in honor of me starting my 2947829184th glee rewatch i wanted to post a light analysis of finn hudson vs mike wheeler that i was reminded i wrote down in a time i was (sadly) much more convinced of a byler endgame than i am now,, cuz i kinda had a point

here she is:

i would love for someone to do an analysis of byler vs kurt hummel and finn hudson (would like to interject here to say someone should definitely do this and do it better with like actually siting stuff) like how a show (also explicitly about outsiders) purposefully creates an unrequited gay man to straight dynamic and how entirely different that is from how stranger things sets up mike and wills dynamic.

i mean they’re completely different shows and glee is a satire so it might be hard to compare them 1 to 1 because glee doesn’t tend to give that much weight to any relationship in its like first twoish seasons but i think its a good example for how it would be so easy to just make mike so obviously straight and not at all into will (it wouldn’t even have to be about el, with finn its not about quin or rachel, its just that hes not into men and is into women) and they’re choosing not to, they are choosing to lean into that dynamic and (this is important for this comparison) NOT in a brotherly way, not in a familial way, their relationship is never once compared to that (mike and el’s is but thats not entirely relevant here). In glee kurt liking finn is much more about his identity than it is about a romantic relationship with finn, they explore their relationship in depth in seasons 1 and 2 (and never again we dont have to talk about it yes i am bitter) but it is never not once implied that kurt’s feelings could be reciprocated, no lingering shots on finn’s face while hes watching kurt, nothing flirty, finn shuts him down multiple times, finn knows kurt likes him, its not used as a big reveal because that is NOT WHAT IS PLOT RELEVANT!!

what is relevant is kurt coming out to his dad and kurt’s overall identity and learning to stick up for himself and finn helping him do that in a BROTHERLY way (by the end of season 2 their parents are married and they are literal step brothers, there is no way to misconstrue their relationship) if wills feelings for mike were not reciprocated or at least impactful on their relationship there is no reason to make the audience anticipate mikes reaction to them, to save them for a reveal with an incredibly plot relevant lie that has to be uncovered, this has to alter their relationship in some way and literally what purpose would it serve if it was just a rejection?? why would you wait to reveal that if its only purpose is then essentially will’s identity? if the point of season 4 was to build back up mike and wills friendship, why not use that is something they have to overcome in the beginning of that season? why save it as a reveal? the actors have harped on the fact that mike doesn’t know about wills feelings so when they are rebuilding their friendship this is at least not a factor for him. (back to glee) when finn and kurt were building their relationship as brothers and friends, kurt’s romantic feelings were acknowledged as something they had to work through, they were not saved as a big aha moment because they wouldn’t have changed things. bottom line is that the reveal of wills feelings will change the nature of mike and wills relationship and there is no reason (besides like a villain origin story? thats all i can think of. cuz his arch isn’t about figuring out he doesn’t need romance or that he has the love of his family and boys arent important, he doesn’t have romance and the entirety of seasons 1 and 2 were about how much his family love him and the whole boys are stupid thing is for el) for that shift to be in the form of a rejection

I just want to tell you that World Wizard Entertainment is the most fun I’ve had in this fandom in a long time. Thank you for putting it out into the world

Hello! Thank you! I'm really glad people are having fun and participating, which was really the whole goal here.

To break character for a moment, I had been watching polls around this fandom and hadn't really seen a proper tournament bracket. But the thing with polls is that... they really are only popularity contests, not actual fights or games where a lot of chance is involved, unless you go hard into gaming them or everyone's in on a joke. So really what I was trying to figure out was whether or not the Critical Role fandom could make that happen with some kind of setup.

And honestly, even if today's result doesn't turn out any differently from the rest, I still think that we did it! I did get a bit pessimistic at times (and, admittedly, still do, looking at the state of some of my notes), but I do want to shout out the absolute unhinged chaos factor of the Veth contingent, because that kind of participation is really what this is about—making the weirdest, wackiest argument.

I'm very much a proponent of fandom being participatory and collaborative and fun, and doing a funny bit and writing a long and ultimately meaningless argument is fun! And I will not lie, I did get a little teary-eyed when I posted the final to discover that a surprising number of folks had prepped for this and also sat down yesterday to write out whole speeches, which was the whole point!

I believe that if you have been active on the Glee subreddit in the last 5-10 years, particularly in the pandemic era, you deserve financial compensation, a Medal of Honor, literally anything for being in the trenches on that thread. Every time I log on to check and see what’s up, they are literally posting the most rancid takes and excusing homophobia or racism or both. It was truly were nuance and analysis would go to die, especially for characters like Santana and Quinn who didn’t fit into the nice near boxes of the show.

If your a fellow deserter/former member, you have my upmost respect

Title: A Tale of Two TV Shows: Exploring LGBTQ+ Representation in "Glee" and "Schitt’s Creek"

Introduction:

In the realm of television, representation matters. Two shows that have made significant strides in portraying LGBTQ+ characters and storylines are "Glee" and "Schitt’s Creek." Both shows have left an indelible mark on pop culture, but they approach LGBTQ+ representation in distinct ways. Let’s delve into how these shows tackle this important aspect of storytelling and their cultural impact.

Glee: Breaking Boundaries with Bold Representation

"Glee," created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, burst onto the scene in 2009 with its vibrant portrayal of a high school glee club. The show didn’t shy away from tackling challenging topics, including LGBTQ+ issues. From the outset, "Glee" featured openly gay characters like Kurt Hummel (played by Chris Colfer) and Santana Lopez (played by Naya Rivera), who grappled with their identities in a conservative small town.

1. Authentic Storylines: "Glee" didn’t just tokenize its LGBTQ+ characters; it delved deep into their experiences, showcasing their struggles with acceptance, coming out, and self-discovery. Kurt’s journey, in particular, resonated with many viewers as he navigated the complexities of being a gay teenager.

2. Representation Across the Spectrum: Beyond gay characters, "Glee" also introduced transgender and bisexual characters, broadening its representation of the LGBTQ+ community. Unique storylines like Coach Beiste’s (played by Dot-Marie Jones) transition and Santana’s exploration of her sexuality added depth and nuance to the show.

3. Impact on Audiences: "Glee" provided a platform for LGBTQ+ youth to see themselves reflected on screen, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment. The show’s impact extended beyond entertainment, sparking important conversations about acceptance and equality.

Schitt’s Creek: Redefining LGBTQ+ Narratives with Heart and Humor

"Schitt’s Creek," created by father-son duo Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, took a more understated approach to LGBTQ+ representation when it premiered in 2015. Set in a quirky small town, the show follows the wealthy Rose family as they adjust to life after losing their fortune, including David Rose (played by Dan Levy), a pansexual character who owns his identity from the start.

1. Normalizing LGBTQ+ Identities: Unlike many shows that center LGBTQ+ characters’ struggles, "Schitt’s Creek" normalized queer identities, portraying David’s sexuality as a non-issue within his family and community. His romantic relationships with both men and women are treated with the same care and respect as any other storyline.

2. Multifaceted Characters: While David’s sexuality is an integral part of his character, "Schitt’s Creek" goes beyond stereotypes, presenting him as a complex individual with interests, flaws, and ambitions unrelated to his sexual orientation. This multifaceted portrayal adds depth to the show’s LGBTQ+ representation.

3. Global Impact: "Schitt’s Creek" garnered widespread acclaim for its inclusive storytelling, earning accolades from critics and audiences alike. Its heartwarming depiction of love and acceptance resonated with viewers worldwide, solidifying its place in television history.

Comparative Analysis:

Both "Glee" and "Schitt’s Creek" contributed to LGBTQ+ representation in television, but their approaches differed significantly. "Glee" tackled issues head-on, addressing the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in society, while "Schitt’s Creek" focused on normalizing queer identities and relationships in a lighthearted and affirming manner.

