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backslashdelta · 2 years

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Hi again! So I found what you mentioned about Kurt's defense mechanism and this need to feel superior really interesting. I think it's an interesting flaw of his - for sure a flaw imo, but an understandable one given the circumstances. I also think it feeds into Glee's general underdog obsession and simultaneous martyr and superiority complexes but to stay with Kurt, I just wish I saw more discussion around it.

How do you think this aspect of his character evolves over the years? Would he ever grow out of it when he doesn't depend so much on it for survival? How does it affect some of his relationships with the high school top dogs, like Finn, Puck, Quinn or Santana? I think there's a lot to unpack with that last bit lol so no worries if you don't feel like getting into it and just focus on Kurt.

Ah okay so this is such a wonderful question thank you!! It has taken me... a while to answer, so thank you for your patience <3

Very good point about the general underdog/martyr/superiority complex themes, because those are definitely all things that I think are applied to Kurt throughout the show and definitely tie in a lot with this specific aspect of his character.

I'm going to put this under a cut, because I did get a bit long and rambly. I hope this answers the questions you were asking and is an interesting read for anybody else who may want to take the time to have a look!

I agree it definitely is a flaw. Like I love Kurt with my whole entire heart, but the boy has flaws, and this is a big one if not the biggest. Because I think it comes out in different ways too: you have the "one day you will all work for me" moments, of course, but then you also have things like snapping at waitstaff (my beloathed) which I think is interesting because it's that superior attitude even though he really doesn't have a need to be defensive in moments like that and yet he is. I feel like it's still a defense mechanism in those case, but it's more out of habit; it's less actually thinking he's better than them, and more that he needs to feel like he is? Again, not a good trait, but it is what it is. For better or for worse my boy just has a way of thinking he's the best thing since sliced bread, and while I of course agree to an extent (lol), he shouldn't be acting on it as much as he does some of the time.

I do think it evolves over the years. Honestly I don't think he'd ever completely grow out of it, but he definitely would get better about it, and I think we do see that in canon. Season 4 and season 6 in particular I think were big times for him in terms of growth in that respect.

In S4 we see him dealing with the aftermath of his rejection from NYADA, he's stuck in Lima working at the coffee shop while everybody else in his life seems to be moving on and succeeding. He moves to NY and thinks things might be getting back on track but then his relationship with Blaine falls apart and things are kind of a mess all over again. He spent so much of his teen years telling himself one he got out of Lima things would be great and he could have everything he wanted, but it's not going that way at all. It's a lot, and I think that even though he gets the Vogue internship and eventually gets into NYADA and eventually gets back together with Blaine, it's still gotta knock him down a peg and make him realize that maybe he isn't god's gift to the world. And it doesn't completely rid him of the habit either, of course; later this season we see the beloved Hummelberry Truth Time scene and Kurt feeling the need to kind of put Rachel in her place (although in fairness, I don't think in that moment he was trying to say he's better than Rachel, but that she's not better than him - so it's not quite the same, but I think it still comes from the same place of needing to assert himself and his worth).

Then S6 starts off with breakup #2; he's at a breaking point, he doesn't know what to do but whatever he's doing now isn't working. Everybody else is finding success and leaving and Kurt just still feels like he's stuck and things are falling apart. I don't think he really meant to break up with Blaine when he did it, I think it just sort of happened, and it happened because he was feeling so lost and he really hadn't expected that in NYC. He goes to therapy and he works on himself and I think that admitting that he needed help was probably a huge step for him, because when you are proud and stubborn and have spent your whole life thinking that you can take on the whole world on your own, it's hard to admit that maybe you need someone to help you out sometimes, but he does that. He does that and it's what lets him come back to Lima to find Blaine and tell him that he wants him, to be vulnerable, and when Blaine turns out to have (seemingly) moved on Kurt is obviously a wreck about it but he accepts it and he tries to deal with it. He doesn't act like it's just a matter of time before Blaine wants him back, or like he's better than Dave and that Blaine should want him instead, or anything like that, and I think looking at how he handles Blaine and Dave's relationship actually says a lot about how much Kurt has grown over the seasons - both because of the Blaine aspect and because of the Dave aspect. There are so many reasons for this in particular to trigger a defensive response from him; his feelings for Blaine not being reciprocated, his history with Dave, the fact that Blaine knows about that history and still chose and continues to choose Dave, any blame Kurt puts on himself for the whole situation. There is so much there, and Kurt is a better person than I because honestly I don't think I would have handled things quite as well as him if I were in that situation.

As far as how it affects his friendships with some of the other members of the New Directions, it definitely does in the earlier seasons, though I'll admit it's not something I'd given too much thought to before you asked. It's got to be quite complicated for him, because yeah he thinks he's better than everyone, but he also doesn't and that's why he thinks he is. Which sounds contradictory, but it's not; because like I said in the original post, this is a defense mechanism, he's acting like he's better than everyone else because he needs to believe that, since everyone treats him like he's worthless. It's like he needs to overcompensate for how the world sees him, and of course it's hard to not internalize that too even if he is trying hard to not believe it.

