Glee: Big Mac Attack

The dire state of the U.S. economy has affected almost every aspect of our lives. So why shouldn’t it also affect everyone’s favorite frequently-terrible/occasionally-great musical comedy television sensation.

Yes, the recession finally hit “Glee” last night. Well, sort of.

As usual, “Glee” was so all-over-the-place last night that the revelation of Sam’s economic struggles was only a small part of “Rumours”, a quasi-tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s famous album.

Actually, the “Rumours” angle was refreshingly less forced than past tribute episodes (anesthesia-induced Britney Spears songs, anybody) or whatever the week’s “theme” is. (Does Mr. Schue use the black board in the music room for anything other than writing the week’s one-word assignment on it?)

The legendary in-fighting of Fleetwood Mac actually dove tailed very nicely with all the current conflict in New Directions. I was especially happy to see the show address the interesting conundrum Finn faces with Quinn: how do you trust a cheater? Sure, Quinn cheated with Finn while she was still with Sam, but that makes her a cheater nonetheless. (And so does hooking up with Puck last season.) In fact, the show cleverly nodded at all the different pairings we’ve seen in the glee club. (“Artittany”, “Tina Cohen-Chang/Chang”)

I was considerably less happy about the way the rumor mill got churning.

I realize that I’m beginning to sound like a broken record at this point, but isn’t it now 100% clear to everyone that Sue Sylvester is a completely useless character? (Again, this criticism is separate from Jane Lynch’s awesome abilities.) During the most pointless Sue scene yet — disguising herself as David Bowie and Ann Coulter is funny, how? — she announced that she was taking over the Muckraker, the school’s newspaper. She used the usual minor characters/minions (Azimio, Jacob Ben-Israel, Becky) plus Brittany to help spread rumors about the club that dealt with Quinn’s infidelity, Santana’s sexuality and Mr. Schuester’s Broadway aspirations.

You’re not gonna believe this, but Sue’s plan worked for a while before the kids in New Directions mostly made up in time for a group number at the end. A few weeks ago, I thought Sue’s character might have some life left in her when she formed the League of Doom, but apparently only honey badger (Terri) was available this week. This week was a gigantic step backward for Sue and I personally find pretty much everything the character does pointless and unbearable.

Speaking of unbearable, are the writers EVER going to let Rachel get over Finn? I get that they still have great chemistry and that Finn was her first love (other than herself, obviously), but watching her continue to pine for him — especially since he keeps shooting her down — is just pathetic at this point. Right now, Rachel has two gears: she’s either following Finn around like a puppy dog or she’s ego-manically trying to put herself in the spotlight while putting down everyone else’s singing abilities. Someone please remind me why we used to root for this girl.

Elsewhere, in the glee club, it turns out that Brittany has an online talk show (sure, why not?) called “Fondue for Two.” Naturally, the first episode featured three people (not counting the great Lord Tubbington…Tina and Mercedes were her official guests) and the outing of Santana. One of the few highlights on the show this season has been the work of Heather Morris and Naya Rivera. Morris was particularly strong last night in the scene where she broke up with Artie after he called her “stupid.” But even though I love both of their performances, the Brittany/Santana relationship confuses me. For example, I really thought Brittany cared deeply for Artie. So why is she agreeing to take Santana to prom so quickly after breaking up with him. (I know he insulted her, but damn!)

The fact that their great work occasionally elevates inconsistent material that rarely makes sense is the main reason I’m still watching this show. Well, that and kick-ass guest stars like Kristin Chenoweth.

April Rhodes was back and needing Will’s help on a Broadway musical about her life. (Shockingly, her all-white version of “The Wiz” never caught on.) It’s ALWAYS good to see Kristin Chenoweth, but since we all know Mr. Schue isn’t going anywhere, her presence (and her attempt to lure him away) was mostly a non-factor.

Apparently, Mr. Schue was so broken up about potentially abandoning his glee club for Broadway stardom that he cried because the kids “saved his life.” It’s probably because I’m not anywhere near the biggest Will Schuester fan in the world, but I was kind of rolling my eyes during this scene. Mostly, I feel bad for Matthew Morrison. I think he’s at his best when he’s in musical theatre/comedy (non-rapping) mode, but instead he has to try to sell us a bunch of earnest teacher nonsense.

Let’s just say I was more moved by Sam’s plight. Finn and Rachel had become convinced that he was having an affair with Kurt and/or Quinn after spying them outside Sam’s motel room. (Let’s please not overlook how ridiculous that previous sentence was.) It turns out that Sam’s family had lost their job (and their home) due to the recession and that Quinn was helping out by babysitting his younger siblings, while Kurt was lending him clothes. Mostly, I was grateful for a Sam plot that had nothing to do with his lips. (Although the episode couldn’t resist a chap-stick joke near the top of the hour.)

For a “Glee” episode that actually integrated its plot with its music in a smoother way than usual, this episode wound up being a letdown. Speaking of the music, let’s quickly grade the performances.

“Dreams”…B+: Chenoweth and Morrison really do sound great when they sing together. (See: their cover of “Alone” from season 1.) I’m not really sure I buy the kids grooving along to the performance THAT much, but I’ll let it slide.

“Never Going Back Again”…A-: Really good showcase for Kevin McHale’s voice as Artie, but I also liked the guitar playing in the background. (Yes, Puck can have an impact on an episode even when he hardly says anything.)

“Songbird”…A: Another solo for an unsung cast member. Naya Rivera nailed this one. Santana expressing her feelings much more effective this time since Gwyneth Paltrow wasn’t randomly there. (Like on “Landslide.”)

“I Don’t Want to Know”…B-: Rachel’s right: Finn singing with Quinn just isn’t anywhere near as special as when he sings with Rachel. The most noteworthy thing about this performance wasn’t the vocals — it was the acting from Cory Monteith and Dianna Agron, who were amusingly pissed at each other throughout the song.

Song from “CrossRhodes: The April Rhodes Story”…B+: Why isn’t Matthew Morrison allowed to do more fun numbers like this? Nah, let’s keep making Mr. Schue act like a dork or a tool It was an abbreviated glimpse into April’s musical, but it was also pretty damn funny.

“Go Your Own Way”…A: I thought this was a pretty outstanding reminder of what a musical force of nature Lea Michele really is. Now if only Rachel actually meant this song. (And if she stopped flirting with Finn through music) Too bad she’ll be pining for Finn next week. (And the week after that, etc.) Then again, Jesse St. James popped up in the previews for the following episode, so maybe she’ll take a break from pining next week.

“Don’t Stop”…B: I liked the fact that the solos were spread out pretty generously among the cast, but other than that I just didn’t think there was anything special about it.

So what’d you think of this episode? Will Santana join the golf team? Finally, would you honestly have a problem with the show if they killed Sue off?