1. Depth vs. Normalization: While "Glee" explored the complexities of LGBTQ+ experiences through dramatic storylines, "Schitt’s Creek" prioritized normalization, presenting queer characters as fully integrated members of their community. Both approaches have merit, catering to different audiences and contributing to a more inclusive media landscape.

2. Cultural Impact: "Glee" and "Schitt’s Creek" left lasting impressions on audiences, albeit in different ways. "Glee" sparked important conversations about LGBTQ+ rights and representation, while "Schitt’s Creek" offered a beacon of hope and acceptance in an increasingly polarized world.

Conclusion:

In the realm of LGBTQ+ representation, "Glee" and "Schitt’s Creek" stand out as pioneers, each making significant contributions to the cultural landscape of television. Whether through bold storytelling or subtle normalization, both shows have helped shape a more inclusive media landscape, paving the way for future generations of LGBTQ+ storytellers and audiences. As we celebrate their legacies, let’s continue to champion diverse and authentic representation in all forms of media.

"Janet from HR" has the same energy as "Blaine Warbler."

Having been in a couple of fandoms where this phenomenon happened, it always fascinates me when a character who has made semi-questionable decisions in the past (But nothing QUITE completely irredeemable) and is the center of the main/biggest ship in a fandom is suddenly given a hard pivot into abusive tendencies/hard-line no-go actions (i.e. Dean locking up/telling Jack he has no soul, Blaine SAing/cheating on Kurt, Ed being abusive to the crew in s2), the fandom/fanfic largely splits into two main reactions: either 1) taking the new events as new character traits, souring on the character, and writing fic dedicated to getting their partner/family/friends out of the situation written into the show, or 2) writing fix-it fic where the character they know never would have done such a thing and allowing the couple to continue on as they were pre-questionable-writing decision.

I've always wondered what causes people to fall into each camp (I tend to fall into the former, but when I was younger, I fell into the latter when it came to glee, especially). Is it love of the character and what they mean to you? Is it spite for the writers? (I'd argue that both options involve some level of spite for the writers, and I can at least understand both options rather than people who treat the abusive behavior in question as okay or even justified.) Anyone who writes fanfic/has noticed this pattern I would love to hear from- I've been curious about this for years!

I can’t believe glee writers made making it make sense the audiences job

Why I think Rachel Berry is Autistic/Neurodivergent (Coded)

So I think Brittany is the best example of an autistic Glee character, but i think you could make a case for Rachel too. I don’t want to pretend Rachel would be the greatest representation of autistics ever or anything, but I like neurodivergent headcanons as a neurodivergent person and neurodivergent representation is very lacking in quality and quantity, so we currently must make do with coded characters. This is all just my theory, and I don't even claim it to be perfectly air-tight. It's more than okay to disagree with me. Don’t take it too seriously, this is all in good, self-indulgent fun. I should note that I don’t have any credentials to diagnose anyone; I don’t recommend using this as a way of diagnosing yourself. They’re are better forms of research you could do. I also apologize if this post offends any fellow neurodivergent people. Rachel can be a particularly negative character for some and I don’t mean to imply that all neurodivergent people are like her or that neurodivergents that do see themselves in her are bad; I also see some of myself in her a bit and this neurodivergent interpretation of her makes me like and understand her a bit better. I also don’t want to make it seem like I think neurodivergence is a negative thing inherently. It isn’t at all. I think Rachel’s personality could make her do negative things, but the neurodivergence itself isn’t negative. The post was very inspired by @smolbrittana and their post on Britt’s neurodivergence. Definitely recommend it you’re interested.

So let’s start with some autistic traits and assessing how they might fit Rachel:

Special Interest/Hyperinflations

Barbara Streisand, Funny Girl, West Side Story, theatrical things in general. Need I say more? I will, no matter what you think. Rachel is obviously very obsessive over the things she likes, but also what she wants. From wanting tons of attention from her various crushes in high school, wanting Quinn’s friendship, wanting to be a the best constantly, getting into NYADA and not even really considering alternatives, etc. These are flaws in her character in some situations, but I don’t think it comes from a place of malice… typically. The crackhouse stuff was messed up, but I think this comes from her brain just latching onto things, to the point where these things become a part of her personality almost and in her head there’s no alternative positive situation conceivable to her other than getting what she wants. All or nothing. If something doesn’t happen the way she wants it it feels like a personal attack. Like being a star and shaping her life around being like her idols, but when she feels like someone could upstage her she… sends them to a crackhouse. I bet the reason why she’s so talented from such an early age is because she hyperfixated on being great at what she want to be, great like Barbara Streisand. I also think that this is why Rachel is so forgiving. She hyperfixates on belonging and others liking her, so she’s willing to forgive those around her no matter what they’ve done to her, best example being Quinn. She obsesses over her own perfection; for example, her NYADA audition where she messes up and feels like she has to completely start over and perfect it all the way through rather than continue through it (which I believe is what you’re supposed to do in a situation like that—I know I’ve seen real broadway actors push though their mistakes). Perfection is the only option to her at times.

Social Difficulties

Rachel is not good at social interactions. I think she feels things very intensely and sometimes can’t “properly” express emotions, at least not in a neurotypical way, therefore coming off as awkward or like a jerk. Sometimes she is a jerk, but I digress. Her first interactions with Finn are very awkward because of the way she goes about them. She goes in too strong, clearly feeling a lot for him already, and freaks him out, but it happened to be in a way that seemingly still endeared him. From his perspective, she’s also just… off putting, probably, because she’s neurodivergent and he’s neurotypical. He still falls for and cares for her, of course, but knows she’s different. Essentially in Season 1-2, her interactions with others are often turned up to eleven in terms of intensity/awkwardness.

“Abnormal” Speech

In the early seasons Rachel has this very fast, high-pitched, matter-of-fact way of speaking. This speech pattern goes away as the series goes on so gradually it might not even be noticed till it’s gone (and I have a theory on why it goes away, but more on that later). I think it’s departure is most noticeable in S4 E12, where Rachel imagines communicating with her younger self. There’s a clear difference in how to two Rachels talk and even sing and it’s interesting to see that contrast (and I gotta applaud Lea for being able to show that, however annoying, she is talented). She also has a very colorful vocabulary, which could also be a symptom.

Intense Emotions & Aggression

Totally. Rachel gets very upset when she doesn’t get her way, to a fault sometimes. Her taking it so personally when Tina was chosen to play Maria in West Side Story, saying it was “my part” (another example of her connecting to her special interest so personally). Her pissed off behavior towards Finn after she tried to cheat on him with Puck and kept telling him to forgive her rather than letting him come to a conclusion himself in S2 was very unselfaware. Sending Sunshine to a crackhouse when she felt threatened by her talent. Disrespecting her dance teacher when she grades her “Oops I Did It Again” number. She takes what she perceives as threats very personally, which might be a Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) thing. Santana has a lot of rage, but damn so does Rachel. This could also be related to her feeling very intensely about her special interests or her strong sense of justice, which I’ll get into later.

Hyper-empathy/Low empathy

Rachel’s tendency to not take other’s feelings into account might exhibit low empathy. Now, it’s worth saying that just because a person doesn’t have emotional or cognitive empathy doesn’t mean they’re a bad person. I believe that as long as they’re able to have sympathy and/or compassion they’re good. Empathy is like being able to put yourself in someone’s shoes; feel the things they feel on a personal level, whether you’ve been though what they have or not. Sympathy is only being able to look a those shoes; seeing and logically understanding the other’s emotions, but not feeling them on a personal level. And you can still show compassion either way.

