What a Difference 4 Years Makes

In thirteen days I will be on a plane.  I will have gotten my diploma, a piece of paper that verifies how much debt I've accrued and how many dry dusty books I've read.  I will have said goodbye to the most wonderful people I've ever met, many for the last time.  And I will be closing this chapter of my life, stitching it neatly shut behind me without knowing what's ahead.

When I left Chicago for Seattle four years ago, I was bursting with hope.  I'd been trying to break out of the place and the life I'd known for so long, and here was my chance, finally.  I was ready for anything, good and bad.  And I've been lucky, because most of it, the vast majority really, has been good.  No, good doesn't do it justice.  It's been tremendous, life-changing, and educational in more ways than I ever expected.  I took a risk and, in a rare twist of fate for me, it paid off.  It paid off and I am so grateful it did.

Yes, I gave some things up to come here.  But the things I gave up then were all maybes, all possibilities, all question marks.  I might have found what I was looking for if I'd stayed, but probably not.  People looked at me strangely, didn't understand why I thought I needed to leave, to strike out on my own.  Some days even I didn't understand why, I just knew it was something that had to happen.  I didn't want to spend my life wading among the question marks, and wake up one day with a whole lot of would-haves and should-haves.

What I'm walking away from now is much different.  There aren't any maybes here, not really.  There are certainties, and a lot of them.  I could be happy here for the rest of my life.  I would get to keep the friends who have become my family.  I would feel safe, surrounded by the amazing landscape that makes up this place.  I would get to continue being this version of myself.

But the restless part of me recognizes that for the disadvantage that it actually is.  The wanderer inside of me isn't ready to stop moving, to settle for what I've found at 22, even though I feel more alive here than I ever have.  There's an optimism in this next step, the biggest question mark I've yet encountered-- if four years here can change me so much for the better, who's to say I can't find even more in the next place I decide to call home?  And even if that's not on the table yet, that feeling of instability, of not knowing quite what's going to happen tomorrow, it pushes me to strive for more, to be better.  It's the reason I've taken so long writing my novel while I've been here-- I didn't need to use writing as my escape nearly as often as I used to.  But do you know what?  In the weeks leading up to my departure, I've been more dedicated to it than ever; some part of me feels like if I can just finish telling the story, everything will be okay.

And really, that's been the case my whole life, probably always will be.  As long as I can write, as long as I can keep telling stories, things will turn out all right.  That, at least, has never been a question mark.

Discussion: Will Deathly Hallows Part 2 Live Up to the Hype?

It has begun.  (Actually, it began a few weeks ago, but it's only now I have time to pause and reflect upon it, take it all in.)  The hype train is in full motion for Deathly Hallows Part 2, and it is shaping up to be quite the campaign.  Yes, the major advertisements and such have been cropping up quietly in various corners of the Internet, but I think this is just because WB has learned that word of mouth is these films' most valuable marketing tool.  The trailer went viral approximately 10 seconds after it made its appearance (I posted it here only to find that all my blogger friends had done the same within the same 10 minutes or so), and the amount of stills and clips and the usual jumble of spoilers has been much more sparse this time around. 

I for one like that the marketing team seems to be going minimalist for this film.  Even the posters that have just been released are understated, just a photograph and the "IT ALL ENDS" caption, which for me is more than sufficiently epic, but when compared to your average movie poster is incredibly scaled down.  This leads me to believe that not only are they relying on us fans to spread the word and generate buzz due to our tragically mingled excitement and sadness about the series' final film, but that the film may just be capable of speaking almost entirely for itself.  I tend to judge films before their release based on the choices made in their marketing (how early, how frequent, etc), and generally the movies that truly blow us all away are the ones that didn't have the loudest, most explosion-y commercials or a million and one scenes leaked on the web.  They're the ones that some sects of the movie-going community started talking about ages before their actual release, and that have the least to prove at the box office.  Because let's face it, even if Deathly Hallows 2 tanks (which it won't, because I'm pretty sure myself and my nerd friends' ticket money could single-handedly keep it afloat), the franchise is already swimming in cash.  Even if this movie is a huge financial disappointment, there is so much emotion behind it for everyone who made it and everyone who'll watch it that it is impossible for it to be a true failure.

My optimism, however, doesn't blind me to some of the nagging questions I have about the final installment.  I am always slightly wary of these films, just because there are so many tiny places where re-writes of the text can make or break my favorite scenes and characters.  What does give me hope is that Deathly Hallows Part 1 was my favorite by far in terms of accuracy and interpretation, so I'm going to venture a guess that it's sister film can't diverge too widely from this achievement.  I am concerned, though, about some of the changes they seem to be making.  The first is something we all got a glimpse of halfway through the trailer, and something which the producers talked about during filming:  Harry and Voldemort are going to have a physical altercation during the final battle, trading blows that do not take place anywhere in JK Rowling's book (and rightfully so-- writing a fist fight is hard enough; writing a fist fight between a 17 year old boy and a 60-something year old man would be doubly strange).  I understand the motivation here-- it is a movie after all, and that kind of drawn-out fight appeals to the thrill seeker in us, and if I'm being honest I think we can (halfheartedly) admit that in Rowling's version, the final actual confrontation (that is, the moment when Voldemort is actually killed) is just a wee bit anti-climactic.  I could write you a thesis on why it's written that way (I have no doubts it was very intentionally done), but that isn't the point.  What I'm concerned about is whether this scene will come off in the film as well as those responsible for the re-write seem to be hoping.  I can make peace with it as long as it's believable, but if it isn't I worry that this critical moment could turn into a near parody of the text it seeks to bring to life.

My other primary concern (and it's kind of miraculous that at this point I've really only got two) is the Snape and Lily relationship and how it will be portrayed/revealed.  The films have already flubbed this once, cutting Lily completely out of the "Snape's Worst Memory" scene in Order of the Phoenix, so it will be that much more difficult for them to make the Snape plot twist both clear and believable without a whole lot of exposition.  As far as movie-watchers know, Snape and Lily might never have even met one another-- this is a problem as by the film's end we have to buy that he was in love with her, and so much so that he was willing to die for her son with the man he loathed.  And don't forget that this all has to be done without turning the film into the Snape Show.

Overall, I'm excited.  Everything looks pretty great so far, and I think there is an inflation factor for many of us that will make the film seem even better than it truly is just because of our emotional investment in it as the end of an era.  If ever there were a time when "graduation goggles" were going to work in someone's favor, it would be now, and I think the marketing gurus at WB are just savvy enough to realize that.

Film Talk: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"

I tend to go through extended periods where I'm not particularly inclined to watch documentaries, if only because my attention span doesn't seem to want to permit it, but I broke my streak with "Exit Through the Gift Shop."  I've finally jumped on the Netflix bandwagon, so I think you can reasonably expect an increase in film reviews/discussions on this blog, especially as I go to heroic lengths to avoid homework.

