glee 1.4: preggers

"I've known it since you were three. All you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels."

After watching "Preggers", I'm rethinking my evaluation of last week's "Acafellas".

Like Puck, Glee came on a little too strong last week, but this week's episode showed that underneath the swagger is sensitivity. While I still don't love the way it was executed, I now see that "Acafellas" was setting up the foundation for "Preggers", just as finding your identity needs to come before you can get outside your box, and become truly spectacular.

"Preggers" was hilarious as usual, yet managed to be very touching and real. The episode centered around Kurt, who is terrified his father is going to find out he's gay. After he's caught prancing to Beyonce in a sparkly unitard ("Guys wear them to work out nowadays... they wick sweat from your body"), Brit lies and says that Kurt is on the football team, and that they were just helping him with his "conditioning".

Surprisingly though, very little of the episode was about whether or not Kurt would make the cut and be able to hold up his lie. The team, who is 0 for 6 this season, needs a new kicker, and with Finn's help, Kurt is able to "audition". And after Sue's gloating in the teachers' lunchroom - she has gotten a segment on the local news - Ken is willing to try anything to break the losing streak. After all, he says, "we already gave up our pride when we lost to that school for the deaf."

But then Glee turns the Miraculous-Football-Team-Comeback-Thanks-to-the- Unlikely-Kid cliche on its head, by having Kurt handily score an impressive field goal during tryouts - and instead having the team win the big game by distracting their opponent with a hysterical dance to "Single Ladies". (I wonder if Beyonce knew what a comedic goldmine her video/dance would become - I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as when I saw a line of football jocks "sneak back to the finger.") Even better was the reveal that Kurt's dad always knew he was gay. I guess he was waiting for Kurt to feel sure enough of himself to tell him, and/or to finally be able to trust that his father would love him no matter what. Such a sweet moment!

That's what I love about Glee - it teases that it is going to do one thing with the story, then handily dismisses it and takes you down a totally unexpected road. For example, any other show would have dragged out the Rachel pining after Finn storyline, but they kissed in the 2nd episode, making what is usually the climax a jumping point for a larger story. At first, I was thrown off by this pacing - how did Glee Club come together by the end of the pilot? - but now I appreciate it, as it keeps me guessing where the writers will go next.

It is also in this episode that the characters - both lead and secondary - really start coming to life. Terri shows that she's not a manipulative bitch, but a desperate woman caught in a lie, holding on to a husband that she pushed away with her selfishness. She's freaking out about the fake baby, and is ready to confess to Will when her sister stops her. ("Dishonesty is food to a marriage," Kendra advises. "It will die without it.")

We start to see past the arrogant confidence of key players as their vulnerabilities are revealed. Puck clearly envies his best friend. Finn has a natural talent that he's not afraid of hiding; even though Puck can also sing, he is too concerned about his "stud" image to perform. Finn has a beautiful (if not faithful) girlfriend; Puck has randy cougars and sex on Star Wars sheets. So Puck seduces Quinn by getting her drunk on wine coolers. Ironically, the president of the Celibacy Club is now pregnant after losing her virginity to her boyfriend's player best friend.

And Sue's success is actually only hanging by a thread. Some of her Cheerios are defecting to the Glee Club, and if she doesn't win Nationals, the TV segment she's been lording over the other teachers will be canned. In desperation, she blackmails Figgins with a Mumbai Air hose commercial, and teams up with Sandy to bring about Glee's demise. The plan? Steal away Glee Club's star singer - Rachel Barry - by promising the lead in a production of Cabaret ("Four words: Liza. Minelli. Celine. Dion.") Rachel is ripe for the picking - Mr. Schuester has given the West Side Story solo to Tina, a role that Rachel has "had a personal connection with since the age of 1."

A couple of weeks ago, I would have been massively annoyed by Rachel's brattiness. But in the last few episodes, the producers have done a good job of showing what is driving her diva-like behavior: Yes, she thinks she's good, but it is also the only thing she knows she has going for her. As she said to Will, kids are still throwing her lipstick down the toilet. She needs to be a star to show everyone that she's not a loser; she needs her high school years to mean something.

Finally, I am soooooo happy that the show is finally giving characters like Kurt and Tina the spotlight. I mentioned in my last review that I like how Glee is becoming an ensemble show, and this episode only reinforces that. Will's determination to give everyone an equal change to shine seems to reflect the producers' thinking as well. Not only are "minor" characters now instrumental to the plot, they are being invested in with their own backstories, solos, and personalities. And since the writers seem to relish on turning stereotypes on their heads, I am overjoyed to say that I have no idea how the characters will turn out, but I can't wait to see.

GLEEful Moments:

How adorable was Kurt with the pageant waves? First after he rocks the tryouts, then when he was jumping up and down waving at his dad, and finally blowing kisses after he makes the field goal.

Sandy in his short, short kimono. I was waiting for him to flash Sue any moment, a la Austin Powers.

Wow, Rachel singing "Taking Chances." I've never been much of a Celine Dion fan, but I'm totally downloading this song. Lea Michele has a way of making so-so songs spectacular.

The Figgins hose commercial was painful and not very funny. Sorry.

Sue and her "C" you next time.

Quinn telling Finn to "Think of the mail! Think of the mail!" when they were in the hot tub.

The acapella version of "Moonlight Sonata" during the scene with Quinn and Puck was amazing. It really set the mood.

Terri: "If I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone?"
Kendra: "Oh my God. Is the baby black?"

** FYI, this conversation was a wink to Nip/Tuck. On that show, Jessalyn Gilsig's character, Gina, had convinced Christian Troy that she was pregnant with his baby, but when the baby was born, he was black.

Kendra: "Your wife is going to be pushing a watermelon out of her boy-howdy in 5 months. She doesn't need nice!"

Kurt: "My body is like a rum chocolate souffle - if I don't warm it up right, it doesn't rise."

Sandy: "I’m living in a cocoon of horror. Yesterday, I ate 9 cans of aerosol of whipped cream."

Terri: "Take these three times a day or your baby will be ugly."

Kurt: "Nighttime skincare is a big part of my post game ritual."

Kurt: "I need to ask you something."
Finn: "Thanks, but I already have a date for the prom."

Tanaka: "You make this and you die a legend."
Kurt: "Can I pee first?"

Finn: "I got this from the school library. Did you know you can borrow books from there?"

Sue's Corner: (she deserves her own, dontcha think?)

This week she called Emma "Alma". Last week, it was "Irma".

"Caning works."

"Boy, the only thing missing from this place is a couple dozen bodies lying and rotting under the shallow grave of the floorboard."

"If I was out to get you, I'd have you pickling in a mason jar by now."

"I'll often yell at homeless people 'Hey, how's that homelessness working out for you? Give not being homeless a try."

Music:

No huge numbers this week, but the Single Ladies dance and Rachel's solo more than made up for it.

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé

"Taking Chances" by Céline Dion, performed by Rachel Berry

"Tonight" from West Side Story, performed by Tina Cohen-Chang

"Preggers" didn't dazzle me like the pilot; it also didn't make me wince or worry the way that both "Showmance" and "Acafella" did. In some ways, I'm happy that it was a solid, low key episode, and not an explosive showcase like episode one. These are the kinds of episodes that build characters, further plotlines, and makes a show a long term player.

Three out of four sparkling unitards.