Stimming/Fidgeting

Now this one was hard to find evidence for, and that’s fine. Not every neurodivergent person stims or fidgets in a particularly neurodivergent way. Most people, neurodivergent or not, stims in some way. Any movement can be stimming. I feel like that fast, peppy walk thing she does, particularly when she’s angry, might be a stimy thing. Like she has so much stimulation that she has to really move and get it out of her system. I also do this when something excites me. I’m pretty sure I remember Santana (?) calling it a “bird walk” or something and said that she walk with a “weird pointy toe” way. Rachel’s body language does remind me of a bird some times, like how when she’s upset she’ll move her head in these very quick, twitchy or jerky movements. She holds herself in a certain way when she sings, which became most apparent to me when Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina’s actresses) talked about mimicking these movements in the behind-the-scenes for S3 E20. She jumps up and down and touches her face when she’s happy, and presses her face against the wall when she’s distressed. Might be stimy things too.

“Abnormal” Body language

Rachel has some very upright posture. It’s very proper in the earlier seasons. Somewhat “stiff”, if you will. Her facial expressions are very, for lack of a better word I can think of, extreme. Always the most they could be. If she’s smiling, she’s really smiling. If she’s crying, she’s really crying. Et cetera, et cetera. Like her speech, this relaxes as she gets older, however, I’ve noticed that during her time with Funny Girl, especially during the understudy auditions and her fight with Santana, both her straight lace posture and body language, “bird” mannerism, odd speech pattern, and other traits comes up again, but for the negative. It was like Rachel was hurt and regressed.

Anxiety & Depression

As I mentioned, Rachel regresses into a negative version of her traits in S5. This isn’t to excuse her, I hate Rachel’s actions during this plot-line as much as the next guy, but this could explain it. I’ve theorized that Finn’s death, the pressure of being on Broadway and the excitement yet anxiety of reaching her dreams so quickly to the point where she felt stuck in monotony might have made her somewhat regress back to how she was in early high school after having grown past it. Like she wanted things to be the way they had been before and lashed out against her own success, almost subconsciously/unknowingly sabotaging herself due to this regression. And then after losing her TV show she’s at her lowest in terms of people seeing her talent as something worth putting value into and she does have her come-to-Jesus moment when she goes back home, her actions finally weighting on her and her having to rebuild herself. Somewhat alternately, you could say that Rachel started masking in New York; maybe she knew that not masking in high school made her a target for bullying, so in NYADA she attempted to mask her neurodivergent traits so she could fit in better. This could explain her change in clothes, makeup, mannerisms, speak-pattern, et cetera. Of course, you can’t truly hide you neurodivergent traits, so Rachel is still quite othered in NYADA. Neurotypicals often can tell when someone’s neurodivergent though subjective social data and other them, whether they know they’re doing that or not. So her masking leads to a breakdown because masking is exhausting and painful for a lot of neurodivergents. She breaks. A covert mental breakdown is honestly the only way I can rationalize her leaving Broadway for TV; logically it doesn’t make much sense for her to have done that in my opinion. That’s why I think returning to Lima was good for her to start fresh and grow again in S6. A part of me almost wants to call it a neurodivergent burn-out or masking that led to a shutdown/meltdown. Rachel definitely fits the quota for “gifted kid syndrome”, being surrounded by yes-men all her childhood, and that could led to burn-out when you’re no longer around that. I think Rachel had been struggling for a while but hadn’t expressed it in a healthy way that was true to herself and so she didn’t really process her feelings or shit actions till her “meltdown/shutdown”, if you will, till S6. But that’s just a theory on what happened to her character. It’s hard to assess this part of Rachel’s arc because even though I think it could’ve made sense and it could’ve been interesting, it ended up being one of the worse written plot points of the show, and that is saying something because Glee fans are well aware this show’s not a perfect masterpiece.

Gifted Kid Syndrome

Many autistic people are seen as gifted or special in youth, and sometimes that expands into adulthood. Rachel definitely was seen this way by others and saw herself that way too. There are countless examples of character going on about how talented Rachel is at singing, whether they’re praising her or insulting her. And we know from the first episode of the series that she’s been seen that way for a while.

Rituals, Sensory Processing, and Perfectionism

Rachel has a strict morning schedule and moisturizing ritual. She also flosses between classes, which could be a ritual thing and/or a sensory thing. I feel like her very preppy clothing style in the early season could’ve also been a ritual thing and/or a sensory thing. It’s like she had to dress this way either because it’s a routinely thing or because she felt uncomfortably in other clothes (probably routine, because she does stop dressing like that in the later season, unfortunately—that style was so cute. But hey, putting yourself through clothing sensory hell for the sake of masking, due to the fact people made fun of your preferred clothes in the past, could add to that meltdown/shutdown theory I have). She also has moments where, while stressed, she rest the top of her head on the wall. Also likely a sensory thing to me. She seems very strict on these being done perfectly. She can’t do imperfection and things not being done her way. (Also, I don’t know how true it is, but I swear I remember hearing a trait of autism could be having perfect pitch. Of course Rachel seems to, but I’m not a super smart music person so I don’t know how to tell myself).

Deep intreats in animal

Rachel often wears animal themed clothing in the early seasons and she’s vegan. She also berated that woman for caring her service dog in her purse in S5 E19, assuming she knew more about the woman’s service dog needs than the woman herself. She cares about animals a lot.

A strong sense of justice

This part of Rachel gets forgotten or undermined I think and I wanted to acknowledge it. Especially by S3, Rachel really fights for her friends and against whatever she believes is an injustice. This isn’t to say she’s always in the right with these behaviors or that she’s the best ally to everyone, just that these traits are here. Before Glee club she joined in a lot of advocacy clubs (some she really shouldn’t have been in, but it’s framed that way), she wanted to start a “Gay-Les-All” (The Gay-Lesbian-Alliance), and she regularly protests Mr. 👞, whether it’s by storming out of class or putting tape over her mouth in silent protest when she thinks he’s undermining her talent. In S1-2 it feels entitled most of the time, but I think it becomes a bit more selfless in S3, at least for a while, with her being very for Kurt during the student election, to the point where she stuffs the ballot box and gets suspended for it. Still not a good action, but with good, selfless intentions. She berates that one woman in S5 E19, which is still bad and misinformed of her, but it’s an example. She also stands up to her teacher when she didn’t like her “Oops I Did It Again” performance. And I think, while in the wrong, Rachel was just trying to stand up for herself against a teacher who bullied her a lot.

Difficulty “Fitting in”

This is Rachel’s entire story. Trying to find somewhere she felt she belonged. She wanted to be a part of something special to make her special. I believe this is a part of why she is obsessed with feeling like the best in the room. She was bullied and different from others so she felt very othered; maybe she tried to interpret this othered feeling as “I’m better, they just don’t realize” as a coping mechanism, but I think deep down she knew that wasn’t the case and everyone hated her for other reasons (some justifiable, some ableist if you say she’s neurodivergent) and she had to learn she could share the spotlight and shine along with people at her level. A very “Oh No!” By Marina (and the Diamonds)—“I feel like I’m the worse, so I always act like I’m the best” type deal. In S2 she begins to take down the pedestal she (and others) put herself on as a defense and become self aware and this continues into S3, then the cycle happens again in S4-5 where she starts putting herself up on that defense pedestal again, then takes herself down once more in S6 to her own rock bottom so she can be on healthy ground again by the flash forward and the end of the series. This isn’t perfectly done, but it’s done well enough where I can see that was the goal they might’ve been going for with her, and I appreciate that type of nonlinear character arc, it just wasn’t done well here. Like, not only was it nonlinear in story but also in writing quality and that’s where it’s faulty. Even when you take away all the neurodivergent framework—all the stuff about rituals, shutdown, et centra—this reading could still make sense for Rachel. She’s queen of the outcast who has to humble herself in order to thrive.

Thank you reading! I hope I was clear and coherent enough in this. If you have anymore points to make about this reading of Rachel let me know—I’d love to see!

Ranking Santana’s solos based on importance to her character, part II

Part one with the bottom seven and the introduction to this whole ranking can be found here, go give that a read before continuing with this one. Done? Okay, so this part two of this different type of ranking and we’ve reached the top 7 Santana solos in terms of how important they are to her character.