I think that becoming friends with them would come with a lot of conflicting feelings. On one hand it feels like a betrayal to himself to admit that the people who treated him like shit are maybe decent people worth befriending (and by extension, if they're good people, did they have a point when they made him feel worthless?), and on the other hand all he's ever wanted is to be accepted and feel validated, and having the most popular people in school accept him is something that he never in a million years could have imagined happening (especially someone like Puck, who literally used to throw him in dumpsters - I don't think we ever really see any of the girls directly bullying him beyond maybe a comment from Santana, but she directs those at everyone so I don't think it's really notable here). So it's just this constant fighting with himself between trying to fit in and belong with them, and then pulling back and putting up walls and acting like he's above them all the moment he senses something not going in his favour. He's always kind of fit in more with the girls in general anyway, but I think this is probably another reason that he usually tries to go with the girls' group when they team up, because he's better at fitting in with them and feels more comfortable there, and they haven't been as mean to him as the guys have been so it's less work for him to get past those feelings to be able to meet them on a similar level I feel like there are probably specific examples I could use to make a better point, but I can't think of any off the top of my head, and I know myself well enough that if I wait to answer this until I have some good examples then I'll just never answer it, and I've already taken too long to answer this, so we're gonna have to deal with no examples unfortunately. Like I said, it's not something I've put a lot of thought into before, but I do think it's a really interesting point and on my next rewatch I might make more of a point to try to pay attention to that.

I think that's all I have to say for the time being, or at least, all that I'm able to say in a somewhat coherent way. Sorry for taking so long on this, I've sat down to answer it several times and have never felt like I've been able to get it quite right, and I'm still not totally convinced I've expressed everything exactly how I would have wanted to, but I think I'm happy enough with it to post at least haha and I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you have any you'd like to share (though no pressure of course)!

#glee #kurt hummel #meta #kurt hummel meta #ask #tuiyla #mine #my meta #writing meta is not my forte lmao so I hope this is coherent and maybe has some good and solid thoughts in it hahaha

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thnxforknowingme · 1 year

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okay but like the PARALLELS between Kurt and Jane joining the Warblers!

Kurt transferring to Dalton because he was being ostracized for being too "different" at McKinley, and while Dalton offered safety and protection against bullying, the prep school ethos demanded that he stay in line, wear the uniform, and not "stand out" too much - exactly the antithesis of Kurt's unapologetic uniqueness. When he returns to McKinley, it's to perform Born This Way, to be bold and outstanding in a diverse group of misfits.

Meanwhile Jane wants to follow in her family members' footsteps, wants to perform, and wants to be given an opportunity to share her voice. But because she is too "different" as a girl, because her participation would be breaking Dalton's traditions, she's turned away. She too seeks out McKinley, to be part of a group of outsiders who are welcomed for their differences (in theory, at least - Glee is generally better at saying "inclusion" than performing it).

And Blaine as the mentor or gatekeeper in both cases! In Kurt's experience, Blaine tells him to try blending in, to conform to the ethos of the uniforms - because at this point Blaine has found comfort and fulfillment within Dalton's ivy-covered walls, and he wants Kurt to do the same. Whereas a few years later, a Blaine who has been radically transformed through joining the New Directions and growing into his weird, messy, unique self ultimately decides to side with Jane, to try to break tradition in the name of progress and inclusion. His efforts end up being futile, but he still made the opposite choice.

#these are half-formed thoughts but I wanted to write down the idea before I forgot about it #meta #kurt hummel #jane hayward #blaine anderson #dalton

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framboises-supremacy · 7 months

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unpopular opinion perhaps but Blaine in glee annoys me sooo much

#like idk stop being so ugh #Kurt deserves better #i don't like blaine #blaine anderson #kurt hummel #glee #gleek #glee meta #glee club #new directions #glee show

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simplysummers · 2 years

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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.

#this post is a lot shorter than my first analysis post. mainly because I didn’t have as much to say and I wanted to reel myself in a little #did the writers intend for this? no absolutely not #do I care? no #i feel as though every time I introduce myself to people I should start off by saying ‘hi I’m bea! I overanalyse everything!’#thinking about that one person on Reddit who told me I think too deeply and Sebastian just sucks #and to that I say lmao look more analytics ✨🥰🧚🏼‍♀️💫😙#glee #sebastian smythe #the warblers #glee season 3 #meta #character analysis #episode analysis #video essay #Santana lopez #Rachel berry #Kurt Hummel #for those who are wondering why they’re tagged. they’re used in my video essay #Glee’s Gossip: By Summer

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katyobsesses · 2 years

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Sam Evans and "Fearless" (2008)

Sam Evans is obviously the biggest Swiftie in the New Directions (and I will forever be salty that he never sung one of her songs) so I've tasked myself to go through her discography and relate her songs to Sam in someway (an AU idea, when he could sing it in Canon, or when someone else could sing it to or about him)

Feel free to use any of these as prompts for fanart/fanfic and let me know if you do!

Here's Fearless (2008) to continue our journey (lyrics linked)

"Fearless" (2008)

Jump Then Fall

Samcedes feels 😍

Like just after Prom Queen as they're just getting together. I can imagine Sam singing it as a way to tell her that it's okay to fall for him. I have a huge headcanon that he and Mercedes spent a lot of That Summer on the bank of the Lake in a little hidden place. Mercedes reading, Sam drawing, both jamming out and singing together to Sam's guitar - this is one of his go to songs.

'Cause every time you smile, I smile // And every time you shine, I'll shine for you

(so many of these are going to be Samcedes based I just know it)

Untouchable

Samcedes again

basically I can see this in S3 when they're kind of skirting around each other and not together but not not together, you know? and especially this line

Like a million little stars // Spelling out your name

makes me think of them, because of Human Nature and Mercedes' names up in lights.

