture mainstay and the season finale was a fulfilling sampling of many of the reasons why. Plus: Patty Duke!
To Love It More
The question has been answered: Unique (
Alex Newell) is the catfish. Ryder (
Blake Jenner) took the news relatively well, although the fall-out for the faux friendship is sure to be felt next season - an act of deception in a relationship that obviously intimate has lasting reverberations. And, while Unique's heart may have been in the right place, presenting himself as something he is not - in the form of a photograph of someone else entirely - is totally inexcusable, wrong and unfair to the other party, and, therefore, what will be will be with Ryder and understandably so, it seems. And, as for other unwanted affections, the cliffhanger of the entire episode hinged upon Blaine (
Darren Criss) proposing marriage to Kurt (
Chris Colfer) with a ring purchased from none other than guest star
Patty Duke - yes, camp queen and VALLEY OF THE DOLLS star Neely O'Hara herself - who popped up on the heartwarming largely love-themed ep alongside famous FAMILY TIES TV mom Meredith Baxter. While that is yet another storyline we will have to wait nine months to see play out further, the real-life pregnancy of GLEE actress
Heather Morris seemed to clearly inform many aspects of the rest of the Brittany-heavy ep - apparently, a sort of bidding adieu to her, fireworks and fanfare included.
Thus, "
Glee by Brittany" - or so it was billed - gave us not one, but two helpings of the internationally recognized, Lord Tubbington-produced/directed web series FONDUE FOR TWO - with guests Sue Sylvester (
Jane Lynch) and
Santana (
Naya Rivera), no less, this go-round - as well as a tearful pre-Regionals performance group confession session led by Brittany. Additionally, a coda moment with Brittany and
Santana sharing a private exchange showed signs of a future for the pair, even with Brittany now on her way to MIT - yes, you read that right: MIT. She was an idiot savant, after all, you see - or, if you prefer: genius all along (whether she knew it or not). So, what exactly does that make Lord Tubbington then? In what capacity Morris will return in the next two seasons is unknown, but this S4 finale was a fitting farewell tribute to a character we will always remember for "My Cups" from a season finale not too long ago and many other memorable moments.
"All Or Nothing", written by
Ian Brennan and directed by Bradley Buecker, pleasingly picked up where the last two weeks have left off and tied up many of the loose ends of Season Four and planted the seeds for some new
Glee trees to grow - with ample room for some thorny bushes to grow here and there, too. While it did not quite deliver in the musical department in quite the same way as last year's positively spine-tingling and fingernail chew-worthy Nationals penultimate show - with Rachel (
Lea Michele) and New Directions leading the stunning
Jim Steinman medley ("It's All Coming Back To Me Now" and "Paradise By The Dashboard Light") - nor was it quite the theatrical paean such as we saw in the S2 final show (which even had
Patti LuPone), "All Or Nothing" gave us almost all we could hope for insofar as a harmonious marriage of the two divergent parts of
Glee 4.0 as we now know it goes - that is: the Lima, OH, story and that of Rachel, Kurt,
Santana and NYADA in New York City.
On that topic, Rachel had her big Broadway callback audition and appeared to nail it with a spirited singing of the
Celine Dion standard "To Love You More", which began the ep proper. Evidently, this has been a song Michele and many fans have yearned for her to cover on the series - as has one of the creators himself - since virtually the inception of GLEE itself. It was a promise that paid off handsomely - or, in this case, extremely beautifully. But, will Rachel actually land the role of the lifetime - that of
Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL? With a pop song audition, to boot? We will have to tune in next season to see - plus, she could have to go through it all again (many times, as a matter of fact, if the portrayal is at all accurate). Furthermore, will
Lea Michele herself ever actually essay the role - whether onstage or onscreen? Well, considering that
FOX has renewed
Glee for two more seasons, we have 44 more episodes at the very least in which to find out - and, who knows what the coming years may bring in the form of a real, live revival. It's a particularly exciting prospect to consider, whatever the ultimate reality turns out to be, in the GLEE universe and in the real world. Hopefully, we will be treated to more of the FUNNY GIRL score next season, in any event. Also, let's hope for more of NYC story guest stars Sarah
Jessica Parker and
Kate Hudson, too - much, much more of those two if it is anything like both of their final showings this season.