7. Cold Hearted

We’re continuing almost right where we left off, since the last song on part one’s list also had to do with Santana’s New York storyline and her complicated relationship with her roommates, particularly Rachel. Enter Cold Hearted, a Santana solo that serves many a purpose, among them showing off and intimidating a guy she doesn’t trust in the slightest. But if we dig a little deeper than her elaborate use of what I can only describe as scaffolding, and even a little deeper than being dramatic for drama’s sake, Cold Hearted is about how Santana is as a friend.

I’ve long argued that Santana’s New York storyline rests entirely on two pillars: her career and questioning of, which is in part represented by her version of DROMP, as discussed previously. And the other one, her friendships and her journey of expanding this inner circle that previously only included Brittany and maaaybe Quinn. The unlikely Kurtcheltana trio is very new when Santana performs this song in 4x16 Feud but that makes Cold Hearted all the more important. You see, despite Santana singing this to Brody in a literal sense, symbolically it’s only about him and addressed to Rachel instead. The lyrics are meant for Rachel even if she only finds out retroactively that Santana even sang this song and doesn’t exactly appreciate it. And I think that’s crucial to Cold Hearted making it to the top 7 because it becomes a representation of who Santana is as a friend at this point in season 4 and how she’ll approach her relationship with Hummelberry.

Even the fact that Santana goes behind her roommates’ back here to confront Brody at their school is on brand for her and further establishes the whole Cold Hearted performance as a quintessentially Santana thing to do. She’s a little misguided in her attempt to intimidate Brody into leaving, yes. She’s misguided in a lot of her early attempts at proving herself to her roommates. And yes, she didn’t need to be this extra, but that’s who Santana is and that’s another aspect which elevates Cold Hearted to this spot. The most crucial point? That it represents how Santana, at the end of the day, is a hardcore friend with questionable methods but wholehearted belief in protecting her friends and confronting sus people like Brody. It’s extra, it conveys her distaste for Brody, it betrays how she thinks Rachel deserves better, it’s a very Santana-esque move. What else can we wish for.

6. If I Die Young

The difficult one, isn’t it? A song that has been impossible to view in a vacuum separate from irl stuff from the moment it was performed on the show and has only become even more tragic since. If I Die Young is a favourite of mine, both the song itself and this cover, so I admittedly have bias going into this and not to mention the baggage it has due to incredibly real-life events. But if we at least attempt to put all that aside for a moment, I’ll argue that If I Die Young represents a similar aspect of Santana’s character as Cold Hearted does, only in a much more sincere and heartbreaking way.

If I Die Young is Santana’s tribute to Finn. As tumultuous as their relationship was and as much as Santana puts up her bitchy front up to this moment in the episode, it’s a touching tribute to a life cut short. But more than that, I’m choosing to place If I Die Young here because, by starting out with Santana weirdly offensive speech and ending in an emotional breakdown, it showcases who she is. Leave it to Santana to introduce her tribute with insults that baffle the audience but show her true colours in song. It’s not just the song choice, in itself touching and, in retrospect, haunting, but the way she sings it with so much heart and the way we see her mental journey take place throughout, it’s so telling. Santana has a strange relationship with the difference of words vs. actions and this time it’s no different, though very much in the tragic category.

And I do have to acknowledge once again that If I Die Young and in fact The Quarterback as a whole carry a lot of real-life baggage and it feels strange to judge this performance’s emotion as that of Santana’s when there was a very real pain there for Naya and others. But, despite what some annoying pieces of misinformation would have you believe, Naya was acting and at the end of the day we have Santana the character. And Santana the character had a very, very complicated relationship with Finn full of hurt, but that doesn’t mean her love can’t shine through in song. Especially in song, since we see time and again and particularly with later episodes how much easier it is further to be sincere in music than in plain words. So If I Die Young is as sincere as we get, and as raw by the end of it.

If Cold Hearted showcases Santana’s misguided but well-intentioned attempts at looking out for her friends, If I Die Young is proof of her heart even when she herself would rather not acknowledge it. What elevates it above the season 4 solo is this deeper sense of vulnerability, even before the breakdown. That it’s Santana baring her heart and she herself being taken aback by it. It’s fundamentally an expression of love, through song choice, context, emotion through vocals. And maybe the placement is mostly due to bias, sure, and maybe everything to do with The Quarterback is impossible the rank within the same framework as the rest of the show. Despite all that this feels right and so I rest my case.

5. If I Can’t Have You

Moving on to lighter subjects, we’re going from bluegrass to disco and talking about the solo that I’ve seen so many misinterpretations of. If I Can’t Have You doubles as both the kickstart to Santana’s career struggle storyline and as a serenade to Brittany, a public one this time around, and that combo gets it to the top 5.

First, let’s start with the career aspect and how Santana herself claims this is a song about her love for fame. Though I do think a lot of her post-performance speech is due to Will so incredibly weird and presumptuous about her song and Santana not vibing with that at all, as she shouldn’t, I also think it holds some truth. Truth in that If I Can’t Have You is about Santana hyperfocusing on the one thing she for sure knows she wants post-high school: fame. Her plans are so vague because she doesn’t quite have the introspection to examine what it is that appeals to her about fame and yeah, some of it is being defensive when Will goes ahead and takes a huuuge leap in logic. I don’t blame her for being weirded out by that and I don’t blame her for being an 18 year-old wanting fame but not having a clue as to what that means. So I do consider this to be the truth, her truth when it comes to this song.

But, and this is where the misinterpretations come in, I also think it was a love song directed towards Brittany. Only, Santana doesn’t do so well with an audience when it comes to how incredibly vulnerable her love for Brittany makes her and she doesn’t do well with people assigning her labels and paths and things she doesn’t want. So she refutes If I Can’t Have You being about her love for Brittany- no, actually. Crucially, she refutes all the bullshit Will starts talking about and doubles down on the fame aspect. But that can’t take away from the fact that it is a song, a love song she sings to Brittany and does so with the whole club there. Similarly to Love You Like a Love Song’s significance, this aspect of IICHY is about Santana having grown so much and being able to sing a song like this. Which is why it’s even more infuriating that Will had to go and ruin it and Santana got defensive, but it shows that Santana’s come a long way but she’s not there yet. She’ll sing to Brittany with the whole club being there but when she’s called out on it and when people try to put her into boxes, she doubles down. Good on her for that last part, Will can get fucked, but Santana could also have just admitted that it was a love song to Brittany instead of insisting it was all about fame.

All in all, an interesting example and the last solo on our list not to be what I consider an actual big character moment but a good case study of where Santana was at, mentally and emotionally, nonetheless. What’s the point in all this analysis if she’s not a layered and flawed character, after all.

4. Mine

If anything should tell you that this isn’t a personal preference ranking it’s that Mine is here and not on top, where it famously belongs according to my GCV tastes. And while Mine continues to be that bitch as far as I’m concerned, it’s doesn’t quite make it to the top 3. Still, fourth place is an achievement and it’s deserved for how serves not just the Brittana relationship but Santana’s character. If this was a Brittana songs and their significance ranking, Mine would go straight into the top 3 and possibly battle it out with Landslide but it still holds meaning for Santana as an individual.

The breakup is one of Santana’s most mature decisions in the whole series and I’m honestly struggling to think of anything else that could snatch first place from it. It’s not just that it marks a milestone in the Brittana relationship, it’s that, fresh off from graduation and her first few weeks in college, Santana already has enough distance from Lima to be able to make a more mature decision she ever could have in high school. People sometimes ask me why, as a Brittana fan, do I love their breakup so much but it’s simple. Because it is about love. About not wanting to lose each other but also not wanting to hurt one another. About Santana taking a step back and making a decision she knows will break both their hearts but deciding it’s better than the alternative. The potential of losing each other much more permanently.

