Watching Glee Until It Gets Bad S2E12: Silly Love Songs
by thethreepennyguignol
Let me tell you: I go fucking ballistic for a Valentine’s Day episode.
I love love, and Glee is sort of the perfect conduit for such a huge, expansive episode concept; Silly Love Songs (directed by, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why, Tate Donovan, of all people?) is such an outrageously fun and entertaining episode, a well-pitched mix of comedy and drama with some season-best performances from some of my favs. So, let’s get into it, shall we?
First off, I need, urgently, to talk to you about Santana. Naya Rivera has been edging her way up the ranks of MVP this season, and this episode has her in full chaotic evil mode in a way that I genuinely will never be able to get enough of. From her sobbing on the floor over being horrible to everyone to her insane commitment to the bit to ruin the people who somewhat annoyed her, she’s such a magnificent monster. The beginnings of her season two nemesis-ship with Finn is starting to come into full force here, as she deliberately contracts mono to try and expose his romance with Quinn, and her and Cory Monteith bring out the best (worst) in each other in this plot.
Because Cory Monteith is killer in this episode, too – I love Finn when he’s kind of a cocky asshole, and this is the very peak of it we’ve had in the show so far. Watching him swagger about like the cat that got the Glee-m as he tries to force Quinn to admit their mutual attraction while every woman in the school hangs off his every word, he makes a fun sort-of villain for this episode, sewing seeds of destruction into Quinn and Sam’s relationship. Maybe if I liked Sam more, this might push him past the brink of unlikability, but honestly, he’s collateral damage to a fun plot. Dianna Agron and Cory Monteith never had more chemistry than in this episode, and the new side to Finn’s personality is an entertaining wrinkle to his character arc. It’s a well-pitched mix of comedy and drama, always verging on a little silly but the chemistry and performances just pulling it back in line.
Performance-wise, there isn’t really a dud here – maybe Firework, but that’s more because the song is so bland than because of the performance itself. But almost everything here is awesome; the obligatory closing Silly Love Songs is very sweet, and Fat-Bottomed Girls is an unassaible banger.
I doubt it’ll surprise anyone when I say that my favourite performance this week is Kevin McHale and Harry Shum Junior’s PYT cover, because the two of them together are just boyband polished heaven. In an episode where a lot of love stories don’t turn out right, having this song right in the middle of it all, so sincerely celebrating two of the show’s couples, is the right touch. It’s so tight, it’s so well-shot, the choreography has a loose, fun feel to it, and the two guys just sell the shit out of it.
Another performance I loved was Blaine’s number this week, which surprised me as I remembered hating it the first time around. Watching it again, I have to admit just what an incredible performer Darren Criss is – maybe it’s the Criss-related campaign of terror that my partner has been subjecting me to for the last few years, but he’s fabulous here. The use of the new space for the performances keeps it interesting, and a special shout-out to Chris Colfer gloweringly singing along as Blaine courts another man.
This might be one of my favourite Valentine’s Day themed episode of any show, ever – it’s fluffy and fun, and manages to move a few plots along in the process, packed out with great songs and a mix of romances to round it out. I freaking love this episode, and I’m feeling (possibly dangerously) optimistic about what’s to come.
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(header image via IMDB)
The Cutprice Guignol 