You know, with all the tv shows having talked about the Twilight series, since New Moon was coming out, and how Bella and Edward’s relationship was forbidden, etc., it made me think. Why are people hooked onto the Twilight stuff when there are other movies or other pieces of literature where there is a forbidden romance in it? I mean, there is the classic Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. There is also the movie Titanic. In Romeo & Juliet, the forbidden romance was the fact that the couple were from feuding families. In Titanic, Jack and Rose were from different classes. What is it about Bella and Edward’s relationship that makes it so different from the other two? Is it because he’s a vampire and she’s human and that’s something new? I really just don’t get it.

Dear Victor,

Once upon a time, a little-known college musical graduated and caught a bus to the Big Apple where it hooked up with a talented songwriter. Based on excerpts from a book written by an enigmatic author identified only by his first name, the musical combined colorful images with simple lyrics and engaging melodies to express ancient lessons about relationships. On May 17, 1971, that little college production opened off-Broadway in Greenwich Village and subsequently became a long-running hit. In 1973, the musical debuted on the silver screen, making its way to hometowns like mine across the United States.

I was an idealistic thirteen-year-old in 1973. Born too late to be a long-haired hippie, and yet saddled with a deep passion for identifying wrongs and taking action to right them, I longed for a coloring-outside-the-lines lifestyle that would give me the power to effect change in the world. But at thirteen, my power extended only as far as my bedroom walls where I listened to Carole King music, embroidered flowers on my army surplus pants, and dreamed bold dreams of law school.

At the very least, my youthful passion was the product of my experiences during the late 60s and early 70s. As I was growing up, I rode my bike and played kick-the-can and watched Saturday morning cartoons in an area where color moved into the neighborhood in the form of a housewife’s new blond wig or a family’s new green station wagon.

During seven years of elementary school, I didn’t socialize with black classmates because they weren’t there. In middle school, I made my first friendship with a black schoolmate, a soft-spoken girl named Linda who possessed a focused intellect and a gentle spirit. In high school, I was a cross between an egghead and an introverted loner and so watched with envy the black girls who exhibited the freedom to laugh out loud as they walked home together. More than once I wondered why God hadn’t blessed me with that rich skin color.

Though my parents worshipped at a progressive Congregational church, the only person of non-white color to be found in the building was Jesus. Depicted in an old painting as a mournful martyr in a linen robe, his olive-hued skin seemed more green than brown. In Sunday School, we made dioramas of Jesus’ time using white paper dolls clothed in striped bathrobes. At Christmas, Mary and Joseph and little baby Jesus bore a strong resemblance to my European ancestors. I sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and heard the ancient lessons, but simply couldn’t fathom the depths of their meanings in relation to the civil rights movement.

Then in 1972, courageous and classy Shirley Chisholm trumped every card the United States had ever played in the holy game of presidential poker. She became the first African American woman to seek a party nomination. I was twelve, and I remember clearly experiencing a strong feeling of support for her and a desperate longing to express that support at the polls.

One school night in 1973, I lay in bed reading Peter Maas’ Serpico, turning page after page after page as though hardwired into the story of the New York City cop’s sacrificial battle against corruption. Immune to the effects of the passing hours, I consumed the book in its entirety and began the school day with a profound sense of destiny. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to do it, but I was going to do something to change the world, something brave like Shirley and Serpico had done.

So when the little-college-musical- turned-movie arrived to the theatre in my town in 1973, I was ripe for its startling fresh take on messages I had been hearing in church for a long time. In the movie, a young and lanky actor portrayed Jesus as an approachable and knowledgeable savior who takes pleasure in the company of his friends.

That man was you, Victor Garber. You weren’t the green-hued, two-dimensional Jesus in the church painting. No, the Jesus you portrayed wore a Superman shirt tucked into a pair of stripedy pants held up by suspenders. You had long blond hair blown out into an afro that swayed in the wind around your head like a dandelion halo. The disciples in the movie weren’t guys wearing bathrobes and brown sandals. No, these disciples wore mismatched clothes sold at JCPenney and they communed together under a bright blue autumn sky in New York City. Astoundingly, some of those disciples were women and some of them were black.

The movie was ‘Godspell’, and watching it gave me a believable and incredibly exciting glimpse into the power of Jesus’ leadership. Under Jesus’ leadership, white, black, male, and female disciples could make the ancient teachings relevant and carry them with joy and expectation into the horn-blaring, pedestrian-filled streets of an unsuspecting New York City.

Upon viewing the movie, my body, mind, and soul recognized its destiny; the ‘Godspell’ depiction of Jesus and his disciples was precisely the coloring-outside-the-lines kind of life I wanted to live. Then, just as quickly as I recognized what I wanted to do and how to do it, the vision vanished and the incomprehensible joy of my future was gone.

The innumerable moments of the next thirty-five years of my life would find me either sobbing over yet another shattered dream or experiencing sublime contentment. I never made it to law school, ending up instead as a secretary. And although I eventually became a disciple of Jesus, my discipleship focused on personal change which seemed to produce only a profound longing to be that happy, world-changing, female follower of Jesus I believed I could be in 1973.

Fast forward to 2008. In April, I’m 48 and find myself in a jobless state that lasts for five months. The job market in my area is so depressed that hopelessness quickly becomes my constant companion, slogging grumpily alongside me like a constipated Jaba the Hut.

In October, despite a college degree and fine credentials, I find only part-time employment in the photo lab at a local Walmart. The job pays seven dollars and forty cents an hour, a fifteen-dollar-and-ten-cent cut in pay. Bills are overdue, and the mortgage won’t be paid on time.

Over the years, I’ve maintained a relationship with God, but I am now at a complete loss. I do not understand why this is happening to my family and why I don’t hear Jesus’ voice and why there seems to be no rescue on the horizon.

Over the years, I’ve voted Republican. But by 2008, I’m just plain tired of what the word Republican means to me. In early 2008, it’s easy to choose to vote for Hillary; if my dreams as a woman won’t come true, perhaps Hillary’s will. Then I remember that Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to run for president, so I burn a bra on the grill in our backyard in Shirley’s honor.

After Hillary loses the nomination, it’s easy to choose to vote for Obama. He’s black, and voting for a white male represents, to me, the old ways of thinking. I am so tired of the seemingly unending hopelessness of all the old ways: my old ways and the old ways of the world.

Two days before the election, I awaken at 1am and wonder if Obama is the right choice. Does he have the strength and experience to lead the United States of America? And what’s this about his friendship with a man who tried to bomb the Pentagon? I’m bone-tired, my old knees and feet ache from standing eight hours at the photo lab, and I’m frightened about my family’s financial future. John McCain knows the ropes. I make a final and unalterable decision to vote safe by voting for McCain.

November 4, 2008. Election Day. I’m sitting on the old blue sofa in the living room, remembering that someone in the Bible said, “Put your plans before the Lord and ask him to direct your ways”. So, I tell the Lord that I’m planning to vote for McCain. I tell the Lord why but also tell him that I believe a black president would be good for the United States, especially since it would be so meaningful for citizens who are black. Does the Lord hear me? I think so, but as is frequently the case with an invisible God, it is difficult to be certain.

On the drive to the polls, I become aware that I am in a state of excitement. It’s an unusual feeling because I have never, in all the times I’ve voted, experienced a sense of excitement. The bright sunshine streaming through the windshield, the clear blue sky above, and the unseasonably warm temperature add to the strange sensation that something beyond the desperate reach of my own hopelessness is happening.

At the polling location, a black security guard indicates the appropriate parking area with a smile. I thank him and wonder if his beaming face has anything to do with the possible election of a black president.

I park the car then take my place in the line that extends out the front doors of the building. I see more black residents in line to vote than I have ever seen. I think about what it would be like to be black and have the opportunity, for the first time in the history of my life and my country, to vote for a black presidential candidate.

Inside, I see a black couple with salt and pepper hair very much like the salt and pepper crowns of my own mother and father. As they wait patiently to cast their votes, I wonder if they marched in Washington, DC, with Martin Luther King, Jr. I wonder what it would be like to be their daughter and witness with my own eyes the fulfillment of my parents’ precious dream.

Nearby, black toddlers dressed in swaddling pjs wait with their mothers. I wonder how the lives of those huggable, cuddly, beloved children would be changed were they to grow up in a country with a black president.

By the time a blank ballot reaches my own hands, I have a deep and riveting understanding that I am being asked a question by the great and invisible God. The question is this: Just how far, Lori, are you willing to go to identify with someone else’s suffering?

I lay the blank ballot on the booth table and stare at it. My lumpy, wrinkled, and tired body begins to shake from the raw profundity of the choice before me. Intuitively, I understand that the choice is not between McCain and Obama; rather, it has something to do with the longsuffering of black citizens and freedom and hope.

And then it happens. I answer God’s question by choosing to vote for a black presidential candidate for the first time in my life. I stare at the result of my choice for a moment before feeding the stiff ballot into the machine. The black woman at the machine thanks me for voting and hands me an “I voted today” sticker. In a daze, and teetering on that annoying precipice of public blubbering, I stumble out to the car where I sit for several moments under the bright blue autumn sky.

And then it hits me. That thirty-five-year-old ‘Godspell’ experience comes whooshing out of the dark caverns of my youth and rushes all around me, enveloping me in its fresh and holy whirlwind. In a flash, I remember exactly how I felt the moment I believed anything and everything was possible in the company of that wonderfully-approachable and gloriously-clad ‘Godspell’ Jesus. In an instant, I see that the real Jesus had been with me at the booth, giving me the opportunity to perform a holy and powerful act that would right an old wrong and exemplify the truth of relationships in his kingdom. With a jolt, I understand that my passion for Shirley Chisholm’s cause, lying dead in a cave for thirty-five long years, had heard Jesus’ command to rise to life and come out of the tomb.

When I arrive home, I search for our 33 1/3 vinyl recording of the original ‘Godspell’ cast and plunk it down on the turntable. ‘Day by Day’ plays, and its intensely personal, yet simple expression of a disciple’s love for Jesus, makes something crystal clear to me. I see that, in order for the white disciple to love Jesus alongside the black disciple, someone has to say goodbye to the old ways of thinking and the old ways of doing when the opportunity arises. On November 4th, 2008, that someone was me.

Mr. Garber, when you portrayed Jesus in ‘Godspell’, did you have any idea that your portrayal would have such a profound and lasting effect?

Gratefully,

LKB

Showtime’s new dark comedy Nurse Jackie stars Edie Falco as title character Jackie Peyton, a “flawed” emergency room nurse at All Saints’ Hospital in New York City. For Jackie, “Every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses and her own indiscretions.” She is a strong-willed woman balancing a hectic work life with a complex personal life, all the while fighting the health care system along the way.