This film was so intriguing on several levels, I literally couldn't look away from it.  I've thought Banksy is a genius for a while now (I did a research piece on him for a class a few months ago), but seeing the influence of his work as well as the breadth of the street art movement was just plain cool.  I love the idea that this secretive, subversive community exists and is doing such interesting work despite the increased threat of arrest.  But the aspect of the film that I think really appealed to the casual viewer in me was the focus on Thierry Guetta, the cameraman who filmed hours upon hours of street artists doing their work, initially without any intention of actually making a film.  I loved what he had to say about the value of capturing moments on camera, of preserving his memories because he'll never see them the same way again-- there was something just beautifully striking about that, and it made me agree with Banksy, who at the film's beginning says that when he met the man hoping to make a documentary about him, he found Guetta to be much more interesting than himself.

And of course, I loved it just because the entire concept of street art appeals to my inner anarchist.  I wholeheartedly believe that street art should be allowed and even encouraged, especially if the people doing it are talented or spreading a message.  No, I don't think some forms of it are necessary (I think people writing their names or making a mess for the sake of it, for instance, should stop wasting their time), but on the whole I think art needs to be more liberated in this way.  There is less and less emphasis on it in the public school system, especially in this country, and it saddens me to think that every time we suppress an aspiring creative, we miss out on the full realization of his or her talent and potential for greatness.

I'm not sure how I felt about the last third or so of the film, which focused on Guetta's foray into the world of street art.  His attempts to emulate Banksy rapidly spiraled into what felt largely like a ploy for attention and money, which of course goes against everything the movement he's spent the film documenting is about.  Yes, Banksy and fellow street artist Shepard Fairy sounded more than a little resentful in their commentaries on the huge success of Guetta's show, but can you blame them?  They must have been feeling how I felt when Snooki got a book deal, or how musicians feel when people like Rebecca Black strike it rich with no talent.  It's just a disappointment, and I think Banksy summed it up best when he said it made him question whether art is just a joke.  As much as Guetta's change in attitude bothered me, I did like that the film ended here, on a note of uncertainty.

TV Review: Glee Gets in Touch with Its Roots

(I picked this photo because of how excited they all look.)


My biggest problem with Glee this season (and parts of last season) has never been the show's theatricality.  I started out legitimately interested in a show that frequently referenced Broadway and made off-beat jokes that not everyone would get.  But this season has been spent too largely on trying to increase Glee's "cool factor" by featuring random guest stars, topical plot lines, and way too much unnecessary drama.  What I liked about last night's episode "New York" was that the writers seemed to remember what the initial forces behind this show were, and remind us all why we started caring in the first place.

It wasn't a perfect episode, of course, but it would have been difficult for anyone to pen perfection in the face of this season's mountain of plot debris.  The kids' excitement about New York felt authentic at times but too over-the-top at others, and I still don't know how I feel about the show basically whoring out a single 10-block radius of Manhattan in order to add color and interest to the show.  I'm also wondering if the people who own Broadway theaters are aware of the apparent break-in epidemic going on in their buildings.

But joking aside, there were some things I really did like about this episode.  Rachel finally did what I've been hoping she'd do all season, which was commit herself to her dream over boys (she got back together with Finn in the end, but it was very clear that the relationship now has an expiration date, and I hope the writers don't conveniently forget that conversation come Season 3).  Rachel's dream of being on Broadway was one of the first really intriguing points of the show, and so I was glad to see the finale revisit that.  I loved (loved, loved) her duet with Kurt, not least because "For Good" is my favorite track from the Wicked soundtrack--they were both phenomenal in that scene.  On that vein, I also loved Kurt serving as Rachel's go-to gal pal/guide in this episode; it gave us another chance to see how well their friendship works. 

I'm glad they didn't draw out the Schuester story too much; we all knew he was going to go back to the kids at some point, and though I predicted they might leave it up in the air over the summer, I think I'm glad he's already sure to be back for another year with the Glee club.  Speaking of people returning for another year, one of the episode's definite highlights was the scene between Santana and Brittany at the episode's end.  I loved Brittany's break down of the New Directions family and the honesty of her feelings toward it and toward Santana.  I liked that we finally got a glimpse of how much she has changed since the show started from the ditzy cheerleader indifferent about who she bullied to someone who actually cares, and not just about herself.  I also got the feeling that only the things she said would have persuaded Santana that she wanted to come back for another year.

Last two things, I promise, both of them praises.  Loved the Blaine and Kurt scene (if you remember, I was hoping, as I'm sure many others were, to have one more glimpse of them before the show went to summer hiatus); the way they said "I love you" was just about perfect, nonchalant and genuine in equal measure.  Another development, and one I was wondering about following the prom episode, was Sam and Mercedes' secret relationship.  I'm legitimately intrigued to see how this one pans out, not to mention excited for the possibility of a duet between the two of them somewhere down the line, because I don't think we've gotten to hear them together before.  Why are my favorite shows choosing right now to write really cute secret couples?  I don't know, but I like it a whole lot.

So Glee is done for the summer, and not much was left hanging.  This episode felt in many ways like both a conclusion and like the show coming full circle back to the beginning of its run, so I will be very interested to see how they intend to proceed for the third season.  My advice:  cut down on the guest stars, etc, and focus on the characters we know and love.  "New York" did exactly that, and I think that's the biggest reason it was a successful episode.

Soundtrack Series, Part Three: Times of Change

 Well, here I am.  Less than 3 weeks till I'm a college graduate and till I'm on a plane back to Chicago, leaving behind so much of what I've gained over the past four years.  It feels like there's no good way to describe this rush of feelings, no way to truly encompass everything that's been going through my head.  Everything feels bittersweet and almost impossible to categorize-- every event, every outing and experience is fun and wonderful because I'm with the people I love most in the world, but everything also feels tinged by the ever-present knowledge that very soon I won't be.  Every conversation I have with someone from here on out could be one of the last, every time I visit my favorite haunts might be the time when I ought to be taking a mental snapshot, lest I forget the details of what it looks, sounds, and feels like.

Of course, this has prompted a shift in the music I've been listening to (but then again, it doesn't take much for that to happen).  The point is, I've been discovering more and more songs lately that seem to speak to this weird feeling in my chest, the overwhelming idea that something's ending and that I've got to grab hold of every second of joy that I can before that time comes.  These are just a sampling of the songs that have been my soundtrack during this time of transition, of goodbyes and attempts at making plans and new hopes.

Run -- Snow Patrol
One of my all-time favorite songs (and the all-time most played song on my Ipod, fun fact).  It's just such a poignant song about leaving, specifically leaving the one you love.  For me graduating and leaving Seattle doesn't carry quite the gravity this song does, but I can't omit it from this list because it is so wrapped up in the idea of change for me, of transition and of the power the people you love have over you. Also, there will never come a time when that epic instrumental portion just before the song wraps up doesn't blow my mind.

