There are a lot of changes in store when Glee returns for its fourth season next week.
The Hollywood Reporter has screened the season premiere, titled “The New Rachel,” and has seven teasers from the episode.Rachel (Lea Michele) is no longer the top dog now that she’s at NYADA, New Directions are winners andreally know it and there are several fresh faces joining the Fox musical series.
1. Rachel’s first day in Dance 101 with Cassandra July (Kate Hudson) gets off to a rocky start. How rocky? Someone tells her point blank that she sucks. Pouring salt in an open wound, she still hasn’t heard from Finn. Enter Brody (Dean Geyer), her thus far lone cheerleader who helps her find the guts she’s always had.
2. The New Directions gang are popular now that they’re National Champs, complete with assistants, autograph seekers and more. And there’s a battle over who will be the new Rachel between Brittany (Heather Morris), Blaine (Darren Criss), Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and Sam (Chord Overstreet) that includes the newest member of New Directions: Wade “Unique” Adams. How it’s determined will include a certain song of summer. The judge? Here’s a hint: He’s a former director.
3. The premiere reveals that one major couple will have broken up. Another couple is still together thanks to Skype and a third is experiencing growing pains. Someone says, “I still love him and we’re still friends.” Who’s your guess?
4. Prepare to fall in love with Marley Rose (Melissa Benoist), a humble McKinley student that has a vibe of Season 1 Rachel Berry. The best part: She has a famlily member that’s nearly as awesome as Kurt’s dad, Burt. Also destined to be a fan favorite: Jake Puckerman (Jacob Artist) — who catches the eye of a few members of New Directions despite coming complete with his sibling’s attitude.
5. Sue’s (Jane Lynch) daughter has arrived, and she’s named after a member of the Bee Gees. The Cheerios coach also has a new Quinn — who’s nearly as snarky as Sue is — to help her who isn’t Becky. Guesses?
6. Kurt (Chris Colfer) gets a fitting send off from two very important people as he heads to the East Coast.
7. Rest assured: The first song that represents McKinley and NYADA story lines features Marley and Rachel and works well with both. It’ll be the one you turn to iTunes immediately for.
Glee’s fourth season returns at 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, on Fox. Hit the comments with what you’re looking forward to seeing.
source: Hollywood Reporter
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Glee Season 4 Premiere: 13 Quick Observations
Fall screener season has arrived, and I’m stoked to report that I’ve now had a chance to view the Season 4 premiere of Glee. The good news? Those of you who’ve been fretting over the show’s new split focus between the adventures of the New Directions gang in Lima, OH, and its MVP graduate Rachel Berry in New York City, can channel your inner Whitney Houston and finally exhale.
Ryan Murphy & Co. have, at least in Episode 1, managed to beautifully balance these dueling locations in a way that never feels schizophrenic or jarring. Rachel’s life as a freshman at NYADA is filled with a pitch-perfect anxiety and tension you’d expect from a little fishie who’s just been dropped from a backyard pond into the Atlantic Ocean. And the power vaccuum left at McKinley after the exit of Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes, and Santana gives some of the show’s often-dormant supporting players some interesting new angles to play.
Here are 13 observations I took home from watching the very, very good “The New Rachel”:
* Cassandra July (Kate Hudson) starts her humiliation of Rachel right in the cold open — and while it’s 98 percent arbitrary, it has to be said the wide-eyed New Directions vet calls attention to herself with a justified (but not entirely well-disguised) side-eye at her new teacher.
* Jacob Ben Israel is back to do his usual start-of-the-season exposition/meta-commentary on Gleek message-board chatter, and his video package ends with a burning question that might take all season to answer: “Who is the new Rachel?”
* Tina’s got a brand new “Make Change Forever” tattoo, and if you stare at those letters long enough, you might be able to grasp their significance.
* The season premiere also raises the impoirtant question: If you haven’t heard from your boyfriend for more than two months, is it okay to do a little bit of window-shopping?
* New Cheerio Kitty (Becca Tobin) immediately establishes her beeeotch cred with by grilling visiting graduate Kurt about why he’s not already away at college, then dropping in this zinger: “I thought gay people were all successful overachievers.”
* Smash isn’t the only network TV musical that’s slipping a little something extra into the smoothies of its visiting movie-star’s character.