Episode 01: Pilot
It was a good episode, kind of interesting, but kind of boring, especially in the second half. Edie Falco was really good in the role of the drug taking nurse, but when this is the only think what she is doing, it could be boring very fast.
The episode story was boring though. I didn’t care about anything and everything was pretty uninteresting: Jackie screwing Eddie (Paul Schulze), then having a family at the end (interesting, but still it didn’t pick me); Jackie taking drugs; Jackie trying to save lives, even outside of the hospital (which looks kind of scary. The hospital I mean) – it wasn’t really that interesting to amuse me during the half hour, but the quality was there, “it” is just missing and I can love this show. For now it is just a show when I have some more time on my hands, not really a must-see. 7/10

Episode 02: Sweet ‘n All
I am glad, this episode was better than the first one. More characters, more humor, but kind of no story. There weren’t even real medical cases; the one this episode had was just a topic for two, three scenes, which is a shame. Instead we have a story from the first episode (the ear in the toilet – why did it come back for this episode? It didn’t bring anything), a bit family story and again Jackie trying to save lives outside of the hospital.
The characters could be better, especially the doctors, but this episode was good enough not to bore me. And it was better than the first one. But I still can’t get the show. Is Jackie either a caring character (like how she deals with her family) or is she just a drug abusing bitch (like the thing with the ear and her dealing with other persons)? 7,5/10

Episode 03: Chicken Soup
A good episode. A few good moments and at least a little story. I love how Jackie tries to manage two lives (family and job) and having troubles in both of them. And finally we learn something about the supporting characters, even though they are still too uninteresting to be interesting in the story.
Zoey’s (Merritt Wever, all the time I was thinking ‘From where do I know her?’ until I opened her IMDb file for this review and I saw she was a recurring in Studio 60. Damn, I can’t bring the faces to their TV shows anymore) efforts to get her stethoscope back from Eleanor (Eve Best) was funny (it seems her ear-story is gone, very nice) and Jackie’s story involving the old couple was sweet and nice and it shows that all the episodes must have a story of their own to go with the characters, which makes the series a bit realistic. But it has the same problems HawthoRNe has: The nurses are calling the shots? Where are the doctors? 7,5/10

Episode 04: School Nurse
I think I am starting to like the series, even though nothing much is really happening. I just like the fact that Nurse Jacky finally is another half hour drama show with real comedy in it; something the networks doesn’t seem to get on the air.
Sure, the writers don’t concentrate on the medical cases here and instead give us some interesting characters, but I think they should give more attention to the actual medical ases the characters have to deal with, because they are just boring.
Jackie’s problems with her daughter Grace (Ruby Jerins) is very interesting though, and I like the fact that Jackie really has two separate lives. Eddie obviously doesn’t know about Jackie’s family life (who in the hospital does?), while she tries everything to keep their lives separated (the scene with both cell phones was funny).
I just wished that the writers would bring more story into the secondary characters, with the exception of Zoey they are still not interesting. 7,5/10

Episode 05: Daffodil
The episode was good (like the previous ones). Again nothing much happens, but the characters are still interesting. As long as they are in front of the camera and have a bit of a story. Finally Gloria (Anna Deavere Smith) gets some things to do, even when she has to taser herself (predictable scene, and therefor not funny). But Zoey and Eleanor on a dinner was pretty funny.
Like Hush, I think this show would work more in a 60-minute format. The story about Grace is not really involving, Jackie’s love and family life doesn’t get any space in the series (we only see her trying to separate both lives) and the medical case about the 10-year-old girl and her grandmother was that interesting enough, it would be lovely to see more about that, especially because of the ending, which had a great symbolic. 7,5/10

Episode 06: Tiny Bubbles
A good episode with the stereotype old and loved nurse, who dies among the younger colleagues. I seem to see that story in every medical show. At least it wasn’t boring in here, just full of clichés. The rest of the episode was mostly interesting. Cooper (Peter Facinelli) has two mothers and we are meeting them in here; the backstory he has with his other mother (Swoosie Kurtz) was pretty interesting and is enough for a little bit more character moments for Cooper; but he finally got a story for his own, after he only grabbed the tits of his female colleagues and had pretty much nothing to do.
Zoey sees that Jackie has problems – I don’t know, it could be the begin of a nice story, but I couldn’t stand Zoey in here. The writers wanted to have her funny instead of serious (the moment she enters a room and awkwardly leaves it again), and this might have worked at the beginning, but right now it just sucks balls. The drama moments are so much more interesting right now. 7,5/10

Episode 07: Steak Knife
A good episode, but the series isn’t developing anytime soon. Basically it is just a series about a nurse with problems in her job and in her private life – the rest is more than useless. So, Jackie and Eddie had their one-year-anniversairy. Momo (Haaz Sleiman) didn’t know that Jackie had a boyfriend (which lets me ask who else does know about Jackie’s private life, and why is she keeping it a
secret?) and Gloria had a baby on her hands – by the way a storyline which wasn’t concluded at the end.
I don’t know, but I cannot love this series in this form, when absolutely nothing is happening. No on-going story, no real highlights, simple medical cases… It is a shame, because I was interested to see Nurse Jackie, but now it is just a boring TV show, though the single episodes are “just” good. 7/10

Episode 08: Pupil
I believe that this was the most likable episode so far. Much more humor in the story, much more actual story in the episode and Eddie knows something about Jackie’s private life. The series is still missing some real characters and the writers don’t use the storylines in a proper way, which is a result of being a half-hour show, it really kills the stories; they are better suited in a hour-long series. The best example would be Cooper’s story with the daughter of one of his patients. Everything went so fast that the scene in which he asked Amy (Alexie Gilmore) about Melissa (Jill Flint) was just awkward.
Well, Eddie knows that Jackie has a daughter, while Grace seem to make troubles in the near future. It would be nice to know what is really wrong with her and it would be nice to see how Eddie is reacting after he learned about Jackie’s kid. For the rest I have to say it wasn’t really interesting. Zoey almost catched Jackie in the act taking drugs, having a “I’m on my own” day, but I barely saw something of it and after all she is just not too much of an interesting character. Which is sad.
Still the best episode for me so far. 8/10

Episode 09: Nose Bleed
Average good episode. The events from last episode didn’t have any aftermath in here – I was hoping Eddie and Jackie would have a talk, but instead he is talking about atoms, electrons and parallel realities. He didn’t ask anything about Jackie’s kid, he didn’t make one try to learn something from her private life. Pretty boring. And Jackie’s nose bleeding? It could be an on-going storyline, letting Jackie think about her abusing drugs, but it doesn’t look that way.
The rest of the episode was not really interesting as well. Gloria still has the kid (for the third episode in a row, I am impressed), while the parents come to get their son back. Cooper has a hospital date with Melissa and Zoey is still the student and doesn’t have anything to say, still doesn’t lose her “easiness”. Only the story with Grace seems to be interesting, especially how she behaved at the beginning of the episode, wanting to give her mother a dollar for not working. Well, and the rest wasn’t worthy to mention here, the series still isn’t a TV highlight; for that it is just the typical average good. 7/10

Episode 10: Ring Finger
Nasty scene, in which Jackie smashes her ring finger, just so she can tell Kevin (Dominic Fumusa) a believable story about the lost ring. It seems illogical that she is capable of doing such things to keep her private life secret from everybody. Bt I think I have to live with that and sometimes the writers have to give a bit of a reason, why they wrote Jackie this way.
Apart from the ring finger story, the episode was like the rest of the season. Worthy to be watched on a regular basis, but not worthy to talk about it. Cooper’s tick came back to him, at least with a bit of humor and a little WTF moment in the scene (Jackie really kissed him? Why?). Zoey walking in on Jackie and Eddie could have been more funnier, if the scene wouldn’t be so stereotype. Before she even opened the door, I already knew that she would close it again with her in the room, instead of out.
The series needs definitely more highlights, but I think I already mentioned that once or twice. 7/10

Episode 11: Pill-o-Matix
Wow, so suddenly this episode prepares for the season finale, and this on so many levels. It was an interesting episode, yet it wasn’t the best so far. But I wished every episode would be like this: with an interesting guest character as the medical case of the episode (and I was surprised to see Victor Garber in here), with an interesting story for the characters (the mistake Zoey did and practically could risk her job as a nurse), which could be unpredictable (Cooper’s efforts to find out if Jackie is seeing somebody) and a cliffhanger (Eddie following Jackie and seeing her real family). Yeah, storywise the episode was good, but the execution slightly failed. Not only was Victor Garber’s character sent in a coma way too fast and we don’t even know what happened with him afterwards, but Eddie following Jackie all of a sudden? Where did that come from?
I am starting to like the story with Grace, she behaves like she is 35 and already had a few midlife-crisis, but the writers should give an explanation for her behavior soon, because I am not satisfied with what I saw so far. 8/10

Episode 12: Health Care and Cinema
Well, I don’t know. The season finale was not really a season finale and had a few uninteresting storylines. Nice to see Victor Garber back, after his story got kind of cut in the last episode, but his appearance was filled with boredom – not interesting, only for Zoey, but her character didn’t even develop during the season, so that scene in which she apologized for a gazillion times didn’t bring anything.
The most intriguing story was with Eddie and Kevin. Eddie learns something about Jackie’s life and is totally stunned about everything. But honestly: What did he expect when he learned that Jackie has a kid and never told something about her private life? At least it was explainable why he got drunk, but I was expecting that he would expose Jackie’s private life in front of everybody.
Cooper loves Jackie… for real? Well, at least he is given a story for the second season, though I don’t believe he will be having more screentime than in this season. But it is funny, somehow.
Eleanor: I actually can’t believe that I saw her crying in her last scene. Not only was this the best scene she was in, but she showed that she can act. And who knows, maybe the story with her mother gets more screentime in the next season. I want to hope, her appearances in this season only consisting of talking and having lunch with Jackie, a few medical cases and laughing about everybody and anything. She didn’t have one private moment, until she cried.
And Jackie? She now takes Morphin. I just hope her addiction will bring her problems in the next season. God dammit, she takes drugs, and she only had a nose bleed so far?
The rest was pretty much boring. Gloria gets stuck in the elevator and plays with herself (and looks more like the comic relief of the series), while Momo obviously is in love with a guy, who doesn’t love him – yeah, not really interesting. 7/10

Season average is 7,34. Maybe it looks good as a whole, but the series got on my nerves during the second half. No development, no real stories, but the episodes are still somehow interesting – I am curious how that worked.
The second season will air in March next year (together with the second season of United States of Tara) and I am on it; I just hope the writers learned something and put more actual story in it.