Here is a gif set I made to the song 🥰

Sam just wants to get back together with Mercedes, but she feels untouchable in that moment and being around her so close after missing her so much is just so hard when she won't let him in again

Also Hevans would be perfect for this song too.

Come on, come on // Little taste of Heaven Hevans

Come In With The Rain

and once again, Samcedes.

This time from Mercedes' POV though, after Sam leaves for Kentucky, just wishing he'll be back.

Just know I'm right here hopin' // That you'll come in with the rain

Superstar

Samcedes AU where Mercedes was a youtube singer in High School and Sam was a huge fan of her from the start, one of the first commenters. She gets a record contract after highschool and starts touring and finally Sam is able to see one of her live shows and go to a meet and greet. She smiles at him and talks to him and he's totally freaking out and trying not to show it because he's kind of watched her grow into this Superstar of a singer for years now and he's finally meeting her and he blurts out that he's been subscribed to her from the very start and she remembers his goofy screen name (SamIAm) and the comment he left on her first video and he's totally freaking out now but in a good way because she's everything he though she would be. obviously they get together somehow but idk how

Give me a photograph to hang on my wall, superstar

The Other Side Of The Door

I can kind of only think of an angsty little hevans fic from Kurt's POV after an argument for this one

Me and my stupid pride are sitting here alone // Going through the photographs, staring at the phone

Fearless

Samcedes First Kiss after getting caught in the rain

Well, you stood there with me in the doorway // My hands shake // I'm not usually this way // But you pull me in and I'm a little more brave // It's the first kiss // It's flawless // Really something // It's fearless

Fifteen

I'm just going to base this on these lyrics

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you // You're gonna believe them

This just feels so much like Sam and how quickly he fell for Quinn it's ridiculous, especially since he's 15 in S2 (turns 16 in Rumours/before Prom Queen)

Love Story

There's something very Sam about this one, but I'm not sure what ship i would go with.

I think it's the whole—

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring

—thing that reminds me of Sam the most, like the scene with Quinn and the promise ring, and him "marrying" Brittany. Sam is definitely not scared of commitment. He also wouldn't be scared of having a star-crossed lovers sort of relationship, he'd stand up for his relationship no matter who was in opposition.

I'm thinking a M/M ship simply for the more taboo nature of it, maybe a Blam AU?

Hey Stephen

Samcedes Mercedes POV

Of all the girls tossing rocks at your window // I'll be the one waiting there even when it's cold // Hey, Stephen // Boy, you might have me believing // I don't always have to be alone

White Horse

Sam POV after Quinn cheats on him with Finn. He totally had this song on repeat for like a week after that.

This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town // I was a dreamer before you went and let me down

You Belong With Me

Hevans

this song is such a hevans song for me, Kurt pining over Sam while he's with Quinn. The writers were cowards for not having Kurt sing this song while looking longingly at Sam, It's too perfect.

Breathe

She's cheer captain // And I'm on the bleachers // Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find // That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

It has come to my attention that this also works really well for s4 Blam. Like so perfectly well it's insane. Even better than Hevans.

Here's a video by @daltonblaine

Sam leaving Mercedes when he goes to Kentucky

Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt // Every little bump in the road, I tried to swerve // But people are people and sometimes it doesn't work out // Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out

Tell Me Why

Fabrevans breakup again. Another song Sam totally had on repeat

You tell me that you love me, then cut me down // And I need you like a heartbeat // But you know you got a mean streak // That makes me run for cover when you're around

You're Not Sorry

This is yet another song Sam had on repeat after the fabrevans break up

This is the last straw // Don't wanna hurt anymore // And you can tell me that you're sorry // But I don't believe you baby

The Way I Loved You

Samcedes Mercedes POV about Sam when she's with Shane

It's a roller coaster kind of rush // And I never knew I could feel that much // And that's the way I loved you

Forever & Always

Samcedes from Mercedes POV after Sam moves to Kentucky and just stops communicating with anyone from McKinley

It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone // 'Cause I was there when you said forever and always

The Best Day

This is a hard one because it has such a story to it. But I'm thinking maybe from Stevie or Stacey's POV and how good of a brother Sam is? That would be cute I think. Just ignore the last couple of verses that make it obvious that this song is about a mom and a child and it would make a really cute little song fic 🥰

There is a video I found from back when I was three // You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me

Change

Sam sings this in Comeback as an 'Anthem' instead of Baby and then the whole episode is just Taylor themed instead of Bieber.

and obviously the episode ends with Mean.

