The Gleek Critique: "Audition" Episode

My name is Jack, and yes, I'm a Gleek.

I don't know what it is about that quirky little group of teenage misfits, but I can't help but fall in love with New Directions.  Oh, and because of Chris Colfer's interview with Jimmy Fallon every time someone says "New Directions" I hear "Nude Erections."  I know, totally inappropriate.  Perhaps that's why I can't find it on YouTube anymore.  Tee hee... ha ha... sorry, I'm still giggling like a schoolboy over here.

Okay, in case you've been living under a rock, New Directions is the fictitious name of McKinley High's Glee Club from the Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning comedy Glee on Fox.  Season One followed the group from their initial auditions to their devastating defeat at Regionals, and every song the kids sang became an instant hit on iTunes.  In fact, Season One had 25 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Well Season Two started tonight, and every Tuesday I'm going to be doing my brand new feature... drumroll please...  The Tuesday Night Gleek Critique!

I know... you're amazed right now.

So the first episode this season was titled "Audition" and basically, the Glee Club decides to hold auditions to recruit some new members.  However, they lost at Regionals in last season's finale and that makes them... well... losers.  Even more so than before.  Surprise, surprise, nobody new wants to join!

And there are some new people this time around!  First off, there is the bull dyke football coach Shannon Beiste (it's French).  She's played by Dot Jones and everything I had heard about the character before the premiere led me to believe she would be this big meanie rivaling Sue Sylvester.  However, this episode had me feeling sorry for her the entire time.  Sue and Schue gang up on her immediately and it's really quite sad.

I guess she is a little mean, I mean, she did kick Finn off of the team!  How mean!  And what's more, Finn's been replaced by a kid named Sam!  Yes, Sam is a newbie at McKinley High - explained as a transfer student - and was found singing in the shower just like Finn was in the first season.  He showed some interest in the Glee Club, but once he realized how uncool they were, he figured he'd rather be the quarterback instead.

Well, at least Finn has Rachel's shoulder to cry on.  Except that Rachel's a little busy sabotaging the third new character, Sunshine Corazon.  Sunshine is the new Filipino exchange student who happens to be an awesome singer.  Rachel, of course, gets very jealous and insecure and completely insane.  She sends Sunshine off to a crack house!  What!?  Yes.  Apparently, Filipino exchange students feel uncomfortable in crack houses, so she also doesn't join New Directions... and instead goes off to join their glee club rival: Vocal Adrenaline.

So we end with Sue and Schue hating each other as usual, everyone in the club hating Rachel as usual,  and the school in general hating on the glee club... as usual.

The pros:

• Mike Chang is seen bare chested with his shirt billowing behind him as he leaps and bounds with new love Tina... but who cares about Tina.

• New guy Sam (rumored to be Kurt's future boyfriend) is pretty cute and I like his voice.  His performance of "Billionaire" was very good.

• Sue had some great zingers as usual.  Ha ha, loved when she barged in on Rachel and Sunshine singing in the bathroom and yelled "SHUT UP!"  Not her most witty retort, but still very funny.  Oh, and the comment she made about Santana's fake boobs acting as air bags in case the cheerios pyramid collapsed almost made me pee my pants.

• Quinn is back in her cheerleading uniform and looking fierce!  I had forgotten what the sassier, intimidating Quinn was like.  Now that the baby's gone, it looks like she might become her former self.

The Cons:

• Not enough Kurt.  However, I'm sure he'll be featured more heavily in other episodes... and I can't wait.  I love this kid.

• Artie and Tina have broken up.  I guess it's a pro for Tina, since she's with dancer Mike now.  But poor Artie!  If goth girls won't date a kid in a wheelchair, who will?

• It was called "Audition" and nobody auditioned!  Grr!  I guess I'm just really anxious to see this group grow... (Actually, I guess Sunshine did audition.  Thanks for the reminder, Rebecca!  Not sure how I forgot her rendition of "Listen."  That should be on the Pro List for sure.)

• Emma Pillsbury wasn't in this episode at all, and I really want to know what's going to happen with she and Mr. Schuester... but rumor has it, I'll find out more about that next week.