ARE THE STARS OUT TONIGHT?: Yes, and most of ‘em are working on and off Broadway. Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson are currently in

JOHANSSON: room for A View

rehearsals for the revival of A View From The Bridge, still regarded in some circles as Arthur Miller’s most passionate drama. They start previews right after Christmas, then open at the Cort Theatre on Jan. 24 … Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury are the hot-ticket duo in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music down the street at the Walter Kerr Theater. Previews start tomorrow night, less than three weeks before their Dec. 13 opening … Emmy Award winners James Spader and Richard Thomas are already in previews for David Mamet’s

ZETA-JONES: opening tomorrow night

new sizzler, Race, directed by Mamet himself, for a Dec. 6 opening … veteran New York broadcaster Pat Collins calls her the funniest woman on Broadway, and audiences must agree, because Carrie Fisher’s one-woman show, Wishful Drinking, originally slated to close Jan. 3, has been held over another two weeks, to Jan. 17… Victor Garber will celebrate New Year’s Eve, then go right into previews for the revival of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, set to premiere Jan. 21 at the American Airlines Theatre … 2001: A Space Odyssey alumnus Keir Dullea, who actually worked with Noel Coward, will return to Broadway this spring in a revival of Robert Anderson’s

SPADER: Race card

I Never Sang for My Father. Years ago Dullea and Coward co-starred in a London-made thriller called Bunny Lake Is Missing. After shooting a difficult scene together for director Otto Preminger, Coward turned to the young actor and chirped, “Keir Dullea, gone tomorrow!” Happily his ad-lib was not prophetic … and Tony Award owner Matthew Broderick has taken his act off-Broadway. He opens tonight at the Acorn Theatre in Kenneth Lonergan’s The Starry Messenger, about an astronomy teacher’s affair with a younger woman.  Academy Award nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace) plays the younger woman to Broderick’s married academic.

SMITH: backing B'way newbie

ANOTHER OPENING, ANOTHER ADOPT-A-SHOW: It took volunteer executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry to put Precious on the map — and did they ever. Now Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith have become first-time Broadway producers, putting their considerable showbiz weight behind the new Broadway musical Fela! which opens tonight at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre after a month of previews. Directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, Fela! portrays the extravagant world of controversial music pioneer and Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in a hybrid of concert, dance and musical theater. Will audiences buy in? Stay tuned … and Tony winner Susan

BRODERICK: opening tonight

Stroman will direct the first-ever production of The Scottsboro Boys, an unproduced Kander & Ebb musical, off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. The show will begin previews on February 12 and open on March 10. The Scottsboro Boys explores the infamous Scottsboro case of the 1930s, in which a group of African-American teenagers were unjustly accused of attacking two white women, and the boys’ attempts to prove their innocence.

And yes, it’s a musical.

TOMORROW:

Fangs for the Memories.

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For  video from the Emery Awards 2009, click the logo to play!

I was lucky enough to do press for The 2009 Emery Awards & 30th Anniversary of the Hetrick-Martin Institute for rPulse.com (check them out!). For those who dont know, the Emery Awards honor individuals and corporations that exemplify The Hetrick-Martin Institutes mission of providing a safe and supportive environment for all young people regardless of their sexual orientation or identity as well as those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership within the LGBTQ community.

Featuring: Singer Lance Bass, reality television show star Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, Kimora Lee Simmons, Academy Award winning writer of Milk Dustin Lance Black, actress Heather Matarazzo, activist Cleve Jones, actor Cheyenne Jackson, actor Victor Garber, actor Nicholas Rodriguez, comedian Judy Gold, actor B.D. Wong, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Supermodel Veronica Webb, musician Caroline Murphy, actress Lisa Banes, actor Edward Hibbert, actress Debra Monk

Singer Lance Bass - Click Picture for More!

I was lucky enough to do press for The 2009 Emery Awards & 30th Anniversary of the Hetrick-Martin Institute for rPulse.com (check them out!).  For those who don’t know, the Emery Awards honor individuals and corporations that exemplify The Hetrick-Martin Institute’s mission of providing a safe and supportive environment for all young people – regardless of their sexual orientation or identity – as well as those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership within the LGBTQ community.

MORE INSIDE!

The Red Carpet - Click Picture for More!

Click each picture for view more pictures from the night!

Reality Star Kimora Lee Simmons - Click Picture for More!

Academy Award winning writer of “Milk” Dustin Lance Black - Click for More!

Some of Sydey's many disguises in Alias

Before 2001, I had no idea who Michael Vartan, Jennifer Garner and Bradley Cooper were. I had no idea the terrific actor that is Victor Garber existed and that Ron Rifkin made such a great villain. In 2001 – before Lost- there was Alias. The connection between the two shows? The creator/executive producer J.J. Abrams. The two shows could not have been more different. Yes, both include mystery, some unexplained supernatural possibilities (Alias will remember “Rambaldi”) and lots of action. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why Lost became the phenomenon that it still is. Sure it is captivating and all, but Alias had created an addiction in me that Lost didn’t. For those of you who never caught Alias, here’s the plot (although I should mention that the order we are given the story is more complicated & intriguing than my orderly version).

THE BACKGROUND

Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow

 

One mission when she's posing as an asylum patient, trying to gain the trust of an inmate

 

 

She is posing as an ecort to a fat,ugly baddie. She is going to make him sorry he ever looked.

 

 

Syd and Vaughn are on a mission together, posing as metal music lovers.

 

Of course as smart, gorgeous and dangerous as she is, Sydney is only human and taking all of the below very badly:

Arvin Sloan played by Ron Rifkin

Victor Garber playing Jack Bristow

Will and Francie played by Bradley Cooper and Merrin Dungey

Daniel Hecht played by Edward Atterton

If you follow this blog and somehow haven’t become a Gleek yet, I can’t understand why not.

The show, which stars Broadway favorites Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison, has already featured Broadway big-shots Victor Garber (Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Damn Yankees), Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) and Debra Monk (Curtains, Chicago, Company) and  showtunes like “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady.

Broadway Gleeks can continue to get more excited: Lea’s Spring Awakening co-star, Jonathan Groff, has signed on to perform in at least 5 episodes of the show, and rumor has it that Cheyenne Jackson, the star of Finian’s Rainbow on Broadway, is scheduled to make a guest appearance in one of the upcoming episodes.

The show’s tunes are hidden a little better than its stars, but thanks to YouTube, we do know that we’ll be hearing Lea Michele and Chris Colfer singing “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. Check out a clip of the song:

Glee just keeps getting better and better for lovers of Broadway musical theater!

Recently, I saw this documentary on Titanic. The reason I watched was because I have an interest in the Titanic. Anyway, that made me think. Why is there a lot of interest in the Titanic in the first place? I think that it’s mostly because of the tragedy behind it. So many people could have been saved if more people were put into the lifeboats in the beginning. Anyway, in all of my readings on the Titanic, the thing that I found the most interesting was the novella, Futility, written by Morgan Robertson. The similarities between the Titanic and the novella are so interesting. Anyway, that’s just I think.

Again, until the newest episode of “Glee” comes out, I’m reposting the reviews from AfterElton.com. This review can be found here. I love the wit this guy puts in his review. Enjoy.

The third episode of Glee certainly offered an unexpected mixed bag. I knew going in that the cringe-inspiring Sandy would be back, but I wasn’t expecting gay student Kurt to get development until next week. I’m not sure if the two balanced each other out, but Kurt certainly made Sandy easier to watch.

Let’s start with the bad news, namely the return of Sandy, the former glee club advisor who was fired after Rachel reported him for touching a male student inappropriately. Sandy is effeminate, fussy about the thread count in his bedsheets and, when people suggest he’s gay, he insists he has a girlfriend who lives in Canada Cleveland.

We first see Sandy as he’s hanging out in the teachers’ lounge, pointing out that he can still visit the school since his court order only requires him to maintain a 50 foot distance from children, not the school. That means Sandy is there when Will gets the idea to form an acapella singing group with some of the other school staffers, the Acafellas. Sandy doesn’t become a charter members of the Acafellas, though, as things feel “creepy” when he’s around.

Sandy eventually gets himself a spot on the Acafellas by promising he can get Josh Groban to check out a performance and consider them as a potential opening act. Groban does visit them after a performance, but only to deliver a restraining order (that’s two restraining orders for Sandy in three episodes) and to reveal that the friendship Sandy boasted about was a stalker’s delusion, complete with obsessive poetry and unwanted nude photos.

What’s frustrating about Sandy is that he mixes the “gay villain” stereotype — scheming, predatory, unable to sense when he makes people uncomfortable — with the old gag of the effeminate guy who is obviously gay, but is the only person not to realize it. It’s not that you can’t create an interesting character with those qualities, but so far there isn’t much more to Sandy than those damaging stereotypes.

However, there’s one good reason to hope that Glee can make Sandy a character that’s more than a mash-up of stereotypes — Glee’s other effeminate guy, Kurt. Honestly, Kurt’s storyline this week isn’t anything particularly groundbreaking. We’ve seen the story of the gay guy and his gal pal semi-dating before but thanks to Chris Colfer and Amber Riley, the show mines the story for all the drama it’s worth.

As Mercedes starts to get close to Kurt, she seems pretty aware that she shouldn’t be hoping for more than friendship, acknowledging she’s pretty sure she’s not Kurt’s type with a knowing nod.

However, Mercedes lets Quinn (who is looking to sow discord among the the Glee Club) convince her that there could be more to the relationship. Seeing what’s going on, Rachel and Tina try to pull Mercedes back to reality with a “gaytervention.”

Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop Mercedes and the relationship leads to her having her heart broken and a busted windshield for Kurt.

Colfer and Riley’s talents get a nice showcase before Mercedes busts Kurt’s windows. Not only does Colfer manage to communicate all the things going through Kurt’s head — being deliberately clueless about Mercedes’ flirtatious hints to hating himself when he seizes an opportunity to lie his way back into the closet  — but Colfer hits all the varied emotions a kid like Kurt would deal with in that situation.

Riley hits similar nuances with Mercedes including the forced ease she adopts when suggesting they “make it official” or the flash of hesitation that shows on her face when Kurt sets off her gaydar. It all leads to Kurt coming out to Mercedes in a scene where Colfer lets us see Kurt’s vulnerable side without ever letting go of the strong-willed young man we usually see.

Between Kurt and Sandy, we have two very different effeminate men. We’re getting to know Kurt and his effeminate and fashion conscious are traits that let us understand him better, not the beginning and end of the character. Sandy’s effeminacy, meanwhile, emphases his negative traits, abusiveness, inappropriateness and sneakiness.

The episode may have given us more Sandy, but the Acafellas story also gave us the chance to get to know jock Puck and see him become a performer.

Puck, it turns out, has decided he’s had enough of high school girls who are looking for husband material and dumping him based on his bad credit rating. Instead, he prefers to be the sexy above-ground-pool boy who has meaningless sex with older women.

That goal is helped by his ability to sing and play the guitar. I’m guessing joining the Acafellas is supposed to let him use his musical talent to impress those women who don’t have an above-ground-pool. Because the sight of him working shirtless should be enough to close the deal in most cases.

The Acafellas give Sue Sylvester an opportunity to try to destroy the Glee Club from within. When Will starts missing rehearsals, Quinn moves to get the Glee Club to hire a tyrannical and insulting choreographer who should break the Club’s spirit.

The scheme almost works, except that Rachel makes an appeal in the name of Barbra Streisand which leaves the club stronger than ever. On any other show, an appeal in the name of Barbra would be the gayest moment but on Glee that’s debatable.