* Melissa Benoist’s Marley is introduced with a backstory so heart-tugging, it’s kind of impossible not to root for her. That said, Rachel’s half of “New York State of Mind” is decidedly superior.
* NYADA’s “Round Room” is sooooooo pretty. But sometimes ugly things happen there.
* Lea Michele has never been more perfect as Rachel then in her delivery of the line, “I feel like I’m gonna throw up all the time.”
* Oh, and on a related note, Cassandra is introduced as kind of a one-note vicious harpie, but that doesn’t mean you won’t secretly kind of feel like Rachel deserves (just a tiny bit) and could benefit from (a lot) her barbatic teaching methods.
* Mike O’Malley once again uses seconds of screentime to brilliant (and tear-jerking effect) as TV Dad of the Year/Decade Burt Hummel.
* Kitty takes over from Santana as Head Cheerleader in Charge of Vicious Nicknames. Best one so far? Richie Poor.
* And finally, while I’m still not 100 percent certain Alex Newell can act, he definitely scores a big laugh with Unique’s response to her very first slushie. “Unique’s eyes! They’re on fire!” Oh girl, keep on keeping on with your unsinkable attitiude, mmmkaay?
source: TVLine
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'Glee' Season 4 Premiere Spoilers: 9 Things You Need to Know
The season 4 premiere of Glee is just one week away, and it has a little bit of everything you love about the show. There are catchy songs, emotional moments, intense battles, harsh insults, slushies and a bunch of new characters.
The episode, titled "The New Rachel," tells two stories. First is Rachel's hard life in New York, dealing with the brutal criticism of dance teacher Cassandra July (Kate Hudson at her absolute bitchiest). Second is back in Ohio where the New Directions, basking in the popularity of winning Nationals, look for new members.
So what can you expect to see? Well, here are nine spoilers from the episode to get you excited for Glee's return.
Who's Missing?
Rachel and Kurt are the only two graduated seniors who appear in the season 4 premiere. There are brief updates on Mike Chang and Santana, but there's absolutely no new information on the status of Quinn, Puck, Mercedes or Finn, so don't hold your breath. Emma is also oddly missing and there's no mention of her and Will's wedding.
McKinley Is Like Game of Thrones
For the first time ever, the members of New Directions are popular, eating at the same table as the Cheerios and football stars (which I guess is supposed to be new even though last year New Directions had about half its members on the Cheerios or the football team). However, the balance of power is very delicate because it's just like Game of Thrones where the glee club is the Stark family and the popular kids are the Lannisters. And winter is coming.
Brody Is Bland But Hot
The new man in Rachel's life is Brody Weston, a junior at NYADA who she meets when he steps out of the dorm shower. Sure, he's hot, but he's not particularly interesting or compelling. This could be a problem because we all know the fans are going to HATE him because he could come between Finn and Rachel. Brody needs to get a lot more interesting if he doesn't want to be dismissed as the most useless character ever. He has the potential to become the new Nikki and Paulo from Lost.
Marley Rose Is a Star
One of the more surprising revelations of the season 4 premiere is how gosh-darn likeable new star Melissa Benoist is as Marley Rose. Her character's big secret is a bit of a cliche, but it's still quite touching and it's impossible not to instantly fall in love with her. I'm definitely a fan and I hope to see a lot more of her family in the future.
Kitty Has Claws
If you thought McKinley without Santana would be dull, never fear, because Kitty, Sue's new "Head Bitch" Cheerio, is basically Santana without the sweetness. More accurately, as Sue describes her, she's Quinn without the teen pregnancy and mental problems. She's cold, bitchy, and she has an insult aimed at Unique that is on par with the best Santana insults ever.
Just Jake Is Sexy
Jacob Artist plays Jake, Puck's half-brother, and while he definitely has the same attitude as Puck, he does NOT have the same voice. His performance is quite surprising and has two completely different New Directions members lusting after him. But one New Directions singer does not like him at all. I sense a potential love triangle.
Burt Hummel Is the World's Greatest Dad
As if you didn't already know this, there's a very touching scene between Kurt and his dad that will definitely make you tear up and cheer.
Sam Does a Taylor Lautner Impression
I love Sam's random celebrity impressions, and he does one of the hot werewolf from Twilight that left me in hysterics.