As for guest stars last night, besides frequent
Glee player
NeNe Leakes and AMERICAN IDOL runner-up
Jessica Sanchez, multi-award-winning stage and screen performer
Patty Duke joined with real-life late-in-life lesbian Meredith Baxter in portraying a touching and timely tale of two loving ladies of a certain age who Blaine met while shopping for wedding rings for Kurt. While
Glee standout showmance Klaine are currently not together, actually, Blaine proceeded to purchase the bling anyway - for better or worse. After what Kurt's dad, Burt (Mike O'Malley), said last week, maybe he should give such a big decision a bit more thought, though - and give his relationship with Kurt a bit more time to heal while he's at it (it was his fault they broke up after all; coming after a one-time fling, if you remember). It seems that Blaine and Kurt shall weather the storm, but whether or not that will happen sooner or later is unclear right now. Whatever the ending, the story so far is quite anomalous and revolutionary in its portrayal and depiction - especially on a network TV show - so for that alone it has been yet another boon in GLEE's favor and the relationship itself as portrayed by the two talented actors has been a highlight of
Glee 4.0.
Alas, while Kurt and
Santana were drawn back to the halls of McKinley High for the S4 finale - as contrived as those reasons may have really been - Rachel remained in New York and Finn (
Cory Monteith), too, remained off-screen (a recent rehab stay for the actor in real life required it). So, too, was Puck (
Mark Salling) missing, although the majority of the major
Glee players were present for the big Regionals competition in one way or another - or, if not that, for the big surprise wedding of Will (
Matt Morrison) and Emma (
Jayma Mays) at long, long last. That is to say, Mercedes (
Amber Riley) and Mike (
Harry Shum Jr.) joined with the juniors, sophomores and seniors of New Directions - Marley (
Melissa Benoist), Brittany, Ryder, Blaine, Sam (
Chord Overstreet), Jake (
Jacob Artist) and Kitty (
Becca Tobin), as well as original gleeks Artie (
Kevin McHale) and Tina (
Jenna Ushkowitz) and also sporadic supporting players Sugar (
Vanessa Lengies) and Joe (
Samuel Larsen).
Besides the catfish subplot paying off with it ultimately being revealed that it was Marley covering for Unique who was pining away for football star Ryder as well as Brittany bidding bye-bye to McKinley but mending her bridge to Santana, Kurt and Blaine acted as the mirror to the Will and Emma's marriage subplot and that more or less was it plot-wise for the show, though the musical numbers at Regionals managed to pack the appropriate punch and send us all out on a high for S4. And, speaking of which: we've saved the very best for very last!
Kicking off the Regionals competition was "Rainbow Connection" performed acapella by the all-boys group The Wobbletoots, followed by hotly anticipated guest
Glee star Jessica
Sanchez - an
American Idol finalist last year - who returned as the fabulously-named Frida Moreno and led two stupendous showstoppers as the leader of the Hoosier Daddies - Zedd's far-out anthem "Clarity" and Little Mix's ear candy do-it hit "Wings". While the Hoosier Daddies provided excellent entertainment and a positive message, New Directions had it in the bag thanks to their surefire trifecta of spunk, attitude and emotion - and an even clearer-cut winner's sheen - in the form of a contemporary trio fit for a group of gleeks like those we know and love: Will.i.am and The Script's empowering "Hall Of Fame" followed up with Icona Pop's aforementioned ear-grabbing "I Love It" and an original song presented as having been penned by Marley and thereby performed by the songwriter herself and Blaine along with the rest of the New Directions, appropriately titled "All Or Nothing". What's not to love? Nothing, that's what - nothing at all.
While "All Or Nothing" was not perhaps quite all it could have been in our wildest imaginations nor the all-out extravaganza like we have seen in season-cappers in the past on this seires, it was certainly nothing to sniff at or scoff about - well, perhaps with those tears it was sure to have earned in its running time, it was worth a sniffle or two. Most importantly, "All Or Nothing" set into motion many gears and set up many motors to begin revving up for an absolutely must-see new season coming up in September. Here's to Season Five! Until then...
Photo Credits: FOX