23 -- Jimmy Eat World
If I had to pick a song that most accurately sums up my feelings toward this upcoming transition in my life, this one is a definite contender.  This is just a fantastic song about the weirdness of being this age (I'm not 23 but I'm close enough, and I more than understand the sentiment), not knowing where things are going to go and feeling just a little bit out of control in the face of how fast life is passing you by.  It also has a great message about going after what you want:  "You'll sail alone forever if you wait for the right time/ What are you hoping for?"  That line just strikes me in a fresh way each time I hear it, and it reminds me of the need I have to evaluate what, exactly, I'm hoping for, and how I can reach it.

American Pie -- Don McLean
Not only is this a great story-song, but it expresses so much of what I think everyone feels on the precipice of a major life change.  McLean isn't excessively emphatic about it, but he's clearly devastated by the tumultuous times in which he finds himself, and regardless of whether you can appreciate the actual events he's singing about, chances are you can relate to the feeling behind it.  I know I can-- this is the kind of song that makes me wish I were a songwriter, so that I could encompass my feelings so flawlessly in such a versatile format.

I Must Belong Somewhere -- Bright Eyes
Love the catchy tune of this one, and the fantastic imagery.  It's a great commentary, but it also lets the listener establish his own sense of place in the world. I like this as a "change" song because there's so much in it about the way some things will inevitably remain the same.  

More Adventurous -- Rilo Kiley
I think the reason this song made the list (apart from the fact that Jenny Lewis is just downright marvelous), can be summed up in my favorite two lines:
"...With every broken heart we should become more adventurous"
"And [I] thought about how we are all as numerous as leaves on trees and maybe ours is the cause of all mankind-- get loved, make more, try to stay alive..."

In My Life -- The Beatles
"I know I'll never lose affection for people and things that went before/ I know I'll often stop and think about them..." This is one of my all-time favorite songs--short and to the point.  Reflect on your life, and remember all the people, places, and events that have shaped it.  This is a song that gives me motivation to move forward even into an uncertain future, because there are so many more memories to be made.  And even if it's all downhill from here, I'll be able to carry the things I've loved with me wherever I go.

Wild World -- Cat Stevens
This song just gives me a kind of warm fuzzy feeling.  It feels like a parent's kind-hearted, well-intentioned warning, filled with that distinct feeling of being cared for.  Not to mention, something about Cat Stevens just gives me the feeling like a friend is singing to me, like he knows how afraid I am of the "real world" and wants me to feel better about it. If that's not a good enough reason to put it on the "change" playlist, I don't know what is.

Somewhere Only We Know -- Keane
 This song is just fantastic.  If Keane had never recorded anything ever again, or if it had all been awful, this song would have been enough of a contribution for them to forever have my respect and affection.  There is something so beautiful about this song, about its imagery and its message, and it makes me feel better about damn near everything.  This song makes me think of community, and of the value of shared experience, and shared memories. 

Leaving Town Alive -- Bethany Joy Lenz
Little known song, but definitely a great little tune about the nature of change, and the little ways it impacts us.   There is a sense of how much life can wear you down, but there is also the shadow of victory, of being able to weather it all so long as you let your heart rule you.  It's about missed opportunities and letting those experiences teach you, guide you, so that you don't miss the next great chance that comes along.

100 Years -- Five for Fighting
One of several "life is short" songs on this list, because I think for me the notion of change and the idea of the fleetingness of time are very tightly linked.  Just as this song flies by, the years of your life that John Ondrasik is singing about can pass you by in the same exciting, wonderful, painful blur.  And if you're not careful, you might miss it. I'm hoping that when I'm "99 for a moment" I'll be able to look back on this part of my life as a time when I really did something, really put forth my best efforts and strongest energies to better the world around me.

Live Like We're Dying -- Kris Allen
I need to learn how to live the message of this song so much more fully.  It resonates with me so strongly every time I hear it, and I want to be that person who embraces every moment of my life to the fullest, yet somehow I find myself coming up short.  I know it's going to be especially tempting to just coast or kill time after graduation (particularly until I find a job), but I want to be very intentional about living each day with meaning, even if it feels like there isn't any.

Parks and Recreation Season Finale: Two Roads

Wha...?  But they were (I was) so happy!  And then--but are they--wait, what did I just watch?

That's the summation of how I felt about the last five minutes of "Lil Sebastian," when we saw Leslie's game-changing moment and hints at the potential fallout.  But there is almost a full two episodes to cover before we get to that.  First, let's check how I did on my finale predictions:

*Lil Sebastian was the one to die, as expected.

*We did in fact see Tom hand in his resignation to pursue his dreams

*Ann did have an interaction with Chris, though it was different from what I expected.  Chris is surprisingly still in the dark about Ben and Leslie, and so their conversation had nothing to do with the wayward couple.  I did like that Ann seems to finally be over her past with Chris, and that they were able to talk as friends.  I initially hoped that Chris' musing after she left was a sign that he might relax his policy about inter-office dating just a little, but by episode's end that wasn't even the biggest problem on the Ben/Leslie front.

*In fairness, I think the interview I cited in my predictions oversold the Ron/Tammy thing a bit.  I was expecting an actual storyline rather than a relatively minute interaction, though I am interested to meet Tammy #1 (and see who'll be playing her), and to find out why she strikes so much fear(?) into Tammy #2, who bolted upon seeing her.

*As I forecasted, little developments with Andy and April were all we saw, like the show was trying to check in with them every time we needed a cute moment.

*I admit that I was completely off the mark in my assessment of what would happen with Leslie and her job.  Chris' overhaul of the Parks Department seemed not to affect her at all, busy as she was with other matters, and the political recruitment plot was not something I was expecting to see this early in the show's run (though in fairness I guess they want to move it along and set up for a potential game-changer in a season or two.  Leslie isn't going anywhere any time soon, but Ben might be?  I was disappointed and surprised by this, but we'll get to that, I promise.

First, let's go all the way back to the beginning of "The Bubble" when things were a little bit sunnier.  Ben was super awkward this episode, in a way that was almost difficult to watch.  His meeting with Leslie's mom was a particular example of this, and  I'm just glad they didn't put us through watching the entire exchange.

We saw Tom and Andy get banished to the fourth floor per Chris' revamping of the department, and I loved Andy's irrational enthusiasm about helping out with such a menial task, in contrast with Tom's loathing, which built nicely (I especially enjoyed him bickering with the elderly women in the office).