There IS a New Rachel
The episode boasts a competition between Tina, Brittany, Blaine and new glee club member Wade "Unique" Adams to be the new leading vocalist of New Directions. I was pretty sure the show would cop out and do the standard "We're all stars!" nonsense, but I'm happy to report that a new Rachel is chosen. And it's probably the person you think it is.
source: Buddy Tv
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'Glee's' premiere breathes new life into a fourth season series
Maybe it was because the last few weeks summer television has winded down, leaving a deafening lull schedule, or maybe it was due to the idea that this season could be a reboot and therefore of higher quality, or maybe it was sheer morbid curiosity, but today I screened the glee season four premiere, and I walked away from it...exhilarated. I even clapped a few times. Admittedly, I very publicly quit covering the show mid-way through season two because it was just all over the place, and perhaps coming back in now, skipping viewing so much that had changed them (though of course being in this business I have kept up with the story details) kept some of these characters fresh for me. I can't fully explain it, but all I can say is that if glee continues down the path that "The New Rachel" started, I will once again be a Gleek.
"The New Rachel" is not just about the New Directions, now the most popular club at McKinley, thanks to their Regionals win last year, finding its new star, but it is also about its old star finding her way among the hundreds of other kids competing for roles in productions in New York City. And in following Rachel's (Lea Michele) escapades around the city that never sleeps, we are introduced to the new Sue Sylvester in dance teacher Cassandra (Kate Hudson), who wins us over immediately by nicknaming her students things along the likes of "Muffin Top" and "David Schwimmer." She has her own abrasive style at motivation, but she has the talent and knowledge to prove she can back up what she barks at her students. Teacher does know best, perhaps for the first time in Glee history, and this is one piece of stunt casting that pays off in spades.
We also get to meet the new Finn (Cory Monteith) in a shower singing, straight musical theater major at NYADA who has a Rachel Berry-sized moisturizing ritual. Brody (Dean Geyer) is confident, talented, and sexy-- all of the things that should have a girl swooning-- but Rachel is still pining for Finn, who she hasn't talked to in two months. Um, in the age of the internet, where all teenagers do all day is text, this is quite worrisome-- not Finn has a new love worrisome, but more like Finn could be dead worrisome.
Of course Finn isn't actually dead. But it's a detail that does bother us a lot about this season premiere, clearly set up to show conflict between the former super couple.
Brody may be hot, but he's also very smart, and seeing that Rachel is not his direct competition (they'll never go out for the same roles, after all), he starts to take her under his wing in delicate, subtle ways, providing advice and guidance that inspires a big brother type relationship that we're sure can grow into something filled with more sparks as time goes on. The romantic chemistry isn't quite there yet, nor am I entirely convinced I want it to be, but it has the makings of a perfect platonic friendship and peerdom, not unlike Rachel and Kurt (Chris Colfer). Whether or not she is just filling voids with this new guy may remain to be seen, though.
And speaking of Kurt, back in Lima, he isn't doing quite as well as Rachel (and that's saying something) when the show returns. He uses his time before his own college classes start to revisit McKinley (even having the gall to sit in on New Directions auditions), where Sue (Jane Lynch) and her new minion cut him down for being "the only underachieving gay." Things aren't going the way he expected, let alone hoped-- but neither are they for his boyfriend Blaine (Darren Criss), who expected to automatically fall into the position of star of New Directions. In fact, I admit I expected that for him, too, as did much of the audience, I assume. After all, he was practically the star of seasons past, even when he was a Warbler. It's nice to see that things aren't being automatically handed to him, but now there is new competition at McKinley, which creates an unfortunate divide amongst the group.
Thankfully, Kurt and Blaine still have each other to pull themselves out of their self-absorbed funks, though. They are one of the cutest couples on television, and in the case of this premiere, they may be one of the most selfless couples on television. Blaine's pride may protect his burgeoning star, but he shows his maturity once again within his relationship.
If New Directions is no longer made up of outcasts, though, then Glee really isn't solely about the underdogs anymore, is it? Sure, those who were underdogs (Rachel and Kurt, to be exact) still are, as at least she tries to fight their way through being little fishes in a big pond for a change. But the rest of the New Directions have that kind of teenage arrogance usually reserved for jocks and straight-A students. It's potentially a false bravado, but most importantly, I have to hope it's fleeting because it's annoying.
Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is prancing around like a diva-in-training, even sporting sassy Rachel Berry bangs; Artie (Kevin Mchale) takes it upon himself to act as director and Mr. Schue substitute to "audition" the new Rachel; and they're all kind of rude to the underclassmen who want to join them. One little taste of popularity, even if it's not true, lasting popularity (and they all acknowledge it: "Winter is coming," referencing Game of Thrones), and they spin out of control. Even Will himself (Matthew Morrison) has become a bit more like Simon Cowell than the "pump the kids up" Paula Abdul of seasons past. Only Unique (Alex Newell) manages to endear us during this crusade, but perhaps that is because he is the only one still embodying that outcast/underdog spirit. He knows who he is; he is confident in who he is; and he isn't willing to quiet himself or conform to what others think he should be just to stay popular for another few days. He is the new role model of Glee.
"The New Rachel" is not perfect-- it starts strong but there are rough spots in the middle-- but I can't deny the positive sense of nostalgia, and well, glee, it invoked during-- especially its audition sequence. The bad ones screamed for memories of my own high school theater days, when I, too, sat in the audience like Artie as a director. The good ones made me remember why this show is so unique in the first place: the musical talent it cultivates and celebrates. The new Puck, aka "Jake" (Jacob Artist), an angry kid who turns sweetly soulful when he sings along to a piano for his audition immediately makes you want to get to know more about him the minute he opens his mouth. Meanwhile, Marley (Melissa Benoist) makes you want to root for her before she even steps on stage to audition because we've already seen some of her back story. The new blood, so to speak, certainly breathes new life into Glee (so much so I didn't even miss the cast members missing, though there were quite a few) and hopefully will inspire some of its older, more jaded characters the way it has this older, jaded reviewer.
But in case you were wondering: Burt Hummel (Mike O'Malley) is still the coolest, greatest dad ever.
Glee returns to FOX on September 13th 2012 at 9 p.m. Songs taken on in the premiere include Carly Rae Jepsen's "song of the summer" (of course), as well as another Lady Gaga and Adele tune ("Americano" and "Chasing Pavements"), Fray's "Never Say Never," Imagine Dragons' "It's Time," and the too-on-the-nose "New York State of Mind." Which will YOU download?
source: Examiner.com
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Season Premiere: We Watched It! And Now We're Dropping Scoop
Welcome back, Gleeks. Season four is one week away, and we just finished watching the premiere episode. But that doesn't sound like something you wanna hear about, right?
Of course you do. Overall, we thought the season-four opener was well-paced, entertaining and a solid beginning to what will surely be a closely watched season of Glee. How did they balance New York and Lima? And which couples broke up and which are still together? Here are five things you need to know about Glee's season premiere, "The New Rachel":
1. Rachel Hates New York: She's in a love-hate relationship with New York City because although she's living her dream at NYADA, her roommate is banging every boy in school and her new dance teacher (Kate Hudson) is a nightmare with a possible drinking problem. There are some bright spots to life in the big apple for Rachel (Lea Michele), one of them happens to be Brody (Dean Geyer), who we get introduced to in a very Finn-like fashion: singing in the shower to a classic '80s song.
Check out these sexy photos from Glee's Britney Spears tribute!
2. Kurt Belongs With Rachel: Our dear porcelain is working at the Lima Bean and living vicariously through New Directions, and he's just not happy. But with some encouragement (and singing) from boyfriend Blaine (Darren Criss), Kurt finally decides to make the big move to New York. He gets a sendoff from his dad, Burt (Mike O'Malley), which is a scene that will absolutely make you cry. And then there's another scene right at the end of the episode involving Rachel that'll probably make you tear up as well. Damn you, Glee!
3. You'll Love to Hate Kate Hudson: Cassandra July is as mean as they come. Seriously, we want to see her go head-to-head with Sue Sylvester (who is back to her usual ways, by the way, but with a baby this time around). But Cassandra does show a softer side during the episode, which leads you to believe that there is much, much more to her than just calling Rachel "Mrs. David Schwimmer."
