Glee - Transitioning - Review - "Review & Fav Song Poll"

Glee, “Transitioning,” was written by Matthew Hodgson and was directed by Dante Di Loreto. This episdoe of Glee is actually the only directing credit Di Loreto has but he’s been an executive producer on the show since the beginning as well as exec producing on The Glee Project, The New Normal, American Horror Story and the forthcoming Scream Queens. This episode actually features three major transitions and one minor one. The episode has six songs and that’s always a win for me. Finally, two characters return for the episode. I was very happy to see the return of Jayma Mays as Emma, but I could have happily done without the return of Alex Newell as Unique.

The central transitioning story is about the return of Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) who left the school as Shannon and returns after sex reassignment surgery as Sheldon. Jones gives a fantastic performance. Sheldon may be sporting some five o’clock shadow, but is still the same Coach we’ve come to know and love. Vocal Adrenaline’s attempts at bullying Beiste fall short, but reinforce the love the team feels for him when both Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Spencer (Marshall Williams) want revenge. Beiste is proud of Sam for uniting the team and Spencer for finally feeling like part of the team.

Jones and Newell do share a terrific scene. Unique tells Beiste he’s not normal, he’s special. While Sheldon is happier and more comfortable in this body – he feels like he is who he was always meant to be, he still feels very alone. Unique assures him that he’s not alone, and Unique and Will (Matthew Morrison) prove it by staging a huge number with the Transpersons Choir.

In fact, that final huge number is a transition for Will too. We see throughout the episode that he gets no respect from his students, especially Clint (Max George). George does a great job being the most obnoxious student! Will feels pressured to stay in the job because of the baby because the money and benefits are so good. Luckily, we have the presence of Emma to finally give Will a dose of common sense.

However, I did find it a bit frustrating that he didn’t realize he’d be a bad fit for Vocal Adrenaline in the first place. It is a little sad that he would think he could have a weekly “lesson” with these kids and especially that he’d think they’d be interested in a lesson in “tolerance.” Tricking them into watching Unique and then Unique with the Choir really didn’t do anything to change their minds. It would have been a lot more satisfying for at least one or two of them to realize they’d been in the wrong. Given the friction between Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) over running New Directions, it’s going to be interesting to see how things run with three people trying to run it!

The other big transition is Rachel having to leave her childhood home behind and with it, her childhood. Though I would have thought moving to New York and starring on Broadway would have put her past this particular milestone. At any rate, all her friends, spearheaded by Sam and Kurt, decide to help her through it and Kurt changes the New Directions’ lesson of the week to “transitioning.” They decide that they will all sing duets at a Final Farewell to Rachel’s Childhood Home party in the basement of her house. I loved the wheel of fortune board they used to pick partners – and the fact that Kurt cheated to get Blaine (Darren Criss). And I’d forgotten how much I loved Rachel’s basement, complete with stage, dancefloor and bar! And did anyone else notice Arte (Kevin McHale) and Kitty (Becca Tobin) getting cuddly?

It’s hysterical when Rachel admits that she’s been sabotaging the sale of the house – and I loved her dressed up as the ghost from The Ring standing in the shower! Interestingly, it’s Sam who is able to really help her move on. Her big sticking point is taking down her wall of memories – and it’s a fun walk down memory lane for us as well. Sam tells her, “You’re gonna need a bigger wall. The wall doesn’t go away. It gets bigger.” And as big as we think our dreams and lives are in high school, the real world really is bigger and better. To cap off her transition, she and Sam share a passionate kiss and …. We’re left wondering what else.

The final "minor" transition is Blaine transitioning back to Kurt. Blaine is clearly happy to do the duet with Kurt, leading to a little nostalgia between them. Blaine asks Kurt not to mention them singing together to Dave (Max Adler). Either Dave is the jealous type or Blaine clearly thinks it means more than just singing together. After their song, Blaine kisses Kurt. It’s only when Dave finally pushes him that Blaine acknowledges that he’s still in love with Kurt. I loved Adler in this scene. It was the most comfortable and natural he’s been in the role, so I’ll be very sorry if this is the last we see of him.

        What did have me rolling my eyes, was Blaine showing up as Kurt was going off on a double date with Walter (Harry Hamlin), Sam and Rachel, and Blaine chickening out on saying anything. On the other hand, I simply can’t get enough of Harry Hamlin. Hmmmmm. Older gay guy. Who else to we know that is now an older gay guy? Could this be a match for Sheldon??

While I once again applaud the show for raising awareness about transgender issues, and especially showcasing the talent of the Transpersons Choir, I still felt a bit like this storyline was really riding the coattails of the success of Transparent. I’m also a little tired of the on again, off again, star-crossed Blaine and Kurt storyline. With six songs, I was hoping for more than one actual dance routine, I have to say. That said, I really liked the song choices and the mix of classic with recent hits. What did you think of the episode? Were you happy to see Emma and Unique back? Do you think things are going to be too crowded in the choir room? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to vote for your favorite song in the poll!

About the Author - Lisa Macklem

I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.