That in itself is a breathtaking view into Santana’s character. And it’s so beautiful because we know her journey doesn’t end here, we know she’ll later use Nutbush as an opportunity to make Britt jealous even though she initiated the breakup and told Brittany to go out there and date. It’s not that Mine is the be all end all of mature decisions it’s that it shows a journey, a progress that isn’t linear and shows just how much Santana will be able to grow now that she’s out of Lima. And yes, it also shows how their relationship with Brittany has evolved.

I also love the words Santana says before the music starts. Where I could say things with music when words just weren’t enough. It shows further self-awareness and proof of introspection. And is it any wonder? She fell in love with Brittany in that back row. She counted smiles, she was her angsty teenage lesbian self. But not that the choir room isn’t the place she goes to for comfort, she realizes and, I think, appreciates just how much music means to her. Santana, who’s always been big on words and insults and threats but rarely was as intimidating when it came to actions. Who talked a big game but couldn’t articulate when it came to feelings. Music gave her an outlet and so she utilized its power excellently here.

I mean, do I even need to say it? Vocally, emotionally, Mine is the perfect solo. Compared to the original’s upbeat vibe it’s almost haunting and, in Britt’s word, sad. And yet there’s that spark of hope because Santana Lopez might have turned Mine into a breakup song but she did so with so much heart and love and even maturity. For all these reasons and more, I wholeheartedly believe it’s as much a milestone for her own character development as it is for the Brittana relationship.

3. Songbird

And just when you thought we were done getting emotional over choir room serenades, here comes the biggie. Similar to Mine in many ways but also the inverse and representing an entirely different moment in time for Santana. If Mine was introspective and a confidently vulnerable moment then Songbird is the baby step that lead to it. And though you could argue, and you’d be right, that Mine!Santana is much more self-assured and an overall better rounded version of herself than Songbird!Santana, I still place this higher than Mine.

The reason is simple. What we’re looking for here is not “when was Santana the best version of herself,” it’s more about how well a given solo represented that moment in time for her and what it tells us about her character. And sure, it’s also about when she was the most at her “character development fulfilled”-ness. But in the case of Songbird getting into the top 3, it’s not about the objective importance of a given moment but rather, how big a deal that step was for Santana relative to where she was in her story. And in that sense, there’s no beating Songbird as far as Brittana-related songs go. And McKinley songs, too, since this is the last solo on the list that Santana performs while still a high schooler.

Think about what this step meant for Santana. She might only be singing in private (Brad doesn’t count), she might be oh so fragile and she might even change her mind about coming out right after telling Brittany ‘yes’ re::Fondue for Two. But for these few minutes in the choir room she poured her heart out. She went through the Rumours album, listened to Songbird and went, ah yes. That is the song that best expresses what Brittany means to her. Even a step beyond Landslide! And it’s so raw and so personal and something she couldn’t possibly bear to be open about in public. But when it’s just Brittany sitting in that back row, Santana allows herself to fully feel her own feelings through Christine McVie’s song. In the grand scheme of things and how much she grows later on, it might not seem like much. But in that moment? Man, it means everything.

Landslide or not, Hurt Locker or not, I believe this is a major milestone in Santana’s journey and one of the first moments during her coming out storyline where she really allows her feelings to sink in. She allows vulnerability, if only for those few minutes, only in the choir room, only with Brittany. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this, of what it meant for Santana to take this step forward even if it was then two steps back. Heck, maybe especially because it was then two steps back. Progress isn’t linear, Santana’s certainly isn’t, but these moments are no less magical and in fact all the more integral to who she is as a person.

2. Girl On Fire

God, I’ve waited so long to go on and on about Girl On Fire’s significance and now.... I have way too little to truly get into it  And to be honest Girl On Fire, as well as the one last remaining song deserve their own posts so who knows, maybe parts three and four. But I won’t leave you with nothing, I will justify these choices.

When I first heard Santana performed Girl On Fire in the show, I immediately thought it was the perfect choice. Granted, that assessment was mostly vibes-based  Santana is fire and if nothing else, the fact that this is the only time in the series this symbolism is implied would already put Girl On Fire on the top of my list. So much so that this was originally the number one solo I chose, until some aficionados of what was originally second place convinced me. Beyond the fire symbolism, it’s also just everything else not only about the fact that Santana got to cover this song but when she had the chance to.

I ranked Nutbush, her other Diva solo low and I stand by that but there would have been no better placement for GOF then just as Santana finally makes her way to New York. We’ve seen her struggle and hesitate about the future since I Can’t Have You and we’ll see her stumble some more, as DROMP shows, but this moment is truly hers. She makes one last attempt to make Lima home and Brittany stops her from making that mistake, instead encouraging her to do what she’s been wanting to for a while now. The word that circles my mind whenever I rewatch this whole scene with the Lima to NYC transition is triumphant, because it truly is such a milestone for Santana and such a leap of faith. A life-changing decision, really, and it ends up being a net positive even with struggles and roommate problems.

And for Santana to sing this song, of all things, it feels apt beyond comprehension. I’ve been saying for a long while that Girl On Fire is Santana’s character defining solo and, despite it only coming in second today I stand by that. The lyrics feel so appropriate, a somewhat rare occurrence on Glee and the whole sequence is worthy of the character. And trust me, the standard is very high for anything to be worthy of Santana in my eyes. Some highlights that a separate post would need to get into deeper include “You can try, but you'll never forget her name” and the entire bridge:

Everybody stares as she goes by 'Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes Watch her when she's lighting up the night Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl and it's a lonely world But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby

That’s so quintessentially Santana and it feels so satisfying to be able to say that, and that Glee chose an appropriate moment to let her sing this solo. When else if not when she truly leaves Lima behind, when she takes a leap of faith, when, after having regressed, she faces adult life for real. All of it is so good that I can barely believe it exists on a show like Glee.

1. Alfie

Between the Alfie love of some fellow Santana fans @randomcanbian​, @amazonworrier​ and @danisdreaming​​, and posts they’ve made such as here and here, I felt like I had no choice. That last one especially tipped the scales but make no mistake, it wasn’t peer pressure that led me to making this final decision and putting Alfie on top. As with Girl On Fire, it’s hard to articulate everything that Alfie means in the context of Santana’s character within the constraints of a post like this. I could keep it brief by asking, what’s it all about? And just saying ‘love’, but it does warrant a little more exploration than that.

So... Alfie is Santana’s last solo. We started with Science Fiction Double Feature and now we’re here, both in terms of the show and this ranking. Season 6 scaled back on the number of solos, with even Rachel not having as many and characters like Kurt and Blaine having none. When I had my first full watch of the series, I was secretly, or, well, not so secretly hoping Santana would have one more hurray. And what a solo it is, one with a context unrivaled in its significance and a song that embodies Santana in a very different way than Girl On Fire did but is arguably even more poignant.

I don’t need to explain to anyone already reading this the role Alma plays in Santana’s life and what this performance dedicated to her means. What it means that Santana’s already been rejected before and she is once again when Alfie finishes. But also, what it means that Santana stands her ground anyway and stands by her own identity, by her growth that happened in spite of Alma’s rejection and cruelty. If only fools are kind, Alfie, then I guess it is wise to be cruel. That was Santana for so long and so much of it was because of Alma’s upbringing of tough love. But Santana isn’t a little girl anymore and she’s certainly not Alma’s little girl.

Santana’s also not the terrified girl who walked the halls of McKinley, so cruel and so afraid to show genuine emotion. She carries that person with her, sure, but she’s also singing about love in an auditorium full of friend and miscellaneous new kids now.The Santana who rejected vulnerability and never thought she could embrace love to the fullest is now singing an ode to the very thing. She has people literally backing her because she opened her heart up. She has the strength to basically reject Alma’s rejection because she’s come too far to believe that kindness is foolish and love isn’t something she could have. Instead, she is love and, though she still has a long way to go, she gives love and accepts it freely.