4. New Directions Is Finally Cool at School: How do we know that glee club is finally popular at McKinley High? By none other than Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman), who brings us up to speed with oncscreen interviews with Artie (Kevin McHale), a newly diva'd-out Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Blaine. New Directions is even sitting with the popular kids at lunch! And when Will (Matthew Morrison) puts up the sign-up sheet for auditions, there is a mob of kids who want to join glee club! Does the popularity last? All we can say is that things definitely shift by the end of the episode.
5. The Newbies Will Impress You: The new kids at McKinley High almost feel like they are filing holes that were made when certain Glee cast members left. Unique (Alex Newell) is the new Mercedes, Jake (Jacob Artist) is the new Puck (obviously), Kitty (Becca Tobin) is the new Quinn, and Marley (Melissa Benoist) is, dare we say, the new Rachel? Regardless, they all get their time to shine in the episode and we were very happy with the fresh blood.
Other random tidbits:
You will find out the status of Brittana and what happened between Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) and Tina.
Prepare to fall in love with yet another parent of a New Direction member.
We technically get to see Finn (Cory Monteith) in the premiere, but not in the way you think.
Gasp! Jacob Ben Israel cut his hair.
"Chasing Pavements" is the perfect number to end the episode, both because of the message and because of the performance.
How does the season premiere sound to you, Gleeks?
source: News Detail Page
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Glee Season 4 Premiere: 13 Quick Observations
Fall screener season has arrived, and I’m stoked to report that I’ve now had a chance to view the Season 4 premiere of Glee. The good news? Those of you who’ve been fretting over the show’s new split focus between the adventures of the New Directions gang in Lima, OH, and its MVP graduate Rachel Berry in New York City, can channel your inner Whitney Houston and finally exhale.
Ryan Murphy & Co. have, at least in Episode 1, managed to beautifully balance these dueling locations in a way that never feels schizophrenic or jarring. Rachel’s life as a freshman at NYADA is filled with a pitch-perfect anxiety and tension you’d expect from a little fishie who’s just been dropped from a backyard pond into the Atlantic Ocean. And the power vaccuum left at McKinley after the exit of Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes, and Santana gives some of the show’s often-dormant supporting players some interesting new angles to play.
Here are 13 observations I took home from watching the very, very good “The New Rachel”:
* Cassandra July (Kate Hudson) starts her humiliation of Rachel right in the cold open — and while it’s 98 percent arbitrary, it has to be said the wide-eyed New Directions vet calls attention to herself with a justified (but not entirely well-disguised) side-eye at her new teacher.
* Jacob Ben Israel is back to do his usual start-of-the-season exposition/meta-commentary on Gleek message-board chatter, and his video package ends with a burning question that might take all season to answer: “Who is the new Rachel?”
* Tina’s got a brand new “Make Change Forever” tattoo, and if you stare at those letters long enough, you might be able to grasp their significance.
* The season premiere also raises the impoirtant question: If you haven’t heard from your boyfriend for more than two months, is it okay to do a little bit of window-shopping?
* New Cheerio Kitty (Becca Tobin) immediately establishes her beeeotch cred with by grilling visiting graduate Kurt about why he’s not already away at college, then dropping in this zinger: “I thought gay people were all successful overachievers.”
* Smash isn’t the only network TV musical that’s slipping a little something extra into the smoothies of its visiting movie-star’s character.
* Melissa Benoist’s Marley is introduced with a backstory so heart-tugging, it’s kind of impossible not to root for her. That said, Rachel’s half of “New York State of Mind” is decidedly superior.
* NYADA’s “Round Room” is sooooooo pretty. But sometimes ugly things happen there.
* Lea Michele has never been more perfect as Rachel then in her delivery of the line, “I feel like I’m gonna throw up all the time.”
* Oh, and on a related note, Cassandra is introduced as kind of a one-note vicious harpie, but that doesn’t mean you won’t secretly kind of feel like Rachel deserves (just a tiny bit) and could benefit from (a lot) her barbatic teaching methods.
* Mike O’Malley once again uses seconds of screentime to brilliant (and tear-jerking effect) as TV Dad of the Year/Decade Burt Hummel.
* Kitty takes over from Santana as Head Cheerleader in Charge of Vicious Nicknames. Best one so far? Richie Poor.