Leslie teaching Ben how to deal with her mother was amusing, and Ms. Knope Sr. liking him maybe a little too much was doubly so.  Two things bothered me about this plot initially:  one, Leslie and Ben were spending way too much time together to be legitimately passed off as just work, and two, I don't think Leslie actually did any of her own work all day.  These things both proved to be a hint of things to come in the night's second episode (their many failures at secrecy and the relationship in general impacting the quality of their work), but it seemed like they were being too reckless right off the bat.  Both of them said on several occasions that they both didn't want to break up and didn't want to get fired, I just thought that neither did a very good job of showing that they meant it.  The only person I was glad to have find out about their relationship was Leslie's mom, especially because her approval of Ben clearly meant a lot to her daughter.


 Let's move on to talk about "Lil Sebastian," where my heart started to crack (and not because of the mini-horse funeral upon which the episode's plot focused).  There is a lot that happened in a very short time, and a lot of questions left unanswered, which means I will undoubtedly spend my summer wondering where things are headed.

Right off the bat we got more of Ben and Leslie just sucking at keeping their relationship a secret, to the point of it being really frustrating.  I mean, they kept their attraction to each other secret for ages (Ben didn't even know for sure that Leslie was into him until "The Fight"), but now they're suddenly incapable of behaving like adults?  I know why it was written this way, and what it was intended to do, I just still don't know if I buy it.


I really liked Ron being the first one to find out about the relationship, although I'm a little disturbed by how long he stayed on the line after Ben accidentally called him (and more than a little disturbed at the content of the conversations he overheard).  I liked that he was upfront with Leslie about the risk she was taking, assuming that fatherly role he sometimes does (reluctantly) when it comes to her.  You could tell that he doesn't actually oppose their relationship, just opposes losing his most valuable employee.

Chris' struggle with death during the funeral proceedings and his health "scare" probably should have humanized him a little, but I couldn't not laugh.  It was just so absurd to think that someone so obviously concerned with prolonging his life and health has never fully realized that he's eventually going to die.



And of course that last scene with Leslie.  She and Ben had just agreed to really try to tone it down (in other words, to do what they should have been doing the entire time) and be as professional as possible, when she was approached by political recruiters (would that be their official title?  I know nothing about this).  The Leslie Knope enthusiast in me was overjoyed that she's finally being recognized for her work and offered an opportunity that she desperately wants, but the Ben and Leslie "shipper" part of me wanted to cry.  Of course they aren't just going to let her get away with choosing between her current job and her boyfriend; they're going to throw another wrench entirely into the machine and make her choose between him and her biggest aspiration.  The episode left it up to us to speculate on what her "no" to the scandals question meant (is she going to break up with Ben?  or did she just do herself in by lying about the first thing they asked?), not to mention that sad look through the window. 

I honestly don't know which way it will go; there are obvious downsides no matter what.  If she stays with Ben she risks her political career blowing up in her face before it's even gotten off the ground; if she dumps him she's sacrificing a relationship that at least two people in her life have expressed support for (not to mention the implication that she's already happier with Ben than she has been with anyone in the past).  Both the relationship and the career can make her happy, but Leslie (and the viewership) is learning that in a non-ideal world, you usually only get to choose one path to potential happiness.

I'm going to count down the days until September trying to find a loophole wherein she can have both.  Because Leslie is above all else an average gal, like you and me.  And if she can have the best of both worlds, maybe we can too. 

TV Discussion: Parks and Rec Predictions

I've been saying it since January, but Parks and Recreation is honestly the best show on television right now, and is getting about one micron of the credit it so deserves.   I will be sad to see it go after only 16 installments this season, but I am overjoyed that it is (rightfully) coming back for season 4 in September.  Four months isn't that long....right?

Anyway, I've been anticipating the finale a lot, as anyone who reads this blog or has had to endure my endless musings will tell  you, and I thought in anticipation of tonight's wrap-up I would put all my thoughts out there for consideration (not to mention I like having all my predictions outlined so I can check later to see if I was right).

First let me say that this is all speculation based on my analysis of the show and the sources I've read teasing what might happen in tonight's concluding episodes, so no all-out spoilers here.  I will warn though, without trying to sound arrogant, that I'm fairly confident in some of my predictions.  Most of my thoughts are in response to this article on Entertainment Weekly's website in which Mike Schur goes into some of what might be going on in the finale.

Let's start with Tom.  As much as I adore Aziz Ansari (and barring a big career jump for him, feel pretty confident they'd be able to work him back into the show in some capacity), I'm fairly certain that this is the end of Tom's run with the Parks Department, or at least the finale will leave it looking that way.  We saw in "The Fight" that Tom's attempts at entrepreneurship aren't simply gimmicks for attention; he really wants to make a name for himself, and believes he can do it. Chris' oppression of Tom's creativity is very likely going to come up again tonight, and based on the scoop about Jean Ralphio's business proposal, I think it's probable that Tom will decide that now is the time to cut his government ties and strike out on his own.

What about Ann?  This season has seen her devolve a little bit (although it has been nice to see Rashida Jones break from exclusively playing the straight-man to Leslie's crazy), and we haven't gotten as substantial a story for her as I would have liked to see (in a near perfect season, this was one of the few minor flaws).  I'm intrigued, though, by what Schur has to say about her finally coming to terms with her relationship with Chris.  I think the idea of Ann getting closure opens the door for her to communicate with Chris again, and I think we may see her either stand up for Leslie and Ben outright, or else say something to fundamentally change his mind.  The more I think about it, the more I think I like the idea of Ann being the unsung hero(ine) of the hour.

Ron (and Tammy) seem to have a lot coming up in this episode as well, though I'm more hesitant to speculate on this one because Ron is a much more difficult character to read.  I'm getting the impression, though, that while most of us would expect him to be the first to help Leslie out of whatever mess she manages to get herself and Ben into, the personal issues he's dealing with will take center stage and will either prohibit him from helping or simply make him dismissive to any concerns beyond his own.

From what I can tell, Andy and April are going to be very much the "B" storyline during these two episodes, which I think will be very fitting.  Their relationship was a critical thread at the end of season 2 and the first half of season 3, and they've been on such a fast track since reconciling that I think giving them a slow, steady series of bumps in the road, teaching them how to take care of one another, is really the best approach.

And of course we have to talk about Leslie and Ben.  I think I'm finally done squealing and giggling over the last minute of "Road Trip," but from the sound of it "The Bubble" (at least before the conflict ensues) is going to have me turning to mush all over again.  I hope they'll give us a few moments of giddy happiness before Ben and Leslie inevitably turn the situation into a disaster.  I'm interested to see how the news of their relationship spreads, and how other people react.  I'm most intrigued to see if Chris will be as much of a douche about the revelation as we've been set up to expect (at this point my money's still on 'yes').  It seems that their decision to be together is going to leave one (possibly both) of their careers hanging in the balance, and I was sure it would be Ben's until I read the article mentioned above.