All of that is embodied in her performance of Alfie where she puts herself, her heart in the limelight and is brave enough to face Alma and a possible rejection. And when the rejection comes, she can cope much better thanks to the support she has because she opened herself up to kindness. This is Santana at her most vulnerable, arguably at her bravest, and since those are things she struggles with throughout the series, I’d even dare to say her best. And Alfie becomes the best solo in terms of importance because she pours all that into every syllable and every note. Don’t you see? She believes in love. The girl who sued to tear everyone down and would only dare whisper her true feelings, who would rather live up to worst expectations then open herself up to the potential of hurt now believes in love, above all.

does anyone remember when an anon accused me and ferver of being friends for clout

Glee- S2 E8- Furt Analysis

This episode of Glee mainly focuses on the popular vs. nerd dynamic and the social constraints that popularity impacts the students. Producer, Ryan Murphy, shows the various ways that social standard norms influence the way people are treated in society, often being shown by presenting stereotypes. Simple comments that occur throughout the show Glee, often have inappropriate emphasis on sexuality and issues regarding that. Comments include ones Sue’s mother spoke regarding her assistant Sasha, exclaiming she looks mannish but it is okay. The vast amount of problems that the characters face in this show always revolve around gender norms and sexuality. The sole fact that they get bullied because they are in the glee club is a substandard issue to the fact that perceptions from the outside can entirely impact someone's life. In this episode, we see Kurt getting bullied by the jocks. He gets threatened by one of the jocks, Dave Karofsky, which involves him threatening to kill Kurt. There is a major issue with the scenario since he recently found out he is also gay. Kurt keeps his secret, but the bullying remains. This issue with having to feel like protecting him even though he treats Kurt terribly, truly shows the heart that Kurt has.

       Along with that, the characters Rachel and Finn struggle to entirely be open about their virginity status. Rachel opens up honestly about her genuinely being a virgin, and there is a lot of stigma against women and their purity. However, Finn continues to lie that he is also saving himself for her even though he had already had sex with Santana, Rachel’s rival, prior to their relationship. Even though this theme isn’t extremely significant, it shows the ways relationships have an extreme sense of walking on eggshells, especially from the feminine side. If Rachel had not saved herself for Finn, there would likely have been more animosity between the two. As well it heightens the codependency the two have with each other. This juxtaposes the ‘self’ love journey that Sue has, for she marries herself in the episode, to show her mother and the ones around them that she doesn’t need anyone. She doesn’t need to please anyone other than herself.

     However, going back to the issue in this episode regarding gender norms, there is an issue with Finn, Kurt's future brother-in-law, standing up for Kurt when he is getting bullied. Since he was once a jock, he still wants to seem cool. He has a mindset of being too worried about what other people think than to be there for his friend. That being said, this episode featured a lot of character development from Finn, for the wedding scene featured him dedicating a speech and song to Kurt, of Bruno Mars’s ‘Just The Way You Are.’ The LGBTQ+ community and the pride that the club shows is a recurring theme in Glee. Karofsky, who was momentarily expelled, is going to be allowed back to school because there wasn’t proof of him being violent with Kurt. Therefore, he doesn’t feel safe at school, the club tries to protect and console Kurt, but he decides to leave to go to Dalton Academy, a private boys’ academy with a no-bullying tolerance policy. This is a prime example of the school system and their flaws when it comes to protecting queer students. Glee is a very controversial show, but it does a good job of exploring different social topics and issues that are prevalent in the 21st century. 

Why I think the beginning of this scene is extremely important to Sebastian’s redemption arc.

• scene from ‘Glee, Season 3, Episode 14, ‘On My Way’, timestamp: 17:44’.

Tell me, when you look the above images, what is it that you see?

Most people will recognise the photo for what it is when presented to us amongst the cluster of the rest of the episode, the opening cut to Sebastian’s very ‘rushed’ character development segment, which starts out with him writing school notes/doing homework, drinking a coffee, and waiting for Brittany, Santana, Kurt and Blaine to show up for their scheduled chat. On a surface level, that’s exactly what this scene is, nothing less, but maybe something more.

I’m going to elaborate on why I think this section sets the correct tone for the upcoming scene, and how I feel it makes Sebastian seem a lot more genuine than he is shown to be in prior episodes.

1) Teenager or Adult:

One thing I think Glee truly struggled with, even throughout its earlier seasons, was the mismatched attempts at making the age of their characters believable. Between seasons 1-3, their youngest teenaged individuals were 14/15 (Artie and Tina in S1), and their eldest were 18 (the graduates of S3), your typical high schooler age range. However, throughout the filming of S1, many of the actors portraying our favourite glee kids were actually in their late 20s (for example Cory Monteith was 27 as he played 16 year old Finn Hudson). This concept wasn’t new to TV at the time, many shows even to this day use young adults to play their spritely teenagers, and while it may fix a lot of issues behind the camera (legal working hours, maturity levels, contract signings and professionalism), this can cause a few show-based misdemeanours for the audience.

While watching from afar as fans discuss characters wrongdoings, I’ve come to notice that a lot of people overestimate the actions of each character based upon their ‘ages’. It’s easy to forget that Quinn and Puck were only sixteen years old in season one, when they’re portrayed by 23 year old Dianna, and 26 year old Mark. Psychologically, it is much easier to be angrier at somebody you perceive to be in their twenties as the age is often used as a scapegoat (“they’re 21 years old, they should know better), especially in comparison to that of a sophomore. I mostly see this sort of misinterpretation in characters with more faults than strengths, so for example Santana, Puck, Rachel, and yes, Sebastian. If we take into consideration that throughout season three Sebastian would’ve been 16, if only just 17 at the latest, this should add a layer of understanding to his maturity levels, especially when considering his upbringing? But again, as a flawed character being played by the 21/22 year old Grant Gustin, I think that subconsciously this gives people a reason, or even an excuse, to discard this segment of his redemption, as I often see it does with other characters.

“He’s sneaky, he’s manipulating them, he’s irredeemable”, what he is, is a spoiled teenager with a brain that literally isn’t, and won’t be for years to come, fully developed. Whenever I flip this argument on somebody and say “are you irredeemable for the stupid decisions you made as an emotionally confused sixteen year old?” And to that, it’s always: “it’s different for Sebastian, he’s evil and should know better.”

No it’s not different. Sebastian should be held accountable for his behaviour, I’d never dispute that, but do that, and only that. Don’t force a false vindictive narrative onto a character because you dislike them, and especially don’t set up a double standard when it comes to actual facts. He’s a teenager, a minor, a spoiled little brat who did need his ass handed to him for lack of a better phrase, but a child no less. Treat his wrongdoings as such, hold the accountability, but don’t force evil intentions when they aren’t there because you think it’ll be held, allow him room and a chance to grow up. Everyone, especially teenagers, is entitled to that.

- Redditor comment from the glee subreddit.

- a more in depth version of my teenaged vs adult argument, written by myself on a Reddit comment.

2) How this timestamp rectifies this:

I find that this timestamp helps put into perspective Sebastian’s age, and as a result, his maturity levels and mentality (or lack there of…). I know that in the US uniforms aren’t a common practice unless it’s for a prep or private school, but I genuinely think the use of the Dalton blazer adds to the legitimacy of the canon ages of the character. I tend to associate a uniform with a high school, especially the stereotypical blazer, tie, shirt and nice shoes, this works for the unholy trinity and the footballers in their letterman jackets and cheerleading outfits too. It really sets the tone that these are high schoolers, aged 14-18 year old kids who are going to make really stupid decisions sometimes, keeping in mind the emotional turmoil that comes from puberty and hormonal changes around these ages too.

