Glee returns on Tuesday with “Frenemies” after a very lengthy hiatus as the last episode – “Previously Unaired Christmas” – aired on December 5th. So if you need a refresher, here’s what you missed on Glee!
Episode 5.09, “Movin’ Out” was one of the best singer-themed episodes we’ve seen in a long time. The episode was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Brad Falchuk. The episode, of course, featured the music of Billy Joel. There were terrific renditions of “Movin’ Out” with Blaine (Darren Criss) and Sam (Chord Overstreet), “Piano Man” by Blaine, “My Life” by Jake (Jacob Artist), “Honesty” by Arte (Kevin McHale), “Don’t Go Changing” by Kurt (Chris Colfer), Blaine, Rachel (Lea Michele), Santana (Naya Rivera), and Sam, and everyone doing “I May Be Crazy.” Artie encourages Becky (Lauren Potter) to apply for college, revealing that Becky wants to go to college, but Sue (Jane Lynch) is afraid to let her go. In a reflection of this storyline, Blaine also reveals that he is worried he won’t get into Nyada. In the end, of course, he does. We also learn that Sam’s dream is not going to college but being a male model. It was an interesting twist to examine eating disorders and the pressures of the entertainment industry to watch Sam be told he’s too fat and try to unnecessarily lose weight.
Episode 5.10, “Puppet Master,” was also another return to former glory. The episode was written by Matthew Hodgson and directed by Paul McCrane. I loved the use of muppets and the music numbers were all really solid. “Into the Groove” with Elliott (Adam Lambert), Kurt, Santana, and Rachel, “Nasty/Rhythm Nation” with Jake, and “What Does the Fox Say” with everyone in Lima and New York were highlights.
Episode 5.11 the “Previously Unaired Christmas” also features some great numbers, but also highlights some of the character inconsistencies that have been prevalent over the last two seasons. The episode was written by Ross Maxwell and directed by Wendey Stanzler. Tina is back to being a grating, self-serving monster and Sue can’t seem to make up her mind whose side she’s on. That said the outstanding numbers included “Here Comes Santa Clause” and “The Chipmunk Song” with Kurt, Rachel and Santa, and “Away in a Manger” by everyone. The final song with everyone was another great use of the split final song that has become a staple. The story with sexy Claus in which he gets them drunk, seduces them and then steals them blind is pretty clearly not the Christmas material the network was looking for. The episode does end with at least the students in Lima experiencing some Christmas spirit by helping Kitty (Becca Tobin) and Becky.
Glee returns on a new night with a move to Tuesdays at 8pm EST. Are you excited to see it back in the schedule? Let me know your thoughts on how the show shaped up for you this fall in the comments below!