With “Acafellas”, Glee continues to improve… and I didn’t get to mentioning the Acafella’s dance moves, Quinn’s closing comment to Sue Sylvester (is she giving up on being a mean girl, already?), Kurt’s apparent crush on Finn or the frustrating lack of Victor Garber singing. Next week’s episode looks especially promising with Kurt joining the football team in an attempt to impress his father (though it also brings Sandy joining forces with Sue Sylvester).

What did you think? Did Kurt and Mercedes’ friendship work for you or was it a return to a too-familiar story? If Kurt bothered you before, is the character working better for you now? Is Sandy a troubling character and can he be improved? Has Quinn reformed already?

Enough of that review from AfterElton.com…here’s more Puck.

Finding this show has made my month.  It is just awesome.  The trailer can show you better than I can explain it!

EDIT: the trailer has been removed by FOX (boo! why remove a video promoting your show? duhh!)

Instead, here is a performance clip:

and another trailer (although this might get removed too).

and another

I think you have the idea now!

The characters are adorable, flawed, unusual, geeky, talented, beautiful. Some are just vile.  I will be posting about this more, I can guarantee it!

It  also helps that the teacher (played by Tony award nominee, Matthew Morrison) is kinda completely hot.  He has some moves.  My teachers never looked like this…

The show even has Tony award winner Victor Garber playing the above teacher’s dad  -  Victor was Jack Bristow for goodness’s sake.

(Season 1, Episode 3)

I’m not so sure about this one. It seemed like they crammed about three or four episode into one. All of a sudden, Will abandoned the Glee Club … again! This time to follow his own dream of abruptly putting together a “boy” band with teachers he doesn’t particularly like.

Then they’re on stage, and things are going great. We only heard in hindsight from the Club that he’d been missing rehearsals. So just like that, Will doesn’t care about them again? I could have bought it if they’d stretched it out a bit, but the whole storyline seemed a bit rushed.

On the other hand, I loved the exploration into a couple of the other members of the Club. Particularly, Mercedes finally got her chance to stop singing back-up. She nailed a solo performance, in her own mind, after smashing Kurt’s window in love’s frustration.

Maybe it’s because I’m older and wiser, but is it really plausible that someone could be completely oblivious to the fact that Kurt is gay? I supposed when you’re young, it’s possible. And when you’re young and lonely and the mean cheerleaders are leading you on, it can go from possible to probable. I look forward to spotlighting some of the other characters as the series progresses.

I’m not faulting the Acafellas storyline; it actually; fit well with the characters, and it was fun seeing some of their performances. I just would like to have seen the whole story get a little room to breathe. It was hard to keep up with everyone’s motives, Jane Lynch hardly got any screen-time, and the rush overshadowed the fact that Victor Garber is Will’s dad!

Now, if the entire Acafellas storyline was a set-up for the great joke regarding Sandy and Josh Groban, then it was worth it. Sandy is one of the funniest characters on the show, and despite the fact that I should have seen it coming, I was still surprised when Josh Groban served him with a restraining order. Nude photos!?

The Wife:

Here’s where I make a confession: I love Josh Groban. I have seen him in concert. (With my mom!) I own all of his albums. I used to own a Josh Groban tee shirt. I think his cover of “My December” is way better than Linkin Park’s original. I watched the concert version of Chess, which we all know is a fucking weird musical, because he was in it. I am a member of a Facebook group called, “I Would Have Josh Groban’s Illegitimate Children — FOR FREE!” which was started by my friend Amber, another huge Josh Groban fan. And yet . . . I had no idea he was going to be in this episode. So when I saw his name in the credits, I went like this:

“Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Man, I was already excited enough by the presence of Victor Garber! And in a bowtie, no less! But Josh Groban, too? Surely, the television was being far too kind to me!

But besides my guest star joy, Glee seems to be moving along at a fairly steady pace. At least for the first half of the season, we can be certain that the two overwhelming threats to the Glee club will be Sue Sylvester’s meddling (for no other reason than she wants her budget back at full) and Terri’s “pregnancy,” which draws Will away from his own personal interests. I suspect we’ll see a lot of retreads of situations that make things harder for the Glee kids, as well as things that distract Will’s attention, but as long as the performances keep their luster and the writing keeps its wit, I won’t be bored. It’s hard to move forward quickly during a first season, and few shows can actually achieve that. Glee has to keep reiterating these basic conceits so that it doesn’t feel so serialized that a new viewer would be alienated from this shiny happy world. I do, however, hope the retreads don’t happen for too long. With the pilot available since the spring, I suspect Glee has as many converts as it is likely to get by this point.

This week, Sue’s Cheerio spies put Rachel up to the task of telling Will that he’s not a good enough choreographer for them to be able to beat Vocal Adrenaline at Regionals. The kids want to hire $8,000 star choreographer Dakota Stanley, but they haven’t got that kind of cash, so they host a car wash fundraiser, which serves as the backdrop for Mercedes’ performance of “Bust the Windows” when her crush on flamingly gay Kurt is crushed when he says he doesn’t have feelings for her, but is in love with someone else. (You see, she doesn’t want to think she’s in love with a downlow brother, so she assumes the object of Kurt’s affection is Rachel, not Finn, even though Rachel and Tina warned her about Kurt’s disinterest in vaginas earlier in the episode.) It’s an incidental plot, but it contributes toward the episodes thematic structure, which is all about finding your confidence. By the episode’s end, when Mercedes apologizes for breaking the window of Kurt’s car, he tells her he’s gay, but never had the confidence to say it, just as the rest of the Glee club realizes when they meet the overly frank monster that is Dakota Stanley that they don’t need his fancy, overpriced dance moves at all: as long as they are themselves and perform with confidence, they can win. (Although, he did say what I’ve always thought about Lea Michele’s nose. But she’s right to counter with the fact that Barbara Streisand never did get that nosejob, and she’s a supernova.)

I'll still take you to sing-a-long Sound of Music. Promise!

Meanwhile, when shop teacher and cough syrup addict Henri loses his thumbs in a freak accident, the rest of the teachers (including substitute shop teacher Sandy, who is not allowed with in 50 feet of children, not teenagers) try to cheer him up and realize that they’d make a totally sweet a capella group. But before I talk about the collaboration between Howard, Ken Tanaka, Will and thumbless Henri, I have to talk about Henri’s thumblessness. Outside of the apt use of music, this scene is one of the most Ryan Murphy things about the show. I adore his macabre humor here: watching Henri be presented with a thumbs-up cake, then trying in vain to use a fork, then raising the plate to his mouth and eating the thumb. Pure genius.

The guys get together and rehearse and Will’s house, which Will thinks really turns Terri on because since he started singing with the Acafellas, their sex life has dramatically improved. He doesn’t realize, of course, that this is actually because she really needs to get pregnant to make good on the news Will told his dad and mom earlier in the episode. I do think, though, that there is something Terri finds attractive about her newly confidant husband. The reaction shots of Terri and Emma to seeing Will et al perform prove that they are both a little star struck by the whole thing. Will, of course, is great, and Acafellas becomes a moderate success.

Will’s Dad: This is huge! We sold all 17 copies of you CD!

Will’s Mom: I didn’t even have to show my bosoms!

Principal Figgins likes the act so much that he invites them to perform at a PTA meeting. Sandy, who was denied a spot in Acafellas, tells everyone that he can get Josh Groban to attend the meeting, which would help the school’s clout, but only if he performs with them. As the meeting nears, Henri is sent to cough syrup rehab and can no longer perform, and Howard drops out of the group, as well. In an effort to save the performance, Will recruits Finn and football star Hank (Ben Bledsoe) lends his voice to Ken Tanaka, but only if hot MILFs will be there. (He is an above-ground pool cleaning gigolo, in addition to being a full-time high school student.) The new Acafellas put on a completely stellar performance of Color Me Badd’s “I Wanna Sex You Up,” which is greatly enjoyed by all, including Josh Groban, who is, indeed, “cute as a buttermilk biscuit.”

Good thing thumbless Henri is downing cough syrup in the audience right now.

Groban, however, was only attending the performance to serve Sandy with a restraining order, as Sandy won’t stop pestering him since Groban accidentally became his friend on MySpace. In my favorite moment of the episode, Josh Groban then seduces Will’s mom because, well, I’ll let him explain it:

“Scads of screaming teenagers don’t do it for Josh Groban. Josh Groban loves a blowsy alcoholic.”

Oh, Josh Groban! I love you!

With the short-lived glory of the Acafellas at a close and Dakota Stanley fired, Will rejoins Glee club and gets right back to work on new music for Regionals. Will’s dad tells him that, because of the confidence his son has on stage, he’s decided he’s going to finally pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer . . . which just cements the fact that this character is what Jordan Weathersby used to be before he became Jordan Weathersby.

Stray thoughts:

• I absolutely need the floral sweater dress Emma is wearing when she’s gardening in her office. I can’t find anything close to it, but, so help me, I will!
• “You’re going to have a school full of pansies unless you get some hot wood in those kids’ hands.” — Sandy
• I dunno, I kind of like Crescendudes . . . Testostratones is also good.
• “Will, if I don’t get some sleep, I could miscarry.” — Terri
• It makes sense that Sue used to be in special ops military, doesn’t it?
• “Yes, if by someone, you mean the tender crook of my elbow.” — Kurt, in re: kissing
• “Who is Josh Groban? KILL YOURSELF!” –Sandy
• I like that they made a little in-joke about Kurt wanting to see sing-a-long Sound of Music with Mercedes, as Kurt’s character was named for the fact that the actor played Kurt in a tour of Sound of Music.
• Sue: I’m revoking your tanning privileges for the rest of the semester.
  Santana: Nooooo! [And she runs out of the room sobbing.]
• By the way, I’ve seen Rockapella in concert. That’s right, the dudes who sing the theme song to Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? Be jealousssssssssss!

Josh Groban and his bodyguard, Flex.

Episode 103, “Acafellas” Air Date: 9/16/09

Um, I just meant for this to be a quick little post of some of the funniest quotes from last night’s episode of “Glee.” But…  I’m pretty sure this is just going to end up being a normal-sized recap, because there were a lot of great lines. But not enough Jane Lynch (Sue)!

Terry cooks dinner for Will’s parents. (Re: the hamburger casserole, Terry says, “Watch out for bones.” Yuck!) Will announces to his family that Terry is pregnant, even though Terry asked him not to. He’s so excited! He just can’t hide it!

Will’s dad is Victor Garber! (I love Victor Garber.) In a bowtie. And he spent six months in the Hanoi Hilton. How John McCain-esque. Will worries that he’s not equipped to be a father, and Victor Garber blames Will’s low confidence on his own lack of guts. He wanted to be a lawyer!

It’s a sad scene, with Victor Garber regretting all the ways in which he’s been a bad father. (And yes, I’m just going to keep calling him Victor Garber.)