* And finally, while I’m still not 100 percent certain Alex Newell can act, he definitely scores a big laugh with Unique’s response to her very first slushie. “Unique’s eyes! They’re on fire!” Oh girl, keep on keeping on with your unsinkable attitiude, mmmkaay?
source: TVLine
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'Glee' Season 4 Premiere Spoilers: 9 Things You Need to Know
The season 4 premiere of Glee is just one week away, and it has a little bit of everything you love about the show. There are catchy songs, emotional moments, intense battles, harsh insults, slushies and a bunch of new characters.
The episode, titled "The New Rachel," tells two stories. First is Rachel's hard life in New York, dealing with the brutal criticism of dance teacher Cassandra July (Kate Hudson at her absolute bitchiest). Second is back in Ohio where the New Directions, basking in the popularity of winning Nationals, look for new members.
So what can you expect to see? Well, here are nine spoilers from the episode to get you excited for Glee's return.
Who's Missing?
Rachel and Kurt are the only two graduated seniors who appear in the season 4 premiere. There are brief updates on Mike Chang and Santana, but there's absolutely no new information on the status of Quinn, Puck, Mercedes or Finn, so don't hold your breath. Emma is also oddly missing and there's no mention of her and Will's wedding.
McKinley Is Like Game of Thrones
For the first time ever, the members of New Directions are popular, eating at the same table as the Cheerios and football stars (which I guess is supposed to be new even though last year New Directions had about half its members on the Cheerios or the football team). However, the balance of power is very delicate because it's just like Game of Thrones where the glee club is the Stark family and the popular kids are the Lannisters. And winter is coming.
Brody Is Bland But Hot
The new man in Rachel's life is Brody Weston, a junior at NYADA who she meets when he steps out of the dorm shower. Sure, he's hot, but he's not particularly interesting or compelling. This could be a problem because we all know the fans are going to HATE him because he could come between Finn and Rachel. Brody needs to get a lot more interesting if he doesn't want to be dismissed as the most useless character ever. He has the potential to become the new Nikki and Paulo from Lost.
Marley Rose Is a Star
One of the more surprising revelations of the season 4 premiere is how gosh-darn likeable new star Melissa Benoist is as Marley Rose. Her character's big secret is a bit of a cliche, but it's still quite touching and it's impossible not to instantly fall in love with her. I'm definitely a fan and I hope to see a lot more of her family in the future.
Kitty Has Claws
If you thought McKinley without Santana would be dull, never fear, because Kitty, Sue's new "Head Bitch" Cheerio, is basically Santana without the sweetness. More accurately, as Sue describes her, she's Quinn without the teen pregnancy and mental problems. She's cold, bitchy, and she has an insult aimed at Unique that is on par with the best Santana insults ever.
Just Jake Is Sexy
Jacob Artist plays Jake, Puck's half-brother, and while he definitely has the same attitude as Puck, he does NOT have the same voice. His performance is quite surprising and has two completely different New Directions members lusting after him. But one New Directions singer does not like him at all. I sense a potential love triangle.
Burt Hummel Is the World's Greatest Dad
As if you didn't already know this, there's a very touching scene between Kurt and his dad that will definitely make you tear up and cheer.
Sam Does a Taylor Lautner Impression
I love Sam's random celebrity impressions, and he does one of the hot werewolf from Twilight that left me in hysterics.
There IS a New Rachel
The episode boasts a competition between Tina, Brittany, Blaine and new glee club member Wade "Unique" Adams to be the new leading vocalist of New Directions. I was pretty sure the show would cop out and do the standard "We're all stars!" nonsense, but I'm happy to report that a new Rachel is chosen. And it's probably the person you think it is.
---------------
'Glee's' premiere breathes new life into a fourth season series
Maybe it was because the last few weeks summer television has winded down, leaving a deafening lull schedule, or maybe it was due to the idea that this season could be a reboot and therefore of higher quality, or maybe it was sheer morbid curiosity, but today I screened the glee season four premiere, and I walked away from it...exhilarated. I even clapped a few times. Admittedly, I very publicly quit covering the show mid-way through season two because it was just all over the place, and perhaps coming back in now, skipping viewing so much that had changed them (though of course being in this business I have kept up with the story details) kept some of these characters fresh for me. I can't fully explain it, but all I can say is that if glee continues down the path that "The New Rachel" started, I will once again be a Gleek.