Schur says that there will be an "out of nowhere curveball" for Leslie in the final scene, and my gut is telling me, against (almost) all logic, that we are going to see Leslie Knope step down as the Deputy Director of the Parks Department.  There are really only a couple of scenarios in which I could see this happening, so let me outline it as best I can:

*If it came down to one of them (Leslie or Ben) having to quit their job to keep their relationship (assuming they're committed enough to do that), my money would be on Ben 98% of the time.  He's not as attached, his skills are probably more transferable, and Leslie is much more established in Pawnee.  Additionally, I just don't think Leslie is serious enough about Ben to quit her job for him.

HOWEVER...

*There is this nagging plot point of Chris trying to drastically restructure the department, and it sounds like he's going to be pretty aggressive about it.  Let's suppose he wants to alter the Parks Department in such a way that Leslie's job and perhaps her staff will be very different, to its detriment.  The fact that Chris is actively preventing her relationship in conjunction with him making her beloved job virtually unrecognizable may well prompt her to issue her resignation by the episode's end.

I have to stop here; there are already way too many thoughts in this for one post.  But I am so excited to watch tonight, and even if I'm wrong about absolutely everything, I know the show will deliver like it has been all season, and leave me wishing September could start tomorrow.

TV Review: Glee Does Death

It's hard to decide exactly how I felt about this episode.  On the plus side, it was pretty free of ridiculous moments (at least, intentionally ridiculous ones), but I'm still not sure it did what it was intended to do.

Death and its impact on relationships were the (sort of) unspoken theme of this episode, and I have to say, I didn't completely hate that.  Sue's development over the course of the hour felt genuine and poignant, my concern as always is whether it will stick (I hope it will, after an entire episode dedicated to it and such a major event serving as its catalyst).  I like the idea that in death Jean really was the only person capable of turning her outlook around, and I really liked that she ultimately decided not to bar Becky from her life. 

Some of the scenes, particularly the lead up to the funeral and the event itself, felt a little manipulative/sad for the sake of being sad, but on the whole I was more pleased with it than I would have expected. 

I liked the fallout from the funeral with Quinn and Finn.  Yes, it felt like a strange moment for Finn to be thinking about his tangled love life instead of, oh I don't know, his dead father or something, but I've been waiting for their breakup since the relationship reignited, so it was a relief to finally see it.  I'm also intrigued to see what Quinn is plotting for Nationals (I don't usually like full-on bitch-mode Quinn, but she's been pretty bland lately so I'm ready for her to pull out the big guns again).

Other notes:  I hope that Rachel resists Jesse's advances, which I can only predict are going to become even more overt next week, but I also hope they don't try to do a cliffhanger of who she'll choose with the finale.  I liked Will and Emma's scenes together; they felt genuine and I really liked the way she encouraged him to go pursue his dream even though she clearly wants him to stick around.  Additionally, what is going on with Terri?  Did anyone else get the vibe that she might be planning to off herself (or is that just my morbid brain in conjunction with the episode's dreary theme)?  I guess we'll find out next season.

Nationals are next week, and I'm interested to see how New Directions fares.  My hopes for the finale include some kind of resolution on the Rachel/Finn front, rather than just pining for each other; preferably an appearance/more than one line from Blaine, Puck, and/or Sam; great songs (I'm nervous about them doing original songs again, I feel like Nationals really needs to be a significant step up from their previous competitions); and maybe another sweet goodbye moment with Schue (since according to the promo the other shoe is going to drop on that one real fast).  I'm fully anticipating none of these will be met as the season rambles to what will likely be an uneven close, but I'll be watching anyway, hoping for something to leave me ready for Season 3.

Soundtrack Series, Part Two: Sounds of Love

I'm not a romantic.  Okay, I actually think that sometimes I am a romantic, but not in the way you'd expect.  I hate chick flicks and happy endings.  I'm not planning on waiting around for "Mr. Right" to find me in the hopes that we'll ride off into the sunset together.  The roles of wife and mother don't really appeal to me at all, especially in competition with writer or teacher or any number of ambitions I haven't yet discovered.

But I believe in love.  All of my stories feature it pretty heavily; the novel I'm writing is pretty much a 300 page treatise on why when we lose our ability to love we lose ourselves.  And I have a soundtrack, not a formal one, but a cluster of songs in the back of my mind that remind me of what love feels like, what it sounds like.  As you might expect, they're not all happy (all right, I'm lying, most of them are pretty melancholy) but the meaning they've got packed into them is worth a million crappy pop songs about soul mates and dating and weddings.

**And no, I'm not sure what it means that so many of them have one-word titles.
 
Faithfully -- Journey
If I am ever visited by the urge to get married and I have a wedding and there's a first dance, this song is it, beyond a doubt.  Not only do I unabashedly adore Journey, I love the epic build of this song.  And of course I'm a sucker for the lyrics, too.  As if none of that were enough, my love for this song was only reinforced tenfold when I heard it covered on "Glee" by the fantastic Lea Michele (and Cory Monteith), though I would definitely insist on the original version at my wedding.

Honestly-- Bethany Joy Lenz
It's not a secret that most of these are songs more focused on the heartbreak side of love than the warm & fuzzy (what can I say, it's who I am).  This song is about regret, but it's also about the endurance of loving someone even after things have gone south.  Take this line "I'm so glad you're far away/Is that a terrible thing to say?/Still I wonder if you're okay..."  Yes, she's nursing a broken heart and maybe even bruised pride, but there's still love there, and I think with any relationship that's ended it's important to remember that you loved that person once upon a time.

Someday We'll Know -- Mandy Moore and Jonathan Foreman
 Something else I'm a sucker for:  the couple who can't be together or shouldn't be together because of circumstances beyond them.  Yes, it's true that there are a lot of people who like these types of stories, but I think I'm in the minority in that I don't root for them to defy the odds/overcome whatever obstacle is impeding them.  I prefer them longing for each other, moving forward as individuals, and maybe even learning something from the experience.  The two people in this song haven't figured it out yet, but they will, and the romantic side of me loves that.

Yellow -- Coldplay
Whoever it was that introduced Chris Martin to odes and/or to songwriting, thank you.  This song is just such a beautiful tribute to a person who is literally the light of another person's life.  I can't say much more about this (my words wouldn't do it justice), so I'll just say that I'm pretty sure it's a no-brainer on a list of love songs.

Iris -- Goo Goo Dolls
Another pretty obvious/typical choice, but I had to stick it on here.  "You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be"-- what person, romantic or not, wouldn't want to hear something to that effect?  We also get a strong sense of the person singing the song as a complicated, even troubled figure, and the subject of the song being a source of salvation and comfort.  It's not a story song, but it makes you want to know the story behind it.

Someone Like You -- Adele
There had to be a song in here about the one that got away.  It's a staple of every love song list, and Adele's contribution to the catalog is nothing short of phenomenal.  There is something so raw and beautiful about every aspect of this song-- the simply piano, the lyrics dripping with longing, and of course that absurdly beautiful voice (I'm pretty sure she could cover just about any song and I'd love it).  When I discovered this one, it shot straight to the Most Played on my Ipod; there's just something about it you won't be able to get out of your head.

