After last week’s dramatic episode, Glee returned to its usual mix of comedy, drama and music. This week’s theme was duets and we saw a lot of drama come out of who would be singing with whom. The whole duet competition really turned out to be an excuse to mix up some of the show’s established couples. I know there has always been some innuendo about Brittany and Santana, but this is the first time I can remember seeing them together in quite a compromising situation. I could just hear parents’ heads spinning around as they ran to turn off the TV to protect their children from seeing such “propaganda.”
Of course, even though Kurt is the only openly gay student in the school, his personal life has been pretty chaste. If you’ve ever been the outcast at school for any reason, you can’t help but identify with Kurt’s feelings of loneliness. Did Kurt cross a line with his advances towards Sam? It was all suggestion, but we saw how he did the same thing with Finn last season and luckily Kurt realized that his aggressiveness towards Sam was akin to a guy hitting too hard on a girl. In the episode’s most touching moment, Kurt’s dad — recuperating at home following his heart attack — told Kurt how special he was but until he found someone as special as he is that he was just going to have to go it alone. It was very mature for Kurt to let Sam off the hook from dueting with him, but it also gave him the show’s standout musical moment as Kurt did a duet with himself to “Le Jazz Hot” from Victor/Victoria, complete with a near replica of the set from the movie and duplicate choreography. I don’t know how Kurt managed to pull all of that off, but it was fabulous — and one of those moments that you just have to completely suspend disbelief.
So what do we make of Sam? Is he going to hook up with Quinn? Or is he actually the rumored love interest for Kurt? Only time will tell. I think he’s just confused at the moment because he didn’t have any problem with being Kurt’s duet partner, that is until Finn butted in and convinced him it would just put a target on his back (guess getting hit with that Slushee didn’t help). At dinner with Quinn, he told her he had a secret, but is anyone but her buying that bleaching his hair is the big secret? It could all tie in to the rumored bullying episode that has been discussed in light of recent tragic events, but I do hope Kurt gets to enjoy some happiness this season. Anyone who isn’t Julie Andrews that can turn out “Le Jazz Hot” like he did deserves all the happiness in the world.
It looks like we have a week off until the next episode. Who’s ready for the Glee version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show?!?!
“He’s on Team Gay. No straight boy does his hair to look like Linda Evangelista circa 1993.” – Kurt speculating on Sam’s sexuality
“All I want is a normal salad that doesn’t have chicken feet in it!” – Tina on Mike’s mother’s menu choices
Clacked by Chuck Duncan 
on Oct 13, 2010 @ 07:58 EST5EDT
Kurt was awesome! I really liked seeing how the not-so-obvious pairings interacted with one another. Brittany is epic, I tell ya. If Sam is gay, he’s a great actor, b/c he really seems to dig Quinn.
Maybe Sam is like Santana and just needs a warm body. Jane Lynch supposedly let slip that Kurt’s boyfriend had been cast, and that he was blond with full, pouty lips. That sounds like Sam to me!
I hate Kurt.
He is hitting on straight guys, not just flirting but throwing himself at them. Then he clearly gets rejected and he complains that they are homophobic and are treating him badly. I’m glad his father finally stood up and didn’t support that.
Do you hate Kurt because he’s gay? He’s a high school teenager. Teenagers don’t generally know how to behave when it comes to their hormones. Straight teenage boys can hit on girls just as hard and if they’re rejected, the girls are either b*tches or lesbians in their mind, but that’s okay because they’re straight? Burt gave Kurt some good advice about coming on too strong, and he’s still a supportive father. It’s not that he stood up to Kurt, he just gave him some sensible advice from an adult with years of experience behind him. I think we have to give Kurt credit (or the writers) for actually listening to his dad’s advice.
I’m sorry, but Le Jazz Hot just didn’t work for me. It was a horribly boring performance that I’m sure was technically sound, but just turned me off.
That being said, I don’t hate him, like Oreo. So, he’s confused? Isn’t that the definition of a High School kid?
Boring? Really? It was a pretty faithful recreation of the number from the movie from the set to the choreography. My only quibble is that he should have done it as a true “duet” and changed his tone when singing the “male” and “female” parts…not that “Le Jazz Hot” could ever really be considered a duet song. I thought it was fabulous either way!
And thanks for not being a hater!
Oh, I love Kurt, even if he is an incredibly selfish, self-centered individual (but again … high school).
As far as the number goes, I guess if I were more familiar with the source material, I’d appreciate it more. Otherwise it just comes across as boring.
Oh, I love Kurt, even if he is an incredibly selfish, self-centered individual (but again … high school).
As far as the number goes, I guess if I were more familiar with the source material, I’d appreciate it more. Otherwise it just comes across, to me and most of the LiveClack group, as just boring.
I thought “Le Jazz Hot” was fantastic! And I think you’re right Chuck. It could have been even better had he changed his tone in the female parts, and I’ll throw in even having the other half of his costume more feminine (to make it more of a “duet”).
Am I the only one on the borderline of getting tired of the producers having Lea Michele do Streisand songs all the time? Yes, she’s great at it, even has the same exact inflections, but after about four now … it’s time to change it up? Or are they trying to introduce old Streisand songs to the teen audience? Is that the point?
Yes, Tara, I thought the white half of the costume was going to be more of a dress than a pantsuit. As for Barbra, maybe they’re just trying to lure her to the show. Either that or Ryan Murphy is just a huge fan, knows the songs and picks them for the show.