Here is a link to a post where I outline this very idea for the gleeful-painbox-project prompt 5: previously unaired

So we've been outnumbered // Raided and now cornered // It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair // We're getting stronger now // Find things they never found // They might be bigger // But we're faster and never scared

#seatss #sam evans and taylor swift songs #sam evans #glee #samcedes #fabrevans #hevans #kurt hummel #mercedes jones #quinn fabray #katy headcanons #katy writes meta #glee headcanons #sam evans headcanons #glee meta #taylor swift #blam

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theghostofashton · 2 years

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i really, really love what kurt says about trust in this ep. that it’s a choice, and he chooses to trust and love blaine through everything, but even before that, i love the little look into his head about relationships and safety and his fears about everything going wrong. this trust conversation has been coming since 4x06, and while i don’t quite think kurt didn’t trust blaine until now, i do think he’s been scared for a long time, and this is him finally letting that go fully.

also, looking back to the previous ep, which kinda brought kurt’s feelings about not feeling like he’s had his big break and his friends not being as supportive of him as he is of them front and center, i think what blaine does at the showcase is significant. trust looks like a lot of different things, varying greatly based on the person. the decision blaine makes, after being repeatedly told how much june does not want to entertain kurt getting to perform, how much is on the line for him, the potential for him to screw things up for himself.....all of that is superseded by his belief in kurt. that last part, in particular - this performance could go well and things could work out for both of them, or it could go very badly and the risk could have devastating consequences for blaine. what he’s doing, by bringing kurt on stage with him, is demonstrating how much he trusts kurt’s talent, kurt’s ability, kurt’s potential to prove june wrong.

kurt chooses to trust blaine even when he’s scared, and blaine responds by affirming that decision, by proving that he is always in kurt’s corner, that they are a team, but also that kurt is worth taking a chance and risking everything for.

#i can't believe how much i love them help #writing this just has me so...... :')#their love is just everything to me that's all #and w that s5 is over i am both excited/scared for s6 lmfao #klaine #kurt hummel #blaine anderson #glee #gr1 #glee meta #klaine thoughts

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ramblingaboutglee · 2 years

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Season 6 - What Glee Should Be

Okay hear me out, I have a point I swear

Glee was cancelled going into S6. A half-length season, everyone knew it was over. There was no need to hold back, no need to compromise - and what we got was a highly divisive season that nevertheless feels like it was what the writers wanted to be doing for the last five years.

Note the focus on teacher-roles, Rachel instructing the New New New Directions, and Will and Sue’s rivalry taking the fore in later episodes. Note how none of the students get any more than one episode arcs, where even romantic subplots are constrained to single episodes unless it’s drama surrounding the teachers. It’s reminiscent of Season 1 of Glee, before the show was re-geared to be about the kids rather than Will and Emma.

But now the original kids are the teachers having the romantic subplot, creating an interesting middle-ground. But all in all, this feels so much more like the show that Glee was intended to be, now that there were no consequences for unpopularity or low ratings. It’s easy to imagine that, had the fandom not focused so much on the students, this might have been what Glee would have always looked like.

Does this mean it was good? That’s always going to be down to personal taste. But certainly, it is interesting to see the thought process shift.

Let’s look at them side by side

But seriously. There’s no escaping the fact that a lot of the heyday of Glee, and a lot of the things the fandom loves, weren’t part of the show’s original conception. There were always character arcs with the kids, a dash of acknowledging some real-world topics, but it was through the lens of, well, Will Schuester as the main character. Which is a sentence that feels so weird to type, but watching the pilot, watching the first season (especially 1A), it’s undeniable.

The show is about a teacher who learns from his kids, and through doing so has their life improved and helps figure out what they want in life and in their relationships. It’s about the idea of wasting your youth, and trying to recapture that and live your dreams even after feeling like you let them pass you by. That’s Glee season 1, before they had any idea of the huge fanbase they had, and what that fanbase wanted.

And Glee season 6? Rachel returns to McKinley, unsure of her place in life, and as she figures it out she chooses to become a teacher. She goes from hitting a low point, at the start of the season, to sorting out her priorities, finding romance again, and finding joy in helping others get the spotlight rather than being in it herself. And in much the same way, Blaine gets a comparable journey, going from a relationship that gets an alarming amount of vitriol, to finding himself with the Warblers, the school he went to originally, and having that help spark his development. Both of them have left behind successful performances to, well, teach Glee after something in their life crashed.

Rachel, Blaine and Will all get the same story.

Plus, of course, the throwback to building the Glee club one member at the time.

Parallel lines, who meet

You could complain about repetition. I’d argue that’s the point. Going to S1 again, it’s all about the parallels - right from the Pilot, Will and Terri and Emma are paralleled with Rachel and Quinn and Finn. There are a dozen tiny examples threaded throughout, like Quinn and Puck naming Beth and the immediate next scene being Shelby asking Rachel why her dads named her that - Glee likes to lay adult and teenage life side by side, and look at similarities and differences.

We’d be here a while if we listed everything. In S1, 3 and 4 especially, the show loves to compare and contrast - so having the original teens live the same arc as the teacher, well, it’s not unexpected. (shout out to Final Countdown having Kurt and Rachel watch Will and Sue have their sing-off and “...We cannot end up like them.”)

The echoes are the point. And when Glee goes out, it goes for parallels between Will and the kids, just like it did when it began.

Ain’t we got fun?

I feel like humour is going to be one of the most divisive things about S6. For me, it was a breath of fresh air - S5 had definitely gotten a little stale with some of the jokes. It referenced for the sake of referencing sometimes, and had grand set pieces that were played up like they were funny, and... weren’t, so it just ended up feeling a little weird.

S6, at least, is different. Love or hate Sue’s terrifying shipper-robot, it’s certainly not just a rehash of an old joke. Sue as an adversary is nothing new, but the dynamic she has in S6 as the over-the-top principal is different. There is imagination to a lot of the new quips, whether or not they work for you.