For the Nights I Can't Remember -- Hedley
 This one's a great song from a pretty unknown Canadian band, and it's all about appreciating all the things, big and small, that the person you love does for you.  It's about wanting to be a better person in return, because of how much you love them.  And it's got that alt-rock vibe that I thoroughly dug during my high school daydreaming phase (not to mention the fact that it was featured on Degrassi, which is pretty much the epitome of adolescent understandings of love).

 
Your Ex-Lover is Dead -- Stars
This is probably my favorite breakup song ever.  There's so much venom in such simple lines, and it's sad while also expressing a push to move forward.   I love the way they take literally the idea of forgetting or un-knowing someone you used to really love, and the way it comes to a resolution.  Best lines:  "I'm not sorry I met you/I'm not sorry it's over/I'm not sorry there's nothing to save."

Call It Off -- Tegan and Sara


The Temptation of Adam -- Josh Ritter
I absolutely love songs that tell a story, and this is one of my all-time favorites.  In about 4 minutes of song, Josh Ritter weaves a beautiful little tale of two people assigned to man a nuclear arsenal beneath the ground, and naturally they fall in love.  The temptation is "Adam's" impulse to simply allow the world above them to end so that they can continue to be together.  I've read a lot of pretty intense love stories in my time, but I think there's something uniquely moving about this one.

First Day of My Life -- Bright Eyes
I've seen this on a few occasions recently as a wedding song, and while some have scoffed that it's a hipster choice, I disagree.  It's a simple little song, and Conor Oberst's vocals leave much to be desired at times, but the beauty is in the simplicity, in the offbeat-ness of it.  "I'm glad I didn't die before I met you," Oberst sings, and isn't that how we all feel about the ones we love?

Come Home -- One Republic
This song, one of One Republic's best in my opinion, is truly beautiful.  Half plaintive plea, half "dreaming out loud" about a better world, it gets across something that is very difficult to articulate.  I think there's definitely a message here that it's okay to need people, as long as you can appreciate that there is still some beauty in your life without them, it would just be clearer if they were around.  Additionally, the version featuring Sara Bareilles on the second verse is even more gorgeous than the album cut.

TV Review: How I Met Your Mother Reveals Turning Points for All

This is the part where I gloat and do a virtual happy dance, because BOTH of my major predictions for this finale were proven right!

Naturally, I loved Barney and Robin working together to derail Ted from his ridiculous romantic tendencies.  And if that had been all I got from them this episode as a supplement to the Marshal and Lily plot, that would've been enough.  But this week the writers decided to give me (and a lot of other people) even more than we'd dared to hope for.  It was revealed that Barney is the groom in the wedding we saw Ted attend during the premiere.  The twist I was not expecting was the building of the mystery of the bride's identity.  In the scene directly prior to the reveal, we not only saw Barney get Norah (the cute British girl he was crushin' hard on a few weeks back) to accept a coffee date, but we saw Robin watching them with a sad "I wish I had another chance with him" face.  At this point I'd be happy to see either of the ladies walk down the aisle toward Barney (I will always be a loyal fan of Barney and Robin, but Norah is literally the first person I'd have dreamed up if that proved impossible), so I am excited to see how both relationships pan out.

The Marshal/Lily storyline.  I knew by the first time she vomited that it would turn out she was pregnant and that the food poisoning had been a misdirect, but it was still fun watching them get there.  It was made especially poignant by Marshal's speech right beforehand with him lamenting what a terrible year they've had so far.  I predicted when his father died that a baby would be their reward, but even I had moments of doubt that they'd do it before season's end.  That said, however, I think it was perfect timing, and a great thread to season seven, which I am now officially stoked for.

Craig Thomas, Carter Bays, congratulations are in order.  You just wrapped up a season that was emotionally stirring, hilarious, and suspenseful.  You revealed twists I've been predicting for months in a way that still had me tearing up and throwing every object within arms' reach.  You've restored my faith in this show, 100% and I am ready for a season 7 that delves deeper into all of the great stories you've set up.

Soundtrack Series, Part One: Songs to Commemorate a Life

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm a huge music enthusiast/nerd.  They'll also probably tell you that I have a penchant for making playlists for every occasion, with the songs that I've meticulously selected to summarize my feelings toward the event.  Last week I was working on my graduation party playlist, to commemorate the end of my college experience, and I got to thinking about how much I love doing this, creating a soundtrack that speaks the things I can't say. 

And naturally, it got me thinking about other occasions I could create playlists for, and what might go on them.  The first one I completed, listed here, is the soundtrack for my funeral.  I realize that might read as morbid, but when you think about it, what better occasion to express exactly how you feel about your life, and about death?  If there's one event I have every right to leave my mark on, it's this one.  So I present the 12 tracks I've narrowed down to comprise my memorial soundtrack.

I'm sure as time goes on I will think of additions to this list, but I also find that most of these for me have been pretty enduring and tied up in a lot of my memories.  This is my ideal playlist, and I'm so attached to these tracks that there may need to be an addendum to my last will & testament with a link to this blog, so that whoever handles my affairs doesn't go against this one fervent wish. 

1.  Wildflowers - Tom Petty
Beautiful, folksy little song with genuinely good wishes for the listener/subject.  I'd kick things off with this one because it's just so nice and it conjures up the image of sending someone on a journey.  That would probably be the theme of my funeral (do people have themes for funerals?), embarking on a journey, and so I think this would be a tremendously appropriate opening.

2.  Forever Young - Youth Group
This song takes me back to high school, when I first heard it, and I can't help but remember the sense of possibility and excitement that I felt looking ahead to the rest of my life.  I had so many dreams (still do, but they're more realistic now), and so many hopes, and this song reminds me to hold the memory of that time in my heart.  

3.  Remember Me as a Time of Day - Explosions in the Sky
I probably overuse the word "transcendent" when talking about music, but with this band I think it is merited about 98% of the time.  This track is so beautiful-- any time I need to take a minute and just be I like to close my eyes and let this play in the background.  I think that most of the Explosions in the Sky catalog would be apt for a funeral/celebration of life, but since I've limited myself to one track I have to go with this one.  


4.  Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World - Iserael Kamakawiwo'Ole
 I associate this song with some of the most contemplative, peaceful moments of my life.  It's the perfect track to play while you simply sit with your thoughts and reflect, and there's something so indescribably soothing about that ukulele.  This song puts me in mind of a beach somewhere far from any civilization, with clear skies and crystalline water that stretch on forever.