Now this next point is the one that scratches my brain itch. Sebastian 👏 is 👏 doing 👏 homework 👏. We hardly ever see any of the kids in glee doing homework, or anything school related unless it sets up for a song (in a classroom). I know people don’t tend to look at it this way but even just the principle of Sebastian doing his school work sets such a realistic tone for who actually is. A teenager. He’ll sign his name at the top of that piece of work like any other student, he’ll hand it in to get feedback like the rest of his class, he’ll anxiously await to receive his weekly grade, much like any other teenager would, when it arrives he’ll either be pleased or disheartened, and he’ll discuss it with his friends. The simple idea of him doing something completely unrelated to sabotaging the NDs, even if it’s just as simple as a bit of homework or finishing up a phone call, really sets apart that this is a person, not a monster. He has a life outside of hurting your favourites. I adore how much this puts into perspective that underneath the layers people associate with him, rightly or wrongly, he’s still a 16/17 year old boy, both recognising his age and his maturity level along with it.

3) Video essay:

Audio clip: https://youtu.be/hhYQBudh0vc : timestamp: 8:41.

That’s all I really had to say, definitely not as in depth as my very first analysis post, but this is one of my favourite details about our lovely meerkat no less. This can really be applied to a lot of your high school faves from glee, mainly Quinn, Puck, even Artie to an extent off of the top of my head. It gets a little trickier to defended when the behaviour continues as they grow up and still act this way in a professional work place and/or college (not naming any names, but I’m thinking them-), but beforehand, I’m not going to have anybody try and wipe away Sebastian’s redemption for the price of nothing, and these are just the aspects I think help set the tone for who he truly is, not who he’s painted himself to be in the eyes of an audience.

Here we go, Glee Rewatch! 1x01 time, baby

Hii, welcome to the 2022-2023-2024-maybe-2025-dear-Lord weekly Glee rewatch! Whether you've been waiting for weeks for this, or whether you just saw this post randomly, feel free to participate! Are you a newbie, or have you seen the show dozens of times? You're welcome too! Do you want to skip an episode (or entire seasons!), do you want to write 10 words summarizing your thoughts or do you want to write intricate meta? Feel free to do whatever you want! Just don't harass anyone. You can complain about stuff or criticize it, but let's try to stay respectful towards each other, alright?

I'm writing this post on September 7, in 2022. I don't know when I'll set it for, but I'd like to have maybe a whole season (or more!) done before starting uploading those posts. My posts will be linked in the masterpost pinned on my tumblr.

Note: The first episode has two versions, the normal one and the Director's Cut. I watch the show on Disney+ and it appears that it's a mix between both versions, given that I don't recognize some of the scenes but do recognize some of the others mentioned here.

Second note: Today is October 1st, 2022. I finished the first season yesterday, and will schedule this post for tomorrow. Let's do one episode a week at first, alright? That way I'm not too stressed about it. We'll see if the schedule changes once Jenna and Kevin's new podcast comes around. Here's the Glee Rewatch Masterpost, by the way.

Glee's Pilot episode is incredibly effective, introducing many characters and plotlines very efficiently. Right at the start, I noticed something about the clothes the characters wear when the football team puts Kurt in the trash bin. Obviously Kurt has his expensive outfit, and obviously most (let's ignore the second guy to the right) players have the red jacket of their team. But Finn, whose role is key in the show, wears a grey sweatshirt (that looks very comfy!) and a white shirt underneath. It already sets him apart from the rest of the team (especially coupled with his semi-intervention). You could even argue the grey is there to show Finn's conflicted feelings on his team's harassment. Why is there "55" marked on his sweat? Well, we see later that Finn's number is 5, but is it also there to convey the 50/50ness of his mindset? Not only that, but Finn is supposed to be average. Well the show paints him as more clueless than most other characters, but I was pretty clueless at his age too (...I still am). But he's not supposed to be this hot bombshell of a stud (even though Cory Monteith was absolutely this).

Damn that sweat looks comfy. And later on in the locker room, Finn is still in grey (and red). He's not the only one, but still. I know that his color is blue but grey... it's quite close, isn't it?

And after Finn meets Rachel, who's infatuated with him, Finn wears blue! Is she giving him life? Blue is a color of melancholy, of sadness. Does Finn unconsciously realize that his relationship with Quinn doesn't bring him happiness? Or is it that it can't make him happy ever since Rachel entered his life?

The red shirts symbolize the football team while his jean jacket symbolizes the Glee Club, his relationship with Rachel and his true self. He's still thinking about the club he'll pick if he has to choose, but subconsciously he's already decided.

However, later, after being slushied by his teammates, when Finn says to Rachel that he's leaving the Glee Club because of his reputation, he wears red again. And at the end, when he's back with the Glee Club, every member wears red. They reappropriated the color. Red is the color of passion, so it fits, right?

The score sung a capella is absolutely wonderful and I'm sad that it disappears after a few seasons. It's very charming and perfect for the show.

Emma is... oddly upfront with her contempt for Sue. She seems much more confrontation-averse in later episodes. I do appreciate, however, how her actress's doing her absolute best to seem unnerving but in a funny way.

Also wow this episode is grainy. Was it filmed on film and later episodes on digital?

I really love the auditions, very effective at introducing characters and giving them some credibility. I'm very fond of Kurt in this scene, where he knows how good he is at singing and flicks his hair (which is something Cory touchingly imitated when the cast rewatched the episode). This is hilarious! This is wonderfully acted! And I wish Kurt had stayed that way. At one point in S5, Kurt had an episode where he had a few outraged facial reactions and it reminded me of early Kurt. I feel like he became boring after a few seasons, but the base material was incredible.

Tina's gothic style is great. Obviously, her pendant symbolizes her secret (she fakes her stutter). I've seen a few people suggest that Tina was intended to love girls at first and the song choice ("I Kissed a Girl") certainly... could imply that.

Rachel's introduction is perfect. The comedic timing of the gold star and sudden slushie is incredible. I love Rachel, honestly. Also love her two dads who mysteriously transformed without Rachel acknowledging it even once.

I think people should have stopped complaining about Glee lacking realism in later seasons when the first episode had Figgins say that the Anonymous Alcoholics use McKinley High's gymnasium. The show was bonkers from the start.

Stephen Tobolowsky is too good at playing Sandy. He's too good! I didn't like him very much in One Day At A Time and I'm not sure I like him in Glee either. Maybe I have something against him. I'm sorry, Stephen!

This, right here? It's genius! I feel like those kinds of things never really happened after the pilot, but Will blackmailing Finn in front of this pamphlet is comedy gold. It's incredible!

Finn's voice is interesting, I don't think I often hear that kind of voice. It's sort of... raw, unmastered, isn't it? His performance later in Don't Stop Believin' is quite more standard than his other numbers in the episode.

I love how Rachel immediately knows when she hears him. She knows they're destiny. She's knows he's the one, the one for the Glee Club and the one for her. And I love how mythical their romance seems at times (notably in this episode). It's beautiful. I'm into it! And the whole You're The One That I Want number is great, from Rachel's instant interest, to her dramatically putting her hands on Kurt's face and Tina's boobs, to her pushing poor Artie and Will catching him, to Mercedes having enough of them, it's just a wonderful scene.

The puzzle is of American Gothic, painted by Grant Wood. I was vaguely familiar with this painting before. So Will's on the right, and there's a hole on the man's throat/chest. You know, some stuff you use to sing. And Terri's on the left, and there's a hole in the woman's right eye. The woman is watching her father (though they could be mistaken as a couple), just as Terri will watch Will to try and make sure that he doesn't make too many bad choices like, let's say, leaving her. They both seem austere (they're most probably religious), and Terri's trying to get them to have a more orderly life; she wants a baby (traditional) and sees Will taking over the Glee Club as frivolous (untraditional) and pretty much as a danger for their relationship. It is a bit ironic that this painting was chosen, considering that Terri acts more like a mother than a daughter to Will's nostalgic self. Notably, Terri puts a puzzle piece in a hole in the man, showing she wants to stay in control of the situation. Also, the most important bit to analyze is the fork having three spikes (or whatever you call them in English), it's a metaphor for the fact that three seasons later the infamous newbies arrive and the show loses its luster (OR DOES IT???? see you in a bit more than a year!).