Rachel interrupts Will as he teaches the Glee kids a new dance. “You don’t have to ask me every time for permission to go to the bathroom, Rachel,” Will says. “You can just go.” Wow, I wasn’t afforded that type of freedom until college.

The Cheerios of Glee (you know, the spies) have convinced Rachel that the Glee club needs a trained choreographer. “Dakota Stanley was the understudy to the candelabra in Beauty & the Beast on Broadway.” So he’s the obvious choice? I mean, it’s Ohio.

(Remember last week on SYTYCD, how Adam Shankman called that crazy “Shatter Shatter” guy’s dance “Off-Broadway, like Cleveland”? I guess that’s what we’re dealing with here.)

Will’s not convinced about the merits of Dakota.

Will: Just because he understudied, doesn’t mean he ever performed.

Cheerio Quinn: Did you ever perform, Mr. S?

Oooh, dirty! I love it.

Will takes his problem to Emma.”They say it takes more certainly than talent to be a star,” she says. “I mean, look at John Stamos.” Ha!

Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Let’s look at him.

Okay, back to work.

Emma is in a (sham) relationship with Ken Tanaka. So that she won’t seem like she’s overtly hitting on Will, I guess. Re: Ken, Emma tells Will that there’s nothing sexier in a man than confidence.

By the end of this recap/episode, it’s going to be incredibly apparent that this week’s theme is “confidence.” You gotta have confidence!

Teacher’s lounge. Big Gay Sandy (Stephen Tobolowsky, of “Heroes” fame) waltzes in wearing his pastel sweater stuff. He’s the former Glee teacher.

Will: Sandy. I thought you weren’t allowed on campus.

Sandy: No William, I’m not allowed within fifty feet of children.

Distinctions. Learn them!

The male teachers are assembling to welcome back the shop teacher, Henri. He’s addicted to over-the-counter medicine, and… accidentally cut off his thumbs. Gross! (And unlike “True Blood,” his fingers were apparently not re-attachable.) Sandy and Henri go way back… in fact, Sandy was the mastermind behind McKinley High’s wood shop program?

Sandy: I told Figgins that you are going to have a school full of nancies unless you get some hot wood in those teenagers’ hands.

Hot wood! I can’t believe that made it past the censors. But I’m glad. So glad.

Henri enters with his bandaged hands, and he is sad. “I’ll never hitchhike across Europe,” he laments. “That was a dream, man.” Probably an ill-conceived dream. Doesn’t Henri know what happens to hitchhikers? (I’ve seen the ads for the horror movies.)

Terry’s co-worker, Howard, brings the cake that Terry was supposed to bring. She’s stuck doing Howard’s inventory, because Howard can’t count to thirty? Sad. And the cake has two nubby-looking hands on it. Sensitive.

The men sit around eating cake (Henri has trouble, without thumbs), and Will says that he’s glad to hang with the guys and talk about feelings.

Ken: Want to know what I’m feeling? I live at the YMCA, and I only have one pair of long pants…

Ugh, and Emma is dating him! It must be hard to date, with only one pair of pants. And, you know, nowhere to live.

Sandy: Oh please, my life is a disaster with no creative outlet, other than writing my “Desperate Housewives” fan fiction.

Howard: I’m afraid of my vacuum.

Will: I know how you guys feel. I apparently don’t know how to dance.

Henri: I don’t have thumbs!

Henri wins, especially since this is his pity party. The other guys sing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and, THE MUSIC MAN-style, they realize that they harmonize well. (Long story short: Harold Hill teaches the important men of River City how to be a barbershop quartet, so that they’ll be too busy singing to figure out that he’s a fraud.) (Watch it here!)

Around this time, Roomie and I discussed the fact that we both attended middle schools where one or more of the staff were missing fingers. And it was verboten to say,”Thumbs up!” to the thumbless ones. (I mean, for obvious sensitivity reasons.) I guess that’s a common thing? (Or at least, more common than you’d think?) Teachers without thumbs?

Will, Ken, Henri, and Howard form an acappella hip-hop group. Ken wants to call the group the Testostertones (HA), but Howard says, “Acafellas,” and Will loves it. Singing with the Acafellas makes Will feel confident. He found his happy place!

Sandy tries to come to rehearsal, but Will turns him away.

Will: Sandy, we voted. When you’re in the group, it’s creepy.

There is another perk to being an Acafella. Will thinks that his singing is making Terry have more sex with him, but it’s really because she wants to get pregnant. (Remember, everybody thinks she already IS pregnant.)

Will: It was amazing. I mean, we started doing it once a week.

Will’s so busy with the Acafellas that he tells the kids to go ahead and hire Dakota Stanley. He doesn’t have time to choreograph Glee, anyhow. He has his Fellas, now.

The Cheerios (Santana in particular) have convinced Rachel that Glee is all about winning, and this troubles Finn. He tries to approach Rachel in the hallway.

Rachel: Look you have your popular clique and your football and your cliche of a blonde girlfriend, but Glee is my one shot. If this doesn’t work out, then my whole high school life will be nothing but an embarrassment.

Finn: What’s a cliche? Is that a bad thing?

Looking back at high school, I don’t remember feeling like it mattered all that much if my high school life was an embarrassment. I just wanted to graduate and move on. But… I guess Rachel needs to prove herself. And redeem herself? She has faced a lot of humiliation.

Finn asks Rachel if this is one of those girl things where you act like you’re mad about one thing, but you’re really mad about something else. Very perceptive, Finn!

Finn: For a while there you were all over me, and now you just yell at me all the time.

Rachel: I’ve moved on and I’m focusing on my career now.

Hahaha, I think Rachel is my TV character soul mate right now. Rachel, Liz Lemon from “30 Rock,” and Peggy from “Mad Men.” She’s totally right about this phenomenon. Girls just want to Know What’s Up, so if you get a little bit of interest from a guy and then he’s back to nothing, he’s going to get the “I’m annoyed at you” treatment. Now you know, guys.

(And in case you’re not sure what I’m talking about, Finn kissed Rachel last week. And now… nothing!)

Rachel’s bottom line to Finn: “You have feelings for me, and you don’t have the guts to admit it.”

Finn threatens to quit if they hire Dakota. OH NO.

You may be wondering why the Cheerios want Glee to hire a great choreographer. Quinn explains her tactics to Coach Sue. “Glee is soft,” she says. “Dakota will eat them alive.”

Sue: I learned a lot in special forces. I was on the strike team in Panama when we extracted Noriega. We took out the shepherd, and then we went after the sheep. You have to go after these Glee-clubbers one by one. I want my full budget restored. I need a fog machine.

Ha!

Mercedes stands at her locker, watching all of the high school couples kiss. Fabulous Kurt approaches, wearing a coat that looks like it belongs on Napoleon, or a marching band kid.

Mercedes: Have you ever kissed anybody?

Kurt: Yes, if by someone you mean the tender crook of my elbow.

Aw! Kurt explains that being in Glee means that “special ed kids will get more play than we will.” That was definitely the case, in my high school experience. (And I was only in glee club in elementary school.)

Kurt and Mercedes plan a trip to the mall, to pick something out for her to wear to their scope-out of Vocal Adrenaline (the amazing Glee club from the premiere… which is one of Dakota’s schools). “Every moment of your life is an opportunity for fashion,” Kurt says, before waltzing away.

Immediately, Mercedes is surrounded by the Cheerios of Glee. Somehow, they convince her that Kurt is interested in being her boyfriend. UH OH. (And… what?)

The Acafellas do a hilarious performance at Benchwarmers Sports Bar (what a terrible name for a sports bar). Principal Figgins, Emma, Terry, and Will’s parents are all in the audience. (Don’t these people have anything to do with their lives?)

Victor Garber to Will: We just sold all 17 copies of your CD!

Will’s Mom: I didn’t have to show any of them my bosoms!

Oh yeah, PS: Will’s mom is a total alcoholic.

Victor bought a CD for Will’s future baby. Aww. Victor Garber is the best dad! (Well, maybe not on “Alias.”)

Figgins invites the Acafellas to sing at a PTA meeting.

Figgins: I need those parents happy! They found out we’re been serving their children prison food.

Actually, my friend once explained to me that big food corporations often manufacture food for various types of institutions, and that the food is distinguished by stars. Like, 5-star food is for nice hotels, and 2-star food is for prisons? But it all comes from the same place? Or something? So maybe the prison food thing isn’t so surprising?

When I was in elementary school, my friend saw a fly in her pre-packaged pizza hot lunch before she even unwrapped it. We took it over to the principal. The principal unwrapped the pizza, picked the fly out of it with a spork, and handed it back to my friend. Good to go!

So yeah… truth is stranger than fiction?

The next day, the Acafellas get a great write-up in the paper. Will reads it to the rest of the group.  My favorite line is, “Ken Tanaka’s smoky baritone is like a cool fog that sweeps over a deep ocean of emotional intensity.”

Sandy is still trying to get into the group. He tells the guys that Josh Groban is coming to the PTA meeting.

Howard: Who is Josh Groban?

Sandy: Who is Josh Groban?! Kill yourself!… He is an angel sent from heaven to deliver platinum records unto us. And if he were here right now, I would club you to death with his Critic’s Choice award.

Poor Howard! But… hilarious lines.

Ken: Why would he come to our show?

Sandy: Because I invited him. Josh and I have become frequent pen pals since he accidentally friended me on MySpace. And being my close personal confidant, he is only interested if I am in the group.

But Will still refuses to let Sandy into the Acafellas. Sandy tells the guys that “the blogs are all atwitter” (ha), because apparently Josh Groban is looking for an opening act. Is it possible that he’s coming to scout the Acafellas?

The Glee kids and the Evil Glee Cheerios arrive at the high school where Vocal Adrenaline is housed.

Rachel: Vocal Adrenaline rehearses every day from two-thirty until midnight.

Hahaha! And sad, because I actually knew kids in high school who were forced into insane rehearsals. (Actually… I was one of them? How soon I forget.) (I blocked it out.)

Mercedes is wearing weird (unflattering) denim overalls, but Kurt says they look “fly.” Mercedes asks Kurt if he’d like to hang out later. (You know, like a date.) Kurt says, “Come over, it’s Liza Minnelli week on AMC.”

Now, you might be pounding your head against your television, saying, “DUH DUH DUH, KURT IS GAY!” But… it’s high school. And… sometimes we lie to ourselves, in the name of love (or something). (And as fine-tuned as my gaydar is now, I can’t say that I never dated a gay guy when I was in high school.)

The Glee-sters happen upon one Vocal Adrenaline girl barfing into a trashcan. A girl in a neck brace is standing over her. “You can’t leave rehearsals for any reason,” the neck brace girl says. “That includes heat exhaustion, or Crohn’s disease!” Ha! (Crohn’s disease isn’t funny, but hearing it get a shout-out on TV is funny. Such a specific thing on the no-excuses list.)

The girls warn the Glee-sters that Dakota Stanley is a monster.