Then we have The Final Countdown, which harkens back to Run Joey Run and Baby Got Back as an unabashedly comedic musical number. The season gets a couple of those, and while the genre seems despised by the fandom, the writers seem to enjoy them, so given the chance, they added more.

It’s interesting. I’d probably say that one of the biggest issues Glee ran into was how it started to feel samey, and I wonder if that was a result of the same thought process that governed the show after S1 - trying to just do the things that the fandom reacted to. And when it’s too late to get the fandom back, they have the freedom to go for different things. There is genuine effort to do different rather than just do more - which inevitably runs the risk of alienating fans, but they were cancelled anyway so...

Lending a shoulder

So let’s talk about the social awareness side. How does S6 fare?

Honestly, surprisingly well. It’s still Glee, so not perfect, but there were beats that I noticed while watching that genuinely felt like an apology.

So let’s talk about Beiste. There is nuance here. Coach Beiste comes out as a trans man this season - I’ve seen this criticised, and I understand the criticism, that it undercuts Beiste’s arc in previous seasons. Originally, the depiction of a cis woman who was not conventionally attractive nor conventionally feminine still wanting acknowledgement and respect was, in its way, radical - then again, Beiste has had very little to do for a while. If the alternative was nothing, then I’m content with mere continuity wonkiness.

So let’s talk about the quality of this depiction. Glee’s previous foray into trans issues is Unique, and right from her name you get that uncomfortable vibe that they were just writing a drag queen, and there is that distinct undercurrent to some of her appearances. There was some good, but there was also a lot of... well, just imagine a ‘you tried’ star here.

Then comes Sheldon Beiste. I think this was the first time the word ‘transgender’ was actually said on the show. He’s explicit, upfront, takes a name that isn’t just ‘Badass’ or some such, and is otherwise presented and treated as just a guy, with other characters treating him without the transphobia Unique faced. Plus there is the off-handed scene where he mentions that he’s always been attracted to guys, and that’s probably not going to change - a mainstream show acknowledging that not all trans people are straight in 2015 feels bizarrely radical, especially after Unique.

Then there was Becky getting an episode that pretty much just existed to call out how she’d been consistently infantilised in previous seasons. Honestly that was one I had to google after the episode was done because there are a lot of things I don’t know about Down’s - the fact Glee of all shows got that reaction is kinda impressive.

Certainly, there are bits that are handled with the usual lack of tact, but there is a surprising amount to admire here. Which then, again, makes for a season one comparison and makes me wonder - in S1, the major dynamics that went for commentary were Kurt’s relationship with his dad, and Quinn’s arc dealing with conservative-family expectation and pressures, and a lot of that is well-handled compared to what a lot of people might expect from Glee going forwards.

There’s a lot of potential speculation there, but if nothing else, it indicates the season wasn’t low-effort.

Being the kids, as well as the sitter

Glee is about growing up, and it’s about what that means. We have a season where the teacher takes centre stage, like was originally planned, only it’s teachers that more people care about - Rachel, Kurt and Blaine probably have more fans than Will.

But what of the kids?

Given that they only have half a season, they’re impressive. It helps that they’re well cast - most only really get one or two big songs, but they’re able to nail them (if you haven’t, go listen to Roderick’s Take Me To Church, thank you), and all of them feel distinct from previous archetypes. There are also fresh dynamics here - Roderick and Spencer’s neat friendship, Jane fitting in with Dalton is brand new, Mason and Madison offer a sibling dynamic we surprisingly haven’t seen before given how rarely Glee has siblings (Kurt and Finn didn’t really act it, and Puck and Jake had few interactions).

Again, there’s genuine effort and freshness put into them, but it’s effort with the understanding that they aren’t leads. They don’t get multi-episode focuses on any love triangles or romance plots, they’re unmistakable secondary characters but it’s in that role that they thrive.

Is season 6 the best season of the show? No. And it’s one it’s easy to imagine being hated, because it is a departure from previous seasons. I could list flaws - there’s a lack of focus, a desire to bring back characters that can give a very scattershot approach, and some dynamics do feel definitely underexplored. There’s no arc to compare to, say, Quinn’s development in S1.

But for a half-length season that’s also wrapping up past characters, it does about as well as it reasonably could.

It really feels like this was the show that they meant to make, though. You can feel the extra effort that goes into it - plus the music that was selected sticks out. A Burt Bacharach episode, a Carole King/Alanis Morisette episode, these are definitely from the era and genres that the writers showed a preference for earlier on. We get another Queen song, we get Styx as the finale - bands that have both appeared before. This is a victory lap. There are certainly more modern songs included, but it’s reminiscent of, again, Season 1 thriving on the back of Journey and showtunes and Queen, before a younger audience made them insert more contemporary music. It feels as though the songs they’re including are the songs that the writers like, rather than leaning on chart-toppers - the Bacharach theme episode is one of the lowest watched episodes in the show’s run, which is kind of shocking given how easily artist-focus episodes could get a bump in viewership. For some reason though, fans of a songwriter whose heyday was in the 1950s/60s don’t cross over massively with Glee.

And yet they went for it. Why? Because they wanted to, they liked the songs (Bacharach tends to be basically showtune-adjacent, you’ll find a wealth of musical singers who’ll do his songs for albums and concerts), as we can tell by S1 using his ‘I Say A Little Prayer.’ This is what the show would have been if there was no care about what the audience wanted.