"The New Rachel" is not just about the New Directions, now the most popular club at McKinley, thanks to their Regionals win last year, finding its new star, but it is also about its old star finding her way among the hundreds of other kids competing for roles in productions in New York City. And in following Rachel's (Lea Michele) escapades around the city that never sleeps, we are introduced to the new Sue Sylvester in dance teacher Cassandra (Kate Hudson), who wins us over immediately by nicknaming her students things along the likes of "Muffin Top" and "David Schwimmer." She has her own abrasive style at motivation, but she has the talent and knowledge to prove she can back up what she barks at her students. Teacher does know best, perhaps for the first time in Glee history, and this is one piece of stunt casting that pays off in spades.
We also get to meet the new Finn (Cory Monteith) in a shower singing, straight musical theater major at NYADA who has a Rachel Berry-sized moisturizing ritual. Brody (Dean Geyer) is confident, talented, and sexy-- all of the things that should have a girl swooning-- but Rachel is still pining for Finn, who she hasn't talked to in two months. Um, in the age of the internet, where all teenagers do all day is text, this is quite worrisome-- not Finn has a new love worrisome, but more like Finn could be dead worrisome.
Of course Finn isn't actually dead. But it's a detail that does bother us a lot about this season premiere, clearly set up to show conflict between the former super couple.
Brody may be hot, but he's also very smart, and seeing that Rachel is not his direct competition (they'll never go out for the same roles, after all), he starts to take her under his wing in delicate, subtle ways, providing advice and guidance that inspires a big brother type relationship that we're sure can grow into something filled with more sparks as time goes on. The romantic chemistry isn't quite there yet, nor am I entirely convinced I want it to be, but it has the makings of a perfect platonic friendship and peerdom, not unlike Rachel and Kurt (Chris Colfer). Whether or not she is just filling voids with this new guy may remain to be seen, though.
And speaking of Kurt, back in Lima, he isn't doing quite as well as Rachel (and that's saying something) when the show returns. He uses his time before his own college classes start to revisit McKinley (even having the gall to sit in on New Directions auditions), where Sue (Jane Lynch) and her new minion cut him down for being "the only underachieving gay." Things aren't going the way he expected, let alone hoped-- but neither are they for his boyfriend Blaine (Darren Criss), who expected to automatically fall into the position of star of New Directions. In fact, I admit I expected that for him, too, as did much of the audience, I assume. After all, he was practically the star of seasons past, even when he was a Warbler. It's nice to see that things aren't being automatically handed to him, but now there is new competition at McKinley, which creates an unfortunate divide amongst the group.
Thankfully, Kurt and Blaine still have each other to pull themselves out of their self-absorbed funks, though. They are one of the cutest couples on television, and in the case of this premiere, they may be one of the most selfless couples on television. Blaine's pride may protect his burgeoning star, but he shows his maturity once again within his relationship.
If New Directions is no longer made up of outcasts, though, then Glee really isn't solely about the underdogs anymore, is it? Sure, those who were underdogs (Rachel and Kurt, to be exact) still are, as at least she tries to fight their way through being little fishes in a big pond for a change. But the rest of the New Directions have that kind of teenage arrogance usually reserved for jocks and straight-A students. It's potentially a false bravado, but most importantly, I have to hope it's fleeting because it's annoying.
Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is prancing around like a diva-in-training, even sporting sassy Rachel Berry bangs; Artie (Kevin Mchale) takes it upon himself to act as director and Mr. Schue substitute to "audition" the new Rachel; and they're all kind of rude to the underclassmen who want to join them. One little taste of popularity, even if it's not true, lasting popularity (and they all acknowledge it: "Winter is coming," referencing Game of Thrones), and they spin out of control. Even Will himself (Matthew Morrison) has become a bit more like Simon Cowell than the "pump the kids up" Paula Abdul of seasons past. Only Unique (Alex Newell) manages to endear us during this crusade, but perhaps that is because he is the only one still embodying that outcast/underdog spirit. He knows who he is; he is confident in who he is; and he isn't willing to quiet himself or conform to what others think he should be just to stay popular for another few days. He is the new role model of Glee.
