GLEE 1.16 - "Home"
WRITER: Brad Falchuk[SPOILERS] "Home" marked a low for Glee because the songs weren't recognizable enough, the return of April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth) proved unfulfilling, and there was a paucity of laughs. It just about salvaged itself thanks to a resonant storyline for Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Finn (Corey Monteith), but this was still a weak hour...
DIRECTOR: Paris Barclay
GUEST CAST: Kristin Chenoweth, Jenna Ushkowitz, Jonathan Groff, Mike O'Malley, Romy Rosemont, Michael Benjamin Washington, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Harry Shum Jr., Dijon Talton & Lauren Potter
This week in Glee-land, Mr Schue (Matthew Morrison) learned that Sue (Jane Lynch) had hired the auditorium for her Cheerios all semester, meaning he had to find another venue for New Directions to practice. And, as luck would have it, former-glee diva April Rhodes is now running a roller rink that would be the ideal replacement, but his interest in the facility also rekindles April's romantic interest in him. Elsewhere, Mercedes (Amber Riley) developed body image issues after being ordered to lose weight by Sue so she could fit into sexier cheerleading attire, and Kurt played matchmaker for his father (Mike O'Malley) and Finn's mother (Romy Rosemont) as a way to get closer to Finn. However, there was a fun twist when it became clear Kurt's dad actually enjoys "guy talk" with Finn, making Kurt feel excluded, and Finn had trouble allowing his mother to date someone eight years after her husband died."Home" was hit-and-mostly-miss, while perhaps the best acting showcase for Colfer and Monteith yet. Riley was also good in a few scenes, but a recurring problem Glee has is how its storylines rarely justify the performances. The subplot of Mercedes feeling guilty about her weight (a stock scenario in teen drama) was tackled so predictably and broadly that it didn't ring true. Plus, when you're recycling comic-strip gags of actors suddenly resembling food, it's obvious a certain level of desperation has sunk in. Riley was on good form, particularly during her rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" in the gym (naturally), but it's a shame her character's storyline wasn't approached from a more interesting angle. And doesn't it undercut Mercedes' indomitable spirit by letting her sink into the doldrums because of one notoriously sour person's opinion?
The return of April Rhodes was also a damp squib that didn't go anywhere very interesting, either. Chenoweth perky airhead routine is an acquired taste, but Cheno-haters will probably agree her performance here was improved (i.e. less "embarassing drunk" scenes), but there just wasn't anything of substance for her to do. She threw herself at Schue, wore a pink negligee, and belted out a few tunes. Speaking of which, this episode's set list avoided anything I'm familiar with (beyond Ms. Aguilera), which proved to be a barrier for me. I prefer Glee when it puts a spin on famous show tunes and pop songs, so when it tackles lesser known works or songs from more obscure sources, I don't connect in the same way. Plus, the songs chosen here didn't appeal to me because of their slow nature.The Kurt/Finn story had more to recommend it, partly because it's fun when the adults/parents make more of an appearance, and there was something oddly compelling about Finn and Kurt's relationship with their respective parents. It was creepy of Kurt to play Cupid just to have a connection to Finn (so, what, his long-term plan was to become stepbrothers then lovers?), and Finn's attitude towards letting his mother become a spinster was kind of peculiar, but the story somehow rose above it sillier moments. Shame the same can't be said about "Home" as a whole; it lacked depth, humour and memorable tunes.
Asides
- Quinn's pregnancy is very noticeable now, so I assume she'll be sitting out the dance routines from hereon in. Or will Glee do a miscarriage story relating to the dangerous number of dance numbers she's been involved in so far (see: "Mattress")
- Brittany-ism: "I think my cat's reading my diary". It's the deadpan way Heather Morris delivers her quips that I love. I'm glad Morris and Naya Rivera (as Santana) are being promoted to full regular status next year. I just hope the comic delights of Brittany isn't diluted with that exposure. She's the Ralph Wiggum of Glee, and you don't want Ralph Wiggum being adopted by The Simpsons, do you.