For me, the biggest flaw with Glee was the fact that they had no bloody idea what they wanted the show to be, or who the target audience even was. It goes from edgy teenage comedy, to teachable-moment kids’ show, to shockingly nuanced adult drama.

Hence the title of this ramble - this is what Glee feels like it was meant to be, regardless of personal taste. How much a show should listen to its audience is a heck of a complex question, way too much to go into this far into an already too-long ramble, but it’s still interesting to see. When they aren’t trying to balance intent and audience, you get a fascinating lens through which to look at the show.

There is effort here, which raises the question - if this is the show that they wanted to make, as it seems to be with how effective it is as a redo of the original season and original intent of the show and thereby the interests of the writers, what does that say of past seasons? Where are the compromises, where are the decisions made to feed into what the fandom wanted? And are the departures from this vision strengths or weaknesses?

I feel like everyone’s going to have a different answer to that question, and I do wonder if that’s why Glee fandom often seems so divided. Functionally, there are two shows going on here - it just depends which you were tuning in to see.

#Glee #Glee Meta #Glee Season 6 #Rachel Berry #Roderick Meeks #Spencer Porter #Jane Hayward #Madison McCarthy #Mason McCarthy #Kurt Hummel #Will Schuester

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1908jmd · 2 years

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#kurt Hummel #some of his best knitwear #i can make a second set of these #clothing meta #seasons 1 to 6

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unholybinchicken · 2 months

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assigning records from my collection to glee characters because why tf not

frank sinatra - in the wee small hours | kurt hummel

stevie wonder - talking book | santana lopez

bruce springsteen - born in the usa | finn hudson

suzi - i hope you can hear me now | brittany s pierce

miley cyrus - plastic hearts | quinn fabray

bradley cooper & lady gaga - a star is born (soundtrack) | rachel berry

pearl jam - vs | noah puckerman

beyoncé - homecoming (the live album) | mercedes jones

taylor swift - 1989 (taylor's version) | sam evans

troye sivan - blue neighbourhood | blaine anderson

gal pals - velvet rut | tina cohen-chang

red hot chilli peppers - blood sugar sex magik | mike chang

simon & garfunkel - the graduate (sountrack) | artie abrams

#glee #glee characters #glee music #vibes #kurt hummel #santana lopez #brittany pierce #finn hudson #rachel berry #quinn fabray #sam evans #mercedes jones #blaine anderson #the other characters cbf typing everyone's names you know who they are lol #glee meta #sort of

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spaceorphan18 · 7 months

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Glee Musical Retrospective: 4 Minutes (The Power of Madonna)

youtube

Sung by: Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones Original Artist(s): Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland

Baby penguin my ass.

I sometimes go back and read 'of the day' reviews, and one of them stated that this episode featured too much music. And I got to thinking, while I clearly don't agree, this is the one that would probably end up on the chopping block. I'm very glad it didn't though, because I think it has more to say than you may think.

And it's only one of two duets we get between Kurt and Mercedes.

Story Anaylsis

It's really nice to be talking about Kurt again... when is the last time???

So, here's the fascinating thing about this one. Kurt and Mercedes both often feel like they're playing second fiddle - especially to Rachel Berry. And here they get to showcase their amazing talents together. But the thing is - they got this huge performance as a thank you from Sue for making her over in Vogue. (Also - Sue is doing this as an FU to Will, but Sue is savvy enough to know talent when she sees it - and Kurt will remain one of her favorites for the rest of the series.)

The song itself is a little random story wise -- and most likely chosen because it was a highly energetic, more modern hit. It's a song about going out and saving the world in 4 minutes? Honestly - the lyrics are supposed to be about saving the planet, and having the urgency to do so. But I can finagle a few things...

I think one of the things both Kurt and Mercedes are doing here are latching onto the urgency in their own lives. Sue's giving them a chance to shine and they're both going to take it. Neither of them is willing to wait around for Will to give them a chance. So, they'll make their own chances. Which speaks to both their characters, really.

But if I die tonight At least I can say I did what I wanted to do Tell me, how bout you?

I think the lyrics are mostly not the point in this one. But I like this little stanza. It speaks to the two of them briming with their own confidence and jumping at the chance to show, at least the school, what they can do.

I'm going to quote myself from my Kurt meta:

One of the things I really love is how confident both Kurt and Mercedes are in this dance number–with the whole school watching. Before, both of them were looked down upon, and thrown in dumpsters, and slushied, but now that they’re with the Cheerios and singing Madonna, they really latch on to a growing self-confidence. Sure, they aren’t there yet, and they have many more obstacles to go over, but just the fact that they’re up there performing, uncaring really what anyone else thinks, is a step in the right direction.

I will say - one of the things that I've often had a hard time buying on this show is that people continually think that these kids are losers. I'd have been so amazed if I saw a performance like this in high school. There's no reason any of these kids get the hate they get except for the fact that the plot needs them to be.

Technical Thoughts

First of all - I love that they arranged this as a marching band song. Not only is it a great interpretation to the heavy sound of the original song, but it's nice to see a marching band used well on screen.

Secondly, they sound pretty good! I love Kurt in his lower register. And Mercedes just owns this song. It's not surprising that they had them switch parts because Amber is much more comfortable with kind of song than Chris and it does show a little bit in the vocal track.