"The New Rachel" is not perfect-- it starts strong but there are rough spots in the middle-- but I can't deny the positive sense of nostalgia, and well, glee, it invoked during-- especially its audition sequence. The bad ones screamed for memories of my own high school theater days, when I, too, sat in the audience like Artie as a director. The good ones made me remember why this show is so unique in the first place: the musical talent it cultivates and celebrates. The new Puck, aka "Jake" (Jacob Artist), an angry kid who turns sweetly soulful when he sings along to a piano for his audition immediately makes you want to get to know more about him the minute he opens his mouth. Meanwhile, Marley (Melissa Benoist) makes you want to root for her before she even steps on stage to audition because we've already seen some of her back story. The new blood, so to speak, certainly breathes new life into Glee (so much so I didn't even miss the cast members missing, though there were quite a few) and hopefully will inspire some of its older, more jaded characters the way it has this older, jaded reviewer.
But in case you were wondering: Burt Hummel (Mike O'Malley) is still the coolest, greatest dad ever.
Glee returns to FOX on September 13th 2012 at 9 p.m. Songs taken on in the premiere include Carly Rae Jepsen's "song of the summer" (of course), as well as another Lady Gaga and Adele tune ("Americano" and "Chasing Pavements"), Fray's "Never Say Never," Imagine Dragons' "It's Time," and the too-on-the-nose "New York State of Mind." Which will YOU download?
source: Examiner.com
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Season Premiere: We Watched It! And Now We're Dropping Scoop
Welcome back, Gleeks. Season four is one week away, and we just finished watching the premiere episode. But that doesn't sound like something you wanna hear about, right?
Of course you do. Overall, we thought the season-four opener was well-paced, entertaining and a solid beginning to what will surely be a closely watched season of Glee. How did they balance New York and Lima? And which couples broke up and which are still together? Here are five things you need to know about Glee's season premiere, "The New Rachel":
1. Rachel Hates New York: She's in a love-hate relationship with New York City because although she's living her dream at NYADA, her roommate is banging every boy in school and her new dance teacher (Kate Hudson) is a nightmare with a possible drinking problem. There are some bright spots to life in the big apple for Rachel (Lea Michele), one of them happens to be Brody (Dean Geyer), who we get introduced to in a very Finn-like fashion: singing in the shower to a classic '80s song.
Check out these sexy photos from Glee's Britney Spears tribute!
2. Kurt Belongs With Rachel: Our dear porcelain is working at the Lima Bean and living vicariously through New Directions, and he's just not happy. But with some encouragement (and singing) from boyfriend Blaine (Darren Criss), Kurt finally decides to make the big move to New York. He gets a sendoff from his dad, Burt (Mike O'Malley), which is a scene that will absolutely make you cry. And then there's another scene right at the end of the episode involving Rachel that'll probably make you tear up as well. Damn you, Glee!
3. You'll Love to Hate Kate Hudson: Cassandra July is as mean as they come. Seriously, we want to see her go head-to-head with Sue Sylvester (who is back to her usual ways, by the way, but with a baby this time around). But Cassandra does show a softer side during the episode, which leads you to believe that there is much, much more to her than just calling Rachel "Mrs. David Schwimmer."
4. New Directions Is Finally Cool at School: How do we know that glee club is finally popular at McKinley High? By none other than Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman), who brings us up to speed with oncscreen interviews with Artie (Kevin McHale), a newly diva'd-out Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Blaine. New Directions is even sitting with the popular kids at lunch! And when Will (Matthew Morrison) puts up the sign-up sheet for auditions, there is a mob of kids who want to join glee club! Does the popularity last? All we can say is that things definitely shift by the end of the episode.
5. The Newbies Will Impress You: The new kids at McKinley High almost feel like they are filing holes that were made when certain Glee cast members left. Unique (Alex Newell) is the new Mercedes, Jake (Jacob Artist) is the new Puck (obviously), Kitty (Becca Tobin) is the new Quinn, and Marley (Melissa Benoist) is, dare we say, the new Rachel? Regardless, they all get their time to shine in the episode and we were very happy with the fresh blood.
Other random tidbits:
You will find out the status of Brittana and what happened between Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) and Tina.
Prepare to fall in love with yet another parent of a New Direction member.
We technically get to see Finn (Cory Monteith) in the premiere, but not in the way you think.
Gasp! Jacob Ben Israel cut his hair.
"Chasing Pavements" is the perfect number to end the episode, both because of the message and because of the performance.
How does the season premiere sound to you, Gleeks?
source: News Detail Page
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