GLEE: Episode 20 - Theatricality

What's going down?

We kick off as Tina and Schue have been called into Figgins' office. He wants her to drop the 'goth' look as he's decided it means she's at grave risk for an attack of spontaneous vampirism after Jacob got a taste of teeth the previous day. Teenagers everywhere are coming down with a serious case of "Twilight fever" as he puts it - though Tina hasn't even seen the film; she's not allowed because her mum "thinks Kristen Stewart seems like a bitch." Schue protests about this blatant discrimination but Figgins refuses to back down, leading them both to believe that he may actually think that vampires exist. Nevertheless Tina is instructed that she must find a new style.

Finn's mum leads him down the stairs saying she has a surprise for him. "Is there a car down here for me?" he asks but it turns out to be the amalgamation of the Hudson and Hummel families. Burt and Kurt have organised a moving in party complete with a "Welcome Home" sign and sparkling cider to celebrate. "We've got a lot of food. It's ethnic food. Some ethnicity that's not ours," says an excited Burt. Finn, however, does not look impressed and his face drops further when he finds out he'll have to share a room with Kurt. However, Kurt is convinced that all it will take is a lick of paint and the IKEA catalogue to gain his enthusiasm.

Tina arrives at school the next day in jeans and a grey hoody and is feeling less like her than she possibly could: "I know who I am and I'm not allowed to show it. It's like communism." The rest of the club try their best to suggest some new looks for her; Brittany's ideas include a cross country skier, happy meal, no onions and a chicken. At that moment Rachel bursts in with the terrible news that after spying on Vocal Adrenaline she has discovered they've bought Christmas lights and red Chantilly lace. The club look distraught but Will isn't sure what's going on. "They're doing Gaga," is all Kurt can muster. No surprises as to what their assignment is this week. Will hopes to beat the competition at their own game and in the mean time attempt to find Tina a new look.

Rachel, Quinn and Mercedes hot foot it over to Vocal Adrenaline's rehearsals for more spying and discover that they are indeed covered in red Chantilly lace. They're impressed at their routine but Shelby isn't. "Theatricality doesn't have to be a nuclear explosion," she tells them. "It can be a quiet storm; you just have to radiate emotion." To show them she performs the title song from "Funny Girl." As she sings Rachel realises that Shelby's is the voice from the tape and that she is in fact her mother. She approaches her and, as the last note ends, tells her, "Mrs Corcoran, I'm Rachel Berry. I'm your daughter."

The two of them sit alone, talking, in the auditorium. Rachel asks her if she regrets giving her up. "Yes. Then no. Then so much," she replies. Shelby asks her how she feels; she tells her "thirsty." They share a moment as Rachel tells her a story from her childhood. When she was little, if she was sad, her dads would bring her a glass of water, and eventually she didn't know if she was sad or thirsty. Erm, what? However, their reunion isn't quite what either of them hoped for as Shelby freaks out and leaves, telling her daughter that she's sorry and she'll call her.

Schue is enthusiastically researching Lady Gaga when Finn rains on his parade and tells him that the guys are not happy about this week's assignment. This is of course with the exception of Kurt. Finn feels that the club just does whatever the girls want to do and Schue sees his point. He relents and allows Finn to find a solution; lucky for him he has already come up with one.

Meanwhile Puck has decided that, despite the fact his unborn child is in fact a girl, he would like to name his and Quinn's baby Jack Daniels. Yes, you read that correctly. "It's a rock star name," apparently. Quinn, surprisingly, is not too pleased by this and tells him that she doesn't want to do any of "this stuff" because she's giving the baby up. "Now you can go off and be a rock star yourself," she tells him.

As Kurt and Tina walk down the hallways in their ultra-fabulous Gaga-inspired outfits we see the return of the two jock bullies. I have no recollection of what last names they go by. They shove the pair into the lockers prompting Kurt to declare, "Were you dropped on your heads?" "We're not gaga for Gaga," they reply and threaten to beat up Kurt unless they go back to dressing the way they did before. Looks like the rest of the school aren't quite so keen on them expressing themselves.

Will's "little monsters" are decked out in full Gaga ensemble, Brittany literally has a silver lobster on her head. Mercedes reveals the news about Shelby being Rachel's mum. The rest of the club are worried that she'll jump ship to Vocal Adrenaline but Rachel enters reassuring them she won't. She's turned up in a dress with what looks like TY Beanie Babies stapled all over it: "I've chosen a Lady Gaga look that expresses the longing for a childhood I was deprived of." As a frog falls off Kurt comments, "And we have a jumper." Cue "Bad Romance." The "monsters" all look fantastic and both Tina and Santana get a featured part in the song, which makes a change. It's definitely worthy of Gaga.

In the toilets Finn is putting on stage makeup. Unfortunately for him the jock bullies decide to emerge from the stalls right at that very moment. They take this opportunity to have yet another go at him over Glee club: "You moved in with that little Kurt kid and now you've got a bad case of the gay." They threaten him with some serious beatings unless he quits.

Rachel visits Shelby and asks her to sew on her the stuffed animals for her. "I really need a mom right now," she tells her. However, she does more than sew them on as she makes her a whole new outfit, replicating one of Gaga's looks.

It's the boys' turn to do their number and they do Kiss keeping in with the theme of Theatricality as they perform "Shout it out Loud." They go as full out as the girls and Kurt did, with pyrotechnics and all. This is yet another example of how rock numbers suit Finn's voice so much more than pop, the same can't quite be said for the others. Extra points for the fire though. Will isn't quite so convinced though as he doesn't see how the number allows them to express themselves; oh yeah, because "Bad Romance" really did that for the others.