Vocal Adrenaline puts on a hot performance of the Duffy song “Mercy.” (Thanks to Roomie for that intel.) It’s pretty cool that this show is giving so many dancers and/or singers work. At the end of that amazingness, we see Dakota (Whit Hertford) in the wings. Of course, he’s irate: “Get off my stage!” UH OH.

(I was expecting Dakota to be surprising, but I am double-surprised by the fact that he was in a short film that I wrote! Haha. It’s a small town!)

The Glee kids run up to Dakota as he gets into a top-down car (er, a convertible) with a hot blonde. He tells them that his fee is $8000/number, plus $10,000 if they make top three… at state? At nationals? (Maybe I missed it.) “And with Dakota Stanley at the wheel, you will place in the top three.” He speeds away, and the kids despair. Where will they get that much money?

Meanwhile, Will is dealing with his own disappointments. Howard quits Acafellas. “I’m doing inventory,” he tells Will over the phone. “It was never my dream.” Emma brings some bad news to rehearsal: Henri drank six bottles of cough syrup, and has to go to rehab before he can be around kids again. It seems that Acafellas was adding too much stress to his thumbless life.

Will’s ready to throw in the towel and disband Acafellas for good, but Emma tells him not to give up so easy.

Finn comes to Will to vent about his problems with Glee.

Finn: I’m quitting Glee too.

Will: I didn’t quit Glee.

Finn tells Will that Rachel has “gone all chick-batty.” Plus…

Finn: I gotta be honest with you, it’s hard being the quarterback when I get in the huddle and all the guys are calling me Deepthroat.

Wow, yet another one past the censors. I wonder what they ARE catching? I’d love to hear those lines.

Will tells Finn that if he quits Glee now, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life. “Trust me, I know.” Um… projecting much, Will? I don’t think Finn would regret it THAT much. And then… Will invites Finn to be in Acafellas? (Or maybe that comes later? Either way, Finn ends up being an Acafella.)

High school bully Puck (the one with the mohawk) asks Will and Ken if he can join the Acafellas because he wants to pick up cougar moms at the PTA meeting. Turns out that Cheerio-Santana broke up with Puck because his credit score is terrible. But “a cougar never disappoints.”

Puck delivers the following little monologue over the sweet sounds of a sexy Spanish song, accompanied by acoustic guitar (it’s a great choice). I guess it’s supposed to be Puck’s song? We see him (above-ground) poolside, shirtless, seducing a cougar.

Puck: “My above-ground pool-cleaning business went through the roof once I embraced my gift for music and gave these fine ladies the romance they were missing. I also stopped beating people up so much.”

Ken worries that Puck isn’t serious about the Acafellas. He grabs Puck by the collar.

Ken: My love life is hanging by a thread, and that thread is Acafellas. It drives my girlfriend nuts in the pants.

He says more, but that’s all you need to hear.

So Finn and Puck are in Acafellas, and Will tries to teach them some dance moves. But they’re having trouble. “Dude, my bowels have better moves than you,” Puck gripes to Finn. Will tries a different approach, and asks what the baseball coach tells them about hitting.

Puck: You charge the pitcher, bring the bat.

Ha!

Will teaches the guys that it’s all about the hips. He tells them to imagine that they are in Madison Square Garden. “All the beautiful ladies out there, swing that big old bat.” Sexual!

Rachel and Tina (the Asian Glee-ster with the stutter) try to have a “gay-vention” with Mercedes.

Tina: It’s Kurt. He’s lady-fabulous.

Mercedes is annoyed: “Just because he wears nice clothes, doesn’t mean he’s on the down-low.”

Rachel: He wore a corset to second period today.

Tina tells Mercedes that she can find a better man, but Mercedes worries that she can’t. If Kurt likes her for her, why not pursue him? Uh oh.

The Cheerios and Glee kids have a car wash to raise money, so that they can afford to hire Dakota. Hilariously, the Cheerios have bikini-top cheer uniforms, for occasions such as this one. Coach Sue and Emma stand off to the side, watching. Sue calls Emma “Irma.” Burn?

Emma: When I was little if I got all As my dad would let me wash his car, so I’d get my little toothbrush out and I’d clean it all weekend long.

Sue: You know, the way you use your mental illness to help these kids is really inspiring. I’m SHOCKED you’re not married.

Mercedes and Kurt are washing his really expensive-looking SUV. (I don’t know what it is… an Escalade?) We already found out before that Kurt’s dad is allowing him to use the car in exchange for… not acting too gay.

Mercedes to Kurt: Your rims are clean. We polished them like three times already.

Oh my goodness! Rims. Dirty. And if you weren’t totally convinced that Kurt is gay, by… every possible clue in the world… there’s this:

Kurt: Did you bring a change of clothes? Because we’re going straight to the sing-along SOUND OF MUSIC.

Mercedes tells Kurt that now that they’ve been on a couple of dates, she wants to make it official that they’re a couple. Kurt’s like, Whuh? He says he’s in love with someone else, and looks longingly at Finn. Mercedes turns and sees Rachel, and when she calls Kurt on it, he doesn’t disagree. He fibs that’s he’s been in love with Rachel for several years.

So… Mercedes smashes a hole in the wind shield of Kurt’s car. Harsh! (I’m not sure what she smashes it with… a car-washing sponge? That doesn’t make sense.)

Then Mercedes sings a bangin’ version of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows” (which… I had to look up, I’ve never heard it before), backed by the sexy cheerleaders. It’s probably my favorite number of the night.

Okay, now Dakota Stanley is at Glee practice. And I think he’s more of a Cogsworth than a Lumiere. The candelabra was tall, wasn’t he? And Dakota is… vertically challenged. He passes something out to the Glee-sters.

Dakota: Please examine your personalized menus. This is what you’re going to be eating for the next six months.

Mercedes: Um, mine just says coffee.

Dakota: Mm hm.

Rachel: What’s smelt?

Dakota: A pungent, low-carb freshwater fish. Okay, let’s start with today’s business. Artie, you’re cut. You’re not trying hard enough.

Artie: At what?

Dakota: At walking. Can’t be wheeling you around during every number. Throws off the whole dynamic, and it’s depressing.

In case you haven’t noticed, Dakota is a dick. But I’m laughing at his outrageousness.

Kurt tries to stick up for Artie.

Kurt: You can’t kick people out of Glee club because you don’t like the way they look.

Dakota: Um, why don’t you shut your face gash and stay away from aerosol cans, because you could burst into flames at any second.

Now that we know that Kurt’s in the closet, we can understand why this shuts him up. (Also, Kurt standing in a line-up? This is so SOUND OF MUSIC.)

Of course, Dakota thinks that the Glee Cheerios are perfect. He tells them not to change a thing. Next is Rachel. Dakota looks at her and says, “Nose job.”

Finn: Wait a second!

Dakota: What was that, Frankenteen?

This makes me laugh because I just found out that the actor who plays Finn is twenty-seven years old. That kind of constitutes a Frankenteen, if you ask me. “What’s wrong with you?” Finn asks Dakota.

D: What’s wrong with me is that you’re freakishly tall. I feel like a woodland creature!

He kind of LOOKS like a woodland creature. It’s funny. Dakota says that he thought the Glee-sters wanted somebody who respected them enough to tell the truth. “But maybe you don’t have the confidence to hear it.” Ooh, evil reverse psychology. Or something.

Everybody wants to quit, but Rachel stops all of the original Glee kids from leaving. She says that Barbara Streisand refused to get a nose job when she was a “young ingenue.”

Dakota: Where’s this going, Yentl?

“We’re gonna win because we’re different,” Rachel tells Dakota. The other Glee kids get into the spirit.

Mercedes: They told J-Lo her booty was too big.

Artie: And Curtis Mayfield was more successful after he became paralyzed.

Finn: Jim Abbott. He was a one-armed pitcher for the Yankees. Pitched a no-hitter.

What’s up with Jim Abbott references on TV shows this year? (That’s a clip of a Jim Abbott-related pep talk on “Party Down.”)

Dakota wants to know what the point is of telling him about all these “freaks.”

Rachel: Out point is that you’re fired. And I’m taller than you.

Dakota: Barely.

Backstage at the PTA meeting (what?), the guys are getting ready to perform. And I guess Sandy’s in, after all? He runs in, bursting with the good news.

Sandy: He’s here! He’s here! Josh Groban is here. Front row, big brown eyes, cute as a buttermilk biscuit. I barfed.

HA!

The guys sing a very well-produced (for a PTA meeting… they’re on a dark stage, with spotlights and all) version of… “Tick Tock, You Don’t Stop”? I guess it’s a song. Sandy has a hilarious part where he raps, “I KNOW you’re not gonna sing that song.”

The song is oddly sexual, for a PTA meeting. And when Puck humps the floor, Jane Lynch (Sue) pulls a face that makes me think that something sex-related is going to happen between Sue and Puck, this season. Ew. (Also, felony?)

In the audience, Terry sees Emma looking at Will. Uh oh.

Backstage after the performance, Josh Groban enters with his body guard, Flex. (Ha.) “I was inducting Run DMC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night,” he tells the Acafellas. “So I thought I’d stop by and say hello.” But most importantly, Josh came to tell Sandy to stop emailing him. He hands Sandy a restraining order.

Josh: Stop sending me nude photos. Stop calling me. I don’t know how you got my number. I don’t know how you got my number again after I changed it. But I don’t want any more of your edible gift baskets, or locks of your hair and I don’t want to read any more of those sonnets you wrote for me.

Flex: That stuff got crazy, dude.

But the goods new is that Josh loved the show. He give them two thumbs up (thumbs!) and calls it explosive. Ha.

Outside in the parking lot, Terry apologizes for not being more supportive. She’s turning up the heat, in response to the Emma threat! Will puts his scarf around Terry and pulls her in for a kiss. It’s cuuute.

Victor Garber is looking for Will’s alcoholic mom. (He calls her Doodle? Haha.) We see that she’s flirting with Josh backstage.

Josh: Now you might be thinking, Why would a pop star like me come over here and talk to you? But let me tell you something: throngs of screaming teenagers don’t do it for Josh Groban. No, Josh Groban loves a blousy alcoholic.

Damn! I guess my chances are dashed. (Josh Groban is a cutie. And a good sport!) (And he didn’t even sing?) (Maybe he sang for the soundtrack? Who knows.)

Will realizes that being a good teacher is enough for him. He doesn’t need the Acafellas anymore! Victor Garber tells Will that he’s going to night classes, as a precursor to going back to law school. Will inspired him. It’s never too late to go after your dreams!

Back in the Hall of Lockers, Mercedes apologizes to Kurt about bustin’ up his windshield. Turns out that it doesn’t matter: Kurt’s dad took the car away when he found the tiara collection in his hope chest.

Kurt admits to Mercedes that he doesn’t like Rachel. He’s gay, and he’s never told anyone before. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are, Kurt,” Mercedes says. She says that he ought to tell the Glee kids, since their singing is all about expressing what’s really inside. But Kurt says he’s not that confident. (Have you figured out yet that this week’s theme is confidence?)

