[QUOTE=Wikipedia]
New Directions celebrates the holidays, and the group is faced with a dilemma when offered the opportunity to perform at two events that are scheduled at the exact same time. Irish exchange student Rory Flanagan suffers from homesickness, and bonds with Sam Evans Chord Overstreet, who is also away from his family. Chewbacca makes an appearance in a tribute to Christmas specials of old.
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Glee’s doing another Christmas episode. This time it’s Matthew Morrison’s directorial debute.
I loved the 1950’s set. Couldn’t be done for $800, unless it really was in the 50’s. “My Favorite Things” seemed to go on a little longer than the usual songs on this show. A homage to an earlier time when attention spans were longer maybe?
I don’t normally bother to vote in these polls; usually my reaction is “Liked it.”
This week, though, I had to vote. I only protest because “Hated it” doesn’t come close to expressing my feelings. I truly, deeply loathed it. How utterly contrived.
And if you were down and out, and depending on a soup kitchen at Christmas time, wouldn’t you just love to be serenaded with “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time” by a bunch of smug, self-righteous little do-gooders?
And way to blow off the back stories of the characters. Rachel and Puck are both supposed to be Jewish. How come she’s demanding Christmas gifts?
Rory has some lines! I missed the episode when he made his first appearance and I think this is the first episode that I have where he talks with more than a line or two.
Has Lauren Zizes been written out of the show? I haven’t seen her in awhile. And she is hard to miss.
I thought this was (surprisingly) good until the end. A “remember the CHRIST in Christmas!” ending seems out of place for Glee, especially since (at least) three major characters aren’t Christians…something the show mostly forgot this week. “Don’t They Know It’s Christmas” also strikes me as a rather insensitive choice to perform at a homeless shelter – was it supposed to make the homeless children feel better to be reminded that at least they’re not homeless in AFRICA? – and the sincerity of the glee club’s change of heart regarding minor local fame vs. doing a good deed was called into question by Artie’s line about how their PBS special had to end early anyway.
Rachel was behaving horribly even for Rachel, and I didn’t buy that she’d learned a lesson in the end. I can believe that Rachel would be a very high maintenance girlfriend around the holidays, but if the writers were going to have her demanding multiple gifts then perhaps they could have remembered that SHE’S JEWISH and had her explain to Finn that she’d be expecting eight Hanukkah presents. It was also puzzling that the writers had her say they should focus on cheerful holiday songs after Rory sang “Blue Christmas” and then go on to choose “River” for her Christmas special audition…and be surprised when Artie thought it was too much of a downer!
It was nice to see Rory actually get to do something though, and I enjoyed the very campy special itself. I kind of wish the whole episode had been the special. I thought Mercedes looked really pretty in her vintage getup, and Blaine’s hair seemed appropriate for once. They should have had a better song for the Cheerios, though. I didn’t recognize whatever that was, but it wasn’t very good.
Favorite minor moment: Blaine’s puzzled, then pleased reaction when Sue referred to him as “Young Burt Reynolds”. That must be the nicest nickname she’d ever given anyone. I’m wondering if even Sue is vulnerable to Blaine’s dark powers, or if maybe she always hated Burt Reynolds and meant the comparison as an insult.
I’m old-school gay, so I should have absolutely adored this. I wish I had…but I only kind of felt embarrassed for them. The show-in-the-show was kind of lame. I can’t imagine the Lima, Ohio, viewing population made that into an instant classic.
You didn’t recognize “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses? Totally awesome song. It’s a story song, though, so it makes no sense to only do a snippet. And “My Favorite Things” did go on and on - even my wife fast forwarded through that, and she loves musical theatre.
I have to say “Young Burt Reynolds” was a much nicer Sue-moniker for Blaine than her first go-round. “Wheels” (to Artie), “Porcelain” (to Kurt), “Other gay” (to Blaine). What did she call Artie the second time? “Stumbles”?
I groaned at the name a star gift from Finn. Those things aren’t recognized by anyone except the company selling the service, so the naming means nothing at all.
I didn’t know the song until listening to this Glee Christmas album, and it is indeed awesome (it made me buy all the Waitresses stuff I could find afterward)…but the full version is on the album, and on the show it was cut so much it was worthless.
Thought the same thing but actually it’s just very, very unfortunate seam lines. You’d think the costume people would know better. (Mr. Horseshoe: “Who let THAT through post-production?!?”)