Also, we have to mention the obvious parallel that runs throughout the season (and show). Terri says she was a cheerleader. And Will's a teacher. Do you know who else becomes a teacher in S4? Finn. Do you know who's in a relationship with Finn and is a cheerleader? Quinn!!! DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN QUINN AND FINN? THEY BREAK UP. And Rachel comes in-between them because she's into Finn before he considers her a romantic prospect. Exactly like Emma and Will! And Ken is infatuated with Emma just as, like, various guys (most prominently Puck in early seasons) with Rachel.

Quinn's first scene with Finn is legendary. I don't know what the crew's intention was, and Dianna's facial expression is so ambiguous that it's hard to say with certitude what's going through her mind. You could see her as a temptress just as you could see her as genuinely uncomfortable.

Saying they should pray as soon as Finn gets into snogging her, right under a portrait of Jesus, it's quite funny. Quinn's writing is... incoherent at best so I bet there's a million way you can interpret this scene (maybe she wants to tease Finn for the hell of it, or maybe she really wants things to calm down).

I bet someone could write something about Emma's outfits throughout the episode. Purple tartan? Intriguing. Does it show her (semi-conscious) intent to be a homewrecker? (Note from just before scheduling this post: I don't know what's the logical link there, is it about how purple's a mix of blue (realistic goal) and red (passion)?)

The Vocal Adrenaline performance is good obviously, and I love the outfits.

Terri: announces she's pregnant while holding champaigne glasses. Classic Terri!

I love Rachel's wardrobe.

How can you not be into Finchel after watching this episode? They're stars shining brightly in the sky.

Anyway, see you next week! For now, let's stay on a weekly schedule. I'll also check out the concert movie between seasons 2 & 3. But we're not there yet!

sharing a three and a half page essay, comparing and contrasting blaine and rachel, that i wrote for my english class because i *could*

i wrote it in about three hours and idk how confident i am in it, but whatever

cw: rachel hate

Blaine Anderson and Rachel Berry from the Fox Network Television show Glee are very similar characters, but my thoughts and opinions on them are very different. Their character’s relationships follow similar arcs and the two of them have similar roles within their glee clubs, and even dress similarly. However, as similar as they may seem, they have some key differences and are far from the same character.

Rachel is introduced in the first episode of the first season, Pilot, and right away, the type of character she will be is obvious. She will be the confident, gold star of the Glee club, the person who gets the solos and takes the lead when it is needed. Blaine is introduced very differently. First of all, he is not  introduced until the sixth episode of the second season, Never Been Kissed, and at first, he is just a much needed shoulder for Kurt to cry on. 

Although they are both the leads for their respective glee clubs, Rachel for the New Directions and Blaine for the Warblers, right off the bat, Blaine is written to be more likable than Rachel. Rachel is written as a talented, yet self centered character who is liked by the glee club director, Mr. Schuester, more than her peers because of her talent, while Blaine is written as the charismatic and kind character who is very talented, but manages to not be self centered. 

  The thing that keeps stories moving is a character’s goals and how they go about achieving them. In Glee, it is clear that Blaine and Rachel have two different goals, Rachel's being being in the biggest spotlight she can at any given moment, and Blaine’s being having a stable relationship with Kurt and getting to perform, no matter the context or size of the spotlight. Because of this, their reactions to similar situations are very different. For example, when, in the twenty-first episode of the third season, “Nationals,” somebody asks Rachel for an autograph, she gets very excited and loves the taste of fame, it is very clear that she is happy that her talent is being appreciated, especially because she is being recognized as more talented than her fellow glee club members, as they are not asked for autographs. When Blaine is in a similar situation, having it be pointed out to him that his talent is more appreciated than his fellow glee club members, he reacts negatively. While both Kurt and Blaine are in the Dalton Warblers, Kurt says that it seems like the Warblers are “Blaine and the pips” and Blaine doesn’t like the idea that he is considered more deserving of the spotlight than other people in the Warblers.    

Rachel and Blaine have many differences, but they are also very similar, right down to their outfits. Rachel, and Blaine when he starts going to McKinley, both dress very preppy, with Blaine wearing button downs and sweater vests and boat shoes and Rachel wearing pleated skirts and her sweaters and flats or small heels.  

Along with the similarities in their outfits, their relationship arcs in Season four are similar. In “The Breakup,” an episode where all four of the main couples in the show at the time–Kurt and Blaine, Will and Emma, Santana and Brittany, and Finn and Rachel–either break up or have a big fight. Although all four couples have big, emotional scenes, Finn and Rachel and Kurt and Blaine’s scenes are intercut, with all four of them being visible in the background or foreground of some parts of the scene. 

Even the storyline and scenes leading up to their breakups are parallels. In the scenes right before both couples break up, Rachel sings a duet version of Give Your Heart a Break with Brody and Blaine sings an acoustic version of Teenage Dream, each performance cuing their respective boyfriends into the fact that something is very, very wrong. 

Even earlier, we see that both couples are trying to maintain long distance relationships with inadequate communication. For Kurt and Blaine, Kurt’s job at Vogue.com, school, Kurt’s attempt at his band: Pamela Lansbury, and the general hustle of living in New York are keeping Kurt from prioritizing Blaine in his life. For Rachel and Finn, Finn’s sixteen days in the army and his shame in his semi-honorable discharge so early in his failed army career, keep Finn from even contacting Rachel. The reason that both couples break up is also the same; somebody cheated. Blaine was with Eli C. and Rachel kissed Brody. It’s almost as if the two storylines are just copied and pasted.

It seems as though the writers of Glee love making Blaine and Rachel similar. They make them so similar, in fact, that in the first episode of the fourth season, “The New Rachel,” Blaine competes to be and is eventually voted as, the “new Rachel.” I find it very interesting that it is around this time that many fans of Glee start to dislike Blaine, because it seems to me that they just don’t like the Rachel-like qualities that Blaine starts to take on. 

Even when Baine is acting very similarly to Rachel, there seems to be more reasoning. Blaine is looking for control over something in his life to try to stop feeling like he was floating in the abyss after losing his tether that is Kurt. This is made clear by how he looks for control. In the seventh episode of the fifth season, “Puppet Master,” Blaine acts in a very Rachel-like way and comes into the choir room, announces that Mr. Sheuster is busy, and then tries to act as the teacher for the day and convince the rest of the glee club to do what he wants to do for their next competition. When he’s unable to convince the rest of the glee club, he makes puppets of Kurt and some of the members of the glee club so that he can control them. This is one of the things that hints to his depression and anxiety throughout the show, something that I won’t be getting into. 

 Maybe my love of Blaine and dislike of Rachel comes down to how much each of them are developed throughout the show. After all, although women make up more of the population than men, according to a study conducted by Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, a character is four times more likely to be a man than a woman in literature ((USC) Study finds that males are represented four times more than females in literature), this statistic also bleeds into other forms of storytelling, such as movies and television. This makes women a minority in media. Because of that, writers and directors tend to put less work into developing characters who are women than they put into developing characters who are men, because their philosophy is that at least they put this minority into their piece of media. 

Although Blaine and Rachel have many parallels and similarities, a key difference between them is their goals in life. This makes the way that their similarities presented themselves throughout the show very different, which leads to me, somebody who is a lot more similar to Blaine than I am to Rachel, to like Blaine a lot more. 

sorry for gleeposting but i think its extremely funny that the glee dynamic that got compared to cory and topanga was artina when the one dynamic on the show that near identically mirrored the original corpanga dynamic was kurt and finn in season 1. like, both finn and cory are extreme conformists who are deathly afraid of doing anything to be othered or seen as out of the norm. they then start to become close to a classmate (topanga/kurt) of theirs who is unapologetically themselves and doesnt try to fit in even though it makes them unpopular with their peers. they then form an unlikely friendship where cory/finn realizes its ok to be different and to accept their eccentricities (cory embracing his curly hair/finn embracing being in glee club) .