The Gleek Critique: "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" Episode

The football team gets zombie-fied!  Image property of Fox.

Once upon a time I used to post about the newest Glee episode mere moments after it aired.  Unfortunately, now that I no longer have cable, my only way of watching Glee is on Hulu the day after.  So I hope nobody is too upset that my "Gleek Critique" articles are now going to be on a bit of a delay.

Glee was off air for months, but last night it returned in a big way!  Not only was the episode jam-packed with show-stopping musical numbers, but it aired during the coveted post-Super Bowl slot on Fox.  Pretty impressive!  And not only that, it will be back to its regular Tuesday night schedule starting this very Tuesday.  Two episodes in one week!  Of course, I'll be watching it and blogging about it on Wednesdays from now on, instead of Tuesdays like before.

In last night's episode, Sue Sylvester realizes she's bored with her life.  She's achieved so much as an award-winning cheer leading coach, that there's really no way left to top herself.  She's hit her peak.  But good ideas always come to those who seek them, and while watching a cartoon on television she realizes that she's never yet shot a Cheerio out of a canon.  And who will be that lucky Cheerio?  Well Brittany, of course. And there's one more thing Sue has on her mind.  She wants Brittany, Santana, and Quinn to quit New Directions forever.  Luckily Finn is around to talk some sense into them.

Meanwhile, Coach Bieste grows tired of the constant fighting amongst her football players.  The ones in New Directions are always getting crap from the ones who aren't.  She comes to Mr. Schue for a solution, and together they decide to make the football players participate in glee club.  Maybe if they knew what it was about they might respect it.  Naturally this doesn't go over well, and the other football players decide they would rather be off the team than sing and dance, leaving the glee club girls to play in their place.  Finally after both the glee club and the football team "walk in someone else's shoes" so to speak, the two groups unite in a spectacular half time show.  But as the episode ends, it proves to have been only a band-aid fix.  Karofsky seems set on never joining the club and never apologizing to Kurt who he's tormented so much.

And speaking of Kurt, he seems happy as a clam over at Dalton Academy with Blaine.  The two of them even attended the McKinley football game together.  And while we're on the subject of relationships, Quinn kissed Finn... which makes me wonder what will happen with Sam.  Or Rachel.  Looks like the next episode should be full of high school drama!

The Pros:

• I really liked The Warblers' rendition of the Destiny's Child song "Bills, Bills, Bills."  There's something about boys in school uniforms singing a capella that just really makes me happy.  Plus I've become a really big fan of Darren Criss who plays Blaine.
• Everything with Sue and the canon was just hilarious.  When that dummy of Brittany shot out in charred little bits and pieces... oh my goodness, so funny!  Then Brittany saying she didn't want to die "at least not until One Tree Hill ends."  Ha ha!
• Also, Sue's angry fit of rage that caused her to tear up Figgins' office was pretty darn comedic.  Even better when right after it cuts to Mr. Schue telling Coach Bieste, "You should have seen her..." and then Sue barges in and does the same thing all over again.  Awesome!  Even Brian (the Glee-hater) couldn't stop laughing.
• The half-time show was pretty epic I must say.  Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is done to death, I know, but mashing it up with Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Heads Will Roll" helped it to be a cut above the rest.  A really great song, and who doesn't love high schoolers dancing around in zombie makeup?

The Cons:

• The opening routine with the Cheerios dancing to Katy Perry's "California Girls" was a bit underwhelming in my opinion.  Hard to imagine since it involved BMX bike stunts and lots of pyrotechnics including boobs shooting flames of fire, but it was so hyped up and then not shot in a way to really maximize on the stunts.  Plus it had been circling the web forever already.  Sigh.  It was all an attempt to keep the football fans from changing the channel once the Super Bowl ended.
• I'm not sure I want Finn and Quinn to get back together.  I liked that they were both moving on...
• Not enough Kurt and Karofsky.  Sure Karofsky was in the episode plenty (being a jerk as usual) but I was really hoping that he would run into Kurt somehow in the episode.  I don't care if he apologizes or if they fight or if they kiss or whatever, I just want something to happen to move things along.  And I'm still not sure as to what Kurt's relationship is with Blaine.  Are they dating?  Are they just friends?  I need some clarification here.