GLEE 1.8 - "Mash-Up"

WRITER: Ian Brennan
DIRECTOR: Elodie Keene
GUEST CAST: Gina Hecht, Naya Rivera, Jenna Ushkowitz, Heather Morris, Harry Shum Jr., Max Adler, Earlene Davis, Zack Lively & Bill A. Jones

[SPOILERS] I had a mixed reaction to "Mash-Up"; that's the only way to describe it. I loved the way the title (slang for two seemingly incompatible songs merged into something harmonious) reflected the episode's theme of people grappling with social duality and mismatched relationships. That was pretty clever for a show like Glee, which ultimately exists as all-singin', all-dancin' fluff, so writer Ian Brennan earned kudos for that. But, it just lacked something for me. I think it was a combination of the disappointing song choices, unwise decision to keep humanizing Sue (Jane Lynch), and a feeling of repetition because "Mash-Up" again involved characters like Finn (Corey Monteith), Puck (Mark Salling) and Quinn (Dianna Agron) having to rise above bullies who torment them over their glee club pastime.

One thing that's becoming a pain about Glee is how its episodic plausibility strains to stay credible or totally consistent. Still, I was grateful the characters themselves mentioned the ridiculousness of the football team turning on quarterback Finn, just a few weeks after they were all in glee club learning how to kick footballs to a Beyonce track, but it stills sticks in my caw that Glee's universe lacks a logical core. Maybe that's just part of the show's anything goes attitude that my brain's not wired to find unquestionable joy in. Likewise, Sue suddenly developing a romance with a slimy news anchorman and thus requiring dance lessons from her "arch enemy" Will just felt extremely improbable to me -- but, hey, the writer wanted a funny dance sequence between Lynch and Matthew Morrison, so who cares about believability?

Sue's romance with the Ron Burgundy-esque lothario deserved a whole episode of its own, but it was sadly skated over here, and there were other developments that seemed to just explode out of nowhere -- most obviously Puck making a dream-inspired move on Rachel (Lea Michele) that was reciprocated, so now they're an item. I never even guessed that was on the cards between those two, it just happened because I guess the writers like the idea that Rachel/Finn and Quinn/Puck are perfect couples but (in keeping with the "mash-up" theme this week), they're now shuffled. I can understand that, because it's something fun to untangle, but I wish Glee was doing a better job at smoothing its character's arcs.

The only other subplot of note involved Emma (Jayma Mays) and Ken (Patrick Gallagher) arguing over their choice of "first song" dance at their planned Hawaiian wedding. Ken favours Sisqo's provocative "Thong Song" while romantic Emma prefers "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. Will agreed to give them both dance lessons and create a "mash-up" musical compromise, but Ken's jealousy when he saw Will dancing with his fiancé in her bridal dress provoked him into scheduling football practice against glee rehearsals. This storyline actually worked the best, as the Will/Emma/Ken triangle has been better established and, while it's still absurd for other reasons, it at least has a decent foundation it's building on. Plus, Emma and Will's simmering infatuation with each other is one of the more appealing notes Glee plays.

Asides

-- I prefer Dianna Agron out of her cheerleader's uniform, or maybe it's just because that she looks more mature without a child's ponytail. Also, I just realized that Agron played a cheerleader in four episodes of Heroes, which means she joins Hayden Panettiere in being typecast in that role.

-- I'm not sure if Matthew Morrison's performances of R'nB tracks like Young MC's "Bust A Move" are great fun or totally embarrassing. I think it's a bit of both.

-- You gotta love seeing Jane Lynch in a zoot suit, but I was disappointed her acid tongue didn't give that cheating anchorman a severe lashing. Is love her Achilles Heel?

-- Puck's Jewish family have a tradition of watching Schindler's List with TV dinners perched on special collapsible tables!

22 FEBRUARY 2010: E4 (HD), 9PM