The on screen charisma, though, they both have it. The fact that both Mercedes and Kurt feel so comfortable in their bodies is fantastic. Neither of them are what mainstream society would label as sexy or hot but I love, love, love that this speaks to that -- that these two are both sexy and hot in this number as they play off each other. The choreography on this is the best, and I love that they allow these characters to be in control and confident in their bodies.

Also - sometimes I don't think Chris gets enough credit. Yes, he can be clumsy and fall of a piano (oh we will get there) but sometimes he just owns his physicality in a way that is never commented on is just remarkable.

This performance also has some great reaction shots. I love that Will looks annoyed and almost disappointed. Rachel's 'no comment' was perfect. And I love that Quinn genuinely seems to be enjoying herself. (I love when Quinn gets to be a human.)

Also - super technical thing - but notice all the quick cuts and camera whips? I'm sure that was done purposely to enhance the urgency the song is trying to create.

Fun fact: Apparently, this is the last time Kurt does a duet with anyone else besides Blaine and Rachel until Adam Lambert shows up. Crazy right? Shame that the show doesn't try out varying combinations more often.

vs. The Studio Version: It's the full song! Or more so it feels like they just repeat the chorus a few more times. I do like the second half, though, because they both get into the song just a bit more and it feels even more powerful than the show version.

vs. The Original Song: I love that this song is actually 4 minutes long. It is slightly slower than Glee's version - which makes sense, because that's Glee's trend - to make everything just a little bit faster (I assume to fit into time limit of being on a tv show). As I said earlier, I think Glee's marching band interpretation is really cool - because it's a great in world adaptation of the instrumentation the original song uses. That all said, what is going on in this video? I don't get how this reflects saving the world. *shrugs*

#the great glee rewatch #so's musical retrospective #glee #glee music #kurt hummel #Youtube

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backslashdelta · 6 months

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Kurt why don't you want to send Sebastian to juvie for the rock salt slushie? Is it because you'd miss him too much?

#your honour they are in love #''we're going to teach them a lesson'' oh yeah I bet you'll teach him a lesson bestie #glee #kurtbastian #kurt hummel #sebastian smythe #mine #meta #my meta

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you-moveme-kurt · 3 months

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Glee

«The metaphoric couch» Part II

Julio de 2042

-¿Acaso me estás diciendo cómo comportarme?… porque dejame decirte que en ninguna parte de nuestro contrato matrimonial decía que yo debo obedecerte como si fueras mi Papá o algo… —dijo Kurt bien molesto.

-Lizzie Anderson Hummel… —dijo Noah sin que sus padres lo advirtieran

-No estoy hablando como si fuera tu Papá, si no como alguien que quiere la paz familiar y que por ningún motivo le gustaría que nuestra hija se alejara de nosotros… —añadió Blaine bajando un poco el tono de voz cuando mencionaba lo del alejamiento. Kurt abrió sus ojos al máximo y Noah le hizo un par de señas a su hermano que se acercaba en silencio y como puntillas para sorprender a sus padres.

-Primero, no creo que eso suceda, Lizzie jamás se alejaría de nosotros, y segundo… a lo único que apunto aquí, es que ese tal James estoy seguro y esconde algo, o a alguien…

-Kurt… —interrumpió Blaine dándose cuenta que su hija venía a su encuentro y no seria muy conveniente que escuchara a su Papá hablar mal de su novio..

-¿Qué?, es verdad, se que esconde algo y sabes que yo raramente me equivoco en estas cosas… tal vez algo en su closet…

-Kurt, ¿qué tal si…?

-Tal vez zapatos fuera de estación… —insistió pensando en aquello— o una caja de cabello humano… ¡James Hoover me cae pesimo que quieres que haga!… —terminó por decir Kurt sin darse cuenta que hija estaba detrás de él.

-¡Papá!... —exclamó Lizzie cruzándose de brazos y dando unas patadas al asfalto de la calle como cuando era pequeña y le daba un berrinche.

-Con un demonio… —murmuró Blaine poniendo cara de circunstancia trágica. Kurt, que aún permanecía de espaldas a su hija, abrió los ojos al máximo, mientras Noah se quitaba la mochila de la espalda para mostrar enseguida todo lo que había traído de regalo para su hermana— Princesa… —añadió tratando de intervenir antes que nadie.

-¿Qué demonios Papá?!... ¡hola!... —insistió Lizzie cada vez mas molesta, Kurt tomó un poco de aire y se dio media vuelta como en cámara lenta.

-Lizzie…

-¡¿Qué demonios?!...

-Lenguaje por favor… —agregó alzando una de sus manos como en señal de alto.

-¿Enserio me pides prudencia?... ¿en serio?... ¿que demonios papá!?.. —insistió Lizzie haciendo caso omiso de las advertencias de su Papá.

-Princesa…

-No te metas “Papáblen”, conociéndote, estoy segura que encontrarás 3746 excusas para defender lo indefendible… —agregó al chica haciendo una especie de desprecio.

-¿Me pueden dejar a solas con mi hija por favor?... —pidió Kurt sin despegar los ojos de Lizzie.

-Claro… prudencia por favor… —dijo Blaine al pasar por el lado de su esposo, bajó a la altura de Noah y le explicó que ellos entrarían primero, que sería super sensacional si sacaba todos sus regalos y los ponía sobre la mesa de café del nuevo departamento.