Sue finds out that Will is back with Glee, and that the club is “more confident than ever.” She makes the Cheerios of Glee smell their armpits. “That’s the smell of failure, and it’s stinking up my office.” Coach Sue revokes their tanning privileges for the rest of the semester. Santana runs out sobbing. Ha!

Quinn thanks Sue for teaching her an important lesson. “When you really believe in yourself, you don’t have to bring other people down.” Hmm… is Quinn going to switch sides? I can’t really read her.

In conclusion, Will teaches the kids a clappy dance. They love it! Clap clap!

Next week on: Rachel sings that song that was used in the “Private Practice” promos at one point. (Oh, it’s “Taking Chances” by Celine Dion.)

Whew, that was long. If you’re still reading… you deserve some ice cream.

xoxo…

Follow us on Twitter @dailybinge / Fan us on Facebook (search The Daily Binge)

I have to say I totally understand why my husband won’t watch this show with me.

They sing and dance. And I LOVE THAT! So I think it works out, personally, because for one whole hour I have the T.V. to myself – no comments, no interruptions, just me and the cast of FOX’s new hit show Glee!

AND IT’S AWESOME!

You’re recap:

The cheerleaders are attempting to dissemble the glee club from the inside. Attaching one member at a time, they are playing on their weaknesses, filing them with fear, and getting them to destroy themselves.

Starting with Rachel, seeing she’s an easy target since she wants fame and fortune more than anyone else out there, they get her to tell Mr. Schuester that Glee needs a special coach – this pushes Will to start his own boy band – the Acafellas – to start practicing and thus pulling him away from Glee.

All of this makes Coach Sylvester super happy, because it’s one step closer to her have her budget back in order and her life with the Cheerio’s can continue as previously planned.

The ever so awkward Finn is against this the entire time. (awkward in how he dances…) which is refreshing seeing he’s normally the one that’s fleeing the seen of the songs.

The cheerleaders then start working on Mercedes and Kurt, convincing Mercedes that her and Kurt should be a couple. Which didn’t work out seeing that Kurt is gay – he announced that at the end of the episode. (it was very sweet – I really like these to characters chemistry as friends, it’s nice).

All the plans fell apart for the destruction of Glee, but the Acafella’s did pretty well, and let’s talk about how Josh Groban is very funny and has a great sense of humor. Groban guest starred this episode as himself, being stalked by Sandy Ryerson, the old Glee Coach that was let go due to his contact with students. Sandy get’s Groban to show up at the big Acafella show at the PTA meeting and serves Sandy with a restraining order.

And THEN he starts hitting on Will’s drunk mother – very funny.

Terri is still trying to get pregnant, and she’s having sex with her husband a whole ONCE A WEEK. That part make me laugh, I’m sure it was lost on the tweens that watch this show.

Victor Garber as Will father was wonderful!

If you haven’t seen Glee you’re missing out.

Glee airs on FOX Wednesdays @9pm

“Acafellas“

September 16th, 2009

“Acafellas,” by and large, is like an answer to my prayers (or, if not prayers, then at least requests). Last week, I noted that I enjoyed the show as a whole but felt that they were moving too quickly with the main storylines and not giving us any time with the supporting characters. And, by and large, this episode managed to move at a pretty quick pace (the show certainly didn’t become slow) while spending plenty of time with pretty much everyone. The show is a large ensemble, and this episode felt like an effort to both address ongoing storylines (including the main ones covered last week) in small scenes while spending time with entirely new settings and character pairings.

This is not to say that I think the episode was flawless by any means, but I think it’s an example of the show’s particular brand of humour and musical performance proving capable of expanding into other areas outside of the “core” storylines. While I still have some issues with the way the show tends to pace itself with individual storylines, this episode managed to handle a lot of material in a single hour, covering various bases with a fairly high degree of success.

But, be warned that I’ve still got some issues with the way the show likes to rush to the good parts, so to speak.

I was really happy to see the introduction of a storyline for Kurt and Mercedes, but when it became clear where they were going with it I had my reservations. When it became clear that they were heading in a direction wherein Mercedes was convinced by the Cheerios to pursue Kurt romantically, my reaction was the same as Rachel’s: Kurt is clearly being written as a gay character, and the show has ladled cliche after cliche onto him. I’m ashamed that I was so quick to jump to that conclusion, but that’s partly the fault of the show itself. This is not a show that is about subtlety – yes, the show can be subtle, but its favourite gear is an in-your-face collection of stereotypes. When, in the final moment between the two characters, Kurt reveals that he has never told anyone that he is gay, it’s like the show telling us that the way it most often stereotypes its characters isn’t showing everything about them.

And I think that’s an important thing for the show to establish at this stage in its development. I do think that the episode was a bit too blatant in its destruction of its stereotypical images of Mercedes and Kurt (she as confident and assured of herself and he as openly gay), making Mercedes too blind to Kurt’s sexuality (which was never honestly in question) and Kurt a bit too scared to be revealing his sexuality for someone who just openly discussed a tiara collection. It’s one thing for Mercedes to get to the end of her rope with no options left and decide to settle with Kurt knowing he was gay, and it’s one thing for Kurt to be surprised to hear himself finally saying those words out loud. Instead, we got the shortcut: since the show hasn’t shown this side of them before, it seemed as if the show went for the most extreme emotional state to make an impact. Both of the young actors nailed the scenes involved, but it just seemed like the show rushing into the conclusion of the storyline rather than letting it unfold over time.

The episode did the same thing with the arrival of the Acafellas, although there the pace seemed a bit more natural. It seemed like Will was finally living the musical dream, starting a group out of a spontaneous moment and suddenly booking gigs, getting media mentions, and eventually singing in front of Josh Groban (more on that in a bit). I was half expecting it to turn into an episode of Behind the Music, which works as a bit of satire. The show works at a fast-pace when that’s part of the point of the storylines, but when it seems like the show is rushing potential long-term storylines (like it seemed last week) it’s a bigger issue than when it’s rushing something that’s supposed to seem very sudden and out of the blue. Storyline gave us a couple of really enjoyable A capella Hip Hop songs (in particular “I Wanna Sex You Up”), and a scenario wherein the musical numbers’ overproduction (which has been discussed here before) actually fit in with the almost fantasy-like nature of their meteoric rise. Throw in some extra characterization for Puck (who has needed to be a bit more connected with the audience), and the welcome return of Stephen Tobolowsky (whose Sandy is a one-liner machine), and you have a fun storyline.

It was also a storyline that was aided significantly by a real emotional core that didn’t have to do with a love triangle or anything else. The episode was defined by a theme about confidence and (for lack of a better word) gumption, being willing to get out there and do what you need to do. The episode is one enormous fantasy, where things that shouldn’t work or seemed before lame or inappropriate become cool because the people behind them find confidence from there. The Acafellas is not nearly as “cool” as it is in the show’s universe, but because it’s finally Will doing what he always wanted to and because it’s Finn and Puck discovering another side of themselves we see it as the success that it is. When the Choreographer from Vocal Adrenaline comes in (as the cheerleaders try to tear the group apart), he sees everyone as a mixed up group of misfits, but as long as they all remain confident in themselves they can stay together. And when Victor Garber, playing Will’s father, announces that he’s going back to law school, you see that this simple message (one that’s certainly on the positivity side of Glee’s cruel/kind dichotomy) transcends generations.

What I do enjoy immensely about Glee is how much is packed into each episode, and how here they manage to touch on the various underlying storylines without doing anything with them (proving that despite the evidence they know how to pace themselves, sort of). You had Emma’s overenthusiastic applause for the Acafellas that we know (and Terri somewhat suspects) was for Will and not Ken, Finn and Rachel’s discussion about confidence in the hallway, Terri trying to get pregnant (and Will taking it as her love for a capella), and the runner with Sue Sylvester trying to take down Glee once and for all. These are small moments, but they remind us that even as weeks pass (and apparently weeks did pass in this episode) these storylines don’t go away. It’s a good way to handle things, and I liked seeing a completely different portion of the show’s universe (Will’s family, etc.) while not forgetting the ongoing storylines.

I really want to be one of those people who is jumping up and down and cheering on this show with all of my heart. And there are times, like during the musical performances, where something sparks in me. But right now, the show is so uneven in its pacing that it feels manufactured in a way that isn’t as charming or amazing. I like this show a whole lot, and find it exciting, but I keep getting pulled out of it and have to wonder if that’s by design (and if I really think that design is in the show’s best interest).

Cultural Observations

• I love that Will’s father spent six months at the Hanoi Hitlon and uses it as a joke. And that Terri warns about bones in the hamburger casserole. And that Henri eats the thumb off of his “Thumbs Up” cake hand. And that Sandy writes Desperate Housewives Fan Fiction. And that Sue was on the Noriega Strike Force in Panama. All amazing.
• I’m interested to see the show continue to play around with the sequence of events – Rachel’s early speech to Will, intercut with the Cherrios getting to her in order to force her to make her case, breaks right into Will having a discussion with Emma about John Stamos and confidence. It’s a really unique way to get from Point A to Point B, and I’d be more content with the show’s pacing if it used more of that and fewer emotional shortcuts with the characters.
• Cory Monteith really impressed me in this episode: he asserted himself well with Lea Michele in terms of being the “voice of reason,” but then really demonstrated Finn’s more awkward side when he wondered what a cliche was, and if this was one of those times where she was actually mad about something else. His character is one who has always been about the duality between external appearance and inner insecurity, and he fit in well with the episode as a result.
• We also learned where Monteith got his “Frankenteen” twitter name: “I feel like a woodland creature” was another choice line. (On that note, I was curious why they bothered to show so much of the Mercy routine, which seemed gratuitous if impressive).
• Are we supposed to take Quinn’s line to Sue as a reason for us to like her? They really gave some depth to both Puck and Quinn in this episode, if so, and that’s a step in the right direction.
• The show’s production numbers worked great here: I hadn’t even heard the original version of Bust Your Windows before, but Mercedes’ made it irrelevant, and the fantasy-like nature of the production made the over-produced music actually fit in with the scenes involved (the same goes for the Acafellas, which was helped by remaining a capella without the music.
• Josh Groban’s cameo got some play from FOX’s marketing department, but it was really quite great in practice: as last year’s Emmy showed, he’s more than willing to make fun of himself, but here he was great in shutting down Sandy w/ Flex’s help, and then utterly brilliant in hitting on Will’s Mom (which would make him Puck’s new role model). The “I love a blowsy drunk” line was downright killer.
• Lea Michele has my heart, just so we’re clear.

My trusty Entertainment Weekly magazine (the Fall Preview issue…really, a Godsend) tells me that Glee is going to have some kickass guest appearances this season! Honestly, they had me at Jane Lynch, but these two appearances bolster my will to watch it every week.

