I spent the last couple of weeks getting caught up on Glee and I just fell in love with the show all over again. No other show can make me laugh and cry like Glee can so I was so happy to see that the first season was no fluke. I’m pretty sure lightning is going to strike twice and give us a spectacular second season. What’s great going into season two is that we now know the members of the glee club … at least we thought we knew them because the summer break sure brought about some changes — Puck had a vasectomy? Really? Santana had a boob job? Artie and Tina broke up? I had such high hopes for them. At least Finn and Rachel are still together and Mercedes and Kurt seem to be doing just fine. Notably missing from this episode was Emma. What is she up to?
Did anyone else get a small thrill when Sue and Will buried the hatchet to take on the new female football coach, Shannon Beiste (“it’s French”)? I got a real kick out of them working together but as the story played out, the writers did that little thing that they do so well — made the “monster” human. When Shannon broke down in the locker room, we got to see the heart beneath the freakish exterior and then I felt bad for laughing at “Project Mean Girls.” It was almost like seeing Sue’s humanity last season with the introduction of her sister. It’s going to be interesting to see how this new rivalry plays out. Sue’s alliance with Will certainly was destroyed by the end of the episode, but will he team up with Shannon to put the hurt on Sue?
And what of our beloved glee club members? With the thrill of getting a one year reprieve after losing the nationals, they’re still thinking of themselves as a family and all they want to do is sing. Will Finn be able to convince new guy Sam to split his time between the football squad and the glee club? Or will Rachel become the club’s true villain and sabotage the chances of any new arrivals’ success?
She stooped pretty low this week when she sent new girl Sunshine Corazone to a crack house to audition. I know Rachel craves the spotlight and the applause, but she’s somehow remained likable even with her self-centeredness. I hope the writers can bring her back down to earth a bit, and soon, because I found myself not really liking her by the end of the episode even with her flawless rendition of “What I Did for Love.” She used the song to justify her actions, but I don’t think she or anyone else believes it. She’s already created a new rival in Sunshine, so it will be interesting to see how far she goes to the dark side before someone pulls her back from the abyss.
Some of my favorite lines from this week:
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Sep 21, 2010 @ 21:00 EST5EDT
I was also sorry to see Artie’s heart broken, again. And there was very little of Kurt, but I assume that will change in future shows.
I have to disagree with you on Rachel. She’s no longer likable. She says cruel things to people and thinks only of her own ego. With Will’s harpy of a wife not around (unfortunately, only temporarily), I now yell at the screen during Rachel’s scenes. Finn is a nice guy–what the heck is he doing with such a selfish b****? She’s become irredeemable. I thought the whole thing with her mother, or with the quadriplegic boy, would soften her, but here she is, back, even worse. She even ruined the only song I liked in the whole episode, “What I Did for Love”. Just the mere fact that this character was singing it, and using it as some kind of excuse, ruined it for me. I’m ready to have her get run over by a bus, and they can bring Sunshine in to replace her. Or give Mercedes more chances to sing. The Glee club doesn’t need “stars” obsessed with their egos, hogging all the good songs. It’s a team.
I’m loving the addition of Shannon. And as for Rachel, what you have to understand is … everyone is selfish in H.S. And have moments of unlikability. I’ve never really “liked” Rachel, but can understand her. Glee is all she has, and she’s damn good at it. Sometimes I actually enjoy seeing a selfish dork. Wish I would have been more like that back in the day. And I thought the spin, the reason behind “What I Did for Love”, was brilliant! Yay! I have really missed this show. And by that, I mean I’ve missed Matthew Morrison.
Yes, not much of Kurt or Mercedes this week but Kurt had a very strong storyline to finish out the first season, so the writers can be forgiven for not starting him off with a bang. We do need more Mercedes though. We know very little about her.
As for Rachel, I don’t know why you say you disagree with me because I flat out said I didn’t like Rachel very much by the end of the episode, and nobody was buying her “What I Did For Love” excuses (even if she did sing the heck out of that song). Last season, we could forgive Rachel’s insecurities because she needs glee to boost her self-confidence. You know there’s an old adage that the most insecure people are in show business. This week, she crossed a line which made her unlikeable but I don’t think irredeemable. Like I said, the writers have a way of making even the most “monstrous” characters human. It took a while to see that Sue really does have a heart with the revelation that she is devoted to a sister with Downs Syndrome (and her tears during the “To Sir With Love” number on the finale were heart wrenching), so while Rachel seems to be turning into a monster, I’m sure she will be brought down to earth and redeemed eventually – especially if we see more of Sunshine, and there’s no reason to think we won’t with the addition of Cheyenne Jackson as the new Vocal Adrenaline coach. So don’t be too harsh on Rachel just yet. It’s only the first day back to school!
Scott: If that’s your metric for Rachel being likable, then has she ever really been likable??
So glad to see Glee back…… the Beiste is indeed hilarious and seems to be a fine actress. Loved the way they gave her mangled metaphors a’la Dan Rather…
( “All Sow and No Teets “….. hilarious….).
True, Rachel was a bit of a beeyatch, but then again, it’s the Diva in her. I’m actually more concerned that Lea Michelle has really dropped the weight…. for what? If she appeared that thin on camera, which adds about 15lbs, she must be painful in the flesh. Eat a sandwich, Rachel!
And just for snark, I wish Amber’d lose the nose stud, but… that’s just me.
Otherwise, good start.
The bit about the boob job… hilarious with a serious underlying message for those teens.
I didn’t even know high school girls could get boob jobs!