SOUND OFF: GLEE Will Always Love Whitney

In an absolutely uncannily coincidental occurrence last night, the Valentine's Day episode of GLEE included among its song-stack the all-time most memorable Whitney Houston ballad of all time, originally sung by Dolly Parton in 1974 but made famous by Houston on the soundtrack of the 1992 film THE BODYGUARD, in which she also starred, "I Will Always Love You". While this episode was filmed weeks ago - long before Houston's sudden passing, of course - the fact that this was the moment GLEE finally tackled one of the biggest songs ever - a single that originally stayed atop the charts for more than 3 months - comes as a definite shock and surprise; and, also, somehow, a totally fitting tribute, coming in 2012. The tasteful "We Will Always Love You" card at the end of the program dedicated the episode to Houston's memory, in a last minute addition to the long-wrapped show by the powers-that-be. It hit just the right chord - as did the effervescently enjoyable, if somewhat slight, episode. Amber Riley wrought the high emotion out of the Houston barn-burner in a manner that surely would do the gospel singer of Whitney's own roots more than merely proud and the overall show was a sure success as far as knockout musical numbers go. As for the rest of the "Heart" Valentine's show, we were treated to a number of well-played guest appearances, such as Rachel's two dads, essayed all-too-deliciously by Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell, in addition to THE GLEE PROJECT winner Samuel Larsen's much ballyhooed debut on the show. Former TGP finalist and Season Three GLEE featured player Damian McGinty also got more focus than usual, as did Amber Riley, who emerged as the star of this particular episode. Courtesy of a lively and raucous "Love Shack", Darren Criss made his welcome return after a few episodes out. The rest of the songs added to the overall candy-coated allure of the sweet and sugary confection of a show. No, "Heart" was not an episode that will linger forever in the memory like some in GLEE's past, but the music made the night - and, in the case of "I Will Always Love You", made it really pack a punch when we needed it. It most closely resembled the wedding episode from last season, I thought - which is certainly a compliment. Plus, "Heart" featured the return of Karofsky - in gorilla suit, no less - and many dramatic twists for the gleeks we have all come to know and love. And, just how adorable is Sugar Motta, played Vanessa Lengies?!

Bittersweet Memories & Sugar Shack

The untimely death of Whitney Houston is so recent that it would be too soon to try to voice any idea of perspective on her career and the ultimate legacy she leaves in her wake in this column, yet, the simple fact that GLEE took on her biggest hit, "I Will Always Love You", and the cultural coincidence arose that the episode that contains it would air mere days after her passing is almost too strange and absurd to really believe. Yet, there it is - life is stranger than fiction more often than not, it appears. This is particularly true of show business stories, I have found - case in point. In what could have been an embarrassing moment had the song selection been anything but Houston's most spectacular one - for example: can you imagine if Sue were to do "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" or we were subjected to a video recreation of "Greatest Love Of All" by the cast? - GLEE paid Houston herself, her original performance of the song and her iconic musical legacy more than due respect, as anyone who saw last night's "Heart" episode must attest. While Amber Riley has taken on some of the biggest songs of all time on the show in the past - "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going" and "All I Want For Christmas Is You" included - she certainly gave even Jennifer Hudson and Whitney herself some significant competition with this largely spot-on, if slightly over-auto-tuned, iteration. Brava. As far as the rest of the musical quotient of the fun but largely frivolous Valentine's Day episode? Well, we had a little bit of everything - Cole Porter to Nat King Cole, Michael Buble to Mario to Madonna, The B-52s to The Association and, even, of-the-moment chart-busting act Gym Class Heroes.

Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell acquitted themselves well with a brief, jazzy, piano bar-esque rendition of Cole Porter's classic "You're The Top" - with all the intended irony they could possibly muster from the ribald and risqué original lyrics of the tune, one that is often slightly censored given its potentially naughty allusions. How hilarious was the dinner table conversation, to boot?! As far as button-pushing goes, there was plenty of that, as well - as always. Happily, Rachel and Finn's relationship was put to the test by the Berry parental team, yet they lasted through the night, figuratively and quite literally. Kurt and Karofsky had a surprisingly frank and sincere confrontation, as well. And, Santana certainly had a trick or two up her sassy sleeve, as well, for Brittany. And, Blaine is back! Music-wise, the riskiest mash-up in many an episode came with a reworking of two songs titled "Cherish" - one by The Administration and the other by Madonna. Dianna Agron, Chord Overstreet and Amber Riley - the latter whom was the undisputed musical and dramatic MVP of "Heart", no doubt - scored a Sugar Shack hit with the "Cherish" medley mash-up. Wow - what an all-out red-and-white-and-pink-hued Valentine's Day blow-out of a final sequence at the Sugar Shack!

Indeed, Darren Criss and company's take on The B-52s' classic "Love Shack" was a particularly fabulous finale - especially when paired with the "Cherish" mash-up that acted as his opening act -  as was Amber Riley's aforementioned Whitney Houston homage in the middle of the episode - and those two musical moments stand as the clear-cut crystal standouts of the sparkly show. The rest of the songs also were weaved relatively effortlessly into the fabric of the plot, with, yet again, more than 7 musical numbers packed into an hour-long show - a masterful achievement in economy of text to allow for as much music as possible; the musical numbers always showing GLEE at its best. Mike and Tina's "L-O-V-E" was entertainingly interwoven with Rory and Artie's pursuits of Sugar Motta. Artie made the most of Mario's lite-R&B "Let Me Love You", as he has continuously this season with his soulful song selections. We were next treated to current chart hit "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes as real-life Sam Larsen and show Sam, Chord Overstreet, were appreciably abetted by Amber Riley in a spirited rendition of the spunky and catchy staccato jam. Michael Buble's maudlin "Home" was given an airing by Rory and he made it count, if the song is totally forgettable. It will be a shame if "Blue Christmas" ends up as the best material Damian McGinty was given in all his time on the show - and, since his time is seemingly up, it may be so. GLEE co-creator Brad Falchuk directed the "Heart" episode and upcoming Ryan Murphy sitcom collaborator Ali Adler penned the imaginative and music-packed entertainment extravaganza 9 songs - the same as the Michael episode. And, a lot of plot was developed, as well, with the triptych of central relationships - Finn/Rachel, Mercedes/Sam and Kurt/Blaine - all given plenty of attention, as was Santana and Brittany's seemingly interminably budding romance. Thanks to the Sugar Shack decor and "Love Shack" performance, the episode ended on an exceptionally high note - with hearts and sparkles to spare.

This season of GLEE is the strongest yet and this episode was an excellent example of how the perfect balance has been struck between comedy, drama and musical numbers. The creative forces are steering the show in a clear and precise direction every move along the way - at least for the most part. Sure, there are inconsistencies, but the bizarre universe increasingly makes sense in its own unusual, surreal way. GLEE is more addictive and easy to love than ever, that's clear. I mean, what other show could pack as diverse a song catalog as Cole Porter, Madonna, Gym Class Heroes, Nat King Cole, The B-52s and Whitney Houston into an hour and simultaneously make it all ring true to the plights of the characters and completely contemporary and fresh? Additionally, the production values of this episode alone were enough to really wow even the casual viewer unacquainted with the GLEE universe - the quick cut to the red dress on the key change for "I Will Always Love You" an ideal representation of that. Yes, "Heart" was overflowing with just that, coming through on the promise of its title in a way few promises made on this day ever actually do in the real world, and it was undoubtedly the perfect way to pass a Valentine's Day - acting as a rich meal, a few sips of bubbly and a bon-bon or two, too; all wrapped up with a dazzling, shiny, metallic ribbon. Speaking of wrapping up, just what are we in for next week with GLEE's Winter Finale and the long-awaited New Directions and Warblers match-up? See you right back here next week with a full rundown of the 5W1H - Who, What, Where, When, Why & How.