Pretty Awesome Guest Appearance #1: Kristin Chenoweth.  With Pushing Daisies cancelled, and Chenoweth’s legal drama pilot not getting picked up, Chenoweth gets to sing (again!) in all her glory. She’ll portray a former glee alumna. Hopefully it’s just as sweet as her cover of They Might Be Giants’ “Birdhouse In Your Soul.” And she’s reeeeeally easy on the eyes, which is always a plus. Observe:

I may have used this picture before, but I don’t care. Moving on..

Pretty Awesome Guest Appearance #2: VICTOR GARBER, BITCHES. Garber is going to play Will’s supportive father. Some of you may remember my obsession with Garber during my bout of watching Alias DVDs. I watched the entire series in abouuuut a month and a half. (Jack Bristow is a true American hero!) So yes, any Garber is good Garber.

I don’t know why I’m writing this post. Oh, wait – it’s because I was too lazy today to write the one I actually wanted to write!  Tomorrow I will present you with the TLW’s Top 10 Most Anticipated Shows of the Fall! Some are newbies, and some, returning faves…stay tuned!

(Hint – Glee is one of them!)

Come on! Get green!

– Hal Jordan

Ever since Spider-Man came out, everybody has been superhero crazy. Upon hearing the news that Ryan Reynolds was going to play The Green Lantern, there is the straight to DVD animated feature called Green Lantern: First Flight. Knowing the jest of Hal Jordan’s storyline, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

This is the origin story of how fighter pilot Hal Jordan (Christopher Meloni) received his Green Lantern ring. A spaceship crash lands and a dying alien, Abin Sur (Richard McGonagle) summons Hal to be his successor.

After Abin Sur dies, a group of Green Lantern escorts comes to take him back to Oa. That is where the Guardians, the creators of the Green Lanterns are.

Hal meets the senior member of the group, Sinestro (Victor Garber) with Boodikka (Tricia Helfer), Tomar Re (John Larroquette) and Kilowog (Michael Madsen).

On Oa, the Guardians question the choice to have Hal Jordan be the newest member of the elite force. Sisentro volunteers himself to mentor Hal and teach him the ropes of being a Green Lantern.

Behind the scenes, trouble is brewing when Sinestro wants the Green Lantern force to go in a different direction. He wants to seek any means of trying to restore order to the universe. He joins forces with a powerful warlord, Kanjar Ro (Kurtwood Smith), who holds the one source that could destroy the Green Lanterns, the yellow element.

I am not much of a comic book fanboy like my older brother was, but I got the jest of the origin from researching it. I cannot wait to see the live action feature in 2011.

I had a problem with the beginning of the movie. It felt like Hal became Green Lantern too fast. In less than three minutes, he’s going to Oa.

Judgment: If you want to experience a taste of Green Lantern, I would highly recommend this movie.

Rating: ****

One of my all-time favorite TV shows is “Alias”.  “Alias” was created by J.J. Abrams and it began in 2001 and ran for 5 seasons.  If you like “Lost” and “Fringe”, I think you would appreciate Abrams creative vision in this series.  All five season of “Alias” are on DVD, so if you haven’t watched the show before…definitely check it out.  You’ll totally be hooked!

Even though the show is over, the former cast of “Alias” have certainly flourished in their careers.  Jennifer Garner has a growing film career and she has her own production company.  Michael Vartan is on the TNT show “Hawthorne”.  Greg Grunberg is on NBC’s “Heroes”, and Bradley Cooper is having a breakout year with his recent summer hit “The Hangover” and many upcoming movies on the way.

Thus I created a new category on my blog called the “Alias Alumni Watch” so whenever a former cast member has something  new or noteworthy – you will be able to view all posts with “Alias” references in this new blog category.  Keep and eye out for updates made in the “Alias Alumni Watch” category in order to stay up-to-date with your former “Alias” cast members’ careers!

So, the first season is already over, but fret not Jackie fans; a second season is on the way. Which is a damn good thing, as over the last 12 episodes I’ve grown to love some of these characters, and I’d hate to leave them in the condition they were at the end of this season…

The episode opens on a 70-second long “Previously on Nurse Jackie”, which basically recaps the entire season before catching up to last week’s climax, which saw Eddie discovering Jackie’s happy home, before we go straight into the opening credits. I have to take a moment here to say how deeply frustrating these opening credits are; Showtime usually do a great job with credit sequences (Dexter being the standout example) and Nurse Jackie’s credits start out well enough. Floaty pills, wedding rings, yadda yadda… until the bizarre early 90’s “nah-nah-NAH-NAAAH” music kicks in. Add the fact that Jackie starts pulling the kind of facial expressions last seen on a smug cat who’s crapped in your shoes and it all adds up to a credit sequence crying out to be fast-forwarded through. Very annoying. My big S2 wish? Yep, change the credits.

So, into the episode. Jackie and Kevin share a nice moment before she heads off for work. She’s barely out of the bar before Eddie starts heading down the street towards her, and for a moment it almost seems like he plans to follow Jackie; instead, he ducks into the bar, and the audience collectively groan “This isn’t going to end well.”

Akalitus is still trying to chat up Victor Garber’s character Neil Nutterman, even though he’s still comatose. Akalitus is clearly pretty pissed about this whole situation, and rightly so, demanding that Jackie and Zoe attend a meeting in 5 minutes to discuss an investigation into the overdose. Of course, Akalitus being Akalitus, she gives this order before stepping into an elevator which promptly breaks down, leaving her trapped and desperately trying to get the nurses attention over the phone, leading to one of the greatest facial expressions ever captured on film. After replaying that sequence several times, I was able to carry on watching. Anna Deavere Smith is perhaps the most surprising member of the cast to me, given that prior to Nurse Jackie I’d only known her as Nancy McNally from The West Wing and a small role in Rachel Getting Married; great in both, but I never expected her to be such a good comic actor.

During her reprieve from Akalitus, who decides to entertain herself by pretending to be on Letterman, Jackie tries to convince Zoe to change out of her grey “remorse” scrubs and back into her usual pink, innovatively fends off another romantic advance from Coop by calling him a moron and then kissing him once more, agrees to help Eleanor smuggle her ailing mother into the hospital, and has several run-ins with the Pill-O-Matix, the latter of which sets off an alarm which leaves Jackie fleeing the scene.

Another angry pill-dispenser is sitting in a bar across town, talking to his girlfriends husband and getting steadily drunk. The tension in these scenes are great; Eddie knows that Kevin isn’t the bad guy here, so we all hope he isn’t going to say something, but he comes close so many times (at one point even stating that he’s seeing a married woman with two kids.)

Back in the hospital Zoe has finally changed back to her pink bunny scrubs, and checks in on Neil, who wakes up! Only for Zoe to realise that this film critic can no longer remember who Kevin Costner is and thinks that Showgirls was a great movie (surely the sign of a demented mind.) Horrified, Zoe realises that she “broke him”. Eep.

Akalitus finally escapes from the elevator, arriving back in the lobby along with Jackie, Zoe and Mo-Mo just in time to greet an extremely drunk Eddie who has just shown up, ranting and raging. Jackie obviously looks the most concerned and tries to convince him to leave, which he eventually does, but not before whispering in her ear: “I met Kevin, and that’s a very nice boy you’ve got.”

Edie Falco is great in this moment as you can see the utter panic and confusion tearing her apart. Like any good drug addict, Jackie goes to her happy place, which usually is the bathroom; she finds herself there but, thanks to the Pill-O-Matix, devoid of drugs. She storms into the pharmacy, uses her own access code to dispense three vials of something, finds an empty room and semi-collapses to the floor. She’s absolutely broken inside, and her eyes are already glazed over even before she tears open each vial in turn and swigs every drop. She tries to sob for a moment before the drugs kick in, leaving her blank. She falls flat on her back, gazing at the ceiling, just as we found her at the very start of the first episode.

She drifts off into a dream world where, dressed in an old-style nurses uniform and watching an idealised 1950’s version of her family, she sings “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival in her head. It’s beautiful but horrible at the same time, which encapsulates Jackie’s character perfectly. And, finally, she snaps out of her hallucination thanks to the skittering of a rat in a ceiling panel over her head; looking straight at the audience, and breaking the fourth wall, she asks “Did anyone else see that?”

Fantastic conclusion to one of the strongest first seasons of a show I can remember. Whilst I love the 12 episode format for shows like True Blood, Dexter and so on I could quite happily watch an episode of Nurse Jackie every week. Let’s just hope the show stays as strange, and funny, and dark, and deep in its second season. Oh, and that the opening credits change!

Pela primeira vez após o piloto Nurse Jackie apresentou um episódio acima de sua média. Dosou perfeitamente comédia com drama e chegou à até arriscar alguns cliffhangers.

Após o beijo no episódio passado, “Ring Finger”, Cooper percebeu que tem uma paixonite por Jackie e chegou a até terminar com sua paciente-romance dos episódios passados, pedir dicas de presentes para Zoe e dá-los a Jackie. Mas essa situação me faz pensar: E se aquele beijo que a Jackie deu não foi somente para fazê-lo ficar quieto sobre o doador de orgãos? Mas, também, já que Eddie está indo embora e ela irá precisar de alguém para conseguir seus remédios… Nada melhor de que um médico que possa receitá-los, não? Tudo bem o que Eddie como um último “presente” mostrou que era só puxar o Pill-o-Matix da força e assim ela conseguirá tudo o que quiser na farmácia, mas isso foi neste episódio, em “Ring Finger” à situação era outra e Jackie pode ter deixado tudo ainda mais confuso com isso.

Pill-o-Matix também contou com a participação de Victor Garber (Alias e Eli Stone) como um crítico de cinema extremamente rígido e meio que odiado por Jackie. Seu personagem que era um paciente ficou as cuidados de Zoe e rendeu os mais engraçados e tensos momentos do episódio. A obsessão cheia de perguntas sobre porque gatos não ganham seus próprios filmes ao personagem de Garber foram hilárias, mas tudo ficou extremamente tenso quando ela errou a dosagem de um remédio e o deixou em coma. Fato que poderá mudar o rumo da personagem na série, tanto sua construção psicológica, já que Zoe pareceu ter ficado bem abalada, quanto com as represarias que ela irá sofrer da Glória, assim como a perda de confiança da Dra. O’Hara.

Além do caso médico da Zoey tivemos Mo-mo com um paciente que tinha uma aranha do ouvido, a trama totalmente relevante, enche linguiça total, pois o verdadeiro clímax do episódio veio nos últimos segundos…

Como já é tradicional a todo fim de episódio Jackie sai do hospital e vai para casa, neste não foi diferente. Ela foi para casa, conversou com as filhas, beijou o marido e tudo isso com o Eddie olhando pela janela do bar dos Peyton.

Agora, o cerco fechou e tudo ficou para a season finale. Eddie descobriu sobre a família de Jackie e provavelmente irá falar com seu marido. Zoe corre o risco de perder o emprego. E, Cooper está apaixonado por Jackie. Nurse Jackie tem tudo para fazer um season finale brilhante e não desapontar.