The bullies are back as they swing for both Tina and Kurt. However. as we cut to Kurt's house we see that all they did was damage his costume. He appeals to Finn to stick up for him against them but Finn tells him that it's hard enough as they already think that they're boyfriends. "Let them think what they want. They're Neanderthals. In three years they'll be cleaning my septic tank." Finn just wishes though that Kurt would try and blend in, be a bit more normal, though it's unlikely to happen and as Kurt goes to help him rub his makeup off he smacks him away. Kurt is left hurt as he protests, "It's just a moist towelette."

Will has called Shelby in for a meeting about Rachel. He's worried about Rachel because she's special. She has all of Shelby's good qualities, but not her hardness. "She's fragile," he says. He also thinks that Shelby isn't prepared to have a teenage daughter and that she isn't as committed to their reunion as Rachel is. Shelby reveals that due to some vague complications a few years back she can no longer have children. She desperately wanted a daughter - but a baby. She thinks that now Rachel is 15 she doesn't need her anymore. Will says that Shelby just needs to face her and tell her what she just told him.

Kurt has a surprise for Finn. He skipped school and redecorated his bedroom for the two of them. However, it isn't quite to Finn's taste. It looks like some kind of Moroccan bordello, causing him to yell, "Are you freaking insane? I can't live here. I'm a dude." Yet again hurt, Kurt suggests that they can simply redecorate again. Finn likes that idea and tells him that the first thing to go is "that faggy lamp," along with "that faggy throw." At that moment Burt walks in, overhearing what he's just said. He goes into overprotective father mode. "When you use that word, you're talking about him." He tells him that he and his mum are going to have to leave as he "can't have that kind of poison around." Kurt tries to stick up for him - "Relax, Dad. I didn't take it that way" - but Burt will have none of it and the decision is final. "The place looks great," Burt tells him as he and Finn leave the room.

At Glee the next day the kids are still in their Gaga costumes. Kurt tells Tina, "You look like you should be in orbit." Finn tries to talk to Kurt about what happened and apologise but he finds himself brushed off. "I feel sorry for you, I thought you were different," Kurt says. Puck then enters telling the club that he has something to say to Quinn. He's realized his dad was never there for him and he doesn't want to be like that, so he and the rest of the boys perform "Beth" by Kiss for her. Message of the song? He wants to be there for Quinn when the baby is born and would like to call her Beth.

Rachel goes to visit Shelby again and tells her she's come to say goodbye. Shelby explains that she really wanted this to work. So did Rachel but she can't understand why she doesn't feel close to her. "It's because I'm your mother, but I'm not your mum." They agree to back off and decided to "just be grateful for one another from afar, for a while." Shelby has a parting gift for her; a big cup with a gold star on it. Turns out gold stars are kind of her thing too. Rachel's last request is that the pair sing together. She calls the pianist for New Directions over to the piano - "he's always just around" (ha!) - and the pair break into a slowed down version of "Poker Face" with just them and the piano, which I must say I do rather like. After that the two go their separate ways, with a tear rolling down Rachel's cheek.

Will turns up to rehearsal to find the club all in their theatricality costumes. Artie wants to know what the lessons from this week's assignment was but Schue admits that he isn't quite sure himself. Tina knows what it is, though, as she turns up dressed in her usual Goth look. "I refuse to dress like somebody I'm not to be somebody I'm not." Turns out she dressed up as a vampire and threatened Figgins. "My dad? He's the king of the vampires, and Asian vampires are the most vicious of all the vampires. You're going to let me wear my lady demon clothes or my dad will fly into your bedroom and bite your face off."

The bullies have yet again cornerEd Kurt and are about to give him yet more beatings when Finn turns up to save the day. He's decided to get his own Gaga outfit, made out of a red, rubber shower curtain, complete with makeup. The bullies are ready to take down the pair of them when the rest of the club shows up to defend them. After a few more insults they eventually back down but we can tell that this won't be the last we see of them. Will arrives and tells them that Tina was spot on with this week's message as they all turn around and walk off down the corridor laughing.

11 o'clock number

Tonight gave us a smattering of tracks by both Lady Gaga and Kiss. However we also got another song from Idina as she sang the title track from "Funny Girl." I really don't think that there's much I can say about this as she simply is perfection - rich vocals mixed with stunning acting. "Bad Romance" was so completely over the top, in typical Glee style, but it worked. I think the show has needed musical numbers that are more current. The arrangement for "Poker Face" was inspired and allowed both Idina and Lea to really slow off their voices and was bitter sweet considering the narrative. I'm also tempted to say that I prefer this version to the original. I must admit that I really don't know any Kiss songs. "Shout it out Loud" showed the boys rocking out and we got to see more of Mike and Matt, who are seriously underused. "Beth" is definitely not one of my favourite songs that show has done but the sentiment was there and I rather hope that Quinn and Puck's baby is named Beth.

Quote of the week

Shelby to Vocal Adrenaline: "And ladies, I don't want to hear about chafing just because you're being forced to wear metal underwear. Not my problem."

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed tonight's Lady Gaga-inspired episode. I thought that it slotted into the narrative better than the Madonna one did as there wasn't such an overload of musical numbers. While Rachel and Shelby have decided not to continue their relationship, I really hope that this isn't the last that we'll be seeing of Idina, she's far too talented not to be featured again. The scenes involving Kurt and Burt are playing out to be some of my favourite and I appreciated the lesson that Burt demonstrated into relation to Kurt. It needs to be projected on a larger scale as I feel as if Glee will be preaching mainly to the converted. Are we ever going to get to meet Rachel's Dads? I think we deserve to, considering so much has been placed on Shelby these past few episodes. Also why wasn't Jesse in this episode? I think it may have something to do with the switching around the transmission dates of this and the next episode. I imagine we'll probably find out why he isn't there next week.

 

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