5.  Fire and Rain - James Taylor
This song has a lot of regret in it, beautifully and subtly articulated.  It's not that I want anyone to feel this way about me when I'm gone (the regret part, I hope they'll feel the affection!), but it's something I've always struggled with.  I often worry that the people in my life don't know just how much I love them, and that I'm taking my time with them for granted.  I also associate the tone of this song with change, the quiet kind of change that takes you by surprise with how much it impacts you.  I have so many people in my life who've changed me like this, and my hope is that somewhere along the way I've had a similar effect.

6.  Let It Be - The Beatles
This isn't a song I associate with death, but one I associate with my father, who died when I was young.  I have very few vivid memories of our time together, but something I do recall is the many car trips we went on, and all the things we'd talk about even while running errands.  One of the occasions that has always stood out in my memory is this song coming on the radio, and my father just bursting into song, barely knowing the lyrics and drumming on the steering wheel.  It's just such a great snapshot of the goofy, fun-loving person he was to me, and every time this song comes on I take pause to remember that car ride. I really love the idea of having such a vivid reminder of our time together as my own life draws to a close. 

7.  Angel - Sarah McLachlan
When I think of soft music that touches my soul, I think of Sarah McLachlan, and most particularly this song.  It's about how hard just living life can sometimes be, and I appreciate that.  There can be a million little struggles even when you haven't been struck by some overwhelming tragedy, and there's always (for most of us) the need for just a little more peace in our lives.  I don't necessarily believe in angels (they've always come as a package deal with the kind of theology to which I've never subscribed), but I love the image of being embraced by something greater than myself, and comforted in that embrace.

8.  When I Look to the Sky - Train
This was the first song I ever thought of as a spiritual experience.  There is so much tied up in this song-- nature, loss, spirituality-- in short, all the things that truly resonate with me.  I love this song because it acknowledges the immensity of loss while also providing a comforting sense of continued community with the person or people who are no longer here.  I would play this at my funeral if only to guarantee that the people I love get to experience it at least once.

9.  For Good - Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenoweth
I feel like I think of a different loved one each time I hear this song, and it somehow applies to all of them.  This is the perfect friendship song, and one that expresses just how much one person can mean to another.  I liked it in context of the musical it's in, but I like it even more as a standalone song, because it feels almost too universal to be confined to one story.  My favorite line in the song ("It well may be that we may never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part...") would be especially poignant in the context of a memorial, and I hope that it would comfort those I love the way that it has comforted me on so many occasions.

10.  Home - Michael Buble
I've always had a kind of sentimental attachment to the concept of "home" as much more than a particular place.  Home is in your memories, in your heart, and in the people who make you feel that indescribably comforting, warm feeling in your chest.  It's a feeling we all can relate to, but that's almost impossible for us to articulate.  I love this song because between the lyrics and Michael Buble's lovely voice and the soft instrumentation, that feeling gets conjured up inside me all over again.  I would hope for this song to inspire the comfort and fuzzy feeling in others that it always does for me.

11.  The Long Day Is Over - Norah Jones
I don't actually know if Norah Jones wrote this song as a metaphor for death, but that's how it has always read to me.  It's so gentle and soothing that I think this is a legitimate candidate for a song I would like to be listening to at the actual moment of my passing away.  It feels like a send-off, one that's understated and serene, exactly the way I'd like it to be.  And what better for my friends and family to hear as they send me off and say goodbye?

12.  Moving On - Michael Giacchino
This is one of the most moving compositions I have ever heard.  Yes, it's from a television show, but the last few minutes of LOST will be forever in my mind as a truly amazing, touching experience, enhanced all the more by this track.  I would insist on this being the last song to play as everyone walks away and returns to their regularly scheduled lives, because it is structured in the exact way I would want my memorial to be:  it opens quietly, builds to a beautiful violin crescendo, then fades away quietly.  My feelings follow the pattern of the instruments every time I listen to it, and it always provides me with a very unique feeling of catharsis.  I hope it would do the same for everyone else, rounding out this playlist and my life on the perfect note.

TV Review: Parks and Rec's OMG-worthy Episode

So, it turns out the non-stop Blogger outage yesterday might have been a stroke of luck for anyone reading this, because I think if I'd tried to blog about "Road Trip" last night, it would have looked something like this:
                      "Leslie and BEn OMG SO HAPPYSFLDKSFJDSLGJ G."

Seriously though, I'm such a shameless fan-girl when I've really gotten invested in an onscreen couple.  But since I've now watched the episode through twice (and watched the last scene, as predicted, approximately 200 times-- not entirely my fault, Tumblr fans are notorious for posting repeat GIFs), I think I should be able to actually articulate some real thoughts about what happened (and yes, there were other things that happened in the episode, believe it or not).

Leslie and Ben were not the only couple that we got a romantic gesture from last night.  Andy and April, who got into a tiff following Tom's "Know Ya Boo" game (complete with CGI dog co-host!), found themselves at odds over April's lack of pride in Andy's music.  To be fair, I have to agree that Neutral Milk Hotel, which I doubt most of the people who watched last night have ever heard of, is amazing.  But you should know by now April, that your shoe-shining, formerly pit-dwelling husband has a bit of a fragile ego at times.  Anyway, they made up, with her playing one of Mouse Rat's songs in a public display of vulnerability (and unexpected musical talent).  The plot itself was a bit predictable, but I think the point was to let us focus on the Leslie/Ben goodness without too much distraction.

And of course, Ron's "lesson" about government with the little girl at his office?  Precious.  For some reason, I love it when a misanthropic grown up befriends a kid or a cute animal; it's never not hilarious and kind of endearing.  My favorite moment was probably him asking her to autograph her original essay (Prompt:  Why does government matter?  Her Ron-influenced answer:  It doesn't.).

Well now that that's out of the way, let's get to the good stuff.  Leslie and Ben's road trip was the perfect next step for them, especially following the opening scene ("that was the most sexual tension I've ever seen in a conversation about documents"), and I could not have been more pumped.  Leslie's attempt to be the anti-seducer was hilarious (Whale sounds!  Learning Mandarin!  Johns Hopkins' dorms!), as was Ann's "sabotage" via the one and only Al Green.  I loved that Ben didn't let Leslie's bizarre behavior deter him-- yet another sign of how great these two are together.  And when they were doing the presentation and he talked about how "special" Pawnee is?  If you watch Leslie's face during that, you can basically see her falling in love with him all over again.  Such a great moment.

The heart to heart at dinner was such an amazing payoff for weeks upon weeks of these two dancing around each other, and I think there was a collective audience half-sigh of relief.  We also got a classic Leslie line:  "I'm going to go make out with him now.  On his face."  Then of course Chris had to show up and ruin things, again.  I'm sorry Rob Lowe, but you are quickly becoming the face of the most annoying character on television.  Sleeping under the same roof at Chris' condo (at his insistence) must have been torture for Leslie and Ben-- I don't think I've ever felt such strong sympathy for two attractive people who are inevitably going to live happily ever after.

