GLEE: Dance With Somebody

Before I even begin this recap this week, a little background and information in the Land of Louise. I’m working on becoming a teacher (which should explain all of the anti-Will comments that come from my fingers) and yesterday I turned in the last part of a four-part project that will determine if I can be officially licensed to teach in California. Basically, I’ve been running around all weekend worrying about data and talking about my students, so the snarky levels at my disposal are pretty high.

You’ve been warned.

But let’s get down to the business at hand: a tribute to Whitney Houston. So we open with Mercedes singing about a boy she knows before being having others join her, which I’m all fine with, though I don’t know if “How Will I Know?” is best done as a quartet instead of as a solo, though that’s really neither here nor there for this point.

Why oh why show is this Whitney tribute two months late? I mean, I know it takes a while to get something in the works, but this seems just a little out of place. That metaphor is really bad, though–Princess Diana and Whitney are not quite the same thing. Will, if you’re going to make this a week about Whitney, just leave it at that. Do not, I repeat, do not try to make this some moral lesson about the end of Senior year. There shouldn’t be baggage at the end of Senior year, unless you want make the last of it more dramatic than it already is.

This kid from North Lima is scaring me with all the enthusiasm. I can only take so much in my work day and that’s just a bit too much after my week.

Awkward transition aside, now Brittany is singing “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” in some very odd remix that makes me weep for the days when I was a very young kid listening to this song on the radio. Give me back the original, Glee!

Sorry to say, Quinn, but physical therapy can be really depressing no matter the reason for going. All for Joe wanting to join Quinn at her next session, though.

Kurt, flirting with Chandler for two days is a horrible way to treat your actual boyfriend, Blaine.

“All My Love for You” is an always appropriate duet, and I’m glad to see Quinn getting something to sing. I feel there’s some awkward unresolved sexual tension there, though. I’m not sure I like where that’s going.

Santana and Rachel singing “I’m So Emotional” gives me pause. What happened to the Santana that didn’t really like Rachel? Have we entered some parallel world where they are friends? Did I miss the memo about this alternate reality?

I’m not really sure if the chair is the reason that Joe pulled away during therapy, Quinn, even if it had to be discussed in the bathroom en masses.

Joe and Sam having some conversation about being a good Christian and respecting the ways that life has changed in a few thousand years is a nice touch. Much better than any other conversation that I could expect.

Kurt, I’m not shocked that Blaine is overreaching to the myriad texts that Chandler has sent. There’s so much that Blaine has done for you, Kurt, and you’re not even listening to it. Though, getting Blaine to sing “It’s Not Right, But It’s OK” is more than fine in my book. How sad does it make me when I want to hear Blaine get angry at Kurt? You can tell that I’m all for Blaine’s position here.

Ah, see, now my complaint from earlier is being addressed. So back to being snarky at each other, please, girls. I didn’t want that hug, I really just wanted some vitriol.

Burt Hummel, please keep being an awesome dad (and Congressmen.) I would love you to be home on Friday nights for these dinner, really. If it takes this much time for them to talk and discuss what the future is like without someone.

Kurt, I adore you, when you aren’t being a jerk, but I don’t know if this arrangement is quite in your range (or well, a range that makes me want to listen to this song. I know you’ve got a high voice, but there’s something about this song so high that reminds me of nails on a real chalkboard.

Puck has an odd moment of sentimentality, and includes stolen items from his job. That is both oddly funny and so very much a thing that Puck would do.

Even if Emma isn’t a qualified person to let them talk, I appreciate that Blaine can use the space to express his issues. If all Kurt has been talking about is New York, I really don’t blame Blaine for being distant.

Will, a wedding in a campground is a horrible idea, no matter how badly you want the Glee kids there to sing, especially when your fiancee has OCD. How are you so bad at remembering that kids leave at the end of the year, Will? I’m so used to kids graduating and leaving and maybe coming back every now and again.

Joe, keep being so adorable as you try to woo Quinn. If he’s willing to give up his faith to know what it’s like to be with you, I don’t think that it’s a bad thing to explore. Just adding one more person’s voice that you won’t hear.

As an inspirational last moment, I’m all for this song. “My Love is Your Love” is about as emblematic of Glee as anything else I can think of right now. To end a tribute episode on that song, yeah, it makes sense.

For a show that’s all about trying to open oneself up to joy, I don’t know of any other Whitney song that would have been as appropriate.