-Me parece una buena idea… gracias por la “supsgerencia” “Papáblen”... —contestó Noah guardando los paquetes que había alcanzado a sacar de su mochila, estaban envueltos de manera amateur y amarrados con cinta y papeles de colores.

-Y a mi… —contesto guiñándole un ojo— ¿James nos abrirá la puerta?... —pregunto Blaine al tiempo que se incorporaba en sus pies y se encaminaba hacia la entrada del complejo de edificios,

-No… no esta… —Kurt blanqueo los ojos aprovechando que su hija no lo estaba viendo— toma las llaves… —agregó entregando un par de llaves unidas en una argolla de un llavero de pompón rosado.

-Ok, gracias Princesa… los esperamos arriba… —terminó por decir Blaine mirando fijo a su esposo un par de segundos como diciéndole de manera telepática “arregla esto por favor”. Kurt hizo una mueca de fastidio y se quedó callado un instante antes de romper el silencio que lo incomodaba más a él que a su hija.

-No me preguntes que te trajo Noah… pero estuvo en su habitación como media hora antes de que saliéramos, es más…

-Papá… —interrumpió Lizzie haciendo ella esta vez el gesto de alto con una de sus manos.

-Ok… explicación..

-¿Qué explicación vas a dar?... lo que dijiste fue super feo… ¡hola!

-Lo fue… ¿sentémonos?... —pidió su Papá señalando la orilla de la acera,

-¿En la calle?, ¿sin ninguna protección?... ¿y en el cemento que han pisado millones de personas?... —preguntó Lizzie alzando su ceja, Kurt trago un poco de saliva y se quedó viendo la acera un segundo antes de contestar, como si se hubiera arrepentido o algo asi.

-Por supuesto… puedo ser salvaje un dia o dos… además no creo y eso afecte el diseño, la calidad y comodidad de mis pantalones Save Khaki United… —dijo mientras caminaba hacia el borde de la calle, miro unos segundo y pasó una mano por el concreto de manera disimulada, Lizzie quiso reír pero se guardó las ganas, después de todo aun seguia muy molesta— por favor cariño…—pidió Kurt señalando el espacio desocupado a su lado, Lizzie seguía con los brazos cruzados y de mala gana se sentó junto a él— cariño…

-Antes que hables, quiero decir que estoy super ofendida, ¡hola!... además es super injusto todo lo que dijiste, tú… de todas las personas del mundo… que eres el rey de la tolerancia y del no juzgamiento… sales con eso… ¡doble hola!… —agregó la chica queriendo llorar.

-Lo se cariño y si sirve de algo, me siento pésimo, no porque me hayas escuchado, si no por las palabras que salieron de mi boca hace instantes, no conozco a James, al menos no tanto como tú, ni como Blaine que se la pasa hablando de lo genial que es y de lo mucho que sabe de musica y no se que… —dijo blanqueando los ojos— pero bueno… lo que quiero decir cariño es que, no se que es, no se… pero James…

-Lo odias, es lo que dijiste…

-No dije eso, jamás he dicho eso…

-Pero lo piensas…

-...

-¡Papá!

-Cariño, no lo odio… por supuesto que no… si fuera así, todo mi discurso de tolerancia con el que he criado a mis hijos se iría al caño… es solo que no se… tal vez es porque aun te veo como la pequeña de rizos enarbolados que corría de un lado a otro pidiendo “tocholate”... o porque no pensé que este momento llegaría tan pronto…

-Papá, tengo 20…

-También lo se cariño, pero créeme que para los padres, los hijos se quedan para siempre en los cinco años o menos… cuando tengas a las pequeñas Lizzies… me entenderás…

-James es bueno Papá…

-Eso no lo se… pero te creo, y lo más probable es que lo sea, lo más probable es que sea tan encantadoramente bueno que tenga que tragarme mis palabras de a una, pero no aun… asi se que… solo te pido que le des a mis sentimientos para con tu novio el beneficio de la duda…y yo te juro que jamas diré algo que lo ofenda o que te ofenda a ti…

-Pero cómo voy a poder ser feiz sabiendo que tú… bueno, no lo odias… pero tampoco lo soportas… ¡hola!

-Pues tendrás que esforzarte cariño, porque si además de ser idéntica a Blaine en lo físico, lo eres en la forma de ser… que en realidad no tengo duda que así es… te será super placentero restregarme en la cara que estaba equivocado… —dijo Kurt sonriendo mientras acariciaba con ternura el rostro de su hija.

-¿Y puedo hacer eso?, ¿con “te lo dije” y todo?

-Por supuesto cariño…

-Por dios… creo que ya no estoy enojada…

-Fresca… —dijo Kurt sonriendo a la para con su hija— discúlpame cariño, me excedí y bueno…

-No hay problema… gracias por explicarme… y te entiendo… creo que si llego a tener hijos, no los dejaré salir hasta que tengan 30 o algo…

-Loca… ¿entremos?... —sugirió Kurt levantándose de la acera, se acomodó la ropa y se miro el trasero para asegurarse que su pantalón de marca no se había estropeado.

-Entremos… tengo cualquier curiosidad por ver lo trajo de “Goblin”... ¡hola!... —terminó por decir Lizzie partiendo abrazada de su Papá, si bien aún estaba un poco molesta por lo que le había escuchado decir, la explicación que Kurt le había dado, era la mejor que podía haber pedido.

#glee #klaine #escenas borradas glee #blaine y kurt #klaine fanfiction

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