And that kiss.  Oh my goodness, that kiss.  Both of them seemed to shed their awkwardness in that moment and were just two people ridiculously in like (maybe love) with each other, and it was fantastic.  It was so reminiscent too of the first kiss Jim and Pam shared on "The Office" (makes sense, given the shows share producers and some writers), but it was also trickier because the tyranny of Chris and the threat of hurting their careers lingered in the room with them.  "Uh-oh" just about sums it up.

Season finale next week offers up an hour-long two-part episode that I for one cannot wait to see.  I've read some speculation on what's going to go down, but rather than spoil you I think I'm going to just advise that you watch it if you weren't planning to already.  I fully anticipate a fantastic conclusion to a phenomenal season of television.

TV Review: The Parks and Rec Gang's All Here...and They're Wasted

I've decided to recap each half of last night's Parks and Recreation Double-Shot Bonanza individually, if only because I'm anticipating having a lot to say, and most of my thoughts on "Road Trip" are still gushing and hitting random keys on the keyboard.

I don't think I fully realized that Leslie and Ann have never had an honest-to-goodness fight before, but I really liked the way the show handled it.  Each of them got a lot off her chest, and even though they were all viciously hungover the next day (literally and figuratively), they resolved it in a way that was very honest and realistic.  Bonus points for having Ben be the one to extend Leslie's olive branch on her behalf, and double bonus points for it leading to Ann's revelation that his feelings for their yellow-haired friend were mutual.

As someone with an absurdly high tolerance for alcohol, I'd be very interested to try Snake Juice.  It sounded right up my alley-- caffeine, booze, Kahlua-like flavor-- but I digress.  I loved the way that everyone jumped on board with Tom's latest crackpot scheme, with hilarious results.  Just seeing how everyone reacted to the drank was worth the entire episode, especially Leslie's angry demands that Jean Ralphio "dance up on her."

Overall, this episode was not only hysterical, but it was a great setup for the next installment.  It ended up being a huge blessing that they both aired in the same night, because I think I might have died of anticipation if NBC had made me wait seven whole days to find out what was coming next.

TV Review: Community Concludes in a Galaxy Far Far Away

City College Conspiracy!  Star Wars references that I (embarrassingly) only half-get!  Meta-analysis of the show and the group dynamics!  Must be finale time at Greendale Community College. 

And this episode delivered in true Community fashion.  We got an epic conclusion to the paintball war, lots of laughs, and some genuine chaos. 

Things I loved:  the “epic” score throughout the battle sequences; every joke involving Leonard (“I’ve been in several actual wars, but this is the most terrifying”); the smoothness of the motif switchover; Annie and Abed (wtf?); Pierce saving the day in a twist that felt straight out of a cheesy action movie; and so much more.

No shockers like last season’s conclusion, but some lingering questions.  Is Pierce really done with the study group (my money’s on no, but we’ll see)?  Will Annie and Abed pan out, or are we going to be treated to more of her acting like a whiny high school girl next season?  Where was the Troy and Britta payoff (or even additional tiny hint) that I’ve been waiting for?  Why is Shirley not home with her baby (I did love that they poked fun at that)? 

I liked that the show ended on a note that it’s spent most of this season on.  It didn’t leave me on the edge of my seat for next week, but it delivered a lot of unexpected laughs, and I can go into the season three premiere in September ready for more of the same.

TV Review: Glee Pulls Out All the Prom Stops

Glee's prom episode had all the cliche staples:  Shocking prom queen reveal?  Check.  Girl fight?  Check.  Fist fight over a girl?  Check.  Awful music?  Cheeeeecccckkk. 

If we're looking at it the way I tend to look at this show, though, it was actually a pretty successful episode.  That is, it showed us the cheesiness of the high school experience in a very authentic way, and I felt like the characters all acted their purported ages for once (I sometimes feel like they forget the New Directions members are only 17, on average).  Rachel was pretty fantastic this episode, from selflessly helping Finn with his corsage dilemma to coordinating Sam going to prom on the cheap (and inadvertently getting Mercedes her "Cinderella" moment), to the look of genuine heartbreak on her face as she watched Kurt go up to accept his Prom Queen crown.  Quinn continued her trend of being whiny and kind of one-dimensional, though I did like the obvious conflict in her feelings during the bathroom confrontation with Rachel.  I like that this season has tried to really drive home the point that Quinn feels as insecure as any other girl (if not more so), but I think now it's been beaten into us just a little too much.  Move on with this character, writers, there's so much more she can be, and Dianna Agron has a lot of potential that you're risking overlooking.  One other disappointment was Puck, who I feel they consistently shortchange on this show.  He started out with that moment of insight (using that term loosely) about his supposed loss of badass-ness due to his relationship with Lauren, and I was hoping that would head to a moment of genuine understanding for him (i.e. that he's willing to sacrifice his reputation because he really likes his girlfriend, or something similar), but instead we just got another petty attempt at coolness, and a manipulation of poor Artie (yes, I know he made a choice, but Puck should know better by now).  In any event, I just want more from Puck that isn't trite or silly, because I think they've dropped a lot of inadvertent hints at his compelling character, and have scarcely delivered on any.

The Kurt storyline was compelling as always (but that might be largely because Chris Colfer has blossomed into such an incredibly watchable performer), and I loved that they added some dimension to Blaine's character (though I am hoping we'll get an actual last name for him some time in the future-- it can't actually be "Warbler", right?).  I loved the two of them uniting against the hardships they've both faced, and for the first time it really felt like an equal partnership (I think there were early concerns, mine among them, about Kurt jumping into a relationship with the first gay "mentor" figure he encountered; but in this episode it really felt like they each had a lot to offer one another, and Blaine seemed a lot less idealized than usual).  I definitely felt sympathy for Kurt, but I also admired his strength, and I think the show actually sent a really great message out to the teen viewers who might find themselves enduring similar struggles; I really appreciated Kurt's coming to understand that the bullying might never fully go away, but that he could be strong in the face of it and realize that the support of his friends is much more powerful.

The song covers this episode were an even split as far as I'm concerned.  Rachel and Jesse's rendition of "Rollin in the Deep" was a showstopper and enjoyable to watch as well as listen to; "Isn't She Lovely?" as performed by Artie was downright precious; and I really liked the use of Blaine on "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend..." during the climax of the dance.  However, both "Friday" and even "Dancing Queen" seemed too over the top given the context, and as much as I love a good Rachel Berry ballad, the song she sang (basically just to Finn) didn't seem like the best choice for a slow dance tune. 

And since I haven't talked about it, I'll say a little about the return of Jesse St. James.  His arc in this episode seemed pretty boring all things considered, but since he's back for two more I'll be interested to see what happens between him and Rachel.  I just hope they aren't planning to use him exclusively as a Rachel/Finn reunion device; Jonathan Groff is much too talented for that.